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“You’d get bored,” said Essence. “It would get uncomfortable. Your refractory period would get longer and longer. Your body wouldn’t let you do that.”
“You’re the one in denial about porn addiction,” said Decker.
“Look, I didn’t say it doesn’t exist—”
“You did,” said Decker. “I think that is exactly what you said.”
“Well,” she said, “you’re not addicted to porn. I’m not addicted to porn. So I don’t suppose it matters.”
“I thought we were speaking academically and not personally,” said Decker. “And what I’m saying is, we all agree you can’t give in to your sexual desires constantly. So, we all agree there’s a line. At some point, you control yourself. It seems to me that all I’m saying is we should draw the line a little bit further up.”
“Well, I don’t think it would work,” said Essence. “I don’t think that most guys could give up porn like you did. You have more self-control than other people, Decker. That’s what you don’t realize.”
“I have that self-control because I have honed it over time,” said Decker.
“No, you just were born with it!”
“Bullshit,” said Decker.
“Yes,” she said.
“Well, whatever, if everyone tried harder, we’d be better off.”
Hollis lifted a finger. “So, basically, we’re talking here about whether to indulge pleasure or to resist pleasure.”
“She’s a hedonist,” said Decker.
“And you’re afraid of everything,” she said.
“And, like you pointed out,” said Hollis, “we all agree, everyone agrees, the answer is, ‘It depends.’ Sometimes you indulge, sometimes you resist. So, it seems to me, the question we have to ask is, ‘When does indulging sexual pleasure result in behavior that impedes on other people’s comfort?’ Because if you’re just doing it on your own, then it’s no one else’s business.”
“Exactly,” said Essence. “Therefore, masturbating to whatever porn you want is fine.”
“Except, no, we as a society don’t think that,” said Hollis. “There are certain kinds of porn that are banned, notably anything dealing with minors.”
“No question,” said Essence. “No question with that! That’s not even a thing we debate about.”
“Right,” said Decker. “This is what I mean. That’s a hard line. Everyone agrees. We need to move the line.”
“No,” said Essence.
“Why? Because you want to be spanked that badly?” said Decker.
“It doesn’t hurt anyone,” she said.
“It hurts you,” said Decker.
“Tangles and briars, if two people are consenting adults—”
“It doesn’t cause any lasting hurt,” said Hollis.
“Not physically,” countered Decker. “But maybe it does something to your brain. To both people who are involved.”
“No, it does not,” muttered Essence, throwing up both of her hands. “You are such a prude. You have intense, prudish reactions to things that make you sound like a crazy person!”
Hollis stroked his jaw line with his skeletal fingers. “What do you suppose it does to your brain?”
“Look, I don’t know,” said Decker. “But, okay, we know that in clearly predatorial relationships between say, older men and teenage girls? We know that during those relationships, the women are groomed to say that they’re into it, and—”
