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If you watched the second Presidential Debate, you probably noticed a man in a red sweater by the name of Ken Bone. He is a worker at a coal manufacturing plant, and he had a question about energy conservation. His pleasant manner immediately endeared him to audiences all across the country, and almost as soon as the debates were over, Ken Bone was trending on Twitter. He had become an internet meme just like that.
So it probably won't surprise anyone that within just a short time of Ken becoming internet famous, he had an offer from an adult film company to appear in a video. Now, the company was careful not to say what they wanted him to do in that video, but adult film companies tend to stick with what they know.
So, why would a porn company be interested in someone like Ken Bone?
It may seem like a sleazy industry, and in some ways it is, but make no mistake; the people behind the scenes at porn companies are very smart. Nearly every company has psychologists on their payroll, so that they can better understand how to hook more customers.
They watch for trends and follow them, and this past week, one of those trends happened to be an unassuming Midwesterner who asked a question on TV. They jumped on an opportunity they saw to rope in a whole new audience. People were paying attention to Ken Bone, so by piggybacking onto his fame – however fleeting – this porn company got people to pay attention to them too.
This is why porn can be so dangerous to addicts. It pops up in places you'd never expect to see it, and draws your attention again and again. It can catch you at work, at home, when you're by yourself, or when you're with others. In this case it started with a presidential debate; in other cases, it begins with something as mundane as a hamburger.
Some fast food restaurant commercials are notorious for showing beautiful models eating hamburgers in a suggestive way. I have a colleague in the psychology industry who was contacted by restaurant advertisers, because they wanted to know how the ketchup should drip onto that model to get the biggest response from the audience. This is the level to which you might be manipulated by companies trying to sell you sex.
To someone with an addiction, these ads or trends become triggers, keeping them in a repeating loop of compulsive behavior.
I see this move by the porn industry as something a bit darker than just opportunistic advertising. I see them making a play to show you how they can take an average, everyday guy like Ken Bone, and exploit him. They can bring him over to their side, and they can do the same thing with you.
Porn companies depend on their website users essentially selling themselves out. You may think that the site you're visiting is harmless, when in fact, everything about the layout was designed by experts and psychologists to keep addicts hooked. You may think the site is “free,” when in fact you're paying a terrible price if your compulsive behavior keeps you coming back.
Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the recent info coming out about Ken. It's been discovered that he said some unsavory things on his Reddit account about Jennifer Lawrence, and even about the Trayvon Martin case. I don't think it's his fault that he turned out to be a regular guy, even though Twitter had him built up as some kind of super sweet, innocent man. Everyone has a shadow – if you don't believe me, go out in the sun and look down.
With companies scheming to keep you logged in all the time, you can see why it's so difficult for sex addicts or porn addicts to break the cycle without help. You might be going along in your life trying to quit porn cold turkey, and the next thing you know, porn is making headlines for going after Ken Bone of all people.
Companies design this kind of publicity because they're looking to shock and catch people off guard. They want you to be so curious that you can't resist logging back on. We design our program to combat this invasive advertising, as well as other triggers which keep pulling addicts back.
Our program works. We've helped men navigate the pitfalls of porn advertising, and to get their lives back on track. Porn companies need you to continue your compulsive behavior, but your family, your job, and your loved ones need you to stop it. Reach out for help.
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