What’s So Wrong With Sasha Grey Liking A Good Gang Bang?
Posted by: Lily Q
Filed in:
sex, video
8:00AM, Tuesday June 16th 2009
Those of you who’ve seen Steven Soderbergh’s “The Girlfriend Experience” will know a little bit about Sasha Grey, who plays the main character. Those of you who are porn enthusiasts will know a hell of a lot more, seeing as Grey has been in more than 160 porn flicks over the past three years. From “Teenage Whores 3” to “Anal Cavity Search 6,” Sasha’s done it all. (Or at least most of it.)
But while Grey’s been a porn world bad ass for a while, starring in a Soderbergh film has, uh, exposed her to a more mainstream and art house audience. It’s also opened her up to a s**t storm of criticism for participating in what many consider to be an exploitative industry.
But while it’s easy to call Grey deluded for thinking that she’s liberating women instead of promoting oppression, you’d have to ignore a hell of a lot of what she’s saying in order to make the claim. During her 2007 appearance on “The Tyra Banks Show,” an 18-year-old Grey kept it together while a wide-eyed, semi-psychotic looking Tyra essentially implied that Grey must have been abused as a child, even if she didn’t, you know, realize it. There is, after all, no other reason a young lady would ever, ever get into porn.
Sasha waxed poetic on how she represents herself, on appreciating porn, and her willingness to do most anything experimental as a means of exploring her sexuality. Meanwhile, Tyra stared, mouth agape, throwing in patronizing one liners and refusing to believe that Sasha could possibly have any idea what she’s talking about.
We’re not quite ready to call Grey a feminist liberator, as some have suggested, but the outright condemnation, too, seems a bit rash. Sasha’s 20 now and sticking by her original claim: porn allows her to explore her sexuality and no one has ever forced her to do anything she doesn’t want to do. Is it really impossible to be a porn star without being exploited? What do you think?
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Riley
wrote on June 16 2009 @ 08:16 am: [report]
I think Tyra Banks exploits people for her show. It would be nice if she would “fade into bolivian”. To borrow a quote from Mike Tyson.
To the question, anything is possible. You can’t just say that everyone in the industry is exploited. Some people are there because they want to be, some are not. Not everyone needs a talk-show savior.
moonblossom
wrote on June 16 2009 @ 08:32 am: [report]
I do believe that porn exploits women. I think the porn industry exploits all women, not just the women in the films. The major consumers of porn are men. So, basically this industry is telling men that with the right amount of money they can get a woman to do WHATEVER comes to mind…be it sexy or be it just plain ol’ nasty. Whether anyone is consciously thinking that is another topic of discussion, but I think subconsciously it sticks in the mind and impacts the way men view women….and the way women view themselves and each other.
Overall I’m kind of a to-each-his-own type person, but I have to stop short of endorsing the porn industry. They do exploit women.
For the record…I think the fashion industry exploits women too!
CheeeeEEEEse
wrote on June 16 2009 @ 08:39 am: [report]
I like Sasha, shes a smart cookie too. I can expect that she is using the industry for her own goals. Recently she has branched out and done some directing, as well as the more mainstream GFE. She’s trying to make the jump to mainstream media of course, like Jenna Jameson before her.
TCU1793
wrote on June 16 2009 @ 08:49 am: [report]
I don’t think I’m one to say whether an individual in porn is being exploited, because some porn stars truly love their trade, etc etc. Some of those girls WANT the attention. Now, being very close to her in age, I can honestly say that it is doubtful that she has made a well-thought, well-planned career for herself - but again, who am I to say? I do disagree, however, with the statement that there is no way a young woman would ever want to get into porn unless she had been abused as a child. That’s a pretty awful thing to assume about every porn star. I mean, really. I’m sure some of those girls have been abused and all, but I don’t think it’s right to generalize all of them in that way. Some women in the industry just love doing porn, simple as that.
rbk14
wrote on June 16 2009 @ 09:11 am: [report]
It’s all about the $$$$$ and Sasha felt (rightly) that gangbanging was her ticket to the good life. Hell, if you’re sleeping around you might as well get paid for it.
Lily Q
wrote on June 16 2009 @ 09:14 am: [report]
@TCU1793- statistically speaking, many porn actresses were abused as children. it’s probably a fair guess at least half of the time. it was the fact that tyra was basically implying that grey was and was just unwilling to acknowledge it that was so ridiculous.
sam04
wrote on June 16 2009 @ 09:39 am: [report]
I’m sure there are people in porn who have shady pasts and don’t really want to be there, but I would imagine the majority of them (men and women) actually enjoy their jobs. I don’t see how it’s specifically exploitative of women. What about lesbian porn?
CheeeeEEEEse
wrote on June 16 2009 @ 09:43 am: [report]
@sam04: She does that as well. But I can see how that is also exploitative, what if they aren’t lesbians?
Fyi, some stars refuse to do interracial, so why can’t they refuse to do anything else.
sam04
wrote on June 16 2009 @ 09:56 am: [report]
@CheeeeEEEEse: I don’t see how being “gay for pay” is exploitative. I think there’s a difference between being unbelievably poor and selling yourself on the street and being in porn. Girls in that position might feel that they really have no other choice but to take every opportunity they can to make money. But porn stars make good money, as far as I know. They wouldn’t have to panic at the idea of turning down a job they weren’t comfortable with. I think the only reason some girls might feel ashamed of being porn stars is that it’s relatively taboo.
CheeeeEEEEse
wrote on June 16 2009 @ 10:02 am: [report]
@Sam04: In response, sure.
sunrise
wrote on June 16 2009 @ 11:37 am: [report]
The problem is not with pornography itself, it’s with how the mainstream industry is run today. I’m sure that the women we see in porn movies have many different reason for bein in them… why don’t why don’t we try asking them and see what they say, instead of making judgements on them beforehand?
Also, money speaks more than words do… if you buy porn, how about searching for erotic movies/whatever that seem to be well made, and with respect for all characters involved? There are different levels… a lot of porn is like gross, deep-fried fast food or crappy romantic comedies… they’re just made for immediate satisfaction and the amount of money they will bring in, not for how good they are for you. You can also find the equivalent of fair-trade, organic food, or say, a Woody Allen movie or something…
CheeeeEEEEse
wrote on June 16 2009 @ 12:12 pm: [report]
@Sunrise: I apply the same philosophy to porn as I do to movies and software, download it for free. No money changes hands.
Support Altporn if you are into girls whom are a bit artsy and have the tattooed look.
becktasm
wrote on June 16 2009 @ 12:32 pm: [report]
Ah maaaan, the porn industry. I can see how it provides unrealistic expectations on women, but I have never had a man I slept with be disappointed afterward because I didn’t oil myself up beforehand and screech like a harpy the entire time. For the most part, I’m okay with it, and I love Sasha Grey with all my heart. She’s intelligent, articulate, and doing what she (clearly) loves. More power to her.
Lesbian porn, though, pisses. me. off. Now THAT’S exploitative. These girls are NOT lesbians, as evidenced by the fact that most of the films end with a dude showing up, because every lesbian just needs a little dick, right? The long fingernails and the disinterested looks should be proof enough that these girls are straighter than an arrow, but will be “gay for pay”. It’s so completely perpetuating the acceptance of the male gaze as the end-all-be-all of what is to be catered to in society. Men like it? LET’S DO IT.
Real lesbians hate that fake-tittied blond mainstream lesbian porn sh*t. It’s insulting and degrading to AN ENTIRE SEXUAL ORIENTATION.
Arsenic
wrote on June 16 2009 @ 12:46 pm: [report]
Okay. Here’s the deal:
As someone who has been in the porn industry, I cannot say the industry AS A WHOLE is exploitive of women. There are many sites out there that are wonderful to their models, and many models truly enjoy doing what they do.
Does that mean that there AREN’T companies that take advantage of women? NO! There are sites and companies that have shady practices, just like any other industry. But those companies wouldn’t be doing what they do if there wasn’t any money in it (and not all money is direct- if you are looking at porn online, even free sites make money off of advertising).
Like Sunrise says- vote with your feet! There is plenty of good porn out there with actors that are treated right.
Also, really, it is much more common for men to have it rough in the porn industry. I find it telling that there are no shows like this for male porn stars.
In addition, yes, it is true that men are the major spenders when it comes to porn, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t a whole lot of women out there that like a little extra in their sex life. Indeed, women these days are turning to porn more than ever.
Remember- a lot of this is based on who PAYS for porn, not who views it, and in my experience women are a lot less likely to pay for porn.
Also, @Lily Quateman:
1 out of 3 women will be raped in the US in her lifetime.
Is she being taken advantage of if she goes on to be a porn star?
If I am raped, does that mean that I can no longer be trusted to make my own sexual decisions?
Yes, there are women in porn who have been abused. There might even be a bigger percentage than so called “normal society” (though I have only met one in my travels). In the end, I urge you to respect their decisions about their body and how to use it.
We don’t know whats going on in their head, and to form an opinion on them without talking to each individual seems to be condescending to me.
Squidtermz
wrote on June 16 2009 @ 12:55 pm: [report]
I just look at it this way. What else would she be doing? She doesn’t have a college degree, she would be a waitress or some other minimum wage job. She hasn’t been screwed over… well not yet anyways. She makes over 6 figures a year. And is a successful person for whatever reason. People do what they want. If it wasnt her it would be someone else. The movies are going to get made. Let her do it if she wants.
CheeeeEEEEse
wrote on June 16 2009 @ 01:10 pm: [report]
@Squidtermz: Depends on what you mean by screwed over.
Arsenic
wrote on June 16 2009 @ 01:13 pm: [report]
Ba-dum, tsst!
sunrise
wrote on June 16 2009 @ 01:19 pm: [report]
@ arsenic- good point about how it’s who pays, not who just looks at porn who dictates what is made. i know lot of women certainly do enjoy watching it, but are probably less likely to actually pay for it than men are, myself included…
@ cheese- i haven’t heard of altporn, but i’ll check it out. one site i’ve consistently like is beautifulagony… i don’t even know if it actually qualifies as porn since you can only see the person head and shoulders, but it’s hotter than a lot of porn ive seen. and user generated, too!
Arsenic
wrote on June 16 2009 @ 01:27 pm: [report]
@sunrise
You have excellent taste! That’s one of my favorites.
CheeeeEEEEse
wrote on June 16 2009 @ 01:31 pm: [report]
@sunrise: Yeah it’s from the head up women’s O faces.
sparklepants
wrote on June 16 2009 @ 04:28 pm: [report]
how manipulative and self-righteous is tyra?
if that girl loves sex and money, then whatever. i’m sure she thinks about the repercussions of her job EVERY DAY.
Symian
wrote on June 16 2009 @ 04:56 pm: [report]
If she is ok with her body being used as entertainment then so am I. People exploit their talents everyday in order to make a living. Politicians explot their charisma, scientists exploit their minds, and Perez Hilton exploits his stupidity and loud mouth. Tyra should have her hands busy if she hopes to end this chain of insanity.
Justine
wrote on June 17 2009 @ 01:45 am: [report]
Tyra’s kind of stuck behind a wall. You can so see she’s afraid of Sasha. Porn is her job just as the show is Tyra’s job. Plain and simple.
sunrise
wrote on June 17 2009 @ 03:19 pm: [report]
@ arsenic: thanks! the thing that turns me off about most porn is how over the top and fake the women’s reactions seem (my apologies if that’s how you naturally are, everyone’s different!), so i love that beautiful agony is honest, at least as far as i can tell.
Donaven
wrote on June 23 2009 @ 10:59 pm: [report]
As musician and artist here in hollywood, the idea of art has been blurred so much, people (at least in my circle) create and push themselves and the limits which is inspiring, now as far as porn, well wheres the art, wheres the danger, wheres the insight, theres nothing porn adds to society (except for little boys and lonely old men) having at it in the basement, this young women lets random men at times many at once have sex with her while someone films it, puts on the internet, and she gets paid…OK the only difference between a hooker and pornstar are the fact that hookers are not ignorant enough to film it, someone said that everyone exploits there talents, and this girls only doing that, well I can’t even begin to start on the ignorance of that type of empty logic, except that it takes talent to play notes on an instrument, or have a brush stroke move emotions…..what talent is there have 8 guys with there dicks in your face???
MrsPRMom
wrote on June 29 2009 @ 02:29 am: [report]
First off I do not like the way Tyra was so damned condescending towards Sasha, if the girl says she was never sexually abused, then who are you to argue? You, Tyra, are not her mother, sister, grandmother, teacher, or connected to Sasha in any way. And it’s not like Tyra has live a life so far above porn…what is modeling but using sex appeal to sell an object/product?
Second, Sasha is (or was when she started) 18 years old. Last I checked that was of legal and consensual age for sex. If any people have an issue with that being too young then you need to write your congressman and get the law changed. Sasha is an ADULT and has made a choice as one, she is the only person affected by that choice, good or bad.
Lastly, I hate that the folks who speak out so venomously aginst porn more often than not are the same people who go home at night and watch it! Really people, take a look at our own folks in goverment or relgious figures and tell me that it’s not possible for the rest of the world to be living a double standard!
Donaven
wrote on July 4 2009 @ 03:48 pm: [report]
Anything I don’t Like?? PORN is boring, all porno is, is people having sex on film, What dose MTV have anything to do with PORN, MTV as a corporation is exploits children by way of shifting a mind-set to fill an agenda based on money, both PORN and MTV exploit, but theres no comparison, thats like defining a punch in the face with murder, they may both have the same intent, but only one has a sick outcome, when I wrote hollywood musician, it was more in terms of UNDERGROUND, not the empty Dave Navarro clicks that have ruined this town, I’m all for pushing limits that evoke positive emotions to either challenge the system or at the very least have a kid look beyond what MTV or What this Saha Chick views as “performance art”???, PORN makes sexuality into a loveless act, not a pure emotion of love
AttilatheHoney
wrote on August 5 2009 @ 10:18 pm: [report]
“The Girlfriend Experience” was an incredibly boring and poorly made film. Sasha Grey is a terrible actress - she needs to stick to porn.
I have no problem with porn, I just think there are a lot of people in the industry who will sincerely have major regrets about their involvement with it 20 years down the line. It seems a ready-made industry for young & dumb 20somethings desperate for cash and attention… And besides, porn is pretty boring - it’s meat being shoved into other meat while the individuals fake their enjoyment. I’d rather watch an interesting FILM that’s erotic in nature, you know, one with a plot. At least that’s entertaining.