LONDON — Vice.com this week posted a story that discusses the ethics of porn production in the U.K.
The piece, titled "Worry About Porn Stars, Not What They Act Out on Screen," includes interviews with Nichi Hodgson, who has launched the Ethical Porn Partnership; producer Petra Joy; and performer Kitty Stryker.
Hodgson, who was included as a panelist in an XBIZ EU session last week that discussed regulatory challenges to the adult entertainment industry, said she is concerned about the ethics of production in porn and is aiming to create a self-regulatory body to monitor bad practices within the U.K. industry.
"What we lack is transparency about how it’s produced, and that’s what the Ethical Porn Partnership is about – building user confidence in porn, saying we can guarantee that it’s been produced in an ethical way," she said.
Stryker noted in the piece that safety, hiring practices and working conditions should take priority in any debate on porn and morality, noting David Cameron's porn opt-in proposal.
"You can’t tell by watching a porn film who is being degraded," she said. "There’s a major porn company that talks constantly about how ethical they are, but I know lots of women who have worked there, some of whom have had terrible experiences. It’s not the kinky sex we should be worried about, it’s the shit behind the scenes."
Hodgson, meanwhile, said that she's approaching some feminist producers to join Ethical Porn Partnership, but that she doesn't want to "encourage a sense of censorship around representation."
"While there's no denying there's a female perspective, there’s definitely an element of snobbery in the distinction [between mainstream porn and feminist or alternative porn]," she said. "Often material isn’t that different, it’s just the cultural frame put around it – if porn is packaged in a certain way and shot with certain camera angles, then it’s going to feel like a completely different experience."
Hodgson told XBIZ that "the enthusiastic reception to Ethical Porn Partnership from both outside the industry and within, has been incredibly encouraging."
"While I was launching the idea at XBIZ EU, my colleague Charlie Nox was reaching out at Catalyst Con in LA, and receiving a similarly positive reaction," Hodgson said. "Over the coming months, we’re hoping to work closely with the Free Speech Coalition and adult producers and performers in establishing our best practice model for porn.
"I will be in California at the end of the month and am interested in meeting up with any interested parties. so please get in touch via the Ethical Porn Partnership website.”
