By Leah Marieann Klett — Originally published in The Gospel Herald
The average life span of a porn star is just 36. A new porn video is uploaded to the internet every 39 minutes. A staggering 60% of divorces are the result of a spouse looking at pornography. Every second, $3 000 (R40 330) is spent on internet porn.
These are just a few of the shocking statistics revealed in the new White Shadow Films docu-series, Ten Million Throwaways. Written and directed by Australian-born filmmaker Andrew Douglas and shot in several continents, the series tells the stories of those affected by the adult film industry, from ex-porn stars to recovering addicts.
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“As a Christian, I feel strongly about making truthful films, no matter what the subject may be,” Douglas told The Gospel Herald in exclusive interview. “I believe that these types of subjects need to be brought to audiences around the world and be dealt with head on. While pornography is a taboo subject to discuss, I think the truth needs to be uncovered, to expose what’s really going on in the industry.”
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All of those interviewed in Ten Million Throwaways were involved in the adult film business, and all were either sexually abused as children or exposed to graphic material at a young age. The cast includes musician Jason Chu, ex-adult performers Crissy Moran and Jan Villarubia, and former exotic dancer Harmony Dust who have collectively starred in more than 100 adult movies.
Incredibly, none of those interviewed were paid to appear.
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“The stories that we heard were quite emotional,” said Douglas. “I hope this documentary educates those who watch it. When parents look at porn, I hope they think, ‘This is someone’s daughter.’ It sounds cliche, but that’s the truth. There’s a lot of horrible things happening. I hope it opens their eyes and they think twice.”
Narrated by Michael Madsen (Reservoir Dogs, Donnie Brasco, The Hateful Eight, Kill Bill, Sin City) and filmed on locations in several countries as well as sex trafficking hotspots in the US, Ten Million Throwaways also exposes how the adult film entertainment industry directly links to human sex trafficking, which generates $32 billion (430 billion) every year.
Douglas told GH that while the US is a “major hotspot” for sex trafficking, it’s a “worldwide problem”.
According to the Global Sex Trafficking Fact Sheet from Equality Now, about two million children are exploited every year in the global commercial sex trade, and almost six in 10 identified trafficking survivors were trafficked for sexual exploitation.
“People don’t often associate porn with sex trafficking, but it’s actually the direct opposite,” Douglas said. “After consuming porn for so many years, the natural progression is to seek out physical experiences. The next stop would be a prostitute or trafficked women. Trafficked girls are coming in early teens, even younger before their legal consenting age.”
He added, “Sadly, in the moment, people don’t think of the devastating consequences such as failed marriages and the next generation growing up being a product of divorce. Porn changes the neurological pathways in your brain. It’s very hard, once you stop, to put it down.”
The devastating effects of the porn industry aren’t entirely unknown; last year, Utah became the first state to pass a bill officially declaring pornography a “public health hazard,” as it normalises violence and abuse against women and children, and is “linked to lessening desire in young men to marry” as well as marital dissatisfaction and infidelity. Former “Playboy” model Pamela Anderson similarly penned an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal blasting the “addictive nature of pornography”.
However, the issue is largely ignored. Douglas credits this unfortunate reality to part of the “moral decay” happening in society.
“Pornography is such a taboo subject, so the mainstream media and news channels can’t really talk at length in prime-time about what’s going on,” he said. “Of course, the porn industry itself isn’t going to disclose any negative statistics about what’s really going on. Films like these need to tackle the subject and really present the truth in a transparent way.”
While admitting “it’s a tough battle to fight” because so many people are addicted to pornography, Douglas said the solution to ending the epidemic is simple: stop clicking.
“Stop searching for and watching porn,” he said. “Every click drives demand. If people stop clicking, pornography wouldn’t produce revenue, and it would make producer’s jobs more difficult.”
He added, “It’s not something easily combated. At the end of the day it’s up to the individual to take a stand.”
