As Valentine’s Day approached, Benet played host to a speaker noted for speaking on the nature of healthy love. Returning for his second Safe Environment talk two years in a row, Christian apologist and speaker Matt Fradd addressed Benet students on Tuesday, February 9. Humorously referring to himself as the “porn guy,” Mr. Fradd shared personal experience and scientific information in confronting the issue of pornography addiction. Though this topic tends to make students, parents, and teachers alike uncomfortable, Mr. Fradd combined argument with humor to make for an enjoyable and informative presentation.

Mr. Fradd’s talk was titled “Seven Myths of Pornography Exposed” and was organized as an argument against several misconceptions about pornography. Mr. Fradd began by addressing the myth that only men struggle with porn, countering with statistics that suggested that both men and women are hurt by pornography addiction. Mr. Fradd next argued against the idea that pornography is “sex positive,” or beneficial to both producers and consumers. Mr. Fradd told stories of sex workers and other individuals who had been deeply hurt through work in pornography and the sex industry. He explained that porn actors are highly likely to be drug users and victims of domestic violence. Mr. Fradd continued with a discussion on the physiological drawbacks of pornography, explaining that porn – though not a chemical – becomes addictive after frequent use. Mr. Fradd concluded with an entreaty to Benet students that we support each other in combatting pornography addiction, not just to prevent its harmful byproducts but also to combat serious social wrongs. He provided students with relevant literature and “Porn is Lame” stickers.

Mr. Fradd’s talk was undoubtedly a challenging one to give; his message is not always popular among young people. His compassion, wit, and sincerity, however, enabled him to get his points across. Though Mr. Fradd dealt with heavy topics, said Senior Brendan Blaney, his “cheerfulness and upbeat attitude made the talk a lot more accessible.” Mr. Fradd did a great job on Tuesday and succeeded in reaching many Benet students’ hearts.