listen to me live on sex out loud this friday

Listen to me live this Friday December 21, 5 pm PST/8 pm EST on Tristan Taormino’s radio show “Sex Out Loud” on The VoiceAmerica Network. Call in to talk to me and Tristan LIVE: 866-472-5788.

I really look forward to talking about women and porn with callers and Tristan who herself is a feminist porn filmmaker, as well as an award-winning author, columnist, sex educator, and speaker. We will discuss the growing number of women radically changing porn to respectfully capture the authentic sexual lives of women and men and how feminist porn has become a vehicle for people to explore and define sexuality on their terms.

How I Came to Porn

(This post, which was first published online at Good Vibrations Magazine, is an excerpt from the Introduction of After Pornified: How Women Are Transforming Pornography & Why It Really Matters.)

I never wanted to watch porn. When a former boyfriend years ago showed me some of his “glossier” porn, as he put it, I was completely grossed out. The premise of his porn was that all these Barbie-looking women would seek out a stud residing in this huge mansion, where he would provide them with their ultimate satisfaction by spraying his come all over them, which they in turn would greedily lick and smear all over their bodies. The cliché portrayal of yearning women in need of a man was in itself offensive to me. But it was especially the prolonged scene featuring the guy hosing down a group of women with his ejaculate that turned me off.

You’d think from our pornified culture that we all want porn. But we know that’s not the case. Sure, women represent a large and growing audience for porn, representing at least a third of all consumers, adding up to millions of women watching porn each month.[i] But not everyone is crazy about what they see. Whether it’s “high gloss” or amateur porn, in either case featuring deep throating women who are pumped hard, legs spread wide, all the while moaning for more with come-hither eyes. The stacks of mass-produced porn at seedy superstores off the interstate. Trashy hotel room porn. Online smut catering to any imaginable (and unconceivable!) fetish. And even “softcore” and “couples porn” allegedly improved to appeal to women, but not really. Plastic looks, porny music, bad acting, faked satisfaction.

But then I found something radically different.

get your signed copy of after pornified at a discount

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free-range porn or how to be a woman

In How To Be a Woman, Caitlin Moran delivers a naked and entertaining portrait of herself and our time that makes a compelling case for the need for feminism not as theory but practice. For instance in terms of sex education and better porn. The problem is as Moran points out that in the 21st century, the majority of children and teenagers grow up with an understanding of what sex is all about based on Internet porn: mainstream hardcore porn that "blasts through men's and women's sexual imaginations" with its formulaic predictability vending a "porn monoculture" so embedded in our culture we don't even realize it when we're looking at it. (BTW, Moran does allow for the availability of "niche stuff.")

Yet as Moran points out; "it's not pornography per se that's the problem here. ... The idea that pornography is intrinsically exploitative and sexist is bizarre: pornography is just some fucking, after all. The act of having sex isn't sexist, so there's no way pornography can be, in itself, inherently misogynist.

So no. Pornography isn't the problem. Strident feminists are fine with pornography. It's the porn industry that's the problem. The whole thing is as offensive, sclerotic, depressing, emotionally bankrupt, and desultory as you would expect a widely unregulated industry worth, at an extremely conservative estimate, $30 billion to be. No industry ever made that amount of money without being superlatively crass and dumb."

video impression of dusk!'s launch party for my book in amsterdam

Great to see this little video impression of the launch party that Dusk! threw for me in Amsterdam on my final night in Europe promoting my After Pornified book. Dusk! is a TV channel solely devoted to providing erotic material to straight women, and is in fact the only channel of its kind in the world.

after(noon) pornified event in amsterdam

Watch the video at MFE.TV

Check out this video at MFE.TV capturing the After(noon) Pornified event hosted by the woman-owned sex shop Mail & Female in Amsterdam; a delightfully stimulating conversation about women and porn between myself and Ella van der Gang (Mail & Female porn curator), Marloes Meuzelaar (MFE.TV), Madeleine Vreekamp (Mail & Female Buyer) and Marije Janssen (Get a Room! events organizer), chaired by Sue du Plessis (Mail & Female events organizer and MFE.TV hostess).

The discussion was attended by an intimate and engaged audience, including independent erotic filmmaker Jennifer Lyon Bell of Blue Artichoke Films and Dutch golden age filmmaker Willem van Batenburg.

snapshots from my tour in europe

Me at the launch party at the film festival in Berlin flanked by filmmakers
Ingrid Ryberg, Nenna, Erika Lust and Jennifer Lyon Bell

I am back! And my After Pornified book has now officially been launched, with copies available in the US and Europe both in paperback and eBook for Kindle (purchase here). I've really enjoyed all the events so far, both here in the US and in Europe, even if touring overseas was exhausting with all the traveling and packed schedule all the while jetlagged. It was great to connect with so many new groups of audiences and people who also care about sex-positivity and sexual empowerment for women and men.

The panel discussion at Mail & Female in Amsterdam was a really positive and stimulating event. Attended by an intimate audience, including independent erotic filmmaker Jennifer Lyon Bell of Blue Artichoke Films and Dutch golden age filmmaker Willem van Batenburg, the discussion was video recorded for Mail & Female's MFE.tv from where you'll be able to watch it once it's edited and up. I'll also share it here together with photos that were taken at the event.

after pornified europe tour

Program page for my book's official launch in Berlin

I gave a reading at the local independent bookstore in town last week and it went really well. The place was packed so that was fun, and the audience mixed: college students, parents, younger and older women and men, and of course some friends and even family visiting from out-of-state.

This Friday I'm off for my Europe tour with stops in the Netherlands, England, and Germany. I arrive Amsterdam Saturday morning on the 20th and will get only a few hours to rest before my first event that afternoon (here's hoping I'll be somewhat intellectually coherent). This will be a panel disccussion with me on the role of positive porn and my After Pornified book at Mail & Female, a woman-owned and inclusive women-friendly sex shop that has a solid tradition in hosting and fostering discussion on what the role of positive porn by women is. They have worked with numerous celebrity names in the field in the past and I'm happy to contribute to their awareness-building efforts.

porn in the house and babysitters

The mom of a twelve-year-old girl who was going to babysit our daughter expressed concern her daughter might get her hands on some of my porn while she was here. She explained in an email:

I figure to research your book you probably have some porn in your house. While I figure this material is safely out of the reach of a 4 year old, I am just writing to make sure that it is also out of sight of curious 12-year-olds. I remember running into porn at a home as a babysitting teenager and of course I had to look at it. The father of the family kept magazines on his bedside table and I still have clear memories of some of the photos.

In any case, I would prefer that my daughter not have a similar experience at this age. I am sure you understand. Maybe someday we can chat about any ideas you have on how to discuss porn with your children.

check out "porna" or porn for women at dusk!

Dusk!

I only recently found out about Dusk!, a Dutch digital cable TV channel solely devoted to providing erotic material to straight women 24/7. I wish I had come across it sooner; it features many of the films I feature in my After Pornified book and is well worth checking out.

Dusk! is the only channel of its kind in the world and has been available since 2009. The channel is now being rolled out into Belgium and is looking to expand into several other European countries.

Dusk! does its own comprehensive research on what sort of porn they should be showing via a panel made up of over 1500 women. Each month every panel member reviews 6 to 9 porn film fragments of a variety of sorts of porn, including both hardcore mainstream and from a female point of view. After looking at a film, the women are asked to fill out a survey, rating and responding to the snippets. Before Dusk! arrives at any final conclusions about a film it is first viewed and rated 100 times. 

after pornified reading at monkey see monkey read

Launch party at Smitten Kitten

I'm happy to report that the US launch party in Minneapolis last Friday was a blast! This week has been busy preparing for my Europe tour this fall with more readings and events in London, Berlin and Amsterdam. But first: a reading at my local bookshop in our small college town; an event I am very excited and pleased about!

Event details: Anne Sabo Reading Oct. 11

Please visit Monkey See Monkey Read for an evening with Anne G. Sabo, a former St. Olaf college professor turned author and mama- & sex blogger on Thursday October 11th at 7:30 PM for a reading and discussion of After Pornified: How Women Are Transforming Pornography & Why It Really Matters, a book about how women have seized the means of representation to create a positive counterweight to pornified media and porn as it’s been known.

Though her book will no doubt appeal to women who already show an interest in porn, After Pornified is primarily addressed to all the women who are skeptical to porn as she was, and who value asserting ownership of their bodies and sexuality against the media’s discriminating sexualization of women.

With more young people exposed to porn, Sabo’s book is also aimed at them; to empower young people to read porn critically and to see that there is a positive alternative.

after pornified launch party next friday at smitten kitten in minneapolis

This event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. (I'm told they get the good stuff! Expect delicious chocolate, cheese, fruit and perhaps some more...) Check out the Smitten Kitten's Facebook event page for this US launch party.

the winners of cupido's first film award

Erika Lust's short film "Handcuffs" received much acclaim at Modern Porn: Cupido's Film Award to Best New Short Film that I presented last weekend in Oslo, Norway. Featuring a play with submission/domination fantasies and the titillating attraction of voyeurism, "Handcuffs" won both the jury's award and the audience's award on Saturday.

The audience's award on Sunday went to Elin Magnusson's short film "Skin" on Dirty Diaries, a collection of short films produced by Mia Engberg. You can find my review of this album at Good Vibrations Online Magazine here. "Skin" is the first of twelve short feminist porn films, and it stands out with its quiet but intense erotic energy, circling around the layers, vulnerability, and eager excitement and passion that intimacy between two people can entail.

update from cupido festival

I attended the first day of Cupido Festival today, after which I put the final touches on my own presentation of the films I've nominated for Cupido's first Film Award, which will take place tomorrow Saturday and Sunday afternoon.

People seem quite psyched about the award (as they should be!); one of the jury members told me on the side she was quite impressed with the films I've nominated (as she should be!).

I do not know who the winner is, but a winner has been selected by a select jury. There will also be an audience award, so anyone who attends my presentation of the films tomorrow will have a say.

We will find out both the jury's verdict and the audience's at the Cupido Festival gala party tomorrow night.

modern porn: cupido's film award to best new short film

I've been busy this week, including with last minute work for the Modern Porn: Cupido's Film Award to Best New Short Film that I'm presenting next weekend in Oslo, Norway. I'm off this Sunday and will announce the winner the following weekend. The nominees are:

Elin Magnusson: “Skin” (Dirty Diaries, 2009) Sweden

Ingrid Ryberg: “Phone Fuck” (Dirty Diaries, 2009) Sweden

Erika Lust: “Handcuffs” (Life, Love, Lust, 2010) Sweden-Spain

Héléna Noguerra: “Peep Show Heros” (X-femmes, 2008) Belgium-France

Murielle Scherre: “actions/louder/words” (J’fais du porno et j’aime ça, 2009) Belgium

Murielle Scherre: “j’ai rendez-vous avec vous” ” (J’fais du porno et j’aime ça, 2009) Belgium

official US launch party for after pornified at smitten kitten

I am pleased to announce that the Minneapolis-based sex-positive feminist sex shop Smitten Kitten will be hosting the US launch party for After Pornified on Friday September 21st from 7 - 9 P.M. Visit TSK's event page on Facebook for this event where you can register and learn more:

Come enjoy a book reading and discussion about how women are changing porn for the positively better. Accompanied by light refreshments and opportunities to ask questions of the author!

support principled porn panel proposed for sxsw

A group of independent-minded porn makers, sex workers, and sex positive activists have put together a panel titled "Principled Porn: Is DIY Changing the Industry?" that they are proposing for the SXSW® Music and Media Conference 2013 PanelPicker. The PanelPicker was launched in 2007 to enhance community participation, allowing members of the community to both propose panels and vote on them. This panel sounds particularly interesting and I encourage you to vote on it.

About the panel:
Porn prohibitionists assert that pornography is inherently destructive for both the performer and the viewer. Yet some studies suggest that with decreased institutionalized sexism in a society comes increased variety of pornographic imagery available and the increase of positive limpact on relationships. In the age of internet video and conscientious consumption, independent porn is getting a leg up- direct access to consumers is increasing questions about how work standards being applied to the world of XXX.

announcing official after pornified launch party

I am excited to announce the official open-to-the-public launch party for After Pornified on Friday October 26th at 6 P.M. The launch party will be held at Berlin Porn Film Festival, the leading film festivals for alternative, progressive porn. The festival takes place from October 24. - 28. at an Art house cinema in the alternative district of Kreuzberg. I will be doing a reading from my book followed by discussion and book signing (there will be copies available for purchase at reduced cost). Drinks will be available in the lounge following the reading. I look forward to visiting with new and old friends.

After Pornified is now available for purchase on Amazon US; it's available for pre-ordering on Amazon UK. The official publication date is October 26.

talking 50 shades of grey with our kids

I got an email from a recent graduate of the college I used to teach this morning, asking me about my take on the "50 Shades of Grey" phenomenon, especially now that it's being stocked on end cap displays at Target and Walmart. Currently a Master's Candidate in Library and Information Science, she commented that "I see this as fully appropriate, but others see it as a huge risk to children getting their hands on erotic BDSM material. It's been banned in certain areas (but really, what book hasn't?). I don't have any kids and don't plan to any time soon, so haven't put any particularly serious thought into the specifics of teaching them about sexuality, but I enjoy your perspectives in your blog about sexuality. I'm interested in your perspective on 50 Shades of Grey and parenting, and the cultural reaction in general."

As I wrote in my response, I think the "50 Shades of Grey" phenomenon is interesting for how it's encouraging women to get "excited and invigorated with the idea that we can try something new, get creative and have fun here," as the owner of Smitten Kitten has said (quoted in my post about it here). That said, I do think it's a bit of a shame that there couldn't have been a better written book for this occasion. Now "everyone" is reading it (including my husband's grandmother!) because of it having become mainstream as a result of all the media attention. The hype about the book shows that women want porn; but they deserve better (I should use that as a pitch for my After Pornified book!).

my author's copies have arrived and pre-ordering is available

I was pretty excited to see my book come up on Amazon yesterday morning, available for pre-ordering both in the US and the UK.

Then during lunch with my four-year-old, a box with my author's copies arrived in the mail.

My daughter was thrilled to see her name on the dedication page — "To Lilly and a future generation of empowered women" — and seeing my name on the cover finally nailed the fact to her that I do write books.

My little girl brought her copy with to bed and it was the first thing she asked for this morning. Quite the fan! :)

I think she could do quite well as a book marketer too:

after pornified has a publication date!

The publication date has been set for my book After Pornified: How Women Are Transforming Pornography & Why It Really Matters — so be prepared for it on October 26, 2012! Early copies have been ordered for my talks about my work with this book before that and might be available for retail before the official launch date. I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, I'll be busy helping out planning the book launch party and other readings and talks this fall, including in conjunction with progressive film festivals where I'll be speaking. A "calender of events" page will soon be featured on this blog.

The publisher's page for my book (which includes a link to their author page for me) is here: After Pornified: How Women Are Transforming Pornography & Why It Really Matters. 

one night stand: hot and sexy french queer porn

(This review was originally published at Good Vibrations Online Magazine.)

One Night Stand (2006) was the film that originally brought Paris-based French photographer and filmmaker Emilie Jouvet (35) onto the international scene. Her first feature length film, Emilie presents it as "a DIY romantic queer porn" but, as The End of Being points out, "don't expect amateur work." "Jouvet’s porn is of a conceptual nature" reflecting an "interest in the city lights, the trashy glamour, and fast-living of girls who not only command their space, but demand it." Indeed, what sets One Night Stand apart, is its unique esthetic sensibility and its reflective approach to gender and sexuality. A conceptual underground art house film, One Night Stand displays Emilie's edgy artistic style, using the night light and digital quality for effect as it explores queer sex. The handheld camera work and the confident editing combine to present a film that feels both unbrushed and visceral, and polished and poetic at the same time. The energy is strong throughout with an indie musical soundtrack delivering the scenes' palpable sexual energy.

The viewer is right away pulled into the charged space of One Night Stand in the film's opening prelude. Accompanied by a catchy soundtrack that will get you on your feet, we follow a blond short-haired woman walking down the stairs of a night club. The black and white quality of the picture gradually warms into muted colors as the camera caresses the women partying and dancing, compelled by the rhythms played by a sylphlike DJ, her delicate long fingers spinning the record. The psychedelic soundtrack escalates as the tension builds—"sex bound, revelation," hisses a woman on the dance beat—women watching women, dancing, flirting, kissing, making out.

Cut to the opening credits followed by five one-night stands.

the summer of objectification

The Kansas City Star reports on the current trend of women ogling sexy men; the Atlantic Wire responds by taking issue with the idea that this is a "way for over-objectified women to even out the playing field, in which more women are 'sexualized' than are men in the first place." Or the notion that, "Everyone wants to be sexually objectified because they want other people to think that they’re sexy.”

I agree that a simplistic 'right-back-at-you' attitude doesn't amount to all that much progress, but the Atlantic Wire piece risks missing something crucial here when it dismisses women lusting for men as somehow the inauthentic result of women following the "media sex-hype machine." Do we consider the hype about Fifty Shades of Grey as an opportunity for women to get "excited and invigorated with the idea that we can try something new, get creative and have fun here," as the owner of the feminist sex shop Smitten Kitten does, or is the media craze causing women to do what is "prescribed to us in books and movies and by the media and Hollywood in general," as the author of the Atlantic Wire piece argues? 

feminist erotic film director erika lust on porn and parenting

Last month, feminist erotic film director Erika Lust had a guest article in Marie Claire Spain where she talked about her vision for a new kind of adult cinema, and answered questions about how her work affects her personal life and parenting. This week, she has a post at the Huffington Post Canada where she writes about porn and parenting, specifically talking with your kids about porn. Responding to two recent large news publications about porn and parenting, she concludes that she is

thrilled when parenting and sexuality intersects, and appreciate the debates and conversations that arise when it does. So I'm particularly excited when two large news publications cover the topic of porn and parenting back-to-back like this. These discussions remind us that, just like one can't rely on TV to be a babysitter, one can't rely on porn to be their child's sole sex-educator. That information has to come from the parent before they seek porn or have sex, and then maybe they'll have a chance to be able to distinguish between good and bad porn, reality and fantasy, and leave them more connected to others and the outside world.

Check out Erika's post here: The Kind of Porn You SHOULD be Watching

is queer more feminist?

Erotic filmmaker Louise Lush aka Ms. Naughty, a former librarian turned webmistress behind the largest domain network of porn aimed at straight women, has published a comprehensive article on feminist porn. The article covers the history and ethics of feminist porn and its various definitions and facets in terms of content and style. The article concludes with some thoughts on the future of feminist porn, including its financial challenges and whether it will continue to be known as "feminist porn:"

What happens next with feminist porn is anyone's guess. It's growing in popularity and influence, with more major porn studios beginning to take notice of the trend, but porn is at something of a crossroads at present, with declining revenues thanks to piracy and flailing world economies. Most feminist porn productions are independent, created on shoestring budgets and without major distribution outlets. Clearly, profit margins are a factor in the continuing growth of this kind of porn.

cupido international erotic film award 2012

Cupdio, Norway's leading sex-positive lifestyle magazine and retailer, is hosting its first Cupido International Erotic Film Award this fall. The award, which I'll be emceeing, will take place during the 2012 Cupido Festival in Oslo at Clarion Hotel Royal Christiania, September 7. - 9. This first year of the award, the focus is on short films. We are currently in the process of narrowing down the list of nominated short films; progressive erotic films released since Cupido's launch in 1984.

women can claim ownership of their sexuality

I recently received an email questioning my hope for women claiming ownership of their sexuality. Specifically, the author of the email was referring to how I see the cover for my book so representative of the women's progressive porn movement; "women breaking through to claim ownership of their bodies and sex. And to seize the means of representation. To explore and define sex on their terms." In response to this, the author of the email wrote that "Given that sex is inherently connected to the body, it seems to me that we cannot 'own' it in any meaningful way. Our bodies, and thus sex, are essentially out of our control."

I agree and I disagree that our bodies are out of our control. For one, how we treat our bodies greatly affects their life cycles. Second, our individual minds and cultural norms greatly affect our sexuality.

When I write about ownership of our bodies and sexuality, I use ownership in the sense of who holds the ownership to explore and define the sex, as I in fact state in said quotation too. Because I believe how we define sex greatly affects how we practice and experience sex.

fair trade, principled and ethical porn

X-Rated Ethics (Utne)

"Feel like watching the latest fair trade–certified porn film? The actors all enjoy decent pay, health insurance, and pensions. The carbon impact of the set lighting and actors’ travel is offset through investment in clean, efficient cookstoves sold at affordable prices to women in rural Africa." (X-Rated Ethics; Utne feature on a sustainable sex industry and fair trade porn)

I've been really pleased with all the attention given lately to the value of a porn that is ethical. Considers Harvard House Master Erika Christaki, "shouldn't consumers have some context to evaluate what they are viewing? Shampoo bottles and Tuna cans assure us that animals were unharmed. Shouldn't we know if porn actors are subject to out-of-control STD rates, or are forced to do things against their will?" Sex worker and activist Kitty Styker agrees; "In a capitalist world, granted, any consumption has multiple points of issue to be addressed and paid attention to, from sweatshop labour in clothing factories to migrant farmer rights, but I do believe that porn can be ethically produced."

In the UK, Alain de Botton, a philosopher, writer, TV presenter and founder of School of Life, has announced that he plans to promote an ethical porn movement, launching a "Better Porn" campaign (De Botton will meet with leaders in porn and the arts in order to bring about a better kind of pornography) and a website (which will display content "that parents would be comfortable with their children seeing") promoting "pornography in which sexual desire would be invited to support, rather than permitted to undermine, our higher values." As journalist Nichi Hodgson points out, "Sex-positive feminists and ethical sex enthusiasts ...  have of course been espousing this for a while. Yet even if he is late to the party, De Botton’s campaign is ripe for the championing ... the faltering flow of finance makes it a good time to dump quantity for quality."

after pornified has a cover and proofs

I received proofs and various versions of my cover this week; all looks good. After Pornified will likely be published in August. So excited! I really appreciate that my publisher went with my title. For a while, I was fretting a bit about it, wondering if the title might have to be changed.

Which cover do you prefer? The image on the top cover is from Candida Royalle's short film "The Tunnel" on Sensual Escape. I find this image so symbolic for the women's progressive porn movement; women breaking through to claim ownership of their bodies and sex. And to seize the means of representation. To explore and define sex on their terms.

how porn fits within my feminist vision

Quizzical mama aka Anne G. Sabo

I was proud to be featured at The Mamafesto's "This Is What A Feminist Looks Like" series this week. In case you missed it, here's a link to it. And below is a brief excerpt.

I would say that my definition of feminism has changed over time to be concerned not only with the lingering discrimination and archaic expectations of the female sex, but also of the male sex. Now feminism is to me a cause to free women as well as men from stereotypical ideas about what it means to be male or female in terms of our responsibilities, opportunities, and expressions, be it in terms of work, relationship, parenting, or sexuality. Narrow, claustrophobic gender categories bother me; unfortunately, they are still all too rampant. In my book After Pornified: How Women Are Transforming Pornography & Why It Really Matters (forthcoming fall 2012), I look at new feminist porn by women whose films shine the light on how we can all — women and men — break free from traditional gender roles and shatter erotic conventions. And speaking of porn, I never thought of it as feminist — on the contrary — until I came across feminist porn by women who’ve seized the means of representation to explore and define sexuality on their terms.

what's worse: popular media or "porn"?

In the UK, there's talk going on about introducing an online filter to block out Internet porn in order to protect children. There's been much controversy surrounding this bill. This biting article published at The Guardian nails a lot of the problems not only with the proposed filter, but also with the media's and our culture's attitudes to sex and porn in general. EXCERPTS:

The Daily Mail makes money from posting pictures of scantily-clad women on the internet. Sometimes these women are topless. Sometimes they are completely naked. Often the images are captioned with breathy descriptions of 'cleavage', 'dangerous curves', 'thigh-skimming' dresses. Sometimes the images are of disturbingly young girls, accompanied with phrases like the infamous "all grown up." [...]

erika lust on directing porn and parenting in marie claire

Adult indie movie director Erika Lust is a guest writer in the May 2012 issue of Marie Claire Spain where she talks about her vision for a new kind of adult cinema, and answers questions about how her work affects her personal life and parenting. Excerpts:

About her vision: 
The feminine voice is marginal in the discourse of porn, which has been expressed in masculine (and often chauvinist) terms for more than four decades. But in these last few years, other young directors and I have successfully demonstrated that another kind of adult film is possible: one where the woman is the protagonist and her pleasure has importance, where the roles that represent us aren’t those of the prostitute, Lolita, nurse, babysitter, nymphomaniac … where, finally, the men that are portrayed aren’t only the stereotype of the fucking machine, where the styling and the locations make sense, where there are stories about feelings and passion, where the sex (although explicit) is human and beautiful, and not gynecological or athletic. We are successfully producing adult films that are a pleasing experience in both aesthetics and ethics, so far beyond traditional porn, which is often offensive, violent and displeasing. 

"mommy porn," fanfiction and bdsm

The media continues to be abuzz about the Twilight fanfiction slash "mommy porn" bestseller Fifty Shades of Grey, in particular for the book's BDSM themes. Yesterday, BlogHer Love & Sex section editor AV Flox posted a critique about the book's troubling messages about BDSM. Firstly, the idea that all who practice BDSM are "fucked up" the way the male protagonist Christian is portrayed to be; and secondly because of how dangerous this said male protagonist is: "the world — with all its old cars and commercial airlines — is nowhere nearly as dangerous as Christian is himself, not because he practices BDSM but because he's a terrible dominant." She explains in detail.

Earlier this week, I posted a longer post at Love, Sex, and Family about the psychological underpinnings of submission & domination where I give examples of good dominants who provide the form of sensitivity and "aftercare" of which Flox points out the absence in Fifty Shades of Grey. And for whom those who practice BDSM is a safe, healing and empowering journey and not something from which they need to be "cured." As explains feminist BDSM pornographer and performance artist Madison Young:

another porn is possible

I recently came across One Dimensional Woman written by high-profiled philosopher lecturer Nina Power and published by Zer0 Books, which is also the publisher of my book, After Pornified. I haven't read Power's book yet, but I know I want to. "Brilliantly acute," commends The Guardian; an "explosive book," acclaims the F-word, exploring "how the right has co-opted the language of feminism to defend its wars and anti-choice stance, how the market sells us empowerment in a glass of Chardonnay and a shiny shampoo, how the feminisation of labour puts women's bodies/goods on display and how looking at the history of pornography can provide us with new narratives with which to talk about the performance of sexuality."

Power's discussion of pornography is striking to me both for what it has in common with my own, and for its different angle. Power and I agree that "another porn is possible," to quote this review of her book. But whereas I look to women's re-visioned and transformed porn, Power looks to to French porn of the 1920s where "she sees things that we would never see today (despite the porn saturation of our culture), scenes that lack the grim seriousness of the standard ‘sex-as-combat’ porn scene and that instead have farcical elements, silly, fun stories: joking scenes about men having trouble with erections and needing to be coaxed into them by understanding women."

talking porn with college students: dos and dont's

Last week, I went to attend a talk about porn at a college in town. Specifically about the negative effects of porn: "how pornography shapes and reflects cultural norms that support sexual violence in our society." I was running late, but wanted at least to take part of the post-talk discussion to put in my five cents about how porn in fact also can have positive effects, but I was stopped at the door by a student. Because I had missed the opening disclaimer that explicit material would be shown, I could not enter the room. I wanted to pass on my card to the speaker and asked the student if she were his assistant; she offered to pass on the card but explained she was not an assistant, but a "survivor."

Suddenly it dawned on me: this wasn't just any talk about porn. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and this was a talk for survivors to help them pin the larger enemy in society. This was a talk intended to release that same kind of aha-moment that anti-porn activist professor Gail Dines recalls experiencing when she read legendary anti-porn activist Andrea Dworkin, known for perpetuating Robin Morgan's infamous claim that "pornography is the theory, and rape the practice."

feminist porn in australia

High-profiled US-based sex educator, author, editor and feminist pornographer Tristan Taormino is on tour in Melbourne, Australia this week, giving talks and workshops and in general raising awareness about feminist porn. Explains Tristan to The Age:

These anti-porn feminists who say that 99 per cent of porn is violent and misogynist … clearly, they haven't watched enough porn,'' she says. ''I'm not denying that stuff is out there but to claim it represents the entire industry is a lie.'' Melbourne, she adds, has a reputation among her peers as ''a hotbed of radical sexuality''. Thanks to the efforts of local women such as Gala Vanting, Anna Brownfield and Liandra Dahl, it's also considered a leader in ''feminist porn''.

dive: a new independent erotic film festival

On August 26, Detroit will host its first erotic film festival, Detroit Independent Video Erotica (DIVE), a one-night showcase of international short films and videos. Open to amateurs and professionals, DIVE is currently accepting submissions of films, videos and animations of all genres ranging anywhere from a few seconds to 6 minutes, "so long as the theme is erotic or concerning sexuality:"

 If you can tell a story, entertain and titillate, or enlighten in six minutes or less, the DIVE Film Festival is the place to show your skills! Videos can be in any style — drama, comedy, thriller, science-fiction, documentary, animation, puppetry, musical, dance numbers, horror, visual art, straight or LBGT — anything you can imagine and put on video. Maybe your band has a video that’s too hot for YouTube… Submit it to us!

DIVE wants to make a distinction, however, between erotic material and straight-up porn. If you have videos of you and your mate going at it gonzo-style in some motel room — we’ll probably look at it…but it wouldn’t be right for the festival.

feminist pornographer speaks eloquently on porn and women

Britain's first female porn director Anna Span has had the opportunity to say quite a few wise things in the past and lately about porn, women, and men. Most recently, she was interviewed by Women's Views on News, after which she contributed with another piece to The Guardian. Excerpts:

From Women's Views on News (WVoN) | “'Porn is an obsession with female pleasure' says woman porn director":

WVoN: You call yourself a feminist. Why do you think so many feminists are so angry about porn?

Anna: I think because it’s about power. I think the leftwing is in denial about power. They have an egalitarian, almost communist, ideal. But this hasn’t given women equality.

Women and men are different, they have different powers. Men have the power of physical strength, women have fertility power. Power is something that excites us – it’s a huge part of all our lives.

second international erotic film award for new female directors

Petra Joy flanked by the 2009 winners

Petra Joy has announced the second Petra Joy Awards. This award is "for first time female filmmakers who would like to create erotic films that dare to question porn clichés and show sex in innovative and creative ways." Winners will receive prize awards and will also have the chance to be published on the upcoming Petra Joy compilation Her Porn Vol. 4.

Petra organized the first Petra Joy Awards in 2009, which Louise Lush (aka Ms. Naughty) won for That's What I Like for its focus on female pleasure.

Explains Petra about why she decided to launch the Petra Joy Awards:

“I would like to inspire first time female film-makers to take control, get behind the camera and share their female perspective of erotica and porn with us. My wish is that this award will help to make more female fantasies visible and more female erotic film-makers seen and heard!”

I see this as very much a worthy endeavor. As Petra points out, women are largely excluded from seeing their visions on screen:

how porn can serve relationships

Author, columnist, and reporter Liz Langley recently wrote an intriguing piece for AlterNet on "Why Porn Can Be Good For You (And Society)" based on interviews and recent research. I have already elaborated on how the re-visioned and transformed porn by women I look at in my book can affect us in ways that are positive and empowering rather than negative and degrading (see for instance here and here). Langley does consider the positive effects of women creating a different kind of porn, but she also invites us to look at the ways in which porn in general can do us good:

In The Sunny Side of Smut, Scientific American’s Melinda Wenner Mover says the research in several studies suggests that “…moderate pornography consumption does not make users more aggressive, promote sexism or harm relationships. If anything, some researchers suggest, exposure to pornography might make some people less likely to commit sexual crimes.” [...]

my new job as film consultant and festival curator

I was offered a new job this week by Cupido, Norway's leading progressive sex positive lifestyle magazine and online shop, to select and present all the films they sell, and to help curate a festival devoted to progressive sex films produced in the last decade. I've served as a contributing film writer for Cupido since 2006, and will now also report on cultural news that pertain to sex and lifestyle, in addition to reviewing films for their magazine.

I'm really excited to be joining Cupido in this more extensive position. Always recognized among sex educators and sexologists, Cupido has in recent years also received growing respect from the mainstream media for the positive work they do. Most recently, Cupido served as a consultant for the popular television show on sex and youth Trekant, which last fall featured masturbation activist Betty Dodson giving one of the young cast members a private lesson in masturbation. I was interviewed by Trekant for their episode on pornography.

a space for women to explore and define sex on their terms

With my book now soon to be published, I've been fretting a bit over the title. The thing is, I really want to reach out not only to those who already have an interest in good, progressive, feminist sex films, but also to women and men who are critical to porn but have a genuine interest in gender equality and women's rights. I want to show these readers that progressive porn can be a positive space for women to  explore and define sex on their terms. An empowering and inspiring medium for the filmmaker and the viewer to claim her sexuality against a sexualized culture. An actual positive counterweight to pornified media and porn as it’s been known. A visual landscape that presents us with positive ideas and role modeling, shining the light on how we can all break free from traditional gender roles and shatter erotic conventions.

The problem is, of course, that "porn" has such a bad rap in our culture, and for good reasons too. Which brings me to my question: should I leave "porn" out of the title?

As I've explained before in this post, several of the female (porn) filmmakers whose work I look at in my book stay clear of the “porn” word lest they turn their target audience away from their work.

But others refuse to allow men free rein in defining porn, and therefore claim the “porn” word as a way to subversively change its meaning — to change what porn is all about.

let's talk about the effects of porn

"Las tres Gracias" by Pedro Pablo Rubens, 1630-35

So I have a problem with people who're unwilling to address the potentially negative effects of porn, because if we can't acknowledge those, we also can't acknowledge the potentially positive effects of any visual imagery and narrative. Tell me: have you never been moved by an image or a text? Haven't you ever felt particularly empowered and inspired after looking at an image, or soaking in a narrative? I know I have. Countless times. And including from the transformed porn by women I write about in my book (forthcoming this fall from Zero Books).

Anti-porn feminists have for fear of censorship for decades refused to address the potentially negative effects of porn. At the same time, much time and money has been wasted by researchers trying to determine a causal link between porn and violence. No research has been able to back up anti-porn feminist Robin Morgan's infamous slogan "pornography is the theory, and rape the practice." (With the exception of a small "at risk" group of audience where violent porn does seem to be the final spark of fuel to ignite the fire.)

But what about research investigating the positive effects of porn? In my book and in various posts (for a starter, see here and here), I have written about porn that has empowered and inspired me. Porn that has encouraged me to take charge of my body and self-image: to claim, own, enjoy and explore my body and sex on my terms.

my "after pornified" book has a publisher

Finally: I have a publisher for my book, After Pornified: How Women Are Transforming Pornography & Why It Really Matters. The publisher is Zer0 Books, a UK-based publisher with a transcontinental focus: half of its authors are based in the US. I'm really excited to be joining their team of authors whose discourse is "intellectual without being academic, popular without being populist." Zer0 Books is the Culture, Society, and Politics imprint of John Hunt Publishing, which has several other special focus imprints in addition to their General Topics imprint O-Books.

I'll be busy in the weeks to come with finals edits, additions, and formatting, so I might not be quite as active online. But I won't go away either. Stay tuned!

Update: The Guardian ran a feature on Zer0 Books shortly after I posted the above, describing Zer0 Books as "One of the most exciting radical presses at the moment. ... Zer0 titles are commissioned, edited and published quickly – and that energy and velocity carries through to the writing itself. Zer0 writers share an ability to write passionately, avoiding the clunky prose of academia and generating new lines of inquiry rather than just regurgitating critical clichés." This feels like a good fit to me.

what my kind of porn can do for you

Some pornographers are marketing to women.

Author Stanley Siegel claims that your favorite porn says a lot about who you are. I'm sure that's true, but the way he presents his case about those who watch porn makes me as one who watches porn feel like his claims and statements about porn watching people has nothing to do with me.

Siegel is a psychotherapist with an "unconventional and tradition-challenging approach to psychotherapy." What interests Siegel is a specific porn user for whom porn is an opportunity to reenact traumatic emotions from his or her childhood. For instance, if you grew up being shamed, you might want to reenact that shame in your erotic feelings, positioning yourself in the position of one who is being humiliated while making the experience into a sexually pleasurable one. Or, on the contrary, by "sexualizing the idea of becoming the aggressor, perhaps delving into themes of incest or other extreme sexual behaviors to attach pleasure to unthinkable acts."

new anthology on porn, sex, and politics: submissions invited

I am definitely sharpening my pencils for this one and hope many others among you will do to! Deadline for submissions of complete articles (5,000-7,000 words) is July 30, 2012. I include the official call for submissions in the below.

Call for Submissions: New Views on Pornography: Sexuality, Politics, and the Law, 2 Volumes

Edited by Lynn Comella, PhD and Shira Tarrant, PhD

Deadline: July 30, 2012

Co-editors Lynn Comella (University of Las Vegas, Nevada) and Shira Tarrant (California State University, Long Beach) are seeking submissions for a two-volume edited collection under contract with Praeger.

Description: New Views on Pornography is a two-volume collection of the most current scholarship on pornography.