Faced with stereotypical representations of mass productions, a new generation of female directors is seizing porn with the ideal of making it an instrument of sexual and political emancipation. Focus on feminist pornography.
Women also watch porn. But the vast majority of it is made by and for men. Repetitive patterns, stereotypical bodies, unrealistic performances … Porn mainstream, that is, the one that is easily found and the most en masse, has bad press. Some women even feel guilty watching these images which turn them on, but are not in keeping with their values. A phenomenon of "cognitive dissonance", as pointed out by Olympe de G., director of ethical and alternative pornographic films, behind the erotic podcast Voxxx. "On the one hand they are excited by what they see and on the other hand, they don't feel right with what they have seen, which can trigger shame or even disgust."
Ethical, diverse and more egalitarian sex, such is the ambition of feminist porn, which places female desire at the heart of pornographic films. The first attempts at this trend date back to the 1980s in the United States. "The answer to bad porn isn't to ban porn, it's to make better porn!" declared the director, performer and activist Annie Sprinkle in 1982. Since then, this is what many female directors have strived to do in France and around the world. They are called Ovidie, Anoushka, Olympe de G., Erika Lust or Lucie Blush and reclaim this sulphurous genre with brio.
Porn made by and for women
Designed by women who advocate pleasure for all, feminist porn is just a response to mainstream porn largely dominated by men. This isn't about demonizing porn, though. For Erika Lust, pioneer of feminist pornography, the latter is only a mirror of our society. "Porn is not a separate entity existing in itself; it blatantly reflects the misrepresentation of marginalized groups and consent existing in society. Often times you don't even see the man in these movies, just his penis. That says a lot about what is the primary target of these movies; it is clear that they are not made with the women who watch them in mind. " she tells us.
Erika Lust therefore pleads for an "ethical porn" in which the notions of consent as of respect are not neglected while the female characters shown on the screen are not objectified and are not reduced to a single representation. "I want to represent respectful sex, where consent is clearly shown and where women, men and people of all sexes are aware of their power as well as their limits in sex." says the Swede.
Like her, Olympe de G. campaigns for more diversity in the representation of bodies, but also of sexual practices. "I try to make feel good porn, porn that makes you feel good in your body and in your sexuality after watching it", without this phenomenon of cognitive dissonance mentioned above. Indeed, alternative porn is meant to be inclusive, so that everyone feels valued. "Whether in porn or in the cinema, we tend to always show the same type of body, there is a huge standardization of the beauty staged with white, young, thin, muscular, absolutely valid bodies, which gives the impression to all the people who do not fit into this standard of not being desirable and have the right to be desiring. Feminist porn will show on the screen bodies that do not fit into this standard- the" adds the pornographer. "The highest positions of power in the porn industry are still overwhelmingly dominated by cisgender white men, so what you see in mainstream porn is exactly what they find sexy." abounds Erika Lust.
Consent and respect, at the heart of feminist porn
Ethical porn is not just written in front of the screen. "What goes on behind the camera is what really defines porn as 'feminist' or 'ethical'"Esteem Erika Lust. Behind the cameras also the stakes are considerable in this industry known to abuse its actresses, as recently testified by Manon, actress X victim of violence on certain sets. This notably involves adequate remuneration, humane and supervised working conditions and respect for practices and the team (technicians and performers). "There is a whole reflection on consent and the establishment of mechanisms to ensure respect for performers, for example the coordination of intimacy" explains Olympe de G. The profession of intimacy coordinator has been developing for a few years, driven by the #MeToo movement, to supervise sex scenes on sets.
In feminist porn, women regain control of their sexuality, they are masters of their own pleasure, to detach themselves from the male gauze, this male gaze on narration, bodies and fantasies. "We're used to adult movies directed by men, where you have a lot of close-ups of the genitals and sex is something that is done to women, instead of them actively participating in it." deplores Erika Lust. With female directors (feminists moreover) at the helm of productions, we finally offer a female gauze, which places sexuality under the sign of equality. For the Swedish director, this change can only happen if women are part of it. "I have women and queer people behind the cameras (my sets are 80% female), in the production, in the editing, in the screenwriting, in the artistic design … that we can really convey the feminine gaze ".
Where can you find ethical porn movies?
The quality of these productions comes at a cost. They work most of the time through a subscription system. For example, for a month's subscription to the platform XConfessions Erika Lust, it will cost 30 €, as for the site CommonSensual Lucie Blush, it offers a one-month membership at 20 €. Prices that also push to reconsider the way we consume porn. And to favor quality over quantity? “I don't judge people who watch mainstream porn. However, we have to be careful about how we consume porn, the same way we do, say, for food. Do you know who does the porn that you watch? " asks Erika.
Some of the most well-known feminist porn sites include XConfessions, Lust Cinema, Else Cinema by the porn-filmmaker Erika Lust, NotASexpert Anoushka, Ersties, Pink Label or Common Sensual by Lucie Blush. What to have fun, without any feeling of guilt.
See also: The feminist Kamasutra