As with all ethical consumption, finding what you’re looking for can be challenging. Here’s where, and how, to find responsibly-made porn that makes the good feelings feel good.
Feeld spoke with porn performers, screenwriters, filmmakers, and intimacy coordinators about what ethical porn means to them.
Pornography is prolific. Every minute, an estimated 2.5 million people across the globe are watching porn, with 40 million regular viewers in the U.S. alone. For many people, that means opening up Pornhub—the world’s most popular porn site—and wacking on whatever’s “hot” on the homepage.
But while there’s nothing wrong with watching pornography, it’s become impossible to ignore ethical concerns that challenge consuming it absent-mindedly. In 2020, Pornhub removed the majority of its content following allegations that the site was “infested” with videos of child abuse and non-consensual sex. For many viewers, this revelation was a reminder of the integrality of paying critical attention to what you’re watching and how it was made. But while the viewer can make their own informed decisions about what to watch, the ethics of how pornography is made are also a structural issue.
Thankfully, in recent years, a growing movement of performers, filmmakers, and intimacy coordinators have been working to transform the porn industry from the ground up: establishing ethical working conditions and transparent production protocols, and creating content that centers non-cis-male pleasure. Feeld spoke with leaders in the porn industry who are spearheading that change about what ethical porn means to them—and where to watch it.
Beyond cis-male pleasure
For Erika Lust, Swedish pornographic filmmaker and screenwriter, developing narrative-driven storylines with fully-fledged characters is integral to realistic depictions of sex. “We have our performers being portrayed and seen as people, as subjects, as agents in their sexuality,” she told Feeld.
Lust first rose to prominence in 2004, after releasing her first film, The Good Girl, which amassed more than two million downloads in just weeks. She launched her own production company the following year, which has been creating indie adult films ever since.“Porn has been a world dominated by a certain type of man: the white, heterosexual, cis man,” she said, “It's his version [of pleasure] we have seen. He has occupied this space and put his ideas out in the world, that ‘that's what's sexy.’” Lust’s films are renowned for their focus on female pleasure, a departure from many “male-gazey” porn videos, where women are unrealistically “supposed to come from that magic cock” with “four minutes of hard vaginal penetration.”
Still, deciphering what empowering sex looks like is a complicated endeavor, because it means different things for different people. “It's a territory that we need to explore more,” Lust said.
Language matters
Bree Mills is a screenwriter, filmmaker, and Chief Creative Officer at Adult Time, a digital subscription platform that has been dubbed “the Netflix of porn.”
While ethical production is “quite black and white,” Mills said, ethical content is more murky for this reason. “Someone might not like being called a slut over here but someone else over here loves it,” Mills told Feeld. How does she grapple with the fact that degradation is a kink for some while others may find it offensive?
Mills navigates this question on a case by case basis, working closely with performers and understanding what language and themes they’re comfortable with. For instance, if a performer dislikes age play or being called a “good girl,” this will be flagged prior to filming and won’t be included in the scene. At the same time, there are some words and tropes that Mills has decided to flat-out ban, such as degrading language relating to trans people or race play. “We wanted to take a firm stance and to help shift the narrative,” she said.
Intentional casting
Who is cast in porn videos significantly impacts the overall production. Feeld spoke to an adult content creator for her view.
Aaliyah Yasin said she’s been told that modelling agencies “look for a certain look and you don’t have that look.”
“I've noticed a lot with these agencies who select the models that they tend to only go for people who have—in their mind—the perfect bodies: no tattoos, a certain color of skin,” she told Feeld.
Yasin said as well as wanting agencies to hire more diverse models (whether that’s having birthmarks or a variety of body shapes), she wants to feel free to bring her full self to shoots, including wearing traditional Pakistani clothing. “I'm not going to change my culture to fit their story,” she said.
Another important responsibility of casting direction is ensuring that performers are fully informed about what the scenes will entail and who they will be working with. This means breaking down everything from the sex acts they will be involved in to how the film will be marketed.
As a part of her process, Mills also asks performers for a “no list” and a “yes list” (other performers they definitely do or don’t want to work with). “The main goal is that nobody ever shows up on set not having a full understanding of what they're showing up to do, what role they're playing,” she said.
Intimacy coordinator
In recent years, a number of adult film companies have begun working with intimacy coordinators, who act as an intermediary between crew and cast, ensuring that everyone feels comfortable at every step of the production process. “In a space where vulnerability is part of the work, having someone focused on consent, boundaries, and emotional safety is crucial,” intimacy coordinator Anarella Martinez-Madrid told Feeld.
Intimacy coordinators typically meet with performers before the production takes place to discuss what their boundaries are and what participation would mean for them. For Izabela Bartyzel, founder of RedCheeks, an organization that runs intimacy coordination workshops, this involves everything from discussing “what would happen if your family would see your nude images online” to the “withdrawal protocols” if a performer changes their mind.
Intimacy coordinators may also be responsible for confirming that everyone is STD-tested and for facilitating meet-ups between cast and crew to develop trust ahead of filming. Then, during filming, they are on set to ensure that the performers’ boundaries are respected, that they feel comfortable and able to stop at any point. “It’s about ongoing consent,” said Martinez-Madrid, “not just a checklist at the start.”
Media literacy
Adult film production companies should be responsible for guaranteeing that porn is produced ethically, but consumers play a role too. “If you don't pay for it, I would take that as a pretty big indication that it's probably not 100% ethical,” said Lust. She recommends that porn consumers research the company producing the videos: “Is there an ‘about’ page? Can I learn anything about that company, that producer, that director, how are they working? What values do they actually have? Do you agree with those values?”
Martinez-Madrid also emphasizes the importance of paying attention to who is making the content. “Support studios and creators that center performer agency, consent, and representation,” she said. “Ethical porn often shows signs of real care behind the scenes: transparent production practices, fair pay, diverse casting, and clear communication. Following performers and directors who speak openly about their values is a great way to know you’re supporting something made with respect and integrity.”
