Watching Porn: And Other Confessions of an Adult Entertainment Journalist

Raised in a rural, sexually repressed community, Lynsey Griswold never imagined she would have a career in the porn industry. But at 24 years old, with a degree in English literature and an empty bank account, she found herself eagerly accepting a gig writing tongue-in-cheek reviews of porn films for an adult magazine. It was supposed to be a temporary position until she could jump-start her writing career, but instead, it launched her head-first into the world of smut. From there, she co-founded WHACK! Magazine, which landed her on the industry’s map in a real way. It gave Griswold access to some of the industry’s most famous stars and producers, and passes to the largest conventions. It also gave her a platform to voice her own conflicted thoughts about porn. As a journalist and a consumer—not quite an insider, not quite an outsider—and a feminist, she was in a unique position to observe one of the most diverse and nebulous—and profitable—industries in the world. Eye-opening, illuminating, and often humorous, Watching Porn is a provocative memoir about the people who make porn what it is, and about what it all means about us as humans.