As with other forms of prostitution, pornography is racist, capitalist, misogynist and, most obviously, phallocentric. In photograph after movie after “erotic story” after photograph, women, and sometimes children and men, are, above all else, penetrated. Vaginally, anally, and orally. By penises, fists, dildoes, bottles, dogs, horses, phones, and guns. Pornography represents above all else that what women exist for is to be invaded in every orifice by whatever the consumer wants to see her “pounded” with, especially his penis (e.g. Bright, 1999; Craft, 2005; Kendall, 2004; Stark and Whisnant, 2004; Stoltenberg, 1989; Stoltenberg, 1994).

       To test this, I went onto The Stag Shop’s website, which as a Canadian store, is under the Butler ruling that pornography can be deemed obscene and censored if it shows significant violence towards and objectification of women. The Stag Shop claims to be “enhancing sex-positive attitudes & sexual well-being.” It provides a representative showing of pornography which is generally considered “non-violent.” The DVD section is divided by type, including “virtual sex” with various “porn stars” and production company, and genre. The genre section is divided into: anal (intercourse, women recipients); bi (only women portrayed as bisexual); black (some references to “big black dicks” and a focus on Latina women); celebrity (such as Jenna Jameson, a woman who, despite arguing she is “liberated,” like so many others in pornography reports rape, poverty, drug addiction, etc. as well not being able to watch her own sex scenes (Levy, 2006)); classics (mainly 1970s, includes Deep Throat, a film in which the “star” was beaten, forced at gunpoint, and raped to make (Lovelace, 1980; Lovelace, 1986; MacKinnon and Dworkin, 1998)); couples (some of which try to be “woman-friendly;” most don’t bother); fetish; gay (most of which focus on sadopatriarchy and hypermasculinity); gonzo (no plot, focusing on double penetrations, ejaculating on women’s faces, seeing who can degrade women the most, etc.). Fetish is categorized into bondage, cream pie, cum swap, double penetration (simultaneous penile anal and vaginal penetration), fisting, gang bang, gape, leather, legs and feet, milfs, female ejaculation, strap ons (mostly “lesbian,” the two films about women penetrating men with strap ons describe the women as “dangerous bitches” who will usurp men, so watch out), and women swallowing ejaculate. The rest are instructional, interracial, “lesbian,” oral (fellatio only), she male, and teen. I went through these as well, but feel that to describe them as well would be superfluous. Throughout, women are described as “nasty new sluts,” “cock hungry whores,” bitches, “her ass is craving destruction,” “cum buckets,” “teen jizz junkies” and so on (The Stag Shop, 2006).

       It’s obvious to me what pornography is about: the dehumanization and harm of women. Pornography also documents prostitution, and these documents will follow the women in them the rest of their lives. Many women who have left pornography and other forms of prostitution have spoken about this (e.g. Dworkin, 1997; Lords, 2004; MacKinnon and Dworkin, 1998; Lovelace, 1986; One Angry Girl, 2007; Simonton and Smith, in Stark and Whisnant, 2004). Pornography is a form of prostitution—women are receiving payment for being recorded having “sex.”
        Wendy McElroy (2002) is able to call anti-prostitution feminists “anti-prostitute” and somehow believe it, which is similar to considering someone against child sexual abuse as anti-child, but when love means war… “Pro-sex feminists” feel free to deride radical feminists—including radical feminists who are currently or formerly prostituted (as well as ex-masochists and sadists)—for being “sex-negative” (to be accurate, sex-critical). They also discount the studies done on the trauma histories on those in prostitution (e.g. Bright, 2000; McElroy, 2002; McElroy, 2005).

       Studies have been done on those in street, escort, stripping, pornography, and brothel prostitution. Alarming statistics include: most enter prostitution before 16, between 55-90% were sexually abused as children prior to entry into prostitution, about 80% are currently or formerly homeless, between 62 and 85% have been raped while in prostitution, 75% of women in escort prostitution have attempted suicide, 67% had post-traumatic stress disorder, 75-90% is pimp-controlled, about half not in pornography have still had pornography made of them, over 90% of their views on prostitution are negative, as many as a third of prostituted people are Native. Over 90% of those in prostitution want to get out of it (e.g. Dworkin, 1997; Farley, 2003; Farley, 2007; Jeffreys, 1997; Jeffreys, 2003; Kendall, 2004; Lau, 1989; Lords, 2004; MacKinnon and Dworkin, 1998; One Angry Girl, 2007; Stark and Whisnant, 2004). One study on women in strip clubs found that 100% had experienced all of the following: physical abuse, sexual abuse, verbal harassment, and being propositioned for “prostitution” as commonly understood (i.e. for oral, vaginal, or anal intercourse) (Holsopple, 1999, in One Angry Girl, 2007).