The term has become known in its narrower, genre specific context, namely meaning cum shot in pornography, both film and photo. Referring to the ejaculation scene as a 'money shot' has been attributed to producers paying the male actors extra for it. According to Steven Ziplow, author of The Film Maker's Guide to Pornography, "the cum shot, or, as some refer to it, 'the money shot', is the most important element in the movie and that everything else (if necessary) should be sacrificed at its expense."It has also been argued that this is the filmed moment that the audience has paid to see. In her book Hard Core, Linda Williams argues that the money shot is not simply desired in and of itself, but proves to the audience that the sex is real.
