Porn

October 8, 2012; Source: Wired

Just yesterday, NPQ noted that a pornographic website was attempting to donate a portion of its proceeds to Susan G. Komen for the Cure but that Komen had rejected the adult website’s offer.

Now Wired is reporting on a related—and nonprofit—effort that is a bit more complicated called Come4.org. The Milan, Italy-based organization plans to present crowdsourced pornography (from artistic nude pictures to homemade videos) and is asking people to upload their own content for free. “Our crowdfunding campaign is now online. We need your help for disrupting porn!” the site’s landing page, which bills itself as “porn with heart,” reads. In contrast to the offer to Komen (a measly one cent per thirty clicks), Wired reports that in this proposal “[a]ny revenues generated by advertising or donations are re-invested to finance certain causes. Each video will get associated with a specific cause…” and notes that the site’s first beneficiary will be the Asta Philpot Foundation, a disability advocacy organization.

In addition to donating money to charity, the site states an interest in affecting the general state of porn. According to its website, “Today the porn industry has an unchallenged power to decide which content should be available online. As a result, instead of reflecting the natural plurality of human sexuality, today online pornography fosters a one-dimensional perspective that is often fake, violent, macho-centered, and in many cases barely legal…We believe we can do better than this and that the time has come to rethink critically the relationship of online pornography and society.” Before one buys into the talk about bringing some newfound artistic value to online pornography, however, it’s worth noting that the site is currently recruiting porn stars to submit already-existing sex scenes. Given that such scenes would be produced by the current system that Come4.org decries, it seems to us this technique might hamper the site’s supposedly more revolutionary aim.

In any case, to make its pitch, the site asks, “Provided no one is harmed and that everything is legal, is there any reason why part of these revenues cannot be used for better ends?” In theory, those revenues could be sizable. According to Business Insider, “the online porn industry makes over $3,000 per second.”

We are interested in readers’ take on this endeavor. Will “charity porn” sway any of those commentators who have criticized pornography as sexist, exploitative, akin to prostitution, etc., or will it only appeal to those who view pornography as a form of art or expression? Is it a good idea? Whether you’re intrigued or outraged, let us know. –Mike Keefe-Feldman