Remember those anti-piracy PSAs from like a decade ago, with the tagline “You wouldn’t steal a car?” The idea was that if people understood that streaming a movie from a BitTorrent site was theft in the same way as boosting a DVD from Target, they would stop doing it. Pirating may be as old as private property, but in the internet’s early days, a lot of people didn’t see digital theft as real. Or maybe they just didn’t care.
By most accounts, they still don’t. You, personally, may be able to justify illegally torrenting Twilight or a Marvel movie; these are films made by massive conglomerates, after all, and as someone who thinks theft from community-crushing corporations like Walmart is to be encouraged, I wouldn’t care enough to blame you.
But when you use a website like PornHub to view un-paywalled porn for free—especially the kind made by performers who run their own business—you’re stealing from people whose careers are deeply stigmatized and whose jobs are, if not criminalized, heavily regulated and censored by puritanical legislation designed to keep sex workers in unsafe and unfairly compensated working conditions. And don’t forget that even the small percentage of massively successful sex workers are still marginalized by whorephobia.
These days, we’re relying on escapism more than ever. For a lot of us, that includes jerking off, and that’s great! Mazel to your meat-beating. But if you like to look at porn, there’s a way to do that without stealing from workers who are trying to get by during an apocalyptic pandemic—just like you.
The details of that marginalization could fill a thousand books, though I recommend starting with Revolting Prostitutes: The Fight for Sex Workers’ Rights by Juno Mac and Molly Smith. But for even a cursory overview of what that marginalization looks like in the United States, read up on the Backpage shutdown, FOSTA/SESTA, or Section 230. Post-COVID, the problems caused by these issues have only intensified as opportunities for safe, well-compensated work have been reduced for sex workers, as they have for everyone else.
But while the world fucks over sex workers, you don’t have to. You’re better than that, right? I won’t go so far as to say that not stealing your porn is an act of solidarity, but ethical porn consumption is good for everyone. A world in which the people producing your sexy entertainment are supported and well-paid is a world in which more of us can have easy access to the content of our dirty dreams.
Go to the source
Buying directly from the person making the porn is the best and easiest way to get your jollies. Most performers advertise on Instagram, Twitter, Reddit, and other social media platforms, then make their work available across platforms and on their own websites. Subscription services like OnlyFans, JustForFans, and FanCentro are some ways to purchase porn directly from the person making it (though the platforms and credit card companies they operate with will take a cut).
While buying from big companies like Brazzers or Nasty Daddy is also an option, explore indie darlings like Four Chambers, Crash Pad, and Mondo Fetiche for that mom n’ pop variety.
Mind your manners
Maybe you’re the kind of prick who yells at the cashier, doesn’t tip 20%, or won’t wear your mask at the grocery store. If you’re not, I hope you’re applying that gorgeous home-training to all interactions with the individual sex workers supplying you with the videos, snaps, clips, Polaroids, or whatever you use to wank.
Not sure how to interact with sex workers you’re doing business with? Nervous about chatting with the pretty lady? Feeling defensive about sharing your turn-ons with the handsome man? Will they judge my fetish?
No need to overthink it: Be respectful and courteous. Don’t ask rude or intrusive questions (which means anything personal, from “What’s your real name?” to “What time do you get off?”). Don’t try to get them to provide a service they don’t offer. Don’t send unsolicited pics of your junk. And definitely don’t haggle.
Beware of credit card companies
Credit card companies are part of what makes it so much easier to steal pornographic content than to pay them for it. If you’ve never tried to pay for porn before, you may be surprised to learn how hard it is to do with plastic. Over the years, I’ve gotten calls from operators who dropped their voices to name the filthy sites where I’ve tried to buy subscriptions while confirming my purchase, or have simply had my cards canceled without appeal.
This is because purchasing porn constitutes “high-risk behavior” in the eyes of credit card companies, which are not legally obligated to take their business. American Express is known for rejecting transactions with porn companies, although this may not always be true. You might have an easier time with Discover, but when worst comes to worst, calling your credit card company to confirm the purchase may work.
Find alternate forms of payment
When all else fails, try something else. It’s easy to forget that we have other forms of currency besides credit cards. Different platforms as well as individual performers will accept different kinds of payment, including checking accounts, gift cards, cryptocurrency, Paypal, and more.
This might take a little research, so make sure to do it before you get horny. And don’t forget, it’s worth it. With a little extra work, you can have all of the fun with none of the guilt.
