Is porn for women different from conventional porn? We spoke to those who make it

Before she starts to film an anal sex scene, 28-year-old porn actress Kasumi shares her daily menu on social media: coconut water and jelly beans. “This gives me a lot of energy and prevents me from feeling dizzy. Plus, these foods aren’t easily digested, so they’re not a problem during filming,” she explains.

Kasumi posts this message before filming a movie produced by Erika Lust, one of the major proponents of so-called “feminist porn.”

The adult actress studied film and marketing, but found that porn allowed her to act and earn money doing something she claims to enjoy. During the pandemic, she became famous on OnlyFans, sharing videos that she made with her partner. “I’ve always felt like I’m a very sexual person,” she explains. She defines feminist porn as pornography that women want to make. In these types of productions, consent and transparency always prevail when filming. “We make porn for women because — until now — porn has been defined as being for men,” explained feminist porn director Paulita Pappel, in an interview with EL PAÍS.

Lust agrees with this, asserting that feminist porn originally emerged as a way to reclaim a genre traditionally considered exclusively for the male gaze and to provide a different perspective on how we represent sex. “That doesn’t mean that feminist porn is suddenly porn for women. In feminist porn, women, men and people of all genders have control over what they do sexually; they own their pleasure and are treated as equal sexual collaborators, not as objects or sex machines,” she asserts.

However, this type of pornography remains a very small part of what is produced in the industry. Simply typing the word “porn” online will bring up — in a matter of seconds — more than 7.6 billion results that provide access to sites with free content. “The change in consumer behavior is evident: today, viewers are more intentional about what they watch, how they access it and whether they decide to pay for content,” the production company states.

Other companies — such as PinkLabel.tv, Hardwerk, Lust Cinema, Pink & White and Wild Galaxies, among others — are dedicated to this type of production made by women, for women. “It’s estimated that ethical and alternative adult content represents around 15% of the market, a niche that continues to grow as consumer preferences evolve,” the Lust team states.

The Lust team films around 30 productions a year. The set is located in an industrial park on the outskirts of Barcelona. From early on, the production team is fine-tuning the final details of Art of Anal: Sploosh. The scene is based on the actress’s fantasy: her Romeo emerges from a cake… and they have sex on it. “We asked people on our social media what they would do with the cake. Most said they would sit on it, so we decided to make a film about it,” the production team explains.

The team is mostly made up of women and non-binary people. “Here, I feel very comfortable expressing my limits and needs without having to take it all on alone. In mainstream porn, I would probably have to deal with these situations on my own. Plus, I know that many women starting out from scratch can’t choose the type of shoots they participate in,” Kasumi notes.

Erika Lust employs 49 people: 70% are women and the majority hail from abroad. The platform has 72,000 active subscribers, who are mainly based in the United States, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom and France. “The stories we tell are as diverse as human sexuality itself, so we don’t impose an average age on our performers. We ensure the actors are of legal age and meet the necessary legal requirements. There’s no upper age limit: the most important thing is finding the right person to bring each story to life. We don’t work with performers under 21. And, when they’re young, we make sure they fully understand the environment that they’re participating in,” the production company affirms.

Before filming the sex scene, the director and intimacy coordinator sit down with the actors to discuss what they want and don’t want to do. They also show the results of their STI tests: the scene will be filmed without a condom, an agreement reached during the initial conversation between the actors and the intimacy coordinator. This condition may vary on a case-by-case basis.

Anarella Martínez-Madrid, intimacy coordinator, casting producer and sales manager at Erika Lust, tells EL PAÍS that she began her job before the role of intimacy coordinator even existed in Hollywood. “I’ve always worked with care and respect. In mainstream porn, there are practices that go against the basic needs of actors, such as filming several scenes a day without a break, or without ensuring adequate food. We seek to change that,” she explains. “For me, the staging should be based on what somebody needs and what they want to experience in the sex scene. There’s no other way to make a film.”

“It’s not about a gender struggle or about women wanting to dominate men. It’s about seeking decent conditions for everyone,” Martínez-Madrid clarifies. In practice, this means rethinking how a scene is shot. “In our shoots, we hardly direct the scene; we allow spontaneity and pleasure to take center stage.”

For her, the problem isn’t porn, but the lack of sex education. “We don’t talk about sex openly at home, in relationships, or in school,” she argues, which is why many people turn to porn as their only source of information. With this in mind, her productions try to at least warn about the gap between fiction and reality. “I remember a director who wanted to run an educational ad at the beginning of a film explaining, for example, that you can’t have anal sex without precautions, or that vaginal sex can alter your pH [level]. These types of ads help educate and prevent people from trying to transfer these practices to the personal sphere without knowing what they’re doing.”

The current scene will be no different: “During filming, the actors had anal sex and then oral sex. In post-production, we’ll run an ad explaining the risks that this practice entails and [warning] that it’s not advisable to do it this way.”

Feminist Porn Under Scrutiny

Despite efforts to improve the most controversial aspects of the porn industry, the concept of “feminist porn” continues to generate profound debate. Some argue that there’s very little difference between scenes in conventional porn films and those in Lust productions: after all, with or without educational ads, actors and actresses portray practically the same thing.

Alejandro Villena, director of Piénsatelo Psicología, a Spain-based mental health project, questions the very concept of feminist porn. “There’s no theoretical basis or certification to support the concept of feminist porn. What’s marketed is the discourse of an industry that makes money without having demonstrated that its practices are healthy or ethical. Calling this porn ‘feminist’ is a whitewash that, far from empowering, legitimizes sexist models and the objectification of people,” he says.

Villena also emphasizes that occasional porn consumption has no harmful effects, but that excessive use can affect sexuality for life. “Sex isn’t designed to be compulsively marketed. Sexuality is meant to be experienced and enjoyed through real physical contact, not through digital content that generates immediate reward and, ultimately, habit.”

The sexologist’s project recently published a study on the effects of pornography on adolescents. The research concludes that frequent pornography consumption can affect social relationships, mental health and perceptions of sexuality. Among the consequences noted are neurocognitive disorders, self-esteem issues, greater social isolation and an increase in risky sexual behaviors. Just over half of adolescents (54.1%) believe that pornography provides ideas for their own sexual experiences, while 54.9% would like to put what they’ve seen into practice. This is according to a survey presented last week by Save the Children. The report, titled Sexual (Mis)information: Pornography and Adolescence, is based on a survey of 1,753 young people between the ages of 13 and 17. It reveals that 62.5% have accessed this type of content at some point in their lives. This phenomenon also extends to young adults. According to the NGO Fad Juventud, one in four people between the ages of 16 and 29 frequently consume pornography, with a notable difference between men (28%) and women (18%).

Villena emphasizes that real sexuality involves enjoyment and connection. And he adds that long-term pornography use leads to the opposite. “Heavy pornography use is linked to feelings of loneliness, mental health problems and growing difficulty [when it comes to] regulating emotions in a healthy way, which affects self-esteem and encourages instant gratification behaviors to the detriment of authentic relationships.”

For 32-year-old porn actor Romeo, the impact of porn is misunderstood. “Porn isn’t the problem, but the lack of sexual education is,” the Canadian opines. Romeo — who studied international business and acting — believes that the industry can be positive or negative, depending on the environment in which one works. “In conventional porn, performers have no control over who they work with or how the scene unfolds. Here, however, we’re asked who we want to film with and our comfort is prioritized. In many conventional productions, actors are treated like cogs in a machine, not as people,” he notes.

Romeo also acknowledges that, despite the growing discussion about more ethical porn models, prejudices still exist toward those who work in the industry. “I don’t tell everyone what I do, because many people form an opinion about me without understanding it,” he adds.

In Spain, where the set is based, formal training isn’t required to be a porn actor or actress, but there are workshops that teach acting techniques, body control and physical care. Earnings range between €300 and €500 per scene ($350-$575), although some experienced actors earn up to €1,600 ($1,800) per day, according to information published by the digital newspaper El Confidencial. The growing presence of platforms like OnlyFans has also led many performers to acquire skills in digital marketing and content creation.

In Barcelona — oblivious to all these debates — Romeo and Kasumi are exhausted after a couple of hours of filming. It’s been an intense shoot in which, ultimately, around 40 cakes have been used. All that remains is to film the finale. As is almost always the case in these movies, the climax marks the conclusion of the scene. However, Romeo faces some difficulties. Noticing this, the intimacy director asks the entire crew to leave the studio to create a more intimate atmosphere. With a little more calm, the scene concludes as expected.

“I’ve never had a problem finishing in front of people… but with my whole body covered in cake, it was difficult,” Romeo admits, while covering himself with a robe. Kasumi makes a more general observation: “There were no comfortable places. I had a hard time thinking about poses.” With both actors now in their dressing rooms, the production staff is busy clearing the set of leftover cake.

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