Twitter and the blogosphere are abuzz over Hot Girls Wanted, the latest documentary to stream on Netflix. Produced by Parks and Recreation’s Rashida Jones, the doc bills itself as “a first-ever look at the realities of the professional ‘amateur’ porn world and the steady stream of 18-to-19-year old girls entering into it.” While some of the resulting outrage has come from civilians reacting to the seemingly exploitative working conditions of the performers depicted in the film, much of the outrage has been from sex workers, porn stars, and industry insiders themselves. And no, they’re not siding with the filmmakers.
This looks nothing like the industry I work in. Another anti-porn docu. Groundbreaking. http://t.co/zmlgbKnDfU #Sarcasm
— Jacky St. James (@jackystjames) May 30, 2015
Director Jacky St. James, who wrote for us about how “porn defied every stereotype [she] had about it,” had a healthy dose of sarcasm for the filmmakers.
Wanted: C-list celebrity to produce an honest doc about porn. Must enjoy guaranteed press and imminent career suicide. Contact me.
— Casey Calvert (@caseycalvertxxx) May 30, 2015
Much of the criticism of Hot Girls Wanted has focused on the filmmakers’ inabilities to take a truly unbiased look at porn. Performer Casey Calvert took a lighthearted approach to expressing her ire.
Central message of #HotGirlsWanted: if you're a adventurous girl who tries to escape poverty & narrow rural life, you're a selfish bitch.
— mistressmatisse (@mistressmatisse) June 3, 2015
Professional dominatrix Mistress Matisse live tweeted as she watched the documentary.
I am so sick & tired of the "media" taking worse case scenarios and generalizing our industry time & time again. Sick of the shaming.
— jessica drake (@thejessicadrake) June 3, 2015
Stop. Shaming. The. Women. In the biz, exiting the biz, formerly in the biz. If you CARE, then what we need is SUPPORT, not so-called RESCUE
— jessica drake (@thejessicadrake) June 3, 2015
Veteran performer jessica drake tweeted a powerful “rant” expressing her frustration at how many issues that porn performers face stem from the attitudes of outsiders.
Its way easier to make a documentary about look at porn ruining girls lives rather than looking at work conditions, consent and fair wages
— Chelsea Poe (@ChelseaPoe666) June 1, 2015
Many sex workers, such as trans performer Chelsea Poe, condemned Hot Girls Wanted for not examining broader societal issues or offering solutions for reform.
Chanel Preston also expressed similar views on her blog:
I understand why Rashida Jones would want to make this documentary; she saw a group of young victims, and she wanted to raise awareness around the issue of female exploitation. Unfortunately, the documentary doesn’t have a view point about this subject beyond “this is bad” except that it alludes to pornography as being the problem. Because of this vague message, it gives no insight into why this is happening or how we can work towards reducing female exploitation.
Performing in porn is work that you use your body for. Maybe upper & upper middle class should also examine their ideas about manual labor?
— Stoya (@stoya) June 3, 2015
My grandpa destroyed his back as a stone mason. A football player might get tackled. Sometimes at work I injure my cunt.
— Stoya (@stoya) June 3, 2015
One scene in Hot Girls Wanted showed a pro-am performer dealing with health issues that arose from her work. Stoya pointed out that bodily injury is part and parcel of the careers of much of the working class, not just sex workers.
Yo feminists who aren't in sex work, I've got a craaaaaazy idea: how about you let activists who are in sex work lead your views on it?
— Conner Habib (@ConnerHabib) June 1, 2015
Gay performer Conner Habib expressed frustration over the erasure of the voices of sex workers in their own narratives.
There’s so much to say about porn. It’s vast, diverse, and complex. It’s not for everyone, and that’s okay. And it’s far from perfect or pretty. But does that make it an anomaly in society or a microcosm?
As a product and as a component of wider society, porn needs an informed critical eye. Hot Girls Wanted is not it. I wish the film had moved us even a baby step closer to complicating the conversation, especially given its potential reach. But it didn’t. Instead, feel free to put it on the shelf next to Reefer Madness and Red Asphalt, right where it belongs – “Tell your children!”
Many sex workers and performers pointed to an Uproxx review written by sociologist Dr. Chauntelle Tibbals as the most eloquent summation of their frustrations.
Have you seen Hot Girls Wanted? Tweet us your thoughts @hotmoviesforher and @JudyHologram.
