Porn is big business. Huge business. So big that, according to this Huffington Post report, porn sites get more visitors every month than Netflix, Amazon and Twitter combined!
Fetishes? If there are 10,000 of them, there’s a channel for every one! MILF? Threesomes? Feet? Asian? Bondage? Lesbian? Solo? Amateur? Daddy? Cosplay? Cuckolding? Trans? Small breasts? Gangbang?
Heck, you’ll even find a category for ‘Straight Sex’, whatever that might be!
Most of those ‘interests’ sound fairly straightforward. But then we find the categories that show ‘simulated’ violence… domination verging on – or crossing the threshold to – outright abuse and, at the darkest, deepest end, ‘snuff movies’.
‘Snuff’? If you’re new to the term I apologize for ruining your innocence. Snuff porn ends in the death of the victim, typically in a very violent manner.
Real or simulated, the vast majority of us are sickened by the idea and yet there is demand for the product – a demand large enough to reportedly support a South American industry where very real, horrific murders occur at the moment of orgasm.
From Deep Throat to salvation?
One of, if not the, best known porn movies of all time is the 1970’s ‘classic’, Deep Throat. The movie made Linda Lovelace a household name for many years.
But Linda, born Linda Susan Boreman, subsequently ‘found god’ and accused her then husband, of forcing her to participate in the movie. She subsequently became a very vocal spokesperson for the anti-porn movement.
More recently, 22 women who claimed they were exploited by a porn production company sued in a New York court seeking damages of $1 million for each plaintiff.
Their beef wasn’t with participating in the production – they were all willing ‘victims’. Their complaint lay with how and where it was distributed.
So the question is: Has the industry moved from coercion and abuse, to an ethical level where we can feel guilt-free as we watch?
Defining Ethical Porn…
It’s easy to assume that only women are coerced to participate in porn. But men can also be victimized, especially in ‘gay porn’ where actual rape has occurred and been filmed for posterity.
So the starting point for ethical porn is genuine consent and a willingness to participate. That consent and willingness extends to the distribution of the end product whether that is photos or video.
Many would also argue that ethical porn also needs to convey sex-positivism from a woman’s perspective and even promote female empowerment.
In fact, in recent years, the industry has seen an influx of women producers, directors and videographers. Most of these are intent on producing porn for women.
They tend to focus on quality erotica that avoids exploitation scenes. Much of what is produced has a tender and even romantic edge while still aiming for maximum arousal in both women and men.
Beyond that, there is an openly declared idealism at work throughout the movement.
The broader, unabashed objective is to try to change the industry from the inside, in the name of fair pay, better conditions, and more enjoyable sex.
The high hope is that inclusive, diverse porn – in which the performers’ pleasure is as real as their orgasms – will change cultural views on sex for the better.
This unapologetically grandiose premise demands an approach to adult filmmaking that pulls from seemingly opposite directions.
The ethical porn movement argues that porn is about work, not pleasure – yet the pleasure it captures is real.
Now, that might sound like a hard sell wrapped inside a tall order. But don’t let the elevated concept fool you into thinking it’s porn without the raunchy, flesh-slapping, down-and-dirty sensuality.
The productions of companies like Bright Desire can be deliciously wicked – with genuine connections, laughter, and intimacy between performers.
(Photo: Awol/Flickr)
If you’re still unsure of what ethical porn is, or you’re simply curious, here’s an example…
That said, asserting porn production’s legitimacy as a profession is an important strategy to protect workers’ rights. But it leaves unanswered the question of pornography’s effects on the viewer.
There is an array of well-organized, well-funded anti-porn campaigns out there that claim porn is an assault on basic human values. The people who run these campaigns believe that all porn promotes violence and glorifies misogyny.
But behavioral experts like David Ley, author of the book, Ethical Porn for Dicks, say otherwise.
“That largely comes out of social biases against masturbation and any other kinds of sexuality that are outside the traditional, monogamous model of love and sex, ” says the 47-year old psychologist.
Ethical Mindfulness
Still, while we encourage the viewing of ethical porn, we know that there are some who have become so addicted to porn that it affects their work and personal lives.
The ethics here goes both ways, according to Ley. The idea behind “ethical porn viewing” is the same thing for just about everything else relating to your well-being: mindfulness.
“Having moral conflict over your porn use does turn out to be bad for you,” says Ley. “But that’s not because of the porn.”
Because of internalized shame, many of us actively bury our own sexualities – including our porn viewing – deep inside ourselves, Ley explains.
In short, we rarely ever consider its implications on other parts of our lives.
That is how porn addiction might sneak up on you. Just like any addiction, you wander into it without knowing you’re already hooked and totally at sea.
But just as you should not feel ashamed of your desire for erotic stimulus, so must you confront an addiction with candor and common sense.
If you feel that you might have a porn addiction, you can get help and real support at NoFap.
What’s your story? Do you watch porn? Have you watched ethical porn and do you have a favorite producer? Why not share your opinion by reviewing this article below?
