The cultural history of true amateur pornography has yet to be written. The sociologist Sven Lewandowski is already laying the foundations and is asking for help.
In Bielefeld, the landscape of amateur pornography is currently being studied in the name of science. Sociologist Sven Lewandowski is conducting a large-scale study on amateur sex videos from Germany. However, Lewandowski is not only examining the videos themselves but also conducting interviews with the protagonists. In doing so, he wants to find out which sexual habits are predominant among Germans.
In order to find as many examples as possible for his study, the researcher has shown no fear of reaching out wherever possible. On bulletin boards, on dating platforms and in sex shops his call for videos can be found all over Germany. Lewandowski continues to ask for tapes under the condition that the filmed participants are also willing to be interviewed.
The magazine VICE met with the scientist to learn more about his work.
VICE: Why are you so interested in people’s homemade sex tapes?
Sven Lewandowski: If you ask people exactly what they do during sex, they can hardly tell you anything. It’s really difficult to put into words what your own body does during sex. Sex research doesn’t actually know anything about sexual interaction. People’s own sex tapes are good material because they’re not produced for sociologists. It depicts reality and shows sexuality in a private environment. There is no point in putting people in your laboratory and saying: »Now have sex.«
And what’s the purpose of the research?
The question is: how does sexuality work and how does amateur pornography work? I believe our sexuality is as unconscious as any other physical practice. Playing football – everyone has a certain style of handling the ball. I think it’s similar with sex; even if they want to role-play, the videos ultimately show their regular sexuality. People normally aren’t very good actors in everyday life.
I’m interested in people making sex videos that are really private, people that are not interested in making money or starting a porn career. Everyone has watched porn and knows what it’s like. Nevertheless, you can’t change your sexuality any more than you can change your handwriting. It’s not about what pornography does to people, but how people make pornography.
How many people have you interviewed so far?
A handful. If you work precisely, it’s slow. Our longest interview lasted six hours. The prerequisite is that all of the people depicted in the films are consenting adults. We also exclude masturbation videos from individuals because the study is about sexual interaction, meaning at least two people. But we don’t care what relationship the couple has to each other. They can be affairs, friendships or long-term relationships.
What kind of people make amateur porn, and why do they make it?
Ordinary people. You wouldn’t recognize them on the street. After all, it’s not so unusual nowadays to make one’s private life public. But they’re not all young people. We also have a man who’s been videotaping himself having sex for 40 years. He’s just very fond of movies.
Are these people exhibitionists?
No. At least not in the medical sense.
Why are people making movies of themselves having sex?
The reasons for this are incredibly diverse. Some shoot porn similar to holiday videos – for self-documentation. Of course, there are also people who find it exciting to film themselves and watch the video afterward – or so that other people can see it later. Others tape themselves in order to use the clips on sex dating sites or dating platforms. Or as a reminder. Some people just did it because a camera was lying around.
We have a case where the other person involved just took a camera and asked if it’s OK. That created a surprise effect. The man had the desire to be filmed having sex as a teenager and the fantasy of being a porn star. In another case, a man was simply recording sex with his girlfriend on his mobile phone without her noticing. In retrospect, however, she found this funny. She was also the one who sent the video. Without her consent, we would not have accepted the video!
Amateur porn isn’t really new. Have the reasons behind their creation changed?
They’ve certainly shifted a bit. Most people always have a camera close by and can film spontaneously. When I go to the canteen, people take pictures of their food and post it. If people post their food and their children, why not their sexuality? I don’t find that unusual. It has become so normal to make a relatively large part of life accessible to others, that I don’t find it surprising that it is similar to one’s own sexuality.
But it is much more dangerous to shoot amateur porn nowadays because of the internet.
Why?
Because there’s a greater chance that it will be shared widely.
The question is, do you see it as a danger? What could happen? Someone else might see the video. An interviewee uploaded his video to a dating site. He said, in a nutshell, »Whoever sees the video was on the dating site. and that would give him something to hide.«
But not every sex video is meant for publication. What if it ends up on Instagram or Snapchat without permission?
Yeah. That can happen. And then it might be a crime because you can’t just publish other people’s pictures. At least not without their consent. But from a sociological point of view, the question isn’t whether it’s dangerous to make sex videos. It’s a question of: Who considers it dangerous? And there seem to be enough people who don’t consider it dangerous. People deal with this risk in different ways.
Is amateur porn actually representative of the average person’s sexuality?
Yes, because people forget about the camera relatively quickly, especially when they’re at home. Of course, you can’t rule out people trying to be a bit more spectacular than they are in everyday life, especially when the video is intended to go public. But you notice quite easily when people are acting and when they’re not.
The full interview can be accessed here.