First of all, I want to make clear that Jenna Jameson did a knock-out performance on Oprah in November. Like, perfect 10. Her publicist and speaking coach must've worked overtime, but Jenna said all the perfect things you want a porn start to say on Oprah. (It's not that I think her words are untrue; her level of self-awareness and eloquence was just off the charts higher than anything I'd seen from her before.) If you missed it, check out this play by play.
Ok, so that glowing review aside, I did take exception to one part of the interview where Jenna claims she's not like "other women" who have lots of partners and are called sluts/whores. According to Jameson, because her primary partner on camera was her husband, she's somehow more chaste (my word). Take a peek:
Look, the world's biggest porn star DOES NOT need to defend her chastity. No woman does, but particularly a woman whose sexual performances have made her a millionaire and a global brand. Like, whatever you did, you did good. Also? You got paid to have sex--to most people keeping tabs on the morality scale, that's a big no-no.
My issue is that Jenna is separating herself from "others" who (she implies) ARE deservedly called sluts. That's unkind to her fellow ladies of the set. Most women in porn are honest ladies who just want to make a buck--they don't deserve scorn for violating some outdated notion that women should retain their purity. Not everyone finesses a porn career having sex with as few partners as Jameson. Jenna really set a new paradigm in her career, but it isn't helpful for her to then separate herself as somehow more "pure" and "chaste" than other porn stars.
Prediction: in the next few years we'll see a move away from women's liberation-via-girl's-gone-wild (and the ancillary strip pole dancing classes), towards reclaimed chastity. Seriously, not having sex will be the new hot thing.
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