andromeda
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't go so far as "hate" but the phrase bothers me too, OP. And I say that as someone who's used it before, along with other related metaphors and phrases ("hairgasm", "had to light up a cigarette after that one", etc) and who can appreciate and laugh with many of the comments in this thread that counter your belief.
I must admit that I've never thought about it from a Christian POV. My concern lies in the usage of the term "porn" in non-sex contexts - hairporn, shoeporn, foodporn (anyone see the South Park episode "creme fraiche"?). It speaks to the way in which porn is pervasive throughout other areas of daily life/culture. Porn is becoming increasingly normalized and de-stigmatized not only through people participating in the consumption of actual porn but also through people's "mere" usage of the word in describing things that have nothing (or little) to do with sex. It also illustrates, in very specific terms, the way that we relate to those non-sexual things that we foist the term "porn" upon - lustful, voyeuristic, arousing, impulsive, for the purpose of others' pleasure and satisfaction, etc. I also think it's part of a larger trend of sexualizing non-sex things to assign a positive value judgment to them - "being smart is sexy", "powerful women are sexy" - as if those things don't have inherent value in and of themselves.
To take it a step further, it can be argued that where hair is concerned, frequent "hairporn" viewing produces a relationship dynamic between the porn-watcher and porn-watcher's hair that parallels the that of real porn. The hairporn watcher develops unhealthy expectations about hair and becomes resentful that their hair doesn't measure up. I wouldn't necessarily agree with that argument nor do I think that porn itself is necessarily a bad thing but I do think that the usage and popularity of the term "hairporn" is indicative of something more than just "great hair".
To say it's "just a phrase", is to say that English is "just a bunch of words". It's more than that - it's a way of expressing culture, concepts, and a particular way of seeing the world and the things within it - including hair.
I must admit that I've never thought about it from a Christian POV. My concern lies in the usage of the term "porn" in non-sex contexts - hairporn, shoeporn, foodporn (anyone see the South Park episode "creme fraiche"?). It speaks to the way in which porn is pervasive throughout other areas of daily life/culture. Porn is becoming increasingly normalized and de-stigmatized not only through people participating in the consumption of actual porn but also through people's "mere" usage of the word in describing things that have nothing (or little) to do with sex. It also illustrates, in very specific terms, the way that we relate to those non-sexual things that we foist the term "porn" upon - lustful, voyeuristic, arousing, impulsive, for the purpose of others' pleasure and satisfaction, etc. I also think it's part of a larger trend of sexualizing non-sex things to assign a positive value judgment to them - "being smart is sexy", "powerful women are sexy" - as if those things don't have inherent value in and of themselves.
To take it a step further, it can be argued that where hair is concerned, frequent "hairporn" viewing produces a relationship dynamic between the porn-watcher and porn-watcher's hair that parallels the that of real porn. The hairporn watcher develops unhealthy expectations about hair and becomes resentful that their hair doesn't measure up. I wouldn't necessarily agree with that argument nor do I think that porn itself is necessarily a bad thing but I do think that the usage and popularity of the term "hairporn" is indicative of something more than just "great hair".
To say it's "just a phrase", is to say that English is "just a bunch of words". It's more than that - it's a way of expressing culture, concepts, and a particular way of seeing the world and the things within it - including hair.
Interestingly enough, lhdc doesn't like the term "hairporn" either. I think she might have stated it in the very video from which this gif was created.