LOS ANGELES – For years now, I’ve been searching for a truly compelling anti-pornography argument, something that will at last persuade me porn is as evil and morally ruinous as many of its harshest critics say. Along the way, I’ve tried reading scientific papers concerning the...

DANVILLE, Ill. – As you’ve no doubt heard by now, infamous “copyright troll” attorney John Steele has been disbarred, an unsurprising development in the wake of his pleading guilty to fraud and money laundering charges in March. To those of us who have been unfortunate enough to...

MONTREAL – I have something important to say about this new trend of people searching for “fidget spinner porn”: Get off my lawn. For old-timers like me, the word “spinner” already has a well-established meaning in the context of porn. Spinners are petite women, not...

LINCOLN, Neb. – Every so often, I’ll hear someone refer to a three-year prison term as a “light punishment,” or complain modern prisons are more like country clubs than correctional facilities. When I hear such things, I immediately suspect two things about the speaker: He or she...

MENLO PARK, Calif. – The technologies behind social media platforms may be modern, but the conundrum predates the printing press: When it comes to depictions of sexuality, where is the line drawn between “pornography” and “art”? Among the intriguing details that have emerged from...

WASHINGTON – Once upon a time back in the 1980s, a hacker took over a digital message board on the campus of a major American university, on which he then proceeded to display a variety of profane, inappropriate, disgusting and, in some cases, quite funny messages. I’ve looked up...

NEW YORK – In the world of porn, there’s often quite a bit of begging. Even outside the realm of BDSM, where pleading with one’s dom is often part and parcel of the role playing, you hear plenty of supplication along the lines of “yes, please fuck my ass,” or “don’t stop, please...

MIAMI – When a publicity stunt succeeds, it’s a good thing. This can be true even if the stunt involves some manner of deception that eventually comes to light. Every so often, though, the stunt works a little too well, leading to backlash and recriminations those behind the...

DALLAS – Let’s say, for the sake of argument, there was a company or manner of business you’d prefer didn’t set shop up in your hometown. How much tax revenue would you support your city government spending to prevent the event or presence? Before you answer, consider this...

CHICAGO – Of the many myths and half-truths which surround the adult entertainment industry, one of the most persistent is the notion the adult industry is a major driver of technological development. Porn, you’ll hear people say quite authoritatively, is the reason VHS won out...