Harms of production: theorising pornography as a form of prostitution

Abstract

Synopsis Traditionally recognised forms of prostitution (such as brothel, street and escort prostitution) tend to be seen, in both popular culture and in law, as separate from pornography. The pornography industry is often represented as a less harmful and more glamorous part of the sex industry. These representations, coupled with academic debates that have typically focused on the consumption rather than the production of pornography, have resulted in some of the harms of pornography being obscured. It is argued here that commercial pornography should be understood as prostitution and, potentially, as a form of prostitution carrying specific and additional harms. This may offer useful ways forward for feminist analyses of the harms of pornography.