Is Staring at the Man's Penis in JAV Gay?
Introduction
Most consumers of pornography don't ever really think too deeply about it, I mean, what is there to think about? A cute girl is having sex, and you're entertained by her bouncing about or performing fellatio. However, life is always rife with hypocrisies, contradictions, and things that merely have us wondering why things are the way they are.
I'm not trying to act like this is some sort of "deep" or "philosophical" matter, but I feel like perhaps this is a thought that has crossed the minds of some JAV/porn watchers at some point: often the man's genitalia is observable in JAV - would it be considered homosexual to stare at it? I will discuss this topic and come to my own personal conclusion.
What is "Gay"?
Some might find this obvious, but I think defining some things is necessary before proceeding. Naturally, "gay" refers to homosexuality, and for the sake of this article, specifically men who are sexually attracted to other men. The whole point of this article is discerning whether or not doing something a "gay man would do" (pertaining to JAV-watching) makes a straight man gay in comparison. I imagine a gay man would get joy out of observing the male actor's penis, for example, but straight men also have to look at the penis while watching JAV.
JAV Watchers Are Trying to Look at the Woman, Not the Man
Left: Rukawa Yuu Right: Inaba Ruka
I imagine the most important point to talk about first is the fact that (straight) male JAV watchers are actively trying to ogle the woman, and not the man. After all, if you're trying to appreciate the sex appeal of the woman, how could that be considered anything but straight? However, more often than not, the male actor's penis is in the frame at the same time as the woman. This is obvious, as part of the woman's role in a JAV is to provide pleasure.
Most men would probably agree that the male actor just "gets in the way", and some JAV often try to cut the man out of the frame when possible (such as his face), but sometimes this is unavoidable. Penetration for example, is the man's penis entering into the vagina, and as such, it's pretty impossible to get the penis out of frame, especially when it's essentially needed for vaginal sex. The male actor often being in the shot is just a downside that can't be avoided. Despite the man often appearing in a lot of the shots, his penis included, many straight men still enjoy watching JAV.
Why Not Have the Woman Solo Then?
Left: Misono Waka, Yumi Shion Middle: Momose Saku Right: Natsuno Kohaku
This, of course, leads into an obvious question: why not have the woman solo then if seeing the penis is gay/the male actor is a distraction? There is already plenty of erotic videos and JAV that focus solely on this. The woman may masturbate or use toys to pleasure herself, or perhaps interact with another woman even, but despite this, there are still plenty of movies with both men and women having sex. So why is that?
A solo woman by herself can't do certain things that she can with a man, that much is obvious. The pure abundance of films depicting sex/sex acts between a man and woman is a clear indication that male watchers enjoy observing these acts, despite the male's penis being visible. Men crave vaginal sex and lewd acts with a woman, so much that they don't even mind the male actor's presence, and likely they've come to accept that there's really no way around getting the man completely out of the frame.
Admiring Another Man's Pleasure, Sex Acts to a Woman
Left: Asumi Mirai Middle: Kuriyama Rio Right: Misono Waka
Another fact to consider, is that when men are observing the male actor's penis, they are more or less pretending/fantasizing that it's their own. Males want to put themselves in the position of the man, they want to do what they're doing to the woman (sometimes), so of course there is more emphasis on the penis on occasion, and there is greater attention paid to the male's orgasm.
Here's another thing to think about: if one were to watch a solo man stroke his penis, most would consider that gay, but once you also pair a woman with him, people think it's not. Comparing the two scenarios, is it really that different? The only thing difference is a woman is on-screen as he strokes his penis - does the inclusion of a woman somehow make it not gay? I don't really have an answer, to be honest.
There's also the fact that the male actor's orgasm is often focused on a lot, and probably more than the woman's orgasm, which might have some sooner believing such straight JAV is more on the "gay" side. It could be argued that the male orgasm is focused on more to better help men fantasize about themselves being in the scenario, and also the fact that female orgasms often don't actually produce anything. Yes, women can squirt or release their fluids when they orgasm, but they typically aren't immediately noticeable and don't squirt out. Compare this to the male orgasm, which releases highly visible semen, and men often fire it out in copious amounts or at high speeds, which is a much greater spectacle.
Let's also address that some JAV even have orgies with more than one man. I'm sure most men would say that that type of orgy is probably their least favorite, but some agree that back-to-back ejaculations can be an erotic thing. Would witnessing such a thing be gay though? Men often also moan, and in such an orgy, there could be a lot of men moaning or talking. I know several men dislike this, but does watching a JAV that contains that anyway make the watcher gay? Asking a male to not moan from sexual pleasure is a pretty ridiculous request, and while not impossible, it is definitely hard for a man to do. Would limiting the male actor's benefits/pleasures for the sake of the watcher be a fair thing to do? Personally I don't think that's really fair, and while not as many women watch JAV, there's still a slight appeal there for female watchers with the male moaning.
Humans Crave Intimacy
Left: Otogoto Rui Middle: Aoi Tsukasa Right: Gojou Ren
Witnessing another man's most highly intimate moment would be considered "gay" by some, though, let's consider one thing that is applicable to all humans: the fact that they all crave intimacy. This is simply inherent in all living things, the yearning to reproduce. We can't escape it, as it is built into us for the sake of preserving the species.
That being said, observing JAV/porn is an inevitability when a person doesn't have a partner, so in a way, such sexual simulations allow men to see women in incredible situations that a person might not be able to cause on their own, which might outweigh the drawbacks of having to stare at a penis or two.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, I think seeing a penis in JAV is ultimately not gay. In the end, it's not men that male watchers are wanting to see, it's the woman. There's no real way to take the penis out of the frame in pornography, and a lot of the times it's necessary to replicate intimate acts between a man and woman. Men don't enjoy observing the penis or the male actor, but I think they've come to accept that they are simply needed to help the watcher better fantasize about the woman.
Personally, I think the whole point of JAV/pornography is to be for the sake of the viewer, to help them better visualize an erotic scenario that they themselves wish they could be a part of, and the male and his penis are a required component to achieve this. JAV could also allow a watcher to experience something they WOULDN'T want to be a part of, like say a multi-man orgy with fewer women, which, while some would dislike the aspect of there being multiple men, has some positives, such as back-to-back ejaculations onto the woman, something most men find erotic.
This is something that I believe JAV creators have realized as well; after all, JAV is populated with some of the most varied and unique movies in the world. If they bought into the whole "men hate seeing other men, so remove them" thing, this would greatly limit their creativity, and then we'd only have boring and repetitive JAV.
There is a more personal aspect as well, I think. How you enjoy media, whether it be JAV or even TV, movies, games, whatever, is ultimately up to you. A gay man can still enjoy a straight movie and enjoy the male actor for example, just as a straight man can enjoy aspects of a multi-man orgy. Just like how critics can sometimes enjoy bad movies or bad video games, it's all about your attitude, your perspective, yourself as a person. Let me know what you think!
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