Honestly? Apparently, not many. I’ve been waiting and waiting for links, but I give up…
On February 25th, I moderated a panel that I helped coordinate with Sssh.com and XBIZ — “Consent in Porn: Debunking Myths and Managing Realities.” You can read about it here. And you can watch the entire event here:
Media interest in this event was high. After a panel, that existed as a blurb on an online schedule only, was canceled in January 2016, the interwebs exploded with think pieces and commentary. Talks of missed opportunities and irresponsibility abounded. And those pieces, though often woefully clueless re the inner workings of porn, were right — it was irresponsible and naive (at best) to 1) attempt to “organize” such a panel as it was done in context, and 2) cancel it when the freight train got out of control.
I digress.
For various reasons, a discussion amongst and between a very diverse and informed group of industry insiders was arranged as a consequence. But — and perhaps this is *me* being naive — post-coverage of the event was all but nil. Only two major mainstream media outlets bothered, Vocativ and VICE/Broadly, in spite of rampant interest from reporters and writers at Fxxxxx, UXXXXX, Mxx, HxxxPx, and many more, all allegedly foaming at the mouth to talk about workers’ rights on set.
Why? Why did we only see commentary from Vocativ, whose contribution involved thorough interviewing of panelists in advance of the event, and Broadly/VICE, who actually sent a reporter to the event?
I know why. It was because, at least in part, the panelists’ experiences did not coincide with the “victim” narrative the mainstream likes to tout. In my view, the panelists discussed ins and outs that also included being personally informed and responsible — this was a no no. So apparently it was better to just ignore it.
Here’s Vocativ’s coverage: “Consent In Porn: It Takes A Village To Keep Performers Safe” (February 26, 2016)
…and here is VICE/Broadly’s coverage: “What Does Consent on a Porn Set Look Like?” (March 6, 2016)
But what you should really do is watch the event for yourself — because people do care and people should know.
(pictured: debunking myths via VICE/Broadly)
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