Industry Trends Explain Empty Parking Lot

While Mr. Cornetta claims that it is the lack of signage that is costing him sales at his Johns Creek store, industry trends may be the real reason for the empty parking lot. It seems that Mr. Cornetta is trying to blame the City of Johns Creek for the lack of sales, when it is the internet that has caused sales at traditional porn shops to decline significantly. While we do not support the use of the internet for porn, it is interesting to note how these trends are impacting stores like the Love Shack.

Porn 2.0 is stiff competition for pro pornographers

The industry often credited with being the driving force behind (no pun intended) new technologies is now suffering from them. The pornography industry, which has long been growing alongside the Internet since the early days, has hit a wall in recent years. DVD sales and rentals have dropped by 15 to 25 percent in the last year, according to industry estimates, and some believe that it could fall further if the industry doesn’t catch up with new online trends.

 

Purveyors of porn scramble to keep up with Internet

 

“Even the adult-entertainment industry can be caught by surprise by how fast technology moves,” Lane says. “The small- to medium-size companies are getting hammered. “

For Pornographers, Internet’s Virtues Turn to Vices

But now the established pornography business is in decline — and the Internet is being held responsible.

The online availability of free or low-cost photos and videos has begun to take a fierce toll on sales of X-rated DVDs.

 

Porn Compared to Toxic Sludge

An article in the National Catholic Register takes aim at pornography and its impacts.  it asks the question that most people would rather not have to address:

When toxic sludge leeches into neighborhoods, we demand the polluter stop and clean up his mess. What about the sludge of pornography?

The article points out some of the impacts of pornography on our community:

 Pornography threatens marriage and the family by distorting the very meaning of sexuality. It threatens women by reducing them to objects of male pleasure, and blurring the lines between what is acceptable and what isn’t. It threatens young people by stoking appetites that are increasingly difficult to satisfy. It abuses freedom of speech, because this freedom that was meant to be at the service of public debate, is now being identified with unbridled obscenity.

And it leads to other crimes. In conjunction with Bishop Paul Loverde’s teaching efforts, the Alpha Omega Clinic in northern Virginia launched a website, Unity Restored, to help fight pornography in practical ways. The site points out the strong correlation between use of pornography and theft, violence and other anti-social behaviors because it encourages users in the habit of seeing other people as objects to be manipulated instead of persons to be loved.

The website further exposes the darkness of the pornography industry:

• A University of New Hampshire study released in February found that 2/3 of children exposed to pornography in the course of a year came across it accidentally during innocent Internet searches.

• “Stealth” pornography is particularly malicious because viewing graphic sexual imagery causes a biological and psychological response in viewers, whether or not they desire it — a response that makes resisting more difficult. Pornographers try to “hook” young people and other innocents to get new customers.

• Dr. C.J. Manning’s 2006 study on sexual compulsion showed that learning of a spouse’s porn use typically has the same impact on an innocent spouse as learning of an affair — and pornography is a significant factor leading to divorce.

• “Adult” images won’t enhance sexual intimacy (a common justification); research consistently shows that pornography use decreases the desire and ability to have relations with a partner.

America is a democracy. In the end, the fight against pornography will only be as strong as we are willing to make it. For information on fighting pornography and helping enforce America’s obscenity laws, see the website of Morality in Media (MoralityinMedia.org)