Tristan Taormino's Blog, page 14

Tristan Talks Condoms and Porn on CNN

Tristan Taormino talks to Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen about the recent HIV scare in the adult industry and her decision to go condom only. Check out the piece here.

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This post, Tristan Talks Condoms and Porn on CNN originally appeared on Pucker Up on September 20, 2013. Tweet This Post!

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Ask Tristan: FAQ on Silicone Toys

This past Friday we kicked off the second season of Sex Out Loud with an amazing guest, Metis Black from Tantus Inc. We had so many questions from listeners that she didn’t have time to answer them all on the air, so she graciously wrote them up for us afterwards.

Q: Who makes the silicone toys that are the very healthiest for people to use?

I like to think Tantus does. There are only a few raw silicone manufacturers and for some reason they have all come to get Tantus’ business from time to time telling us who else they sell to- so I’m pretty much in the know about who uses what. But Tantus actually doesn’t buy off the shelf silicone- we actually do have a unique formula . If a company wants our business, they have to meet our standards. Not all of them are able to.  When I saw we are the largest silicone toy maker that information comes directly from the raw material companies. We buy more RTV silicone than anyone else in North America including Fleetwood RV or Fisher Price. I was actually stunned by this news.

Q: Silicone toys are expensive compared to other types of toys. Is it very costly to make them? What is the manufacturing process? How much does the material cost, and what factors go into the pricing?

First off silicone raw materials are at least triple the cost of RTV or Latex. Then as any manufacturing business, you need to account for overhead (the building, electricity, and most of all labor). If you choose to manufacture in the USA rather than say China or other  third world manufacturing facilities, the labor expense is included in the  pricing. Tantus also gives our employees health benefits…. that goes in there too.

Q: When did silicone sex toys first enter the market?

Thank you for asking this because I love to share this information. Gosnell Duncan created the first silicone dildos in 1971 for the disabled community. He went on to create the company Scorpio who took it to Eve’s Garden, the first feminist sex toy store in the world. I first heard about Mr. Duncan from Susie Bright who was the manager for Good Vibrations at the time. GV was a tiny hole in the wall store with books and 3 vibrators (ok I don’t think that number is really accurate), but Susie saw dildos and she instantly recognized that this was something she wanted for the store.

Q: What prompted you to explore aluminum as a material (the Alumina line)?

You know I am a sex toy slut. I love toys and I have an amazing collection of some of the most original amazing designs. One of my favorite designers is Ray Cirino who made Inner Space Toys. He was the designer of all the toys in the Penthouse centerfolds. He specialized in hard acrylic toys but he also made several into metal toys, and I own a few of them. I love playing with hard toys like these and so we created Alumina.

Q: My packer, which I wear outside my body all day every day, is made of silicone. I notice that sometimes it leaves a little bit of a greasy stain sometimes. Why is that? Is it normal? Can it hurt me?

That oil is Dimethicone. It is silicone and won’t hurt you at all. Dimethicone is used to soften the silicone. You’ll find it in every silicone lubricant. Beautifully body safe.

Q: I use a cyberskin packer and clean it with soap most every day but also boil it once a month. My friend said this isn’t a good idea. Is it ok? Will it destroy it?

Cyberskin is a SEBS material and won’t stand the temperature of boiling. If you’ve been able to boil it once… than it shouldn’t have any difficulty being boiled again but I’ve yet to see a super soft material that was boilable and wasn’t silicone and I’ve been looking hard. Santiprene is boilable (it’s the soft material on toothbrushes) but it’s still too hard for most sex toys.

Q: Are there any sex toys you have a dream of creating but cannot physically manufacture? Are there limitations?

Well, there used to be. And I still can’t manufacture all the toys of my dreams in my facility, but there is technology now that allows companies to make just about anything out of silicone- being able to afford the R&D, now that can be a problem. Most toys made that are intricate have a molding expense that is pretty prohibitive of making small changes to. It’s hard to proof your toys and make certain they play to your specifications, before bringing them to market- but we’re still evolving.

Thank you all so much for listening and sharing with me your questions. I’m available on twitter if you have any more. – Metis Black  Listen to the full episode here.

You can find Tantus toys at Good Vibrations, and if you use code “TRISTANGOODVIBES”, you’ll get $20 off any purchase of $100 or more!

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This post, Ask Tristan: FAQ on Silicone Toys originally appeared on Pucker Up on September 20, 2013. Tweet This Post!

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Porn, Feminist Labor Practices, and The Condom Debate

Recently, three adult industry performers tested positive for HIV, and there are unconfirmed, conflicting reports that there may be other performers who’ve tested positive. My heart goes out to all of them because it’s a life-changing diagnosis. I’m not interested in debating whether they contracted it on or off set, and I’m dismayed that people within the industry continue to engage in assumptions and finger-pointing about the now HIV positive performers. The important thing is that in the (albeit short) window of time between contracting the virus and receiving a positive test, they could have exposed other performers. These revelations—along with the recent syphilis scare and rumors that a male performer with Hepatitis C has been working without disclosing his status—have once again stimulated the public discussion about condoms in porn. These events, along with feedback from performers who said they’ve felt pressured not to use condoms in the past out of fear of losing work, have caused me to rethink my position.

From now on, I will require all performers I work with to test for STIs according to industry standards[1] and to use condoms in their scenes. Until now, I have adhered to industry standard STI testing and my sets have been condom optional, which, for me means that performers truly can choose to use condoms or not and I always have condoms available. I’ve shot several scenes with condoms (and other safer sex barriers), but the majority of the scenes have been condom-free. Because I want to empower performers to make decisions about all aspects of the work they do, I have respected their decisions in the past not to use condoms. I still want performers to have choices, and they can choose not to work with me if they don’t want to use condoms.

As a feminist pornographer, part of my mission is to support fair labor practices and create a positive work environment on my sets. The health, well being, and safety of the performers is my priority, and I believe that using condoms in addition to rigorous testing is the best way to prevent STI transmission. In the past, I have publicly spoken out against Measure B (as in this piece for The Huffington Post). I am still against mandatory condoms and government regulation of the adult industry. I still believe that the current fight is all about politics, not workers’ safety and rights. But my position on the use of condoms in my own productions has changed. I am not leveling judgment against producers, directors, or performers who choose not to use condoms. I am making the best decision I can based on my dedication to feminist and ethical production practices.

Condoms are not the only answer and not without issues. Performer, registered nurse, and activist Nina Hartley gives a compelling argument about why she believes that condoms can do more harm than good (briefly: she argues that condom use on porn sets causes “condom rash” leading to internal tissue damage that could increase the chances of STI transmission). Condoms don’t protect against every STI including herpes, chlamydia, and HPV, but they are an effective barrier for others STIs including HIV. Some people have latex allergies or sensitivities, and some can develop an allergy after repeated exposure to latex. There are several non-latex condoms, which many people report don’t have the same abrasive qualities as latex. Unfortunately, these alternatives don’t come in the range of sizes that latex condoms do, and, let’s face it, one-size-fits-most doesn’t apply to porn guys. I have always consulted with performers about what I can do to make their job safer and better. I will do the same when it comes to working with condoms. I will strive to find creative ways to decrease the amount of intercourse they have, thus decreasing wear and tear on their bodies (especially the bodies of female performers). I will consider requests by fluid-bonded couples who don’t want to use condoms. I will be a part of an open and ongoing dialogue and adapt as testing technology changes and safer sex practices evolve.

Safer sex issues have been a part of my professional life since I became a sex educator. But the news of HIV in the industry has a very personal dimension for me. My father, a gay man, was diagnosed with AIDS in 1993, and he died in 1995. That was before the good drugs, the cocktail, when AIDS was a death sentence. This hits far too close to home for me, and I’ve got to make a change as a result. Plenty of people say that no one wants to see condoms in porn. That no one cares about the safety of the people who make the images they masturbate to. I hope to prove them wrong, and I hope you, my audience, will help me do it.

 

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Because this is ultimately about the sex workers, their bodies, and their labor, I think it’s important to feature their voices in this discussion. This week, I publicly asked performers to anonymously respond to this question: If the choice was entirely yours—not a mandate, not law, not what viewers want, just completely up to you—would you use condoms when you perform? Why or why not? Here are some of their responses. Some of them have been edited and excerpted for length.

“Perhaps I was delusional, but there was a time where I really trusted everyone in porn. I thought we all had this secret handshake, like none of us would ever jeopardize each other’s health and we all agreed to the same code of conduct off camera. I will admit I was pretty sexually irresponsible before porn; I had a lot of partners and I rarely used condoms. Once I started doing porn, all of that behavior stopped. I knew I couldn’t do that anymore because I didn’t just have to think about myself anymore. For some reason, I assumed everyone else was the same way. I felt really safe in the industry for a long time and if anyone were to ask me about using a condom on set I would have laughed, and said they would be uncomfortable and unnecessary. Condoms to me were things that you used if you were having a one night stand with someone you didn’t know—not things you used with people you knew and trusted. Unfortunately, I don’t feel that way anymore. I think condoms are necessary now. I wish it wasn’t that way but it is. I blame a lot of this on piracy. All the tube sites and the torrent sites have made all the studios make less money. A lot of people feel less inclined to adhere to a certain code of conduct, because they just aren’t working that much or they are working for less than what they want, etc. It’s a bad domino effect. I don’t love the state that porn is in at the moment and perhaps these HIV outbreaks were a good wake up call to anyone who is irresponsible, but I think we have to adapt with the times, and now, I think condoms are necessary.”

“I don’t think this question can be answered in a vacuum. If you were to ask me whether I prefer to have sex with condoms in general, the answer would be, ‘No.’ It’s not even the sensation. I don’t like the smell. That said, I’ve had plenty of condom sex. Prior to porn becoming a significant part of my life, I always used condoms. They were never a deterrent from sex. I feel like porn has allowed for condom-less sex as a sort of privilege. I’ve gotten used to it. It’s been over three years since I’ve had sex with someone who wasn’t a recently tested, industry performer. As a man who has sex almost exclusively as a top (at least in regards to who is penetrating who) at this point in his life, I’m honestly not too worried about contracting STIs like HIV or Hepatitis. However, I understand that my partners may feel differently. Women who do boy/girl scenes in straight porn (and men who bottom in gay porn) are at a higher risk of contracting non-curable, potentially life-threatening STIs like HIV. So I have to ask myself whether using condoms is going to benefit the industry as a whole. I don’t honestly know the answer to that question. The industry is in flux and many things have yet to play out. All I can say is that I’m happy to use condoms when it is an option and my partner feels safer with them. I don’t believe hot sex and barrier protection are mutually exclusive. However, I don’t see a direct correlation between a lack of barrier protection and the current problems plaguing the adult industry. STI exposure incidents will continue to put a hold on production regardless of whether condoms are used or not. It is my opinion that economic disruption of adult media is driving many performers to unregulated forms of sex work that put them at higher risk for contracting STIs. The testing system is doing its job to keep these performers—once infected—from re-entering the talent pool. It just so happens that major flaws were discovered in the system over the past six months. As a result, testing protocol has become increasingly strict. While the kinks are being worked out, I commend producers who will allow performers the option to use condoms.”

“I’m not interested in performing with condoms, though I occasionally do so, whether it’s my scene partner’s preference, the producer’s rule, or (rarely) because I don’t trust my partner’s lifestyle choices. In that case, or if she doesn’t seem well, or depending on the freshness of her test, I have requested condoms, and I have never experienced pushback from a director on my choice. All-natural sex on camera is more intimate, exciting and trust-based. That’s what I look for in a scene as a viewer and that’s what I try to create as an artist. I want to be a safe place for my scene partner to let her sexual instincts express themselves. With condoms there is literally something between us, and the instinctual fantasies are dulled. HIV is not a major concern for me. In 500-plus scenes, I have never contracted an STI, though I tend to shoot with established and/or professional, safety-conscious scene partners…We need standards. Agents and producers are betraying their talent when they promote performers who don’t respect the work we’re doing. I think performers doing privates/prostitution and heavy drug use is a far bigger issue than this current condom debate.”

“If the choice were completely mine, I would use a condom for EVERY scene/performance. I believe that it is safer for performers to use condoms, period. I do not accept the arguments put forth by FSC and other industry leaders/lawyers that condoms are more dangerous to a performer’s health. I do not accept that condoms being used in our industry would significantly hurt sales, in fact I believe it would benefit our industry’s image. The only reason I do not request condoms, outside of Kink.com or Wicked (who support condom use), is because I know I will not be rehired IF they even honor the request at the time. I have witnessed talent blacklisted by companies because the girl has asked to use a condom. I think it would be more responsible for our industry and our industry’s reputation to promote safe sex practices to the general public. Personally, I don’t feel that the anti-condom sentiment expressed by the industry reflects the true feelings of the performers, especially female performers.”

“If the choice was mine and when the choice is mine, I choose to use condoms. I still think testing is critical and that testing should be much more frequent.  An STI test that was taken the week of the production coupled with condoms and gloves would be ideal and would be closer to mirroring what I want from a new partner in my personal life. I think condoms can be sexy.  Safer sex can be sexy.  I want condoms and a test when I’m having sex with a partner on or off screen.  A couple of reasons play into this including greatly reducing risk of STI transmission, doing what I feel is necessary to protect my body, feeling confident and turned on by the fact that we are being healthy and aware of our bodies, feeling turned on by communicating, stating boundaries, and sticking to boundaries and limits that are set to protect both myself and my partners, and lastly feeling a certain obligation knowing that the sex I’m having will be viewed by others and that if I can make safer sex sexy then I can encourage the use of gloves and condoms (on cocks and toys) for the general viewing/porn consuming public.”

“My ideal situation is presenting a clear, basic STI test of 14 days, being able to communicate with my co-star about any other known sexual health concerns, AND the use of safer sex barriers such as condoms and gloves. I prefer testing AND condoms, and I want this preference to not only be the choice made by me and my co-star, but also be a choice that is fully supported by the production team. My experience with the majority of productions that were “okay” with condom use for heterosexual scenes have demonstrated to me that condom use is uncommon in porn at best, and discouraged/prevented at worse. I’ve shown up on sets where no condoms were available, and once a crew member offered one of his own, stored in the hot glove compartment of his car. (For obvious reasons, I immediately started bringing my own safer sex kit to shoots.) In queer/feminist-minded (what I’ll simply call “GOOD”) porn environments, condoms were not only allowed, not only encouraged, but actually SUPPLIED…Ultimately, how I shoot is up to me, yet I often have to compromise safer sex practices due to perceived marketability. It has always been a disappointment. I would appreciate the opportunity for myself—and anyone else—to work the way I want.”

“Most mainstream companies are not willing to allow performers to chose whether or not they use condoms in their scenes. Burning Angel has decided with all of the recent unfortunate happenings in the industry, that it should be at performers’ discretion as to whether or not they want to use condoms in their scenes…I am super appreciative that they have made this choice to benefit their performers’ health and safety at any cost. I feel that this choice demonstrates a lot of what I stand for in this industry, which is to promote boundaries, consent, and healthy sexual choices.”

“If the choice was entirely mine, I would not use condoms when I perform. Condoms and my vagina don’t get along so well. I always get very irritated internally after shooting a scene with a condom. From what I understand, this makes me more, not less, susceptible to STDs and infection.  Also, I don’t completely trust condoms to prevent STDs. Condoms break and fail. I would never have sex with someone, on or off camera, with just a condom and no test.”

“To me, the idea of using condoms—or not—is a very personal choice. When used correctly, condoms do lessen the spread of HIV and certain STIs, but they don’t protect against everything. While there are a select number of companies that will “allow” talent to use condoms (and one company that has been 100% condom ONLY for 14 years) many companies discourage the use of condoms because their sales will suffer. I also think it is VERY important to realize that no one entity can possibly be the voice for all performers and say that ALL talent wishes they were condom only. For example, even on a condom-only set, performers complain about having to use condoms and try to remove them during the softcore portion of the filming, citing discomfort for both players, as well as a struggle for the male performer to stay erect. I would like the choice to use condoms without the government mandating what I must do with my body while I am engaged in a very intimate act. I think that educating performers will be the key to enabling them to make informed decisions about their personal safety.”

“If the choice was completely up to me, I’d use condoms in porn with almost everyone, and use my discretion with the partner I’m fluid bonded to. Frankly, I’d *still* want to get tested, and have any sexual partners get tested (condoms break, after all); but hormonal birth control messes my body up and I’d rather use condoms as a form of barrier. Plus, I like to be an example to others and prove that safer sex can and is hot in the context of sexual experiences! I honestly find it sexy and want to demonstrate why on film so others can see that for themselves. I wouldn’t want to be forced to wear condoms without testing being required, which is what could happen, or have porn companies not hire me because I prefer to use condoms, which is what happens now. I’d prefer to make my own decisions.”

[1]Industry standards for testing are constantly evolving. Currently, a performer must test negative every 14 days or less for gonorrhea, chlamydia, Hepatitis A and B, syphilis, trichomoniasis, and HIV. The testing period was decreased from 30 days to 14 days just this week.

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This post, Porn, Feminist Labor Practices, and The Condom Debate originally appeared on Pucker Up on September 20, 2013. Tweet This Post!

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Sept 20: Feminist Porn Pioneer Candida Royalle

This Friday, September 20th at 8 pm ET / 5 pm on Sex Out Loud, we’re live and featuring an entire hour with Candida Royalle, author and expert on issues of relationships, sexuality, and women’s self-empowerment. Tristan will talk to her about her legacy as a feminist porn pioneer, her recent trip to Amsterdam for the 2013 Porna Awards, what she thinks of the current feminist porn movement, and her successful sex toy line, Natural Contours.

This week’s show is live, so find out all the ways to listen here so you can call in with questions at 1-866-472-5788, join the discussion on Facebook or Twitter, or e-mail me via tristan(at)puckerup.com and I’ll read them live on the air!

Candida Royalle: Author, Pioneer, Entrepreneur. Ms. Royalle first came in to the public eye for her internationally acclaimed line of erotic films from a woman’s perspective. Innovating the concept of “couples erotica”, she created Femme Productions, Inc®. in 1984 in order to produce adult films that spoke from a woman’s voice and could be entertaining while promoting positive sexual role modeling for couples to view together. Royalle’s work has been favorably received by both viewers and the media, as well as the sexology community. She has become a sought-after speaker, having lectured at such venues as the Smithsonian Institute, the American Psychiatric Association’s national conference, and the World Congress on Sexology, as well as several sexuality conferences and universities including Princeton, Columbia, Wellesley College and New York University. She is the first erotic filmmaker to have been invited to become a member of the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists due to the message of “positive sexuality” in her films. Continuing to lead the way in women’s sexual empowerment and pleasure, Royalle partnered with Dutch industrial designer Jandirk Groet, whose product design repertoire ranges from Nordica ski boots to Ricoh compact cameras and Panasonic TVs to the cockpit of the Fokker aircraft, and together they created the Natural Contours® line of high-style, discreet ergonomically designed personal massagers. The line debuted in 1999 to favorable reviews in ID (Industrial Design) Magazine, Mademoiselle and Glamour, to name a few, and quickly became best-sellers in women’s mainstream health catalogs. Drugstore.com launched its sexual wellness range with the Natural Contours® line and Holland’s leading drug store chain, ETOS, features the line as part of its family planning outreach. In October ’04 Royalle authored her first book, “How to Tell a Naked Man What to Do”, published in the US by Simon & Schuster/Fireside, and in the UK by Piatkus Press. The paperback was published in February ’06. Royalle recently created a new line of “ethnic erotica for couples” called Femme Chocolat® in order to provide high quality intelligent erotica for the largely underserved market of ethnic women and couples. She is now moving on to the role of mentoring young new female directors so that they may continue the Femme line while expressing their own visions and ideas. What makes Ms. Royalle’s story particularly interesting is her rich and varied background. The daughter of an accomplished professional jazz drummer, she trained and performed in music, dance and art, having attended New York’s High School of Art and Design, Parsons School of Design, and the City University of New York, where she was active in the women’s movement of the late ’60′s and early ’70′s. In San Francisco she got involved with some of the original members of the infamous Cockettes including the late Divine to create avant garde jazz and theater productions. In ’74, looking to finance her unconventional lifestyle, she entered the world of erotica as an actress, performing in about twenty-five adult feature films. She returned to her native New York City in 1980 and stepped behind the camera to create Femme Productions® in 1984. Since then she has been a guest on numerous news and talk shows from Anderson Cooper to Dateline NBC, and has been written up in countless magazines and newspapers from The New York Times, Time Magazine and The London Times to Glamour and Marie Claire. Candida Royalle is a member of the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists, (AASECT) and a founding Board member of Feminists for Free Expression (FFE). For more about Candida Royalle and her products visit her web site at:

www.candidaroyalle.com

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This post, Sept 20: Feminist Porn Pioneer Candida Royalle originally appeared on Pucker Up on September 16, 2013. Tweet This Post!

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Anal Advisor: Want to Get Laid, Not Laid Up

My girlfriend and I have just discovered anal sex and enjoy it a lot; I really enjoy having my cock in her tight asshole. But there’s one thing I want to ask about: the next day after anal sex, I have a painful backache. We do the ‘spoon’ position, and while it is happening, I don’t have any pain at all. Do you know anyone else with this problem and do you have any advice for me?

–Want to Get Laid, Not Laid Up

Welcome to the wonderful world of anal sex! It sounds like you would be off to a pleasurable start except for the painful aftermath. My first impression is that this is probably muscular pain. When you start a new sexual activity, you use a bunch of muscles you’re not used to exercising on a regular basis; just like if you started a new work out regime at the gym, your body needs some to adjust. It may simply be a matter of awakening those muscles and getting them back in shape.

It could also be the position you’re in is putting strain on your lower back. The next time you do it, try to concentrate on your body movements and see if the position is uncomfortable for you; perhaps you only need to make a slight angle adjustment and it will feel better. You can also do regular stretching and simple exercises to avoid muscle strains. Find a personal trainer, physical therapist, or someone knowledgeable about working out and ask them to recommend some exercises for strengthening your lower back. Once you get your back in better shape, there will be no stopping you.

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This post, Anal Advisor: Want to Get Laid, Not Laid Up originally appeared on Pucker Up on September 11, 2013. Tweet This Post!

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Raise Money for Charity by Watching Webcam Porn

Thanks to Vanessa & Frank for tipping me off to this news story from BetaBeat.com:

The brainchild of two recent Colorado State University grads, Benevidz is an online webcam community where people can practice the old Internet pasttime of performing sex acts on webcam in order to raise money for charity. The site functions akin to other webcam porn enterprises: people pay money for access to a livestream of a man or woman stripping, and can cough up more money to get them to perform specific acts. Only with Benevidz, a portion of that money goes to the charity of your choice (Benevidz says they already have 7 “reputable charity organizations” who have agreed to participate).

Read full article here.

 

If you want to make this project happen, they’re currently raising money here, so you can help them out and soon link your webcam porn pleasure with your social justice causes!

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This post, Raise Money for Charity by Watching Webcam Porn originally appeared on Pucker Up on September 11, 2013. Tweet This Post!

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“This Guide is Certainly a Great Place to Start” – Reviews of my Kinky Sex and Bondage DVDs

Alan and Michele say even though the Kinky Sex Guide for Couples is geared for newbies, the movie was still hot and worth it for those already kinky:

All in all we won’t hesitate to recommend this DVD to anyone who wants to learn how to get a little kink on. The information given is both valid and useful, and the sex scenes are practical enough for most couples to mimic, if they choose. Even if you’re already a bit kinky you may still enjoy the video just for the sex scenes. We certainly did!

http://alanandmichele.com/2013/08/guide-to-kinky-sex-for-couples-video-review/

Positive Style blog gives a detailed play-by-play of KSGC in their review:

This guide is set up, like some of Taormino’s other titles, to educate and titillate viewers.  The introduction is full of information and ideology, as well as the couples’ own insights into kinky sex and why they love it, which will certainly bring any newbie up to speed.  This also serves to demystify that naughty enigma we know as kink; it is a game and can serve to explore one’s inner desires on one’s own terms.

http://positivestyleblog.wordpress.com/2013/08/18/review-tristan-taorminos-guide-to-kinky-sex-for-couples/

Poly Aphrodite wrote a great review of my other Adam & Eve release of the summer, The Guide to Bondage for Couples. Her favorite scene was with Derrick and Skin Diamond:

The bed was very squeaky, but the scene was so hot, I hardly noticed at all. At one point to tease her, he Leaves the Magic Wand turned on near her pussy and leaves her alone. Then, they leave the bed to use the Fetish Fantasies Door Swing, which I immediately ordered online. It. Looks. So. Fun! In the scene, she starts reading the instructions, and he shrugs her off, saying he already knows how to use it. It was really cute, and the action was hot once they got it all hung up!

http://polyaphrodite.wordpress.com/2013/08/16/bondage-for-couples/

CoolestPornReviews.com gave Guide to Bondage for Couples a 5 out of 5.

[A]fter she gives an explanation about something, you’re going to have a demonstration from the couple in turn, so you get an idea of how to accomplish things. This is an awesome movie that shows you everything you want to know about soft bondage, plus there are lots of bonus materials to keep you entertained!!

http://coolestpornreviews.com/2013/09/10/tristan-taorminos-guide-bondage-couples-movie-review/

and finally……

Violet Blue of TinyNibbles.com gives the Bondage DVD a mention in this week’s roundup of Sex News!

 

 

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This post, “This Guide is Certainly a Great Place to Start” – Reviews of my Kinky Sex and Bondage DVDs originally appeared on Pucker Up on September 11, 2013. Tweet This Post!

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Petra Joy is the winner of the Porna Award 2013

The all-female panel of Dutch TV channel Dusk! has chosen Petra Joy’s film ‘A Taste of Joy’ and especially the scene ‘Room Service’ to win the Porna Award 2013.

Petra Joy (born 1964 in Germany) is an award-winning German feminist film director, film producer, TV producer, distributor, author and photographer. She lives in Brighton, England. She is one of the pioneers of the movement to make pornography for women. Her genre is described as “art-core,” meaning the focus is on sexuality from the female perspective, female pleasure, and creative, sensual play.

Petra Joy’s latest erotic film A Taste Of Joy (2012) focuses on female pleasure and celebrates authentic lust with fresh performers turning existing porn stereotypes upside down and shows hot, creative and passionate sex. There is no boring dialogue or pump and grind sex but just beautifully shot sensual images, edited to music.

The Dusk! panel, over 2.000 women, did not have much words for the winner. A brief summary of their reactions; “WAUW”, “True porna, give me some of that room service, which hotel is that???” and “Jammieeee”.

The Dusk! Porna Award competition will start all over again in 2014. And here you will find the first video clip about the happening:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMH8eFOf8gc#

and on our Facebookpage you will find the first pictures:

http://www.facebook.com/DuskTVChannel

More will follow on our website: http://www.dusk-tv.com

About Dusk!

Dusk!, the first and only adult TV channel for a female audience, can be found on the platforms of cable operators in Europe. More information and program line up can be found at www.dusk-tv.com.

Dusk! is a service of 2GrapesMedia BV, an international supplier of digital content services.

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This post, Petra Joy is the winner of the Porna Award 2013 originally appeared on Pucker Up on September 11, 2013. Tweet This Post!

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Sept 13: Cleo Dubois on Kink Education, BDSM, and 30 Years in the Scene

This Friday, September 13th at 5pm PT / 8 pm ET, I interview educator, ritualist, and founder of the Academy of S/M Arts, Cleo Dubois. Dubois enjoys guiding both newcomers and experts on sophisticated techniques related to kink and BDSM and she’ll discuss how consensual powerplay is a valid path to self-discovery, intimacy and healing. We’ll get a peak inside her popular intensive weekends for dominants taught at the San Francisco Citadel and hear highlights from her blog, In Kink With Heart, true stories of her 30 years in the scene.

This week’s show is live, so find out all the ways to listen here so you can call in with questions at 1-866-472-5788, join the discussion on Facebook or Twitter, or e-mail me via tristan(at)puckerup.com and I’ll read them live on the air!

Cleo Dubois is a BDSM Educator, ritualist, and creator of the Academy of S/M Arts. A versatile sadomasochist , she came out in the San Francisco Leather Scene in the early 80s. She made two popular docu-films, “The Pain Game” and “Tie Me Up,” & presents at local and national leather events. She offers, with Eve Minax, Erotic Dominance Intensives Weekends focused on connecting heat, heart and spirit in our consensual power play. Helping new comers embrace their kink and mentoring couple play in the privacy of her dungeon are her specialties.

 

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This post, Sept 13: Cleo Dubois on Kink Education, BDSM, and 30 Years in the Scene originally appeared on Pucker Up on September 10, 2013. Tweet This Post!

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Sept 6: Justin Vivian Bond on Becoming Mx America

Join me this Friday, September 6th at 8 pm ET / 5 pm PT for an unforgettable hour of Sex Out Loud with one of the most talented, unique, and boundary-busting people in the entertainment industry: writer, singer, painter, performance artist, and activist Justin Vivian Bond. Mx Bond’s chosen pronoun is the gender-free “v” (instead of he or she), and v will talk about how the pronoun came about. V is currently preparing for a residency at Joe’s Pub where v’s show Mx America will be running from Sept. 20-Oct. 5th and we’ll hear about the origin of v’s personally designed perfume, The Afternoon of a Faun. We’ll also discuss the award-winning memoir Tango: My Childhood, Backwards and in High Heels, the collaborative book with photographer Gina Garan, Susie Says, and v’s latest album Silver Wells.

Mx Justin Vivian Bond is a writer, singer, painter, and performance artist. Mx Bond is the author of the Lambda Literary Award winning memoir Tango: My Childhood, Backwards and in High Heels, published by The Feminist Press and Susie Says

… a collaboration with Gina Garan (Powerhouse Books, 2012). V’s debut CD Dendrophile was self-released on WhimsyMusic in 2011 and was followed by Silver Wells in 2012. In 2011 Justin Vivian’s art exhibition The Fall of the House of Whimsy was presented at Participant Inc. in New York City. Mx Bond was nominated for a Tony Award for Kiki and Herb Alive On Broadway in 2007. Other notable theatrical endeavors include starring as Warhol Superstar Jackie Curtis in Scott Wittman’s production of Jukebox Jackie: Snatches of Jackie Curtis as part of La Mama E.T.C.’s 50 Anniversary Season, originating the role of Herculine Barbin in Kate Bornstein’s groundbreaking play Hidden: A Gender, touring with the performance troupe The Big Art Group and appearing in John Cameron Mitchell’s film Shortbus. Other films include Sunset Stories (2012), Imaginary Heroes (2004), and Fanci’s Persuasion (1995). Mx Bond is a recipient of The Ethyl Eichelberger Award, The Peter Reed Foundation Grant, and The Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists Award for Performance Art/Theater, an Obie and a Bessie. Please visit www.justinbond.com to download and enjoy v’s music and blog, Justin Vivian Bond is Living!

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This post, Sept 6: Justin Vivian Bond on Becoming Mx America originally appeared on Pucker Up on September 3, 2013. Tweet This Post!

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