LOS ANGELES — A new book by author Rich Moreland entitled “Pornography Feminism: As Powerful as She Wants to Be,” reveals how pornography feminists unshackle their desires and celebrate their sexuality in the patriarchal world of filmed sex.
According to Moreland, an adjunct professor of history at Frederick Community College in Maryland, in today’s adult film industry a small group of feminist performers, producers, and directors are influencing a business that is the longstanding domain of men, by using their own brand of feminist erotica to create a film genre in pornography that rivals the traditional male gaze.
“During the sex wars of the 1980’s, sex-positive feminism entered the adult film industry with a performer support group known as Club 90,” Moreland says. “Over the next three decades, feminism found a home among an influential group of women in pornography.”
“Pornography Feminism: As Powerful as She Wants to Be” is a popular history of this unfolding saga told largely through personal interviews along with scholarly works, previous histories, and film reviews.
“Historically feminism’s second wave was roiled by the pornography debate, and the emergence of sex-positive feminism within the adult film industry became part of that contentious time for women,” Moreland explains. “The project traces the roots of porn feminism and examines issues facing feminists in the business today, [with] biographical material on selected pro-porn feminists in adult film included, among them Spain’s Erika Lust.”
Author and erotic filmmaker Candida Royalle says that Rich Moreland has created a rich, comprehensive study of pornography feminism that is accessible to students, academics and laypersons alike.
“I’m impressed with the depth of material Moreland covers and his willingness not only to take on a subject steeped in controversy and challenge both his own long-held views as well as those of the community at large, but having done so, to come out on the side of the less-popular stance — and have the courage to say so,” Royalle stated.
“Pornography Feminism: As Powerful as She Wants to Be” is set for release in January on Zero Books, an imprint of John Hunt Publishing Ltd.
