Watching Porn: And Other Confessions of an Adult Entertainment Journalist

One feminist’s candid account of her unexpected adventure in the world of porn journalism, and her discovery of an industry that is more nuanced than she ever imagined

Lynsey G. never imagined that she would ever work in porn, but at 24 years old, with a degree in English literature and an empty bank account, she found herself reviewing the film East Coast ASSault for an adult magazine in New York City. One interview later and it was official: she was a porn journalist. The job was supposed to be temporary―just a paycheck until she could spark her legitimate writing career―but she loved it and spent nearly a decade describing the nuances of money shots and the effectiveness of sex toys. As both a porn consumer and a porn critic, she was not quite an insider, not quite an outsider, but came to know the industry intimately.

She found it so fascinating that she co-founded WHACK! Magazine. Finally, she had a platform to voice her thoughts and observations of the adult film world, as well as educate the rest of us about what really goes on behind the scenes. Eventually, Lynsey was thrust back into the “real” world, but not before realizing that one of the most diverse and nebulous―and profitable―industries on the planet isn’t so quite as different from the rest of the world as she thought.

Tantalizing, eye-opening, and witty, Watching Porn is a provocative book about an average girl’s foray into the porn industry and the people who make it what it is, both in front of and behind the camera.