Have you ever heard someone say something like this?
“Porn is just fantasy—it’s harmless.”
This is a common perspective. It suggests that porn is a mind game, a sexual fantasy that is detached from the consumer’s real life and therefore doesn’t hurt anything. If that’s true, then there’s no big deal, right? People can do whatever they want in the confines of their own minds. What’s the problem?
This harmless fantasy argument breaks down, though. The supposed dichotomy between fantasy and reality is proven false all the time. There’s substantial neuroscientific research showing how engaging this world of sexual fantasy has serious real effects on a person’s brain structure, behavior, and mental health.
It also leads to consequences like erectile dysfunction, emotional blocks, and divorce.
Related: Arizona Porn Studio Charged With Running “Cleverly Disguised” Prostitution Business
On a bigger social justice scale, porn consumption directly fuels sex trafficking and abuse all around the world. For all of those victims, porn is the opposite of fantasy—it depicts their nightmare realities.
Porn doesn’t just blur the line between fantasy and reality through its effects. When it comes to the actual making of XXX material, that line is becoming more and more invisible. Case and point? A new porn trend called #F—AFan (censorship ours) seeks to totally infuse real-life with porn.
Here’s what you need to know.
Buy a raffle ticket, win sex with a porn star
Porn performers, using #F—AFan (link trigger warning for explicit language), post competitions on social media, inviting followers and fans to purchase tickets. The winner meets up with his favorite star in person and gets to have sex with her on camera. The footage then gets added to the actress’ porn collection for everyone to watch.
While porn producers have used the theme of real fans having elicit encounters with porn performers in past content, it was always staged and unconvincing. But as of June 2018, when a San Diego-based porn actress launched her first #F—AFan competition, it’s really happening.
While by no means do the majority of porn consumers engage in this direct contact with porn performers, the trend is definitely expanding. Things like Snapchat Premium and the OnlyFans app further prove that the divide between performer and consumer is closing.
In the most tangible way possible, the “fantasy” world of porn is becoming reality. It is no longer just a matter of staring at computer screens. The average porn consumer can live out porn, to have porn made of them, and to physically engage porn performers in person.
Fantasy = reality, but not in the way you’d expect
The VICE exposé (link trigger warning for explicit language) on #F—AFan says this:
“…#F—AFan is, at the very least, an interesting case study in how the internet has upended the relationship between performers and viewers. Whereas, in the past, porn stars were objects of distant fantasy, today’s most successful performers use the internet to communicate directly with their fans…the aim is to create a greater sense of trust and intimacy—and then, where possible, to turn that into cash.”
And that’s the kicker—at the end of the day, #F—AFan competitions are still about money. Performers may spin it as intimacy or connection, and participants may feel like it’s a “dream come true,” but money still exchanges hands and without the views, these competitions wouldn’t mean anything to performers.
Related: By The Numbers: How Porn And Sex Trafficking Are Inseparably Connected
So is this trend “harmless fantasy” or does it chip away more and more at the barrier between commercial sex and mainstream, real life?
Well, as social media and amateur porn increase the competition among porn performers, it’s clear this type of fan-based competition is a form of publicity stunt. As fans are desensitized to mainstream porn, something as explicit as filmed real-life porn encounters offers the dopamine rush that garners more attention for actresses. One #F—AFan performer told VICE (link trigger warning for explicit language) of her rise in subscribers after the competition, how her fans found the filmed encounter thrilling and are hungry for more.
Sexual dream, or social nightmare?
While many might call this a dream come true, it’s more of a social nightmare for larger society. Trends like #F—AFan may provide people with new thrills, but the extensive negative effects of porn consumption reveal that it just isn’t worth it.
This isn’t about laws or restrictions—we are a non-legislative organization. We believe it’s up to each individual person to take an honest look at science and experience and decide what kind of world he wants for himself, what kind of world she wants to create for those who follow.
As each person takes that honest look and makes the personal decision to live without porn, the demand lessens. And without demand, these destructive trends lose momentum. After all, watching just isn’t worth it, in the long run. And whether you’re participating in a porn shoot or watching it from the comfort of your own bedroom, porn is toxic.
