Irina Vega has always been very interested in porn. “Ever since she saw the video for the first time when she was young, she was really struck by the people working on it,” recalls the Altporn4U.com director and producer. At the age of 24, she was living in Barcelona, where she studied electronics and worked in the hospitality industry. At that time, she began an open relationship meeting people in the porn industry. She was encouraged to try it.
17 years have passed since then. Now, some people think the industry is evolving towards a place that's sleazier, more open, transparent, and inclusive, but there are others who doubt that, and porn by its very nature. Some believe that this is and always will be the case. become a source of exploitation.
“It's now easier to find feminist porn and ethical porn…People who have curiosity and a certain sensibility are finding porn that is much more in line with their tastes and values. Now you can search for it,” says the existence of alternative porn in Spain. “I don't rely on statistics to produce porn, but I try to do something authoritative and creative and with values,” she says. Vega describes her “feminist porn” as films where equality is considered both in front of and behind the camera. She says, “In front of the camera, it must be clear that women also have a role as subjects, not objects.''
Her website lists dozens of pay-per-view movies. A section of her manifesto explains that their ethical values are diversity and feminism, which includes acceptance of all types of body types, gender identities, ages (as long as they are of age), and ethnicities. I am. “It's important that all the cast members are happy. Before filming, the cast members choose who will be their sexual partners, discuss their preferences, and agree on practices. Cast members can choose whether or not to use condoms. , we offer the latest sexually transmitted disease testing,” the text reads. Additionally, she explains that the pay is fair, and that “each director and studio that appears in the show either licenses or pays a commission on the sale of their content.”
Other companies that specialize in this type of production include PinkLabel.tv, Hardwerk, Lust Cinema, Pink & White, and Wild Galaxies. PinkLabel subscriptions cost 10 euros ($10.67) per month. Vega explains: “Over the past few years, platforms like the ones mentioned above have emerged, allowing independent producers and Performers self-manage and upload their own content. ”
However, this type of porn is still only a small part of what is being produced within the industry. Just by typing the word “porn” into a search engine, within seconds he will be presented with over 5.7 billion search results on the Internet, from which he can access websites offering free content.
Porn director and producer Paulita Pappel won a grant from the German government to produce Porn that invests in this more diverse type of product. “They uploaded it to the internet for free and made it available for anyone to watch. I think it's great to see the government being open and offering such an interesting service to the public. ” says Vega proudly.
Paulita has struggled with her fascination with pornography since she was a child, and has always been taught by society that pornography is bad because it exploits women and is highly misogynistic. Explain that you have come. “Then I met feminist women who were creating a different kind of porn and trying to change porn from within the industry.” This movement began to emerge in the United States in her 1980s.
In this type of production, consent and transparency are always paramount when filming. “We're making porn for women because traditionally porn has been defined as something for men,” she explains. She says she wants her films to celebrate the sexuality, desire, and diversity of all people, not just women.
She describes what she does as feminist and ethical porn, but she has stopped calling herself that because she doesn't want to reproduce the idea that mainstream porn is wrong. “Most porn today is done by people who sell it to platforms that distribute it,” she says. For her, the audiovisual content she creates is just like any other genre you can watch on Netflix.
“I've been involved in porn for the past 20 years, trying to change the way society views it by offering something beyond the basics.” He explains that his work seeks to create a more complete experience and fulfill people's fantasies in front of the camera. Before each of her shoots, she sends out a questionnaire to all her actors, allowing them to choose the positions, boundaries, and sexual preferences they would like to appear in. “There is and should be porn for every taste. There should be no gender distinction,” she reflects.
Contrary to the concept of ethical pornography
Not everyone supports the advancement of pornography. In Spain, people are consuming more and more pornography and less and less actual sex, explains sexologist Alejandro Villena Moya. For about 10 years, Villena has been treating patients with porn addiction as clinical director of the Vuelta Association. For Villena, there is no such thing as ethical pornography. This is because it is impossible to separate the concept itself from prostitution.
Villena is the author of this book POR qué NO?: To prevent addiction to pornography [Why Not? How to prevent and help porn addiction]. He says consuming porn is a digital escape where his desire to share is lost. “It has been proven that the more porn is consumed, the more cases of erectile dysfunction occur in men. The reason the body is wired to like porn is because it is so arousing that it becomes difficult to have actual sexual intercourse. It gets boring and you need something else.”
“They're trying to go off script, and that's not healthy,” Villena opines about ethical porn directors. He is not the only scholar to question this concept.University of Dayton research But what about feminist porn? Explore Tristan Taormino's works It concluded that there was no healthy impact on consumers' sex or love lives. “While the intentions are good, the fact that it ultimately profits from an unregulated industry that is known for abusing women and exploiting minors and has a very high risk of addiction It does not justify it,” Villena observes. She should focus on improving sex education in society, not on improving porn for women.
Vega agrees. “I would like to see more sex education in schools, especially so that people know how to consume this type of content and enjoy it like everyone else without becoming addicted.”
sexologist Ivan Rotella, The State Association of Sexologists said there was no such thing as porn for women because women do not have different desires than men, and that “it should be called ethical pornography anyway.”
Rotella warns that more and more men are building their erotic fantasies through pornography, giving them sex education they don't receive at school or at home. “Even in my high school, if you ask them, they believe that sexual relationships work the same way as porn, that women don't see themselves. Traditional porn is all about genitals, men's It’s made to revolve around pleasure, the penis.”
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