paladin181: Reducing sex to being about a hole in a piece of meat actually sheds light on the problem here. People value sex for different reasons, and not entirely exclusive. Some are completely enamored by the pleasure benefit, and others the relationship benefit. The ones who prioritize pleasure see relationships as gatekeeping or even unnecessary, and the ones who prioritize the value of sex to the closeness of a relationship see excessive exposure as devaluing sex, and its role in relationships. Sadly, the two won't ever agree, and I am more on the side of people who value the role of closeness in relationships. If you consider that puritanical, then fine I'm puritanical. I don't think everything needs to be inundated with explicit sex. Personally, I'd prefer if it weren't here.
That's not to say there aren't people out there who think "SEX BAD, HOW DARE YOU?!" That's also not to say that people who prioritize one value over the other have no desire for the opposite. I like being close with my wife, it is great and it is pleasurable. I'm sure a lot of the advocates for more adult games have healthy and robust relationships too. This is not trying to further divide people.
The idea that people being able to enjoy smut readily doesn't hurt me is false, as it changes culture and damages something I value in life. That's why I have the stance I have.
People on the other side say the exact same thing, that blocking access to this changes culture and damages something they value in life.
Who is right, who is wrong? Neither. Both. However you want to see it. Political issues like this are contentious for that very reason. There isn't a right answer that will appease everyone or even most of the people. To pick a side alienates a HUGE swathe of people, no matter the side you pick, and to remain neutral isn't an option because you piss off almost everyone.
What do we do? I've generally quit arguing about it. I pick at people but I'm not arguing about the subject anymore because it is pointless. Once GOG becomes less desirable than it is likable, I'll move on. It's that simple. Don't like what they're doing? Leave. Eventually everyone will be happier.
You're right. Which is why there is something for everyone. I'm more towards the pleasure side of things, but you might not be. However, there are a lot of women towards the pleasure side and they just kind of threw out the man for the vibrator or "battery operated boyfriend" as I've heard them say on the net. There's also the sybian or a piston machine that some are buying, which one would say kind of removes the need for a partner entirely, it is a glorified sex robot.
That being said, I have seen many women that I know right in my own area talking about how they don't want sex, they want some guy to basically give them affection and attention while they use their sex toys. They are often unhappy and write the same posts over and over again about how independent and strong they are. There is a point where this starts to get silly. They know they're not happy and are trying to convince themselves that they are. It's sad, but the same can be said of many other people these days. As much as I love technology, I often wonder if too much of it and too fast, might have been a bad thing. It is very hard to have a connection and bond with someone like in the old days, when the temptation of others are only a click away. This has given rise to polyamory in the US, a thing that before was pretty niche. It has also given rise to cuckholdry and other things that may have existed before, but have not in such a vast quantity. One woman can have five boyfriends, or as I've been told, have a man for the rent, the gas, food, phone and whatever other bill they are willing to pay for a few minutes of sex. Back in the day, this kind of thing would be considered prostitution, but in the days of CashApp, it's very normal. Only Fans admitted that they've had a lot of problems filtering out this kind of content, people will spell the app like "Ca$h App" and such to cheat the algorithm.
When you see dating like this, if you even want to call it that - you don't mind using these as a vehicle for that kind of thing. Especially when these meetups can be dangerous. Don't forget about the time a guy hired a dominatrix and she stabbed him to death in his childhood tree house. Or the wife who chopped up her husband and had her children help her put his body parts into trash bags. Yes, things are getting crazy. Don't forget about the young woman who came into a young man's house and threatened him to have sex with her with a machete against his throat. There was also the crypto guy who revealed to his date that he had a lot of money in it. She pulled out a gun and put it against his head, saying that that if he didn't ejaculate into her, she was going to kill him.
So yes, eroge is fine with me. Especially when you've been with a woman who threatened to cut your dick off. Yep, been there done that.