World4 min(s) read
A student who was invited to spend a day watching the production of a pornographic film has spoken out, describing it as "the worst thing I have ever seen in my life."
Cameron Dale, 21, from Tameside, Manchester, was one of six young people who took part in the BBC Three documentary Porn Laid Bare, which explored Spain's adult entertainment industry.
Over the course of two weeks, the zoology student and the other contributors met adult stars, producers and campaigners while examining both the mainstream side of the industry and allegations of abuse and exploitation.
Cameron and two other participants were invited by a producer to observe the filming of a gang-bang scene involving 20 masked men and a 19-year-old woman.
Rather than viewing the shoot as simply another aspect of the adult entertainment industry, Cameron said he found what he witnessed deeply upsetting, ultimately reshaping his view.
Speaking during the documentary, he became emotional as he described what he had seen, “There are no other words I can use other than it was just heartbreaking to watch. To me this seemed more like a free brothel than it did a porn shoot.”
The experience ultimately had a major impact on Cameron's perception of pornography and the industry surrounding it.
The documentary explored allegations of trafficking, drugging, abuse and exploitation, with participants also speaking to people who had experienced the darker side of the business.
Cameron later explained to the Manchester Evening News why he felt the subject was important.
“It's an important topic. The majority of people watch porn and don't give the dark side of the industry a second thought.”
During the programme, Cameron and the other contributors also met former porn performer Sabrina, who raised concerns about alleged drugging and prostitution within the industry.
For Cameron, hearing those accounts alongside what he witnessed during filming caused his views to change much more dramatically than he had anticipated.
“Doing this documentary has definitely opened up another side of the argument. I expected my opinion to change on porn, but I didn’t expect it to take this much of a turn so soon.”
He said he wanted the programme to highlight the experiences of women who may be subjected to exploitation.
“I need to show people that these things do happen and they are horrific. I hope that us being able to show people about it helps other women in the future.”
The experience also prompted Cameron to think more broadly about the way society teaches young people about sex.
He said that his own sex education at school had largely focused on contraception, but argued that this did not necessarily prepare young people for the realities of sex, relationships and consent.
Cameron felt that conversations around sex should go beyond simply explaining how to avoid pregnancy and practicing safe sex.
At the conclusion of the series, the young participants were presented with a choice: they could either make their own pornographic film or take part in a protest organized by the Towanda Rebels, a group campaigning against violence towards women and pornography, with Cameron opting to join the demonstration.
Having witnessed what he considered to be the darker realities of the industry, he felt it was important to stand alongside those campaigning on the issue.
He also wanted to challenge the idea that feminism was something men should distance themselves from.
For Cameron, the experience had become about more than pornography itself, as he was given a closer look at the exploitation that goes on in the industry, as well as issues around consent.
