Introduction
Hot Girls Wanted is a Netflix documentary telling the story of several young girls who work in so-called pro-am porn. The plot mainly revolves around Tressa’s story, with the filmmakers following every step she makes during her short porn career. Like many others, she wants to make a lot of money quickly and be independent. Her attitude to the industry gradually changes from excitement to frustration as she starts to realize the downsides of her choice. The main goal of the documentary is to show that while a career in amateur porn offers an opportunity to make quick money, the price one has to pay for it is often too high.
Main body
The scene in which Tressa, her mother, and her boyfriend discuss her career choice illustrates the message of the film exceptionally well. When Kendall asks Tressa about the cost of her decision, she fails to find an answer, as she realizes how much she hurt the people who cared about her (Hot Girls Wanted, 01:08:13-01:08:20). She decides to quit porn for good following this discussion. In another episode, one of the girls, Rachel, describes shooting a scene in detail. She states that she was forced to do things she did not want to and admits that she does not know whether it was worth the money (Hot Girls Wanted, 01:04:58-01:05:52). While she stays in the porn industry for a few more months, she eventually quits, too.
Bauer and Gradus mostly rely on pathos appeal to convey their message. When telling Kendall how stressed and worried about Thressa she is, Tressa’s mother breaks down in tears (Hot Girls Wanted, 01:07:32-01:07:53). Earlier, during a party, Tressa gets bullied by her ex-classmates for doing porn and struggles to hide her embarrassment in front of her boyfriend (Hot Girls Wanted, 01:01:54-01:02:24). Overall, the filmmakers focus on showing how Tressa’s emotional state gradually changes throughout the story. In the beginning, she laughs and smiles a lot, but as the story progresses, she becomes more depressed. It becomes clear that the lifestyle she was craving was not worth the price she paid for it.
Logos appeal in the film can be found in the juxtapositions between girls’ expectations and reality. Initially, they believe that a job in the porn industry will make them rich and free, but in fact, it does not. In one of the opening scenes, Rachel and Tressa are excited about being “free to do what they want to do” (Hot Girls Wanted, 00:11:15-00:11:24). However, after a couple of months, they are not “fresh” enough for the industry anymore, and to stay in it, they are forced to take offers they would have never taken before. The illusion of freedom completely disappears when Rachel is raped during her shoot in California (Hot Girls Wanted, 01:04:58-01:05:52). Similarly, in the beginning, girls are excited about the money they can make in porn. At the end, Tressa admits that “being a port star was very expensive” and states she has only $2,000 left in her account (Hot Girls Wanted, 01:16:20-01:16:50). Admittedly, her failure can be explained by her poor money management. However, the directors convincingly show that landing a job in the porn industry does not guarantee freedom or financial success.
Conclusion
Overall, the documentary is emotionally engaging and makes a strong statement for the young audience. Some individuals might better respond to the emotional family scenes, while others will pay more attention to the fact that Tressa eventually did not achieve financial success. Most importantly, Hot Girls Wanted shows that choosing a career in porn can have a lasting negative impact on one’s life. While some might be willing to pay the price, not everyone is.
Work Cited
Hot Girls Wanted. Directed by Jill Bauer and Ronna Gradus, Netflix, 2015.