Every once in a while a porn website will contact my day job pitching a joint marketing venture.
The response is always a hard pass, and I feel bad about it afterwards because I like to think myself a progressive dirtbag, I mean I live in California, spending most of my time in the Bay area, where weird is normal.
It also gets weird when the porn company reps call me a prude. They love saying, "Well, here are the numbers we do, here is where the cultural zeitgeist is, people are getting more comfortable with their sexuality, and you all are being prudes. In response I say something like, "Yeah, I agree with a lot of what you are saying, and I agree that our markets intersect. But now is not the time, let's table this and stay in touch for future opportunities."
I say that and believe it. I believe it because... Look... I jack my dick to porn, always have. I will never deny that. I don't believe there is anything wrong with it. But here is the kicker, thanks to all that first hand experience as their target demo I know exactly how far down the rabbit hole goes. And it gets dark. It is currently out of any companies ability to control how far down that hole any one person goes.
I used to hear the same arguments when I was in the independent pharmaceutical field. People said "What's wrong with drugs? Why don't we just make it all ok and have people make up their own minds." And to that I would shake my head and laugh, because legal or not it's already ok, we are getting paid hand over fist because they don't. #BLESSED.
The problem is advocating something we all know will consume some people, make one small mistake they can't take back while engaging in it, and it will fuck up their whole lives. Iv'e seen it close up my whole life. The atrophy, the loss of control, and you want to make that like grabbing a snickers? Nah.
The seller and the buyer chose this life independent of a marketing push. Lol, nah j/k, drugs and sex are the most highly marketed things in this waking life outside of war. Just have different purchase portals.
When it comes to porn (get it?) I'm not thinking about the end user. I'm thinking about that poor girl or guy that sees porn being marketed as safe, humane, and just a good old fashioned all around fun thing with no hard consequences (get it?). That dummy is going to bite into the apple, and our gaming target demo are kids right in the mistake sweet spot.
They are gong to answer that Craigslist ad looking for "models," they are going to end up scared in an enclosed space avoiding direct eye contact with a director, a cameraman, a few other "actors," all emanating this uncomfortable vibe. The door will close, and from there anyone with an internet connection can watch what happens next, forever.
Their high school principal can watch, their prospective employers can watch, their parents can watch, their future love, who had no idea they were that at one time in their life can watch. The idea that I helped them make an ill advised decision because of a funny marketing campaign or an event where they saw only the fleeting glamour and attention is something I can't in good conscience condone or let loose on my vertical the moment.
Not until I run into a porn site militantly dedicated to protecting the people they feature. Playboy would be cool, I hear they don't do naked anymore actually... Hmm, don't know how I feel about that. PornHub is close, but not anywhere near close enough.
Maybe I am a hypocrite, but I'm a hypocrite that can sleep at night.
Anyway, I hope information doesn't get butt hurt over this. It's just, like, my opinion man... and iv'e told you to your face, it ain't duck season. And if anyone is wondering, my favorite tab is naughty teacher and a little bit of Scat. Also JERBZ.
The Protoculture Mixtape : Issue : People : Come as you are
