It
was called “Pioneers of Feminist Porn” but in retrospect, a better name for the
event might have been: “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Porn, But
Were Afraid to Ask.” In a wide ranging conversation expertly moderated by sociologist Dr.
Chauntelle Tibbals, multitalented directors Candida Royalle and Jacky St. James
addressed some of the most controversial and difficult questions surrounding
adult entertainment, as well as the roots, evolution and future of what has
come to be called “feminist porn.”
Produced by the award winning erotica site, Sssh.com, the
goal of the ongoing Mindbrowse.com discussion series is to “bring together
experienced and respected thinkers from within the adult industry to talk about
where we are, where we came from and where we’re going, particularly with
respect to women in the industry,” said Sssh.com founder Angie Rowntree.
“While
all of our shows have been incredible, this one was particularly compelling”
Rowntree said. “Candida, Jacky and Chauntelle did an amazing job breaking down
some very complicated and nuanced topics, and not shying away from
controversy.”
The
latest Mindbrowse show began with Royalle providing a brief synopsis of her
remarkable career, from her start as a performer to her fateful decision in the
early 80’s to move around to the other side of the camera.
“Around
’83 or ’84, I started to think ‘Gee, wouldn’t it be interesting to do movies
from a woman’s point of view, movies women could relate to and couples could
watch together?” Royalle said, noting that at the time, the very idea of women
wanting to watch porn was considered absurd.
“The
naysayers said (porn) was a boys’ club, women aren’t interested in porn,”
Royalle recalled. “But I persisted, and the rest is history.”
The
subject then turned to the notion of “feminist porn” and “porn for women,” with
both directors acknowledging the difficulty of defining such terms.
“You
can’t box in a woman’s fantasy and say it has to be a certain way or it’s not
‘pro-women’ or it’s not ‘for women,’” St. James said. “There are plenty of
women I know, and I’m one of those women, who like harder-core pornography.
Although it’s not really what I shoot, I certainly think a woman can take a
feminist perspective to something hardcore; if you look at Dana Vespoli, that’s
a perfect example.”
Right
around the halfway point of the discussion, the conversation began to trod on
potentially thorny territory when the directors were asked to reflect on the
kind of challenging questions which have come up during the process of making
their films.
“I
remember we had a lot of very long and intense discussions in the 90’s about
what kind of fantasies you could portray on film where you were ‘crossing a
line,’” Royalle said. “The most obvious one being the proverbial ‘rape
fantasy.’”
Noting
it has long been known the rape fantasy is one of the most popular fantasies
among viewers, Royalle offered her analysis of why this is so.
“I
think it’s really because women are still so burdened by this double standard
and so afraid of coming off as a woman who’s too sexual, who knows too much,
and so she needs to find some kind of permission, some way of letting go enough
to really allow herself to be pleasured, and to have an orgasm,” Royalle said.
“Sometimes that involves fantasizing you’re with someone who won’t take no for
an answer. It does not mean you really want to go out and be raped in a dark
alley somewhere…. The whole point of fantasy is that you are in control.”
Ultimately,
the question Royalle struggled with was as someone whose goal is in part to
turn on her viewers “how do I show this ‘rape fantasy’ without sending the
wrong message to people and letting people think she really wants to be raped?”
“Of
course, there’s always the thought you can show them having the discussion and
she says ‘It’s OK: You can rape me,’” Royalle said. “Well, that kind of takes
the heat away, doesn’t it?”
Royalle’s
description of her director’s dilemma resonated with St. James, who is known in
part for her “faux-cest” movies – fantasy presentations of incestuous scenarios
– another fantasy many consider beyond the pale.
“It’s
not that people really want to have sex with a family member,” St. James said,
“they just want the fantasy. But then we have all these rules we have to follow
– you have to say ‘step,’ you have to show consent,” St. James said.
Just
as with the presentation of the rape fantasy, St. James said with these
restrictions there’s the risk the depiction “loses that luster.”
“You
think: ‘Now I’m just watching porn that’s following rules,” St. James said,
which can have the effect of killing the fantasy for the viewer, thereby
undermining the point of creating the movie in the first place.
With
consistent thoughtfulness and eloquence, Royalle and St. James tackled other
potentially explosive topics as well, including what it means to make “ethical
porn,” resistance they have (or haven’t) faced from men in the adult industry,
and what they see coming in down the road in porn’s future.
“We
need to legitimize the industry,” Royalle said. “We need to get adult
entertainment out of the gutter, out of the extreme fringes and make it another
form of art entertainment, so it will be place people want to work, people who
have talent. We will end up with a better product as a result.”
For
her part, St. James closed with a thought which is likely quite common among
porn entrepreneurs these days, given the overall state of the adult industry
and the ubiquity of free porn sites.
“Please
pay for your porn,” St. James said. “We’re not working for free.”
SOURCE: BSGPR
