Photo by Niesha Studio, copyright 2006.
Audacia Ray is an executive editor of $pread, a magazine by and for sex workers, and is a contributor to the porn blog Fleshbot. She is also the director/producer of a bisexual feature adult film, The Bi Apple and head of her blog, WakingVixen.com. Audacia describes herself as "a sex nerd in both bookish and salacious ways."
Here's Audacia...
For those who haven’t read Naked on the Internet what particular generalizations do you hope to dispel, if any at all, about women’s sexuality and sex work on the internet?
In mainstream media, the Internet gets represented either as glorious new technology (“the information superhighway�) or the downfall of all societal rules as we know them (the danger of sexual predators). Stir women’s sexuality into this, and you have a big mess.
Women’s agency tends to be totally overlooked or ignored when it comes to the Internet, but women can use the Internet to explore their voices and their agency (sex-related and otherwise) in an unprecedented way. In the book I attempt to present a complex view of all this, and show the ways that the Internet can be both freeing and restrictive, often for the same women at different times.
Another layer to the book, that isn’t necessarily just about the Internet, is that I made an effort to weave together discussion of sex work and non-commercial female sexuality— usually these things are kept apart. I don’t think that separation helps the discourse about either progress, especially in the age of the Internet and with the degree to which pop culture frantically smashes the two together.
In the beginning of the book, you make a disclaimer about racial and class disparities that appear in the book as a result of the race and class differences that still exist on the Internet and in real life. Can you talk more about this, and the following statement, “The study and obsession with sexual pleasure remains the domain of middle-class white women, women for whom other obstacles (like jobs and housing) are not top concerns�?Despite the idea that the Internet is a democratic medium that allows people to make their
own media and tell their own stories, there are a lot of barriers to entry for potential Internet users, particularly expense of computer equipment, knowledge of/comfort with technology, and the necessity for free time .
Although I have devoted my work to sexuality, I also recognize that in terms of an intersectional analysis of oppressions and wrongs, sexuality is one of many issues. Unfortunately access to good, self-esteem building, empowering information for women about sexuality is something of a product of leisure. Issues around sexuality like the ability to orgasm or ways to introduce fantasies tend to be written about by and for women who are financially secure or well off. Women who face myriad sources of oppression tend to prioritize other issues above their personal journey and exploration of sexuality. Though I think that sexuality is an important element of the self, it is a bit of a stretch to argue that it is more important than employment and housing. Though these issues are very much beyond the scope of the book, I felt that it was important to acknowledge that though I attempted to create a picture of female sexuality and the Internet, there are a lot of experiences that don’t have a voice online.
From your research, you noticed that many female bloggers get personally attacked when they share their “own personal perspective and experiences rather than spouting theory.� Can you talk more about this and your findings? Why do you think this is the case? Have you done any research on male bloggers who blog about their personal perspective and experiences?
I think that the attacks on female sex bloggers who share personal stories are both about sex and about intimate details. I’ve been noticing a definite shift happening in the blogosphere in which there is an increasing amount of shaming of people (women especially) who share TMI (too much information) online. This carries with it a sort of double viciousness: “Why would you want to tell the world about your sex life?� and “Oh, she’s just using her sexuality to get noticed/a book deal/etc.� Underneath both of those questions is the assumption that the personal is not political, but instead is self-indulgence to the extreme. Though many women do want to separate their personal stuff from other work they do, others see the personal, political and professional as very interconnected, and they don’t deserve to be silenced for wanting to express themselves.
I can’t really speak to the issues faced by male bloggers because I haven’t done that research.
As a researcher of sexuality, do you know if there have been any other public mediums that have helped women discover or explore their sexuality like the Internet has done for you and for so many other women?
Mass media has always played a major role in the exploration—and suppression—of female sexuality. For example, the early novel is considered largely a form of women’s literature; the books were usually romances. They were read voraciously by young women who often saw themselves in the characters, but of course novels also caused a lot of scandal, with the fear that depictions of romantic love (and implied sexuality) would turn good girls bad. Many a treatise was written about the dangers novel reading presented to young women’s fragile minds, but the books were also very important to many young women’s self-discovery. Over the last few decades, zines have taken on the role of personal media—because they are self-published (user generated content in Internet-lingo) they are most analogous to the Internet, and they provide an uncensored version of women’s personal experiences and struggles.
You talk about your experience as a sex worker and how many sex workers use the Internet to advance their professions. Can you talk more about how the Internet fosters an entrepreneurial spirit amongst marginalized and outcast communities?
I would argue that, actually, many of the women who use the Internet to advertise and grow their online and offline businesses don’t always come from marginalized or outcast communities. Many of them are middle class before they work in the sex industry, and become part of a marginalized community by choosing to enter this highly stigmatized business. Once in the industry, the Internet becomes a powerful tool for connecting with other workers on both the professional level (“How do I make a website?�) and the personal level (“Who else can understand and accept the work I do?�)
Most significantly, the Internet has enabled many sex workers to go independent, which means that they manage their own porn sites and escorting careers (among other professions) and do their marketing the way they want, operating without big companies, pimps or agencies that would have claim to the cash that is rightfully theirs.
What advice do you have for women who are thinking about using the Internet to explore their sexuality? What should they make sure to keep in mind? Are online “sexual predators� a serious reality for adult women?
I think the most important things to consider are the questions of privacy and permanence. Although it may seem like you can protect your identity (Yay for screen names!) and emails are easily deleted, it’s important to know that, increasingly, what you put online stays online and may be traceable back to you. When women talk to me about wanting to write a sex blog or model nude for a website, the questions I always ask them to consider are: “Who is the last person you want to discover you online? What will you do WHEN that happens?� If the outcome is manageable—go for it. Otherwise, steer clear.
As far as safety goes, the danger of meeting strangers online is not inherently attached to the Internet itself. Online or offline, people can be scary or weird. I think a bigger risk than getting ax murdered by someone you meet online is the potential for becoming emotionally entwined with people who might not see you as a real entity, merely words on the screen, or people who might not be as advertised (married and cheating, too short, et cetera). The stories the mainstream media tell about women and the Internet tend to be about stalking, deception and sexual violence, and these things happen but are not as prevalent as the media would have us believe.
Have you taken Naked on the Internet on the road? What kind of feedback have you received?
The feedback has been really good. Among my own community of women who spend a lot of time engaged with sexuality on the Internet, a lot of folks have said that they felt like they were reading their own story, and were surprised at the commonalities. People who don’t spend as much time online have been surprised and impressed by the variety of what is available on the Internet.
So far I’ve done five events in my hometown of NYC, and one in Boston. All have been really excellent, with audiences full of people with really good, in depth and interesting questions (the Q&A part of any event tends to be my favorite). I’m also doing a short East Coast tour, hitting Philly, Baltimore, and Chapel Hill the week of June 18-22 and in July I’ll head to the West Coast for events in San Francisco, Los Angles, and hopefully Seattle.
In addition to the physical tour, I’m doing a blog tour in which bloggers (many of whom I interviewed for the book) write about the book. All of those dates and places can be found on the news page of my website.
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Great interview. The modern use of the internet as a space to explore sexuality is such an interesting and relevant topic. I certainly remember from the time we first got the internet at home, I was in chatrooms and reading steaming fanfics. Back then it was no big deal to be 13 and in a chatroom (of course it was no big deal to be because I was the 13 year old). The safety issue aside, what do people think of the social taboo of sexual chatting (not even necessarily "cyber sex"--whatever that is defined as)? Is it a cop out to a real ("real" meaning in person, not "real" as in valid) relationship?
Great interview. The modern use of the internet as a space to explore sexuality is such an interesting and relevant topic. I certainly remember from the time we first got the internet at home, I was in chatrooms and reading steamy fanfics. Back then it was no big deal to be 13 and in a chatroom (of course it was no big deal to be because I was the 13 year old). The safety issue aside, what do people think of the social taboo of sexual chatting (not even necessarily "cyber sex"--whatever that is defined as)? Is it a cop out to a real ("real" meaning in person, not "real" as in valid) relationship?
Augh, posted too late for me to try to find her tour stop in Chapel Hill :(
[A]ccess to good, self-esteem building, empowering information for women about sexuality is something of a product of leisure. Issues around sexuality like the ability to orgasm or ways to introduce fantasies tend to be written about by and for women who are financially secure or well off. Women who face myriad sources of oppression tend to prioritize other issues above their personal journey and exploration of sexuality.
Interesting. I hadn't really thought about differences in sexual actualization as a function of class before.
But now that I read Ms. Ray's comments, I realize how much my own marriage has changed over the last ten years since I've gone from college student to partner in my profession.
At first, when I didn't have anything material to offer, I was always insecure that she'd find someone with money who could make her life easier, even though she always said that wasn't important. Consequently, I was all about inexpensive flowers, massages (given by me), home-cooked dinners and anything else I could think of that I thought she might like.
Now that I'm a partner at my firm, though, we've quickly gone to nice hotels in Europe, massages given by others, and Victoria's Secrets gift certificates slapped on Amex on the way home from work as a substitute.
I wonder how my prior assessments of what made her happy reflect the reality of what she thought at the time? And the current assessments? Ugh. I'm guessing not so good.
Think I'll pick this book up and give it a read.
Love it! Is $pread in the market for an intern???
Fabulous interview. I've been reading $pread since it's inception, and it's such a great magazine. My favorite article, thus far, has definately been the "tips on going to a strip club" piece. LOVED THAT! If it's not, $pread should certainly be featured in the Encyclopedia of Prostitution and Sex Work. Anyone know if it's in there?
Great interview. And I love the stage name "Audacia".
I'm glad she addressed how "the study and obsession with sexual pleasure" is pretty much the domain of the privileged. This is so rarely discussed, and for that reason, I almost have an aversion to anything labeled "sex positive."
I'm glad she addressed how "the study and obsession with sexual pleasure" is pretty much the domain of the privileged. This is so rarely discussed, and for that reason, I almost have an aversion to anything labeled "sex positive."
Oh good, more cheering for porn on feminist websites. This is SO empowerful!
Oh good, more cheering for porn on feminist websites. This is SO empowerful!