Most porn made for men is really unappealing to women. It’s degrading, the men tend to be unappealing, it’s not intimate, and it’s not realistic. In short, it’s not experiences we would want to have, so it’s not arousing.
Porn made for women by women is actually a decent seller with women, much like erotic fiction (and importantly, men like it also), but it’s still a pretty niche market because the assumption is women don’t want it.
The market for erotic fiction is huge (think romance novels) and is primarily aimed at and consumed by women. I’ve always thought (and I think there are some studies to back it up) that women and men process sexual desire differently - visually for men vs cerebrally for women. Although I do think that as pornography has become more socially acceptable those differences may be less pronounced.
Don’t porn production companies just make whatever sells?
Yes, but they do so through the male gaze.
Most porn made for men is really unappealing to women. It’s degrading, the men tend to be unappealing, it’s not intimate, and it’s not realistic. In short, it’s not experiences we would want to have, so it’s not arousing.
Porn made for women by women is actually a decent seller with women, much like erotic fiction (and importantly, men like it also), but it’s still a pretty niche market because the assumption is women don’t want it.
It’s sort of a self-perpetuating issue.
The market for erotic fiction is huge (think romance novels) and is primarily aimed at and consumed by women. I’ve always thought (and I think there are some studies to back it up) that women and men process sexual desire differently - visually for men vs cerebrally for women. Although I do think that as pornography has become more socially acceptable those differences may be less pronounced.
Harlequin is big business and a casual overview of their covers and synopsises tell you quite a bit what they are selling and to who they market