The release of Bonnie Blue’s documentary, “1000 Men and Me: The Bonnie Blue Story,” on Channel 4 has ignited significant controversy and a call for action from an independent pornography taskforce in the UK. The film features Blue, aka Tia Billinger. She documents herself on the job, including having sex with an unbelievable 1,057 clients during a grueling 12 hours of work. Critics are raising the alarm over the film’s portrayal of violence against women. They argue that it may risk yet further normalizing toxic sexist mindsets.
The documentary follows Blue as she prepares for an orgy starring models in schoolgirl outfits. This portrayal further muddies the story concerning consent and the sexualization of minors. Performers in the documentary have acknowledged they were selected for their youthful appearance, raising concerns about the implications of such choices.
Dame Rachel de Souza, England’s children’s commissioner, described the documentary as “shocking” and “morally abhorrent.” She pointed out it glamorizes and normalizes extreme pornography. This creates a dangerous precedent for all children who may find this kind of harmful content elsewhere online.
“For years we have been fighting to protect our children from the kind of degrading, violent sex that exists freely on their social media feeds. Now this documentary risks taking us a step back by glamorising, even normalising the things young people tell me are frightening,” – Dame Rachel de Souza.
Through the course of Delight, we hope to understand how attitudes about sex, success, pornography and feminism are shifting in today’s digital world. It’s been successful in getting international attention, with Bonnie Blue recently raking in millions of dollars in revenue during the last year. As many critics have pointed out, the film misses a huge opportunity to really rebut Blue’s claims that what she’s doing isn’t harmful.
British political aide Baroness Gabby Bertin, shown here at a March 2008 event, is implacably against the documentary. She’ll be raising it for discussion at the next meeting of the new independent pornography taskforce. She was worried about how that content had been normalized and what that meant to our society as a whole.
“She has become extremely successful; she is an adult and it is consensual, so it may not be harming her, but it has potentially harmful effects on people who think that this is a normal way to behave,” – Baroness Gabby Bertin.
Bertin is currently preparing amendments to introduce to the crime and policing bill. Specifically, his aim is to hold online platforms legally accountable for any content they allow which might reasonably be expected to lead to child sexual abuse. Reactions from lawmakers are increasingly coming together across party lines. Their proposed action would primarily target the kinds of pornography defined as “barely legal.”
The policing minister, Diana Johnson, has indicated her intention to address concerns regarding children’s access to the documentary on Channel 4’s website. Her discussions with ministerial colleagues aim to explore methods of restricting access to content that could negatively influence young viewers.
Even with the documentary’s clips of Blue’s sexual encounters pixellated, they were still enough to cause an uproar over the documentary’s perceived explicitness. Critics have claimed the film is just glorifying Bonnie Blue’s brand. They think it misses the mark by not offering a critical lens on the behaviors it features.
Channel 4’s spokesperson said the documentary challenges viewers to enter into a place of deep imagination. It follows how Blue has made a name and successful career for herself while navigating complex ideas of sexuality and feminism.
“The film looks at how Bonnie Blue has gained worldwide attention and earned millions of pounds in the last year, exploring changing attitudes to sex, success, porn and feminism in an ever-evolving online world,” – Channel 4 spokesperson.
The widespread response to “1000 Men and Me: The Bonnie Blue Story” highlights a pivotal moment in discussions surrounding pornography, consent, and societal norms regarding sexual behavior. After all they’ve seen, officials are not waiting to write new legislation. They need to consider the consequences of regulating content and the need to protect free expression above all else.