Porn Nation is coming to Mississippi State tonight.
No, this isn’t a live-action version of the Web site you “accidentally stumbled upon” while researching for your term paper; Porn Nation is a multimedia presentation by Michael Leahy, author and recovering sex addict, on how the growing influence and accessibility of pornography is affecting society and individuals.
“It’s [Leahy’s] story,” Crystal Garcia, Campus Crusade for Christ staff member, said. “It’s about the process that he went through, and the purpose of it is to expose the culture that we live in, which is very hypersexual.”
“This is my full-time job,” Leahy said. “It’s a 75-minute talk that I give. What I do is challenge the students to ask the question ‘Is pornography affecting us as a society, and me as a person? There are challenges I put forth to the students during the presentation.”
Garcia expects Porn Nation to create a buzz on campus.
“People have been talking about it,” Garcia said. “We’re hoping to have at least 1,000 students at The Hump for this event. We thought it would be interesting and maybe even a little controversial.”
“I admire what [Leahy] is doing,” undeclared sophomore Joseph Arthur said. “Very few people really understand the adverse effects that pornography can have on the standards of young adults who will one day run our society.”
“Even though the presentation takes a side on the issue, I think his unique background provides a viewpoint that definitely needs to be heard,” senior communication major Brandon Morris said. “I hope he looks at the issue fairly, because it’s always dangerous to set up a dichotomy on these kinds of issues.”
Tuesday night won’t be the only time you can hear from Leahy.
“He will be around campus on Tuesday afternoon,” Garcia said. “We’ll have a couple of tables set up around the Drill Field, in The Union and outside the bakery.”
Leahy will also do a follow-up Wednesday at 8 p.m. in the Dawg House.
Students can even take an online survey to become aware of pornography’s risk to them.
“We’re having a sex survey at mysexsurvey.com,” Garcia said. It’s done by a sex therapist, and the purpose of that is to show students how at risk they are to become sexually addicted. It’s purely confidential.”
Despite it’s controversial subject matter, the message of the presentation will not get preachy or antagonizing.
“This message is not about censorship of pornography,” Garcia said. “His hope is just to say, ‘This is the condition in which our culture is. Does it affect you?'”
What: Presentation on the effects of pornography in society.
When: Tonight at 8:30
Where: Humphrey Coliseum
Cost: Free