Consent and Sexualized Leisure in Sin City: Observations from a U.S. Pornography Expo in Las Vegas

Crystal Jackson, Paul J. Maginn, Aleta Baldwin, Barb Brents

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This article deploys a sexualized leisure framework to analyze the management of consent at the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo (AEE), one of the largest and longest running conventions in the mainstream U.S. porn industry. Drawing on field observations in this naturalistic setting and observers post-Expo reflections, we explore the complexities of consent in a porn tourism scene. We corroborate our qualitative analysis with survey findings (n = 433). Taken together, our findings indicate attendees—who are largely white, straight, cisgender men—attend AEE to socialize in a sexual atmosphere. We conclude that consent was managed, specific to a touristic sexuality. This challenges anti-porn assertions that consent is impossible or improbable in sexualized spaces.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)393-410
Number of pages18
JournalLeisure Sciences: an interdisciplinary journal
Volume42
Issue number3-4
Early online date17 Jan 2020
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jul 2020

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