Hard porn 'common in France'
2009-09-10 09:38
Paris -Thanks to internet, television and changing morals, hard porn movies are exiting erotic males-only cinemas to take root in French households, according to a pioneering survey on sex released on Wednesday.
In its first general survey on pornography, the IFOP polling institute found that 89% of the 1 016 people interviewed had seen an adults-only film in its entirety or in part - 97% men, 83% women.
The majority had viewed the porn at home, 57% alongside a partner.
"Access to X-rated movies through cable TV and the internet has made the genre more commonplace and more accessible," Francois Kraus, who carried out the study on behalf of a porn movie company, told AFP.
"French people now are more open towards X-rated movies," he added.
But only around 30% of couples made love while viewing hard porn and 62% said they had never tried to copy scenes or positions seen on screen.
In fact 84% said that sex as seen on porn movies had little to do with sex in real life.
What they liked best, aficionados said, was to see physically attractive actors and actresses, and good plots.
Big-breasted women and well-endowed men were popular only with 25% and 19%, respectively.
Contrary to expectations, the average age for a first-time viewing of a hard porn movie was 24 - but the sample was based on people aged over 18.
Free internet sites provided access to 45% of those polled, followed by cable TV and DVDs.
Some attitudes seemed little changed, however.
While 69% said porn movies were exciting, 59% thought them "ridiculous" and 58% "degrading".