ABC BRANDS CONSERVATIVES AS ‘BIGGEST USERS’ OF PORN - BASED ON MISLEADING STUDY

The headline reads “Porn in the USA: Conservatives Are Biggest Consumers.” But the data supposedly leading to that conclusion makes no linkage between porn and conservatives other than the states where they live. Here’s what it says:

A new nationwide study (pdf) of anonymised credit-card receipts from a major online adult entertainment provider finds little variation in consumption between states.

…Those states that do consume the most porn tend to be more conservative and religious than states with lower levels of consumption, the study finds.

I have news for ABC: There are ‘liberals’ living in “red” states! In fact, there are lots of ‘liberals’ living in “red” states! And I can think of several reasons why ‘liberals’ in “red” states might be more inclined to use online porn (the only porn studied here) than ‘liberals’ in “blue” states.

For instance, “red” states tend to be more rural than “blue” states. As a result, a ‘liberal’ in a “red” state might experience more difficulty trying to find live sexual stimulation. Also, “red” states may not have as much porn available from other sources, such as cable TV or live strip clubs. But this study only accounts for online porn which may be the only kind available in a “red” state. Online porn is available anywhere phone service is available, but pay-per-view cable service is not.

All things considered, this story is nothing if not a shining example of anti-conservative bias at ABC.

(Posted Sunday, March 1, 2009 )   <Read it>

--Mid-Hudson Valley Perspective (ABC News)--