In the French world of pornography, actresses always earn more than actors. This differential reveals two meanings of pornographic work: in the female actor case, wages remunerate a commodity of high value; in the male case, wages are an extra compensation for a pleasant activity. However, this discrepancy hides other aspects of the transaction. In order to justify their wages, actresses must conceal some pleasant aspects of their work, while actors must fight against the reduction of their work for fear of a sexual retribution.