The Guardian - a review of Patricia Nilsson's book on the porn industry

[ArabellaScott]

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/sep/29/patricia-nilsson-exposing-worlds-biggest-porn-bosses

'Nilsson’s decision to start investigating pornography for the Financial Times will no doubt have come as a very unwelcome development for these mostly invisible leaders of a sector that has been under-scrutinised for decades. For five years, she subjected the industry to the same deep analysis that a journalist would give to the oil and gas markets.'

'...she is curious about the links between social media and a growing readiness to post explicit content. “Why,” she asks,* *“do we have an online culture that has made self-exposure so normalised, and the drive to monetise one’s own image so normalised, that the step to actually selling pornography is not that big for many people?”

Guilty Pleasure: The Pornification of the Internet, the Economy, and Everything Else by Patricia Nilsson

And you can go and hear her talk about the book on 28th September in Foyles, Charing Cross - she’ll be interviewed by none other than Shon Faye… great…

You are MESSING?! Who the hell though that was a good idea?

Oh, my word.

I wonder if Bonnie Blue was first on the list.

I’m not sure I could sit through that no matter how interesting the author and book. Such an interesting choice - I wonder who was behind it?

I'm actually fascinated by this. For decades pornography was controlled by men - men who used their power to abuse the women, and occasionally the men who performed for them. In the last decade ish that power has inverted with the old studios struggling to compete with individuals who sell direct to the consumer. Now women are in control of their own destinies/content/careers/persona/what have you - and suddenly there's an issue. It all feels a bit too late to me, but I'd be interested to see what findings she makes and what conclusions she draws.

Sorry to get everyone excited - I’m afraid I was late to the party - it happened yesterday - did anyone go?

I would so love to quiz the author with Faye present about porn as a major factor in trans, why it's likely the fastest growing genre. And ask Faye about personal opinions on autogynephilia as an impulse to TIMs.

and suddenly there's an issue.

Where the fuck have you been? Feminists have protested pornography for over a century. It has NEVER not been an issue.

And if you think the majority of money made by porn goes directly to women, you really should read Nilson's book.

Yes, the entire premise of the book is looking into the men running the porn industry.

Is pp honestly suggesting Onlyfans is empowering?