One woman wore glossy black latex gloves and had fingernails like stilettos.
The other perched on the rim of a bathtub, legs spread.
I felt my cheeks getting hotter and hotter.
Cheyenne Saldana/EyeEm/Getty Images
But by the time I was watching that DVD in 2008, things were different.
Now you have to be the product youre selling, she says.
I wont lie, Ive watched porn for free before.
I also understand that having money to spend on entertainment of any kind is a luxury.
Its also harder for creators of adult content to enforce copyright.
Insert facepalm emoji here.
The stigma around watching porn can be especially oppressive for women.
I like artful lighting, carefully-framed shots, and lingering close-ups of mouths.
I also like porn that feels spontaneous and orgasms I can believe in.
The kind of visceral, compelling performances and high-end production values I go for cost money.
Im creating what I consider an art form.
Sometimes, I might be creating a performance of orgasm that I value.
Sometimes, were not being paid enough for authenticity, Lee tells SELF.
She wants to capture the plurality of authenticfemale orgasms, something thats underrepresented in adult entertainment.
Or, really, in mainstream entertainment as a whole.
Women can start to feel their orgasms arent big enough, loud enough, or quick enough.
Im trying to challenge that, Maloney says.
I do my darndest to curate in a way thats ethical and respectful, she says.
These directors and producers focus on fair wage and labor practices for their performers, and high production value.
They often are women and employ more women than youd typically find working behind the scenes.
Those are the places where I can be the most safe, secure, and creative.
Three of the fiveTrenchcoatX, Trouble Films, and Burning Angelare helmed by performers.
But that wont radically alter the porn industry as we know it.
Better labor conditions for porn performers, Lee says, depend on reducing the stigma associated withsex work.
A simple, meaningful, completely free way you could do that?
Talk about the fact that you watch porn.
