Porn’s lost sex appeal amid constant exposure

Sure, it’s human nature to become inured to repeated images of anything, but pornography throws a kink in that assumption because demand for the product seems to increase even as genuine enthusiasm wanes.

Of course, a lot of people would call that addiction. And given that Internet porn addiction is now an “epidemic” (no doubt rapidly headed for its own DSM listing), it’s possible we’ve built up a collective tolerance that prevents us from getting excited about anything short of three-ways between A-list celebrities. That’s sad, but what’s even sadder is how sexiness itself, which is rooted in mystery, has been replaced by the far less interesting — and less titillating — “porniness.”

Mainstream entertainment outlets were once forced to treat sexual material with coyness and innuendo; today’s characters — at least those on cable — can just rip their clothes off and get it on. This is worth watching ... once. After that, it’s easy to change the channel and get sucked into a Cold War documentary on the History Channel. And no wonder — compared to naked bodies, Sputnik seems downright fresh.

The new HBO series “Tell Me You Love Me “ shows extremely attractive people having sex in flattering lighting, in beautiful rooms and in the nude.

Ten or even five years ago, a program as explicit as “Tell Me You Love Me” would have been so titillating that monotonous scripts and irksome characters would be of little consequence. Today, I keep wishing someone would invent the reverse of the now-famous (thanks to its cameo in the film “Knocked Up”) Web site Mr. Skin, which tells users how many minutes into a movie or TV show an actress disrobes (oddly, Mr. Skin hasn’t gotten around to tracking male nudity yet). With this service — call it Mr. Just Hurry Up and Be Done With It — viewers could get the scoop on exactly how long they have to endure on-screen hanky-panky before the characters go back to arguing in the Volvo.

All this might seem to suggest a grim scenario for the future of the species. But based on the lines at Toys “R” Us, real-life sex — the actual kind between actual people — appears to be moving along at a healthy clip. Still, as the Porn Age marches onward, it seems only logical that fake sex between fake people will become increasingly humdrum.

Not that Value Lodge isn’t still the best value around.

Daum is an essayist and novelist in Los Angeles. E-mail Daum at mdaum@latimescolumnists.com

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