Duke Freshman Claims Making Porn Empowers, Fulfills Her

BarbWire ^ | February 25, 2014 | Gina Miller

[WXRGina]

A friend forwarded me a link to a gut-wrenching column with the cumbersome title, “I’m The Duke University Freshman Porn Star And For The First Time I’m Telling The Story In My Words.” The article is enough to break your heart for this girl, who is an example of cannon fodder from the hellish “sexual revolution” and “women’s liberation” movements.

The young lady, identified only as Lauren A., describes Duke University (a school whose motto is Eruditio et Religio: Learning and Religion) as her “dream school,” and she states that she has chosen to act in porn movies to finance her education. She tried to keep her identity under cover, so to speak, but one of the young men at the school recognized her on campus and exposed her identity. She was subsequently harassed and bullied online for what she does, so she decided to write a column about it and what she believes it means.

Putting aside the volumes that could be written about the vile poison that pornography is and the devastation of empty souls, ruined sexuality, broken lives and marriages, and even death left in its wake, let’s look at some of what Lauren has to say.

She wrote:

… My experience in porn has been nothing but supportive, exciting, thrilling and empowering.

… I am not ashamed of porn. On the contrary, doing pornography fulfills me.

… For me, shooting pornography brings me unimaginable joy. When I finish a scene, I know that I have done so and completed an honest day’s work. It is my artistic outlet: my love, my happiness, my home.

I can say definitively that I have never felt more empowered or happy doing anything else. In a world where women are so often robbed of their choice, I am completely in control of my sexuality. As a bisexual woman with many sexual quirks, I feel completely accepted. It is freeing, it is empowering, it is wonderful, it is how the world should be.

No, Lauren, it is not how the world should be.

Her words remind me of a sentiment that national radio talk show host Michael Savage has expressed on numerous occasions: You loudly declare how free you are, but I only hear your chains rattling.

Regardless of whether one believes in God or not, without His saving grace through Jesus, we are all subject to, and slaves of, the laws of sin and death. And whether Lauren believes it or not, creating pornography is sin, and it is impossible for sin to free, fulfill or empower us. Sin is never wonderful, and ultimately, it cannot make us happy, not at all. Sin can only lead to all kinds of bad things for our minds, bodies and spirits.

Lauren goes on in her column to reveal her horribly misguided, even delusional, thinking about human sexuality, and she shares some warped views she learned growing up:

My entire life, I have, along with millions of other girls, been told that sex is a degrading and shameful act.

… The most striking view I was indoctrinated with was that sex is something women “have,” but that they shouldn’t “give it away” too soon -– as though there’s only so much sex in any one woman, and sex is something she does for a man that necessarily requires losing something of herself, and so she should be really careful who she “gives” it to.

God did not design sex to be “degrading and shameful.” It is meant to be a sacred expression of love and intimacy between a husband and wife, and it results in the blessing of a family. Fallen, sinful man has grossly perverted what God designed for good. Sex as sin has turned a special act intended for marriage into a monstrous thing, a powerful weapon that rips the vitality from people’s bodies, minds and spirits.

Ultimately, Lauren reaches a conclusion that only makes sense to the mind darkened by delusion:

We must question in this equation why sex workers are so brutally stigmatized. Why do we exclude them for jobs, education, and from mainstream society?

Why do we scorn, threaten and harass them?

Why do we deny them of their personhood?

Why does the thought of a woman having sexual experiences scare us so much?

The answer is simple.

Patriarchy fears female sexuality.

It terrifies us to even fathom that a woman could take ownership of her body. We deem to keep women in a place where they are subjected to male sexuality. We seek to rob them of their choice and of their autonomy. We want to oppress them and keep them dependent on the patriarchy.

… I am well aware: The threat I pose to the patriarchy is enormous. That a woman could be intelligent, educated and CHOOSE to be a sex worker is almost unfathomable.

She is certainly a product of the Godless Left’s indoctrination. Whatever ill consequence of her sexual misconduct, in her mind it’s men’s fault. That she is regarded by society as a whore or prostitute based on her behavior, she believes, is because men “fear” a loose woman. There’s some pretzel logic for you!

What is the truth? The truth is that a woman is meant to be precious to her husband. Yes, her sexuality is meant to be cherished, reserved for her husband, whose sexuality is likewise meant to be reserved for her. While it is equally bad when either men or women abuse God’s gift of sex, the reality is that people regard a loose woman more harshly than a loose man. But, is that because of some nebulous “patriarchy” out there? No. It is because women are special, designed by God as the fairer sex, God’s gift to the man, the gentle touch of beauty and nurturing motherhood, the counterpart to the strong man. Whether it’s “fair” or not, these inherently understood truths have always made women’s sexual sin uglier in the eyes of society.

Lauren is choosing to let herself be robbed of real fulfillment, true happiness and joy, and divinely-inspired empowerment by the degrading of her body. She has chosen a path that will corrupt her soul and ruin her sexuality, but she does not have to settle for the dead-end deal the world has to offer.

The real Patriarch, God the Father—Who loves Lauren more than she could possibly fathom and has provided her a bridge to salvation through Jesus—has a design for her that is unimaginably higher than her self-made prison of sin, the gutter she currently inhabits. I pray that Lauren one day comes to the knowledge of God’s truth and real freedom and real peace, which are only found through Him.

For the raging feminist, the despiser of “patriarchy,” the believer of lies about God and His perfect design for women, I offer the sparkling vision of the Proverbs 31 woman, a woman who truly has it all. The chapter states, in part:

Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

… Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

[UCANSEE2]

40 years from now her grandchildren can see grandma’s greatest hits on the internet.

40 years from now, there will not be an internet.

[UCANSEE2]

If she's doing nothing to be ashamed of, then why hide?

Well.... if you want to see her face, then you will have to buy her video. I don't know if she's blond, but she's certainly not dumb. Or as they say in Hollywood, the only bad publicity is no publicity.

[Dilbert San Diego]

true. How does she ever hope to escape this? Imagine in the future, she meets a special man, she thinks she may be headed towards marriage, etc. When she tells her boyfriend what she used to do, will he stick around, or will he zoom out the door?

What if she keeps it all a secret, but years later, these porno tapes and DVDs turn up, and somebody blackmails her? She has lots to think about, assuming she can think with her mind and not her vagina.

[driftless2]

Reading the comments was very disturbing. It seems like there were far more comments praising her for "resisting the patriarchy" than considering what she was doing to herself. Many comments were deleted, so I don't know if the moderators were getting rid of obscene comments or deleting ones that didn't support the budding porn star.

I'd like to tie most of the people who praised the young fool to a polygraph machine and ask them if they'd like to do that kind of "work." Somehow, I doubt it. Just shows again how many young women have been brainwashed by radical feminism. And to be sure, unless it's lesbian porn, most feminist writings I've read condemn pornography. Another example of the screwy world of leftists.

[Drew68]

I really wonder how many colleges and universities deny a person admission or expel them if they participate in making porn movies or pose nude for Hustler (blaaah)! I have serve on college admissions committees and there is no question that asks do you do porn?

Probably because there's nothing illegal about an 18-year old making porn.

[Drew68]

Mommy and Daddy’s little girl all grown up and doing porn....

I'm guessing Daddy wasn't around much.

[Bratch]

Blue Devil: The Duke Porn Star and College Costs

By Emmeline Zhao

Stories about soaring college costs are perennial media favorites, at once playing to parental anxiety while highlighting a genuine education problem. But this one was different: A Duke University freshman confirmed to her college paper that she was paying her way through school by performing in adult films. All the combustible ingredients for a feeding frenzy were there - sex, privilege, and a controversial elite university with a reputation for gender issues.

The student, “Lauren” was discovered by a classmate who recognized her in a pornographic film he was watching – and couldn’t keep the news to himself. The Duke Chroniclesubsequently ran a long story about Lauren, and the 18-year-old sought to defend herself on online forums. National and international media picked up the story, rehashing the Chronicle article and the most appalling reactions to it from some of Lauren’s classmates. For her part, Lauren isn’t shy about talking about the sex and gender aspects of her choices.

But what about the core issue: A student doing porn films to finance her $60,000 annual tuition and fees to attend Duke. Critics say that figure is outrageous while university officials say it’s a bargain. Could she have attended a lower-priced public or private university and worked her way through college in a more traditional way? What role did financial aid play? Were college costs or lifestyle choices the crux of her financial motivation? And at 18, did she think through the consequences of obtaining a Duke degree through methods that will surely haunt her professionally down the road?

RealClearEducation’s Emmeline Zhao, herself a Duke graduate, discussed those issues with Lauren last week.

What do you major in, what do you do in your free time?

I am a women’s studies major. I hope to be a lawyer – my dream is to be a women’s rights, civil rights lawyer. I'm really into writing, journalism. I'm kind of a creative person, which is a lot of the reason I like doing porn. I really am a person who values my family and my friends, and I am also really into spirituality. I like astrology, Zen, all of that.

How did it cross your mind to get into adult films?

I've always really liked watching porn. I started watching porn when I was maybe 11, and it was something I was always very ashamed about, but I really enjoyed watching it. So when I got to college and was faced with all these financial burdens, I was literally sitting in my room one night, and I didn't know how I was going to pay for all this, and half joking said to my roommate, "Well f--- it, I'll just be a porn star." And so we kind of laughed, but then I half-heartedly applied and sent my picture to a bunch of porn agencies. I didn't expect anything to come of it, but then I started getting callbacks from people saying they saw a lot of potential.

And when I started learning about just how much porn stars make, I realized I could graduate from school free of debt and do something I really love doing without having to bust my ass doing minimum wage jobs that wouldn't get me anywhere. I knew that with my skills -- I don't yet have a college degree -- I knew that all I could get was a minimum wage service job. It didn't seem economically feasible to me. I didn't want to struggle in school while working, and it wouldn't pay my bills. So I just jumped into it, into porn, and really loved it.

What about financial aid? Did you apply for any grants or scholarships?

I have siblings in college, who are being supported by my parents, and my parents are paying $1,000 a month just for their own student loans and my dad graduated 20 years ago. One of my parents is recently unemployed. I was offered $13,000 in financial aid. That wasn't enough -- that's $47,000 still unaccounted for.

People have this perception that if you cannot pay for college, financial aid will take care of you, and that perception is wrong. If you are very low income, you can get a full ride to Duke, no problem. If you are middle or upper-middle class, you will get screwed in the process. So many middle class students have not gotten sufficient financial aid because on paper, their families look like they have money. Just because I'm not poor doesn't mean I can afford $60,000 a year for college. Other students from middle and upper-middle class families have said the same thing.

When you look at the state of education in America, middle class students are left out, even harmed, by the financial aid process, not helped by it. People need to come to an understanding about that. Financial aid offices should look at their policies and how they help their students.

What about options for student loans? Government loans would have at least deferred payments for a little while after graduation, interest-free.

I wasn't offered any government loans -- my only other option was private loans at 12 percent interest rates and I knew that by the time I graduated college, I'd have hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt. I have seen other members of my family graduate college decades ago still dealing with debt now and I knew it'd give me less mobility. It would also hurt me if I needed to get something like a credit card --- hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt is not something I want to carry around and it's absolutely ridiculous that that's what the state of our nation is, that that's an expectation.

I have a friend who comes from a low-income family and pays $500 a year for Duke, and when I talk to him about my problems with financial aid, he doesn't understand. It's such a problem to be caught in the middle with financial aid, and people just don't understand.

I think it's very poignant that nowadays if you're middle class, the only way to pay for college is to take out hundreds of thousands of dollars in loans. We need to provide a better financial future for our students. I shouldn't have to go broke, I shouldn't have to go into debt at 18 years old to pay for an education.

So why Duke, of all places? Why didn't you choose a less costly institution?

I was offered scholarships at a lot of places. I was offered full tuition at Vanderbilt, for example, and was accepted into USC, Wellesley, Barnard, Pepperdine, some others. But I visited Duke last year on Blue Devil Days [Duke's programmed weekend for admitted freshmen], and I remember walking into the Duke Chapel -- I'm a very spiritual person -- and just feeling an energy that told me, "This is the place you need to be." And I felt something in the chapel in that moment that told me that I needed to be here and go to Duke and it was something that would be an amazing experience for me.

Would you still do porn if Duke cost less?

No. If Duke had given me sufficient financial aid, if they had given me the proper resources and made college affordable for my family, I would not have done porn. I would've just gotten through college and been fine. The financial burden that Duke put on me was absolutely enormous and insurmountable with the resources that I had.

Do you worry that the way you paid for this will hurt you down the road? Part of a Duke degree is the Duke brand, but will this tarnish that brand?

I would never want to work for a company that discriminates against sex workers, that is sex-negative, or that shames women and disrespects them. I want to be a human rights and women's rights lawyer, so I would only hope that I would be embraced by that community and they would see my experience as a tool and something good that I can use in my future career. I'm trying to use the platform that I have to turn this into a reflection of society of how to treat sex workers. I hope that when employers look at me, they don't see me as a porn girl, but as someone who is outspoken about her experience and knows first hand about sexism in society, and I would hope that that would help me in my career if anything. I think that my resume and qualifications would speak for themselves.

But as a lawyer, that's not necessarily up to the firm or company. Are you concerned about the Bar Association's moral character determination to become a certified lawyer?

I've done nothing illegal, so I won't be excluded from the Bar. Anita Cannibal, also a porn star, was a student at West Los Angeles School of Law. I was worried about it at first, too, but I've researched the moral character determination and the Bar won't exclude you from being accepted if you've just been deviant -- so long as you haven't done anything illegal. If, for some reason, there is any type of hesitation for me or any other girls who have been in the sex industry and try to enter a formal career, I will raise hell -- because that's absolutely unacceptable.

And going forward: Will you continue to do porn?

I'm not sure what my family financial situation will be, how my aid might change in the next few years. As long as I need money to pay for tuition I will continue doing it.

Do you plan on paying for law school the same way?

One option is that I save a lot of money doing what I do now and use that to pay for law school, or maybe look into entrepreneurship where I can be some sort of businesswoman. I haven't thought that far ahead, but I'm hoping that I won't have to take out any loans or put myself in any debt to pay for my education. I've had people Tweet me saying, "I'm a student and I'm a sex worker, and you really inspire me." I want to emphasize that there are so many other students who do sex work to pay for college, whether it's stripping, phone sex, prostitution, escorting, doing porn. There are a lot of people who are turning to sex work as a means for paying for college.

Why do you say porn is less demeaning than a service job?

Go to the mall and talk to somebody who works at a hot dog stand and ask them about their job. They go to work at 9 a.m., work until 6 p.m., maybe get two five-minute breaks in the day, make $6.25 an hour before taxes, and they're on their feet all day. They're working in conditions that are physically and mentally draining. So they're making maybe $100 a day before taxes for doing 9 hours of hard physical work. You look at that and look at what I'm doing, making $1,000 for two hours doing what I really love doing, which for me is not degrading and is something I feel safe in, you tell me which industry is demeaning?

People say the porn industry is demeaning, but being in a service industry is degrading in and of itself. You're basically being stepped on. Any job I would've gotten as a minimum wage worker would've been exploitative, degrading to me, and not provided the money I needed to make, which was $4,000 month. So why would I work 80 hours a week, struggle with school, barely get any sleep and be treated like a second class citizen, when I can do porn for 14 hours a day , make thousands, set my own hours, and have a ton of fun doing it?

[Maine Mariner]

Yes of course. But the student seemed to imply that students were denied an education because they made porn films. Christian colleges certainly have the right to expel someone for making such movies or serving alcohol. I doubt a large state college or university would. And clearly at least one elite private university, Duke, has admitted her.

[bray]

What kind of job do you get with a “women’s studies” degree? Sounds like she found her career.

Pray for this girl

[Durbin]

Women’s Liberation Movement?
But I thought porn exploited women. I’m so confused now.

[Organic Panic]

I normally have something to say but this leaves me speechless. I won’t waste a single second feeling bad for this idiot.

[OrangeHoof]

The real questions are what man will feel special with her and what can she give a man she truly decides to love that she hasn’t given to hundreds of other men?

She won’t have the answers for those questions until reality slams its fist into her someday.

[armydawg505]

I guess the porn company found the price for her self respect and dignity.

[Valpal1]

as though there’s only so much sex in any one woman...

Well actually Lauren, a woman's prime sexual attractiveness to the widest cohort of men is limited. If you squander those years in licentiousness, you may wake up one day a haggard old nag raging about men only wanting to date younger women.

No amount of social engineering or cosmetic surgery is going to roll back the effects of time, gravity and entropy.

[Army Air Corps]

Ping.

[Army Air Corps]

Ping.

[Army Air Corps]

And when I started learning about just how much porn stars make, I realized I could graduate from school free of debt and do something I really love doing without having to bust my ass doing minimum wage jobs that wouldn't get me anywhere.

Now, you're just busting your a** in the sex trade.

[DesertRhino]

“I am not ashamed of porn. On the contrary, doing pornography fulfills me.”

And that is why she is trying to hide her identity, got it.

[DesertRhino]

“My entire life, I have, along with millions of other girls, been told that sex is a degrading and shameful act.”

And I totally call BS on this. After 1840, Who has been teaching their kids that sex is degrading and shameful? Unless she comes from some backwards sect of forgotten hillbillies. NOBODY in society is teaching that sex is degrading and shameful EXCEPT for womens studies depts and moslems.

[wbill]

if you want to see her face, then you will have to buy her video

Good point, but without knowing her name, or her "stage name", or her face ....

I dunno, this smelled like someone who wanted their 15 minutes a little early.