Guide to Responsible Porn Viewing
In the world of adult entertainment, making informed choices as a consumer is more important than ever. Platforms like OnlyFans and Patreon are revolutionising the industry, allowing fans to financially support their favourite porn-makers while accessing exclusive content. But it's not just about the content; it's about ensuring that the industry is fair, respectful, and ethical.
Amelie Mo, head of content at Berlin-based adult production company Ersties, emphasises the importance of viewing porn as a source of inspiration for exploring new sexual experiences, while reminding viewers that it is still fiction and not a direct representation of real-life sex. Mo's company specialises in ethically-made amateur content, setting a positive example for the industry.
So, how can you support ethical adult entertainment as a conscious consumer? Here are some key actions to consider:
1. **Support Creators Directly and Legally**: Subscribing to creators’ platforms like OnlyFans ensures that performers are fairly compensated and their rights are respected. Avoiding pirated or illicit content is crucial.
2. **Prioritise Consent and Respect for Privacy**: Choose platforms and content providers that uphold strict consent and privacy policies, including age verification for performers and consumers, and respect digital rights management.
3. **Engage with Inclusive and Diverse Content**: Favour adult entertainment that promotes diverse representation in ethnicity, body types, and gender identities. The use of ethical AI tools can enhance inclusivity, allowing consumers to find content that respects and reflects varied identities responsibly.
4. **Educate Yourself on Ethical Standards**: Understand that ethical adult entertainment includes legal compliance, respect for performers’ boundaries, and avoiding content that depicts non-consensual or exploitative acts. Being critical and informed helps avoid supporting harmful or illegal practices.
5. **Support Innovations That Safeguard Ethics**: Embrace newer technologies like AI-generated content only if they are used responsibly with explicit or implicit consent from involved parties and adhere to legal frameworks. Ethical AI use in adult entertainment is emerging as a way to reduce harm and increase creative freedom without exploitation.
Audio erotica is seen as a more ethical alternative to visual pornography, minimising possible exploitative working conditions. Jenna Owsianik, a sex tech journalist, states that consumers shape the future of porn and that paying for pornography acknowledges one's role in the industry and supports fair labor standards.
Indie publishers like Giada Armani's BERLINABLE offer diverse catalogues and real authors for erotic literature. Websites like Archive of Our Own (AO3) and Wattpad feature collections of curated erotica. For rougher content and BDSM, researching how performers speak about their co-stars and in-studio experience is important.
Independent-run pornography film festivals, such as the 19th Berlin PornFilmFestival, can be an excellent source for diverse, reputable films. Following adult performers on mainstream social media can boost their audience and potential ad revenue, and they are more likely to promote content they are proud of and enjoyed creating.
Hunter S. Johnson, founder of BE:smut, advocates for building healthy conversations around sex and sexuality through comedy. Johnson, a Berlin-based director and performer, suggests supporting local pornographers to help create films that challenge the sexual status quo.
Amelie Mo, a French feminist pornographer who lives in Berlin, and Nina Julie Lepique, founder and CEO of femtasy, are pioneers in the field of audio erotica. Lepique was included in Forbes 30 under 30 in 2020 for her work in this area.
By making these conscious choices, you contribute to a safer, fairer, and more respectful adult entertainment industry that values the dignity and rights of all creators and consumers.
- When exploring the realm of adult entertainment, one could make an intentional effort to prioritize platforms that cater to health-and-wellness, sexual-health, and lifestyle sectors, as well as fashion-and-beauty, alongside supporting ethical and legal creators.
- Similarly, engaging with audio erotica is a step towards promoting a healthier, more ethical form of adult entertainment, further supporting creators who value consent, privacy, and diversity in their content, in line with the principles of a holistic approach to wellness.
