Fewer Cumshots, More Lady Pleasure: The Changing Face Of VR Porn

Virtual reality could become the next frontier for feminist media.

The opening scenes of Empowering Ava are, in a word, disjointing — especially if you’re not used to the sudden, voyeuristic intimacy of virtual reality porn.

Directed by feminist porn pioneer and all-around badass Angie Rowntree, the film focuses on Ava, an erotic novelist who explores sensual pegging with her husband. It was designed to be viewed as a 360-degree experience on desktop or virtual reality headsets, including budget options like my own dented Google Cardboard.

I knew these facts going in, but nothing quite prepared me to be transported into Ava’s home, watching her work on her novel at her kitchen table. From my perspective, I was standing a few feet in front of her, watching as she engaged in a casual conversation with her husband. It was so normal — and I was quietly observing from a corner of their world.

“So much porn is focused on male pleasure and on the male orgasm,” Rowntree said. “There often isn’t is much attention paid to the woman’s pleasure, to her satisfaction, or to the idea of mutual pleasure between partners.”

VR inherently changes that attention. It takes the viewer beyond just watching a…