Here I am, talking to Oprah about porn. Yay! She’s really fun to talk to. I just found the above segment with my appearance on the show via Twitter.
A little over a week ago I was delighted to be a guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show to talk about female porn consumers, and much much more. To say that I had a great time would be a massive understatement: as I wrote on my Facebook page, I’ve never been treated with such respect, and shared excitement for the subject matter. Oprah has a dream team of very passionate people who love their jobs and love who they work for — that’s obvious. They’re also funny and have a great sense of humor about everything. Recently I’ve had to deal with a lesser entity that is sex-negative; it’s amazing to contrast my experience working for and with Oprah. To say they treated me well would be an understatement. I was treasured and the subject of women and sex was explored in such an honest, unflinching way. Look closely at this show and you’ll notice that Oprah has reframed the entire conversation: we women are not ‘tolerated’ or marginalized for exploring our inhibitions, voicing our desires, or owning our sexual agency — we are embraced. The 1 in 3 consumers of adult material online — women — were finally acknowledged, and with respect for a change. And interest! We’re all checking this stuff out together, and talking to each other about it — as we have for years, starting with my old forum The Smart Girl’s Porn Club (circa 2003).
Myths and stereotypes: smashed! We live in a world where women are more sexually powerful and articulate than any other time in history because of the internet and emergent communicative technologies. Oprah’s hip to it. You’re soaking in it. And that’s really, outrageously exciting for all of us.
Like I said in last week’s column; I wonder how much sexual research has been flawed because researchers forgot the crucial ingredient of female sexual pleasure (and female sexual freedom)?
There was a *lot* of media about the episode, but my faves are here:
* What kind of woman watches porn? Three pages of my writing and research on Oprah.com.
* Oprah – Violet Blue on Porn vs. Erotica (oprah.com)
* Movieline calls me “Oprah’s mouthpiece” (and I loved it, movieline.com)
Images by my dear longtime friend Scott Beale / Laughing Squid (laughingsquid.com), who also shot the bio photo of me for Oprah Magazine back in 2007:
While I appreciate you bringing visibility and legitimacy to female porn consumers, I’m really disappointed with how conservative your representations are. I understand that it’s Oprah and you have to watch your language, but still. You positioned female porn consumers heterosexually, linking their porn consumption to romance, commitment and male partners. You’ve basically excused women’s transgressive behavior of porn-watching by linking it to romance and patriarchal gender ideologies. Women are interested in way more than just sanitized mainstream porn with fake tits and violin music, or “erotica” as you euphemistically put it.
Some of us watch porn because we enjoy a variety of naked bodies, sexual practices and such. I watch porn because I’m aroused and I want to get off. I don’t watch it because I want to feel like the babe on screen, I watch it because it’s pleasurable and entertaining. What about the women who watch S&M porn? Group sex? Queer porn? Feminist porn?
Blue~
I thought that you were amazing on the show. I was so proud to watch you spreading the good word. I told all my friends about it. Btw~ you are so amazingly beautiful.
Lily
That’s surprisingly wonderful! I’ve been pretty cold on the whole Oprah phenomenon. But I know of the ‘lesser entity’ of whom you speak, and I agree that it was refreshing to see this subject discussed in a matter-of-fact way, without any squeamishness or unhealthy ‘ookie’ connotations.
Congratulations for finally getting decent representation on mainstream TV!
Congratulations! I’m so happy that Oprah, such a huge force in American culture and of Americans’ understanding OF that culture, is willing to talk about these things. And especially with you!
You did so wonderfully! I was tickled for you, proud of you and happy to see your pretty face on primetime! xo – Ducky
Nice one, Violet. I’m not actually a fan of Oprah, generally speaking, I find the values a little too “safe” and “mainstream”. However, that said, I think messages and discussions like yours should be made mainstream as they’re important ones, I think. Kudos!
great job violet…i bet porn ratings went up for women after this show…
Great job, Violet!
Totally awesome.
Great interview, Violet. I thought you did a fabulous job.
Fantastic article and interview, Violet. It’s wonderful to see porn approached with a female perspective, especially if it helps women to feel less threatened by it.
Cheers and congratulations!
You did an outstanding job, VB. Good for you. Yah for us collectively that enjoy celebrating our sexuality!
thank you!!!!! :D
You are a wonderful spokesperson for us!
Yay! Congratulations and well done! :)