I just got my computer into my new house (not my house, renting a room in the new house), so obviously my moving in is finally official. Clearly one of the first things I did was watch some pornography. Which reminded me of something that I hear once in a while when someone who doesnt like the sex industry wants to appear liberally cool with it while still having a valid objection: "So she's a whore when you want to pay her money, but if you're paying her money and you're filming and distributing it, she's an actress." I actually think it's a family guy quote, but I dont think it originated there. Or maybe whats his name put his own spin on it. Either way.
I dont think that filming it alone is what makes it considered different context from just standing on a street corner waiting for any old schmo to haul up and give you a $20.
Differences, that I can see, between porno and "regular, plain ol" prostitution:
1) (The obvious answer) Unless you've really established yourself in the prostitution/escort scene, porno pays a heck of a lot better.
2) EVERYONE involved in a porn film is getting paid. The man having sex with the woman is not the one who hands her $500 to suck his cock. The website/label does. It's not one guy paying a chick and filming it and then having it all be magically legal prostitution. The men, the film crew, the director...all getting paid, because they are all collaborating on a project. Argue what you will about the legitimacy of peoples' reasons for doing it, it isnt the same financial power dynamic. (Unless of course you dont pay attention to the contract you sign or what crew you get involved with, but how attentive YOU are isnt the point...the point is that the resource to be treated fairly is THERE!)
3) In addition to paying better, most people have a choice as to what they do in porn, and if you're a woman, you have a pretty good pick of the lot of areas you're comfortable with or turned on by, and will still get paid well.
4) Pornography is a ladder you can climb if you care to. Like any job, if you're good at it, everyone can see you're good at it, and you will have an increasing ability to choose what you do, how much you make, how often you do it, and with whom/what organizations. Prostitution COULD be the same, but as it is (because it is illegal and therefore has no effective means of regulation or safety other than common sense) it seems like you either work alone in a puddle of anonymity you'll likely get stuck in, and instead of climbing up just develop a group of regulars youre comfortable with, OR you work with a pimp/group who all share the money and not always fairly, and will work (sometimes using abuse) to keep you in THAT group longer if you're good at what you do so they can continue to reap your rewards.
5) (And this goes back to the "because porn is legal and prostitution is not" thing): Pornography involves documents that ensure and outline the definitions of consent, and terms of that consent.
That isnt to say that I havent read the essays of women who handled their stint in prostitution in an unorthodox way and had a really interesting/unique experience because of it. Some women are keen businesswomen, or have a very on point way of dealing with their ownership of their bodies and a lack of shyness which allows them to walk off the beaten path from the get go. But from what I understand, these cases are not the majority at all.
This post was in no way meant to say that I think prostitution is inherently dangerous. I have no issue with it other than I think that it's yet ANOTHER area of the sex industry that isnt nearly well enough organized or monitored fairly, which is why I think that pornography is so neat. It found loopholes, ways to become organized, make sure it's legit, keeps itself in check, provides for all those involved and (in most cases) fairly. It's simply safer and less chaotic than prostitution. If anything I think the government should work harder to let people do what they're going to do in a safer context.
So shut up. Pornography is a different industry than prostitution. Stop illegitimizing something you're uncomfortable with based on information that is untrue and unrelated.
I think I'd actually like to read about Pornography's struggle into legitimacy. I wonder about the history of it's rise and formation. (Haha...that pun should totally have been intended.)
ReplyDeleteReposting this comment from elsewhere...not to say that this isn't my comment but just I posted it in response to this post elsewhere. I think I'm just confusing things and being distracting now.
ReplyDeleteTo be fair, there's no good reason that most of your points for Porn don't also apply to Prostitution. It's just that the world on a whole does not treat prostitutes well. In a perfect world they would all be well paid, provably fully aware of what they're doing, have a choice in what they're willing to do, have room for advancement with a good starting contract.
Yeah I agree though. The porn industry has it's problems but it's legal so it has to actually function in a way that isn't horribly abusive. Prostitution doesn't have that. If you're already doing something illegal, then it's not far off to do things that are much more illegal to make it more efficient.
And here is my response, copied and pasted :) Thanks.
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree. I tried to make it clear in my post that I dont think prostitution is inherently a bad experience, but the fact that it's another area of the sex industry that isnt organized or well taken care of by ...anyone official makes it chaotic and unsafe. I dont like prostitution as it exists in 80% of america now, but I have no problem with the idea of prostitution in general and have heard good accounts from people who have written articles and were creative enough to express their experiences intelligently. But I think that to compare an unorganized, currently dangerous industry that does often commit crimes against it's participants with little to no chance of retribution and no standards to keep it in check with one that is organized is a mistake.
I think that people have a hard time separating the nature of people and the nature of the industry, which makes it hard to argue facts when someone is talking about an inherently personal and emotional disagreement or misunderstanding. When someone says "porno is prostitution" the comparison they're REALLY making, based on non-logical assumptions and feelings, is that the women are being taken advantage of either way, the men are perverts taking advantage of someone, and she's doing it for reasons other than enjoyment.
i don't really have a lot to say on the issue. the reason people characterize pornography as similar to prostitution is that either can appeal to a certain group of mindsets as far as performers/workers goes; the mindset of a porn star is probably not radically different than the mindset of a reasonably successful prostitute. This is the hang-up of some people; they forget that, as you point out, the shape of the surrounding industry is very different, and the more pornography becomes profitable and commercial, the more rights the actors are able to demand (even as they lose some freedom of expression).
ReplyDeletebut mostly i posted to say i started a blog too.
I agree. And while I'm sure that I wouldnt "trust" the reasons of some prostitutes or pronography actors for doing what they do, that really isnt any call to disparage or shut down the entirety of either venue. I suppose if the issue is about mentality, and men shaking their fingers at women because of a perceived (true or not) mass mentality that they dont approve of or are threatened by for whatever reason, I cant really argue it as much as I cant argue with someone's discomfort with homosexuality. The issue is simply the POSSIBILITY of a mentality to exist. It's like swatting at ghosts.
ReplyDeletei bet bill murray could help you with that.
ReplyDelete