Addict still content with lifestyle, however
By Matt Honold
Harold Johnson is a porn addict. He leads a modest lifestyle in a small one-bedroom house in Oneonta, N.Y., a far cry from any exciting human activity, though certainly never far from an Internet connection. Johnson is often enthralled by the “shocking and profound” capacity of the web, but when he heard that Libya and Egypt were using Facebook to incite revolutions, his whole concept of the Internet’s possibilities was changed—this for a man who has witnessed countless seemingly impossible acts through his computer.
“Here I am reading Google News, when I find out that Facebook and other networks are being used in northern Africa to arouse the [fighting spirits] of the people,” he said. “I thought someone was yanking my chain, then I realized it was just me,” he added, winking creepily.
He went on to say he’s always known the Internet to be an amazing place with immense potential for mankind. When asked if this was an opinion formed while visiting the site Big Booty Babes, he responded, “Well yeah. But the people of Egypt went on Facebook, and instead of looking at pictures of [obscure porn stars] Henrietta Lovejoy or Susan Greenberg, they communicated and took down that guy—Mubarak, that’s it.”
Shortly into the revolutions of both countries, the Internet servers were shut down, forcing the people to organize themselves through phoning, faxing and meeting one another in person.
“If I were forced to meet the goals of my Internet use the old-fashioned way, I would probably end up spending a lot of money,” Johnson said.
Here we see the stark and contemptible contrast between the historical accomplishments of the Internet and the horrible, brain-melting waste of life it has spat back at the human race.
Upon query as to whether it is relevant to compare pornography to grassroots revolution, he responded, “Well yeah, they’re both really awesome. The [revolutionaries] make me want to start a message board or a blog about the things that really matter to me,” he said, then laughed. “I think that way, we can all have our own little uprisings.”
When asked what truly matters to him, what he would encourage others to care about, he paused for a moment to reflect, then spoke.
“I think porn,” he said. “Yeah, all different kinds of raw, experimental adult entertainment. I respect what others are using the web for, but I simply believe this to be my calling in life.”
Maybe it is enough to be grateful that in some part of the world, the Internet is being used for positive change.
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Matt Honold is a sophomore writing major who wishes the majority of the Internet didn’t have to be porn. Email him at [email protected].