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From: rb@cci632.UUCP (Rex Ballard)
Newsgroups: soc.singles
Subject: Re: Illiterate pornography customers?
Message-ID: <407@cci632.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 25-Sep-86 10:44:04 EDT
Article-I.D.: cci632.407
Posted: Thu Sep 25 10:44:04 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 30-Sep-86 04:08:32 EDT
References: <652@mit-vax.UUCP> <1749@well.UUCP> <5138@dartvax.UUCP>
Reply-To: rb@ccird1.UUCP (Rex Ballard)
Distribution: net
Organization: CCI, Rochester Development, Rochester, NY
Lines: 39
Summary: Pornography as incentive for improved literacy.

In article <5138@dartvax.UUCP> chelsea@dartvax.UUCP (Karen Christenson) writes:
>>>>We have one of the highest illiteracy rates of any developed country.
>>>>Apparently the benefits of porn do not outweigh the losses that accrue
>>>>from the mindset it fosters.			[Mark Ethan Smith]
>>		    ------------------------------
>>>   Mark, you've got to stop posting when you're tripping - I can't
>>>follow your logic at all.
>>-----------
>>   Sorry, Oded.  Y'mean somebody READS that stuff next to the pictures?
>>Mark
>
>     Let's check out a rearrangement here.  "Pornography fosters a mindset
>to which accrues certain losses - including the highest illiteracty rate of
>any developed country - which do not outweigh the benefits pornography
>provides."
>     Nobody reads the stuff next to the pictures, therefore pornography
>causes/contributes to illiteracy?
>
>						Karen Christenson

It is interesting that magazines such as Playboy and Cosmo have been used
as teaching aids in adult reading programs and in cases of "hard core"
teenage remedial reading programs, including prisons.  Considering that
less than 5% of these magazines are pictorials, it is quite easy to find
interesting reading material, and evaluate summaries or reviews based on
that material.

Several "Soft Porn" magazines also present alternative views on a variety
of issues ranging from political candidates to health and hygene.  Some
of this information is not available elsewhere.

Many believe that Jimmy Carter wouldn't have survived the primaries without
the reports of his "I lust for you" statements in Playboy.

Few magazines, no matter how "hard core", are "pure pictures".  Most have some
reading material, much of it focused to reading levels as low as 4th grade.
This is not because the target audience is 10 year olds, but because many
people have "dropped out" in terms of active interest in reading by that
age.