How feminists pick porn: Troubling the link between ‘authenticity’ and production ethics

Abstract

This article presents findings from an empirical study into the experiences of feminists who use pornography, with a focus on how feminists choose the material with which they engage. It discusses the ways in which participating feminists understood notions of authenticity in relation to porn, as well as the role played by perceptions of ‘authentic representation’ in their porn selection processes and ethical decision-making. The article problematizes the link made by interviewees between more authentic-seeming representations of sex, bodies and pleasure on one hand, and superior production standards and/or more enthusiastic performer consent on the other. It furthermore argues that uncritical demands for authenticity in porn risk undermining broader ‘sex positive’ or ‘anti-anti-porn’ feminist political goals, particularly around stigma reduction and the elimination of exploitative industry practices. In this way the article offers a meaningful contribution to academics, activists and others engaged in the discussion around porn consumption ethics and the ethics of porn consumption, as well as those working on ways to address exploitation within the pornography industries.