Culture

‘The Fantasy Can Be Dirty, But the Values Must Be Clean’

Can porn be beautiful and ethical? Erika Lust says yes—unequivocally.

Anne Quito

Feb 6, 2025 — 8 min read

Erika Lust | Photo: Monica Figueras

There are no scantily-clad women at the Erika Lust headquarters. There’s no BDSM paraphernalia, no harsh camera lights, and none of the trappings one might imagine in a porn production studio.

In fact, the only exotic creature roaming the office is a sweet-faced house cat named Tony.

Housed in an elegant modernist building in Barcelona's Eixample district, Erika Lust Films looks, well, wholesome—even lovely. There is a smattering of dildo-shaped industry awards on a shelf, but other than that, the office has more in common with a boutique design agency than a Boogie Nights fantasy. Charming Spanish mosaic tiles, stained glass windows, and soaring Catalan vault ceilings create a homey atmosphere for the predominantly female staff.

A painting of a stylish woman walking in a city street with the moon rising. She is looking around her.

Yes, Cities Can Be Sexist. Here’s How to Fix Them.

The idea that urban design can be discriminatory has become more established in recent years. Some city planners are making changes accordingly.

An illustration of a woman working at her laptop; behind her is cross-section of a house; overlaid are pictures of birds and flowers.

When Your Boss Tells You to Come In 5 Days a Week, Here’s What You Can Say

After five years of work from home, return-to-office mandates are everywhere. But research shows that nobody really benefits—not even businesses.

Collage illustration: a black-and-white photo of a woman is reflected in a mirror, with blue, orange and green adornments.

AI Skews Beautiful. What Is That Doing to Us?

Images of people generated by AI tend to be gorgeous, even when creators ask them to be ugly. That could have a profound effect on our emotional wellbeing.

We see the back of Dağdeviren at a piano on a pile of rubble, the shell of a building in front of her.

‘A Scar That Stays With Us’—Two Years After a Devastating Earthquake, a Refusal to Be Forgotten

Two years after a 2023 earthquake devastated swaths of Syria and Turkey, lives are still being rebuilt. Women bear the brunt of it.

Read more

Yes, Cities Can Be Sexist. Here’s How to Fix Them.

When Your Boss Tells You to Come In 5 Days a Week, Here’s What You Can Say

AI Skews Beautiful. What Is That Doing to Us?

‘A Scar That Stays With Us’—Two Years After a Devastating Earthquake, a Refusal to Be Forgotten