Oprah: 'Why millions of women are using porn and erotica'

Jenna Jameson on Oprah Winfrey: 'Why millions of women are using porn'

Talk about must-see TV: Today ABC airs the much anticipated Oprah Winfrey episode with Lisa Ling's report on women, erotica, and pornography, featuring former adult film star Jenna Jameson and sex columnist/erotica editor Violet Blue, as well as industry leaders like Vivid Entertainment's Steve Hirsch, who estimates that 30 to 40 percent of today's market for adult entertainment is female.

The episode airs this afternoon on ABC and Oprah.com has a preview of the segment up now: Why Millions of Women Are Using Porn and Erotica: Lisa Ling Reports

Not so long ago, many people treated pornography like a dirty little secret. Adult movies were kept in video stores' back rooms or sold in seedy sex shops. Erotic books, magazines and toys were created with men in mind, and women were largely ignored…unless they were nude.

But times are changing. As the Internet gained popularity, pornography found its way into more and more homes. Now, Americans spend up to $10 billion a year on porn, and men aren't the only ones supporting this highly profitable industry.

"Something's going on in bedrooms across America," Oprah says. "It has been reported that 1 in 3 consumers of online porn in our country are now women."

My Twitter pal Violet Blue – author of The Smart Girl's Guide to Porn, Open Source Sex columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, and editor of a lot of my favorite erotica anthologies from Cleis Press, including the brand new Best Women's Erotica 2010 – has the strongest segment in the report:

Once you find what you like, Violet says it can benefit you and your sexual partner. "I think every woman desires to be that projected fantasy of the porn star for their lover," she says. "They like the idea of being the most desired, most satisfied woman on the planet—a woman who's getting what she wants. And they want to share those experiences with their partner."

Also featured in the report: Kari Kriser, proprietor of Chicago's upscale G Boutique, who provides a Beginners Guide to Erotica and says,

"We all need that sexual part of our lives, and for so long, we felt embarrassed about it," she says. "I think that now that it's beginning to be a little bit more acceptable, we're really taking advantage of it and having fun with it. … Whether you're married and just trying to spice up your life or you're more experienced with it, I mean, there should be something for everybody."