# Mandatory condom use on all porn films: not just a good idea, it's the law! **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 13, 2013, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandatory-condom-use-on-all-porn-films-not-just-a-good-idea-its-the-law/663411 "2013-07-13T18:04:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![aNewLeaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2013, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandatory-condom-use-on-all-porn-films-not-just-a-good-idea-its-the-law/663411/41 "2013-07-13T23:08:47Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Since when? Since long ago. Network TV, anyway. Can’t say certain words either. And movies edited for TV will have (positive) recreational drug use censored. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2013, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandatory-condom-use-on-all-porn-films-not-just-a-good-idea-its-the-law/663411/42 "2013-07-13T23:32:47Z")
Are you watching television in Saudi Arabia, Leaf? It’s certainly not the programming I’ve been watching these past few decades. ---
**Author:** ![Hershele\_Ostropoler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e47c2d/32.png) [@Hershele\_Ostropoler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hershele_Ostropoler)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2013, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandatory-condom-use-on-all-porn-films-not-just-a-good-idea-its-the-law/663411/43 "2013-07-13T23:36:41Z")
> [@aNewLeaf](#): > > Since long ago. Network TV, anyway. Can’t say certain words either. > > And movies edited for TV will have (positive) recreational drug use censored. Except for language, is any of that required by law? ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2013, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandatory-condom-use-on-all-porn-films-not-just-a-good-idea-its-the-law/663411/44 "2013-07-13T23:56:28Z")
> [@aNewLeaf](#): > > Since long ago. Network TV, anyway. Can’t say certain words either. > > And movies edited for TV will have (positive) recreational drug use censored. I don’t think you’ve watched TV in a long time… ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandatory-condom-use-on-all-porn-films-not-just-a-good-idea-its-the-law/663411/45 "2013-07-14T00:50:37Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Are there any other cases where it is illegal to depict doing something on film that is legal to do in real life? Pornography itself. Depending on your jurisdiction, you can legally have sex anytime you want after you hit the age of 14-16. But film it and you are a heinous criminal. (Note that I am not advocating for minors being able to film themselves having sex, just noting the act is legal while filming is not.) ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandatory-condom-use-on-all-porn-films-not-just-a-good-idea-its-the-law/663411/46 "2013-07-14T01:07:32Z")
Outlawing creampies? Might as well outlaw sunshine and birthdays too. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandatory-condom-use-on-all-porn-films-not-just-a-good-idea-its-the-law/663411/47 "2013-07-14T01:21:50Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I’ll grant you that Sharon Mitchell’s academic credentials were shaky. The “school” that gave her a degree is unaccredited. But while she’s probably not qualified to do medical research, I haven’t heard anything to suggest she couldn’t run a blood testing facility. Her credentials are good enough that [a profile on her in the New York Times](http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/10/national/10PORN.html) referred to her consistently as “Dr. Mitchell”. Generally speaking, if it is good enough for a New York Times fact checker, it should be good enough for the Dope. ---
**Author:** ![Condescending\_Robot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a183cd/32.png) [@Condescending\_Robot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Condescending_Robot)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandatory-condom-use-on-all-porn-films-not-just-a-good-idea-its-the-law/663411/48 "2013-07-14T01:37:40Z")
She’s clearly trying to insinuate that she is a medical doctor who has some qualification to be running a disease-testing program; the fact that she has a PhD in “human sexuality” is enough to make this dishonest. The fact that the PhD was from an unaccredited school with no real information available as to the rigor of study just adds to the BS level. She’s playing the role of a doctor for the meta-narrative of the porn industry, no less than Vince MacMahon plays the role of the evil CEO who fights with his employees at WWE events. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandatory-condom-use-on-all-porn-films-not-just-a-good-idea-its-the-law/663411/49 "2013-07-14T02:05:22Z")
> [@aNewLeaf](#): > > Can’t smoke on television, that’s sort of similar. Bullshit. Ever seen Hell’s Kitchen? The chefs often smoke in the dorms. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandatory-condom-use-on-all-porn-films-not-just-a-good-idea-its-the-law/663411/50 "2013-07-14T02:05:30Z")
> [@Condescending\_Robot](#): > > She’s clearly trying to insinuate that she is a medical doctor who has some qualification to be running a disease-testing program; the fact that she has a PhD in “human sexuality” is enough to make this dishonest. As **Little Nemo** pointed out, she was running an HIV testing program, one that the adult industry thought enough of that her organization was able to shut down production. If the state really wanted to guarantee the health of adult film performers, they would do exactly what AIM did, with monthly testing. > [@](#): > > The fact that the PhD was from an unaccredited school with no real information available as to the rigor of study just adds to the BS level. She’s playing the role of a doctor for the meta-narrative of the porn industry, no less than Vince MacMahon plays the role of the evil CEO who fights with his employees at WWE events. Comparing her to Vince MacMahon? Now that’s just _low_. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandatory-condom-use-on-all-porn-films-not-just-a-good-idea-its-the-law/663411/51 "2013-07-14T02:20:02Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > Her credentials are good enough that [a profile on her in the New York Times](http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/10/national/10PORN.html) referred to her consistently as “Dr. Mitchell”. Generally speaking, if it is good enough for a New York Times fact checker, it should be good enough for the Dope. That same article mentions she got her doctorate in less than twenty-two months. Let’s face it, you don’t get a real doctorate in two years. The Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality, which awarded Mitchell her degree, is not a complete scam. It’s certified by the state of California. But it has the lowest level of certification - one which essentially says it’s not just selling diplomas. It’s the kind of certification you’d get for a beautician school. So like I said above, Mitchell is undoubtedly qualified to conduct blood tests but I wouldn’t consider her a real PhD. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandatory-condom-use-on-all-porn-films-not-just-a-good-idea-its-the-law/663411/52 "2013-07-14T03:15:07Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Are there any other cases where it is illegal to depict doing something on film that is legal to do in real life? Children doing certain things by themselves. (I don’t mean to be coy, but I don’t want people who Google for those things to to be led to me). Among adults, however, it seems to me that a content-based restriction upon film-making is going be highly vulnerable to a First Amendment challenge. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandatory-condom-use-on-all-porn-films-not-just-a-good-idea-its-the-law/663411/53 "2013-07-14T04:10:10Z")
> [@Hank\_Beecher](#): > > Are porn actors covered by workers compensation? Insurance companies probably do more to enforce and reward workplace safety measures than the government. Doubtful (though I’m not familiar with California’s workers’ compensation laws.) Actors are generally employed in an independent contractor capacity, which takes them outside of the scope of employment for WC purposes. I vaguely remember something about porn actors usually being on long term contracts with particular distributors (like Vivid) though so they might actually be statutory employees. Insurers don’t do a lot of safety enforcement. They don’t have the resources to police every employer. Generally they do safety inspections after the fact and that’s about it. Reward, yes. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandatory-condom-use-on-all-porn-films-not-just-a-good-idea-its-the-law/663411/54 "2013-07-14T05:26:42Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > Her credentials are good enough that [a profile on her in the New York Times](http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/10/national/10PORN.html) referred to her consistently as “Dr. Mitchell”. Generally speaking, if it is good enough for a New York Times fact checker, it should be good enough for the Dope. The New York Times is shit. They let their reporter Judith Miller run what were essentially unedited press releases by the Bush administrations as bylined articles during the runup to the Iraq War. They deserve no credibility. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandatory-condom-use-on-all-porn-films-not-just-a-good-idea-its-the-law/663411/55 "2013-07-14T06:11:40Z")
> [@aNewLeaf](#): > > Can’t smoke on television, that’s sort of similar. Are you, perhaps, confused by the ban on advertising tobacco products on television? There has never been a period on American television where actors were not allowed to smoke during the actual programming. ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandatory-condom-use-on-all-porn-films-not-just-a-good-idea-its-the-law/663411/56 "2013-07-14T06:38:47Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Are you, perhaps, confused by the ban on advertising tobacco products on television? There has never been a period on American television where actors were not allowed to smoke during the actual programming. In that case, beer commercials. You can see people doing all kinds of things during a beer commercial… except actually consuming the beer. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandatory-condom-use-on-all-porn-films-not-just-a-good-idea-its-the-law/663411/57 "2013-07-14T07:35:45Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Move the studios down or up the 101 to Orange or Ventura counties. Nitpick: The 101 doesn’t extend down to Orange County. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandatory-condom-use-on-all-porn-films-not-just-a-good-idea-its-the-law/663411/58 "2013-07-14T09:16:08Z")
> [@BigAppleBucky](#): > > The public has an interest in that if medical expenses are incurred by risky behavior the costs are most often borne by the public. [snip] > An emergency room physician friend of mine says he calls helmetless motorcycle riders, “Organ Donors”. . Aren’t these two statements at odds with one another? If helmet-less motorcycle riders are indeed organ donors, would they not actually be saving the public money? ---
**Author:** ![thicksantorum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@thicksantorum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thicksantorum)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandatory-condom-use-on-all-porn-films-not-just-a-good-idea-its-the-law/663411/59 "2013-07-14T09:42:30Z")
Maybe the California porn industry realized that no one under 40 is actually paying for their product, and this law is their way of committing ritual suicide instead of slowing starving to death? ---
**Author:** ![aNewLeaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandatory-condom-use-on-all-porn-films-not-just-a-good-idea-its-the-law/663411/60 "2013-07-14T12:23:18Z")
> [@Red\_Barchetta](#): > > Aren’t these two statements at odds with one another? If helmet-less motorcycle riders are indeed organ donors, would they not actually be saving the public money? No- receiving a transplanted organ is expensive. It’s quite a challenge to live long enough afterwards to “pay back society”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandatory-condom-use-on-all-porn-films-not-just-a-good-idea-its-the-law/663411.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandatory-condom-use-on-all-porn-films-not-just-a-good-idea-its-the-law/663411.md?page=4)