What is Ethical Porn?

Women watch porn, and that’s a fact. Hell, you’re here aren’t you? But while even the reticent among us know that there’s certainly no lack of options when it comes to the sheer volume of porn out there, quality porn that doesn’t stomp on women is another matter altogether.

Mainstream porn is abundant, but there are lots of issues with it. For one thing, it tends to be completely catered to what's arousing for men, with women present largely in service of this purpose. Fact: at least 32% of PornHub’s audience is made up of women, and we think they deserve better than what they’re getting (as do the men, and people of all genders!). Ultimately, mainstream porn tends to depict women in degrading or even dehumanizing ways, and this less-than-respectful treatment often extends to behind-the-scenes dealings as well. Of course, ‘people want this type of porn,’ is the old excuse, but we argue that this simply ain’t true: if you make better, more ethical porn, they will cum!

Bottom line: if you're not feeling a lot of the porn you see out there, Bellesa Plus may be the way to go.

What exactly is ethical porn?

The term ‘ethical porn,’ sometimes used interchangeably with ‘feminist’ or ‘fair trade’ porn is porn that honors consent, treats performers with respect, and pays everyone fairly. The environment on an ethical porn film set is one of mutual complicity and understanding.

According to sex therapist Kamil Lewis, AMFT, “Ethical porn validates the needs, boundaries, and curiosities of the performers,” while depicting sex that’s more true-to-life, often featuring performers with more diverse body types and skin colors, and, perhaps most importantly, showcasing real female pleasure. “Ethical porn is inclusive, creative, and consensual,” she says.

In case you missed the memo, there is an ethical porn renaissance happening right now—and Bellesa’s at the center of the action. This means that when you’re watching porn on Bellesa Plus, you know you’re getting off to porn that has the following key qualities:

Consent

Consent can’t be emphasized enough. There’s a whackload of mainstream porn out there that one can’t watch without feeling a bit gross. This is because there’s a tension that’s created when it’s unclear whether everything happening on set was mutually agreed upon, or whether coercion or force was involved. Consent is sexy, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. All sex on Bellesa Plus is 100% consensual, and nothing gets filmed without (enthusiastic) consent from all performers. 

Legal age

It should go without saying that all performers are of legal age, but this is certainly not always the case with mainstream porn. The endless variety of “barely legal” porn, along with a mountain of probably-not-so-legal porn that people choose not to talk about is downright rampant, and it’s not okay. Being of age is a crucial aspect of giving informed consent, for starters. All performers on Bellesa Plus are old enough to know what they love and get off on showing it! 

No incest

On Bellesa Plus, you’ll never accidentally stumble upon a “stepsister stuck in a washing machine” scene, nor will you find any “twin sisters” fucking the same guy(s), or fathers swapping daughters. While we get that fantasy is fantasy, we choose to nurture the empowering perversions over the more questionably twisted variety—because we believe the world is what we make it.

Chemistry

It’s actually kind of appalling how difficult it is to find mainstream porn that’s been instigated with real, live chemistry between two (or more) performers—and the difference is palpable, to say the least. Bellesa performers always choose who they work with, so what you’re seeing is the result of the authentic chemistry that occurs when performers get paired up with people they truly wanna do. Real connection is hot AF for performers and viewers alike!

Safety first

Bellesa always ensure rigorous STI testing for the safety of performers on Bellesa sets, and, what with COVID-19 stealing the scene, we now require thorough testing protocols for that as well. Because we don’t think pleasure is really pleasure if it doesn’t prioritize safety and wellbeing above all!

Communication

Bellesa performers are encouraged to communicate their likes and dislikes with their partner(s) before shooting a scene. Much like off-camera sex among romantic or sexual partners, strong communication is key to getting the most out the experience. Plus, bonafide arousal is a lot hotter to watch, wouldn’t you say? 

By women

Bellesa film are all directed by women, because we really care about not replicating and bolstering the same old male gaze. What we offer is not exactly ‘porn for women’—rather, it’s porn by women, for anyone of any gender who wants to watch something real. In our case, creative director and award-winning director Jacky St. James is the visionary in chief, and we couldn’t be happier about that.

Pleasure=everything

Bellesa porn focuses on connection and genuine pleasure. Women are not depicted as objects of conquest as they so often are in your typical mainstream porn—instead, we’re subjects of pleasure, and it’s a smokin’ hot look. We’re talking about the difference between being the vessel of another’s pleasure, and being an obscene queen who gets what she wants. You feel me? Both involve giving and receiving, but they’re worlds apart.

Transparency

If there is a specific storyline for a scheduled shooting at Bellesa Films, performers are filled in before arriving on set to ensure they’re comfortable with the scene and the role they’ll be playing. We never surprise performers with last-minute changes to the story which could leave them feeling uncomfortable.

No pressure

We work hard to foster a safe and comfortable working environment for all on our sets. This means ensuring that performers feel 100% comfortable interrupting a scene by calling “cut” if they need a sip of water or a snack, a trip to the toilet, or an emotional breather. 

Comfort is a must

At Bellesa, we go the extra mile to prioritize performers’ physical comfort, ensuring that food, water, and ample lube (!) is always available on set! You can never have too much lube, we say! Never!!

Empowerment is the goal

Our mission is to empower women to embrace, explore and celebrate their sexuality—unapologetically. We believe a key part of the journey to becoming a self-actualized sexual being is being able to view quality ethical porn online. What’s more empowering than seeing yourself and your deepest desires reflected, rather than an endless stream on degrading money shots? We strive to change the world, one great orgasm at a time.

When it comes right down to it, the above “ethical porn” guidelines are really just baseline conditions for a fair, healthy, respectful, and human working environment. On Bellesa Plus, you can get off to steamy, pleasure-filled content—100% guilt-free.

Welcome. <3