Biography of a pornographic polemic

by Furry Girl

05.13.09

How did you get into porn?
When I was 17, I read a book called "Good Time Girls of the Alaska-Yukon Gold Rush" by Lael Morgan, and was fascinated by the strong, feisty, independent women who left behind comfortable lives and families to become sex workers in the harsh north. I pondered my options for joining Team Whore, and decided to give porn a try once I hit 18. I did my first day shoot in LA in May of 2002 for a big online porn company, where the creepy, fumbly photographer and I cranked out 20 solo photosets of me in various outfits, looking increasingly tired/bored as the day wore on. I was paid $750, and the porn site paid the photographer $1250. I realized I was doing it wrong, and researched starting my own company. I launched my first site in January of 2003 with a startup cost of a few thousand dollars.

You were abused and raped as a kid, right?
No, but thanks for trying to use that as a means to discredit me.

What's your educational background?
I'm most certainly not an academic, and have a general disdain for the theory class. I barely completed junior high, and I use the term "completed" only in the sense that they allowed me register for high school, where I soon stopped showing up all together. Before totally dropping out, I started out as an overachiever kid with killer standardized text scores and dweeby extracurriculars like the Science Olympiads. Then, I had the epiphany that school was optional, and that there were much more engaging uses of my time and energies. Dropping out of school is, by far, one of the best decisions of my life.

What are your politics?
I am an eco-centric pragmatist who is ravenously anti-asshole. While my general bent is antiauthoritarian, I'm too much of a "libertarian" to be a proper leftist, and too much of a "leftist" to be a proper libertarian. I pick and choose the best bits of many ideologies like a cheapskate assembling a full meal from cocktail garnishes and condiment packets. I am an atheist with an equal-opportunity distaste for all religions, since every single religion is anti-sex, anti-woman, anti-queer, and anti-science. I rejects all forms of superstition and fantastic claims asserted without evidence.

Why would you NOT want call yourself a feminist? That means you're sexist, then, right? Pick a side! We're at war!
I don't call myself a suffragette, either, but that doesn't mean I am against women being allowed to vote. I still consider myself super-duper anti-sexism, because sexism is still a problem in my society. Unfortunately, it's frequently perpetuated by people who call themselves feminists.

What could you possibly have against feminism?
For starters: "feminism" doesn't have anything close to a singular meaning, so it's too hard to have rational debate about it when it means opposite things to different people; the feminist pendulum has run its course and too often turns into pointless misandry; feminism used to be about women's right to be more than just barefoot and pregnant, and now it fights for the "right" of women to be barefoot and pregnant and be given a ton of government and corporate handouts for churning out babies; feminism is commonly embraced by people who's underlying beliefs are that women are stupid, feeble creatures who need to be controlled and saved; feminism these days focuses way too much on imaginary first-worlder problems like women choosing to feel badly about themselves because they think they're not pretty enough, rather than real-world problems in the Global South where women aren't allowed to own property, vote, or have a safe abortion; some feminists are obsessed with fanning and exploiting insecurities in women in order to indoctrinate them to their style of victim feminism, rather than being positive and helping women see that they're strong and powerful. Last but not least: it's REALLY FUCKING DIFFICULT to spend your entire life being viciously picked on by girls and women for various reasons, then swallow the idea that women are your true solidarity sisters and that men are the cruel enemy that oppresses you.

What do you mean when you use the terms "feminist" and "feminism"?
Except when noted, I'm referring to the feminisms of Western, industrialized nations- the sort spouted by shrill, irritating people with too much time on their hands and a bizarre desire to feel oppressed by everything. These are the feminisms that focus on throwing angry pity parties about how harmed all women should feel by sexy advertisements, not the feminisms that fight for a woman's right to birth control or divorce. Women's movements and feminisms are still totally inspiring and vital in many other countries in the global south. I am not slagging those off at all- just the whiney privileged bullshit that I, as a slutty sex-working North American, have been bludgeoned with for so many years.

Don't you think it's a total dick move to piss on feminism when you've obviously benefited from it?
I genuinely tip my hat to those who made the world a better place before I was born, but I've got to move forward.

Are you a mean and spiteful person?
I come across more abrasive online than I am as an overall person because I don't create much "filler content" for my "online persona" between the fighty stuff.





17 Comments »

  1. Brava!

    As a volunteer for San Francisco Sex Information I especially appreciate your insight and opinions.

    Keep up the good work and I will check in on your blog from time to time.

    -D

    Comment by David — February 27, 2010 @ 11:53 am

  2. As someone who has pissed of a few feminists in my day, I thouroughly enjoy this blog. Your writing kicks ass. It's sooo refreshing, what a treat!

    Comment by Nancy Couch — March 10, 2010 @ 6:58 pm

  3. I meant "pissed off" oopsies

    Comment by Nancy Couch — March 10, 2010 @ 6:59 pm

  4. Love this so far. Have dipped toe into the world of sex work, and am kind of exploring my irrational discomfort with it. Can't wait to read more!

    Comment by Becca — March 12, 2010 @ 1:47 pm

  5. You are awesome.

    Comment by Nio — March 12, 2010 @ 3:01 pm

  6. I fucking love you!

    Well, maybe that's a teeny tiny bit too intense, but you are awesome. I couldn't have come up with a better description of my own politics if I tried! Love what you have to say about the twats (note: insult chosen with purpose) involved in the current feminist movements of first world nations. I tried so hard for years and years to be a feminist, because the alternative wasn't really my bag. However, I came to precisely the same conclusion you have a few years ago, and I haven't looked back!

    Just wanted to let you know that I came across this blog via Belle de Jour yesterday and I've read almost every entry you've posted here already. It's so neat to come across people who are similar enough to me that I don't feel totally alienated by them. I checked out a couple of your sites, and I think you just seem like an interesting, kickass woman. Thanks for making my world a bit brighter and less lonely. :)

    --Misty Dawn

    Comment by Misty Dawn — March 25, 2010 @ 2:33 pm

  7. I applaud all that you have said here. Wonderful to see other empowered, sexually expressive women speaking about what I had no venue to vent so many years ago. I was also in the sex industry. I used to be stripper and had many "concerned" individuals from time to time try to save me or point me to do something more worthwhile. I didn't have a computer or the internet to vent all of these frustrations and find like-minded individuals, who were not hung up on moralistic BS.

    I had one "friend" call me early one morning, even tho' I explained that I worked at nite, to question me about my marriage and inquire how my husband could possibly be alright with his wife doing what I did. We were sleeping comfortably, so apparently the only one worried about it was her. I had still another friend ask me if I thought Jesus would want me to dance. I always replied the same way, "Is Jesus paying my rent?" And they think there's something wrong with us?!

    Comment by gothceltgirl — April 14, 2010 @ 1:41 pm

  8. Like Misty Dawn, I came across your site via BdJ and have been consistently reading your posts. I wish voices such as yours were more mainstream, as I am also sick and tired of the lefties who you'd think would be on my side instead treat women as "stupid, feeble creatures who need to be controlled and saved." Yet again, both sides of the political spectrum become bedfellows when it comes to making choices for us. It's also true that too many people are concerned with the "first-worlder problems like women choosing to feel badly about themselves because they think they're not pretty enough, rather than real-world problems in the Global South where women aren't allowed to own property, vote, or have a safe abortion."

    While I don't want to debate a word (I think PC liberals gets so caught up in language that they fail to fight the real issue), I'm curious as to your position on feminism as a whole. Would you call yourself a feminist if it meant all that you described above? Or do others tainting it ruin that word for you? When I call myself a feminist it's in the exact way you describe it, and more besides. But if someone decides I'm not a "Feminist" because of my views, that's their opinion; I don't want their definition of feminism to become truth and mine pushed even more to the sidelines of society.

    I suppose I am asking because the woman who wrote Theorizing the Sexual Child calls herself a feminist yet she and I - and it sounds like you also - have very similar political and social viewpoints. None of this really matters, I suppose. A label won't change what I believe in, even if that label is taken away from me by these "traditional Feminists", and what I believe in and fight for is more important than that anyway. I've just been thinking a lot about it, and reading your work added to that. (Btw, from the description of Erotic Innocence, they don't sound that similar to me. I read Theorizing in a college bookstore where it wasn't $80. But I understand you wanted a different kind of recommendation now, apologies.)

    Comment by lovely_bookcase — April 21, 2010 @ 6:07 am

  9. Never mind, I just read your Introduction - articulate as always - and that pretty much answered my questions, as well as gave me more to think about, as did the great responses. Thanks for your writing!!

    Comment by lovely_bookcase — April 21, 2010 @ 2:05 pm

  10. As for the political part, check out the ALLiance (http://all-left.net). Some are self-professed feminists (deviating from mainstream feminism though) and others aren't (including myself).

    As for the mention of 'proper libertarians' tolerating racism, left-libertarians have argued that libertarianism historically referred to the anti-authoritarian Left, and deviate from the paleo-right-libertarians such as here: http://sheldonfreeassociation.blogspot.com/2010/05/regarding-those-whites-only-lunch.html

    Comment by Anonymous — May 28, 2010 @ 7:08 pm

  11. You have hit the nail on the head there.

    I loved the bit about picking the bits of ideologies since that's my philosophy. Unfortunately it does seem to upset almost everyone at some time or other. If they are prepared to discuss rather than condemn out of hand that is good enough for me but heck, if they can't see past their own dogma that's not my fault is it?

    Comment by Andrew — June 2, 2010 @ 12:32 am

  12. Furry Girl,
    I just realized (well not just realized, but remembered to think after I typed during the times I do not remember to think before I type) that because I am a passionate person and also have a very irreverent smart ass mouth that I wanted to be clear so that I didn't offend you.
    Regarding referring to you as Funny Girl instead of Furry I was doing it in playful jest (as in that some people may think you are weird or crazy for doing what you know in your heart is right)

    so I don't know if there is a word to describe being double sarcastic, or not unsarcastic or whatever, I just wanted to be clear that I totally and completely respect and agree with your decisions to take a stand for what you believe in. Online my comments and statements are often taken wrong or as a passive aggressive way to slander. That was a pretty "heavy" post topic and due to the seriousness I felt I should explain that I am an idiot sometimes and don't realize there are topics any humor thrown in is not appropriate.

    hopefully you didn't take it wrong, keep going strong!!!

    what you are doing is important

    dusty

    Comment by dusty — June 8, 2010 @ 9:47 am

  13. All interesting and sexy stuff! Love the bush by the way! It's been a while since I have since such a fine example as over here in the Uk, too many are shaving them back. I remember my first taste and the hair definately added to the excitement. Made it through the links to the Menstration. This was a bit shocking although during menstration has never been a problem.

    Gorgeous, smart and a sense of humour! Woah!

    You read the book about Alaska... an uncle lived there for a number of years and the saying goes, 'Whats it like trying to find a man in Alaska? - Well, the odds ain't good and even the goods are odd.'

    Great collection of pics as well. Aren't people prude when it comes to naked shots. Shame...but not on us.

    Comment by Toby — August 3, 2010 @ 5:20 am

  14. That's actually a much-recycled phrase about all sorts of places, and a concept I love: The odds are good, but the goods are odd. I think I might have even used that line in a dating profile before.

    Comment by Furry Girl — August 13, 2010 @ 8:53 pm

  15. Comment by Trackbacks — September 3, 2010 @ 3:49 am

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