These days, pornography is more widely available and appeals to more niche genres than ever before. Surprisingly, although the markets for Furries and foot fetishists are saturated, one large market has yet to be successfully cornered:  women. While all kinds of women participate in and enjoy more specific niche fetishes and the accompanying porn, women with less precise sexual tastes often feel alienated by the small amounts of pornography to which they’ve been exposed. This happens for a variety of reasons, from religious concerns to philosophical issues to product quality. Many religious groups find pornography morally reprehensible and have attached a serious amount of shame to enjoying pornography. This inhibits both men and women from enjoying porn and is often a top reason women are “turned off” by pornography. Much as I wish there were a burgeoning Christian porn movement for all ye believers, I doubt there will be any masturbatory relief coming for you soon. (And, really, how entertaining would married people trying desperately to conceive a child be?  Not very.) Sorry, faithful lechers.Now, back to the rest of us gals. Feminists point to the porn industry as one of the chief exploiters and objectifiers of women. They argue pornography paints women as objects that exist solely to please men, with no other inherent value or redeemable qualities.This is not necessarily incorrect, but it doesn’t mean there can’t be porn that doesn’t degrade women. Another chief complaint of women as to why they don’t watch pornography is the “cheese factor.”  In pornography made for men, the stories are usually ridiculous (if existent), the acting is terrible and the production values are low. Women seem to prefer quality to quantity in their porn, while men often prefer the opposite. Some pornography production companies have tried to appeal to women with some success in recent years, crafting more interesting and believable story lines, softer lighting and often more empowered female lead characters. The surprise success in marketing pornography to women has been repurposing pornography meant for gay men. Women, particularly those who are not attracted to other women, have found enjoyment and even some empowerment in gay porn – although it is often as cheesily made as straight porn. Some women feel watching gay porn helps them reclaim sexual objectification for themselves, not to mention satisfying their curiosities about male sexuality as well as their own.This spotlights the hang-up that many porn companies — and porn consumers — seem to have:  the notion that pornography needs to exist in separate spheres for men and women. It doesn’t. There is no need for role-reversal regarding who is being objectified. Simply don’t exploit anyone, unless a power play relationship is integral to the theme of the piece (i.e. BDSM). This absence of objectification is the holy grail of pornography. Respectable production values and stories, realistic body images and situations that recognize actors’ boundaries are the ideal characteristics of “good” porn. But mining these pornographic gems takes work. This can be time-consuming and not necessarily conducive to the often-spontaneous situations that may require the utilization of pornography. If you have the kind of time and resources it takes to do extensive research into ethical, well-made pornography, go ahead with your bad self. While you’re at it, organize your porn into folders and encrypt it!  But before you do, share it with a few close girl friends who may not have the time or dedication.  Promote a product that is as American as apple pie – beautiful, wholesome pornography.Sara Boyd is a 22-year-old general studies junior from Baton Rouge. Follow her on Twitter@TDR_sboyd.–Contact Sara Boyd [email protected]