Noticing the substantial profit potential in the porn industry, large corporations have increased their interest in the sex industry and have been quietly slipping into the lucrative business by cream-coating these new ventures with corporate jargon and creative public relations campaigns. The large corporations profiting from the publication of pornography — currently a $10 billion industry — should acknowledge their complicity rather than keeping their involvement hidden from the public.
Direct TV, a subsidiary of the General Motors Corporation, rakes in about $200 million a year from pay-per-view porn. As Direct TV is only a subsidiary of GM, few people would connect GM trucks to raunchy skin flicks.
GM is not the only corporation profiting from porno. The AT&T Corporation, the largest communications company in the nation, is also involved in this industry. AT&T now offers its broadband subscribers the Hot Network, a hard-core sex channel. America Online is currently exploring ways to profit from sex sites as well. Adult Web sites bump profit margins up 30 to 50 percent. From a business perspective then, AOL would be crazy not to dip into the sex market.
AOL is hesitant, though, about “stepping into the bedroom” for fear of a public relations catastrophe. The fear of many companies is that if their association to the sex industry becomes a public issue, they might eventually have to contend with government regulation.
Although Congress continues to pass legislation attempting to regulate the sex industry, the courts keep slapping them down, citing the First Amendment. The development of computer filters for children, however, is becoming better at sifting out material unsuitable for a younger audience.
This material these large corporations are dabbling with also needs some specification. Yes, it is sexual content, but most of these companies will not invest in any form of bestiality, violent sex or forced sexual activity. Perhaps GM, AT&T and AOL should not be chastised for their involvement in the industry, as they are only responding to an exploding market fueled by public demand. These companies are offering virtually no marketing to aid these adult ventures — apparently because they do not want to be linked with sexually explicit material, but also because they do not need to advertise. Those who want porn will find it. There would not be such a large market for adult entertainment without consumer demand. Considering the amount of money these large companies are making in this industry, it should no longer be a taboo subject for them. The reality of porn should be accepted.