Alongside printed material, X-rated video production echoed the social changes in the 20th and 21st centuries. Before the convenience of smartphones and on-demand streaming services, erotic recordings were subject to content and distribution regulations and depended on having access to the right playback equipment. For many teenagers in the ‘80s and ‘90s, this meant creeping downstairs to use the VHS after curfew.
Lights
When the lights went down, the restrictions on TV content slackened. This presented the opportunity to run ads such as the infamous ‘Gone Wild’ commercials that encouraged viewers to pay for the full video or purchase a subscription. Despite being aimed at an adult-only audience, there were still considerable regulations about what was allowed to be aired.
Camera
As technologies like handheld video recorders enabled filmmakers to record content more easily, videos of erotic material grew in popularity. VHS was available to the average consumer and the convenience of enjoying adult entertainment from home meant producers could portray more explicit scenes than a film aimed at a general audience. Despite this, regulations imposed censorship requirements and limited distribution channels.
Action
The technological progress of the 1980s and ‘90s contributed to the booming popularity of erotic videos. VHS and camera technology were improving rapidly and the diversity of films available grew exponentially. Video rental stores, which are now a rarity in their own right, often dedicated a shelf to the XXX films. Exclusive adult-video-only rental stores opened as well to provide access to the huge variety of videos available. As the ‘90s rolled around, DVDs became the most popular platform for erotic material, offering better video quality and interactive menus to navigate through assorted media. Cable and satellite TV eventually relaxed their content restrictions and enabled pay-per-view adult films. The production and consumption of pornographic material became part of pop culture and erotic content brands became household names.
While still-image pornography remained popular, the rise of adult entertainment in the film industry was revolutionary. To go from taboo, printed images to on-demand TV meant a cultural acceptance of pornography in mainstream media. Even though DVDs are now considered outdated, X-rated content is frequently on the cutting edge of technological advances. This is true today, as artificial intelligence is being utilised in several fields including the production and distribution of adult entertainment.