Rethinking Porn For Women: A Rose By Any Other Name?
Posted at 5:33 PM Aug 01, 2008
The book Porn For Women shows hunky guys being helpful around the house
An online pal of mine who works for mega adult retailer GameLink.com has made headway with her employer - they're letting her make a list of "porn for women." So, she sent a little message around asking for suggestions, with this note:
GameLink is not exactly a feminist company, tho there are a few self-proclaimed ones working here (wink) and we scored one for the team this week: permission to create a list of porn for women!I would love your opinion on this...I am due to publish this list by Friday Aug. 1, but if you see this after then feel free to reply anyway, I don't expect this is the end of the project, but a beginning...
I don't think it's useful to say "women all like x or y" porn...
So, I propose the following list of categories of porn for women, and invite your suggestions of what movies you think women like most in porn and please say why.
Ok, so.
At this point in time I think that "feminist porn" and "porn for women" are impossible to define buzz words. I'm not going to get in a big argument about what they really mean. Essentially, I think they are useful phrases to imply porn that respects both the performers and viewers humanity and intelligence. It's a kind of class demarcation - "porn for women" is better lit, better acted, better made, etc than the rest of porn. This, of course, is debatable and problematic. But, as I read it, that's the implied meaning of "porn for women."
"Women" is a huge category. Women like all kinds of different stuff. And as far as I'm concerned, there's no such thing as a feminist sex act. I would prefer to see the phrase "ethical porn" used instead of "feminist porn" - but I'm not going to throw a semantic hissy fit over any of this stuff because it isn't worth it. I'd prefer to see, make, and promote porn that could fall into these categories. Here's a round up of stuff I would place in this big bad category, whatever you want to call it. The suggestions for genres are from the ladies at Gamelink:
Softcore/Erotica: Candida Royalle, AbbyWinters.com, Blue Artichoke Films, Comstock Films
Instructional: The Personal Touch line from Jamye Waxman, the Vivid Ed line by Tristan Taormino, Red Hot Touch if you're into tantric and sensual stuff, Nina Hartley's guides to pretty much everything are a little dated stylewise but awesome information wise.
Alt Porn: I'm consistently impressed by Carlos Batts' work and it features curvy hottie April Flores; though sometimes the production quality isn't great, Benny Profane's work is made with love, lust and respect; Joanna Angel has really lit up the scene over the past bunch of years. Online: No Fauxxx, Erotic BPM, Furry Girl
Plot-Based and Features: Erika Lust is making extraordinary stuff, Candida Royalle goes in this category too, and (self promo alert) people seem to like my award-winning film The Bi Apple
Real Lesbians (not girls doing girls aimed at straight men): The
Woman Produced or Directed: lots of the stuff I've listed falls under this category, but see also: Anna Span, Anna Brownfield's Hungry Films, French dynamo Ovidie
Female Solo Masturbation: Beautiful Agony and AbbyWinters.com
Kinky/BDSM/Fetish: the Kink.com family of sites is awesome, with publicly posted standards for models, including info about pay and treatment; Seattle based Two Big Meanies is equally ethical and awesome
For me, "feminist porn" has to be ethically produced. Though some folks say that this is impossible to know - I think that's a cop out. People do research into the production processes of clothing companies and sometimes boycott those that use child labor in developing nations in abysmal conditions. The same is possible with the porn industry. The sites and DVDs I've recommended are all ones whose production processes I'm familiar with.
I'm sure I've missed some. Feel free to add your suggestions in the comments!
--Audacia Ray
more: Porn-o-rama
For female solo masturbation, I love IFeelMyself.com. I think it's a sister site of BeautifulAgony.com, which has video clips of only the faces of the women masturbating. IFeelMyself.com shows whole bodies, with very artistic lighting and sound quality high enough to hear the wetness as well as their erotic utterances. IShootMyself.com is their site for still photos.
Posted by: Dan at August 1, 2008 6:24 PM
Yes! IFeelMyself is crucial! Thanks for suggesting it/giving me the ole reminder nudge.
Posted by: Audacia Ray at August 1, 2008 6:27 PM
You've gotten most of my favs.
I'd also say Full Load (I think that was with performers from the now defunct ssspread.com), Turn Me Up Over and On/Afterschool Special, and a few other titles. Some of Pink and White's other stuff is really good too.
Bend Over Boyfriend (1 and 2) should got under ed.
Trannywood Pictures is porn that I like. I'm a woman. I like the safer sex, the conversation, and the fun they have.
I also think some of Belladonna's stuff is awesome. Not all of it is my taste, but I think Safado (the series) was good, and I've enjoyed a few of her other things.
Also, I really like Burning Angel's and Joanna Angel's stuff, esp the Re-Penetrator. I'm not so much into PIV sex, but the plot, costumes and props kept me interested regardless. (of course, I wrote this, and then realized you already had her on the list. Sorry).
Does porn only have to be video? Because as you pointed out, there are some great pic sites online. You mentioned furry girl; her veg porn site is awesome. Of course, you got NoFauxxx, but there are individuals too, like Anna at Nerd Pr0n.
Lastly, I think it was distributed by A & E, but there was a series called "San Fransisco Lesbians" -- Real dykes, super hot sex. I think there were like 10 of them, maybe 11. I really loved them.
OK. That's all I got.
Posted by: Essin' Em at August 1, 2008 6:45 PM
Have you heard that Abby of Abbywinters.com is really a man who thought it would be good marketing if the site was (thought to be) run by a woman?
I still like their stuff and the recent material is mostly shot by women (usually former models).
Posted by: Rob at August 1, 2008 8:38 PM
@Rob I have indeed heard that about AbbyWinters.com. I've met the guy too - his name is Garion and I have no evidence that Abby exists.
I'm with you - I like their stuff, and I know some of the female model managers: one of them writes for Naked City (Chloe B). But still, it is a sketchy premise on which to found a site.
Posted by: Audacia Ray at August 1, 2008 9:26 PM
I've actually been in contact with Gamelink numerous times before this, giving them lists of films I thought were female friendly. I gave them a massive list when they set up my personalised store. So it seems weird that it's only now that they're creating this category.
I would seriously love it if Gamelink would carry the films of Petra Joy http://www.petrajoy.com (Sexual Sushi, Female Fantasies and Feeling It). I requested that they include the films in their database, didn't get far with that.
There are also the films of Innocent Pictures and the Puzzy Power filmmakers: All About Anna, Constance and Pink Prison.
With authentic lesbian erotica, they should have the films of Maria Beatty.
And I'd put a vote in for Buck Angel.
I run a site called "Porn Movies for Women" if they want other suggestions. Yes, I'm spamming :D
Posted by: Ms Naughty at August 1, 2008 10:43 PM
At Babeland, films by Libido (Urban Friction, for example) and Comstock are also really popular.
I would also second the Bend Over Boyfriend videos and add Tristan's Vivid Ed videos. I haven't seen them all but those that I have seen have interesting features (like skipping the cum shot).
This is a great roundup!
Posted by: dallas at August 2, 2008 10:09 PM
