How the democratization of pornography through blogging and video hosting sites has paved a path for diversity in adult entertainment (LINKS NSFW)
by Kevin Sparrow
In the 1970s, exploitation films became a commercially successful enterprise by offering low-budget movies to expanding theater audiences. These films not only exposed consumers to violence and sex, but also represented diverse markets for minority communities. With the advent of VHS in the late 70s, the dissemination of every sort of film flooded the market, and for porn entrepreneurs, this was a perfect time for low-budget, high-grossing videos. In many instances, pornography has led the way as a model for how to use new technology. Many of the preliminary sites to utilize the internet were pornographic; how they marketed and expanded in their use of media preceded the efforts of many other sites. Jonathan Coopersmith, Associate Professor of History at Texas A&M University, states in his article The role of the pornography industry in the development of videotape and the Internet, “Pornographic products have served to stimulate initial interest in these new technologies, despite their higher initial costs. The attractions are greater perceived privacy and easier access. As each of these technologies matures and prices drop, the role of pornographic products diminishes relatively, but not absolutely. Another pattern is the elimination of the distinctions among producers, distributors and consumers as do-it-yourself video and computers have permitted a ‘democratization’ of pornography.”
For nearly a decade, these new technologies had clung to marketable representations of mostly white, groomed and toned or surgically enhanced models. Sites predominantly featuring minorities, more natural body types or kinks and fetishes went largely unnoticed. Then, as with much of the rest of the internet, amateur video sites and blogging gave users more control and interaction with the web community. “Media in general has become a lot more home-grown—online video is going to soon antiquate television, and it’s closing fast,” states Jack, an administrator for video site GayTube. “These days, anyone can get a video up for absolutely nothing, and with minimal skill. People are… a lot more empowered by the technologies and massive audiences that are for the first time freely available to them… Profitability and professional status are no longer the great equalizers they once were.” Having a demand for consumer-created video opens the door for more diverse representations on these sites. Anyone who has an internet connection is an audience member, and the low-cost nature of amateur video allows every type of person to post clips of themselves, provided they have the fortitude for it; more people are able to find representations of people like them, especially in pornography. DudeTube founder Matt identifies that “[i]t does seem that there’s a site out there for everyone these days. You might not see these guys featured in a Falcon Studios video, but they’ll have their own amateur site. The bottom line is pornography is a business, and if there’s an audience to support material, it will survive. The other alternative is a user-generated site like XTube, which probably features the most diverse content online.”
Matt is also part of the new wave of online pornography that values consumers over studios. Blogging has exploded in popularity, and is no stranger to the porn world. Blogs like Fleshbot cover a range of sexual expression for straight, gay and bi audiences, while DudeTube focuses on gay men (and some of Matt’s other interests). As he has found, this cross of popular culture and sex can feed back into the larger media culture in positive ways. “A lot of my non-video posts are dedicated to half-naked celebrities and TV stars. I think entertainment producers have become much more savvy about their use of sexuality. They know that a blog post about their half-naked star can generate more consumers.” The stigma of sexual activity is gradually being reduced as readership grows on sites like these, incorporating its expression into daily life in a natural way. This is a boon for diversity, which Matt says is “… something that’s in the back of my mind. I get excited when I find a hot video starring a non-typical guy. I’m more than happy to share them with my readers. Ultimately, there’s only so many videos out there, so my main focus is just finding the hottest.”
For all its moral ambiguity, pornography is changing from a reflection of the status quo in society to a purveyor of diverse images of attractiveness. Many consumers are influenced in their expectations for sexual intercourse by the porn industry, so making these diverse portrayals accessible to responsible adults is a healthy way to counteract the effects mass standards of what is beautiful and sexually arousing. If pornography is as successful in conveying acceptance of differences into new generations as it has been with promoting new technology, it may help change the way we perceive others.
