Safety in the Workplace

On Thursday it was reported that a complaint was filed against porn companies accusing them of "unsafe behavior" in the workplace. What prompted this complaint was that unprotected sex is practiced in porn movies and so constitutes an unsafe work environment. This complaint was filed by Micheal Weinstein, the head of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, an AIDS advocacy group. Weinstein filed the complaint with the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health. I am curious whether Weinstein made this discovery through research or by accident. It is of note that the complaint was not filed by the workers in the porn industry, but by a group that evidently considers it part of its job to watch porn movies. Weinstein added that he will not stop "until there is a policy of requiring condoms to be used in porn." He threatens to keep watching porn movies until he is satisfied that safe sex is being practiced. And, if the policy is adopted by the porn industry, presumably he will keep watching porn movies to verify compliance. Good work if you can get it. The article did not say whether the AIDS Healthcare Foundation receives any federal funds for its operation. If it does, it is likely that taxpayers might be uncomfortable with knowing that some of their money was being used to "monitor" the porn industry.

The discovery that safe sex is rarely practiced in porn movies brings to mind the scene in "Casablanca" where Renault is "shocked" to find out that there has been illegal activity going on in Rick's Cafe.