Contact: Robert Peters, Morality in Media, 212-870-3210

NEW YORK, Nov. 18 /Standard Newswire/ -- As reported in yesterday's NY Times ("Courting women, Playboy TV puts the emphasis on intimacy") Playboy TV is "putting (some of) its clothes back on" and "shifting from traditional pornography toward a higher quality, female friendly slate of reality shows." The article also states that while Playboy "insists" that the content on its new "TV for 2" shows "is less identifiable as pornography," the "channel's research" indicates that younger women in particular "were not opposed to pornography as along as it had certain attributes."

Robert Peters, President of Morality in Media had the following comments:

While there is a difference between soft-core and hard-core pornography, both are still pornography, and what pornography does is sexually arouse and enslave those who view it.

When two people watch pornography together, it is often what's on the screen that is arousing one or both of those viewing it, not the other partner; and most women find it difficult to compete with the young, attractive and easily pleased females who perform in pornography.

Furthermore, what goes for "reality" on TV these days is often largely a series of staged events, and competing with Playboy TV's carefully chosen program participants won't be easy.

Playboy may be hoping that its block of "TV for 2" shows will prompt women to subscribe to Playboy TV and that this will also make the men in their lives happy. But many men won't be happy watching just "TV for 2" programs. They will also want to watch other programming.

According to Wikipedia, the "content on Playboy TV is more explicit than the softer material of its magazine counterpart" and "Playboy TV in recent years has begun showing sex acts including oral and vaginal penetration..." And while most Playboy TV programming may not be "hard-core," other Playboy owned TV pay channels do offer hardcore pornography.

Pornography is addictive; and when a person becomes addicted to pornography, what first excites loses its attraction, prompting the individual to seek "rougher, more explicit, more deviant, and 'kinky' kinds of sexual material to get their 'highs' and 'sexual turn-ons.'" [Dr. Victor B. Cline, "Effects of Pornography on Adults & Children," available at www.obscenitycrimes.org, Porn Problem & Solutions].

I would add that for many "Boomers," Playboy magazine was to pornography what marijuana was to drugs. It was our introduction to pornography, which didn't help our relationships.