Budapest- Saturday may have been the International Day of Older Persons, but for lots of folks in Hungary it was the national day of younger women, as the 10th Annual Erotika KiállÃtás és Börze (Erotic Exhibition and Marketplace) romped into Hungexpo, Budapest’s main trade fairground. So it is as good a time as any for me to answer a question that numerous readers have asked me over the years: Is it really true that 90% of all Caucasian female porn stars come from Hungary, and if so, is that really so bad?
As for the first question, I’m afraid it’s impossible to say, for the simple reason that most Hungarian porn stars seem to shed their given names even faster than their white vinyl boots and cheerleader outfits. So while you can be sure that Linda Rácz and Dóra Mészáros (two of the “actresses” at last weekend’s show) are as Hungarian as sour cherry strudel, many of the rest acquire so many aliases over their careers that you’d have to interview each one to find out if they are or aren’t Hungarian. Compounding the problem is the fact that for many of the (largely non-Hungarian) consumers of Hungarian porn, the phrase “Hungarian Pornstar” has apparently become something of a generic term, like “Kleenex,” “Jacuzzi,” “AstroTurf” or “Vaseline.” I recently did a little bit of research on www.hungarianhoneys.com (not work-safe, except in Hungary, and icky enough that I am not going to link to it) and was shocked to discover that half of the girls were actually identified as not being Hungarian. So it is impossible to confirm that 90% figure, even if “Russian Super Model” Julia Malova looks awfully familiar.
What I can say with some certainty, however, is that the porn industry, and participation in it, carries much different social signifiers in Hungary than in most other Western countries. The best indication of this is that women like Rácz and Mészáros – as well as Michelle Wild (who recently retired, and returned to her given name of Kata Vad), Brigitta Kocis (Brigitta Bulgari) and countless others – are often treated as “normal” celebrities in Hungary, on par or above reality show stars. In America, you be lucky if one out of a million people could name more than one porn star, even by their non-Hungarian name. In Hungary, Victoria Swinger went on “Who Wants to be a Millionaire,” just like anyone else.
All of which leads me to the second part of the question, namely, whether it is really so bad that the porn industry is now such a deeply-ingrained part of Hungarian life. And here I may shock some of my more libertarian-minded readers by confessing that yes, I do think it is really bad.
The problem isn’t so much with the porn itself. (Who doesn’t love a little smut once in a while?) Instead, it’s that the triumph of porn both epitomizes and reinforces the limitations that too many Hungarian women, especially young women, face. Of course, the problem is much bigger than pornography per se, but the porn does seem to act as (pardon the expression) yeast for the rancid social culture that defines life for most young women in industrial countries around the world, in which looks and money and youth and fame are the only things that count. And in that world, the girls always end up getting screwed, even if the ones in the movies get paid twice that of their male “co-stars.”
Whenever I think about gender issues like this in Hungary, I’m always reminded of a story told to me by a foreigner about an incident in his Budapest office some years ago. The tale involved a receptionist, a succession of tight shirts, no bra, and a stunning bosom. Having noticed that all the males in the office were wasting hours hanging around the front desk staring at the receptionist’s chest, the expatriate manager in question called her into his office and gingerly told her that she really needed to wear a bra to work. The woman was horror-struck, and was about to break into tears, until the fast-thinking foreigner consoled her by telling her that the problem was that her breasts were spectacular, at which point she perked up and sashayed off on her merry way.
Despite all this, I am actually an optimist, for despite all the male piggery and female foolery, there are an increasing number of avenues for women to make their mark without having to first lift their skirt. But for this progress to continue, and not to be reversed, the next generation of Magyar womanhood needs to know that they can hope for more than being some muscle-headed goon’s arm-candy, or the receptionist with the great rack. Or even someone’s wife, as noble and fulfilling as that may be. What Hungary needs is more famous female role models.
Before you even suggest it, no, I am not talking about politicians. As far as I’m concerned, there isn’t a high-profile politician in Hungary I’d want my dog to emulate, man or woman, and I don’t even have a dog. Moreover, with a few exceptions, the advancement of women in politics all too often follows the rules of “tokenism,” whereby mediocre women are promoted so that the male mediocrities can look like they are being inclusive, while not being threatened. Just consider Katalin Szili.
Instead, I mean those non-sexbomb Hungarian female entertainers, scientists and (most importantly) businesswomen that you’ve probably never heard of, maybe even if you are Hungarian. Some of them are already famous, like singer Judit Halász, who has played in countless movies and plays, and worked as a UNICEF ambassador, and Juci Komlós, the 85-year-old actress best known for her portrayal of “Lenke néni” on the TV show “Szomszédok,” which was known as the Hungarian “Dallas,” and which just returned to the air after six years. Often called the “grandma and the great-grandma of the nation,” Komlós has been acting since she was three years old, and has probably lived, done and survived more than any Hungarian man alive today.
And then there are the women CEOs, a basic list of whom might include Veronika Békefi, managing director of travel agency Neckermann, Katalin Ránky of L’Oreal Hungary, Erzsébet Bodáné Cser of Tokod Glass, Gabriella Simó of Stella Rt, Katalin Pfandler of Interestate Rt, as well as Erzsébet Fehér, the former head of plastics giant Pannonplast.
If these accomplished women, and (more importantly) those right now hauling themselves up the ladder of success became as well-known as the girls shaking their booty at Hungexpo, there might actually be room for both the porn culture and genuine gender equity in Hungary. Or even mixing the two; for all I know someday I might end up working for that legendary receptionist.