Originally Posted by pocketkangaroo

I see what you're saying, and I agree with parts of it, but I still think it's a dangerous proposition anytime you allow the government (or others) to determine what obscene is. It's a slippery slope and obscenity is a vague term that can be used against website owners as a means of quieting them (see what happened to NowThatsFuckedUp.com).

And it's easy to say "set a line in the sand", but how do you do that? Who determines what is acceptable and what is not? Would there be a time limit for how long someone can gag for, or is it strictly based on particular sex acts? Would there be a written list to work off of? I just don't see how you could draw a consensus from this in the adult community.

Even if that line can be drawn, it will just be fought to be pushed back. Do you seriously believe that conservatives will stop battling pornography simply because the adult industry decided that scat was a bad thing? To them this isn't about just Max Hardcore, it's about all porn. Look at the gun industry. If the NRA came out tomorrow and decided they would stand against machine guns, would anti-gun advocates call it a day and move on to something else?

The only thing setting a line in the sand does is admit that something between consenting adults should be illegal. It in fact makes their argument stronger. And from a strictly business perspective, I agree with a lot of your points. I think this stuff does hurt the industry. But from a human perspective, I'm just tired of people telling others what is right or wrong. I'm tired of people telling me what is obscene. The definition of obscene is different for every one of us. When this industry (or any other in the entertainment world) admits that something should be considered obscene by all, it simply gives their argument credibility. The argument should simply be, if you don't like it, don't watch it.