Fair Trade Porn - A simple yet not at all fool-proof checklist

If you’re lazy, and only want to read the checklist, then scroll.

Hi hipster! So you like porn, do you? Well, here’s a little checklist for you, buddy - just to ensure you’re enjoying pornographic material that’s a little less exploiting. Let’s do our best to make sure the women, and men participating in films and posing in pictures, are at least exploited mostly on camera, and not off camera.

Seriously speaking, this is something I wish the media would pay more attention to: the fairness of porn and the problems that arise in production. I’m certainly no connoisseur. I have no affiliation with the porn industry. Being a woman also cuts me out the major demographic audience. Still, I want to say my bit.

I’d like to start-off by clearing out some misconceptions you might have about the people in the porn industry. They are not all inherently bad, rotten apples. The women in porn are not bad women. They are not dirty, slutty by heart, or daughters brought up all wrong. They’re not asking for it. They’re not asking for a double penetration and a cum shot. For the most part, the motivating factor for these girls is poverty. The majority of porn actors and actresses come from poor countries or areas in Eastern Europe, Asia or South-America. The US has a large enough porn industry - what’s wrong with it, you ask? If they’re using domestic porn actresses or actors? Well, most of the porn actors and actresses in the US have lower class backgrounds. These girls and boys have limited options in life. They’re not going to be the next Rhodes scholar, no matter how hard they try. The porn industry, as unpleasant as it might be, can seem like a better option then working three minimum wage jobs and still not paying the rent.

Drugs, another big motivating factor. Many girls and boys in the porn industry do drugs, and simply are addicts. It’s easy to imagine how this cycle runs. You start of doing porn to get money for drugs and very soon, if you’re making any money at all, you’re even more addicted. Also the general attitudes towards porn actresses probably doesn’t help with ones self image, and you’ll have even more reasons for substance abuse.

I began writing this text with a clear objective in mind. I was going to give simple advice on how to avoid the worst of the worst, most exploiting porn. The task turned about to be more difficult then I had anticipated. For who is it then, who can act in porn, for the porn to be still considered somewhat fair trade? No one? I thought about this for a while and then came to some kind of a solution. There’s never going to be one hundred percent ethical porn. At least not in a society where porn actors and actresses are frowned upon. However, this does not mean we should give up.

So finally, here are some guidelines:

1.Think, what do you know about the production company? If there’s no background info to be found, then chances are there’s something wrong. Try to stick to companies you trust. Sometimes production offices that have women in leading positions are fairer, sometimes not. Write to them and ask questions. If no one bothers to answer, draw your conclusions.

2. From which country are the actors or models from? Yes, I know, it’s hard to tell sometimes, but try. Decide not to look at porn of which’s origin you don’t know enough about - especially if the actors look and sound East European, Asian et cetera. And yes I know, it’s a hard task trying to figure out who’s East European and who’s not. Yet, it’s not an indifferent issue, so try.

3. What kind of activities are featured? Double anal penetration and other similarly extreme stunts mean that the actress is in serious pain. Rigorous anal penetration, which is considered quite mainstream in porn, can also cause harm to the actress or actor later on in life. If you’re a conscious porn user, you don’t want to support such films. If you’re a sexual sadist, faked torture films, where no one gets hurt, should suffice.

These are the three basic rules for fair-trade porn, defined by me. It’s about minimizing pain and harm to others and having a social conscience.

Now, shall we move on. For some fine-tuning:

- I’m hesitant about saying this, but it might be better to buy products of established porn actresses such as Jenna Jameson. Yes, they’ve probably been exploited in the past and by becoming icons, beautified by silicone, botox and lipo, they contribute to a problematic cultural representation of women. Yet, better buy Nikes than sweatshop sneakers whose brand says nothing at all to you. At least we know Jenna Jameson makes good money and calls the shots.

- Then, slightly contradictingly: you might consider if you wish to support films and material you see detrimental to how women (or men) are culturally represented. For example why look at material where the women or men are verbally insulted and degraded? Why support extensive plastic surgeries?

- Last, but not least. Why watch unrealistic, anatomically incorrect porn? Women don’t cum while giving head. Also, most women don’t orgasm during plain vaginal intercourse.

That’s all, folks. Be responsible. Drive safe.