NEW YORK — This evening, at 8 pm Central Time, CNBC will air a special entitled, “Porn: Business of Pleasure,” which (according to promotional material on CNBC’s website) will take a “behind the scenes look inside the multi-billion dollar porn businesses, from the threats to its profitability to exclusive behind the scenes interviews with the industry’s biggest stars to…”

Morality in Media President Robert Peters commented:

“Even in an industry where there are virtually no ‘taboos’ (standards) left, I don’t anticipate anytime soon seeing a news program on cable TV entitled: ‘Child Porn: Business of Pleasure.’

“Undoubtedly, individuals who create and view child pornography do obtain pleasure from their sordid efforts, at least until they are apprehended, publicly humiliated and sent to prison.

“Similarly, individuals of all ages also derive pleasure from viewing ‘adult pornography,’ at least until their exposure or addiction to ‘adult pornography’ leads to an ‘unwanted pregnancy,’ a sexually transmitted disease, the loss of a job, a broken marriage or a prison sentence.

“Some who participate in the production of ‘adult pornography’ may also derive pleasure from it, but the reality is that for most female ‘participants’ there is little pleasure in being degraded and abused in order to appeal to the prurient interests of the largely male audience who view it. Nor is there pleasure in contracting a sexually transmitted disease, including AIDS, as many ‘participants’ have done.

“But, some will say, unlike individuals that create, distribute, view or possess child pornography, businesses that create and distribute ‘adult pornography’ are not breaking any laws.

“Ignorance of the law may indeed explain why some seemingly reasonable people turn a blind eye to the problem of ‘adult pornography.’ The truth is, however, that criminal laws prohibiting distribution of obscene material have been on the books at the federal level since 1842 (and before that at the state level), and in the 1973 Miller v. California case the U.S. Supreme Court said: ‘This much has been categorically settled by the Court, that obscene material is unprotected by the First Amendment.’

“The Miller Court went on to define the term ‘obscene’ in a manner intended to restrict the reach of federal and state obscenity laws to ‘hardcore’ pornography. And today, most pornography distributed commercially, whether online or on cable TV or elsewhere, is ‘hardcore.’

“Admittedly, our nation’s constitutional obscenity laws have not been enforced vigorously since the Reagan/Bush administrations, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be successfully enforced again. Paul Little (‘Max Hardcore’) can testify to that. According to its promotional material, CNBC ‘caught up’ with him ‘just days’ before he began serving a prison sentence for violating federal obscenity laws.

“But, some will say, the porn business is thriving, which is an indication that the average American no longer deems hardcore pornography unacceptable.

“Pornography defenders overlook at least three factors. First, much if not most pornography is consumed by a relatively small percentage of individuals who are addicted to it. Second, just because a person experiments with pornography or succumbs on occasion to the temptation to view it does not mean he is a devotee of it. And third, many visitors to ‘adult websites’ are minors.

“In 2008, Morality in Media commissioned Harris Interactive to ask a question about enforcement of federal obscenity laws in a national opinion poll. Three out of four (75%) adults said they would support the next President were he to do all in his constitutional power to ensure that federal obscenity laws are enforced vigorously. According to a survey conducted by Pew Research Center (‘Trends in Political Values and Core Attitudes: 1987-2007’), 70% of adults disagreed with the statement ‘nude pictures and X-rated videos on the Internet provide harmless entertainment for those who enjoy it.’

“But, some will say, ‘Mr. Peters is complaining about a program he hasn’t even seen.’

“It is true that I haven’t seen the program and that it isn’t always possible to judge a book by its cover (so to speak). But if the promotional material available on CNBC’s website is any indication of what tonight’s ‘Porn: Business of Pleasure’ program is all about, I think I am on safe ground in saying that the purpose is not to expose the dark underbelly of the hardcore ‘adult pornography’ racket.

“In today’s New York Post, TV critic Linda Stasi had this to say about tonight’s CNBC Special: ‘Think of it this way: If you’re a business network with shows that generally feature stock tickers and…CEOS talking product, how great instead to feature gyrating naked babes in rhinestone G-strings doing their best, while at the same time talking all smarty-pants while you’re showing smut…'”