In recent years, the industry has seen a shift toward "performer-driven" content and higher ethical standards, partly in response to the controversies generated by the aggressive production styles popular in the previous decades.

Critics often point out how certain niche genres rely on racial stereotypes or tropes to market their content, leading to concerns about exploitation within the industry.

The keywords also point toward the "gonzo" subgenre of adult film. This style emerged as a departure from the high-budget "feature" films of the 1980s.