Money Shot: The Pornhub Story 2023

“Money Shot: The Pornhub Story” offers a compelling exploration of the complex intersections between technology, commerce, and sexuality in the modern porn industry. It navigates the multifaceted terrain of Pornhub’s impact, highlighting both its empowering potential for sex workers and the ethical dilemmas it faces as a corporate entity.

The shadowy aspect of Pornhub lies in its permissive buffet-style approach, which inadvertently fostered a haven for content depicting sex trafficking victims, child abuse, and assault. The platform came under intense scrutiny, initially led by activists like Laila Mickelwait and later amplified by Nicholas Kristof of The New York Times, who has long been dedicated to exposing the horrors of sex trafficking. Kristof’s op-ed piece titled “The Children of Pornhub,” published on December 4, 2020, propelled the issue into the spotlight, momentarily threatening the stability of the Pornhub empire.

Rather than echoing the sentiments of crusaders such as Mickelwait and Kristof, “Money Shot” opts for a more detached and contemplative examination of their arguments. While Kristof advocated for stricter content moderation, banning downloads, and restricting video uploads to verified users, he also called for corporations, particularly credit card companies, to sever ties with Pornhub, a move that appeared to be a potent form of protest. As a result of public pressure, many companies complied, but the documentary underscores that the primary casualties of this action were the sex workers reliant on Pornhub for their livelihoods. Despite this, the site predominantly generates revenue from non-corporate banner ads.

The fundamental question raised is: What responsibility does a platform like Pornhub bear in regulating its content? This dilemma underscores the complexities of technological freedom. In response to the outcry, Pornhub initially removed nearly 10 million videos—a stark departure from its previous sluggish or non-existent response to claims of non-consensual content. However, the internet’s decentralized nature complicates efforts to eradicate problematic content, akin to attempting to combat misinformation on social media. Additionally, the documentary reveals that some protests against Pornhub were aligned with the Christian anti-pornography movement, which stems from a distinct ideological standpoint beyond mere crime prevention.

Ultimately, there emerged a backlash against the backlash aimed at Pornhub. “Money Shot” presents a nuanced argument, suggesting that while the criticism against the site stemmed from valid moral concerns, it may have disproportionately harmed sex workers without effectively aiding trafficking victims. Moreover, it hints at the inherent challenge of regulating online platforms in an era where extreme pornography has permeated mainstream culture. As one tweet featured in the film provocatively suggests, shutting down Pornhub may inadvertently drive users towards even darker corners of the internet, underscoring the inherent limitations of policing online content.