Inside the evolution of pornography.

Thanks to Steve Jobs, our views on watching porn have shifted dramatically over the past century — from a clandestine abhorrence to an ordinary everyday activity. Jobs’ revolutionary iPhone brought hot photos and videos directly into our left hand. But how does the omnipresence of pornography actually influence the psyche — and the right hand — of mankind? ‘People are still quite ashamed of it.’

So, how often did we masturbate in the past? On what kind of porn? And how has the pornographic liberation of the 20th and 21st century changed our interactions and views about sex?

Erotic images have always been present in modern civilizations as well as in Greek and Roman antiquity. But the first ‘pornography’ dates back much further. Erotic images already existed in the Old Stone Age, which started some 2.5 million years ago. In fact, archaeological research shows that the cave paintings of our distant ancestors mainly consisted of two subjects: the hunt for animals and human genitals.

A few million years later, sculptures were invented. One of the most famous artifacts from — by estimation — 24.000 to 22.000 BC. is the Venus of Willendorf, which was excavated in 1908. With its full breasts, big belly, thighs, and buttocks, Venus is considered by some to represent the ideal image of women at the time. According to others, it is merely a self-portrait of a pregnant woman. That Venus’ head is missing was due to the fact that mirrors weren’t invented yet, so people didn’t know exactly what they looked like.

Anyway, the history of pornography is predominantly heterosexual. Many early images depicted heterosexual sex, with the man penetrating the woman in classical positions like missionary, doggy-style and standing upright, and — in a number of cases — while the bent-down woman is drinking beer from a vase with a straw (I kid you not).

Moments later, in the ceramics, pots, and murals of the Ancient Romans, men were often portrayed as bald, ugly, fat, and with overly large genitals, while the women, on the contrary, looked handsome and seductive. The images would not be seen as immoral at the time, but reflected the order of the day, with one everyday activity being slightly more sensual than the other. In Pompeii, for example, it was quite normal for penises and testicles to be engraved in paving stones to guide visitors to their red-light district. In general, the sexually oriented decorations of the Romans were seen as a sign of good taste.

Erotic symbol found in the streets of the ancient Roman village of Pompeii (Getty).

Mass Production

Erotic scenes also appeared in early medieval manuscripts. They were often drawn in the margins of these hand-made books. Because these objects were scarce and expensive, and even many rich people could only afford one book, the manuscripts would quench both the desires for eroticism and the Christian faith — killing two birds with one stone.

“It was much cheaper in the 19th century to visit a bordello than to own a nude photo.”

When Johannes Gutenberg introduced his printing press in the 15th century, this form of pornography instantly became democratized. Explicit sexual drawings could suddenly be distributed in large numbers to the population. The possibility of mass production naturally led to much opposition from the Catholic Church. In the 16th century, the Italian artist Marcantonio Raimondi was sentenced to prison by Pope Clement VII after he published I Modi, a book containing sixteen sexual positions.

The 17th century France was the birthplace of the first erotic literature. A century later, during the Enlightenment, porn was also used as a satire and social criticism of the Catholic Church and its relentless urge to suppress sexuality on every front. The stories and illustrations consisted of naughty priests, monks, and nuns — a French pornographic tradition that continued into the 21st century.

Example of erotic depictions found in 17th-century French literature.

With the invention of modern photography (then daguerreotype) by Louis Daguerre in 1839, in response to the nude women in art, people soon began to photograph nude females. Although these early photographs followed the style and tradition of painting, the realism of the photographs — in contrast to the idealism in painting — made them intrinsically pornographic. However, shooting the photos was then still a very slow and tedious process due to the long exposure time, varying from three to fifteen minutes.

Due to the technological limitations of photography, the standard of the pornographic image of two or more people having sex changed into that of women showing their genitals. Such a photo would also have cost you a fortune, so the clientele mainly consisted of the rich elite. For example, it was much cheaper at the time to visit a bordello than to own a nude photo.

With the arrival of the negative, the mass production of photos became possible in 1848 and erotic photos became available for the low and middle class. Since then, the production of pornography has gained momentum. The first burlesque magazines appeared in France in the early 20th century. The first pin-ups came in 1940, mainly to entertain the soldiers at the front during the Second World War. Although the focus in the 1940s was still mainly on the legs, it shifted to the breasts a decade later. Enter Hugh Hefner, who released his famous nudie magazine in the 1950s, with Marilyn Monroe as the first Playboy cover- and centerfold model. From the 70s onward, the boundaries of pornography were pushed further and further, from frontal nude to experimentation with pubic hair and masturbation. For the first pornographic films, people initially had to go to the sex cinema, the sex shop or a special hidden away corner in the back of the video store. But about twenty years after the VHS, the internet changed everything. The internet brought porn directly into the palm of our hand. And the rest is history.

“If only it were as easy to banish hunger by rubbing my belly.”

The Ejaculation of Atum

Watching porn and masturbating cannot be viewed separately. Where there is porn, there is jerking off, and that used to be no different. Nevertheless, the views on masturbation varied widely over the centuries. The Sumerians believed that masturbation increased the sexual potency for both men and women, and therefore touched themselves quite a bit. In ancient Egypt, masturbation was seen as a creative and magical act. According to the Egyptians, the universe was even created by the ejaculation of the god Atum.

Orgy’s used to be a ‘normal thing’, as this Egyptian mural suggests.

The Greek philosopher Diogenes of Sinope, who allegedly jerked off in public regularly, would have apologized for his crude behavior by saying: “If only it were as easy to banish hunger by rubbing my belly.” Writer Marcus Martialis thought differently about the matter; for him, masturbation was an inferior form of sexual ejaculation that was only devoted to slaves.

With the expansion of Christianity, the hunt for pornography and masturbation was also opened. Piety turned sexuality into a sin, both during the Middle Ages and in later Enlightenment thinking. According to the pseudo-science of the church, masturbation would lead to headaches, sensory pain, and reduced strength. It would contribute to memory loss and a breakdown of the intellect, and also lead to cancer and other painful causes of death.

About a hundred years ago, tailors were still advised to make special boys’ trousers in which the genitals could not be touched through the pockets. There were special desks for students to prevent them from crossing their legs and girls were forbidden to ride a horse or bicycle, as these activities could generate sensations that were similar to masturbation. Young people who were nevertheless found guilty of this blasphemous act of indecency were seen as mentally retarded and forced into electric shock therapy or hoisted into straitjackets.

Not all ceramic pots from ancient Greece were SFW.

Halfway through the 20th century the ideas suddenly became more gentle. In the 1950s, American sexologist Alfred Kinsey wrote that “masturbation was instinctive behavior for men and women.” It would take two decades more before the American Medical Association officially declared the art of masturbating in 1972 as “normal.” While in the 19th century it was still regarded as a terrible disease; it suddenly became a medicine in the 20th century. No wonder a sexual revolution followed shortly thereafter.

“Stories are known of people who jerk themselves off until they bleed.”

Nowadays, regular stimulation of one’s genitalia is considered as normal and even healthy. After all, the endorphins that are released into the brain during orgasms would make humans more resistant to stress. Masturbation would ensure a better night’s sleep and reduce menstrual pain. During ejaculation, toxins that accumulate in the urethra of the man are released, reducing the risk of prostate cancer by a third, according to science. This also applies to toxins in the womb. Masturbation would even help against the common cold, as it stimulates the production of white blood cells. And, unlike old-fashioned notions, self-satisfaction would actually increase the quality of the semen. Younger sperm cells have a higher chance of insemination, according to doctors. Perhaps even better: masturbation could even increase your sexual performance.

The first Playboy (1953) featured Marilyn Monroe as a cover model. The first issue was undated, as Hugh Hefner was unsure there would be a second.

Fuck Until You Drop?

According to sexologist Hannie van Rijsingen, however, there is also a downside to frequent fapping. Just as with drugs or gambling, the brain’s reward system is stimulated and it is possible to become addicted to the chemical reaction of the orgasm. These instances of compulsive masturbation can result in both mental and physical suffering. “There are known stories of people who jerk themselves off until they bleed,” says Van Rijsingen. “With compulsive masturbation, the emotional limit is being stretched more and more.” It would, therefore, be important to vary in the techniques you regularly use while touching yourself. Always performing the same trick would make you less susceptible to other stimuli, so that your sexual performance may suffer if you finally get the chance to do it with someone else.

16th Century paintings used to be full of nudity.

In combination with porn, it is also possible for people to push their limits further and further. What starts with innocent girl-on-girl action can, in extreme cases, grow into obsessions for bestiality, coprophilia (when a person is aroused by fecal matter), urolagnia (the same, but with urine) or even child pornography. However, it is difficult to say whether the internet has contributed to an increase in the number of people with porn or sex addiction because no official figures are known. What is certain is that the internet contributes to a distorted image of love and sex. Van Rijsingen: “In recent years it has become clear that the average age at which young people come into contact with porn has dropped considerably — from the age of 11. At that age, excitement is being linked to porn and there is often no guidance in return. Young people’s views on sexuality and the role of men and women are strongly influenced by those images. That is a shame because it leads to an atmosphere of performance among boys and girls.”

In this way, porn pushes sexuality out of emotional life by forcing it into a performance model. “Intimacy and being together are being suppressed. This results in people believing that one should always fuck, or in couples who cannot have sex with each other without the interference of porn. Most sex addicts, those who compulsively masturbate, know that it is a problem. But most often do not seek out for help on their own, but only after it has been discovered by their partner. “

One of the first erotic photographs.

Sex Addiction

In addition to alcohol and nicotine, sex is said to be the most common addiction in the world. “Watching porn is more normal than ever, but people don’t like to talk about it,” says sexologist Van Rijsingen. “That’s because people are a little ashamed of it anyway. That is: we are ashamed that we are dealing with sexuality in this way. What we simply want as a person is a connection with other people. We want to experience and feel things. And for some, sex is - unfortunately - the only thing they can feel.”

But how do you know if you’re a sex addict? Van Rijsingen: “When you notice that you are spending more and more time on it, avoiding sex with your partner, tending to porn instead, and lying about it, this can sometimes indicate you are dealing with an addiction.”

And how do you get rid of it? “We can talk about everything except sex. And it is precisely by talking about it that you can come into contact with your heart again. You can feel sadness, but also joy. But it is tragic that, in these days, so much is being reduced merely to the sexual.”