Rashida Jones’ wants to reclaim porn as a feminist space with her ‘Hot Girls Wanted’ sequel and we’re here for that

In 2015, Parks and Recreation actress Rashida Jones produced Hot Girls Wanted, which was released on Netflix and details the amateur porn industry and the manipulation of the young women involved. Now, Rashida Jones made a sequel to Hot Girls Wanted, called Hot Girls Wanted: Turned On, and it’s an attempt to look at women who make porn, for behind the camera. It will premiere at Sundance this year. This time, Jones, who is co-producing and directing, looks into how technology is affecting sex, porn, and the future of relationships.

The first doc received backlash from critics and viewers who argued with the work because of its unintentional focus on the negative aspects of porn. But that wasn’t Jones’ intention.

On IndieWire, Jill Bauer, co-producer explained that their subjects for Hot Girls Wanted, “are all over the map,” and that “some girls continue to feel empowered for a while. Some pro-[amateur] girls actually claim that they are empowered. We are not making any judgments. We just show the girls. When they have to tell their parents and they have to face that some of the air is let out, initially, and then they have to make decisions. It gets a little heavier.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTkEIGsNXu4?feature=oembed

In comparison to Hot Girls Wanted, which looked into amateur porn, Hot Girls Wanted: Turned On will be an extension of the documentary and will look into the intersection of sex and technology.

Feminist porn, cam girls, and relationships within these worlds will be at the center of what the series will examine. Bauer, Ronna Gradus, and Jones sat down with Marie Claire to discuss their new documentary.

I think that sort of ghosting culture, and the fact that you don't have to look somebody in the eye and tell them how you feel, you can just write a shitty comment on their Facebook page or on their Instagram, I think we are normalizing this distance. As much as we're becoming singular with our technology, we're also, we're accepting this scrim of apathy. And I think it's hurting our relationships. And I really believe that there are a lot of things that come close, that are virtually relationships or connections, but there's really no substitute for whatever pheromonal exchange is happening in person — there's no substitute for that.

The team also discussed feminism in porn and how pornography is shaping current relationships, how we exist within the bedroom, and beyond. With “punishment porn” on the rise and with more  viewers downloading or watch images that fall under this umbrella, will feminism in porn begin to disappear? The answer for Jones and her team is simple: pay it forward.

Jones said, “I think there’s tons of room to reclaim that. I mean unfortunately or fortunately, everything is about consumerism. If there’s money to be made, there will be an audience and people will feel empowered and I truly believe that women haven’t fully tapped into their potential as a market.” She added, “I know women who watch porn, I’ve watched porn, and if we can actually be consumers of product in a way that can affect the marketplace, we can change it.”

The docu-series, Hot Girls Wanted: Turned On will premiere on Netflix this year.