All About Ethical Porn & Erotica
“Ethical porn” and erotica are more than just catchy terminology.
In a world brimming with ever-evolving discussions on sexuality, many people want to thoughtfully consider the erotic media they consume for a variety of reasons, including:
A desire to see themselves represented in the people shown in adult content.
A feeling of safety in knowing that performers are consenting to and enjoying the acts shown in erotic videos.
The joy of seeing pleasure equality between folks of different genders and identities.
Join me as we navigate the landscape of erotic media, shedding light on what makes adult content ethical.
Referring to “Ethical” porn/erotica is kind of like calling produce “all-natural.” It might mean different things to different people and there’s not a consistent standard against which to measure it.
That being said, here’s how I understand it. In ethical porn there is/are:
Fair working practices for performers and production, such as being paid a living wage, having access to STI testing, and giving breaks.
Consent for every participant, for every act that was filmed (and for the fact that it was filmed in the first place).
Diversity of representation, whether it’s in terms of genital size, pubic hair grooming, body shape, race, gender identity/expression, and/or sexual orientation.
Transparency. The company/site is open about their practices, performers, production, values, and so on.
All of these practices seem to result in the people in ethical porn looking like they are actually enjoying themselves, as opposed to performing enjoying themselves. People tell me this is huge as a viewer, to have a gut sense that the people in the videos really want to be there and are having fun doing their job.
One example of a filmmaker who embodies the principles of ethical porn is Erika Lust. She has multiple projects including XConfessions and Lust Cinema. Something that is special about Erika’s vision is that she highlights the importance of women’s pleasure in her films, which is not typically emphasized in mainstream pornography. One glance at the about page for XConfessions will show you what Erika is all about and help you understand the ethics piece on a deeper level.
Looking for more recommendations? A sex coach in Singapore came up with this list of other ethical porn filmmakers. Happy exploring!