Op-Ed: Priscila Magossi On 'The Good, The Bad, The Evil'

The New Camming Perspective (NCP) tries to look at things that are usually out of sight. An important issue I would like to bring up at this moment is the right of the image of the cam girl and/or the porn star. A photo or video cannot express everything a person really is. It is just an instance of their life. However, it takes developing sensitivity to understand that having no say on the pictures that are chosen to represent us can affect the ideas that others have about us. The point here is: many will only meet the photo and not the person, thus, judgments will be made according to what is seen. What if the image that represents you was not the one you agree on? Before we get into this issue, I would like to point out that the objective of this article is not to offend anyone in the live camming industry, but just to address something that happens quite often but is rarely mentioned. The intention is to foster reflection about the theme and even to think about solutions that are feasible and could be put into practice without disruption. Many times, those who make the rules or take the decisions are not aware that their practices are offending others because they cannot put themselves in those people’s shoes. So, if nothing is said, the same will happen over and over. Therefore, communication, especially saying what is not right, is an approach to improve the job for everybody. Nobody wants to lose face! Think of a businessman, who gets to decide what pictures will be used to introduce the image he wants you to have of him. Why should it be different with cam girls and/or porn stars? Is a businessman more important than a cam girl and/or a porn star? If you answered “yes," you have learned how to reproduce the unfair nature of abuse of power. If you answered “no," then there is still hope for you. We must learn what it means to be objectified and dehumanized, taking into account that a lot of these practices are simply accepted in the economic sphere. Fortunately, AVN is among some businesses in the scene that are very respectful towards the models’ image. In stark contrast, some others are not. A respectful relationship implies not abusing power. The dehumanization is clear when a cam girl/porn star requests her content is removed and the media outlets respond as such: •“But if you are/were in front of a camera, what are you complaining about?!” •“We cannot remove it because it will affect the credibility of our magazine!” •“What about if all adult entertainers started asking to take their content down only because they did not like the pics we chose for them?” •“You will never be respected by the ‘sex workers’ if you keep hiding your past, think about it!” •“All the doors in the business will be closed for you if you keep insisting on that!” This is said as if it were a trial sentence, and for them, it seems to make sense that having been an adult entertainer means that: (1) the woman has lost her humanity; (2) her intellectual faculties have been underestimated and they think she could be fooled into believing that her reputation depends on photographs someone else chose for her; (3) that their claims could make her scared, and she will never find any more work in this business. The funny part of all of this is that this oppressive speech usually comes from those who have a lot to hide and ironically love to pretend they are the guardians of morals and ethics. They do that whenever they think that their victim is fragile. On the other hand, the companies/business people who are serious about being ethical care for the well-being of the models and actresses and quickly follow their request to remove their content. After all, the credibility of any business is usually connected to what is being said about it. And there is no benefit in keeping the content up of someone who is not happy being there. Final Considerations Taking all of this into account: Our eyes can only read as much as we let them. It is very easy to recognize the discourse of an oppressor: whenever one demands respect, they try to blame the weakest side. For them, it might seem like a normal practice to threaten because in the greater scheme of things, everyone is oppressed, they are paying forward this oppression they have received. This leads to the sensation of passive-aggressiveness for those who do not have the bargaining power to argue in favor of their own benefit: out of fear of backlash, such as losing their traffic, not being nominated to any award, encountering closed doors by the business, just because one expects to have their (old) content removed. So, they have no problem perpetuating all of this violence. When we say violence we also mean non-physical forms, like manipulation, verbal humiliation, moral harassment, etc. For the oppressors, it is totally normal to expect others to receive the “monster vibe," while they drink champagne in a Jacuzzi. Fortunately, it is the independent nature of the NCP that allows me to voice all of this. On the other hand, it is also possible to recognize righteous people and businesses: they never make anyone feel guilty for demanding respect. What’s more, for them it is not even necessary to ask such, because it is a part of who they are. Thank you so much AVN for the respectful team, and for the opportunity of sharing my critical thoughts about the scene!