Question: What is good porn? I’ve heard the term thrown around a lot, but if I’m new to the genre, how can I decide what’s good and what’s bad?

Answer: Good Porn is a book by feminist erotic filmmaker Erika Lust. It’s a book geared towards women, helping them navigate away from the types of traditional male-dominated porn that’s out there. It discusses Lust’s own ideas around pornography and how typical porn ideals, like screwing your teacher so that you can get a better grade, just don’t live up to real-life standards.

Of course, some women like the dirty, hardcore, “I’m going to bang your whorebox” type of stuff, at least that’s what I’ve been told, even if it’s not what I generally agree with. Still, that’s not the focus of the book, Good Porn.

That being said, good porn is also a term used (mainly) for ethical, quality-made types of porn, the kinds where actors are paid well (enough), where everyone on set enjoys the work and the production values are high, with minimal sets, or sets designed to look hot, sexy, dirty, sweet, or whatever the director desires.

A few months back, I posted an article over at Fascinations on Porn For Couples that could help you understand more of what good porn can be, and names the names of some of my favorite “good porn” directors. In the end, good porn is about as subjective as good food, good music or good sex. It’s all about what arouses the senses, stimulates the brain/body and makes you want to get your freak on, irregardless of how freaky that freak is.