I like to think that the notion that women are universally coerced into appearing in porn—forced at gunpoint to perform sexual acts for the camera, raped by everyone involved—have been discredited and abandoned by the thinking public. Of course, cases of rape and coercion crop up every so often, but such incidents are not widespread and are not endemic to the porn industry. (In fact, because it is under such scrutiny, the industry has a strong interest in eliminating abuses and improving its reputation.)
Still, the porn industry is certainly not known for being warm and fuzzy, especially when you’re a woman. Many women report feeling disrespected by producers, crew, and even other talent.
A particular point of contention seems to be the struggle over what a performer will and will not do in front of the camera. While a woman might establish boundaries prior to shooting, whether or not they will be respected in the heat of the moment is always an unsettled question. Producers like to get the most bang for their buck (literally), so they often pressure women to push boundaries. For this reason, porn actress and activist Nina Hartley told me she recommends always signing the model release form after the shoot as a way of increasing the performer’s power over the producer.
The producer, she said, is less likely to pressure a woman to push her boundaries when he knows that she can refuse to sign the release, rendering his video footage unusable. In other words, without a release form already signed, the producer’s motives are shifted from wanting to capture the most graphic and extreme content, to wanting to keep his talent happy.
Unfortunately, it seems many women are either not given the opportunity to assert themselves or do not know that this is an option. In the thick of filming, I imagine it is very difficult to protest when a producer starts requesting more extreme sex. So news that a new advocacy group has formed with the intention of improving communication and relationships within the industry is music to my ears. The organization, Best Practices in Adult Video, was founded by Xbiz publisher Alec Helmy with the support of Paul Fishbein, president of Adult Video News.
BPAV’s stated goal is to work towards improving the relationship between producers and performers through a series of “best practices” initiatives. The BPAV site lists its initial set of best practices:
• Disclosure of Acts Producers must fully inform performers in advance of the nature of any shoot, specifying explicitly who they will be working with and the types of acts they will be performing.• Care in Types of Acts BPAV encourages producers to avoid any situations that place performers in physical danger or lead to a performer feeling mistreated as a result of non-consent
• Respect of Performers Adult performers are the backbone of the adult entertainment industry. BPAV believes in the professional treatment of all performers on and off the set.
• Performer Responsibility BPAV believes that it is the responsibility of performers to take all measures necessary (in personal life and profession) to protect themselves and their fellow performers from sexually transmitted diseases. In addition, responsible producers should only cast performers with proof of current AIM (or equivalent) tests
• Proof of Age Producers must be diligent to ensure that all performers are of legal age.
This all sounds good to me, but I do wonder what effect this organization’s male roots will have on its policies. The two most prominent adult industry advocacy groups, Adult Industry Medical and the Free Speech Coalition, both have strong female leadership, while BPAV appears to be very male-driven (this is based on the AVN article and the organization’s website). Founded by a man, every statement on BPAV’s “Support Statements” page is from a man. This is curious to me because female producers are often known for their commitment to creating respectful working environments (see Veronica Hart, Tristan Taormino, Nina Hartley, Candida Royalle, and many others); they would seem like obvious supporters of this organization. Why are none of the above mentioned on the BPAV site? Were they simply not contacted, or is there some other reason?
While I do not wish to belittle men or their interest in securing a safe and ethical work environment, the fact that the adult industry is so gender-driven means that women and men often confront different issues, and they certainly have different experiences. All of the best practices listed above apply to women as well as men, and I hope that BPAV works to actively engage women performers and producers with its mission.
I am curious to see if this organization remains afloat (many seem to blip in and out of existence) and if it can generate sufficient support to institute many of its best practices on an industry-wide level. I certainly hope so.
Recent Comments