Principles of Lust: A Feminist Porn Perspective on Contemporary Macho, Future of Porn and its Ever Present influence on Fashion and Style
Erika Lust is a filmmaker, writer, and blogger based in Barcelona. Born in 1977 in Sweden, she studied political sciences, feminism, and sexuality. Tired of chauvinistic and tacky mainstream porn, she burst into the adult film industry in 2004, with the indie short film ‘The Good Girl — a humorous statement of principles.’ The immediate success of this first attempt encouraged her to pursue a film career. Besides the ‘XConfessions ‘series, Erika has directed four multi-award-winning features: Five Hot Stories For Her, Barcelona Sex Project, Life Love Lust, and Cabaret Desire. Last year she gave her “It’s Time for Porn to Change” talk at ‘TEDxVienna’, which gained her notoriety for her campaign to change porn. She defends the need of having women behind the camera in all key positions. Her female characters are sex-positive, powerful and active, and captured within films that embody sexually intelligent narratives with relatable characters and realistic hot sex.
LF: Hanna Rosin in her now infamous book had declared the ‘End of Men’ — is that true — or does the stereotypical old school macho man still exist? As a director of Female-led porn, how do you see your male characters in that context?
Lust: From my point of view yes, the man still exists. In Barcelona, where I live, in Europe, in Africa, in South America and in many social circles where gender issues aren’t in the spotlight. Rosin’s book is interesting but I found its references a bit self-centered, or belonging to one very specific angle that doesn’t reflect reality. I am actually surprised about the ‘patriarchy is dead’ statement when there is still so much to do. I see the change happening but there is still a long way to go. When it comes to my films, I’ll continue putting my efforts in representing my male characters as human beings. My goal here is to give women the ability to be strong and have a voice, which doesn’t mean I have to make all men vulnerable or weak.
“Rosin’s book is interesting but I found its references a bit self-centered, or belonging to a one very specific angle that doesn’t reflect reality. I am actually surprised about the ‘patriarchy is dead’ statement when there is still so much to do.”
LF: In your movies, which character (male or female) has personified ‘macho’ the most? What in your opinion made him/her macho?
Lust: Hmmm. I’ll start by saying that I don’t think you could call a woman ‘macho’. What defines machismo is the sense of being manly and the strong sense of masculine pride, putting large value on characteristics culturally associated with the masculine and historically denigrating the ‘feminine’ characteristics. This denigration of femininity is intrinsic to being macho, and the result is that being a woman is the worst thing you can be. So no, I can’t think of a character in my movies that could represent that word. Moreover, at this point it might be necessary to highlight something: while expressing masculinity shouldn’t be a problem, the need of denigrating females to express masculinity is a big problem. It is unhealthy, dangerous, and wrong.
LF: Which famous personality or fictional character in your opinion defines the contemporary macho man — what makes him macho?
Lust: A mainstream porn man wouldn’t be too far away from the dream of macho. He’s a male dream about masculinity, he’s got muscles, he is in power and gets what he wants despite of the world. But you can get macho men who do not think they are macho, who might even call themselves feminist but then abide to sexist codes, like interrupting women, not listening to women, only addressing males at parties or negotiations, etc. In real life we had a very clear example of a contemporary macho man action when Mr. Trump criticized Megyn Kelly’s tough question in an interview using her periods as an argument.
“My goal here is to give women the ability to be strong and have a voice, which doesn’t mean I have to make all men vulnerable or weak.”
LF: Do you think porn reflects society and culture accurately and does it influence masculinity and how males see themselves?
Lust: First we need to have it clear in our heads that ‘porn’ is a very varied universe, no longer composed by ‘Penthouse’ and ‘Playboy’ only. That said, the representations of females in the history of mainstream porn have been far from fair. That’s something that reflects a true state in society — patriarchy. One can also think of these unfair representations not as a reflection, but rather a fantasy, an expression of the will to dominate and have power or to hold on to power. Whether it influences masculinity? I would say so. But I want to bring attention to the fact that, just like other social spheres are changing and becoming more diverse, the same happening to the adult world. It is being filled with multiple voices and this is wonderful. Our fight is to be able to give those who like onscreen sex a chance to live their sexuality freely, without hurting or depreciating anyone. And hopefully, make this a tool to influence people, but for the good.
LF: There is always a recurrent influence of porn on fashion aesthetics, what in your opinion makes for this bond between porn and fashion, and how do you see this relationship develop in the future and in your work?
Lust: The high fashion industry has questionable social conscience. Just like they appropriate and steal bits from cultures they find appealing without considering the offense they might cause, they also appropriate pornographic imagery. They need to sell more and more and trick you to believe you really need what they’re selling. Consumption shapes how the world sees you, right? For instance, do you remember that ‘Dolce & Gabbana’ ad from 2007 that looked like a gang rape? I don’t believe in censorship but I think companies, and everyone, have a responsibility to not promote rape culture. I found it shocking, irresponsible and in extremely poor taste. It contained the codes of a common mainstream porn scene — joyless, the woman looking passive, and even drugged, and the guys standing over her with blank, eerie impressions on their faces. That’s a sign of pornography seeping into fashion. Of course, there are the socially responsible fashion industry and the sustainable fashion designers and producers, and I’m obviously not referring to them.
LF: Where does Porn ‘fit in’ in the larger realm of Pop Culture?
Lust: In so many places and in so many ways. There is the visual appeal, the sexual stimulation, and the presence of porn in our private life. People filming their sexual experiences and sharing it with the world, or ‘sending nudes’ on ‘Snapchat’. Some say that we need to stop the porn culture as it is destroying our concepts of sex and love. I see it as a little more complex than that. It is destroying our concepts, which can be turn out to be a good thing. Do I agree with mainstream pornography as it is now? Of course not! That’s why I’m working to change it.
LF: Whereas the hairy male chest was once considered ‘macho’, the male has gotten more and more hairless — why do you think that is?
Lust: Has he? I haven’t noticed. I might see it more of a result of the beauty aesthetics of this decade than of the ‘macho’ concept itself. Apple design, electronic music… you see, minimalism is a trend. Now, if you want to talk about mainstream porn, then yes, hair and body sounds are never in there. And hair and body trends are a lot more forgiving towards men. Like the ‘dad bod’-thing — that wouldn’t have happened with ‘mom bod’ would it? Or a ‘MILF’, which is a completely different thing with nothing to do with the realistic bodies of most mothers.
LF: From John Wayne to Arnold Schwarzenegger to Mark Wahlberg, the Hollywood macho has changed a lot over the decades — do you think contemporary macho is a positive one? What do you think still needs to change?
Lust: Contemporary macho isn’t good enough. Hollywood is still massively macho. Yes, it needs to change. Sometimes I go to the cinema and every film they’re showing is an action film or a male superhero film. Besides sending out the message ‘women’s stories are not worth telling’, it is boring. What needs to be changed? Women need more voice. And moreover, women need to be listened to without having to deal with this charity look that usually comes as a ‘bonus’.
LF: There have been countless categories that have come up in porn with the advent of the Internet; do you try to work within certain categories? Are there some ‘no go’ categories?
Lust: Anything non-consensual is obviously a no-go, nor anything illegal. I don’t shy away from categories like BDSM or anal… I don’t think there is anything right or wrong in sex as long as it’s consensual. Sometimes people consent to partake in films things that are meant to look non-consensual — and I definitely don’t want to portray anything like that. Power play is one thing, but I have no interest in blurring lines regarding consensuality.
LF: Which categories excite you more as a filmmaker — why do you think they are more important and relevant today?
“I don’t think there is anything right or wrong in sex as long as it’s consensual.”
Lust: I don’t really think of adult content in terms of categories that much. I’m looking for something else, a real spark and a connection between the performers for instance. That is more important than the category. I’ve done short films that would fit into categories like foot fetish or BDSM, but the main thing for me is that the scenario is something that excites the performers, and that results in something beautiful and pleasant to watch.
LF: What do you make of the rise of amateur porn and people uploading their nude selfies and videos on ‘Tumblr’? How do you see it influence porn? Is it here to stay? And what do you see it evolve into in the future?
Lust: I love ‘Tumblr’ erotica. I have a few favorites! I think it’s great that people can create their own spaces in which they can express their creativity and sexuality. There’s always the danger of people being taken advantage of online, but I’m feeling more positive than horrified about technology. You have to take the good with the bad — I feel like many adults shriek at the thoughts of selfie-sticks and cyberbullying, but forget to think about how the internet and social media also allows young people to educate themselves, empower themselves and support each other. And, they have the chance to see alternative sexual imagery online in a way that wasn’t as possible when I was their age. So even though it can seem daunting that ‘Porntube’ etc. are so easily available, I also think ‘Tumblr’ and similar platforms can allow people to see and show something different from the porn norm, something that resonates with them and their actual lives.
LF: Orientations like homosexuality, and now to a lot of extent bisexuality are getting their share of publicity, however, pan-sexuality is still dismissed in comparison and not taken seriously — why do you think that is?
Lust: I think it comes from a moralization regarding sexuality and sex, and also new terms confuse some people’s ability to quickly categorize other people into little boxes. That also messes with their own sense of identity, and a version of the world that they have invested in. They want to think something is always either/or, man/woman, black/white, and so on. Changes can take time.
LF: Is the porn industry or Pop culture, in general, depicting enough pan-sexuality — why or why not? Is it a subject that interests you?
Lust: Yes, it is something that interests me! In general, pop-culture finds it quite hard to move away from the cis-normative and hetero-normative narratives. Again, Hollywood is very macho, so is the music industry. I’m happy to see young people move away from gender stereotypes and declare themselves genderless/fluid and so on… they are informed and can easier see the madness in the little boxes we have made up for everyone.
LF: Generally, the submissive and bottom male is considered less masculine however with terms like ‘power bottom’ getting more common do you think this concept still holds true?
Lust: I think as conversations about sex become more open then understanding grows about the desire to be dominant or submissive. Of course, you can be submissive sexually and still be strong. It is a very mistaken notion, that people who like to be dominated in bed, like to be dominated in other areas of life.
“I’m happy to see young people move away from gender stereotypes and declare themselves genderless/fluid and so on… they are informed and can easier see the madness in the little boxes we have made up for everyone.”
LF: What do you credit to, the rise of strap-on sex, cuckoldry, and role reversal amongst couples? Is it a fad or will it eventually become part of the mainstream? How do you think that affects masculinity?
Lust: I hope masculinity will flourish in a direction that doesn’t need to denigrate women in order to be ‘masculine’. That’s the only way I can see sex accessories affecting masculinity, because, well, they shouldn’t. You can fantasize about being a woman having sex with a guy without that having to threaten your masculinity. Is a matter of confidence and self-respect. It’s good if people expand their horizons if they want to. When you fantasize about sex, are you always the man? If you’re a woman, are you always the woman? We tend to shift shapes in our fantasies. But people have always played sex-games; it’s not like our generation invented sex!
LF: Similarly, a growing number of women are getting turned on by the idea of watching male on male porn — why do you think that is? Do you think that comes back to what Hanna Rosin was suggesting?
Lust: Because women like to watch men. And gay porn often pays attention to cute boys, something that mainstream porn doesn’t really do. Women tend to like to watch both men and women, something that mainstream porn doesn’t really allow. It’s all about the female body, yet nothing about the woman, nothing about the woman at all. With male-on-male porn, a woman is allowed to watch the male form without the repetitive codes and tiring power tropes of guy-on-girl films.
LF: What’s next for you — How do you see your work developing in the coming years?
Lust: It’s great to see that adult cinema is getting more openly talked about. This autumn I visited both the ‘Raindance Festival’ in London and ‘Chicago International Film Festival’, to screen XConfessions and to talk about explicit films. I think we’re seeing some stigmas shift regarding sex on film. And that excites me! When it comes to technology, I never thought I would be able to do something like XConfessions, where the viewers are an essential part of the creative process. Who knows where the future will take me next?
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