Oprah talks porn

After reading this article by Sarah Estrella, National Sex and Relationships Examiner, about November 17, 2009’s Oprah on women and pornography I set my DVR to record.

Having not yet watched the show and knowing only the topic and Ms. Estrella’s article I have a few predictions:

• Oprah and the audience will be “surprised” by the amount of money the porn industry generates, and will feign shock at how much of that income comes from women.

• Violet Blue, San Francisco Chronicle sex columnist, will talk about porn made for women and will name a few of her favorite porn directors, including Eon McKai, whose work women seem to appreciate.

• Jenna Jamison will seem very poised and businesslike when she reminds Oprah and the audience that women are empowered by porn because it allows them to live out their fantasies.

• Lisa Ling will be very serious and won’t giggle when Oprah and the audience attempt to stifle chuckles.

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Oprah’s “Why Millions of Women are Using Porn and Erotica: Lisa Ling Reports” had absolutely no new information. Jenna Jameson and the fact that she is “the world’s most famous porn star” was the focal point of the episode. That, and that one out of three women consume porn, a statistic based on Internet usage in 2007.

Lisa Ling’s focus was on the production of pornographic content so she spent her time talking to porn producers and talent, not consumers. While sitting with Oprah she revealed that female talent makes significantly more money than male talent, a fact that has been understood for decades.

Oprah talked to an owner of a high-end sex boutique and Violet Blue via Skype. Ms. Blue defined erotica as more layered than porn, and asserted that erotica can be as important to a woman as her vibrator, the mention of which seemed to make Oprah uncomfortable.  Perhaps Oprah was just surprised by Ms. Blue's statement, because the subject of vibrators has been discussed on the show by Laura Berman, Ph.D., on a number of occasions.

However, what it truly important is whether my predictions were right:

• Oprah repeated the one out of three statistic several times, and suggested to her audience that if they weren’t consuming porn then the women sitting next to them were. While guesses as to how much money women spend on porn were not made, the implication was definitely that there are more women than we think consuming porn. I’m giving myself this one.

• Ms. Blue did not name any porn directors other than the guest of honor, Ms. Jameson, but Oprah referred to her article in O Magazine – where she named directors and movies that appeal to women – on a number of occasions. I was wrong.

• Jenna Jameson talked about changing the adult film industry apparently single-handedly, and being a business woman who has made a lot of money which has allowed her to retire early. She said, “Inside every woman there’s a little Jenna Jameson” and said porn allows women to feel utterly desired by their partners. I think I got this one right.

• Lisa Ling was definitely serious and said she found it disturbing that young women think pornography is a viable career choice. The audience for this show was barely featured except when Oprah asked – twice – if they had heard of Jenna Jameson prior to the day of the taping. I’ll take a half point for this one.

Overall, the subject of the show was Jenna Jameson, not porn production or consumption.  However, talking about porn in a way that is not completely negative is definitely better than the alternative.

For more information:  Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation, which Ms. Ling mentioned on the show.