I recently received a query from writer Ram Gilboa. Gilboa was working on an article about fauxcest adult content for Mako.co.

Mako.co is an Israeli news and entertainment portal owned and operated by Keshet Media Group. It offers video-on-demand content from Keshet shows, as well as news, comedy, and music programming — awesome!

For whatever reason, I was having a challenging time getting the text from Gilboa’s article to work in Google Translate, but the final article (published January 10) is here for your exploring/enjoyment. As per usual, my correspondence with the writer is below, also for your exploring/enjoyment!

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Ram Gilboa: My first question is – I just learned about the popularity of this genre recently – what the hell? Where did this come from? Is this normal?

DrCT: When it comes to sexual desire, “normal” isn’t really the issue. The human sexual experience is widely varied, and desire comes in all forms. Some themes or preferences may occur more frequently (or less) than others, but — as long as consent is involved — all desires are valid and “normal.” 

RG: In your experience, what type of people look for these movies? Is the appeal straightforward – they have fantasies about family members – or is it something more subtle than that? 

DrCT: There is no data describing who is looking for fauxcest content, and even then – just searching for something or even watching it isn’t really indicative of anything.

Some important things to note regarding fauxcest include – fauxcest is different from incest, which is something that’s very rarely touched upon in US-produced professional adult content. Fauxcest is indicated in a variety of ways in porn. The titling, disclaimers at the beginning of a film or scene, the story line itself, and/or the fact that the performers are not at all related all function to convey to viewers that there what they are watching is fantasy content only.

Regarding fantasy itself, the taboo nature of fauxcest fantasies is certainly one of the reasons why the genre is very popular. Sexual titillation is often enhanced by feelings of rule breaking or taboos, and this phenomenon is factors into penchants for fauxcest porn.

RG: Does it differ for men and women?

DrCT: Viewing patterns for adult content seem to differ between women and men in general, so I would imagine the viewing patterns vary in regards to fauxcest as well.

RG: Do a lot of actor still refuse to take these parts?

DrCT: I have heard of some performers refusing to take part in fauxcest roles and/or being less than pleased when they find out a scene that they had done is being marketed as a fauxcest scene. This is something that happens with all genres though – people to not necessarily want to take all roles or connect with all current marketing trends. This is not unique to fauxcest, or even to porn.

RG: Do you have any theories as for the root for this newfound popularity? Is it really all just “Game of Thrones”?

DrCT: Interestingly, “GoT” showcases a version of fauxcest that’s more extreme than what you see in any porn. Though we know the actors are not related to one another, the Lanister storyline in “GoT” never even attempts to back away from a flat out brother/sister incestuous relationship (and resulting children). 

But attributing the popularity of fauxcest porn to an incestuous fauxcest storyline in a television program is a bit of an overreach. The popularity of fauxcest porn is rooted more in taboo than it is in television. (Se my previous comments on this.) 

RG: I understand fauxcest got quite darker in the past few years – is that true?

DrCT: There are some studios and producers who are definitely creating some more intense fauxcest content is recent years – intense in terms of themes, not necessarily sex performance – this is true. I expect this, again, ties into our human fascination with sexual titillation enhanced by taboo.

RG: Do you think these type of films can provide a safe outlet for individuals who would otherwise might have been drawn to real incest? Is the other way around true – do you believe it might promote real sexual incestuous violence?

DrCT: Content serving as a proxy preventing individuals from acting out on non-consensual impulses or proclivities is certainly a possibility. But again, because the media makes it clear the content is, in fact, fantasy explorations of taboos, I don’t think a direct relationship can be drawn between preventing impulses (or initiating them, for that matter). Sexuality, including forms of sexual expression that we have defined socially as taboo, is far more complicated than just a little bit of porn.

NB: I skipped the following questions, both also written by Gilboa.

Skipped 1. Some might say that performing these kind of roles might affect some actors emotional and mental status – in your experience, is that true? Do they tend to come from a different background than the usual porn actor?

Skipped 2. Do you draw a line between step-family story lines and biological family? Incest and Fauxcest porn? Or is it the same for you?

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