Framing the DebateWe are undeniably in an accessible age, whether it’s worldwide news at the tips of our fingers or our favourite TV show being just a streaming site away. Again, this is brilliant for all the brilliant reasons but alarming for so many more. A very clear controversial element of this is evident in the "internetification" of pornography, or sites that spin it on its head, like OnlyFans. It’s brilliantlful and alarmingly clear that humans have access to more than ever before now.
The rise of OnlyFans and exclusive content platforms alike is something we’ve all been exposed to whether we wanted to be or not, and lesbian XXX videos its success has sparked conversations that span complete opposite ends of the spectrum. One argument that I see come up several times, with no center surface genuinely, is whether women in the adult entertainment industry can be considered feminis definitelyts or not.
Upon consideration, my immediate answer was, "Yes, of course they should be." However, as I scrolled through the discourse, I found that my opinion had been not well-favoured. In fact, it has sparked considerable anger among feminists who feel that simply labelling it as empowering is a step back for women.
While there are compelling arguments on both sides, it’s important to address the information fairly and make a well-informed conclusion of your own.
Defining Empowerment & AgencyTo vehemently defend either end of the argument, it’s important to ask: What exactly constitutes female empowerment and agency? Ultimately, it’s this ambiguity that fuels disparity among feminists. While the Cambridge Dictionary defines empowerment as "the process of gaining freedom and power to do what you want or to control what happens to you" and agency as "the ability to take action or to choose what action to take," these concepts can’t be confined to a simple, linear framework in feminism.
For example, sex-positive feminism argues that owning and expressing your sexuality without shame is the ultimate form of agency and that empowerment means having bodily autonomy, which is the freedom to choose without judgment what you do with your body.
Meanwhile, French existentialist philosopher, writer, and feminist Simone de Beauvoir framed empowerment as individual self-creation, breaking free from society’s boxes to define who you are. She explained in The 2nd Intercourse once, "One is not born, but becomes rather, a woman," underscoring her belief that femininity, including sexual objectification, will be a societal construct.
Unpacking Feminist CritiquesSimone de Beauvoir’s existentialist feminism consistently asserts that women must resist being defined by patriarchal norms and instead create their own meaning. Her ideas resonate in the discourse surrounding women in the adult entertainment industry, where the prevailing consensus appears to be that women are trapped by rules that prioritize and cater to male desires.