As a producer of content involving nude women in erotic poses and/or situations, I've had to think a lot about the exploitation of women (esp. since I have an advanced degree in philosophy, and ethics is something I think about a lot).
First, on the word "exploit." Exploitation has two primary meanings, but the word is often used as though it has only one. One meaning is simply a synonym for "to use," the other is "to take unfair advantage."
When you buy photography from me, you exploit me in terms of my talent for photography. In other words, you *use* my talent.
If you work for a company, your company exploits your skills, but not necessarily in a bad sense.
Likewise, when I hire a model, she is fully informed. She knows in advance what is expected, she gets to read the release before signing it, and I respect the limits she sets (although I make sure to know them before I decide to work with her). And the fact is, she is free to walk away from the situation instead of accepting it.
I work with sober girls who are old enough (according to our legal system) to make contractual and sexual decisions.
True, I make more than the model, but I'm the one with expensive equipment, I'm the one who prepares the photos for distribution, I'm the one developing business contacts, and I'm the one who is really at legal risk (I've never heard of models being thrown into jail on porn charges, just photographers and distributors of various sorts). By contrast, the model simply shows up and gives up a few hours of her time at an hourly rate she finds acceptable.
However, I understand that there are photographers and videographers who specialize in finding girls in desperate straits, who are willing to do almost anything for drug money, who are doing it under pressure from a partner (male or, sometimes I suppose, female), and this indeed is unethical. This is exploitation in the bad sense.
Sometimes, I have two models around at the same time, and I listen to them when they are talking to each other and aren't thinking that I'm there. From what they say, most of the girls I work with pose because "It's fun!" (they're exhibitionists) and also because it's a way to make in 2 or 3 hours what it'd take them 2 or 3 days to make at a low-wage job.
My point is, yes, there is exploitation of women in porn (especially in the hard-core area, where there is no real pretense that the female is looking pretty or sexy and is merely a sperm receptacle). Yes, she may have an alluring expression on her face, but we all know that this is not how women actually look when they have a cock up their butt.
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Producer of truly original teen/young woman-oriented adult content at
Wonders of the Unseen World