No worries. Sorry if my reply was curt.

I feel like you’re pretty intent on casting me as some terrible “SWERF” so whatever. Pointing out that someone is engaging in justification or rationalization isn’t wrong. Working within an industry doesn’t necessarily mean you don't have your own blind spots. I know she has a vested interest in defending the industry…

Hey now. I never accused anyone of lying. Nor am I trying to exploit anyone by pointing out seemingly systemic issues that enabled that abuse to happen to multiple women. You're jumping to some major conclusions here.

I see where you’re coming from and there have been a lot of high tensions around this issue lately. But it’s not automatically anti-sex worker to criticize the porn industry. I criticize the porn industry for shit like this because I’m staunchly pro-sex workers’ rights . Supporting (sex) workers means being willing to…

Not saying it’s solely a porn problem. Again, see my other comments in this thread. But the thing that Cosby and Ghomeshi and Deen have in common is being men in industries that concentrate power in the hands of a few and routinely marginalizes people who do not have access to that power.

Well, yeah. See my other comments in this thread. This is in large part a gendered workers’ rights issue.

I think this difference between private consensual kink and performative/commodified kink is pretty crucial.

Because a few isolated instances of rape/sexual violence might still happen (due to individual pathology) doesn’t mean we shouldn’t burn rape culture to the ground. But I actually think we agree on that point? I guess I just think harping on those few instances that might still occur is beside the point.

Agreed. You need a critical mass, which is why I don’t really fault Angel personally for not speaking up. It’s damn hard to stick your neck out like that.

My sense is that if rape culture is effectively resisted and dismantled, then instances of sexual violence will decrease. There’s no way to test that hypothesis right now in our own society because we still live in a rape culture. But we could look to other cultures, historically or contemporaneously, to see if there…

I can agree that the conflation of BDSM with abuse (because of the absence of context) that is perpetuated by both porn and mainstream drivel like 50 shades, contributes to rape culture.

No, I get that. She has a vested interest here. She’s protecting her livelihood. But how does change happen if people aren’t willing to take risks and speak out? I’m not saying Joanna Angel is a bad person for not calling out the porn industry - hell, I admire her bravery in detailing her abuse. Just pointing out that…

Well, uh, yeah, but that’s still a cultural issue. We don’t have a culture or judicial system that helps victims or deals with abusers well. We need to focus on that, rather than saying rape is just a thing that happens regardless. Sure, sexual violence will probably still happen in a few isolated instances but that’s…

I guess I agree that rape will probably never be eliminated, but I still think the focus should always be first and foremost on how to reduce it as much as possible, so that we’re not actively living in a culture of rape anymore.It’s one thing to have isolated instances that are swiftly dealt with, and another thing…

It’s not limited to porn sets. I agree completely with that. But I still think it’s a shame that Angel isn’t willing to be more reflective of how this dynamic works in her particular industry.

Agreed. These are industries where power concentrates amongst a select few and because we live in a patriarchy that power tends to concentrate with men, who are able to do pretty much whatever the fuck they want with impunity (until the bottom line is threatened). It’s not just an issue with porn (obviously this…

Only rapists are responsible for their rapes, not any of the subcultures that they might belong to.

Deen’s behavior “does not represent porn; this represents a specific individual.”

These dumb fucking people. That’s all I’ve got.

Seriously. I guess my brother-in-law’s doctoral research on the role of epigenetics in the development of mood and personality disorders was just complete bullshit? Who we are is immutable and innate, from birth and forevermore.