Nina Hartley, "In the Flesh: A Porn Star's Journey"

Nina Hartley in the article "In the Flesh: A Porn Star's Journey," she discuss about how she became apart of the feminist debate, when she went public of her work as a sex worker. Hartley is like another Annie Sprinkle, who helps guide people through their sexualities. By creating such books showing step by step techniques, she discussed about how she became in touch with her own sexuality. The reason she entered the field of sex work is because she had many questions that she wanted to explore. She wanted to defend the sex industry against feminist disapproval; this is where she states "How could I defend my personal desire (and long-held fantasy) to indulge my strong streak of exhibitionism/voyeurism, as well as to have access to other bisexual women?" (Hartley 57). Hartley acknowledge that she made a decent amount of money in the sex industry and have come to find many positive aspects of working in the sex industry such as she was able to enhanced self-image, sexual variety and where she is able to help create a variety of ideas about sex in society. She became a role model for many young performers entering the field of pornography and began to practice her feminist by sharing her experiences. Her early exposure to feminist discussions were around the body and sexuality (where she is especially interested in childbirth). Working in the sex industry, it had helped her "to explore and accept many aspects of my sexuality [which led her] to wonderful places. It made [her] happier and [a] more loving woman" (Hartley 60). She points out the problems that usually exists within women who are uncomfortable with their sexually because they blame men , as she states "I learned that to be eternally mad at men's sexual 'nature' was as useful as being mad that water is wet. Anger inhibits intimacy and shared pleasure, to the detriment of all involved. I seek my work to defuse anger so that pleasure I invoke can work its healing magic" (Hartley 61).