I wrote the snoop after watching the Louis Thoreaux documenting Dark States Sex Traffiking and Selling Sex in his documentary series but then my opinion shifted as I read claims from the women who participated particularly Georgina and Ashleigh in the Selling Sex program that their stories and content was edited in a way that didn’t reflect their views or wishes. And that content that gave context to their positions was cut changing the narrative to suit BBC producers. In their words from the article link above they got hoodwinked by the BBC production team and Louis which is not good and I definitely don’t agree with. I think all contributors should have happily signed off on the final piece before going to air. Like Georgina said in hindsight if she was outing her sex work to the world voluntarily, a massive decision and step, it had to be her story on her terms when her aim was to de stigmatise the world of sex work not present a one size fits all story that all sex workers are damaged or have been abused in some way.
I like Louis Theroux and his documentary style, he’s not funny but his gentle interviewing technique reminds me a little of Sacha Baron Cohen’s style as alter ego characters Ali G and Borat in his mockumentary style films. Borat subsequent Movie Film 2020 springs to mind when Borat interrupts actress Maria Bakalova in a hotel room with former Mayor of New York City and Donald Trumps attorney 76 year old Rudy Guiliani. Yep. Louis Theroux’s got a few embarrassing moments like this on camera too when his subjects suddenly realise his boy next door, Columbo style questioning, doesn’t give him the idiot status he often leads with his seemingly innocent line of questioning.
Louis Theroux does tackle some difficult social issues and has produced several on the sex industry. In Dark States, this particular hour long film Louis is in Houston Texas, a hub for exploited and trafficked women where the lines are often blurred between free will personal choices and coercion and control by Pimps/boyfriends who talk as if they are family referring to the women as wives but violently attack them if they seek refuge, speak to police or as many say “don’t make their target” for a given period or night.
The fear is palpable as Louis gets to know women trapped in the cycle of prostitution, violence and the only way they know to receive attention and care from a man.
Many say openly they have been abused from a young age, explaining somewhat the continuation of the destructive emotional choices the women make and how addiction to drugs is the obvious spin off, the only way to ease the pain.
The recovery programs in place where ex prostitutes who have managed to break away from a life that nearly destroyed them do their best to rehabilitate the women are visited and explored, where women speak of enjoying the violence, experiencing getting beaten up as a turn on and some still turning tricks whilst trying to get clean and free. It shows what a difficult chain of behaviour it is to break.
And one women when she escapes the hold of a violent pimp still tells Louis as she tries to get a regular job waiting tables, as a receptionist, at Subway, the lure of prostitution (this time she assures him without a Pimp) still is tempting and likely.
It’s a shocking film topped off by a visit to a penitentiary where one of the women in the film’s Pimp “Fancy” is incarcerated. The interview with him was conducted while he was serving a sentence in a Texas prison. And goes towards examining the complexities and impact of the sex trade in Houston. Louis interviews him as he explains his side of the business, why he takes all the money and his justification for his behaviour.
He takes absolutely no personal responsibility saying “some women are just hoos and that’s all they are ever going to be.”
It is completely shocking footage but shows clearly why this problem of abuse and persecution of women continues. In Houston it’s still the women that get arrested not the customers or the pimps. In the case of Smith (fancy) he was locked up for compelling prostitution of a minor. The girl in question was 15 years old. Smith denied knowing this. In the documentary his defence he thought she was 17.
If you have the stomach to watch it is a mind blowing and tragic in equal measure watch.
Disturbing but in a different way is Louis Theroux meeting and talking to extreme right wing political activist Nick Fuentes and friends who has garnered support of thousands of young men through his nightly 3 hour live stream where he presents political idealogy that has been compared to neo nazism.
He is described as a white supremacist and far right extremist and promotes a holocaust denial and praises Adolf Hitler describing him as “very fucking cool”
Louis gets inside one of his AFPAC America first political action conferences which attracted an audience of 2000 young men (no women) and many more listening to a live stream online.
There was some pretty shocking misogyny, ladies be warned. This guy thinks women aren’t smart enough to vote.
Louis Theroux has his work cut out with these people and doesn’t always get the better of them, triggering many participants he’s got to agree to talk to him, to get aggressive and throw him out when he asks the tough questions, they immediately know where he’s going and get very angry hurling abuse which doesn’t make the best TV.
It still an educational watch for anyone familiar with Andrew Tate and Tommy Robinson in the UK. Nick Fuentes is the same animal just on the other side of the Atlantic.
Whilst Nick Fuentes was careful with his adversary in Louis Theroux, enjoying the interest from a BBC journalist he says some very shocking things he believes “new age” or “new order” delivered always in humour which he relies on a lot to explain away his point of view. He believes controversially women only fit into three categories Mothers, Whores or Nuns.
I recommend you also watch Forbidden America, the new far Right.
As my mother used to say Louis Theroux documentaries will do way more than make your hair curl, blood boiling more likely but it’s good to know what’s happening out there to the young.