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The Labor of Pleasure

How Perceptions of Emotional Labor Impact Women's Enjoyment of Pornography

University of California, Berkeley

Propornography and antipornography literatures have failed to elucidate the complexity of women's consumption of pornography. This article submits that a reconstructed theory of emotional labor, developed from the perspective of the consumer, explains some of women's ambivalence toward pornography. Findings are based on interviews with 30 women who enjoy porn films. The women's ambivalence reflected their perception of emotional labor in pornographic production. Although they found pornography arousing, they faced uncertainty over the authenticity of the porn actresses' pleasure. Furthermore, they perceived emotional authenticity through the lens of their personal biographies. Specifically, their economic backgrounds and experiences with sexual coercion are discussed. This study fills two gaps: (1) By linking the production and consumption of pornography, it enables a deeper exploration of women's ambivalence and the subsequent implications for understanding sexuality, and (2) it features the experiences of working-class and minority women, whose voices have been marginal in the literature.

Key Words: emotional labor • pornography • sexuality • sex worka • consumption

Gender & Society, Vol. 20, No. 5, 605-631 (2006)
DOI: 10.1177/0891243206291109


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