Which pop-culture depictions of sex work resonate most with actual sex workers?
The Deuce, David Simon’s sleazy, big-hearted look at porn and prostitution in ‘70s New York City, returned for its second season last night, delivering a compelling hour reintroducing us to sprawling ensemble. Still, though the show may offer a raw, empathetic look into the era’s subculture, that doesn’t mean it resonates for those who actually know what it’s like to be ogled for a living. As writer and stripper Antonia Crane points out in a new piece for MEL Magazine, the show was created by dudes and the writing room is more or less dominated by them. (Contrary to the article’s claim, however, The Deuce has invited as many female directors to the show as male ones, and, according to IMDB, that trend will continue into the second season).
So, though characters like Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Candy exude humanity, they don’t necessarily offer an authentic look at the life of a sex worker. That’s why Crane reached out to a number of her colleagues—strippers, cam girls, fetish models, etc.—to see which depictions actually do resonate as true. The answers are fascinating; Crane, for example, finds truth in Sharon Stone’s turn in Casino, while others cite the likes of Hulu’s Harlots, multiple Jennifer Tilly films, and the sheer existence of Anna Nicole Smith.
Interestingly, the name to pop up most was Sean Baker, the director behind critically acclaimed looks into poverty like The Florida Project and Tangerine. That authenticity, however, comes not from him, necessarily, but rather for his approach—especially in Tangerine—of casting those intimately familiar with both sex work and the marginalization that often accompanies it.