Porn. Porn. Porn. A subject that captures everyone’s attention.
A freshman female at Duke University is a porn star and last month she told her side of the story. (Read it here.)
Why pornography makes some women uncomfortable…
Despite being in an age of continuous strides for feminism, the thought of being paid to have sex on camera and then having said intercourse watched by thousands of men still unsettles many women — why?
The core reason the situation makes some women uncomfortable is the concept that sex is often viewed as an intimate, emotionally-driven act between two people—not a physical action done between strangers to be viewed by many.
We often try to forget that we are all animals driven by biological wants and needs. Porn helps satisfy these primal desires. However, it also takes the intimacy out of sex—a thought that frightens many women. Porn eliminates the emotional aspect of sex and makes it purely physical (which is not necessarily a bad thing). This is done not only through the content of porn but is driven by the fact that the intercourse is no longer private and is shared with anyone and everyone.
Sex as a satisfying, physical action versus an emotional experience are two very different, conflicting views of the same thing.
The question of anonymity…
The Duke Freshman felt empowered in her profession when she was anonymous. While her audience was once obscure and distant, now her audience has the face of her lab partner in Biology.
The sentiment the Duke Freshman is feeling is something some collegiettes may be able to empathize with: feeling confident and satisfied after spending the night with someone can quickly dissipate into shame when, suddenly, everyone is talking about it.
However, the difference between the situations described is that the Duke Freshman knew that her deeds were going to be accessible to all while most collegiettes are under the impression that their actions will remain private.
The Duke Freshman said she “stood there shaking in disbelief and fear” when a classmate followed her alter ego on Twitter and knew shame would follow. The Duke Freshman obviously did not expect her porn career to become public knowledge; however, considering that she is part of the entertainment industry, she should have known better and been prepared for such a situation to arise.
What’s the message?
Although some collegiettes may not understand the Duke Freshman or agree with her profession, we should all agree that the bullying and slut-shaming she has endured is unfair.
A woman in charge of her body and sexuality is another step towards demolishing female stereotypes and ultimately brings us closer to gender equality.