Cyberporn: reclaiming or self-objectifying

Podlas’ article Mistresses of Their Domain describes how the internet has opened up the world of business to women ownership and entrepreneurship, especially in the field of internet pornography. When evaluated with Patricia Hill Collin’s Matrix of Domination in mind, this article shows two sides of a very complicated coin. Can liberation arise from oppression?

Women have become major players in the pornography business - a business that was created for men and, for many years, was controlled by men in all aspects as well. The pornography business has long been criticized for its oppression of women and the part that it has played in the furtherance of violence against women. Meanwhile, women have found it difficult in the past to enter into the business field at the ownership level. The introduction of the internet and the cheap business opportunities that where presented therein paved the way for women to establish themselves as business owners and operators. Because of this convergence, as Podlas states, “Since 1990, female-owned businesses have outpaced all other business growth by a 2:1 margin, comprising 38% of American business and $3.6 million in sales. The Internet has significantly influenced these gains.” The study that Podlas conducts in this article specifically relates to the emergence of women owners and operators of cyber porn websites and presents an interesting convergence of two things seemingly at odds with one another - women and pornography.

In terms of the Matrix of Domination, there are many factors at work here - the most obvious of which being the idea that the oppressed women have taken a place of power in a business which is built entirely on their own oppression. In this way, women have sought out a sort of liberation within a system that seeks to keep them oppressed and some might say that they have achieved this liberation and power, but at the expense of what? One could argue that by becoming owners and operators of cyber porn sites, women are not actually gaining any true power, only aiding in the oppression of all females. However, one could also argue that by owning cyber porn sites, women are taking this type of oppressive control away from men. But the question still remains - is this liberation? Is this power?

As Podlas’ speaks about in her article, one of the encouraging developments that comes with women taking control of pornography on the internet is the changes to the industry that they will (and in some cases have) brought with them. Some women speak of the better wages and working atmosphere that comes with owning a website such as this. Also, cyber pornography has created a new, safer kind of sex working - there is no threat of disease from internet pornography, so there is no need for constant STD testing or fear of whether or not a condom is involved (as there is often no condom used in film pornography). Women feel safer legally as well - as Podlas reports “In prostitution, for instance, it is women, not male sex consumers, who bear the burden of arrest.”

It is obvious that the emergence of cyber porn and the increased presence of women in positions of power within this industry has led to some great changes in terms of the porn industry itself, but it seems that there is a deep-seated question that cannot be denied. By taking control and continuing a business which rests almost entirely on the continued oppression of women, women have found themselves in a very interesting position - they are still being oppressed, but they have very little else to blame for this oppression but themselves. So, once again, I must ask - is the emergence of female owners and operators of cyber porn websites a form of liberation or simply continued oppression under another name?