Was not prepared for that joke at the end of the introduction.  In here cackling like an idiot by myself loll

It's rare to have this subject discussed from the left perspective. Greatly appreciated

The internet is the darkest street in the worst neighborhood

A real problem is growing up with all this stuff. "Internet natives" have had their brains mature in these environments and are inherently shaped by them. Those of us old enough to have grown up playing in the street, and having time to get bored, and having to have the courage to speak to the parents of the boy/girl you liked if you wanted to speak to them, because there was one land line in the house, we are not immune to the discomforts or anxieties of real life, but we grew up having to face them.

We have now invented an existence for ourselves where it is just too easy to retreat into a remote, cosy, fake version of many areas of human interaction. The problem is that gives the power to people with often sinister motives to curate our interactions. To drain people of empathy or to make them think that staying at home and liking posts for the right causes is doing enough for these causes. They are creating new generations that will passively watch the world go to hell like the sheep they always wanted us to be.

To some extent porn is the least of it. You can only masturbate for so long. But some people spend most of their day glued to their devices.

If we as a society are too ashamed to talk about sex how do we regulate the sex industry

This was a wonderful nuanced conversation. We rarely getaway from the porn/internet is bad vs good debate. So thank you !

"Japan had its own scene" -- LOL. Understatement of the year.

There was a time when porn was a subculture mirroring society but as the starting point for video streaming  and payment processing, it created the environment which enabled social media and, directly or indirectly, influenced our method of consuming culture. And so the tables  turned and society increasingly mirrors porn.

1:16:56 To quote the band Tool:
“Something has to change.  Undeniable dilemma
Boredom’s not a burden anyone should bear.
Constant stimulation numbs me
But I would not want you any other way…”

😂 the opening was unexpected, this is an extremely interesting explanation thank you!

Great interview,  Ash is sooooo good as an interviewer.

I believe there is a big political element in promoting that industry keeping people busy with their sexual fantasies rather than thinking of any political changes. This notion is more valid in traditional and conservative socties where marriage which is increasingly unaffordable, the main vessel for sexual relations.

Excellent interview. A fascinating insight into so many aspects of modern life.

I'm loving the attitude of the conversation, as of just ten minutes or so into it

Lust is when the soul loses its inner balance and begins looking to desire for fulfilment. Desire becomes lust when we use it to fill an inner sense of emptiness or imbalance. Lust is not simply wanting something; it is believing that fulfilling our desires will give us the inner fulfilment that is already within the soul.

A really good discussion Ash! Thank you for doing this! X

I watched this for the plot

Fascinating. I love the postlude.

Very interesting discussion. I find as a society we tend to be really good at pointing out and discussing the problem but never talking about the solution.

Thanks, Ash. I love these interviews /conversations that you’re having.. are they every Sunday?