Rowntree’s project was a direct rebuttal. She has spoken openly about her frustration with how female pleasure was depicted—as a spectacle for a male viewer, with the woman as a passive object. Her insight was to invert the power dynamic: the camera does not take pleasure; it receives permission to witness it.
The term "real" is overused in marketing, but here it carries weight. The women are not actresses (though some have performance backgrounds); they are volunteers who respond to open casting calls. They are paid a fee and retain rights to their images. More importantly, they control the narrative. The signature "interview" segment—often filmed before any intimate act—is not small talk. It is an anthropological deep dive: What does desire feel like in your body? When did you first touch yourself? What do you love about your own sensuality? ifeelmyself.com
Its influence can be seen in the rise of "ethical porn" platforms, the increasing demand for female-directed adult content, and even in mainstream media’s more nuanced depictions of female pleasure (e.g., Sex Education , Fleabag ). More tangibly, the site has provided a template for how to produce adult content without exploitation: model contracts, age verification, controlled distribution, and a clear ethical mission statement. Rowntree’s project was a direct rebuttal
In many ways, ifeelmyself was ahead of the curve, anticipating the ethical porn movement (Erika Lust, Four Chambers) and the broader cultural shift toward consent, mindfulness, and the de-stigmatization of female masturbation. It also predated the OnlyFans revolution, but with a key difference: where OnlyFans democratized production but often retained the transactional gaze of the "cam girl," ifeelmyself prioritized a documentary intimacy over direct performer-fan interaction. Film scholars have noted that mainstream pornography relies on a specific "male gaze" (Laura Mulvey’s term, co-opted and literalized): close-ups that fragment the female body, fast cuts that disorient, and camera angles that subordinate the subject to the viewer’s voyeuristic control. The term "real" is overused in marketing, but
Whether one visits as a curious anthropologist, a lonely seeker, or a couple searching for a new language, the site offers an unusual bargain. It does not promise escape. It promises presence. And in a digital world engineered for distraction, that may be the most subversive promise of all. Ifeelmyself.com remains active as of 2025, operating under its original ethical guidelines and maintaining a subscription-based, ad-free model.