Leave it to the show that is one step below pornography to promote the profit of porn. The latest episode of HBO’s The Deuce dives into the world of the porn industry, reminding us in more ways than one how exploitation still pays well.
In the September 24 episode “The Principle Is All,” sex worker Candy (Maggie Gyllenhaal) becomes interested in making films after previously learning about the process in last week’s episode. This week, she gets a few more details such as men “paying 40 a head just to watch a dirty movie get made.” That detail, along with the promise of forty to fifty copies sold, encourage her to consider a new career change from hooker to actor.
With the plot of the show revolving around the rise of the porn industry, having one of the characters get involved in the process is a no-brainer. Watching them boil down the benefits of people watching other people have full-on sex (every single episode of this show has gratuitously shown full-frontal nudity, by the way) might be a no-brainer, too. At the end of the day, sadly, this just shows how easily producers exploit the fact that some people will follow a show on any kind of sexual activity. That’s a no-brainer in the wrong direction.
Like other parts of the show, we see Candy in a difficult place, seemingly desperate to support her family and turning to sex or possibly porn for money. Unfortunately, shows like The Deuce never focus on introducing a better option than selling sex for money. It’s only one bad choice after the other, because heaven forbid we be better as a species and not fall back on "the world's oldest profession."
Fortunately, viewers can avoid the exploitation all together and exercise their option not to watch.
