After and during watching, what resonated with me the most was the hopelessly pathetic, grim, small little lives these people lead, and led in the industry. It's not a revelation how these South Florida porn sites operate, but to see it, like a too long behind the scenes is what I think the purpose of the documentary was, at least in part. That flophouse with all those girls living in it was disgusting for many reasons, a bunch of dirty pizza boxes and dogs, fast food wrappers, blunt ash and beer cans...and they are all in the industry? Of course, I was not unaware of this, but seeing how stupid, ignorant, and 'small town' most of these girls are was just sad and revolting at the same time.
Here's my take, I am not conservative, nor a misogonist, and women can do what they want, with themselves and their bodies, but it is trashy, exploitive, degrading, and should be viewed that way. If that's how they choose to empower themselves, live with the results. I think the movie did what it wanted to do, I'll only say if your life is even more bleak and wretched then those portrayed, would anyone want to sign up for porn after watching that. And that may be the case for many women, which is perhaps another issue entirely, based on economics and education, and female/male gender roles.
Porn is not inherently evil, or a repulsive thing, but the circumstances behind a good amount of it are.....I mean a lot is consenting adults, and merely a reflection of how little some value their selves, and how much they value money....I'd rather not watch the bottom of the barrel girls pictured here, when the exploitation and creep factor is that high, it's both a sexual thing and a morality thing. It's just an ugly sad world all around for those people. The social media obsession, the forced blowjobs, it was just hard to watch after awhile, that circle of stupidity, bad judgement, naiveté, exploitation, abuse.
* I doubt any of those girls had 'real' agents, thats for LA talent and the ones that make it out of the flophouse, I'd think. That guy was more of a babysitter for the product, like the errand boy who watches the stash house. And whats funny is he really thought he had it made, which is an entirely separate story of male economic hardship and reality....he's still the same loser who worked at Outback, he fukks a lot more girls, but you can tell he's the same simping friend zone guy he'd been all his life. And he probably makes a lot less then what I personally what consider 'good money'. I don't know what I'd want to be paid to live like that, but it's a lot.
* As far as what happens when you turn down a shoot, I'm sure it's situation dependent, but it's a reputation thing, and rep is everything. That one girl explained it well enough. They don't know what happens. They are confused, and nervous, and on the wrong end of the economic reality. Some of the money being discussed....if I was so inclined.....whatever. If one wants to take some creepy stance like the whores get what they deserve, it's creepy....and in some cases, it is what it is. There are women who made it in the industry, they were strong, cold, and sexual enough to make it through, and they probably make a good life for themselves....it's the dumb little girls who aren't victims in the traditional sense of 'rape' or abuse, but are oversexualized from a young age, stupid, young and ignorant about the world. We don't have to march for them but one can feel pity and contempt at the same time.
I feel like I did after I watched 8mm when I was 15, like I need a shower and reminder that my life will not be like that.