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The truth about exploitation
January 16, 2006
Are we so sure there is one?
A lot of interesting comments popped up in my recent post about porn and such. For instance: “…as an alternate perspective, I’ve taken a personal vow not to “enjoy” porn unless I’m sure that it’s humanely produced. In other words, that the performers aren’t being exploited.”
Not to be a boner biter here, but how can one ascertain whether or not performers are being exploited? I’m not sure that there is an accurate measuring stick for exploitation, and anyway, I don’t know if anyone could come to an agreement about what exploitation is. But, as an exercise, let me try. There’s your basic stuff: the acts depicted in porn should be consensual. Non-consensual acts are exploitative. We can probably all agree on that.
Ok. But now let’s talk about work. Is work consensual? I think about this, and kind of chuckle – there are plenty of people in the world who don’t especially like going to work, whatever it is that they do.
Is sex work, at base, more exploitative than other forms of work? I think the combination of sex and work ups the ante as far as the possibility for exploitation – because people who make sexual congress their business (on a variety of levels) often commit themselves to a stigmatized life, and marginalized people are vulnerable to exploitation. But this is different than the idea of working in the sex industry being inherently bad, evil and exploitative.
To paraphrase a bit of writing one of my fellow $preadsters did, all choices are constrained by something. Does this mean all choices are non-consensual? Well, I wouldn’t go that far, but oftentimes choices are made that wouldn’t be desirable if all things were equal, that magic and unrealistic state of being. The point is, pointing the finger and yelling “that’s exploitation!” is often a little too simplistic, because sometimes choices are made in less than ideal circumstances. Until culture and capitalism at large allow people to make unconstrained choices, exploitation and its murky cousins will persist. So – don’t hold your breath.
Ok, shit, I don’t want to end on such a downer. I do believe in resistance to these structures, and I believe that simply (or not so simply) being aware and critical of the forces at work is a step in the right direction. So now, instead of ended on a downer, I’m ending on a slightly go-get-em preachy note.
Posted by Dacia at January 16, 2006 01:22 AM
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Comments
Hear Hear! Awesome post. I agree 100%. I just started a blog on this very subject and also find myself pondering the same problems about what is and is not exploitation.
I am not even sure where to start … but I am starting anyway.
- cheers! joe m
Posted by: Joe Mallard at January 16, 2006 02:14 PM
Hi Audacia, thanks for choosing my comment as the subject of a post. I’m honored. Certainly, picking out what is and isn’t exploitation is difficult—but I’m glad you gave it a shot. I wish that there were some “Humane Porn” seal of approval that movies, websites or videos could proudly display. That’d make my life easier.
I guess the genesis of my thought about exploitation was this: I was watching the “behind the scenes” material on some mainstream porn DVD and I got the distinct impression from some of the actresses that they did not want to be there. That they were ashamed and disgusted by being in this production. Maybe I was wrong. But the thought of getting my rocks off to someone else’s misery made me a little bit queasy.
OTOH, performers (is that the right word?) like yourself or (IMHO) Belladonna radiate the impression that they are proud and happy to be doing what they do—and that they control the terms on which they work. And then there’s the vast gray area in between.
As compassionate consumers, I think we owe it to the world to exercise concern and care as we spend our money in the pursuit of our selfish pleasures.
Posted by: The Old Doctor at January 16, 2006 03:18 PM
I work in a bar. I don’t have a lot of money. When my car broke down, my boss said he could help me out. He helped himself.
The sex itself was really ok. What I hate is that there is a man who knows that I have sold myself for money. He is always asking if I’m a little short of cash. I often feel like I need to say yes, just so that he doesn’t think that I’m too uppity and start telling people that I’m a whore.
Sex is really about power. When you sell it, you’ve lost your power. You become exploitable.
Posted by: cindy b at January 17, 2006 10:27 AM
Whatever the currency in that situation had been, anything other than returning a simple favor- one you would’ve been willing to give without your back against a wall, so to speak- would have been exploitative. It happened to be sex, but it could have been keeping your mouth shut about illegal acts or something else you minded giving.
I don’t believe sex’s power lies wholly within witholding it. It’s not only power-over but power-with, and in my experience it is possible to have an amazing sexual experience for money, even if you’re the one being paid. I never sell myself- only an experience that we’re both part of.
That, and sex isn’t anyone’s only form of power- male or female. There are so many other ways to lose your power- I think it’s really a problem that women’s sexuality is seen as devalued if it’s shared rather than earned after pursuit, stolen rather than given freely (that’s dishonored not devalued- it doesn’t take away the value, just denies it exists), or traded on the open market via performance or time.
Posted by: Sabrina at January 18, 2006 03:50 AM
After working in the business for a few years, one thing I’ve discovered is that from a womans perspective, porn is not exploitive to women. It may prey upon girls who may be insecure or troubled, unfortunately plenty of them, but women are ultimately the ones in charge in the porn biz. If you don’t have the girls…you don’t have the porn. Look at the rates for a b/g scene…straight up, no anal or goofey specialty stuff. A guy on average will make $300-$500, where as a girl can make $800-1100….give or take, depending on whose working. It’s all up to the individual to decide how to live. Jenna James, to use an obvious example, looked ahead to the future, made great money, made smart choices…and actually had a hand in helping to bring porn more mainstream. Unfortunately, she’s more the exception to the rule. I have seen many many times girls making 10-20k a month…and still be struggling for rent. But hey…at least ya’ got a sweet new Hummer, killer weed, and a $2000. pure breed, to hang out with your ferret and parrot and tropical fish tank. If I was an exhibionhist, attractive, pervy gal…I would consider a career as a sex worker…but I would plan for my future, careers for women have a shorter life span than guys. You figure you maybe have 5 years of decent earnings…after that, if you haven’t planned properly, you may then find yourself in the position of being exploited. You’ll be doing things that you didn’t really sign up for when you got into porn. “Well I dont really want to do dbl vag, dbl anal….but I need the rent, can you front me some gas money???” There are some heads-up, cool people out there in the biz…but just like Darwin’s survival of the fittest, you have to be smart to not be consumed by the beast.
Posted by: Paulie at January 18, 2006 04:10 AM
Don’t know how it happened….but the previous post is not by Sabrina, but Paulie
Posted by: Paulie at January 18, 2006 04:12 AM
