Who have never made any.
Something different here this time- here we have an Anti Porn Feminist (who has probably never worked in porn) and an MRA (who has probably never worked in porn) going at it about the eternal subject (porn), as if, you know, they know what the hell they are talking about.
I want to say a few things real quick before I move on here though. One, false statements have been made- in the APF missive, it is stated that all women in the industry have agents. This is not true. There are a ton of freelancers out there who act as their own agents, managers, accountants, so on (exhibit A, raises hand). Second, work in pornography is JUST as (if not more so) physically demanding , “dangerous” (wrt to STD’s and such) and taxing for men as it is for women, and they are generally paid far less for their work (seriously, consider this required reading on the subject) . It is true they do not have as high of a turn over rate and are less subject to appearance based guidelines however. And as always, a few peeves. One, the worship of Robert Jensen as a god amid men. I’ve met and debated the dude and I thought he was a rude, imperious, dismissive jerk. Two, the thought that porn is supposed to be “nice” and is oh so unique when it comes to people doing it because they do not have other choices. Three, the once again poster-girling of Laura Roxx-and acting as if her story (which is horrible) is common-place when it is anything but. Need I remind anyone that the rate of aids transmission between the General Population of Non- Porn People is FAR higher than it is AMID porn people? Don’t believe me? Come to Washington DC… but yet, I am also irked by MRA’s dudes assumption that all women in porn choose to be there, or that making a choice when there really are no other real choices counts as a choice at all…because that is Bullshit. Oh yeah, and this whole “porn says the truth about men and nothing about women?” Well, you know me and universals wrt to THAT subject… OH OH, and need I remind anyone that Max Hardcore was tried, convicted, and is No Longer Making Porn…at all? I guess so. And I got yer empowerment right here.
But be all that as it may…you know what (once again, now and forever, eternally) irks me about ALL this? People who have never done porn talking about it, quoting experts who have never done it, speaking about how it is for those who do work in porn, and all that other shit that basically falls into the typical file. You know who the REAL experts in porn are???
That’s right- the men and women involved in the Porn Industry. That’s who. They know FAR better how it is and how it works and what goes on than ANY armchair observer…but of course their opinions mean squat (more on that shit later, no doubt). And that, well, y’all, that fuckin’ pisses me off. I mean shit, I have no idea what it is like to perform open heart surgery because oddly enough, I’ve never done it! I can have an opinion on it, sure, but I am no damn expert. Hell, I even recognize not all open heart surgeries and surgeons are the same, imagine that shit? However, I am no expert on the subject in any way.
Same goes for porn and so called experts on it. You can have an opinion, sure…but is it more valid than that of those in the business? Fuck No. And it never will be…whatever side of the debate you are on.
