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Photo Credit: Kate Lamy

Sex 411 And the Award Goes To ...

» Good For Her’s Feminist Porn Awards honor those who are doing it well in the porn industry. Winners must meet at least one of the following:
• A woman had a hand in the production, writing, direction, etc. of the work.
• It depicts genuine female pleasure
• It expands the boundaries of sexual representation on film and challenges stereotypes of mainstream porn.
And of course, it has to be hot! Find out more at http://www.goodforher.com

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Hi Jo & Ross. Here’s a suggestion: Feminist Porn! — RS

Dear RS,

Thanks for writing in! This is a great topic and we’re happy to take a look at it in our column.

An Oxymoron?

Historically feminists have dominated the discourse in response to pornography. Since the 1970s, feminists groups critiqued, educated, spoke out about and called for an end to the violent, degrading, sexually exploitive, racist, sexist and homophobic images in mainstream pornography. Organizations like Feminists Against Pornography want a stop to a porn culture, including a stop to the consumption of mainstream porn.

But, Annie Sprinkle, a porn star, sexologist and feminist porn activist has said “The answer to bad porn isn’t no porn, it’s more porn!”

A Different Take

In the 1980s, a new form of pornography started to emerge: Feminist Porn. What makes it different from regular porn? While there are no standards or clear cut guidelines, most in the industry agree that in order to be called “feminist,” the porn needs to have a woman involved in production, show mutuality and respect in the sexual interactions, and represent authentic female desires. Often, a broad range of gender identities, sexualities, and body types are represented; actors are encouraged to create the scene they want to film; and attention is paid to the treatment, health and working conditions of the actors. All of these characteristics are quite different from mainstream porn.

According to Alison Lee of Good For Her, a dominant theme in films considered feminist porn is consent and agency both of the actors and the depiction of these within the sexual scene being filmed. Feminist porn is also hot, kinky and hardcore! In this way, feminist porn goes beyond mainstream pornography, which overwhelming represents the same activities over and over (double penetration, oral, vaginal, anal, multiple men with one woman, and facials). By promoting women’s voices, feminist porn shows the truer variation of sexual fantasies — and more accurately depicts the fantasies of women.

What a Man Wants

Mainstream porn is misleading in its depiction of what women want and enjoy sexually. When females like Candida Royalle, Tristan Taormino, Courtney Trouble, Nina Hartley and others are directing, we notice an absence of facials, ass-to-mouth, double-penetration, and women being called degrading names. Mainstream porn also tells us that men fantasize about

humiliating and degrading women (something men should be upset with porn about!). Since pornography is largely made by men for the consumption of other men, it socializes and conditions men’s sexual response in certain ways — ways that may not be compatible with real life relationships. Feminist porn attempts to diversify what is out there, with the hope that people will ultimately decide to watch something more humane, more respectful, more realistic, and more reflective of actual fantasies, particularly those of women.

More of the Same?

We have also noticed that as feminist porn becomes more mainstream, things like body diversity seems to lessen (or get fetishized — like natural pubic hair). Additionally, while working conditions might be a huge improvement from doing ass-to-mouth scenes, we also have to consider the factors that led these women into the industry to begin with, which can include limited economic options or a history of violence. Women’s choices are complex and some women may make a conscious decision to enter the sex trade industry. While self-proclaimed feminist porn can be a welcome respite from the sex-negative and misogynistic world of mainstream porn, we also have to be vigilant about the ways an industry can capitalize upon and co-opt our sexual desires.

You Decide

Some people (including quite a few men we know) choose not to consume any kind of pornography. Others seek out images that represent (at least on screen) mutually satisfying and respectful sexual interactions. Still others are less discriminate in what they watch, and may view what’s convenient or available for free online. Ultimately, we all have to decide how we want to spend our money, which industries we want to support, and what images we want to look at to get turned on.

Check us next week as we go from soft to hard.