Actress and model Pamela Anderson has responded to critics who have said her public opposition to pornography is hypocritical, considering her past appearances in Playboy as well as leaked sex tapes that once landed her in the headlines.
Anderson, who captured attention in August when she and Rabbi Shmuley Boteach penned a Wall Street Journal op-ed urging people to steer clear of porn, recently appeared on British TV show “This Week” to defend her position.
“I know I am part of the problem, I should probably disqualify myself from this whole situation because I was in Playboy, and I had a tape that was stolen from my home and went all over the world and people saw things they should never have seen.” Anderson said, according to the Mirror.
But while the 49-year-old actress admitted she has some regrets and understands why some might critique her stance on porn in light of her past history, she believes she has a unique perspective on the matter, as she’s been “treated like an object.” Anderson said she can be a viable “authority on the subject” based on her past experience.
As for her Playboy cover shoots, Anderson, who described herself as “a romantic,” said she didn’t see the men’s magazine as “pornographic,” seemingly separating her take on the nude photos from her stance on online smut.
Anderson, who hasn’t backed down from her public position on the matter, gave specific examples of what most bothers her about rampant porn use, saying she believes watching porn online while one’s partner is in the other room isn’t normal.
Additionally, she said smut is so widely available that she’s worried it’s desensitizing people, saying she wants to see intimacy brought back into relationships — something she believes has become less prevalent over time.
“Young people are looking at this thinking, ‘This is how I have to act in a sexual relationship’ or ‘This is how I have to act,” Anderson said during her “This Week” appearance, doubling down on her concern over the dire impact.
In addition to appearing on the British TV show last week, Anderson and Boteach also spoke at the University of Oxford about the dangers of porn, with the two driving home their message the the wide availability of smut has created “a public hazard of unprecedented seriousness.”
Anderson has faced some critique since coming out against porn, considering she’s appeared on 15 Playboy covers, and has had two sex tapes leak to the public, according to Fox News.
https://twitter.com/Ultrarunnerbhoy/status/786868250072186880
Anyone else think it's ironic Pamela Anderson talking about not watching porn? Pam, you made a movie… #Irony #ThisMorning
— Nick (@N1CK219) October 14, 2016
Just consider some of the critical reactions that came flooding in after her “This Week” appearance. “Can’t help but think Pamela Anderson is being a tad hypocritical here,” wrote Twitter user Ultrarubberbhoy. And user N1ck219 added, “Anyone else think it’s ironic Pamela Anderson talking about not watching porn? Pam, you made a movie.”
Still, Anderson continues to speak out against the negative impact porn can have on individuals and relationships, alike. Her foray into anti-smut advocacy seemingly began with the publication of her Aug. 31 op-ed alongside Boteach. Titled, “Take the Pledge: No More Indulging Porn,” the piece encouraged people to think more deeply about porn consumption.
“From our respective positions of rabbi-counselor and former Playboy model and actress, we have often warned about pornography’s corrosive effects on a man’s soul and on his ability to function as husband and, by extension, as father,” the piece read, in part. “This is a public hazard of unprecedented seriousness given how freely available, anonymously accessible and easily disseminated pornography is nowadays.”
Numerous studies have found that porn can have a negative impact on individuals and marriages, alike.