Can porn be feminist? These woman directors say yes, if it’s honest, respectful and authentic
The Netflix series Hot Girls Wanted shines a light on the growing amount of feminist porn making its way into the mainstream – but not everyone is convinced it’s a positive development
Last year, women accounted for 26 per cent of all traffic worldwide for pornography site Pornhub. As viewership has increased, so has the desire for adult entertainment that emphasises female pleasure and mutual respect in the bedroom.
Spearheading this movement is erotic filmmaker Erika Lust, who featured in Rashida Jones’ recent Netflix docuseries Hot Girls Wanted: Turned On, which explores the relationship between sex and technology.
Porn made with feminist values “is about showing an authentic representation of human sexuality”, Lust says. “Mainstream porn is full of repetitive codes and tiring power tropes that are all about [female] genitalia and body parts, yet nothing about the woman.
“For the men who dominate the industry, pleasuring women normally entails rose petals and silk sheets. Oh no – women like sex just as dirty, kinky and exciting as men do. That’s a myth mainstream porn has set out for us and it’s completely untrue.”
With her XConfessions project, which she started in 2013, Lust creates short films based on erotic fantasies submitted anonymously by fans and followers on her site, featuring both heterosexual and lesbian partners.