A Porn Star Is A Star Too

There is a certain dignity in labor. No one would doubt that. But when that labor involves having sex in the full glare of a movie camera, people start having doubts about this dignity thing. There was a time when I used to think that porn stars were the ultimate scum of the earth. That was before the expression "scum of the earth" was made popular by the Will Smith movie, "Men in Black." But coming back to the topic at hand, I used to think that indulging in loveless acts of sex in full public view was the height of debauchery. Add to that the fact that adult movies tended to have really poor production values made the entire visual seedy and cheesy and shady. Today things are changing. I forget what it is called, but the adult movie industry has its own version of the Oscars. Moreover, today there are famous celebrities in the adult movies business and it is no longer about "any warm body will do." So it is time to re-examine our notions about what constitutes a reasonable or moral or ethical profession. I think that we have no choice but to accept the role of a porn star in the same light as that of any other professional. Let me build up this case slowly in case you have trouble accepting it. First of all, would you rate a romantic hero, such as Tom Hanks, or any other hero that you choose, a professional? Or would you rate the hero as scum because he is only pretending to be in love that woman on the screen? That is almost a ridiculous question. But if we can accept someone role-play the act of a love interest, what stops us from accepting the same thing where physical intimacy is involved. If we do not regard adult movie stars as serious professionals, then we are actually making a comment on the very act of sexuality and physical relationships. Sure, there are many schools of thought that would look down upon such physical displays of affection as immoral, even if done monogamously and in the privacy of ones own home. But are you one of them? Do you think that sex for pleasure is inherently wrong? If not, then how can sex for pleasure on screen be inherently wrong? And if it is not inherently wrong, how can we disregard porn stars are true professionals. This is something they do to earn a living. I think we should alter our colored glasses and start treating all labor with the dignity and respect that it deserves.