During college years, nothing feels more empowering for a woman than to feel confident and secure in all aspects of herself. Though we are lucky enough to live in an age when female sexuality is no longer considered shameful, it continues to be a controversial topic. This is especially true in the discussion of women in pornography.
In Rashida Jones' 2015 documentary Hot Girls Wanted, we are given an explorative look into the hauntingly disastrous world of amateur pornography. The film chronicles the lives of several girls who were found by a Miami talent manager through a Craigslist ad. The majority of the cinematic attention seems to be focused on Tressa, who performed under the name Stella May. For me, though, a different girl stood out as an example of the emotional roller coaster these girls go through.
Rachel Bernard, 19, who performed under the name Ava Taylor, is introduced in the film on her first day in the business. She decided to leave pornography shortly after the filming of Hot Girls Wanted came to a close. In some of her first lines, Bernard says, "We're free right now; the world is in our hands," as she's discussing how much she loves her new life. That is the issue! These girls are 18 or 19 years old, barely out of high school. They're experiencing the typical angst that we all go through. They see an escape, and they go.
In general, amateur pornography consists of new girls and no scripts. These are typically low-budget and shot from the male point of view. The industry demands a constant flow of fresh faces, and the "shelf life" of a new girl is, on average, three to six months. That being said, new girls usually shoot between three and five scenes a week, bringing in approximately $800 a scene. That's the appeal. Young women hear about that, and they figure that having sex to make $4,000 a week sounds fantastic because sex is normal, right? Female sexuality isn't taboo anymore, right? There's a difference between sexuality and sexualization. Because it's performative, women are not feeling joy from it. It's fulfilling male fantasy.
After a few months pass, Bernard is still working in pornography but is growing increasingly disillusioned by the initial appeal. The first time the viewers witness her apathy is during a shoot for a film called Virgin Manipulations, which depicts young "virgin" girls having hardly even consensual sex with authority figures. After the completion of the scene, Bernard talks about how much she hates doing scenes like that: "It's all about guys getting off. Girls are just there to help." Ultimately, she leaves the porn industry after six months.
This brings to light the uncomfortable truth that "teen" is one of the most popular search terms in relation to pornography, and the word "abuse" is most widely searched for alongside "teen." Approximately 40 percent of online pornography depicts violence against women. This, I feel, is the strongest statistic against the argument that porn is an expression of consensual sexuality.
This documentary provided a firsthand insight into a facet of the industry that had not yet been explored. We are provided with uncomfortable truths and certainly given something to think about. While many people continue to view the sex work industry as a means for women to embrace their sexuality and become empowered, it is truly the opposite. With the highest searched terms being "teen" and "abuse," the industry is perpetuating and normalizing violence against women as well the predatory fetish of "barely legal girls." Pornography facilitates the sexualization and exploitation of women. The facade of fast money and good sex lures naive and misinformed young women into an industry of degradation and ill intent. Especially after viewing this film, arguments against the amateur porn industry stand. It is purely a world of sexualization and exploitation with no regard for the feelings, comfort, or standards of the women involved.
