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Was Porn Really At Fault?
Linda Lovelace claimed in later years that she was forced to perform in the porn movie Deep Throat. In her autobiography Ordeal, Linda saw herself as a victim of the porn industry in general and was to become a spokeswoman against it. But was this seeming change of heart the meanderings of an obviously distressed woman, or was porn really at fault?
No. I really do not think the porn industry was at fault. Porn was a cultural medium within which Linda Lovelace and Chuck Traynor carried out their troubled relationship. They played their roles well: Traynor the dominator and Lovelace the submissive. Without the porn industry, they probably would have had that same relationship somewhere else.
The whole confused mix of porn, prejudice, social class, era, the mob, politicians, religion (and later the radical feminists) came together around a hastily-shot, low budget movie starring a girl who most likely had psychological problems, with a cruel control freak in the background egging her on.
Did Traynor hold a gun to Linda Lovelace's head during the shooting of Deep Throat, as she claimed? There is absolutely no evidence to say that he did. In any case, he did not have to. Linda knew she had to do what she was told, or suffer the consequences later.
However, others from the film all say that Lovelace actually enjoyed giving her performance, as long as Traynor wasn't in the room. And after Lovelace left Traynor, she continued for a long time to say that she enjoyed all kinds of sex. It was only in hindsight (and with influence from the radical feminists), that she retracted that statement.
However, Traynor most likely did beat Linda during the making of Deep Throat. Linda later said that he beat her up in their hotel room and that no one came to her aid. In the film, you can see bruises on her legs which make up has been unable to hide. Traynor said these were from her car crash, although that seems unlikely given the time difference.
There are also conflicting reports of the 'beating up episode'. Some say that Lovelace and Traynor were in a different hotel to the rest of the cast; although others say they did hear the beating, but failed to stop it. If the latter is the case, why?
Deep Throat was shot in secret. Every member of the cast and crew were breaking the law. They were hardly likely to call the cops. Plus, Traynor was Linda's husband. Domestic violence 'issues' received very little sympathy from the police. And lastly, Traynor was a big, strong man with a threatening composure. He was also well-known for his violent temper. It would have taken a brave man indeed to oppose him.
In a similar situation, but not on a porn set, the same reaction would have occurred. People who work in fear of being prosecuted (whether for porn movie making, illegal gambling, drug running, or whatever) keep their heads down and let others sort their own problems out.
Linda Lovelace was a victim, there is no doubt, but she was not a victim of the porn industry. She was a victim of circumstances, upbringing, social class, culture and her own bruised psyche which appeared to attract her to controllers of all kinds.
Nevertheless, my sympathies are with Lovelace. She was a fighter who never seemed to be able to stop fighting. Adversity was always close at hand. No one can blame her for hitting out at anyone or anything she saw as scarring her life. In Linda's circumstances, many of us would probably have reacted the same way.
Linda Lovelace was a cultural icon. An ordinary, fairly attractive girl, whose 'technique' in a low budget movie helped to change the World as we know it. She was a woman of her times who 'made it' in a rather unconventional way. But she definitely deserves her place in history.
Let's celebrate Linda Lovelace for that. And for being a fighter.