# Why is so much of "adult" entertainment unappealing? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 9, 2008, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-so-much-of-adult-entertainment-unappealing/476372 "2008-12-09T08:54:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-so-much-of-adult-entertainment-unappealing/476372/1 "2008-12-09T08:54:14Z")
I was reading an article on the oldest profession being hurt by the economic downturn [here](http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/09/world/europe/09czechsex.html?hp). Some of the descriptions of “neon-lighted sex clubs”, “leopard skin couches”, and “luridly lighted theme rooms” reminded me that much of what is, in theory, supposed to turn people on, is in fact a huge turn off. I remember Adam Corolla once bemoaning the salacious DJs at strip clubs as ruining his perfectly good evening, so it’s not just me. So, why do they do this? ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-so-much-of-adult-entertainment-unappealing/476372/2 "2008-12-09T09:13:08Z")
One big problem is that the people involved in creating “adult” entertainment are frequently the least adult. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-so-much-of-adult-entertainment-unappealing/476372/3 "2008-12-09T09:26:16Z")
People with good taste can make more money in other professions and won’t have to defend their career choice from society and family. For instance, I’d be interested in writing an adult webcomic but I don’t want that attached to my name should I ever want to go into politics or who-knows-what. ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-so-much-of-adult-entertainment-unappealing/476372/4 "2008-12-09T12:38:51Z")
See, I don’t think that’s it. Even people with bad taste can have business savvy. If they are driving away customers, then they will be beaten by others that attract customers. I guess the flash catches your attention, and tells you what you’re dealing with. Big hair and an overindulgence in mascara and leopard prints may not turn him on, but at least it lets a potential John avoid the question, “Excuse me, no offense, but are you a prostitute?” ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-so-much-of-adult-entertainment-unappealing/476372/5 "2008-12-09T13:52:17Z")
I don’t know which is worse, when they emphasize the sleaze or when they try to go “upmarket.” The first is awful in the way it champions skankiness. But the second is just as bad because putting skanks and bouncers in fancy dresses and tuxedos just emphasizes the low-class quality. At best, it looks like a really bad prom photo. ---
**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-so-much-of-adult-entertainment-unappealing/476372/6 "2008-12-09T18:09:54Z")
I would argue that it is simply cultural association with something ‘naughty’. Sure, people may not enjoy the ambience literally, but they associate it with something forbidden or kinky. Something tells me strip clubs would not have nearly the same appeal if they mimiced the atmosphere of a public library, or a grocery store 😛 ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-so-much-of-adult-entertainment-unappealing/476372/7 "2008-12-09T18:54:27Z")
It ain’t classy; cause its not meant to be classy. Its meant to be lewd and base THATS the whole appeal. Nobody ever went to a strip club cause it was classy. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-so-much-of-adult-entertainment-unappealing/476372/8 "2008-12-09T19:42:31Z")
I don’t see why it’s unappealing. You make it sound like you want Martha Stewart to decorate your local strip club. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-so-much-of-adult-entertainment-unappealing/476372/9 "2008-12-09T19:44:20Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > It ain’t classy; cause its not meant to be classy. Its meant to be lewd and base THATS the whole appeal. > > Nobody ever went to a strip club cause it was classy. Isn’t this sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy? Perhaps it’s never been tried, sort of like Communism. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-so-much-of-adult-entertainment-unappealing/476372/10 "2008-12-09T19:45:29Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Martha Stewart … strip club Please don’t ever make those two thoughts get that close together in my brain again. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-so-much-of-adult-entertainment-unappealing/476372/11 "2008-12-09T19:52:07Z")
> [@Incubus](#): > > I would argue that it is simply cultural association with something ‘naughty’. Sure, people may not enjoy the ambience literally, but they associate it with something forbidden or kinky. This is pretty much my thinking on it. While the ambience may be offputting consciously, the sleaze factor nonetheless reduces inhibition subconsciously. In other words, it’s easier to get in touch with your baser feelings when you’re in a skanky environment. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-so-much-of-adult-entertainment-unappealing/476372/12 "2008-12-09T19:59:04Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > Please don’t ever make those two thoughts get that close together in my brain again. > > Thank you. Why not? Martha was quite comely in her youth, and even in her sixties is easy on the eyes. While I can’t envision her ever stripping, I can easily imagine someone offering the 20-something Martha the chance to do so. ---
**Author:** ![Binarydrone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Binarydrone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Binarydrone)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-so-much-of-adult-entertainment-unappealing/476372/13 "2008-12-09T20:15:39Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > Please don’t ever make those two thoughts get that close together in my brain again. > > Thank you. See, now I was getting a little mahogany off that. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-so-much-of-adult-entertainment-unappealing/476372/14 "2008-12-09T20:17:21Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Why not? Martha was quite comely in her youth, and even in her sixties is easy on the eyes. While I can’t envision her ever stripping, I can easily imagine someone offering the 20-something Martha the chance to do so. The main problem would be the 30 minute dialogue about how she made those festive pasties and g-string with twine and the scraps from a tablecloth. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-so-much-of-adult-entertainment-unappealing/476372/15 "2008-12-09T20:23:25Z")
> [@Antinor01](#): > > The main problem would be the 30 minute dialogue about how she made those festive pasties and g-string with twine and the scraps from a tablecloth. It’s a Good Thang. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-so-much-of-adult-entertainment-unappealing/476372/16 "2008-12-09T20:26:10Z")
**Antinor01** gets it. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-so-much-of-adult-entertainment-unappealing/476372/17 "2008-12-09T20:29:27Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > This is pretty much my thinking on it. While the ambience may be offputting consciously, the sleaze factor nonetheless reduces inhibition subconsciously. In other words, it’s easier to get in touch with your baser feelings when you’re in a skanky environment. I think this might be cultural though, among people who believe that sex is ‘base’ and must be skanky. I don’t. I’d like to see a brothel all done up stylishly like a spa, with bamboo flooring and exposed wood and decorative plants and a fountain in the corner. Even my gym makes a good attempt at such decor. (It used to look like a bad 1980’s science-fiction porn move, but it’s been totally redecorated.) (And can we stop confusing ‘adult’ with ‘erotic’?) ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-so-much-of-adult-entertainment-unappealing/476372/18 "2008-12-09T20:34:06Z")
> [@Antinor01](#): > > The main problem would be the 30 minute dialogue about how she made those festive pasties and g-string with twine and the scraps from a tablecloth. That can be done in a very sexy fashion. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-so-much-of-adult-entertainment-unappealing/476372/19 "2008-12-09T20:34:57Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > That can be done in a very sexy fashion. But not by Martha Stewart. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-so-much-of-adult-entertainment-unappealing/476372/20 "2008-12-09T20:38:51Z")
> [@Antinor01](#): > > But not by Martha Stewart. We can only know the truth by hopping in my continua device, jumping back to 1961 or thereabouts, and seducing the twenty-year-old Martha. But only an evil bastard would do that. Wait… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-so-much-of-adult-entertainment-unappealing/476372.md?page=2)