By Ava Sinclair
Not everyone relies on pornography for tips on how to please their partner, or for the naughty pleasure of watching two people enjoy sex. However, a cursory search of adult films online might lead one to believe otherwise.
Riley’s Gang Bang. Hot Asian Lesbians Have Sex. Horny Woman Uses Well Hung Guy For Wild Sex. These are just a few of the titles that pop up during a visit to a well-known clearing house of adult material. For critics of pornography, this is par for the course. Porn is a demeaning, degenerative medium that teaches men how to objectify women while teaching women that they’re nothing but vehicles for male pleasure. And that doesn’t even address the other problem of how mainstream pornography has historically fetishized minority races and members of the LGBTQ community.
Fortunately, one corner of the adult film industry is determined to change both the message and image of pornography. By embracing a more inclusive and ethical approach, producers of ethical pornography seek to de-emphasize the male gaze, promote diversity, and encourage respectful treatment of sexual situations. Ethical pornography offers a positive model for adult viewers by presenting actors in adult situations without objectification and fetishization. This, in turn, encourages more respectful treatment of real-life partners.
Traditional pornography has long been criticized for promoting the male gaze, where women are objectified and sexualized solely for the pleasure of male viewers. Ethical porn challenges this perspective by prioritizing realistic sexual encounters that focus on the pleasure and consent of everyone involved, regardless of gender or sexual orientation.
By showcasing diverse bodies and desires, ethical porn challenges societal norms and fosters a more open-minded and empathetic outlook on human sexuality.
But can ethical porn present learning opportunities for consumers who turn to adult films as a visual lesson on how to please their partner? The answer is yes, in more ways than one. While that lusty gang bang featuring three lifeguards and a horny female swimmer might be titillating, the only thing it will teach a male viewer is how to stand in line for his turn. The other “lessons” won’t translate well in the bedroom. The “money shots” that likely appear in such films aren’t the stuff of female fantasy.
A movie shot by a producer of ethical porn not only provides a better representation of sex, but the respectful treatment and consent are central to its themes may make it the kind of cinema that men can watch with his mate. Unlike traditional porn, which may depict unrealistic or aggressive scenarios, ethical porn prioritizes clear communication, boundaries, and enthusiastic consent. By portraying sexual encounters where all parties are actively engaged, respected, and treated as equals, ethical porn models healthy and consensual sexual relationships. While not as wild as two lifeguards ejaculating on a prone woman, it’s a lot more satisfying.
The body-positive messaging of ethical porn also teaches a healthy lesson – most women aren’t size two blondes with double D breasts, just as most men aren’t muscle-bound lifeguards with nine-inch penises. Ethical porn features average looking people having happy, healthy, fulfilling sex, proving that orgasms are achievable without flat stomachs, firm breasts, ripped abs, or a rock-hard cock. Yes, regular people can have sex, too.
But what about technique? Once again, this is where ethical porn beats mainstream porn in spades. Shot from the female gaze, ethically produced pornography emphasizes the kind of touching that both men and women want. Out are loudly faked orgasms and loads to the face. In are artful tight shots of the kind of clitoral stimulation women crave, and a wealth of positions you may not have thought of.
Nevertheless, proponents of traditional pornography argue that it fulfills certain consumer desires, and they caution that ethical pornography, despite its noble goals, encounters obstacles in achieving widespread market acceptance and content variety.
Ethical pornography also emphasizes consent, which is important to everyone. It encourages individuals to view their partners as equals, acknowledging and respecting their boundaries, desires, and agency. This shift away from objectification and fetishization promotes healthier, more satisfying relationships based on mutual consent, communication, and understanding.
Viewers have a choice in what kind of pornographic material they consume, and today that choice often comes down between realistic and respectful depictions of human sexuality and the demeaning trope of man as well-hung vanquisher of women who wake up every day hoping three guys will ejaculate on her face. There’s little guess as to which option is more likely to be quality viewing for the couple who wants to learn how to improve their sex game.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author