2001 channel 4 documentary on porn

xpost with peter yes, I think her treatment might have been worse too.

Dandy That's exactly what I thought. Its a powerful documentary - particular to those who say that women in porn are there through their own choice etc and it doesn't hurt them and yet Felicity had to suffer so much (possibly permanently damaged?) in order for that to be made clear.

I was sat wondering if I thought her suffering is justified by what the film highlights. Did the presence of the crew improve her treatment by the producers and her agent, might she have had a worse experience in LA without the documentary makers? I guess she thought so. Or should someone have helped her and sod the documentary - after all, there are other ways to get the message across.

I have to say, I think they should have done something sooner even if that meant the film wasn't made. I don't think there is ever justification for the things she went through.

PBE, I see what you are saying

maybe she would have walked away sooner if she didn't have a sense of losing face with the crew...

tbh though, the impression I get is that when a (sympathetic, documentary-making) film crew are not there the "breaking down" and abuse of women would be much more prevalent, which is the more usual state of affairs

Well I guess I was under the (perhaps wrong) impression that Felicity almost had a sense of security that was formed by having the crew there. She says numerous times that she is glad that they are with her (or words to that effect). Therefore, surely they had more of a moral responsibility.

So in my mind, I was wondering if perhaps they added to her ultimate fate? The film crew (in Felicitys eyes) would have been yet more people she had to 'prove' herself to, in her childish manner of not wanting to lose face and quit, for if she walked away then that would have been the end of not only her porn career but also the documentary.

Also I wonder how she would have reacted if the crew had stepped in earlier and said they were refusing to film anymore on the basis they felt she was being broken down and abused? If they had done this would she have chosen to remain where she was?
I personally believe that the crew being complicit in the filming of some of these scenes only added to Felicitys 'normalisation' of the situation. Its one of those horrid situations where, the more people witnessing something awful, often means that less people intervene, because each person waits for someone else to do something.

walk away of her own volition, I meant

I get the feeling there was much persuasion going on off-camera by the crew, in an attempt to get Felicity to walk away

I do think the crew got it wrong, tbh, and didn't intervene soon enough

what do you do when a grown woman, apparently of sound mind, refuses though ?

To be fair he did have a go when she was in the bathroom having a shower. He tried to convince her to leave - he said she didn't have to do it and said she should leave right now.

Actually her answer was very revealing because she said something along the lines off 'I have to do it. I'll never get work in this town again if I don't'.

After watching this documentary and reading the link wubblybubbly posted above, I am confused about my own feelings towards the documentary crew. I would be interested to listen to other peoples opinions on this?

I realise they were there in a professional capacity, and ultimately had a job to do. But I can't help feeling cross that nothing was done to remove this woman from the situation sooner.

The documentary maker says himself ''Felicity was obviously very scared. And yet I kept my camera running.''

''Since Felicity hadn't asked for help, should I have put the camera down and stopped things? I don't know. What I do know is I'm still not sure, months later, if I got it right.''

Whilst he eventually stepped in when he realised that the consent previously given by Felicity no-longer existed, why did he not intervene sooner when he was obviously aware she was being manipulated and broken down from a much earlier point.

Oops, sorry GOML and Dittany, I didn't see the link

The bloke was frightened and broke down, yet he only witnessed what was happening, it wasn't done to him.

I'm so bloody angry that anyone could suggest that this young woman was in anyway complicit in what happened to her. I think she is bloody amazing for finding the strength to still stand up to that evil bastard after he'd tried to fucking choke her

wubbly yes I read that as well, I think Dittany linked to it up the thread.

The documentary maker also said that when he was in his bedroom he broke down, as he was so upset by all the evil he had seen all that week.

I remember seeing this when it was originally aired and have never forgotten the disturbing images. I also remember thinking MH is a real psycho. The clinical like, obsessive tidiness of his own home - I'm sure that the film maker said it smelled of antiseptic - in complete contrast to what he did for a living. Shudders.

Bloody hell, that's what happens when you're trying to post with a 4 year old sat on your knee

I meant to say I found an interview with the documentary maker here

This quote "I was very frightened. The house was remote, and it was very late. Those dogs, distressed by the commotion, were barking furiously. And Hardcore was extremely angry. But then so was I. Not only with him, but most of all with myself. I hadn't stepped in earlier. Now I was determined to act. So I simply told Max he was not going to treat Felicity like that. I said all his efforts to manipulate her were there on film. Before he had a chance to act, we grabbed her and left the house. She sobbed all the way home in the car. She said she was terrified he was going to kill her." is how he felt confronting the rapist MH. I can't begin to imagine how frightened Felicty must have felt, how the other girls manipulated into 'interviews' must feel.

dirge you are so right.

I was very frightened. The house was remote, and it was very late. Those dogs, distressed by the commotion, were barking furiously. And Hardcore was extremely angry. But then so was I. Not only with him, but most of all with myself. I hadn't stepped in earlier. Now I was determined to act. So I simply told Max he was not going to treat Felicity like that. I said all his efforts to manipulate her were there on film. Before he had a chance to act, we grabbed her and left the house. She sobbed all the way home in the car. She said she was terrified he was going to kill her.

MH is hardcore filth

I can't stop thinking about Felicity today. Dear god she was lucky (if you can call it that) that she was able to get out that place.

max Hardcore was truly an evil, hideous man. Just think of how many countless girls he has damaged over the years. May he rot.

Just managed to get around to watching this. By the end, I could barely see it for tears. Still sobbing, in fact. Utterly horrifying and yet so consistent with my fears about/existing knowledge of the porn industry. Thanks.

I cried watching this too wubbly, I bet we're not the only ones. I could never have imagined a man as disgusting as Max Hardcore exisiting in RL. The way he treated her, even knowing she was being filmed for a documentary, was atrocious. Either that's him on his best behaviour or he really doesn't give a shit about what was basically rape on film.

I completely agree with you Beachcomber the agent took her to see him just to break her down and make the porn she was refusing to do seem like the easier option.

I would really like to know that Felicity is ok.

I've watched this and I'm crying now.

If is what happens to a bright and feisty young woman with clear boundaries and the safety net of the documentary crew then I just can't fucking bear to think what goes on.

I don't know how anyone could watch that and defend it. You've got to be fucking sick in the head to think that's about love. WTF.

I was also very disturbed by the odd couple who described working with disgusting Max Hardcore. The woman said that his stuff was 'for people on the edge' and then clarified that it was for people who wanted to see women looking like children being abused and treated badly.

Except as we know the whole 'barely legal' thing has a massive following.

I very much agree with the comments about Felicity - she was so brave and knew it was wrong. She did very well to stand up for herself in the circumstances.

It was very well done, the documentary, as it showed the 'wearing down process' when a woman starts out saying no to certain acts and then ends up doing them and being harassed into doing them by several men.

It was perfectly clear that the pimp/agent took Felicity to Hardcore knowing that he would frighten her, abuse her and break her spirit. The bastard even said so on camera 'anything seems not so bad after that'.

God I hate them all. I also despise people who unthinkingly use porn.

You are right Jeremy - though Felicity was damaged, bloody good on her to have the guts to stand up and say no. She knew she was being abused. At least she knew.

I cannot get that vile, sinister, evil bastard Max Hardcore out of my head. His whole speech going from 'you are a good person' to 'you are a fucking loser, you are one of the worst performers I have had' was utterly awful. And the horrific thing is if the cameraman had not stepped in she would have probably been broken down into going along with whatever abuses they decided to inflict upon her.

Jesus wept. Just finished watching that. How awful.

How disgusting Max Hardcore was. He bloody completely rips her to pieces the bastard. Thank christ that the documentary makers got her the hell out of there. Just makes you think of the countless numbers of girls who were not as lucky.

Felicity is not much older than me - in 2000 she was 25, I was 22. So now she would be 36 and presumably she has a teenage daughter. I hope to god she is happy somewhere. i hope she and her daughter are safe.

Thanks for posting this. So horribly horribly upsetting, but bloody hell yes how can anyone support porn when this is fucking mainstream.

Utterly disgusting. I am even more appalled by Andre's sentiments of 'love' than I was before.

Thank you for posting this, darleneoconnor.
Watched this last night and have been thinking about it all day.
I am utterly disgusted by those men. Repugnant little nothings.
It was so gutting seeing her read that awful, dismissive letter from her father. So infuriating that her mistreatment by one man left her open to abuse by the men of the porn industry. Wonder how often that is the case.
Have to say, I was struck by her character, she was obviously damaged but she had guts. Scary to think how badly she was abused and exploited even though she spoke her mind and tried to stand up for herself. What about all the others who are too damaged or frightened to do even that?

thanks getorf....its far harder than i anticipated, and can be quite scary at times, but i think ill do ok...response for 2 years then i can specialise.