Opinions please: Maxim Magazine & My teenage son

[astroglide]

i vote playboy too. it's not hardcore at all and the articles/interviews can be excellent.

for a kid specifically, the advisor column might teach him some stuff.

my only concern as a parent in this situation would be desensitization.

[Cyrus]

I know precisely where you are. Here's two cents:

Buying him a sub to a magazine will not act as a deterrent but as an appetizer. We gotta face the fact that the internet is here and it is everywhere.

The magazine's content is not "controlled". A hack mag like Maxim will post crap as much as anything else - and I'm not talking about the sex stuff.

The sex stuff should be the least of your worries. I mean, I'm not the perfect father but have you talked to your son about sex at all? BTW, I find that this is one of the most difficult talks you can have and I have spoken to some tough audiences.

I am not a teenager but I cannot forget how thinking about sex ruled approximately 23 hours of my day - the 24th hour I was feeling guilty about the thoughts I was having. Turns out it's all natural - we are at our sexual peak at that age. In other words, despite appearances (perhaps), you are dealing with a stable-kicking stud. Proceed accordingly.

Even if access to net porn or "dirty mags" is cut off, sexual temptation is everywhere. (I know, I know, the commodification of sex is what's disgusting, and not the liberalisation of mores. But this ain't the Politics forum, to discuss it some more.) So, again, the whole sex thing is what's at stake, and not merely "dirty pix".

Masturbation is not unacceptable.

And it's not acceptable either. It's like peeing or laughing at comedy; a fact of life. I humbly suggest that you try to deal with the fact of your son's sexuality a little better than policing his computer, if for no other reason, because you are needed to give him equally important advice about other important things in life aside from sex, and you want him to trust you and believe that you can give him solid, real-life advice.

Best of luck.

[Dominic]

he's going to look at it anyway. So you might as well get him a subscription, right?

And make sure you KNOCK before entering his room!

[img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[PokerGoblin]

I didn't read every post but here's my thought anyhow... I hope this isn't redundant.

Why not get him playboy? The pics are tastefully done, and it at least intended for a mature audience as far as the content goes. Maxim and Stuff and those pussy mags are for dudes whose wives won't let them get playboy.

The internet is full of jerkoff material, Maxim is not. Buying him Maxim isn't going to help anything. There's really no way to quell the situation, if he likes porn he's going to seek it out online. Just make sure he's aware of the negativity with some of it... that some porn is completely unnaceptable ie kiddie porn etc.

Hope that helps a little, good luck.

PG

[DcifrThs]

[ QUOTE ]
Why don't you have a real conversation about [sex]. Find out why he likes it

[/ QUOTE ]

wow... just wow, man.

-Barron

[flair1239]

[ QUOTE ]
If your treat the topic of sex immaturely, your son will be immature about sex.

Why don't you have a real conversation about it. Find out why he likes it, and you can tell him that its cool, and that you like to look at hair pie when the old lady is sleeping. Of course, he may be confused, and you can tell him that you are not looking at the old lady's hair pie when she's sleeping, but you are out making snail tracks on the the front of the computer chair.

Men like to look at porn. If your son was still playing with Star Wars figurines, you might be scratching your head, or wondering if he's grown his balls yet.

You got nothing to worry about. Stop pretending that you weren't a teenager once.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah exactly. It is unacceptable to your wife that he looks at porn.

Personally I would have a talk with him about it. Give him the old women are not objects talk.

I think you forget though, the level of sexual tension in your average 15yo. I think that there should be some outlet for it. Why don't you get him a membership to a soft-core site? You know one with no BJ or moneyshots. Just good looking girls with no clothes?

[Bluffoon]

[ QUOTE ]
Hi all:

My son, who is almost 15, has been busted twice over the last month for seeking out porn on his computer by his computer savvy mother.

For many reasons this is unacceptable. However, as the internet is that generation's version of "dirty" magazines, it is also completely expected and understandable (and frankly somewhat relieving to most fathers that their boys have interest in naked girls rather than other boys or Michael Jackson or their pet gerbil) [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

Because of this, we're wondering if we should give/allow him an option that we can at least control the content of. Namely the psuedo-porn "men's interest" magazines like Maxim or FHM (the only two I know, feel free to suggest others) that I understand are very popular with the older 16-18 teen boys.

Does anyone here have comments regarding the appropriateness or inappropriateness of these magazines for a 15 year old?

Thanks.

Pack

[/ QUOTE ]

He has already learned how to view and treat women. He has learned from you. There isn't much you can do now to change those views and behaviours.

I would get your wife off his case. Set reasonable boundaries and guidelines, give the kid some space and some privacy and some.... respect.

[turnipmonster]

your son is 15, he is going to look at pron and probably smoke/drink/drugs other stuff. I think everyone is vastly underestimating most 15 year olds. the birds and the bees?

--turnipmonster

[purnell]

Porn, including some of the stuff you find in Maxim, is really about the subjugation of women. I think getting him these kinds of magazines will teach him the kind of attitudes that will make it difficult to engage in meaningful relationships with women. So, I guess I'm saying no, don't do that.

[Reef]

there is basically internet access anywhere he goes, so if he wants to look at that stuff- it's going to happen.

if you really want to stop him.. just have "the talk" with him adn then go on and both of you look at some online porn together afterwards. It will make him feel SO akward as to never want to do that in your house again.

If not, just explain to him that you understand his curiousity, and hormones, since you were a teenager once, etc.. then ask him to quit because _____ (he's not of age, mother doesn't like it, inappropriate, etc)___. and to use maxim as a personal spank bank for now