#261 Unpacking Porn: From Unrealistic Bodies to Healthy Sexual Pathways (with Alan McKee)

On this episode of #mensexpleasure, I continue my conversation with Professor Alan McKee, who has spent decades studying pornography, pleasure, and sexual development. We dive into the legitimate problems with mainstream porn, including its narrow focus on penetration at the expense of female pleasure, its reinforcement of unrealistic beauty standards, and its lack of consent modeling. Alan and I also discuss how habitual porn use can create rigid “erotic pathways” that don’t always translate to real-life encounters, and why strategies for more mindful consumption are key. Together, we reflect on what it would take for sexual media to better represent diversity, consent, and connection, and how healthier pathways can support more positive experiences of sexuality.

Key Points:

2:10 Lack of variety in practices

15:38 Unrealistic beauty standards

23:27 Lack of consent modeling

36:16 Habitual and compulsive use

50:23 Recap and future directions