Tristan Taormino Tackles Porn Issues With Cosmo

NEW YORK — Feminist pornographer and author Tristan Taormino ramped up her mainstream media exposure in a recent interview with Cosmopolitan magazine.

In addition to her usual wheelhouse that centers on the definition of “feminist porn,” Taormino also spoke to the issues of content piracy and porn’s objectification of men.

Taormino told the magazine that feminist porn is ethically produced content that empowers performers and provides movies with desire, beauty, pleasure, and power through alternative representations, aesthetics, and filmmaking styles.

She noted that fem porn usually includes real orgasms and doesn’t discriminate or “fetishize” against any body type or ethnicity, unlike some mainstream porn.

On the flip side, she also addressed the issue of women liking porn where men dominate women.

“I have no interest in policing or judging anyone’s desires, fantasies, and porn preferences, and I know that plenty of women have fantasies of dominance and submission. Images of dominance and submission are not anti-feminist in and of themselves, but one of the reasons feminists critique them is because consent is not always explicit and because of the repetition of men dominating women, making it the main type of power exchange we see in a lot of mainstream pornography. I think there is a stereotype that women want kinder, gentler, more romantic porn; some women do, but not all women. Feminist pornographers don’t want to do away with sexual power dynamics; many of us want to explore them in an explicitly consensual and more diverse, nuanced, non-stereotypical way,” she told Cosmo.

Taking a stance on tube site piracy, Taormino called out YouPorn and RedTube as examples of sites hurting the industry. But she pointed out that the Internet has made it possible for feminists when it comes to controlling porn production.

Taormino said, “There are a lot of small, indie porn sites run by the performers themselves like MeetTheMayhems.com and LiandraDahl.com. MakeLoveNotPorn.tv is an actual amateur file sharing site where the people who make the scenes and films can share profits with the site.”

Coming to the defense of male talent, Taormino said that the objectification of men in mainstream porn is rarely mentioned, and that men are often portrayed as always being hard, one-dimensional sex robots with “disembodied penises.”

“What I’m trying to achieve in my films is a more diverse array of sexual representations and that includes more diverse images of men’s sexuality. I like to show men asking their partners for directions, men who get off on giving pleasure, submissive men, straight men who get anally penetrated, and men who aren’t afraid to challenge norms about masculinity in other ways,” the co-editor of “The Feminist Porn Book,” said.

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Ryan Keely, Nicole Doshi Topline Latest From Sweetheart Video

Ryan Keely and Nicole Doshi headline the 19th volume of "Lesbian Adventures: Strap On Specialists" from Mile High Media's studio imprint Sweetheart Video.

Wendy Raine Fronts 'Mamma Mia' Parody From MYLF

Wendy Raine stars with Eva Nyx and Quinton James in a “Mamma Mia” parody from MYLF, titled “Memories Cumming to My Mind.”

Briella Coley Makes Her Evil Angel Debut

Briella Coley has made her debut for Evil Angel alongside director/performer Richard Mann.

Jasmine Sherni Takes the Spotlight in 2-Part Brazzers Release

Jasmine Sherni stars in the two-part Brazzers scene titled “TroubleMakerzz.”

Linda Lan Performs 1st Anal, Headlines Jonni Darkko's 2nd 'POV Anal Sluts'

Linda Lan performs her first anal scene and toplines director Jonni Darkko’s sequel to “POV Anal Sluts,” from Evil Angel.

XBIZ Miami's Host Hotel Sold Out, General Registration Now Open

Guest rooms at XBIZ Miami’s exclusive conference venue, Nautilus Sonesta Miami Beach hotel in South Beach, are now completely sold out.

Leana Lovings, Aria Banks Front Latest From Reality Kings

Leana Lovings and Aria Banks star in the latest release from Reality Kings, titled "Synchronized Scissoring."

Penthouse Names Lennon Elizabeth April's 'Pet of the Month'

Penthouse Magazine has named model Lennon Elizabeth as Pet of the Month for April.

Bella Spark, Kelly Collins Star in Finale of VMG Cross-Site Feature 'Bang and Burn'

Bella Spark and Kelly Collins star with Vixen Media Group exclusive Jason Luv in the final installment of the cross-site spy feature "Bang and Burn."

Jade Kimiko, Cecelia Taylor Headline 'Women Seeking Women 199'

Jade Kimiko and Cecelia Taylor topline “Women Seeking Women 199” from Girlfriends Films.

Show More