Westernized mainstream pornography rarely depicts much outside of cisgendered white people. But bisexual porn has finally helped jumpstart the conversation of challenging race inequality and beauty standards we no longer want.
“Pornography is racist as well as sexist.” is the scalding close to a journal abstract, published in Psychology of Women Quarterly, 1994. Remembering that 1994 was essentially the birth year of the internet, and downloading pornography was nearly as complicated as brain surgery and definitely took twice as long, it’s pretty easy to believe that this paper is severely outmoded in modern society.
However, take a closer look at what is considered mainstream pornography today, and you might not be so sure of yourself. The industry has long undergone heated debate- not just for the obvious erotic content, but also for the underrepresentation of different races, genders, body types, and sexual communities. “It wasn’t that long ago that finding quality gay or lesbian porn was almost out of the question,” say the pornographic guru’s at Porndoe. “But we’re now not only finding tons of lesbian, bisexual, & gay porn content, but also things like black bisexual porn, BBW [big beautiful women] porn, transgender porn, and a number of other genres that were considered to be obscure just a few years ago. It’s actually really exciting.”
The adult content buffs at Porndoe are no strangers to catering to “obscure” niches, but they say that many of the bisexual and interracial genres are starting to go mainstream. Which will hopefully take them off of the endangered list. “Sexuality is constantly evolving, oftentimes without notice or regard for our antiquated social constructs.” They say, and with Gen Z finally starting to blossom into their 20’s the entire porn paradigm may be in for a big shift.
Finding Firmer Footing
While the millennials and older generations may not be loud and proud about their evolving sexual desires, streaming content is indicating a shift in desires- with more cisgendered straight women admitting that bisexual porn as their naughty nighttime go to. A server preferred in 2019 suggest that most American still aren’t comfortable with the idea of actually being bisexual, other studies suggest they are watching more gay bisexual porn and black bisexual porn than ever.
Which doesn’t necessarily express a deeper desire to try on new sexualities- but does indicate a wide range of fantasy and desire. Which means that what more mainstream porn titles have been selling as a sort of “one size fits all” fantasy, definitely does not. Bisexual porn is on the rise, not because bisexuality is, but instead for the wider range of performers and more realistic depictions of sexual acts.
Load up nearly any black bisexual porn available, and you will quickly see that the standard stereotypes- often dealt to black performers, don’t exist. Black men are not depicted as sexually aggressive, black women are not depicted as overly vocal or extreme. Instead both are depicted as humans that are genuinely enjoying the sex they’re participating in.
This more tangible enjoyment extends far past actors of BIPOC backgrounds, and into nearly all the actors depicted- as bisexual porn rarely depicts the wooden, cisgendered, white bread that is often seen in mainstream porn. Instead real bodies, with real people seem to be what is being streamed the most. Which is mostly likely the biggest impact that bisexual porn has on global sex drives.
Straight Porn Gets Bent
While most mainstream porn still seems to be unchanged, streaming channels are now starting to offer a much wider variety of actors- body type, skin color, sexual acts, and fetishes. Which is probably due to the semi-recent surge in popularity of bisexual porn. Particularly as cisgendered, straight women have reported watching more gay/bisexual porn than ever. With seemingly less concern surrounding beauty standards, and more focus on the sex at hand.
It’s hard to argue that mainstream porn doesn’t objectify women. Often portraying busty, thin, and blonde actors as more of a sentient masturbatory device than an actual human with wants to be filled. Where mainstream porn seems to have a singular focus on the bouncing attributes of their women led roles, grey/bisexual porn focuses more on the male body, and even has limelight for transgendered and BIPOC characters. Which is something women are interested in.
Whether it is because these types of “alternative” erotic entertainment depict something that more closely resembles real life sexuality, or because they allow for a more boundless fantasy and gender-fluid experience, is as of yet unknown. But what we do know is that straight people, men, women, millennials, Gen X, black, and white- are now paying more attention than ever to bisexual porn- and that’s a truly inspiring thing.