What does it mean to be “honest” about porn and the nature of the porn industry?

Is it true that, over the history of porn production, some terrible things have happened on porn sets? There’s no question in my mind this is true, although not nearly as widespread and commonplace as some of the industry’s critics insist.

Is it also true there are studios and producers who conduct themselves professionally, respect the performing talent they retain and treat them accordingly? Absolutely, this is true. I can name several directors about whom I’ve never heard a single bad word spoken, either by a performer or the studios that fund the work they film. Performers love working for these directors and those who put up the money love employing them, because it’s generally a drama- and worry-free experience for all involved.

In a recent interview with Refinery29, Hot Girls Wanted producer Rashida Jones was asked to reveal her current feelings about pornography. Given the generally negative posture of her documentary on the subject, Jones’ response was more measured than I expected.

“I think porn has incredible cultural influence, but we know so little about how it works and how it impacts us,” she said. “This country suffers from the tension between puritanical values and a major obsession with online porn, and it’s time to talk about it.”

Sounds reasonable to me. Whether one’s view of porn is positive, negative or indifferent, there’s no harm in having a conversation about the stuff, right?

“I would love to see workers’ rights and protection for all women who work within the sex industry, and I would love for young people to understand the difference between real sex and porn sex,” Jones continued. “Porn sex should not be used as sex ed, but the average age boys watch their first porn is 11, so right now that’s inevitable.”

While I have some reservations about this “average age” claim (the world is an awfully big and technologically-varied place, and the word “average” is vauge), but no qualms with anybody opining porn shouldn’t be used as a sexual education resource. So far, Jones’ contribution to the conversation is one to which I’m open.

“More than anything, I want to continue the conversation,” Jones continued. “The subversive, secretive nature of sex and porn keeps us from having open, honest and healthy discourse, and it’s time to change that. Let’s all talk to each other.”

This all sounds good, but I wonder: Would Jones’ version of having an honest conversation about porn include a concession that her documentary depicted a small corner of the modern porn industry, and major studios like Wicked, VIVID, HUSTLER, et al don’t operate at all like the “talent agency” profiled in Hot Girls Wanted?

Would such a conversation include any acknowledgement whatsoever the porn industry is an enormous, diverse entity, one in which it’s both entirely untrue and fundamentally unfair to pigeonhole all producers, directors, agents and distributors as exploitative human traffickers?

Would Jones acknowledge the presence of sites like PinkLabel.tv and Sssh.com, directors like Erika Lust and Courtney Trouble, or studios like Pink & White Productions?

If we’re to have an honest conversation about porn and the porn industry, it must start with everybody involved in the discussion acknowledging the simple fact the industry is not a single, monolithic enterprise in which every company and individual conducts business in the same fashion.

While we’re at it, we might also benefit from recognizing there’s no such thing as an industry or entertainment sector in which all entities do behave the same way, whether we’re talking about utility companies, shoe manufacturers, major Hollywood studios or minor San Fernando Valley producers.

Those of us who reflexively defend the industry in large part because we work in it (and I’m very much one of those, I’ll admit) must acknowledge some potentially uncomfortable things, as well.

We must concede this industry, in the aggregate, can and should do better in terms of assuring the health and wellbeing of performers. No, that’s not a tacit endorsement of things like Proposition 60. It’s an open endorsement of measures like producers paying for performers’ blood tests and studios adopting, publishing and (most importantly) strictly adhering to clearly stated codes of on-set conduct and equally clear proclamations of absolute performer’s rights.

We also need to realize a lot of adult companies, particularly web-focused ones, have treated their customers like targets of a short con over the years, including drawing them in with “free” offers which then — through the magic of cross-sales — turn into $100 charges on their next credit card statement.

On balance, I agree with Jones: As a society, we do need to have an honest and open conversation about porn.

I just also happen to believe if the honesty is one-way, or less than comprehensive, it’s a discussion that is doomed to do no more than take us right back where we started: A competition of cherry-picking facts to forward an agenda, not reasonably examining them together to produce an outcome.