The Golden Age of pornography began in the late ’60s and early ’70s, when producers moved beyond looped scenes and stag films of the previous generation and created the 90-minute and two-hour films that most reading this grew up on. These people were both metaphorical and literal outlaws, breaking down sexual mores while also staying one step ahead of state and federal authorities. The flipside to all of this pioneering work are movies and scenes that would still be looked down upon today in a society more tolerant to pornography than ever before. For the purposes of this list we’re only going to look at those acts, simulated or otherwise, that are still illegal today, so homosexuality and interracial sex will not be covered. We’re also focuses on those illegal acts that are shown regularly in porn and not in more mainstream channels like television and movies (though they have all been featured in those mediums at some point or another) Here are…

The Top Three…most illegal acts shown regularly in porn.

3. Bestiality

Here’s a fun fact; in many states bestiality is completely legal. And producing zoophilia, the proper term for content displaying cross-species sexual activity, is legal in many states and private ownership of said content is legal in all 50 states. Because of this somewhat nebulous legal status, this is only number three despite being the only act on this list that isn’t simulated. The most famous example of bestiality on film is the Dutch “classic” Animal Farm, where Bodil Joenson has intercourse with horses, pigs and even eels (I think you can picture how that is accomplished). Even Linda Lovelace, before introducing deepthroating to the masses in 1972, was forced to star in the appropriately titled Dog Fucker in 1971 by her abusive boyfriend/manager.

2. Incest

Kay Parker is one of the first legends of porn. With her delicate voice, soft body and nurturing persona, she exhibited a grace that made men of all ages flock to her movies. She was the first porn MILF, before the moniker had even existed. She earned this title by appearing in the first series of Taboo movies, exploring a mother and son’s simmering sexual tension that erupts in hardcore sex. Upon its release, Taboo became one of the highest grossing adult films of all-time and throughout the ’70s and ’80s adult studios cranked out more porn movies exploring familial love. Sex between relatives is still a very popular genre, but now the prefix “step” is added to scene titles and dialogue to side-step any hot water.

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1. Sexual Coercion

Are you thirty days past due on the rent and the landlord is threatening eviction? Do you really need to keep this job? How are you going to get out of this speeding ticket? Well, as it so happens there is something you can do to make any of these problems go away and it involves sucking, fucking or both. These themes and tropes are so common to pornography that we don’t even stop to think that these are, in fact, illegal. “A person who, under circumstances other than those referred to in the description of rape, induces another person by unlawful coercion to undertake or endure a sexual act,” as defined by one state, is guilty of sexual coercion. There are too many examples to list here, just know that if you see a scene where a woman has sex with a man solely because he is leveraging something over her (eviction, speeding ticket, etc), you are watching an illegal act. Sexual coercion is shown in many TV shows and movies, but it is almost always a major plot point that is resolved by the conclusion. In pornography, it’s a plot device to bring the performers together and there is no resolution to the illegality, only to the sex at hand.

Plus Two…people who went to jail for simulating illegal acts…

As porn moved from the back alleys and mob-run establishments to convention centers and corporate board rooms, it became more subdued (relatively speaking, this is porn we’re talking about). Giant companies began generating millions of dollars in legal profit and after winning several important court cases in the 1980s many state and federal agencies laid off the industry. As the industry grew bigger, the renegade spirit of the Golden Age was lost.  But that doesn’t mean everyone stayed out of trouble. The two examples below are people who were pushing the boundaries of porn and acceptability and paid for it with stays in the slammer.

Max Hardcore

With his trademark cowboy hat, glinting smile and wiry frame, Max Hardcore became one of the more well-known producer/performer’s of the ’90s. As his name suggests, Max specialized in extreme action: humiliation, watersports, hard anal and the type of content anti-porn people hold up as examples of all porn. He ran afoul with the law after shooting Max Extreme 4 where he had sex with a woman who, for the purposes of the scene, was portrayed as being 14 years old. Despite the actress being over 18 years old, the act of simulated pedophilia was not looked kindly upon and he served almost four years in prison. Ever notice in many teen sex scenes how the teen will have a throwaway line that she’s 18 or older? Max Hardcore is a reason for that.

Rob Black

With titles like Cunt Hunt, Fuck Pigs and 1,001 Ways To Eat My Jizz, Rob Black’s studio Extreme Associates isn’t exactly known for its subtlety. Along with his wife and partner in crime (literally) Lizzy Borden, Black catered to those at the absolute edges of legality, taste and morality. A PBS documentary on the studio brought some unsolicited attention from the FBI, who opened an investigation on them and was subsequently brought to trial on obscenity charges. At the center of their case were five of his movies, in particular Forced Entry. The movie featured extremely graphic simulated rapes and murders. With both Rob and Lizzy staring down possible sentences of 50 years each for producing and distributing obscene materials, Black and his wife settled on a plea that put them behind bars for only one year.