Involuntary Consent

"The popularity of pornography is predicated on the idea those participating have given their consent. That is what allows the porn industry to dominate the media economy today, generating staggering sums of money. Looking at behind-the-scenes negotiations and abuses in Japan's massive adult video industry, Akiko Takeyama challenges this pervasive notion with the idea of 'involuntary consent'. This phenomenon, she argues, is ubiquitous, not only in the porn industry, but in our everyday lives, and yet modern society, built on beliefs of autonomy, free choice, and equality, renders it all but invisible. Takeyama argues that contract-making writ large is based on fundamentally dualistic terms, implying consent and pleasure on the one hand, and coercion and pain on the other. Because sex workers are employed on a contract basis, they fall outside of the purview of standard labor and employment laws. As a result, they are frequently forced to comply with what production companies (most of whom center male fantasies) demand. Involuntary Consent investigates this paradox in modern liberal democratic societies. Takeyama illustrates the nuances of Japan's pornographic and sex work industries and the legal structures, or lack thereof, that govern them"--