@masterraalkivictorieux Master Ra’al Ki Victorieux
Dive into the dark realities of the porn industry with the Netflix documentary exposing exploitation and consent issues. Let’s ignite change! 🚨 #Pornhub #SexualExploitation #HumanRights #Documentary 📽️✨ https://wp.me/p3JLEZ-99o
The 2023 Netflix documentary “Money Shot: The Pornhub Story” delves deep into the complexities surrounding the intersection of human rights, sexuality, and the multibillion-dollar pornography industry. It highlights the emotional turmoil brought to light by scandals surrounding unauthorized videos, particularly those involving children. The documentary forces viewers to confront the grotesque reality of a platform that not only monetizes explicit content but does so while allegedly exploiting vulnerable individuals.
Emotional Impact of the Scandal
The revelation of child rape and unauthorized videos on Pornhub evokes an intense emotional response from the audience. For many, disgust is the primary reaction, especially when confronted with the idea that the pornography industry profits from such horrendous acts. This moral outrage is heightened by the realization that platforms like Pornhub and OnlyFans serve as financial lifelines for some sexual workers, complicating the discussion around consent and exploitation. While these workers defend the platforms as essential for their livelihoods, the documentary brings to the forefront the ethical dilemmas inherent in monetizing sexual content, especially when minors are involved.
Summary of the Plot
At the heart of the documentary is Laila Mickelwait, who spearheads the #Traffickinghub campaign. Her efforts gain traction following a powerful exposé by New York Times journalist Nicholas Kristof, titled “The Children of Pornhub.” This investigation catalyzes legal action, culminating in the trial known as “The People vs. Pornography,” which seeks accountability for the monetization of non-consensual content. The documentary highlights a crucial principle: rape is not consent, and those profiting from such acts should be brought to justice.
The documentary also reveals troubling insights into content moderation practices. Interviews with a moderator who screened an overwhelming 700 videos daily expose the inadequacies of the system. With only 30 moderators overseeing a vast array of content, the risk of overlooking critical signs of abuse is alarmingly high. Additionally, Yora Sura from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children sheds light on Pornhub as part of MindGeek, a larger corporation encompassing over 1,400 companies.
Michael Bowe, a lawyer representing 40 women bringing claims against Pornhub, adds to the discourse, expressing frustration over the judicial system. The jury’s decision to treat these trials separately raises questions regarding accountability and the fight for justice.
In response to public outcry and legal pressure, Pornhub implemented some changes:
- Only verified users are permitted to upload content.
- Downloading videos from the site is banned.
- Additional moderation efforts are enacted.
Despite the changes implemented by Pornhub, such as requiring verified users to upload content, these measures do not necessarily create a “secure” platform. Individuals can exploit the system by using fake IDs and minor hacking skills to upload “verified” content without facing any real consequences, as the verification does not effectively link the account to a genuine person. This loophole raises serious concerns about the ongoing risk of non-consensual content being shared, undermining the platform’s integrity and the safety of vulnerable individuals.
The documentary presents a general and so-so objective examination of the scandal, avoiding sensationalism. It emphasizes data and showcases diverse perspectives—from the children victimized to the sexual workers defending their rights and livelihoods.
The complexity of sexuality
In my opinion, the intersection of trauma and sexuality is a complex topic that requires sensitivity and nuance. Childhood trauma, particularly in the form of sexual abuse, can have profound effects on an individual’s relationship with their own body and their understanding of intimacy. In some cases, individuals may turn to pornography as a means of coping or surviving, perceiving it as a viable source of income when other avenues seem closed to them. Within criminology, it is recognized that victims of sexual abuse can sometimes develop a form of “brainwashing,” where they come to believe that their choices, including entering the sex industry, are made from agency and desire, rather than trauma and coercion. This phenomenon can be illustrated through concepts like Stockholm syndrome, wherein victims bond with their captors, redefining their understanding of love, control, and consent.
I believe that healthy sexuality diverges significantly from porn problematic dynamics. It does not revolve around abuse, objectification, or reducing intimate interactions to mechanical exchanges of bodily fluids. Instead, healthy sexuality is grounded in mutual respect, consent, and a genuine connection. It honors both the individual self and the chosen partner, fostering a sacred union that transcends the physical and connects to deeper spiritual levels. Sexuality can be a pathway toward greater unity—not only with oneself and one’s partner but also in a broader spiritual journey towards connection with the divine and all of creation. It emphasizes that true intimacy and respect are foundational for enriching, fulfilling relationships that contribute positively to individual well-being and societal health. You can read more about this proposal in my Kundalini Manifesto.
Working on sexual healing is crucial because being “trapped” in chains of desire can lead to a sense of enslavement, hindering our true selves from flourishing. It is essential to recognize that many women carry the wounds of their female ancestors, including traumas from periods like the Inquisition, alongside the challenges they face in contemporary life. This multifaceted journey of healing allows us to address these deep-seated issues and ultimately liberate ourselves. Respecting our bodies, which serve as our soul temples, is a fundamental aspect of this process. By engaging in sexual healing, we not only nurture our own voices and creativity but also create a supportive environment that fosters healing for others, ensuring that we illuminate our paths in bright, empowering ways.
If you are interested in take this healing journey, you are welcome to read and practice:
- Meditation to Transmute the Trauma of the Inquisition and Clean the Lower Astral
- Meditation to Heal from Sexual Abuse
- Uterus Healing Meditation
Production
Money Shot: The Pornhub Story is a March 2023 Netflix documentary about Pornhub and its parent company MindGeek (now Aylo). It was released on the streaming platform in around 65 countries. It was directed by Suzanne Hillinger, produced by Nicky Carrico and Suzane Hillinger. The music is by Kyle Scott Wilson. The production company is Jigsaw Productions.
When Netflix approached Jigsaw Productions about the film, director Suzanne Hillinger wanted to highlight sex workers’ opinions because she believed that they had been underrepresented in media coverage. Hillinger said that many figures in the pornographic industry were initially reluctant to participate. Sex workers inteviewed include Allie knox, actor Asa Akira, director Bree Mills, Cherie DeVille, Gwen Adora, Natassia Dreams, Siri Dahl, and Wolf Hudson. Cherie DeVille was skeptical but participated to present the narrative that anti-sex-trafficking groups had right-wing agendas.
Ex-Aylo employee Noelle Perdue worked as an archivist and fact-checker, as well as being interviewed. Hillinger said that many ex-Aylo employees had signed non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with the company and were “really, really scared” to participate in the documentary. Adora put Hillinger into contact with Perdue, who was “rightly suspicious” at first. In addition to being interviewed, Perdue served as an archivist and fact-checker for the documentary. She has written about sex work for newspapers including Slate, The Washington Post and Wired. As a self-described “internet porn historian”, Perdue hoped the documentary would cause viewers to feel a “sense of responsibility” and “engage further… out of curiosity instead of shame or stigma”. Perdue began as a script writer for Brazzers, an Aylo-owned production company, and moved onto writing LGBTQ stories. After becoming uncomfortable with this, she requested a move to Modelhub. She left in 2020, perceiving the company as ignoring the feedback of pornographic performers. Perdue said that Money Shot should have shown wider context of content moderation on the internet and the nature of trafficking.
Synopsis
The documentary, which presents interview footage without narration, opens with subjects recounting their first memories of watching pornography. It interviews sex workers and individuals associated with the Canadian corporation Pornhub, including former employees, journalists, and legal figures. It also shows the filming, editing, and organization involved in the work of pornographic performers Gwen Adora and Siri Dahl.
Pornhub began as a free tube site to watch pirated content, comparable to LimeWire for music or The Pirate Bay for movies. It was founded by three Concordia University students and sold to Fabian Thylmann of Aylo, a data company, in 2010. After Thylmann was convicted of tax evasion, Pornhub and Aylo came under the control of Feras Antoon and David Tassillo and investor Bernd Bergmair. Pornhub gained traction through search engine optimization (SEO) and turned a profit through advertisements and promotions. However, pornographic performers were unable to monetize their content on the website until the Modelhub feature in 2018.
A civil lawsuit against Pornhub has 30 plaintiffs; it is led by lawyer Michael Bowe. The plaintiffs state that the company is complicit in non-consensual pornography that featured them, including revenge porn, videos of rape, and videos of child sexual abuse. Bowe accuses Pornhub of racketeering. On this subject, Dani Pinter, a representative of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE), criticizes child sexual exploitation on Pornhub.
The topic of child pornography victims is the subject of a 2020 article for The New York Times by Nicholas Kristof: “The Children of Pornhub”. Around the same time, the Christian non-profit Exodus Cry led a campaign, ‘#Traffickinghub’, that opposed sex trafficking content on Pornhub. Sex workers in the documentary characterize Exodus Cry as a far-right organization founded by an Evangelical preacher, whose mission is to end all sex work. They say a similar thing of NCOSE, which was formerly called Morality in Media.
Kristof’s article and Exodus Cry’s campaign led Mastercard and Visa to disallow payment processing with the company and caused Pornhub to ban uploads by unverified users. Kristof’s article had suggested three changes to Pornhub: require user verification, prevent user download, and increase content moderation. Dahl said these were “insanely reasonable” measures that sex workers favored. However, according to Michael Stabile, most of Pornhub’s income came from banner ads and so the credit card company boycotts primarily affected individual performers.
A hearing of the Parliament of Canada investigates non-consensual content on Pornhub. Evidence is presented that, though Aylo cooperates with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) to remove non-consensual content, content moderators have been expected to view at least 700 flagged videos per day—more than they can properly investigate. Stabile notes that, shortly after his location was mentioned in the Parliament of Canada, Aylo CEO Feras Antoon’s mansion was burned down, although the culprit and motive are not known.
Noelle Perdue criticizes Aylo, for whom she worked as a pornographic script writer, producer, and recruiter for three years. She says that not all Pornhub executives were aware of the U.S. bill FOSTA-SESTA (2018), which affected legal sex workers. Additionally, sex workers raise issues they face from other internet companies. For example, in October 2021, OnlyFans said that it would prohibit pornographic material. Adora says this left pornographic actors like her in financially insecure positions. Dahl comments that website censorship is an issue for sex workers: their accounts on Instagram can be shadow banned even if no sexual material is posted, and sites like OnlyFans ban words associated with consensual sexual activity, such as “pegging”. Allie Knox describes that changes to Craigslist increased danger to sex workers while making child traffickers harder to identify.
Reception
Netflix stated that in its first week, starting March 15, 2023, Money Shot was streamed for 13 million hours; it was the fourth-most-watched film on the platform. It reached the top ten in each country it was available in.
Adora’s Instagram account was suspended on the day that Money Shot premiered and Hillinger’s was suspended one week later.
MindGeek announced its renaming to Aylo in August 2023.
According to Rotten Tomatoes, most reviews of the documentary were positive. However, reviewers were divided on many topics, including the message, provenance, and pacing. Some critics called it neutral, but others saw it as pro-sex work. The focus on anti-sex-trafficking organizations’ political aims was generally seen as a strength, but some reviews criticized the interviews as lacking depth and a viewpoint. Other reviewers concluded that Pornhub’s content moderation was lacking and that there are issues with the concentration of money and power in the industry.
Some reviewers criticized the documentary’s narrative and scope. The Daily Beast’s Nick Schager and News24’s Gabi Zietsman felt there was a lack of investigative journalism and that subjects were not covered in sufficient depth. Similarly, in The Indian Express, Rohan Naahar criticized the “loose narrative”. Lucy Ford wrote in GQ that the scope was too broad. In a review for Jezebel, however, Rich Juzwiak wrote that it “excels at teasing out the nuances” of the topic. Barry Hertz suggested in The Globe and Mail that it was too slow-paced. Noel Murray of Los Angeles Times thought its runtime was too short, but that it contained irrelevant sexually explicit content. However, reviewers largely found the tone unsalacious and Schager criticised the film for misleadingly depicting pornography as largely softcore.
Various comments were made on the overall message of the documentary. The title is a pun, referring both to Pornhub’s revenue streams and a cum shot in pornography. Ford lauded the decision to open with “the deeply unsexy reality” of Pornhub’s use of data and advertising and the logistics of producing and editing sexual material. Ford suggested that the documentary’s message is that pornography is a “capitalist monopoly” dictated by economic factors. Polygon’s Katie Rife saw it to have a persuasive opposition to the concentration of unaccountable power in the hands of “tech bros and venture capitalists”. Naahar believed, on the other hand, that the documentary has “absolutely nothing new to contribute”: he found it obvious that Pornhub had engaged in unethical behaviors, sex workers became “collateral damage”, and the company’s “damage control” was not virtuous. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian wrote that a more interesting, unexplored question is whether Pornhub—and non-pornographic websites—are publishers or platforms, and what responsibility they have for content that they host.
Critics differed on the matter of neutrality. Critics such as Zietsman and Variety’s Owen Gleiberman viewed the film as neutral, the latter praising the “no-fuss journalistic evenhandedness”. Murray approved its perspective as “thoughtful”, despite the complicated topic. Hertz believed its neutrality was a negative, as it suffered from unresolved tension between the opposing views it presents. Zietsman commented that the documentary devoted most of its screen time to adult industry workers. Bradshaw believed the documentary presented these workers as “creative entrepreneurs and heroes of consenting sensuality”. Rife said that, in the context of a longstanding clash of feminist views on pornography, it centered the underrepresented views of sex workers. Juzwiak wrote that industry workers are given a chance to explain the effects of anti-sex-trafficking measures on their lives and Pornhub was scrutinized for “grossly inadequate” content moderation.
On the subject of anti-sex-trafficking campaigners, Rife wrote that the documentary takes a “bold stance”: the campaigners overstate the prevalence of child sexual abuse material on Pornhub. Gleiberman said that documentary gives “detached and sobering” analysis of the campaigners claims. Juzwiak opined that the documentary succeeds in showing that “anti-sex operatives” are capitalizing on a legitimate backlash to sexual exploitation with a “narratively compelling” reveal of NCOSE’s political agenda, albeit one that “somewhat confuses the message”. As well as Juzwiak, Schager was critical of Pinter’s commentary on behalf of NCOSE. The lack of contributions from current Pornhub employees or anti-Pornhub campaigners was criticized by Naahar. Similarly, it was conspicuous to Bradshaw that Exodus Cry’s Laila Mickelwait was not interviewed.
The Importance of the Documentary
The documentary serves a pivotal role in exposing the “cloaca” of the pornography industry, encouraging society to confront uncomfortable truths for the sake of protecting victims. While pornography constitutes a worldwide billion-dollar industry, the need to impose constraints on harmful social fantasies is critical. By maintaining an informative tone and minimizing emotional dramatization, the documentary bridges the gap between sensationalism and genuine concern.
Though the viewership of social justice documentaries pales in comparison to that of pornography, every effort counts in striving for a more just society. We must amplify our commitment to educating the public and protecting vulnerable populations, particularly children and women, against exploitation in all forms.
In conclusion, the nuanced exploration of pornography in this documentary acts as a catalyst for critical social conversations, urging viewers to recognize their responsibility in creating a more ethical and protective environment for victims of sexual exploitation.
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