Pamela Anderson, former star of Baywatch and the subject of many Playboy centrefolds, has co-written an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal about the dangers of porn addiction.
Anderson, 49, partnered with conservative Orthodox rabbi Shmuley Boteach to pen the diatribe, meant to be a response to the Anthony Weiner scandal (who was once again caught sexting, this time in front of his young son). The strange thing is the Weiner case has nothing to do with porn or porn addiction, so the direction seems misplaced.
READ MORE: Can you be addicted to sexting? Considering the case of Anthony Weiner
The essay focuses solely on (straight) men’s porn addiction, and doesn’t make any mention of women partaking in the habit. It goes on to cite statistics the two writers call “terrifying,” but ultimately remain unsubstantiated.
They say that our current society is helping the addiction breed, and men’s disconnection from real-life affection and sex will be detrimental to families and healthy relationships.
READ MORE: Pamela Anderson officially joins The Rock’s Baywatch movie
“This is a public hazard of unprecedented seriousness given how freely available, anonymously accessible and easily disseminated pornography is nowadays,” they wrote. “We are a guinea-pig generation for an experiment in mass debasement that few of us would have ever consented to, and whose full nefarious impact may not be known for years. How many families will suffer?
How many marriages will implode? How many talented men will scrap their most important relationships and careers for a brief onanistic thrill? How many children will propel, warp-speed, into the dark side of adult sexuality by forced exposure to their fathers’ profanations?”
They conclude that porn is for “losers,” an outlet for lazy people, which is rich considering Anderson herself has appeared in her own porn videos and has most likely been the object of affection for many users of porn. The upcoming generation of kids, they say, are the “crack babies” of porn.
The main problem with the piece is — despite their usage of stats to prove their point — there is still no scientific evidence that porn addiction, or even sex and sexting addiction, exists. There is also no certified treatment method available to someone who has an addiction problem.
In 2015, a huge study conducted by neuroscientists out of UCLA found that porn “addiction” isn’t really addiction, and labelling it as such merely allows for expensive treatments and therapies.
According to the American Psychological Association, pornography can also have positive impacts on consenting relationships.
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