Money Shot: The Pornhub Story

We all know what pornography is...or do we? The porn industry is not just boobs and butts. The actual industry is far more nuanced than that. Pornhub was able to capitalize on the selling of content via the Internet, but like a lot of companies, it forgot who was making the content and why. It allowed non-consensual content from non-performers who were not able to profit from their exposure (and likely had no intention of ever being on its' platform). All the while, actual performers were directly affected and their opinion meant very little to the company or to the religious zealots who sought to bring down the company. Again, someone forgot about who was being shown on the platform and why.

I found this to be a very good explanation of everything that went down with PornHub, along with OnlyFans towards the end. Overall though, this documentary isn't necessarily just about Pornhub - it's a modern view of the porn industry told by people who are on very opposite sides of the spectrum. What it lacked was that middle-ground perspective, but in that way, it does give space for the viewer to think critically about the points and form their own opinion. What it truly needed was some fact-checking from producers or some narrator, because my research after seeing this showed that some of things said by a few interviewees weren't exactly true. But still - I thoroughly enjoyed this. It's not meant to be watched casually while you're doing laundry, it's a really good opportunity to think about it thoughtfully.

A misleading title and description. I thought we would get a deep dive into the lives of performers, behind the scenes and interesting facts. Instead I got an absolute snooze fest. The majority of this documentary was spent complaining about legal battles, hurdles and legislation that changes the rules. I was not interested in the slightest. I found myself saying so what? What value do I get from watching this? Clearly there is no value for a mass audience. The only audience that might enjoy this are performers in a similar situation. Otherwise it falls flat. The doco should have been called 'Legal battles with PH' and the description clearly saying it documents the legal hurdles performers go through to upload their content. This title was deceitful. Not a good production Netflix, disappointing.

This documentary explores the op-ed article that appeared in the Times about SA en CSAM at Pornhub. In doing this, it adds very little, if anything, to the procedings. We get some faces and voices with the article and a bit of extra background but essentially nothing new or groundbreaking. So on that subject the documentary does not go beyond skin-deep, which is fitting.

The added value then, compared to the Times article, is the opinion on the breadth of the industry by the actor and actresses themselves. The difficulty they have monetizing their product, the uncertainty of it al. It's a shame that the lead-in to this actual 'new' material takes most all of the runtime, so it all ends rather too soon and no real resolution or realisation is gained.

For those thinking to watch this for the nekkid ladies: Please don't bother. The whole thing features 3 pairs of naked breasts (6 boobs, if you will) and nothing much more else. So unless your fetish is 'off screen moaning': You'll have to get your rocks off elsewhere.

All in all: Fine concept, subject matter warrants the attention, but the documentary just skims the surface and sits on the Netflix lineup just to draw in people, I fear. Skippable, unless you missed the Times article "The Children of Pornhub" or want to avoid reading it.

I think we all believed this was going to be a deeper dive / closer look into the background of adult entertainment and the people involved, but it was more around the institution and the types of legal issues that usually arise from user-generated content.

With the primary focus around how Pornhub positioned itself to the public and the dangerous issues around child safety and sex trafficking, the documentary doesn't cover much else outside what the NYT and other publications did in print media. But, it does give us a bit more insight with interviews of people who were directly affected by the results of the Pornhub case, and how their journey to continue being in the adult entertainment industry has seen them move through different platforms and make certain concessions or adjustments to their lives to continue in their desired employment.

It's nothing to write home about, but still worth a watch since there's a good personal element added to the surroundings of this issue.