- What is “feminist porn” and why is it important? What distinguishes it from other types of porn? Is there a difference between feminist porn and ethical porn?
If you ask a dozen feminist porn filmmakers what constitutes ‘feminist porn,’ you will probably get a dozen different answers.
My definition of feminist porn is quite broad, but also very simple: I define it simply as porn made with female viewers in mind and in which women’s pleasure is equality valued. There is a focus on consent, female agency, transparency and it’s also ethically produced.
I think it’s difficult to define it much more specifically or narrowly than that, because just like men, women have varied and diverse tastes in terms of what we want to see and what turns us on. I also don’t want women who happen to like porn which isn’t like mine, or isn’t considered “feminist porn” to get the idea I think they can’t be feminists just because of their taste in porn. I believe if you support women’s sexuality it has to be unconditional. You can’t say “I’m not going to support you unless you like my specific flavour of porn” – that is asinine.
To me, feminism should be about women having freedom, having choices, and having equality under the law and in public policy. What other women do with that freedom is their choice—and that’s a good thing.
But, as I see it, feminist porn should feature strong female characters, eschew the male gaze that’s been so dominant in porn, historically, and emphasize aspects like consent and women’s pleasure. The sex is also more authentic.
Feminist porn tends to be more inclusive (diversity of physical appearance and body types), and it always gives women agency and free choice. Feminist filmmakers typically negoiate everything with the actors in advance, so everyone is a> fully and enthusiastically consenting to all sex acts, b> feels safe, in control, and respected throughout the process, and c> is paid a fair rate for their work
As you can see, feminist porn also places a great deal of emphasis on ethical production practices.
- How can you tell if the porn you’re watching is ethical?
This is not an all-encompassing checklist; think of this list as a jumping off point for evaluating a site and consider every box a site ticks as a positive, more than thinking of the absence of these elements as a negative.
Is it a paysite?
Does the tour of the site tell you anything about the company, the director(s), the founder, their ethos?
Do they have a phone number or address on the site?
Are they on social media and engaging the community?
Do they have a Performer ‘Bill of Rights’ on the outside of the site?
Do they offer contact information for both consumers and performers?
Are they approved by or hold membership to any industry organizations, like the Free Speech Coalition (FSC)
How is the site marketing their movies or content – are they using tropes for descriptions (i.e. MILF), or do they humanize the performers?
We also can’t forget the role of the consumer in this: are they consuming their porn ethically, by paying for it?
- What are the top 10 best ethical porn sites, and what makes them great?
To speak to my own site, Sssh.com: we were one of the first “Porn for Women” sites to launch, over 22 years ago in 1999. All of our content is produced based on member feedback, in the form of a survey that has been running since I first launched the site–in other words, everything you see inside Sssh in the member’s area is there because someone asked for it. This means we indeed have 22 years of archived data on women’s sexuality, desires and fantasies. Our members dictate our content. We’re also the only adult site to offer Sssh Soiree, a video viewing platform I developed that allows members to invite a guest to watch together any of our movies, talk shows and adult sex education videos we offer on site. Sssh Soiree is an elevated watch party and allows you to combine porn with intimacy and enjoy intimate time with your partner, even when physically separated. We are one of a kind!
There are many great ethical studios on the web, some identify as feminist but many don’t. Look for sites that hit some of the points above. Another wonderful place to look for ethically produced content are the clip sites where performers are creating their own content and selling it directly to consumers, such as ManyVids.com, OnlyFans.com and iWantClips.com. There’s really some very lovely and genuine expressions of passion and creativity to be found on these platforms.
- Who are some of your favorite ethical porn performers, and what makes them great?
Honestly, I can’t answer this. There are so many fantastic and talented performers, but since I work primarily with real couples who are not adult stars, I feel I’m just not the person to ask this question of.
- Tell me about Sssh.com. Why did you found it? What do your subscribers look like, demographic-wise?
Back when I launched Sssh.com in 1999, many of my [male] industry peers thought I was wasting my time trying to make porn for women. Their resistance to my ideas was definitely annoying, but I obviously ignored them. I had already worked in and around the male dominated adult industry since 1994 helping run one of the first adult membership sites to ever launch online (Wasteland.com, which my husband Colin runs to this day). Seeing as how mainstream porn was male-centric, with a focus on male fantasy and generally neglected the desires of female consumers—because the assumption was that women did not watch porn—I honestly wanted to fill that void, and create porn where female pleasure was at the forefront. I also wanted to artistically “push back” a bit at the prevailing myth that women are not as visually stimulated, or as aroused by porn as men are.
I thought the people saying there was no market for erotica that appealed to women were simply wrong. Personally, I’ve always been drawn to film as a storytelling medium precisely because I’m visually stimulated. Here was a space in which I could express myself, making cinematic erotic films with strong storylines, propelled by a different sort of imagery and aesthetic than what I was seeing on the adult market at that time.
In terms of my subscriber demographics, the majority of Sssh members are women between the ages of 35-49
- Is there any ethical porn that’s free?
There are some ethical studios and content creators who do upload their content to free platforms, including legal ‘tube’ sites. However, I think the best way to support those content creators and ethical studios is to subscribe directly to their sites and/or platforms.