Mainstream porn was never the right way to have vibrant sexual imaginations
This is not said enough, but having the desire to pleasure yourselves only makes us human and what better way to be in the zone if it’s not through watching porn?
Pornography is a dominating force in the sexual media industry. Traditional-aged college students who are 18-24-year-olds currently make up 27% of viewers worldwide, as reported by Pornhub in Happy Mag.
If watching porn is what works best for you to let off some steam, it’s important to understand what kind of porn you’re engaging with and to be conscious to know what you’re watching is not contributing to environments that enable violence within the sex industry, hence the birth of “ethical porn”.
Kathryn Klubak, a sex and relationship PHD major in Texas Tech University and inspiring. (Source: becomingdrkathyrnklubak on Instagram)
We spoke to Kathyn Kublak, an inspiring sex and relationship psychologist and a project coordinator for intercultural education and engagement in the diversity and equity office at Texas Tech University in Austin, Texas.
According to Kathryn, ethical porn is a type of pornography where consent is displayed.
“It’s porn which is made legally to respect the rights of performers, has good working conditions, shows both fantasy and real-world sex, and celebrates sexual diversity,” says Kathryn.
“It also can sometimes be referred to as “feminist porn” and this is because, unlike mainstream porn, it doesn’t solely focus on the male gaze.
“It shows us a more realistic view of sex with far less fake orgasms, but most importantly, it prioritises the consent, health and comfort of its performers as well as treating them with respect.”
Mia Khalifa (Source :miakhalifa on Instagram)
In the Guardian, Mia Khalifa, a famous ex-porn star spoke out about the exploitation of the adult entertainment industry, from getting paid poorly and being made to do un-consenting sexual acts.
“Porn corporations prey on callow young women and trap them legally into contracts when they’re vulnerable,” she said in The Guardian.
When it comes to looking after the well-being and health of sex workers, the mainstream porn industry also lacks to pull its weight.
(Source :Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust)
According to the Contemporary porn debate, a research report by Gettysburg College, between August 2012 and January 2013, found four adult film performers based in California tested positive for HIV which triggered a moratorium on production and led the state of California to mandate condom usage in the industry under the Safer Sex in the Adult Industry Act.
“As viewers of adult entertainment, we often forget to be considerate of the type of porn we watch, especially when it comes to young men as they find it hard to differentiate the real and the fake,” says Kathryn.
“This makes them equate women in their personal life to actresses they see in porn scenes, and they get upset when their sexual experiences are not like the scenes.
“Ethical porn helps to change the way our current society perceives sex, sex workers and porn by creating sex content which emphasises sex-positivity and reflects real sexual experiences so that viewers can have healthier expectations rather than degrade or extort performers,” Kathryn adds.
(Source: Vecteezy)
Porn should not be viewed as a stigma and sex should not be shamed but the mainstream porn industry has done so much damage to the adult entertainment industry by mistreating its workers in terms of pay, health and consent that its views of female sex workers have become polarised.
“I do believe that some women have internalised misogyny and find the idea of supporting sex workers difficult, but people need to realise that a woman owning and having a full say and autonomy about her body is what feminism would want in the sex industry, thus ethical porn provides that,” Kathryn explains.
“All in all, ethical porn holds many benefits as compared to mainstream porn, it gives sex workers full autonomy on their body in a safe environment but most importantly, it practices consent well.
“As a passionate sex and relationship therapist, I only hope to guide more individuals, especially the youths about the idea of consent, supporting sex work and choosing ethical porn platforms that align with their values and are fair to their workers,” Kathryn says.
Trademarks of ethical porn
- Usually, must be paid for
- Produced in a safe environment ensuring the physical and emotional safety of performers.
- Emphasises real pleasure and sexual experiences.
- Shows diversity in race, gender, sexuality age, physical ability and body size.
- Performers and talent get paid equally.
- Created for a variety of viewers.
- Content is created and shared consensually by performers and the production company.
Ethical porn sites
- Bellesa
- Lust Cinema
- SP
- Joybear
- Pink Label
- Bright Desire
