PornSexual Orientation: Porn Dependent Sexuality in the Digital Age: Porn is the new sexuality: 1

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Overall, Pornography is a vast industry, and Feminist Pornography is a small, almost insignificant part of it. Every industry has companies that focus more on profit over people’s livelihoods, this is inevitable. However, to make a dent in this issue using legislative force has more negative effects than positive. Feminist Pornography could arguably be seen as a privileged idea as well, as those involved choose to do it through the opportunity for sexual self-expression and not necessarily desperation. Furthermore, the generalisation of evidence from radical feminist campaigners is “misguided” (Saul, 2003:102) as it comes from anger and not from rationality. One effective strategy which reaffirms the positive role of Feminist Pornography would be to switch roles with those in power. Adding more women to the production process (writing, directing and producing) will create a female gaze and a safer environment for the performers. 7 Afemale behind the lens – Does this change the gaze? The gaze is discussed theoretically in both art and cinema, in European art, the nude woman is often looking out of the painting. The gaze that she is seducing with her naked body is assumed, male. As John Berger explains “she is not naked as she is, she is naked as the spectator sees her” (Berger, 2008:44) therefore suggesting her body is not her own instead it is a “spectacle” (Stratton, 1996:109) of male desire and affection. Women are not only watched through the camera lens, but it is also through the media and to be gazed continuously at on the street. The male gaze sees women like they are an animal in a circus, to not just be visible, but also experienced and displayed (Stratton, 1996:109) like a trophy. But women are not just watched by others, they are also constructed to survey themselves. This is similar to Michel Foucault who described the increased social control of society developing from bio-power. He suggests individuals “voluntarily control themselves by self-imposing conformity to cultural norms through self-surveillance and self-disciplinary practices” (Pylypa, 1998:22) meaning people have a desire to conform to what society says is normal and therefore end up surveying themselves. Female director Jill Solloway argues women “don’t write culture, we are written by it” ( TIFF Talks, 2016), women are therefore constructed to survey themselves and as a result, become an object of their gaze and the gaze of others. Another reason why women are limited to the object and men are the ones holding the gaze is that “we don’t learn to see beauty in men’ that men are never even placed in that category” (Redfern & Aune, 2010:69). Cues for signaling erotic pictures also increased based on the amount of pornography a person used per week and masturbation frequency.

Tristan Taormino defines Feminist Pornography as a genre dedicated to “gender equality and social justice. Feminist porn is ethically produced porn, which means that performers are paid a fair wage and they are treated with care and respect; their consent, safety, and well-being are critical, and what they bring to the production is valued. Feminist porn explores ideas about desire, beauty, pleasure, and power through alternative representations, aesthetics, and filmmaking styles. Feminist porn seeks to empower the performers who make it and the people who watch it” (Breslaw, 2013). Internet pornography has made the genre more accessible. For this reason, most experts think that porn consumption has slightly increased over the past few decades.

In your view, is all pornography harmful?

Mosey, A. (2015). The digital artist who’s dating a teddy bear. http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/24362/1/the-digital-artist-who-s-dating-a-teddy-bear.

Since her ironic Two Fried Eggs and a Kebab (1992), which delighted and enraged gallery goers in equal measure, Sarah Lucas has explored sexual attitudes with a direct visual vocabulary. But as a touring retrospective at the Kunsthalle Zurich reveals, there is more to her work than it seems. Cochrane, K. (2013) Feminism: The fourth wave of feminism: meet the rebel women. The Guardian, 10 December [Online]. Available online: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/10/fourth-wave-feminism-rebel-women [Accessed 11/03/2020].Neil Malamuth at the University of California, Los Angeles has carried out numerous studies examining porn and sexual violence, including one involving 300 men, and concluded that men who are already sexually aggressive and consume a lot of sexually aggressive pornography are more likely to commit a sexually aggressive act. But he argues that porn isn’t the cause of sexual violence. In 2013, he told BBC Radio 4 that porn consumption can be compared to alcohol, suggesting that it isn’t inherently dangerous, but can be for those who have other risk factors. When I initially tell people about my topic, they flinch at the word Pornography. To me, this reaction is a physical representation of the stigma against it. However, once I explain Feminist Pornography in more depth, the response is full of curiosity and excitement, often following with an offer to proof-read the full written dissertation. This reaction is a physical representation of the importance of Feminist Pornography and how it can reduce stigma around the filmed sex industry. I chose to study the role of Feminist Pornography because it is refreshing, progressive and representative of all people, not just women. It is an educational resource, an art form and something that people should know about, not just to benefit themselves and their intimate relationships but also to stop the stigma surrounding consensual sex on screen. And last but definitely not least, My gorgeous, I love you. Thank you for loving me first. List of Abbreviations Kaur, R. & Nagaich, S. (2019) Understanding Feminist Research Methodology in Social Sciences. Available Online: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3392500[Accessed 07/04/2020]. Rose, B, S. A. M. O. I. S. (1982). Coming to power: Writings and graphics on lesbian SM. Boston: Alyson.