There was one interesting point that came up during a comment debate on Zille Defeu's blog a while ago, which I would like to raise again today. I think it deserves a post of its own and I would like to hear your opinions. In a nutshell, the question is: if a spanking video viewer has the fantasy (or rather, the belief) that models are suffering real, i.e. non-consensual abuse at spanking video shoots, and if he gets off on that idea, does the producer then have an obligation to leave that belief in place, to not destroy the hot fantasy? Or does the producer have an obligation to speak up and dispel such ideas because they give entirely the wrong impression about the industry?
The answer seems obvious to me, but I don't want to get ahead of myself. Let me start by recounting how the issue came up. In a response to Zille's question What do YOU want from spanking porn?, a commenter with a tears fetish complained that there wasn't enough crying in spanking videos (has he seen any Eastern European stuff?). He theorised that "most spanking models don't want to cry because they are too in control" and suggested that they should be made to cry "whether they like it or not", perhaps with the help of onions. "Of course, the best route is to find newbie models that are nervous and can't control themselves once they realize just how much it hurts and how little prepared they were."
Kaelah and I replied that forcing models to show reactions with which they are obviously not comfortable and taking advantage of the inexperience of newbies is borderline abusive, if not outright abusive. To be fair, the commenter later modified / clarified his positon: "I am not talking about forcing someone to do something they don’t want to do." But this was not apparent in the beginning, and instead of going over the whole boring discussion again, I would like to focus on something Zille wrote after the initial exchange of comments:
"[T]he consumers deserve to have their fantasies about the porn industry left in place. [...] Many porn sites exist within a fantasy bubble. Take the idea, for instance, that 'just a normal guy' gets a camera and a van and drives around getting girls to have sex with him in the van, while he takes pictures of them in action. Is he really picking a girl up off the street — hell no. He’s advertised for the models, and the 'pick up' is acted. (Sorry if I have just busted anyone’s bubble, there!) The thing is, while this would be reprehensible in real life (or at least, would lead to a good deal of STDs — the nice thing about finding real models is that they have all their tests done!), the fantasy that this is 'real' is what is working for the customers of the porn he makes. And without that delicate bubble being maintained, the site looses most of its potency."
"As a model, I need to know I’m being taken care of, and I will only work with producers who will be ethical. [...] But customers don’t have those details to worry about (unless they want to) and it shouldn’t be forced on them. None of us can help what turns us on. If [a customer] likes thinking about shoots that are possibly less consensual than they ought to be, that’s his right, and he never needs to have reality get in the way of that. As makers of porn, we DO have to worry about it. He doesn’t."
Now, before we go on, I think we should be very careful to distinguish between what is fantasy and what is reality. Zille is certainly right when she writes: "None of us can help what turns us on." I have never criticised anyone for their erotic fantasies. You can fantasise about the sickest, vilest, most sadistic, most abusive acts imaginable, it's all good as far as I'm concerned (I have some pretty vile fantasies myself). There are no immoral fantasies, there are only immoral actions.
But that is the point: you should, of course, be able to distinguish between fantasy and reality. And you should, of course, understand that while issues of morality don't apply to fantasies, they do apply to actions in the real world.
If a spanking video viewer wants to fantasise about shoots "that are possibly less consensual than they ought to be", knowing that this is a mere fantasy and that nothing of the sort is really happening at spanking video shoots, then that is perfectly fine with me. But I don't think that this is what Zille was talking about. The way I read her, she was talking about viewers who really believe that shoots aren't consensual, and about how their "fantasy bubble" has to be left in place in order not to ruin that precious fantasy.
This is where I disagree with her. The point is that this kind of "fantasy" is not a mere fantasy anymore, it is a belief - a belief about what goes on in the spanking video industry in the real world. And if someone voices such a belief publicly, or the suggestion that this is how things should really be done, then I as someone who has many friends in the spanking video industry and who has occasionally starred in spanking videos himself feel the need to speak up.
Why? Why not just let people believe what they want to believe? Where is the harm? They aren't hurting anyone, they are not porn producers, they are just viewers... So why the need to confront them with reality? This is the position Zille was taking. But in my opinion, she is missing one very important point. If people voice the belief that spanking video shoots aren't consensual, and if we endorse this belief (either quietly, by not saying anything to dispel it, or worse, by active encouragement), then we are creating the impression
1) that this is really going on at spanking video shoots, and
2) that we consider it acceptable that this is going on at spanking video shoots
Sorry, but that is not an image I want to create, and it is not the kind of industry I as a performer would want to be associated with. So, not only do I not feel any obligation to leave intact viewer “fantasies” about real abuse taking place at spanking video shoots. I feel an obligation to speak up against them. I would say to anyone who harbours them: “Look, dude, you can fantasise all you want, but here you are talking about the real world, and this is just not how things work in the real world.”
If we as makers of spanking porn fail to dispel publicly uttered beliefs about shoots that are "less consensual than they ought to be", how are we going to defend ourselves against the anti-porn prudes who claim that all porn is inherently immoral and abusive, anyway?
I also disagree with the view that porn consumers don't have to worry about the reality of the industry. I believe that consumers have an obligation to worry about whether the products they buy are produced in an ethical manner or not. This applies to cosmetics and animal experiments, clothes and child labour - and to pornography and how it is made.
I also disagree with the view that porn consumers don't have to worry about the reality of the industry. I believe that consumers have an obligation to worry about whether the products they buy are produced in an ethical manner or not. This applies to cosmetics and animal experiments, clothes and child labour - and to pornography and how it is made.
I know that Zille has shot with producers like Pandora Blake and that she is very keen on the whole ethical porn / fair trade porn concept. So I was surprised by her stance in this discussion. Then again, I might be reading too much into her comment. Perhaps I am misinterpreting what, exactly, she was trying to say. Or perhaps she was simply trying to calm down the discussion, trying to keep the two verbose Germans from hijacking the thread further and further from its original purpose!
In any case, I do believe that the necessity and the benefit of educating people about the spanking porn industry and about the fact that we strive to operate in an ethical manner outweighs the sacrifice of potentially bursting a few "fantasy bubbles". The pragmatic question I ask myself in this context is: how many people really believe in the fantasy bubble nonsense, anyway? How many people actually believe that there is a guy, driving around in his car, picking up regular girls from the street who spontaneously and enthusiastically agree to make a porn video with him? How many people actually believe (to name another fluffy story, one that I have seen on a spanking site) that a spanking model "misbehaved" at a video shoot and was then promptly and seriously punished by the producer, with the cameras running, of course?
If you are ready to believe any of these stories, then... Sorry, sir, but you are an idiot! And you could perhaps benefit from a little refresher in common sense and in how real people behave in the real world. Don't be insulted. It might save you from a few slaps in the face, in case you were contemplating driving around in your car, looking for random girls to shoot porn videos with...
But my guess is that there are only very, very few people who believe such stories, anyway. I believe (I hope, at least!) that the vast majority of spanking video viewers is quite capable of telling fantasy from reality, telling a porn site's advertising shtick from what is really going on at shoots. Doesn't diminish their enjoyment of the videos one bit. The spankings are real, the pain is real, the marks on the bottoms are real, and that is the main thing. The fact that there isn't any real, i.e. non-consensual abuse, that everything is agreed on between the performers, is a cause of reaussurance for the majority of viewers, not a cause of disappointment.
Look at professional wrestling. Everyone knows that it is a pre-arranged spectacle rather than a true sport, that the outcomes of the matches are fixed, that the moves are chereographed in advance, that the wrestlers don't really hate each other, that the "feuds" between them are just stories. And still, there are millions of fans who watch it. Because they can still go into that fantasy world and be excited and entertained by it, despite knowing the reality. People are entertained by horror films and action films, too, while understanding perfectly well that they do not depict real events.
Anyway, that is my take on it. But I am really interested in your opinions. How important is the viewer "fantasy bubble"? Does it have to be left in place when it concerns beliefs about what is really going on at spanking video shoots? Or do we have to burst it and make clear how things really work? Am I being naive when I claim that no one believes in ludicrous "regular guy picks up girls for porn videos" stories, anyway? Am I over-optimistic when I posit that 99% of the viewing public understand what is real and what isn't? Let me know your thoughts.
Look at professional wrestling. Everyone knows that it is a pre-arranged spectacle rather than a true sport, that the outcomes of the matches are fixed, that the moves are chereographed in advance, that the wrestlers don't really hate each other, that the "feuds" between them are just stories. And still, there are millions of fans who watch it. Because they can still go into that fantasy world and be excited and entertained by it, despite knowing the reality. People are entertained by horror films and action films, too, while understanding perfectly well that they do not depict real events.
Anyway, that is my take on it. But I am really interested in your opinions. How important is the viewer "fantasy bubble"? Does it have to be left in place when it concerns beliefs about what is really going on at spanking video shoots? Or do we have to burst it and make clear how things really work? Am I being naive when I claim that no one believes in ludicrous "regular guy picks up girls for porn videos" stories, anyway? Am I over-optimistic when I posit that 99% of the viewing public understand what is real and what isn't? Let me know your thoughts.
When a movie is made, be it one from Hollywood, or spanking porn, it should be as realistic as possible. That means even a 'spanking movie', should try to be as 'real to live', as possible. So when it is depicted that a naughty woman gets, 'six of the best' or more with a cane on her bare bottom, realism should be shown as much as possible. That means the 'the cane should pain.
ReplyDeleteLeaving the Fantasy bubble in place it just impossible, for anyone who is not mentally disturbed. For an extreme example, is there anyone out there that thought that Pirates of the Caribbean was a fly on the wall documentary about the everyday lives of pirating folk? Of coarse not, at least not anyone standing on the outside of a straight jacket.
ReplyDeleteAnd, at the risk of annoying some producers and people who are against using comers after the word "And", I actually feel that it is necessary to mark the start and the end of the fantasy time scenario. To encourage those that do not have clear boundary markers between fantasy and reality is to encourage undesirable attitudes in not only our community but society as a whole.
I'm afraid that my little problem with producing the written word has jumped in again and I am finding it difficult to write exactly what I mean but I hope I have got my point across.
Prefectdt
@ sixofthebest: Well, there is no contradiction between having realism and plenty of real pain in spanking movies and, at the same time, making it clear that they are of course produced in a consensual manner.
ReplyDelete@ Prefectdt: No worries, I think you are conveying your meaning quite well. As I said, I believe that there are very, very few people who fail to distinguish between fantasy and reality or who believe that the production of spanking porn is not fully consensual. But if we encounter one of those few, I think we as performers and producers have an obligation to dispel such ideas. There is enough nonsense and prejudice floating around about BDSM already, so we have to be clear about what is happening in our scene and about what isn't.
While I love non-consensual spanking scenarios, for me it's utmost important I know they are produced in a consensual environment. If I'd have the smallest doubt, I would not buy the product. I completely agree with you, Ludwig, if someone believes such spankings are non-consensual, he/she should be informed about the mistake. Yes, spanking movies should be as realistic as possible, but never in any means non-consensual.
ReplyDeleteIf someones "fantasy bubble" gets destroyed by getting informed what's going on in the real world, well in that case it was probably about time. I really hope you are right with your presumption 99% of the viewing public understands what's real, I really do...
Much as we would like the spanking video production industry to espouse high standards of consensuality, things may have gotten a little blurry in some instances.
ReplyDeleteConsider the case of Ed Lee of Nu-West, one of the founders of the contemporary spanking video industry. He asserts in his March 2010 newsletter (viewable on his website) that he spanks the girls who work for him (sometimes) as punishment.
Generally we're talking scenes not set up to be published, and presumably in most cases not scenes for which the spankee was paid.
Now presumably this treatment was agreed to at some point by the parties involved. Still modern employment standards would have a few things to say about such practices. Not that I'm trying to make value judgements here -- just trying to apprehend the reality of the situation in all its ambiguity.
And for more confirmation that such practices do exist, read the posts under the heading about "Job at a spanking video production company" on the "Sometimes a girl" forum (linked from "A Voice in the Corner" blogroll). It's on pg 4 of the archives.
The author of that post asserts that she worked for a company that spanked her for misdeeds of various sorts, in spite of the fact that she was a clerical worker. Of course it was agreed when she took the job that this would be the practice.
She says she was spanked bare while Ed Lee said at his company such spankings were never given bare, so presumably we're talking two different companies.
Now, while there would have been blanket agreement in place that the spankees in these cases would be subject to discipline spankings, there would not have been explicit consent given as to the receiving of those spankings.
So were they real discipline spankings over which the recipient did not have "control"? Well, yes and no. The recipients would have agreed to them in a general way, but not to the specific spanking - just like in any DD relationship. But the difference here is that it's a DD relationship with an employer. So that's an added "twist".
As for suspension of disbelief and the reality of on-screen spankings, one key difference with spanking videos (as compared to horror films for example) is that, as I understand it, you could never say, in most cases, that no girls have been "harmed" in the production of said videos (although I'm taking a very broad interpretation of "harm").
The girls really do get spanked in most modern productions, as I understand it and the severity of the spanking is generally not faked in any way. Or am I wrong about that?
And they are sometimes left with marks that last for days or weeks in some cases, as I understand it. (As are sports athletes who get into fights while playing, or sometimes stunt people in the movies, or bouncers or security guards, or cops -- all of whom could suffer physical trauma in the course of work).
Whereas in horror movies we "know" that the terrible things we see represented are somehow faked, whether through CGI or other means of trickery.
What's fictionalized in spanking videos is usually the social context around the spankings. These complications and ambiguities around authenticity are a big part of why I personally find real life stories more interesting than fictionalized videos.
Usually because of weak and unlikely plots, videos are mostly about the spanking itself, whereas written stories are more about how the spanking came to happen, socially. Written stories are mostly about the plot rather than about elaborate descriptions of the spanking itselff, and there's the frisson of it having really happened, as unlikely as some aspects may seem. I'm talking "real life" stories, not fiction.
Perhaps my commentary is somewhat peripheral to the question you wanted to discuss, but this is what came to mind.
Karl
@ Karl: Your comment touches on slightly different questions than the ones I posed orginally, but I am always happy about comments, peripheral or not, as long as they are interesting.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I don't see a problem with a producer like Ed Lee giving "punishment" spankings to models. The important point is that these spankings take place in a consensual framework that was agreed on beforehand by the participants. As you point out yourself, they aren't fundamentally different from what happens in any other DD relationship, and as in any other DD relationship, the bottom has the option to end it at any time if she wishes to.
From what I understand, many of the models at Nu-West are genuine lifestyle BDSMers (as opposed to vanilla hands-for-hire), as is Ed Lee himself, so it isn't really surprising that these people would play in private as well, when the cameras are off.
Does the fact that one party also employs the other for occasional modelling work add a "twist", as you say? Again, I don't think that this has to be problematic. If an employer were to use his position of power over an employee to pressure her into engaging in BDSM acts against her will, that would of course be reprehensible. But this, it seems, is obviously not the case here. Instead, we are talking about people engaging in BDSM acts entirely out of their own free will and in their own free time.
(It is worth pointing out that spanking models are not "employees" in the usual, 9 to 5 sense of the word, anyway. They are people with normal jobs somewhere, who happen to do some modelling work on the side. They sign a model contract with a producer concerning a specific shoot on a specific date, but it is not a constant employer-employee relationship. Also, models often work for several producers, not just one. So, we can not equate spanking modelling with a job at the office, and we can not equate Ed Lee with the boss at the office.)
About the horror film analogy: yes, one key difference between horror films and spanking films is that the murder and pain you see depicted in horror films is, of course, not real, while the spanking action in spanking films is real. Which is why, in my opinion, professional wrestling is a much better analogy for spanking films than horror films are (I used that one in my post, too).
In spanking films and in professional wrestling, the scenarios / stories are scripted, but the action itself is real. People often say that wrestling is "fake" (and it is, in the sense that matches are pre-arranged and it isn't a real sport). But these guys take real falls, real body slams, real punches with a folding chair to the head, and so on, which frequently leaves them with bruises, lacerations and concussions - worse injuries, actually, than those suffered by spanking models in the line of duty.
Boah, John Wayne has not killed all the bad people??? ;-) Porn movies, spanking movies... it is a movie, it is phantasy. And I think, anybody know this. I have a problem with the scripted "reality TV" series that try to give you the illusion it would be real life. But if I hit a petgirl or petboy with the bullwhip anybody with a brain _must_ be clear that it is consensual. Or it would be a crime. And I think, anybody know this.
ReplyDeleteHowever I see that e.g. Kink.com make interviews after the shooting and put it at the end of the movie. It is also not a secret that we sometimes have to cut some scenes. Have a look at my latest blog post () and you will see what I am talking about. Anybody could see this. This should be enough for people with a brain to understand that we work consensual. So as long as it _could_ be real I have no problem let the "fantasy bubble" as it is. But I never say that it _is_ real and/or non consensual! I think this is the important difference between the nice entertainment we make with our spanking movies and the evil illusion of scripted "reality TV". There is no reason to destroy a "fantasy bubble" for people how wathing TV ;-)
One consideration of the bubble of viewer fantasy. If some viewers push to have real limits broken and the models violated: There will be producers who will respond that demand.
ReplyDeleteIn may not be in the US or Europe, but their are countries where truly non consensual spankings/canings even rape could be made.
The market place's refusal to purchase or show should be the main defense.
As far as I know, there have been none of these nor have there ever been a real snuff film.
I hope it stays that way.
Have the fantasy, but also know on a deeper level, that this was done consensually.
I'm late to these discussions, having found my way here from Zille's blog. I won't stir up the pot on all you've written here, but will express a few thoughts as comments to this post.
ReplyDeleteZille's post was to be a thread to garner a list of what spanking porn consumers want to see. As such, it should probably have been moderated to keep it on topic. If it had been my blog, I would have moved the resulting discussion of moral issues and concerns to a new thread. I can understand why you felt compelled to bring the debate, and I would have wanted to give it a place to be held, and a link to that new thread from the survey so that readers wouldn't miss it.
The reason I think your debate deserved a place to be held is that the points you made, and continue to make, are important to the discussion. I can understand that maybe some producers of spanking porn are more interested in what consumers want, but some of us who don't make money from spanking porn feel no desire to coddle consumers like the particular consumer who became the subject of Zille's thread and now yours. My opinion is that said consumer was taking immoral or objectionable positions, making ill-founded and insensitive remarks, and I don't mind saying it here.
The original issue was about the consumer's supposed fantasy bubble. If the fantasy is that it's not a fantasy, that real people are actually being abused and beyond their expectations, then please, let's burst some bubbles. Say it loud: this is not acceptable, obviously not for the models being exploited, and also not for anyone who wants to be associated with spanking porn. Even if just for self-preservation, producers of spanking porn should distance themselves as far as possible from any suggestion that people are being exploited in their industry. Sure, there will always be low-life, self-involved consumers who are going to ask for it, but give them a swift kick in the a$$ while showing them the door. The consumer who needs to see tears? Smack yourself in the face a few times real hard and go look in the mirror. That's who should be crying.
The consumer then changed his story, trying to back away from an argument he couldn't win. Still the aggressor, with fragile ego threatened, he took a stab at setting himself up as a spokesman for the spanking video consumer at large. Apparently, because he wants to see tears, tears are what define for the industry what makes a worthy spanking video. Utter bull shit, of course, but he went on to try to discredit you for your unwillingness to cry for him. Apparently, getting your ass beat isn't dedicated enough. Meryl Streep would not only take a real caning, she'd use onions to make sure she doesn't look to be faking anything.
I don't think you can underestimate people. Many do want to see abuse and would happily pay to see it. I know very little about pro-wrestling, but I'd bet many fans do believe it's all real. BDSM as entertainment is different, I think, in that there are no clear lines drawn as to what is expected. Wrestlers have their organized "sport" and act it out accordingly, whereas spanking models are often 18-yr-old girls being hired to partake in all manner of suffering, and inflicted by anyone who wants to call themselves legitimate. I'm not worried about pro-wrestlers. Spanking models, OTOH, don't need consumers asking producers to push them beyond their limits.
@ Eric: Thank you for your long and thoughtful comment.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the best thing for Zille to do would have been to make a new post and a new thread about the treatment-of-models issue that had come up - thereby preventing the "What do YOU want from spanking porn?" thread from going off-topic while at the same time providing space for a discussion which, at least in the view of Kaelah, me and others such as yourself, was an important one.
Among spanking porn viewers, you are going to encounter some people with insensitive attitudes towards the models and insensitive suggestions about how porn should be made. Usually, these individuals are also rather forceful in expressing their ideas (I get the impression that they are often frustrated porn addicts). Some producers shy away from confronting them and pretty much ignore them, others bluntly tell them to f... off, still others engage in a diplomatic-but-principled dialogue between the two extremes. I believe that most producers and models I know would, in one form or another, confront a commenter who voices insensitive views.
If a viewer wants to see real tears, that is fine with me. Actually, I am all in favour of spanking models pushing themselves and asking to have themselves pushed in the line of duty. What matters is that it is all consensual, It was the "whether they like it or not" remark from the guy at Zille's that irritated me, and the general The-Customer-Is-King attitude evident from his comments. One of the reasons why I never became a professional (i.e. paid) spanking porn producer is that I don't want to have to deal with people like that, people who believe that the world ought to revolve around them just because they shelled out $20 for a website membership.
I disagree with you as far as pro wrestling is concerned: I believe that the vast majority of pro wrestling fans is aware of the fact that it is a stunt show rather than a real sport and that the outcome of matches is arranged beforehand. This, however, does not prevent the fans from enjoying pro wrestling. By analogy, there is no basis for Zille's argument that the "bubble of viewer fantasy" must be kept intact for spanking porn to keep its appeal.
You write that you are worried about the well-being of spanking models. That is nice of you, but actually, it is my impression that real abuse in the spanking porn industry is extremely rare. Many producers are themselves kinksters and very sensitive to issues of informed consent and limits long before they ever shoot a video. Even Eastern European producers whom I have worked with like Lupus, who are sometimes unfairly accused of abuse, take great care to treat their models nicely. And if a producer were to behave like a jerk, word of mouth would be out quickly and he would find himself running out of models willing to work with him.
By and large, the spanking porn industry is a very safe environment for models. It is all the more frustrating, however, when models or producers fail to confront comments from viewers with insensitive ideas, because in this way, they are giving the impression that the industry is worse than it really is.
@ Ludwig:
ReplyDeleteI admit that my view, re: pro-wrestling, is not based on knowing wrestling fans personally. My impression is that most fans know it is a stunt show, but that still many are not so clear about the exact line between fantasy and reality. IOW, some take a lot of it very seriously. Despite the obvious theatrics, I wasn't sure myself many years ago when I saw it as a teenager, believing there was real competition and even hostility involved. I saw aggression and the infliction of pain that appeared real to me. I'm not sure how one would go about counting the number, but given the wide audience for it, I'm going to presume that some number of fans are to some degree uneducated about it like I was. Many adults are no sharper than an average child.
So how does this relate to the "bubble of viewer fantasy"? I'm not saying that it matters to the adult viewer who can distinguish between what is real or not, and to the morally conscientious viewer who demands that models be treated properly. I'm saying that, with both pro-wrestling and spanking porn audiences, some number want to believe there is stuff happening that you or I would not condone. Some want to see abuse and real suffering, and will be drawn more strongly to the producer they believe is providing something closer to that reality. My point is that I think this puts fetish models at higher risk than pro-wrestlers, and that spanking porn fans who ask for producers to exploit models are more dangerous than wrestling fans who might believe they're watching a real sport.
Is my worry about the well-being of spanking models justified? My impression agrees with yours, that real abuse is rare. But I'm not sure how rare, and I can't predict the future. If models are, indeed, universally safe, and the industry is going to remain as we believe it to be, then this conversation is only about protecting the impression. OTOH, if there is an audience, or potential audience, out there that wants to see abuse, then we should remain vigilant.
@ Eric:
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree with your concerns about customer demands and production processes / product offers.
To my mind pro wrestling really is a good example. As a teenager, I also didn't know what was real and what was show at first. I was really glad when the kayfabe rule was omitted, which dictated that wrestlers always had to be in character. From then on, I could read backstage reports and real interviews. In my opinion, it didn't take away the fun. If anything, it made the show even more interesting for me!
But I'm sure that there are still quite a few wrestling fans as well as spanking porn viewers who don't know the difference between what is going on in front of the camera and behind it. Some of them might even not want to know. But like you, I don't see any reason not to confront them with reality, especially if their fantasies involve things that would be morally wrong if they happened for real (like exploitation of spanking models).
To my mind, people who can't distinguish between fantasy and reality aren't the biggest threat, though. In my opinion, those who want the actors to go beyond their limits as a sign of dedication, not caring for their well-being, are even more dangerous.
Again, pro wrestling can serve as a good example. In the 90s, the pro wrestling fans wanted to see more and more spectacular looking moves. Everything had to be faster, higher and more special. The wrestling style changed accordingly, because the promoters and the wrestlers wanted to serve the demands of their costumers. Wrestlers showed dangerous high-flying manoeuvres on a regular basis, special matches like TLC (tables, ladders, chairs) and so on became the norm rather than the exception. This resulted in an increasing number of injuries until the promoters finally decided to slow down a bit and to focus on characters, storylines and the show again instead of dangerous high-risk moves.
In my opinion, spanking models can face similar risks. If there is a high number of customers who want the models to go beyond their limits in order to see the action they are longing for, there is a good chance that sooner or later at least some of the producers will try to serve these demands. I assume that Ludwig is right in that word of mouth would spread quickly and models would refrain from working with these producers, but at that time some damage would already have been caused and inexperienced newbies could still fall prey to them.
Don't get me wrong, I like it when people are dedicated to their jobs or hobbies. Although I'm not a professional model who earns any money with spanking porn, I always try to give my best when making a clip, even when it is a private free one. I also try to go to my limits from time to time, as far as nudity, pain etc. is concerned. But I'm not willing to go beyond my limits. And I don't think that any customer has a right to expect spanking models to do so just because models are doing something that would already be off-limits for most people. To my mind, it is like in any other job: one can expect employees to do a good job and to show dedication, but one can't expect them to risk their well-being.
That's why I absolutely second your concerns and why I think that this is about more than just destroying fantasy bubbles. It's about raising awareness for ethic porn production and for the responsibilities costumers have concerning the products they consume.