Consuming Ecstasy: Representations of Male and Female Orgasm in Mainstream Pornography

Abstract

Social representations, which appear in a variety of media, can influence the way sexual experiences are perceived and understood. While pornography is not the only medium in which orgasm is portrayed, it is the most explicit, and it is widespread and easily accessible. As such, pornography is an ideal medium for examining representations of male and female orgasm. PornHub's 50 most viewed videos of all time were viewed and coded for the frequency of male and female orgasm, orgasm-inducing sex acts (and whether activity inducing female orgasms included some form of clitoral stimulation), and auditory (verbal, vocal) and visual (bodily) indicators of orgasm. Content analysis was used to code and analyze the data. Results were analyzed in light of sexual script theory and previous orgasm research. Only 18.3% of women, compared to 78.0% of men, were shown reaching orgasm. Sex differences in depictions of orgasm, beyond the appearance of semen, were documented. Results support the male performance script as evident in pornographic depictions of orgasm, as well as coital and orgasm imperatives. As a result, representations of male and female orgasm in mainstream pornography may serve to perpetuate unrealistic beliefs and expectations in relation to female orgasm and male sexual performance.

Sexual Behaviors and Violence in Pornography: Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis of Video Content Analyses

“…Reference lists of full-text articles were screened, with 1536 articles identified, and 5 articles included. One additional article [ 34 ] was located which was not identified through these searches, presumably due to the recent nature of its publication. A total of 23 articles thereby met all the inclusion criteria across both searches.…”

“…Table 2 provides a summary of study characteristics. Dates of publication ranged from 1986 to 2017, with the oldest film extracted from 1961 [ 35 ] and the most recent in 2015 [ 34 ]. Studies varied with regards to the medium of pornography studied, and how data were summarized.…”

Innovation and Integration of Sexuality in Family Life Education

“…Although pornography is a sensationalized and typically inaccurate socializing force (Séguin et al, 2018), and people are now exposed to it at earlier ages than in the past due to the Internet (Allen & Lavender‐Stott, 2015), there is relatively little agreement about how best to communicate with children about pornography as a means of mitigating any potential negative effects of early exposure (Dawson et al, 2019). Nonetheless, given the amount of sexual content and ease of access to this content via the Internet, sexuality education must address pornography for people at all ages.…”

Linda Williams’ „Hard Core“

“…lären Porno-Plattform PornHub.com auf Williams' Thesen zur pornografischen Sichtbarmachung der Lust (siehe Kapitel 4 mit dem Filmbeispiel "Deep Throat"): Tatsächlich zeigt sich, dass die beliebtesten Online-Porno-Clips den weiblichen Orgasmus über lustvollen Gesichtsausdruck in Szene setzen (90 %), beim männlichen Orgasmus dagegen den Gesichtsausdruck selten zeigen (10 %) und stattdessen die extrakorporale Ejakulation (72 %) inszenieren (Séguin et al 2017). Eine qualitative Studie, die sich der frauenorientierten Pornografie widmet, nimmt Williams' Überlegungen und Befunde zur Subjektrolle der Porno-Protagonistinnen aus Kapitel 8 zum Ausgangspunkt und entwickelt sie weiter (Ziv 2015): Gerade anhand von Textpornografie, die auch die Gedanken und Ge-fühle der Beteiligten darstellt, zeigt die in den Gender und Queer Studies verankerte Analyse, dass und wie frauenorientierte pornografische Darstellungen weibliche Lust am Penetriert-Werden eben nicht als unterwürfig und machtlos, sondern als machtvoll und stärkend inszenieren.…”