Is It Time to Start Paying for Your Porn?
An Argument in Favor of Paying for Your Porn (Yes, We Said It)
An Argument in Favor of Paying for Your Porn (Yes, We Said It)
The way people consume pornography has changed a lot over the course of the 21st century, but one of the most notable shifts is that so many no longer pay for the porn they watch.
Short of stealing nudie mags or XXX videotapes from stores (or borrowing someone else’s copy), the idea of getting access to pornography for free 20 years ago was pretty ludicrous.
And while online file-sharing sites like Napster began to make free porn a possibility as the 2000s crept along, it wasn’t until the 2010s brought about the advent of tube sites that free porn became a staple of so many people’s erotic lives.
At first glance, it’s hard to argue against free porn from a user perspective. You might as well argue against free food, or free internet. What’s not to like? Something you consume on a regular basis, which used to cost a lot, now totally free? Sign me up!
And yet, if you probe into the issue a little more deeply, it’s possible to see a handful of good reasons why free porn isn’t actually all that great.
In order to get a better grasp of the issue, and to explore whether it might be worth switching back to paying for your porn, AskMen spoke to a handful of porn industry insiders. Here’s what they had to say:
How Free Tube Sites Impact the Porn Industry
Unsurprisingly, when the business model for an entire industry shifts towards people not having to pay for something, there are effects that are felt throughout said industry.
The impact on porn is not dissimilar to the one music piracy and the rise of streaming apps like Spotify had on the music industry over the past few decades.
“In a nutshell, ‘free’ porn is not really free,” says Angie Rowntree, founder and director of Sssh.com. “The rise of tubes meant massive financial losses for basically all studios that continue to impact production budgets to this day.”
“While DMCA removal policies have somewhat helped to alleviate what was once rampant content piracy … unfortunately, the damage is already done, as tube sites have irrevocably forced lasting changes on the entire industry.” Rowntree says.
Ultimately, she adds, “Even though today, tube sites can drive affiliate traffic and give paysites some ad revenue, it is absolutely not the same as having subscribers who pay for a membership to get behind the paywall.”
As a result, “movies are often made on a meager budget by companies that need to churn out as many films as possible to compete and be profitable,” says Erika Lust, creator of Lust Cinema.
“When adult content that was originally meant to be paid for is shared on free tube sites, the easy access to vast amounts of downloads benefits the tube sites,” says Reuben Johnson, cofounder of Fly Media Productions and one half of FlyDuo. “Unfortunately, it often means that the creators and performers of those films are not compensated fairly.”
“This can make it more challenging for content creators to earn a living from their work, since they must compete with the allure of ‘free’ content, even when it’s their own creation,” Reuben adds. “Additionally, this trend may negatively affect consumers’ perceptions of the value of adult content that requires significant financial investment to produce when it’s shared without proper compensation.”
According to Lust, the financial squeeze that the tube sites’ industry dominance puts on porn producers also ends up cheapening the final product.
“When you watch porn ‘for free’ on tube sites, you support a business model based on piracy and ad revenue and not profit from film sales,” she explains. “That means it’s based on quantity rather than quality, validating a poor and narrow-minded representation of sex and sexuality and reaffirming gender power imbalance, racism, and homophobia still present in society and that we should fight instead.”
Then there are labor concerns.
As the writer Heather Berg explores in her 2021 book Porn Work: Sex, Labor, and Late Capitalism, porn actors have never had a ton of job security. But the current state of the industry and the corners porn production companies have had to cut in order to stay profitable mean that when things go wrong — say, when an actor has a demeaning or dangerous experience on set — there’s rarely a clear person to address the issue.
But when it comes to tube sites, concerns for the people who actually star in porn also stretch beyond their working conditions on set.
“I don’t think the average porn watcher realizes how much of what’s freely available on tube sites is stolen from independent creators, or uploaded and repackaged under racist or derogatory titles without the performers’ consent,” says Sherri Johnson, the other half of FlyDuo.
“It’s important to understand that watching porn on many of these free sites can contribute to the exploitation of performers, who may not receive fair compensation for their work,” she adds.
What Paying for Your Porn Does
This isn’t to imply that anyone who watches free porn on tube sites is a bad person.
If you’re an average porn viewer, it’s understandable that you’d enjoy using tube sites. They have incredibly vast libraries of porn content, they’re searchable and often broken down into genres and themes for people who are searching out specific forms of porn, and the incredible technological wizardry of it all doesn’t cost you anything.
But just because something’s convenient doesn’t mean it’s the best approach. And while many people may not associate porn — given that masturbation is so often seen as sinful, naughty or dirty — with the kind of ethical consumption they might practice around other genres of art, it’s worth considering the parallels.
If you’re the kind of person who would think twice about pirating an indie movie or illegally downloading a novel by a contemporary writer, and who makes a point to buy albums on vinyl or see bands live to support them financially, it’s worth asking yourself how porn is different.
“When you pay for your porn, you are directly supporting the people who bring you the content that brings you pleasure,” says Rowntree. “And not just the performers, but also the directors, the crew, and anyone else involved with pre- or post-production. The same applies when you pay for a Hollywood movie — so if you enjoy adult entertainment, it should be treated the same way, as movies (X-rated or not) cost money to make.”
Not only are you supporting porn workers, when you pay for your porn, “you are sending the message that you want to watch porn that is made with performers’ safety at the forefront,” says Lust.
Meanwhile, “Direct subscriptions lead to more creativity, better productions, and more options for consumers,” says Reuben. “By removing the need to appeal to third-party distributors, creators can experiment with new ideas, styles, and themes without as much concerns about mainstream appeal, fear of censorship or backlash. This, in turn, leads to a more diverse and interesting range of content for consumers to enjoy.”
It’s also worth considering that when tube sites rule the industry, traffic is the number one goal, regardless of other factors. And because you don’t need to prove your age in order to access these sites, and studies suggest that a high percentage of minors are accessing porn through them, it means that porn production now is taking into account the search habits and viewing patterns of underage users.
“Consumers are ultimately a part of the industry,” Lust notes. “The future of porn depends on the people who watch it.”
Investing in the Future of the Adult Industry
So what would a more involved, self-conscious porn consumer do? For Rowntree, it’s simple: “If you enjoy quality adult entertainment, then you should factor it into your entertainment budget as you would with any other online streaming service, or going to a movie theater.”
If you’re not used to paying for your porn and, like so many people these days, your budget is stretched thin, it could sound like a tall order.
If so, Lust recommends starting small: “You can purchase a single movie or a compilation if a monthly subscription is too much for you,” she says. “If you like a particular performer, support them on their paid platforms, which are usually quite affordable and have a tier list of subscriptions.”
“Even so, there’s variety in the material from ethical porn creators that exist nowadays when it comes to pricing — it’s all about getting informed and choosing what suits you better,” she notes. “When you start being more conscious and mindful about your choices, finding what works for you always takes some time.”
FlyDuo’s two members both have practical suggestions along these lines.
“Although subscribing to all of our favorite porn studios at one time may not be feasible for many of us, we should still pay for what we can, when we can,” says Sherri. “Like with any other streaming platforms, we can choose our favorite studios and subscribe to them, or rotate between a few platforms by paying for one or two at a time.”
“That being said,” she notes, “many independent studios offer free trials, flexible monthly subscriptions, and discounted rates for annual subscriptions, with special holiday discounts on individual films and subscriptions. To find the best deals, we recommend subscribing to the mailing lists of the studios and performers you enjoy.”
Reuben, meanwhile, notes that “many larger studios and streaming platforms allow you to download a certain number of films during your active subscription.”
“It’s a great way to build up your own personal library of movies! If you’re a movie enthusiast with some extra time and resources, consider setting up a Plex media server to host your library,” he suggests. “This way, you can access your favorite films even during months when your streaming budget is tight, or if your internet connection slows down or goes out entirely. Don’t miss out on the content you love — take advantage of the download feature and build up a collection that you can enjoy anytime, anywhere!”
Whatever you choose to do — even if this article doesn’t change your stance, or you simply don’t have the money right now to spend any on the adult industry — it’s worth at least continuing to think about these issues, especially if you haven’t given them much thought before now.
“When you seek out quality content in terms of authentic and relatable representations and ethical production process,” Lust says, “you support sustainable porn production, distribution, and consumption and give value to the work it takes to make porn.”
“How people consume their porn has the power to change the porn industry enormously,” she adds. “I hope people will become more conscious about their porn consumption and think more about the consequences of not paying for pornography and relying on tube sites. The future of pornography depends on whether there is a shift away from simply using the tube sites and backing more varied companies by paying for their content.”
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Source: AskMen
