The longest serving editor of a “lads’ magazine” has confessed to regretting his involvement in the magazine’s production, as he believes that it encouraged young people to access hard core pornography over the internet.
Martin Daubney, who worked as an editor with Loaded magazine for eight years, admitted that the birth of his son in 2009 brought home the reality of the damage that he had caused, as his magazine not only objectified women but also promoted and normalised pornography before a young audience.
Mr Daubney, who resigned from his job at Loaded two years ago, stated that he felt “ashamed” and “hollow” for defending the magazine in the past, which often attracted heavy criticism for its highly explicit material.
Moral nightmare
He said: “Back then, it never once occurred to me that we were objectifying women or doing any harm. I fiercely denied that Loaded was a ‘gateway’ to harder pornographic magazines.
“But such thoughts came home to roost five years later in 2009, when I finally grew up and became a father.
“It had such an effect on me and changed my views so forcibly that within a year I’d quit a dream job that, for me, had become a moral nightmare.
“When I look back now, I see we were severely pushing the envelope of what was considered decent.
“We were normalising soft porn, and in so doing we must have made it more acceptable for young men to dive into the murky waters of harder stuff on the internet. And, for that, I have a haunting sense of regret.
“Offering excuses for pornography when Loaded was attacked left me feeling cheap and hollow. I became a person I wasn’t, and, looking back, one I didn’t like. Today, I find myself agreeing with some of my fiercest former critics.”
Internet pornography
Mr Daubney also raised concerns over the ease at which young boys were able to view pornography over the internet, stating that laws had to be “tightened” to restrict access to the material by children.
“Now young boys - for there were, and still are, no effective age restrictions on access to online porn.
“Today, it’s never been easier to get your hands on porn of the most grotesquely graphic nature, yet absolutely nobody admits responsibility.
“And most shocking of all is the total lack of moral accountability displayed by the internet pornographers when it comes to supplying their product to minors.
“We must tighten up the current laws to make it unavailable to children, as it can be so damaging.”
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