*With her documentary “Hot Girls Wanted,” Rashida Jones is giving folks something to think about regarding young women and their ascent into the amateur porn industry.
While she doesn’t have a problem with porn, the “Parks and Recreation” star is more concerned with how young female performers are exploited as well as the effect it has on them and the misogyny promoted within the hardcore part of the industry.
“I have no problem with porn. Also, it doesn’t matter if I have any problem with porn because it’s here to stay,” Jones told Vice correspondent Gianna Toboni in a recent interview. “I think it’s great that we have the freedom to explore our sexual fantasies and that there’s tools to do that. The problem with me is that there’s no regulation in the industry.”
Jones’ comments come amid negative feedback she’s received over the years for her stance on the lack of control women have in the entertainment industry. The Huffington Post cites accusations of slut-shaming and he actress faced in October 2013 after tweeting that female celebs should “stop acting like whores.” Despite the backlash, Jones continued to express her opinion later that year via an article she wrote for Glamour magazine on the “pornification of everything” in pop culture.
With “Hot Girls Wanted,” Jones shines a light on the female performers in porn as well as the culture that consumes it. The documentary, produced by Jones and directed by Jill Bauer and Ronna Gradus, debuted on Netflix in May and chronicles the experiences of girls as young as 18-years-old who enter into the world of amateur pornography, the Post noted.
During her interview, Jones touched on her concern for how the potential to make money and attain fame are an attractive lure for girls to enter porn, despite not being prepared for the physical and mental strain that comes with working in the sex industry.
“When you’re 18 and you’re making choices for yourself, you’re not thinking about the eternal effects of porn. You’re not thinking about the psychological, emotional, and physical costs of having sex for money,” Jones said.
Although an argument can be made for sex-positivity and the empowerment of sex workers, Jones feels a grey area exists in the middle with it being that “porn is degrading” or “porn is empowering.”
“There is an argument that… if you’re making money, you’re empowered. It’s your choice, it’s entertainment, it’s for entertainment, and therefore: argument over,” she told Vice. “I tend to think it’s slightly more nuanced than that. And it’s really difficult to believe that the girls who are crying… on camera are always acting and performing. I also find it hard to believe that everybody who watches that knows that it’s fake and it’s just for entertainment and don’t internalize it.”
To see Jones’ interview with Vice in its entirety, check out the video below
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