Leila and Anneli perform a vision of bisexuality and female pleasure that is so polished, so controlled, that it paradoxically becomes less radical than the messy, awkward, or un-beautiful moments found in amateur porn. The ultimate lesson of X-Art is not that women’s pleasure matters, but that women’s pleasure is only valid when it is photogenic, silent, and effortlessly serves a curated fantasy of the upscale erotic. In the end, Ménage à Trois is less about three people having sex and more about the careful, capitalist production of a feeling—one that can be bought, streamed, and consumed without guilt, but not without ideology.

Disclaimer: This article is a critical analysis of a specific artistic work within the adult film industry. All performers were consenting adults over the age of 18 at the time of production. The keyword analysis is for informational purposes regarding visual media history.