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A review by ayealba
The Last Days of August by Jon Ronson
5.0
Powerful insight into the porn industry and a great piece of journalism.
It shouldn't be all on the performer to yell cut or look after their own safety especially when their livelihood and the livelihood of everyone in that room is hanging over her. There should be protections and people on set to regulate this industry who don't have a stake in pushing a performer out of their comfort zone. If someone was on set periodically pulling her aside away from that pressurized environment maybe she could have had a way to communicate her feelings without the fear of judgement and retaliation. Nor should she have to be primed to accept the situation by people telling her that the male performer liked things a certain way. Consent is a thing that should be reinforced that can be withdrawn at any time. Rather than expected to be given up at the beginning if a colleague feels he's prepped her enough by giving vague warnings or downplayed the reality enough so that she feels compelled to not make a fuss.
Kevin's part in this is probably the most difficult part to reconcile. Emotional abuse is a hard thing to gauge and I appreciated Ronson's take on the issue. I have been in a relationship with a man like Kevin and it's really difficult to separate the intentional harm that is being done from the nonchalant indifference they can display towards their partner.
Even years later I still go back and forth as to what extent his controlling behaviour was consciously done. It's made more difficult by that person obscuring the truth from even themselves and their ability to dodge accountability. Like Ronson said there is a large disconnect with how they see themselves and present to the rest of society. Unlike Ronson however I don't think Kevin ever had any intention of saving August and merely saw the women he dates as more exploitable. Even if Kevin would never admit that to himself.
Even in a normal day to day situation the onus is generally on the women to act better and take responsibility for men's bad behaviour. I can only imagine the pressure is ten fold in an industry that involves sex. Kevin and August's relationship is almost a microcosm of the porn industry as a whole. The female participant is wholly expected to take on the responsibility for her own comfort/safety and that of her partners pleasure/mental health yet not expected to complain. If she does complain she is heavily shamed, villainized and her mental health is weaponized against her. She was put in unwinnable situations both at home and at work. Even in her last moments she was more concerned that Kevin shouldn't have to discover her body than for her own wellbeing.
Kevin's conclusion (like Ronson said his one moment of genuine self reflection) in the end seems the most poignant. "We are all complicit in what happened to August". I think that is true. What happened to August Ames could have been avoided if the industry, her colleagues, or the consumers cared about the performers and their safety. Not just mental health but the safety and the ability to feel like you can speak up. She was put in a horrible position if she had been given any avenue for support then she would have felt safer speaking up (Concerning the Markus Dupree incident)
Someone said that there is nothing new here in another review. It's certainly old ground but I think hearing a personal story brings it more to life than hearing again "We need more accountability". Especially for porn performers who we tend to dehumanize, ignore and blame while we simultaneously use them for our own amusement.
.
It shouldn't be all on the performer to yell cut or look after their own safety especially when their livelihood and the livelihood of everyone in that room is hanging over her. There should be protections and people on set to regulate this industry who don't have a stake in pushing a performer out of their comfort zone. If someone was on set periodically pulling her aside away from that pressurized environment maybe she could have had a way to communicate her feelings without the fear of judgement and retaliation. Nor should she have to be primed to accept the situation by people telling her that the male performer liked things a certain way. Consent is a thing that should be reinforced that can be withdrawn at any time. Rather than expected to be given up at the beginning if a colleague feels he's prepped her enough by giving vague warnings or downplayed the reality enough so that she feels compelled to not make a fuss.
Kevin's part in this is probably the most difficult part to reconcile. Emotional abuse is a hard thing to gauge and I appreciated Ronson's take on the issue. I have been in a relationship with a man like Kevin and it's really difficult to separate the intentional harm that is being done from the nonchalant indifference they can display towards their partner.
Even years later I still go back and forth as to what extent his controlling behaviour was consciously done. It's made more difficult by that person obscuring the truth from even themselves and their ability to dodge accountability. Like Ronson said there is a large disconnect with how they see themselves and present to the rest of society. Unlike Ronson however I don't think Kevin ever had any intention of saving August and merely saw the women he dates as more exploitable. Even if Kevin would never admit that to himself.
Even in a normal day to day situation the onus is generally on the women to act better and take responsibility for men's bad behaviour. I can only imagine the pressure is ten fold in an industry that involves sex. Kevin and August's relationship is almost a microcosm of the porn industry as a whole. The female participant is wholly expected to take on the responsibility for her own comfort/safety and that of her partners pleasure/mental health yet not expected to complain. If she does complain she is heavily shamed, villainized and her mental health is weaponized against her. She was put in unwinnable situations both at home and at work. Even in her last moments she was more concerned that Kevin shouldn't have to discover her body than for her own wellbeing.
Kevin's conclusion (like Ronson said his one moment of genuine self reflection) in the end seems the most poignant. "We are all complicit in what happened to August". I think that is true. What happened to August Ames could have been avoided if the industry, her colleagues, or the consumers cared about the performers and their safety. Not just mental health but the safety and the ability to feel like you can speak up. She was put in a horrible position if she had been given any avenue for support then she would have felt safer speaking up (Concerning the Markus Dupree incident)
Someone said that there is nothing new here in another review. It's certainly old ground but I think hearing a personal story brings it more to life than hearing again "We need more accountability". Especially for porn performers who we tend to dehumanize, ignore and blame while we simultaneously use them for our own amusement.
.