More than a decade ago, an article “Can Sex Films Empower Women” was released in The Guardian where Gail Dines, a sociology professor and author, and Anna Arrowsmith, a pornographic filmmaker, debate the issue. The discussion centered around the impact of the sex industry on society, both guests having significantly contrasting views on the matter. While the sociology professor critiques pornography and its presence, viewing it as a product of predatory capitalism, the filmmaker strives to create change within the industry – believing that pornography allows women to express and explore their sexuality. (Saner, 2011) In the context of postmodernity, erotic cinema and pornographic images are far more relevant than ever, in which the digital era has paved the way for sex industry to spread its roots in capitalism. This essay aims to dive deeper into their interpretations on the micro and macro level effects of sex films, including a brief historical background and my own critical perspective on the subject.
Integrating feminist discourse in the analysis is essential in depicting how feminism has shaped the way women in the West think about pornography. Since the 1970s, feminists within the academy and in political activism have adopted a curiosity towards erotic images, widely differing in their positions and perceptions, resulting in ‘feminist sex wars’. Andrea Dworkin and Catherine MacKinnon, anti-porn feminists and political and legislative activists, brought a significant amount of attention to the issues surrounding sex films. In 1981, Dworkin published a rather scandalous work of hers titled “Pornography: Men Possessing Women”, in which she stated that devaluation of women in pornography served to maintain men’s power over them. The Dworkin-MacKinnon ordinance, thus, put forward a radical feminist definition of pornography as graphical images that sexually subordinates women, whereas erotica is sexually explicit materials premised on equality. (Ciclitira, 2004; Long, 2012) However, not many feminists shared this notion at the time, criticizing anti-porn feminists for being racist, indifferent to class privilege and sex workers. Hence, in the following years, American feminists such as Ellen Willis and Pat Califia were adamantly opposing the anti-porn movement, accusing them of hypocrisy and bias in showing sexually graphic and unrepresentative violent sexual images in their campaigns. Although, the latter did not stop other West countries from resonating with the US anti-porn feminist debates, sparking legislative action on a global scale. (Ciclitira, 2004) Lynne Segal (1998), a socialist feminist academic and activist, has argued that feminists defining pornography as the enemy will result in women feeling ashamed of their sexual feelings and afraid to be honest about them, which frankly is the last thing women need. In response, Women Against Pornography (WAP) organizers redefined pornography, maintaining that pornography is not really about sex but rather about violence against women (“Pornography is the theory, rape is the practice.”) During the 1990s, many feminists turned their attention to other pressing issues, such as welfare, poverty, racism, and worldwide social inequalities, yet the debate, whether sex films can empower women, remains relevant to this day (Ciclitira, 2004).
The emergence of women’s erotica can be directly linked to the accelerating commodification of sex, in which technological advancements play a key role in amplifying the beneficial factors of sex films. For instance, some feminists highlight how cybersex provides opportunities for identity-bending, as well as noting a number of other benefits from new technologies, such as better access to sex education, and opportunities for women and minorities to make contact, produce and distribute their own representations. The innovative nature of technology has facilitated both the production of and access to pornography by women of different races, ethnicities and sexualities, which from an intersectional standpoint is of a great importance. (ibid) It is believed that pornography could help women understand, experiment and express their own sexuality, potentially empowering them, as has been the personal experience for the filmmaker (Saner, 2011). According to McElroy (2016), who adopts a pro-sex defense, pornography offers numerous benefits for women, such as allowing them to ‘safely’ explore sexual alternatives and satisfy a healthy sexual curiosity, serving as a source of solitary enlightenment. McElroy (2016) not only expresses the personal effects of pornography but also the political implications, stating that pornography can be viewed as free speech applied to the sexual realm, which challenges cultural and political stereotypes, enabling each woman to interpret sex for herself. While the philosophical analogies become apparent, it appears to trivialise the significant negative impact that the industry has on individuals and society. As Dines emphasized, the broader implications of the industry must be considered (Saner, 2011). It is possible to acknowledge its positive aspects, whilst also recognising the struggles and abuse experienced by porn actors. Research has indicated that in response to the physical aggression directed towards them, the vast majority of women responded with either a display of pleasure or neutrality, further reinforcing the “rape myth” narrative in which they are perceived to derive pleasure from such acts (Bridges, Ezzell, Johnson, & Sun, 2014). While sexual imagery can function as a tool for women to safely experience their sexual desires, it is crucial to recognise that it is impossible to be certain whether the pornographic content is produced with consent (CEASE, 2021). Thus, the consumption of pornography raises several moral and ethical questions, which need to be taken into account while debating the importance of the industry.
In my view, it is evident that the porn industry fails to provide an accurate or authentic representation of sexuality, instead producing a male fantasy through exploitative means, which is often violent and aggressive. In the article, Dines emphasizes its significant cultural impact and the exploitative nature of the industry towards women, who often leave with minimal financial gain, contradicting the narrative of economic empowerment. (Saner, 2011) According to Boyle (2011), the sex industry’s acknowledgment of abuse and exploitation is often framed as a personal choice, shifting the responsibility away from systemic issues and onto individual performers. Appealing to choice, as Cawston (2018) put it, allows one to acknowledge then that pornography may in fact require its performers to be harmed, however, such harms cease to be wrong via the magic of consent. Anti-pornography feminists are thus faced with the philosophically difficult and strategically alienating task of problematising women’s choice (ibid). However, suggesting that sex workers cannot consent is dangerous – it underplays the seriousness and prevalence of sexual violence in the industry, whilst erasing the life changing daily decisions that sex workers are forced to make to protect their safety. In our society that acts as an unequal playing field, there is no ‘consensual’ interaction that occurs between anyone that is unaffected by power, yet this does not remove the necessity of consent, but rather highlights the importance of understanding consent with all of its complexities. (Olufemi, 2012) The porn industry seems to thrive on these contradictions, allowing it to maintain a façade of empowerment while perpetuating cycles of abuse and exploitation (Boyle, 2011). Despite acknowledging that not all pornography is beneficial for women, Anna Arrowsmith highlights the importance of representing women’s sexuality in pornography, suggesting that handing over sexual imagery to men diminishes women’s power (Saner, 2011). To a certain extent, this notion of complete surrender and extension of power to men may be valid. However, this perspective would only be accurate if women genuinely occupied powerful positions within the field. Consequently, the porn industry could be viewed as another manifestation of capitalist structure, which is inherently embedded in women’s oppression, facilitating violent images of intercourse for the purpose of 'pleasure’.
The overwhelming presence of pornography nowadays has a harmful impact on how societal views of women are shaped, further influencing men who are in charge of creating law and policies affecting women’s lives, as argued by Gail Dines (Broendel, 2023; Saner, 2011). It has been reported that there is a significant correlation between sexually violent pornography and attitudes supporting violence against women, suggesting that porn serves to build and reinforce dangerous perceptions (Focus for Health Foundation, 2020). However, there is some evidence to suggest that education and acknowledgment of the broader social context of sexual violence are crucial in mitigating the negative effects of violent depictions in pornography, whilst also being essential for shaping public perceptions and policies (Broendel, 2023). Despite the notion that increasing awareness of the societal structures and violence that women constantly face, and incorporating more female filmmakers in the industry could positively impact the representation of women’s sexuality, as Arrowsmith firmly believes, this perspective may be considered insufficient. I personally view Dines' argument as very compelling, of porn industry being dominated by large corporations in which creating meaningful change is difficult for individual creators. While Arrowsmith’s intention to contribute to a shift in the industry is commendable, the complexity of the system and its impact on society, from the phenomena of sex trafficking to the harmful perceptions of intercourse and women, cannot be overlooked.
This essay examines pornography’s broader impact on an individual and societal level, whilst analysing the debate whether sex films can have an empowering effect on women. The nuanced dialogue between Gail Dines, a sociologist, and Anna Arrowsmith, a pornographic filmmaker, revealed the complex nature of feminist discourse regarding pornography and its effects, exposing deeper systemic issues of power, representation, and agency within the production. To conclude, sex films are unlikely to significantly empower women, considering the porn industry’s corporate structure and systemic violence, further challenging to implement meaningful change. While there are some supporting arguments for its benefits, such as offering women to explore and experience their sexuality in a safe manner, the preponderance of evidence indicates nonetheless harmful effects of the industry on women’s representation, societal attitudes, and the perpetuation of violence and exploitation.
References
Boyle, K. (2011). Producing abuse: Selling the harms of pornography. Women's Studies International Forum, 34(6), 593-602. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wsif.2011.09.002
Bridges, A., Ezzell, M., Johnson, J., & Sun, C. (03.12.2014). Pornography and the Male Sexual Script: An Analysis of Consumption and Sexual Relations. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 45(4), 983–994. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-014-0391-2
Broendel, K. (2023). Framing of Sexual Violence in the Media.
CEASE. (2021, May 5). Shattering the Porn Star Fantasy. https://cease.org.uk/facts/pornography/shattering-the-porn-star-fantasy/
Ciclitira, K. (2004). Pornography, women and feminism: Between pleasure and politics. Sexualities, 7(3), 281–301. https://doi.org/10.1177/1363460704040143
Focus for Health Foundation. (2020, July 8). How Pornography Impacts Violence Against Women and Child Sex Abuse. Focus for Health.
https://www.focusforhealth.org/how-pornography-impacts-violence-against-women-and-child-sex-abuse/
Long, J. (2012). Anti-Porn: The resurgence of Anti-Pornography feminism. https://openlibrary.org/books/OL31050112M/Anti-porn
McElroy, W. (2016, November 22). A Feminist Overview of Pornography, Ending In A Defense Thereof.
Olufemi, L. (2020). Feminism, Interrupted: Disrupting Power. Pluto Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvxrpzvs
Saner, E. (2011, March 5). Can sex films empower women? The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/mar/05/conversation-gail-dines-anna-arrowsmith
Segal, L. (1998). Only the literal: the contradictions of anti-pornography feminism. Sexualities, 1(1), 43–62. https://doi.org/10.1177/136346098001001003
