We live in a day and age of informed consumerism and ethical consumption. There are countless ways to be an ethical consumer, from eco-friendly products and ethically sourced chocolate bars. But the major question on many people's minds is, can porn be consumed ethically? Porn is easy to find, typically free, and caters to millions. But it's easy to forget who's behind the screen, how it was made, and if it's even turning you on?
A Brief History
Humans have been creating and consuming portrayals of sex for millions of years. Images of sex and genitalia have been represented in books, pictures, statues, illustrations, and more. Take, The Art of Love by Ovid, for example, which is a dissertation on seduction and sensual arousal. The origins of this media are murky as it's been consumed by so many cultures from ancient Greece, India, and countless more! But it wasn't until the 1600s that these images were called pornography, centering around violating taboos and sensual arousal. The social taboo of pornography varies from culture to culture, with Western culture highly focused on puritanical values of "purity" and "chastity."
It started with publications like Playboy in the mid-20th century when pornography became corporate, and the porn industry became a massive enterprise. Porn has become one of the most profitable industries, estimated to be worth $97 billion globally and between $12 and $14 billion in the United States as of 2023. However, like any other industry, it has a dark side—labor abuse and content piracy being the primary two. But unlike other industries, these issues allow the porn industry to grow and thrive unchecked due to the social taboo surrounding pornography.
What is Ethical Porn?
Ethical porn is a newer concept that centers on the proper treatment of sex workers, consent, respectful work environments, and authentic depictions of pleasure and diversity. It focuses on the people filming and making porn being treated and paid fairly, consenting, and accurately depicting sex. Ethical porn is becoming increasingly popular as it actively disrupts and devalues the male gaze. It calls upon and emphasizes the experiences of women and the LGBTQIA2s+ community to change the toxic narrative told by mainstream porn.
Ethical porn is a tool for removing unrealistic expectations around sex and creating dialog around consent, especially around kinks and bondage, discipline, sadism, and masochism, otherwise known as BDSM. There is a distinction between violence during sex and consensual BDSM, primarily through clear and enthusiastic consent, safe words, and understanding boundaries, all of which are used in creating ethical porn, from writing the script to filming it.
The Issues with Mainstream Porn
Unethical porn is everywhere, mainly from tube sites that do not support sex workers. A common issue is the anonymity of users and content piracy that directly impacts sex workers. Tube sites are a collection of pirated content. They reupload several clips or links to others' work as "original" content. It's grown to be a massive problem; however, it takes so much time, money, and resources to remove this pirated content it's difficult to monitor what's been stolen and report it. Not to mention the big maybe of if it will be taken down or simply reuploaded under a different name or with different tags. Other disturbing consequences of these sites are revenge porn, non-consensual porn, and image-based sexual abuse. All of which are extremely harmful to women and the LGBTQIA2S+ community.
More Ethical Porn Please!
This is why it's essential to support the creation of ethical porn and sex workers. It's not only about understanding what you're consuming but mindfully consuming content that humanizes those in it and unlearning harmful narratives surrounding porn and sex. Consuming ethical porn is like paying for any other subscription or streaming service. It creates a market demand based on your choices and online behavior as a consumer. The transparency and creative narratives that ethical porn creates make it easier than ever to reach that big O and support the content creators behind it. Plus, let's face it, consent is sexy!
Don't know where to begin? Here are some great websites and apps to get touchy with:
For more check out our resources!
.svg)