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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Billie Eilish speaks out on the effect of viewing porn at 11 years old

59 replies

PurgatoryOfPotholes · 15/12/2021 08:06

extract

“I started watching porn when I was like 11,” she told Stern. “I was an advocate and I thought I was one of the guys and would talk about it and think I was really cool for not having a problem with it and not seeing why it was ‘bad,’ you know?”

(continues)

“I think it really destroyed my brain, and I feel incredibly devastated that I was exposed to so much porn. I think that I had sleep paralysis and almost night terrors and nightmares because of it. I think that’s how they started because I would watch abusive BDSM and that’s what I thought was attractive. It got to a point where I couldn’t watch anything else—unless it was violent, I didn’t think it was attractive.”

Like so many of her peers, Eilish’s understanding of sex and her first sexual experiences were heavily influenced by porn. She says that she couldn’t speak up about not wanting to do certain things because she felt pressure to perform.

“I was a virgin, I had never done anything, and so it led to problems where the first few times I had sex,”she explained, “I was not saying no to things that were not good. It’s because I thought that was what I was supposed to be attracted to.”

Before moving on to discussing her dating life, Eilish talked more about the unrealistic and unattainable standards porn influences in our culture.

“I am so angry that porn is so loved and I’m so angry at myself for thinking it was okay. The way that vaginas look in porn is f—ing crazy, no vaginas look like that, women’s bodies don’t look like that, we don’t [orgasm] like that, and we don’t f—ing enjoy things that are what it looks like people are enjoying.”

You can read more and watch the interview here:

fightthenewdrug.org/billie-eilish-watching-porn-at-11-she-shares-impacts-it-had-on-her

OP posts:
Laceoff · 15/12/2021 09:50

I was so pleased to see this - I hope it gets shared widely. I've sent it to my 17yr old DS. It's not a very fashionable position to take these days so will be interesting to see how the bigmouths on Twitter react or if they'll ignore.

ArabellaScott · 15/12/2021 09:43

I think the change in porn is something that needs to be discussed as well. When I was growing up and up until relatively recently porn was different. I was, tbh, a little bit dismissive of some of the anti-porn arguments because I hadn't realised that contemporary porn is a very different beast from the stuff we saw as teenagers.

More recent changes have been utterly shocking and it needs discussed.

PaleGreenGhost · 15/12/2021 09:30

Wow I was surprised to read this.

Not surprised at Billie's experience. I think it's common. It affected my generation too but we had at least had some chance of a natural exploration of sexuality before the Internet happened.

I'm surprised to see a mainstream star speak out against porn. I didn't think that was especially PC. I will be interested to see if she is punished in any way.

thinkingaboutLangCleg · 15/12/2021 09:27

Wow, well done for speaking out, Billie. That really is brave and impressive. Violent porn is yet another misogynistic curse young women have to contend with these days. Yet another spawn of queer theory.

MedusasBadHairDay · 15/12/2021 09:24

@AnyFucker

Thank you speaking up Billie. Our younger generation need to start turning away from porn. Make it socially unacceptable.

Reading this made me start to feel a tiny bit less hopeless.. If someone like Billie, that youngsters look up to, are speaking of it’s harms more power to them.

It's good, I hope it has some impact
Crazykatie · 15/12/2021 09:21

Porn is not a good introduction to relationships, just like social media age restrictions should be put in place, with technology like finger prints and face recognition it could be done easily. Tech companies don’t want to do that because it reduces the money they make, only with legislation can that be achieved.

AnyFucker · 15/12/2021 09:13

Thank you speaking up Billie. Our younger generation need to start turning away from porn. Make it socially unacceptable.

Reading this made me start to feel a tiny bit less hopeless.. If someone like Billie, that youngsters look up to, are speaking of it’s harms more power to them.

ArabellaScott · 15/12/2021 09:09

Horrific to read. I really feel for her. Front page BBC today.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-59658663

spotcheck · 15/12/2021 08:07

11.... Gosh 😟😟