LOS ANGELES — As social media and academia, once the greatest defenders of free speech, increasingly flex their censorship muscles to dictate what content the American public should and should not be exposed to, ABC’s "Nightline" delved into the recent porn banning efforts of Tumblr and Notre Dame students.
XBIZ Award-winning performer Abigail Mac was featured prominently in the episode, championing the rights of the adult industry and advocating sex-positivity. “I am so honored that ABC has given me a voice on their platform,” Mac told XBIZ. “The adult industry will keep pushing past boundaries set by society’s standards. I am so proud to be a positive representation of a misunderstood industry.”
During the episode, Mac said, “I do a multitude of things … I do scenes, I do movies, I do feature dancing, I have my own website, I try to stay very diversified in how I can make money,” as “Nightline” correspondent Linsey Davis commented on how Mac uses the internet to monetize and distribute content, with the help of her husband Zachary Kurtz.
“So, the possibilities are really endless with what you can do with a brand on social media,” Mac added, before “Nightline” cut to a montage of the star posing and performing, from various sources. “It takes a lot of hustle to earn a decent living in this industry.”
Davis examined how talent like Mac are lamenting the announcement that popular website Tumblr will ban adult content starting next week.
“If it’s so easy for just one day…” Mac said, snapping, “Gone! Then, it’s going to be really easy for another to be like, okay, gone too! It’s really scary to know I can just wake up tomorrow and all my social media just won’t be there.”
“Nightline” then interviewed sociologist Dr. Chauntelle Tibbals and Tumblr content creator Elle “Lady Cheeky” Chase, who discussed the ramifications of these censorship efforts, while pointing out that a 2016 study found 72 percent of Tumblr users were women — many of whom primarily consumed pornography on the platform, given its reputation as a NSFW-friendly space.
Then, University of Notre Dame senior James Martinson, who penned a letter to the editor titled “The men of Notre Dame request a porn filter,” published by the student-run Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s newspaper “The Observer,” explained his pseudo-science views on pornography’s supposed negative impact on people. “Nightline” pointed out how Notre Dame is a Catholic institution, and that Martinson’s effort has found traction with about 1,000 students, faculty and staff jumping on board.
Concluding the special report, Mac stated, “I think sex is like eating. Everybody does it, everybody experiences it in their own way … everybody has fantasies. Yes, it can be kept private, but you should be able to enjoy it how you want. No one should tell another human what they should do with their sex life, as long as they’re happy, and they’re healthy and they’re consenting adults.”
The backlash in the adult industry against Tumblr was swift, with the likes of ManyVids CEO Bella French issuing a statement, FanCentro announcing its opposition, the Free Speech Coalition addressing the issue and other companies weighing in like MiKandi, xHamster, JustFor.Fans and Xstumbl.
While lawmakers in Congress this year have grilled mainstream digital media giants like Google, Facebook and Twitter for their inconsistently applied censoring of what has essentially become the modern public square, draconian legislation like FOSTA passed with bipartisan support, underscoring the importance of sex-positive advocacy in shifting the cultural zeitgeist.
You can watch my ABC @Nightline interview here ???????? https://t.co/M7xeD1bO43???????? such an honor to be given a voice on this platform. Thank you everyone for the support. pic.twitter.com/GzgIJVI2mX
— Abigail Mac (@MsAbigailMac) December 14, 2018
