How Do I Know if I’m Watching Ethical Porn?
Despite the common belief that watching porn is ‘bad,’ there are actually many benefits of porn when it is consumed ethically. But how do you know if you’re watching porn featuring consensual interactions between legal adults or are viewing situations that were filmed in healthy work environments?
It’s easier than you might think.
From the best places to do your research, what to look for (hint: it’s not just seemingly genuine male and female pleasure), and even the best places to find our favourite videos, we’re here to help you determine if the porn you’re watching is ethical or not!
All actors are consenting adults
First and foremost, you want to ensure that the performers in the pornography you are watching are legal adults (over the age of eighteen in most countries, over twenty-one in others) engaging in entirely consensual sex. While a person may look like they are enjoying sexual situations, it does not mean that it is done with their consent, that they are adults, or that they’re adequately compensated for their work. It doesn’t matter if it’s ‘vanilla’ missionary sex or anal play, threesomes, or an orgy scene — consent is essential for every single act of sex work.
To be sure of this, we suggest taking the time to review the company’s performer consent policy. This will give you the details of how their actors are treated on set, health protocols, and other vital information to make an informed decision. Some companies even offer additional footage of before and after your favourite videos, where the actors expressly state their consent and review it once the scene is finished filming.
You may also choose to get to know the performers on social media by scrolling through their post content. This is another way to help determine that they’re of legal, consenting age.
Remember: if there isn’t consent in the filming of porn, it’s still rape.
Videos were filmed under fair working conditions
And by “fair” working conditions, we mean sanitary spaces with proper health precautions in place, surrounded by respectful individuals who are there to support them throughout the filming process. This is the bare minimum that consumers should expect from the companies producing the pornography they choose to watch.
In addition to various companies being open about their hiring and filming processes on their website, both by describing their practices and sometimes posting videos of their performers behind-the-scenes, the actors themselves are an excellent source of information. Many have given interviews (out of character) over the years about the best and worst companies they have worked with, including details of their experiences. You can’t just assume that a company is ethical based on the fact that you really enjoy their material, that it’s high-definition, or that other people you know watch it, too.
By becoming aware of production companies’ working conditions, you can make sure that the material you choose to consume is created by people who care about their employees, strive to make them as comfortable as they can be, and treat everyone involved with the utmost respect.
Female pleasure isn’t an after-thought
It’s been seen more times than we can even count: fake orgasm after fake orgasm for female-presenting porn performers. While many of the ‘money shots’ (the scene in porn in which an actor ejaculates) are dependent on a penis coming to orgasm, there’s less focus on genuine female pleasure. Consequently, it ties into the frequent misogyny that often accompanies non-ethical production companies, mostly focusing on male pleasure in heteronormative scenarios.
Because ethical porn consists entirely of consenting adults and celebrates diversity, we can see everyone experience real pleasure in a variety of different situations. This is why so many ethical feminist-inspired and female-based porn production companies have emerged over the years: to counter the videos so many folks turn to simply because they are free and easily accessible, in order to provide viewers with content that is more relatable, less geared towards a ‘broad’ audience, and is morally sound for ease of conscience.
Porn depicts both real-world and fantasy scenarios
Just because porn is ethical does not mean that kinks and fetishes are off the table. Just like real-life scenarios between consenting adults, ethical porn can feature similar situations between performers! There are many resources both on- and offline — the latter includes DVDs and print images — where actors engage in kink acts. The incredible thing about watching porn is that it’s like an act of voyeurism, where the exhibitionists are fully consenting to be watched.
This is also a great way to gain ideas for things to do with your consenting partner(s) to boost your sex life. Anything from coming up with out-of-the-box mutual role-playing fantasies you can act out together (we see you, vampire/mortal role-players) to using videos as a supplementary tool while talking to your partner about your kinks and fetishes is valid. Some folks even use it to figure out the best way to execute a particular sex position or to improve their sex skills and get better in bed... more on the last part in a bit. Everything is acceptable when all parties are on board with the process.
Sexual diversity is apparent throughout the body of work
Many websites that feature unethical porn focus on heterosexual, thin, white couples with hairless bodies. Penises are large and circumcised, while vulvas are smooth, uniform in colour, and have small labia minora that are neatly tucked inside the outer lips. Anything beyond this narrow typecast is often fetishized; this might be race, sexual orientation, gender identity, body shape, and so forth.
Contrary to this, ethical porn will feature a diverse range of folks that look different. After all, people are different in so many ways and are attracted to varying characteristics in others. Folks want to see parts of themselves in the performers that they are watching in porn, as well as what they find appealing in others. While spotting this non-fetishized diversity in the porn you are watching is not a guarantee that the material is ethical, it’s a reasonable indication that the production company is concerned with this filming aspect. Form here, you can take the next steps to research further into their performer consent policy, actors’ experiences, and other key indicators that you are on the right track to consuming the videos ethically.
Performers were paid well for their work
In the pornography industry, it’s unfortunate that many actors are not appropriately paid for the work they produce. Sadly, some porn performers are not paid at all, either because they were sex trafficked (essentially, this is sex slavery), were promised payment they never received, or are earning based on the number of views the video gets. Any company that works in these ways is wholly unethical and should be boycotted. Remember that this is someone’s job and the way that they support themselves and their families. Just as folks in other careers need to learn a livable income, so too, do sex workers.
Instead of consuming porn this way, you can contribute to the company’s earnings by paying for the content you choose to consume, either per video or movie purchase, or as a renewing subscription for their services. This enables actors to be paid a decent living wage for doing their job. More on that directly below.
You’ve paid for your porn
If you’ve paid for your porn, chances are, you’re consuming it ethically! Production companies that offer a subscription to their website often pay their performers a higher wage and provide royalties in some situations, based on purchases made. This is not to be confused with Tube sites, such as PornHub, that upload videos from countless different productions; these streaming sites often steal videos from paid sites to offer free of charge, meaning that the production company does not earn anything.
Another option is to buy your videos directly from the sex workers, who sometimes sell directly from personal websites or through their social media accounts.
With so many people watching porn to learn how to perfect skills for everyday sex acts (like learning how to give a blowjob or performing cunnilingus, and even handjob and fingering techniques), it’s only fair to pay for the material you’re consuming. It’s making your life better and improving your relationships; the folks responsible for showcasing these skills deserve adequate compensation for the work that they do. After all, it’s just as legitimate as any other job — and is one that so many people invest in worldwide!
Let’s make things easy for you…
Yes, masturbation is good for you, but make sure that you’re doing so ethically the next time you’re using porn to set the mood. Curious about where to find ethical porn right now, without having to go on the hunt and researching yourself? Check out any of these sites below:
Benefit Monkey: All of their scenes are thought together with the performers. As a production, they give their writers, directors, and performers a subject to develop together and create the scene that the audience will see online.
BrazzersBrazzers: “The number one name in original adult entertainment,” the videos produced by this company are known globally for their high-quality take on fantasy scenarios.
CrashPad: Self-described as a “hotbed of queer sexuality,” this Pink & White Productions project shows everything from solo scenes to group sex. The company is known for hiring folks of all genders and races both in front of and behind the camera.
Jacky St. James: An adult movie writer and director, she pushes the boundaries of women’s desire to shift views on their sexuality through incredibly hot sex scenes.
Kink: Founded in 1997 by a bondage enthusiast, this is the best place for watching consensual and authentic BDSM games and fetish material. Check out Behind Kink, a documentary site about the company and the entertainment produced.
Wicked: With content created specifically for couples in 4K quality, you’ll find diversity in their movies and all performers adhering to mandatory condom usage (thanks to their commitment to performer health).
Watching porn doesn’t have to burden your conscience, nor does finding ethical porn to consume have to be an added stress. Now that you are fully aware of the most crucial indicators for finding consensual, legal, and morally-sound material, you can take advantage of the benefits of porn without guilt.
By supporting ethical pornography production companies, you ensure that they will have the funding to continue their work, and performers will have a living wage creating the material you view. It’s a moral cycle, one that everyone can happily and consensually partake in.
Do you take advantage of the benefits of porn? If so, do you ensure that you are watching ethical porn? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
