From Liberation to Racket: How Pornography Became a Machine

In the 1970s, pornography was part of a larger cultural shift — one intertwined with the sexual revolution, feminism, and the fight against repressive moral standards. It was the era of Deep Throat (1972), The Devil in Miss Jones (1973), and the rise of the adult film industry as an artistic and even political statement. Key players like Hugh Hefner, Larry Flynt, and Al Goldstein pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable, arguing that pornography was not just about sex — it was about freedom.

At the time, the conversation was about choice. Feminists like Annie Sprinkle and sex-positive activists embraced pornography as a means of sexual expression, a counter to the shame imposed by conservative values. The argument was simple: Why should sex, pleasure, and eroticism be hidden? Why should people feel ashamed of their desires?

Pornography was framed as empowerment. The early pioneers wanted it to be art, to be a celebration of sexuality, to push back against the societal chains that kept people locked in guilt and repression.

But then, as Eric Hoffer so perfectly put it:

“Every great cause begins as a movement, becomes a business, and eventually degenerates into a racket.”

The Business of Over-Consumption

As the 1980s and 1990s rolled in, porn stopped being a movement and became an industry. Big business took over. The rise of VHS, and later DVDs, meant that pornography was no longer confined to theaters — it was accessible in the privacy of people’s homes. Companies like Vivid Entertainment and Wicked Pictures turned porn into a billion-dollar business, refining its production, marketing, and distribution to maximize profits.

The framing changed. What was once about freedom became about addiction. Instead of being a statement against repression, it became a product to be consumed — again and again. And with the arrival of the internet, that consumption became limitless.

The Degeneration into a Racket

Today, porn is no longer about choice, art, or liberation — it is about conditioning.

• The industry profits off escalation — mild content loses its novelty, so more extreme, degrading, and taboo content takes its place.
• The industry profits off addiction — free streaming ensures users keep coming back, while premium subscriptions and “exclusive” content monetize compulsive behavior.
• The industry profits off shame — viewers consume in secrecy, reinforcing the cycle of guilt, secrecy, and continued consumption.

Porn is no longer about liberation — it is about control. And the irony? It now plays directly into the same guilt and repression it once sought to dismantle. The modern porn industry conditions consumers to crave more extreme content while ensuring that desire is always tinged with shame.

The Psychological Impact

Beyond just business, the sheer overconsumption of pornography is shaping psychological behaviors, desires, and expectations in ways no one anticipated. It is:

• Desensitizing viewers to intimacy — When sex is reduced to a performative act for consumption, real-life connection feels less fulfilling.
• Altering sexual preferences — People seek out increasingly extreme content, moving further away from natural attraction toward conditioned cravings.
• Reinforcing degradation as the norm — Since porn is already framed in secrecy and guilt, the content itself becomes more degrading to match the frame.

The result? A feedback loop of dehumanization, where the more one consumes, the further they drift from genuine intimacy, and the more they reinforce the very frame that porn was originally meant to break.

From a Revolution to a Machine

What began as an act of defiance — of sexual freedom and self-expression — has become a soulless industry designed to keep people locked in a cycle of consumption, guilt, and psychological dependence.

Porn is no longer about sex. It’s about control.

And that, more than anything, is how a movement turns into a racket.