Pornography in Hungary
Encyclopedia
The history of pornography in Hungary mainly dates from the period after the fall of communism in 1989
. The production and distribution of pornography was illegal under communism, but the laws were liberalised with the emergence of democracy. Permissive government policies soon propelled the country to the forefront of the European pornography industry. Several foreign directors were attracted to the country's liberal legislation, cheap production costs and large supply of attractive female performers. Eventually, domestic producers began to prosper as well, and several actresses made big names for themselves within the industry.
left the Hungarian state saddled with great foreign debts. After the fall of communism in 1989, the government was eager to find new ways of producing revenues. A post-communist constitution was introduced with no ban on pornography, and this industry presented a welcome economic opportunity. The nation's capital of Budapest
in particular offered a favourable combination of "camera-compatible women, laissez-faire government regulation, fin-de-siècle scenery, and low production costs."
The venture was highly successful, and Hungary soon became one of the world's leading manufacturers of pornography. In the popular imagination, the country has become closely associated with pornography, and the satirical newspaper The Onion
in 2007 jokingly asserted that 70% of the country's population was involved in the industry. Though not so extreme, the industry is certainly central to Hungarian society and economy, relative to other countries. By 2005, 300 of the 1,200 pornographic films produced in Europe were of Hungarian origin. In 2008, the industry generated around €
636 million a year, making up around 0.5% of the country's GDP
. The government sanction also secured a much more legitimate standard for the industry than in many other countries. Hungarian pornography has mostly been free from association with such social problems as organised crime and human trafficking
. The well-organised nature of the business has also helped prevent the spread of HIV
, which has a very low prevalence in the country generally.
in several ways. The relatively poor economic conditions in the country force many young girls from the provinces to seek their fortune in the capital. This provides a constant supply of female performers with the desired qualities for the business. As the highly successful performer Mya Diamond
says: "I come from a small village. I wanted to flee poverty and help my brothers and my mother financially." This results in women appearing much more natural than their American counterparts, with the absence of most forms of body modification
, like surgical enhancement
, tattoo
s or piercings.
Another consequence of the socio-economic conditions is that performers are more desperate to succeed, and therefore willing to engage in extreme types of sexual intercourse. Various forms of multiple penetration still relatively uncommon in American pornography are commonplace in Hungarian films. The act of anal sex
has become closely associated with pornography produced in Hungary, to the point where it is now considered a "signature" of movies from this country.
The pioneers within the Hungarian pornography industry were foreign producers who were attracted to the country because of the favourable economic conditions and the steady supply of beautiful girls. The French actor and director Christoph Clark
claims to have been the first, when he moved to Budapest as early as 1991. In 1993 the Italian Rocco Siffredi
started making movies in Hungary, and was soon followed by others, such as Pierre Woodman
and Patrick Collins. With time, local producers started to emerge and compete on the market. Hungarian director and producer István Kovács known as Kovi
is the head of LUXx, the country's largest pornography production company.
Initially, female performers were relatively anonymous; they were identified only by first name and normally used only for a few movies. The production companies wanted to avoid name recognition, in order to keep wages at a low level. Gradually, however, certain performers started to emerge as stars with a following among viewers. Because of the international distribution of films shot in Hungary, most performers choose internationally sounding screen names
, such as Nikki Anderson
(Swedish), Monique Covét
(French) or Michelle Wild (English). Wild, whose real name is Katalin Vad, managed to cross over into mainstream stardom, and became an actress on the television soap opera
Jóban rosszban.
End of Communism in Hungary (1989)
The Communist rule in the People's Republic of Hungary came to the end in 1989. The events were part of the Revolutions of 1989.-Pressure:Young liberals formed the Federation of Young Democrats ; a core from the so-called Democratic Opposition formed the Alliance of Free Democrats , and the...
. The production and distribution of pornography was illegal under communism, but the laws were liberalised with the emergence of democracy. Permissive government policies soon propelled the country to the forefront of the European pornography industry. Several foreign directors were attracted to the country's liberal legislation, cheap production costs and large supply of attractive female performers. Eventually, domestic producers began to prosper as well, and several actresses made big names for themselves within the industry.
History
During the communist era, pornography was considered a product of Western decadence, and was illegal. From the 1960s to the 1980s, however, experiments with market economy the so-called Goulash CommunismGoulash Communism
Goulash Communism or Kádárism refers to the variety of communism as practised in the Hungarian People's Republic from the 1960s until the collapse of Communism in Hungary in 1989...
left the Hungarian state saddled with great foreign debts. After the fall of communism in 1989, the government was eager to find new ways of producing revenues. A post-communist constitution was introduced with no ban on pornography, and this industry presented a welcome economic opportunity. The nation's capital of Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
in particular offered a favourable combination of "camera-compatible women, laissez-faire government regulation, fin-de-siècle scenery, and low production costs."
The venture was highly successful, and Hungary soon became one of the world's leading manufacturers of pornography. In the popular imagination, the country has become closely associated with pornography, and the satirical newspaper The Onion
The Onion
The Onion is an American news satire organization. It is an entertainment newspaper and a website featuring satirical articles reporting on international, national, and local news, in addition to a non-satirical entertainment section known as The A.V. Club...
in 2007 jokingly asserted that 70% of the country's population was involved in the industry. Though not so extreme, the industry is certainly central to Hungarian society and economy, relative to other countries. By 2005, 300 of the 1,200 pornographic films produced in Europe were of Hungarian origin. In 2008, the industry generated around €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
636 million a year, making up around 0.5% of the country's GDP
Gross domestic product
Gross domestic product refers to the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period. GDP per capita is often considered an indicator of a country's standard of living....
. The government sanction also secured a much more legitimate standard for the industry than in many other countries. Hungarian pornography has mostly been free from association with such social problems as organised crime and human trafficking
Human trafficking
Human trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, forced labor, or a modern-day form of slavery...
. The well-organised nature of the business has also helped prevent the spread of HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
, which has a very low prevalence in the country generally.
Characteristics
Pornography produced in Hungary is distinctive from the more ubiquitous American pornographyPornography in the United States
In the United States, there have been several notable court decisions relating to the definition of pornography and obscenity, personal possession, and its relation to prostitution. The total market value of pornography in the U.S. is estimated between $2-$13 billion per year...
in several ways. The relatively poor economic conditions in the country force many young girls from the provinces to seek their fortune in the capital. This provides a constant supply of female performers with the desired qualities for the business. As the highly successful performer Mya Diamond
Mya Diamond
Mya Diamond is a Hungarian pornographic actress and nude model, who starred in Porn Wars.-Biography and career:...
says: "I come from a small village. I wanted to flee poverty and help my brothers and my mother financially." This results in women appearing much more natural than their American counterparts, with the absence of most forms of body modification
Body modification
Body modification is the deliberate altering of the human body for any non-medical reason, such as aesthetics, sexual enhancement, a rite of passage, religious reasons, to display group membership or affiliation, to create body art, shock value, or self expression...
, like surgical enhancement
Plastic surgery
Plastic surgery is a medical specialty concerned with the correction or restoration of form and function. Though cosmetic or aesthetic surgery is the best-known kind of plastic surgery, most plastic surgery is not cosmetic: plastic surgery includes many types of reconstructive surgery, hand...
, tattoo
Tattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
s or piercings.
Another consequence of the socio-economic conditions is that performers are more desperate to succeed, and therefore willing to engage in extreme types of sexual intercourse. Various forms of multiple penetration still relatively uncommon in American pornography are commonplace in Hungarian films. The act of anal sex
Anal sex
Anal sex is the sex act in which the penis is inserted into the anus of a sexual partner. The term can also include other sexual acts involving the anus, including pegging, anilingus , fingering, and object insertion.Common misconception describes anal sex as practiced almost exclusively by gay men...
has become closely associated with pornography produced in Hungary, to the point where it is now considered a "signature" of movies from this country.
Producers and performers
Christoph Clark
Christoph Clark is a French pornographic actor and director. He has been called "perhaps the most popular male star in the French porn industry." Clark was born in France. After working with figures including Marc Dorcel and Michel Renaud, he moved to Budapest in 1991, where he established his...
claims to have been the first, when he moved to Budapest as early as 1991. In 1993 the Italian Rocco Siffredi
Rocco Siffredi
Rocco Siffredi is the stage name of an Italian pornographic actor, director and producer of pornographic movies, famous for his rough sex scenes...
started making movies in Hungary, and was soon followed by others, such as Pierre Woodman
Pierre Woodman
Pierre Woodman is a pornographic film director. He is the creator of more than 65 pornographic films, more than 2,000 hardcore scenes, around 1,500 photosets and more than 7,000 castings.-Early life:...
and Patrick Collins. With time, local producers started to emerge and compete on the market. Hungarian director and producer István Kovács known as Kovi
Kovi
István Kovács also known as Kovi is a Hungarian pornographic film director.-References:...
is the head of LUXx, the country's largest pornography production company.
Initially, female performers were relatively anonymous; they were identified only by first name and normally used only for a few movies. The production companies wanted to avoid name recognition, in order to keep wages at a low level. Gradually, however, certain performers started to emerge as stars with a following among viewers. Because of the international distribution of films shot in Hungary, most performers choose internationally sounding screen names
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
, such as Nikki Anderson
Nikki Anderson
Nikki Anderson is the stage name of a Hungarian pornographic actress. She was the Penthouse Pet of the Month for May 2000.-Awards:* Hot d'Or Best European Starlet – 1997* Hot d'Or Best European Actress – 1999, for L'enjeu du desir...
(Swedish), Monique Covét
Monique Covét
Monique Covét is a Hungarian pornographic actress and fetish model. From 1998 to 2001, she came to prominence as the star of several features for the Private Media Group, mainly appearing in fetish-oriented films produced by the company's subsidiary Pirate label.- Early career :By her own account,...
(French) or Michelle Wild (English). Wild, whose real name is Katalin Vad, managed to cross over into mainstream stardom, and became an actress on the television soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Jóban rosszban.
See also
- European pornographyEuropean pornographyPornography in Europe has been dominated by a few pan-European producers and distributors, the most notable of which is the Private Media Group that had successfully claimed the throne of Color Climax Corporation in early 1990s. Most European countries also have local pornography producers, from...
- Prostitution in HungaryProstitution in HungaryProstitution in Hungary has been legalized and regulated by the government since 1999. Under the law, prostitutes are basically professionals who engage in sexual activities in exchange for money...
- Hungarian pornographic film actors