On NPO Radio 1: A Publicly Funded Porn Film

On the initiative of a German media personality (Jan Böhmermann), the first publicly funded pornographic film was recently produced. However, there is a deeper message behind this. Germany correspondent Ulrike Nagel reports.

Summary of this conversation

Journalist Ulrike Nagel discusses a remarkable situation in Germany on NPO Radio 1’s “Bureau Buitenland”: a publicly funded porn film.

• Publicly Funded Porn [00:09]: The film was funded by the monthly fee of approximately €18 that Germans pay for public broadcasting. This initiative comes from Jan Böhmermann, a well-known German satirist, comparable to Arjen Lubach in the Netherlands [00:41].
• Ethical Porn Film [00:51]: Böhmermann describes the film as an “ethical porn film.” He argues that porn, just like chocolate and coffee, has become completely normal and that there should therefore be a “Fair Trade” version of it. The actors were well paid, participated voluntarily, and the production was safe. This makes it the first publicly funded porn film [01:07].
• Underlying Message [01:25]: The porn film itself is not the main goal. With this production, Böhmermann wants to address two issues:
  1. Accessibility to Minors [01:37]: It’s far too easy for minors to access pornography. They can’t buy an energy drink, but they can easily access (sometimes even illegal) videos on major free porn sites, many of which are based in Europe.
  2. Questionable Ethical Standards [02:03]: Many porn sites operate with questionable ethical standards, featuring illegal recordings and even rapes. Business owners and lawmakers aren’t taking enough responsibility.
• Importance of the Debate [02:19]: Böhmermann believes this topic needs to be discussed more, since more people watch porn than Netflix [02:20].

Recently, the German government footed the bill for the production of nothing less than a porn film. “This makes it the first publicly funded porn film ever,” says journalist Ulrike Nagel on *Bureau Buitenland*.

The underlying message

“In fact, this isn’t so much about the porn film that was made,” the journalist explains. “Actually, Böhmermann wants to address two issues with the porn industry.” First, it’s far too easy for minors to access porn. “They’re not allowed to buy a can of energy drink at the supermarket,” Nagel explains, “but on the biggest free porn sites, anyone can easily click their way to even illegal videos.”

The second issue Böhmermann raises is the questionable legality of many porn sites. “Recently, a major website was taken offline in Germany because it wasn’t clear where some of the videos came from, and there were also illegal recordings or even rapes on display,” the journalist explains. Unlike much of the porn found online, the actors in this video were well paid, and their participation was, of course, entirely voluntary.

Responsibility

According to Böhmermann, far too little responsibility is being taken, both by the websites themselves and at the political level. “He believes this issue needs to be discussed more,” says Nagel, “in Germany, people watch more porn than Netflix, so it’s distressing that young people aren’t being protected from this.”

On *Bureau Buitenland*, you’ll hear international news, reports, and geopolitical analysis. Featuring background stories and noteworthy reports, Monday through Friday from 1:30 to 2:00 p.m. Hosts: Sophie Derkzen and Tim de Wit

Germany expert

Ulrike Nagel