The Case for Feminist Porn

Women in porn are shown as passive objects whom sex is done-to or received-by. I usually find the depiction of women in mainstream porn to be repulsive and disrespectful because these women are not treated as human beings with boundaries and desires.

I was skeptical about porn’s potential to do anything besides degrade and objectify women. But, given that porn is so pervasive that the line between porn and regular culture is blurrier than ever, and that most people watch porn, it is worth exploring how porn can be valuable. Indeed, subgenres like feminist and queer porn seem to be a valuable asset for people who want to watch sex that does not center around the white, heterosexual male perspective. Whereas mainstream porn focuses on ‘the money shot’ and is centered around male ejaculation, feminist porn depicts real female pleasure and depicts female agency in sexual acts. It also includes more diverse representation of races, gender, and sexualities. Whereas mainstream porn is notorious for the way they treat women workers, feminist porn seeks to involve women in production and uphold health and labor rights. Overall, feminist porn wants to challenge mainstream porn tropes and expand the boundaries of representation on film.

Before examining the positive potential of feminist porn to shift the sex-script created by the mainstream porn industry, it is important to understand how feminist porn provides superior representations of women and includes more diverse identities. In Feona Attwood’s article “No Money Shot? Commerce, Pornography and New Sex Taste Cultures” she argues that one way in which feminist porn websites avoid objectifying women is by portraying women as individuals with distinct personalities (Attwood 443). On the SuicideGirls website specifically, Attwood finds that while “the bodies of Suicide Girls may be ‘sexy,’....their tattoos and piercings also….reference individual style and membership of subculture communities” (Attwood 449). They are not just passive bodies, but women who make choices. They choose how to adorn their bodies. These adornments remind viewers that these women are human beings with agency and “personality” (Attwood 449). They are no longer vessels for male ejaculation with no soul or substance. And, the mere representation of tattooed and pierced women having sex creates an authenticity that mainstream porn lacks. It demonstrates that real women have bodies that are not free of any kind of evidence of having been lived in—not just markings such as tattoos or piercings but even blemishes and scarring.

Suicide Girls is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to feminist and queer porn. Their depiction of women with tattoos and piercings having sex is one way to represent women out of many. There are numerous other personalities, aesthetics, and sexualities to be explored by independent producers. Attwood argues that in this day and age, diversity can be emphasized through the “democratization of porn” and the ability of pornographers to “operate independently of the established industry in new alternative ways'' (Attwood 442). Independent pornographers with different identities can produce porn that meets their vision and targets specific niche markets. The more independent producers with different ideas, the better. I can imagine sites devoted to queer Black women, superhero fans, or even women from a particular city. After all, sex is different for everyone, so the more scripts we can create, the more the mainstream porn sex script is challenged.

But, does alt-porn/feminist porn have the potential to transform the mainstream porn industry? While the efforts made by queer and feminist pornographers are certainly worthwhile, it is a stretch to say that they can change the industry at large into an industry that values women, queer people, people of different body sizes, and people of diverse backgrounds. While feminist and queer porn provide additional perspectives, they do not erase the dominant mainstream narrative. Their reach is also limited to their niche audience. Alternative porn sites like SuicideGirls can only change the minds of the people who visit the sites and watch their porn. The reality is that those who buy into the mainstream white, heterosexual, ejaculation-centered narrative, or rather, do not take issue with it, probably are not going to watch feminist or queer porn. But, even though feminist porn may not be able to change the mainstream porn industry, it can affirm the experiences of viewers by depicting sex that caters to all kinds of people with different interests and showing that female desire is a part of sex.

Perhaps feminist porn can even promote social change by serving as a teaching tool. I see feminist porn as an opportunity to educate teenagers about sex without the negative aspects of porn and answer the questions they are afraid to ask. It is especially valuable in light of the current state of sex education in schools. As Olivia Tarplin highlights in her Ted Talk “Feminist Porn: Shifting Our Sexual Culture,” only 18 states require schools to give information about contraception to students. And, even in states where sex education is required, it is often only one semester and does not engage young people or answer the questions they have about sex. Tarplin adds that this is especailly true for queer people because most of the time in most states, non-heterosexual sex is not even discussed (Tarplin).

With the internet and the widespread dissemination of all kinds of information, porn is more accessible than it ever has been. Because it is so accesible, it acts as a form of sex education for many people (Tarplin). If feminist porn is available online, people at least have the option of looking to porn that represents sex in a more healthy and inclusive way. Hopefully, some curious teens and adults will encounter feminist porn instead of mainstream porn and turn to it instead when they are curious. Or, in the best case scenario, feminist porn can be integrated into school sex-ed curricula. But, for those who are actively searching for porn that treats women as active subjects who experience pleasure and represents their racial and sexual identity, feminist/queer porn provides that platform. They have a place to go. Their desires are no longer silenced or ignored. Bringing their interests to fruition is perhaps more important than inciting change in the industry as a whole.