Jones responded to criticism of his planned documentary by many sex industry professionals: “I am committed to making this an inclusive and respectful documentary about my personal experience as a black woman, informed by the various voices of people with experience around this topic.”
On Tuesday, Sarah Jones announced that she would come up with a documentary entitled Sale / Purchase / Date which would examine the sex industry, as well as its acclaimed program for a woman of the same name.
For the feature film project, which will mark his debut in the direction of Tony Award winning creator, Jones revealed that he had recruited longtime supporter Meryl Streep, Rashida Jones and Laverne Cox as executive producers together with the Ford Foundation, SFFILM Invest and the Harnisch Foundation.
The documentary, according to the release, will address issues of “inequality (criminal justice, race, sexism, poverty) through the lens of the debate around the sex industry. The documentary asks the question: ‘Is sex work exploitative or empowering? ? ‘ The sex industry is hidden everywhere in plain sight during the pandemic, and affecting black and brown women in particular, that being said, many people support sex work and some even argue that those in the commercial sex space are essential workers .
The project would also find Jones revisiting some of the same current and former sex workers she worked with while shaping her play. In this version, Jones inhabited more than a dozen multicultural characters as a way of exploring people’s relationships with the sex industry. Jones, born in Baltimore, studied at the United Nations School and Bryn Mawr College, has long advocated the empowerment of women and served as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.
After The Hollywood Reporter tweeted the news of the announcement, the comments section was flooded with responses. Many respondents opposed such a project and questioned how many sex workers would be consulted in the documentary and under what point the profession would be positioned.
Melody Kush tweeted: “At the very least, you must include ALL sides of our industry to be fair to the hundreds of thousands of consensual workers who are one of the most misunderstood and marginalized groups on the planet. Do you want REAL data? Consult us and our activists of rights “.
Eva de Vil, also known online as Goddess Eva de Vil, posted: “I am so tired of this exploitative or empowering paradigm that appears in every discourse about sex work. Change the record. Ask different questions. Don’t ask if work oppresses us , but why does society think it is necessary to deny us access to rights and resources that everyone else has. Ask how we can get rid of this binary perception and be seen by the common worker that we are. Ask how we can make it safer to stop work. Ask us. “
Cox was also highlighted. A user with the @mstresscarmilla identifier, tagged Cox and wrote: “Exactly what the world needs. Another film where it doesn’t [sex workers] debate whether sex work is exploitative or empowering. Laverne Cox, this project is all you’re supposed to be against. Stop trying to say [sex work] stories, ignoring them and making them doxxing. “
Cox responded directly to criticism from several users by posting an official statement announcing that she left the project, citing outrage and the need to protect her mental health.
“When I agreed to come as an executive producer of Sale / Purchase / Date I did this because I was deeply moved by Sarah Jones’ brilliant play and her incredible and undeniable talent as an artist, as an actor. I signed up to support her incredible talent, “she posted on Wednesday.” I have a lot of love for her as a human being. But I am not in an emotional state to deal with the indignation of some around my participation in this project. So I decided to leave. To be clear, I am no longer involved in any role in [‘Sell/Buy/Date.’] I have to take care of my mental, physical and emotional health. “
Others also targeted Rashida Jones. Their concerns are linked to her collaborations with Jill Bauer and Ronna Gradus on two projects – You want hot girls and Wanted hot girls: excited, both Netflix documentary projects (one a resource and the other a series of documents) about the sex industry. After the latter’s debut, several women came forward and claimed that they were denounced for their profession without their permission, while others signaled the misrepresentation of sex work as a profession and career like any other. The doxxing allegations were rebuked by Bauer and Gradus in an interview with Variety in which they cited fair use.
The answer to Sale / Purchase / Date it has nuances and the criticism of those in the sex industry is far from the first time that a community has opposed being stigmatized, left out or ignored by Hollywood creatives in search of documentary narratives or stories. Sarah Jones also took note of the criticism and released her own statement on social media on Thursday, saying she thanked everyone who contacted or commented on how people in the sex industry would be represented.
“As a black feminist artist, I have always focused on the stories of traditionally marginalized people, especially women and femmes who struggle for liberation and self-determination. My sisters in the sex industry are no exception, ”she posted. “I am committed to deeply listening to people with lived experience, not only in my interviews, but also in those we hire behind the scenes.”
Sarah Jones also responded directly to THR’s requests through her representative, saying she maintains her public statements. She also added: “As I do with all my work, I am approaching this documentary with compassion and in an attempt to understand the nuance and complexity of how sex work affects everyone, especially women of color,” she said. “For a long time, BIPOC women have had our narratives controlled by other people. Thanks to this new moment, I have the opportunity to finally share mine. I am committed to making this an inclusive and respectful documentary about my personal experience as a black woman, informed by various voices of people with lived experience around this topic. As a feminist who is deeply concerned with the well-being and freedom of ALL people, I look forward to sharing my story in the creative way I know. I hope that those who have never lived in my shoes will give me the chance to express my own experience as a black woman. “
She also responded directly to Cox (see below).