I usually make a point to steer clear from documentaries about porn for the same reasons that I steer clear from documentaries like Food, Inc.. Like chicken McNuggets, porn is something that I enjoy quite often, for very cheap, and I’d rather not have it ruined by peeking into the factory and seeing all the pink slime involved. However, it seems like James Franco’s documentary about San Francisco’s BDSM porn empire Kink.com [soong to be Las Vegas’s BDSM porn empire, if you believe the rumors] is far from an indictment of the porn industry, and instead a sex-positive celebration of sexual depravity (which could be the subtitle to my upcoming autobiography). Kink, produced by Franco and directed by Christina Voros (who worked with James Franco on the documentary short 127 Hours: An Extraordinary View) are attempting to normalize the world of BDSM and BDSM porn while simultaneously showcasing the more empathetic and empowering way that Kink.com does BDSM. The softer side of hardcore porn.
Director Christina Voros and producer James Franco pull back the curtain on the fetish empire of Kink.com, the Internet’s largest producer of BDSM content. In a particularly obscure corner of an industry that operates largely out of public view, Kink.com’s directors and models strive for authenticity. In an enterprise often known for exploitative practices, Kink.com upholds an ironclad set of values to foster an environment that is safe, sane, and consensual. They aim to demystify the BDSM lifestyle, and to serve as an example and an educational resource for the BDSM community. Kink hits limited theaters on August 22nd.
I’ll admit, Kink.com clips make up at least 3 out of the 10 tabs open during an average Matt Lieb ‘bate sesh (the rest are quicksand visuals, minivan choke-outs, and ISIS videos). So it’s strange seeing a trailer for a documentary on something that I only watch in “incognito mode.” But I’m sure I’m not the only Kink.com superfan who watched the trailer and shouted “Hey, there’s James Deen. And there’s Princess Donna. Cool beans!”
It’s not just the BDSM that “fascinates” me, but the means of production and… er… corporate culture (?) of Kink.com that seems to separate it from the rest of porn world. My general feeling that Kink does porn in a more healthy and humane way (hardly any pink slime) is a big reason I want to see this doc. Also, I want to see this in support of the demystification of BDSM. BDSM is slowly crawling and clawing its way into the mainstream and that’s just the way it should be.
You now have my permission to cum.