Tristan Taormino's Blog, page 5

Nov 14: Jacq Jones on her Baltimore sex-positive shop Sugar and selling sex toys in the age of the internet

This week’s episode of Sex Out Loud was recorded live in Baltimore while I was out on the road. I spent an hour with Jacq Jones, owner of the Baltimore sex-positive shop Sugar: a lesbian owned, multi-gender operated, for profit, mission driven sex toy store. By providing education and toys in a shame-free, sex-positive environment, Sugar helps people of all genders and sexual orientations experience their own unique sexuality with shameless joy and passion. Sex Out Loud airs every Friday at 5 pm PT / 8 pm ET on the VoiceAmerica Variety channel. You can listen on your computer, phone, or tablet, find all the ways here!

Jacq Jones is a passionate advocate for a sex positive world, radical consent, sex ed, safer sex and reproductive health care. She has worked in sex education and reproductive health care since 1994. She is the owner of Sugar, a sex positive, education focused, lesbian owned, multi-gender operated sex toy store in Baltimore and online at SugarTheShop.com

Oct 31: Emily Letts on Challenging the Stigma of Abortion

This Friday on Sex Out Loud at 8 pm ET / 5 pm PT, I’m live with Emily Letts, who won the Abortion Care Network’s Stigma Busting video competition. The video documenting her own abortion experience went viral and became the subject of international headlines. She discuss why she decided to share her experience publicly, the response she’s gotten from others, and her work with NotAlone.Us, a website where women (and men) post videos of their abortion stories.

This week’s show is LIVE so call in with questions and comments 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. Tune in to Sex Out Loud every Friday, you can listen along on your computer, tablet, or phone, find all the ways at SexOutLoudRadio.com!

Emily Letts currently lives in Chicago. Besides her work with NotAlone.US she is working on a dual masters in public health and social work at the University of Illinois at Chicago with a concentration in women’s health. Her video has over four million views and won the Judge’s Choice award in the Abortion Care Network’s first Abortion Stigma Busting Video Competition.

Oct 24: Cyndi Darnell on the State of Sex Education in Australia, How American Audiences Ask Different Questions, and Her Love of Erotic Anatomy Lessons

This week I’m so excited to bring sex educator, counselor, and therapist Cyndi Darnell to Sex Out Loud. We talk about her work, her obsession with erotic anatomy, and her new project The Atlas of Erotic Anatomy and Arousal. We discuss the difference between Australian audiences and American ones, but also the elements of sexuality that are universal no matter where she teaches. Sex Out Loud airs every Friday at 5 pm PT / 8 pm ET on the VoiceAmerica Variety channel. You can listen on your computer, phone, or tablet, find all the ways here!

Cyndi Darnell is one of Australia’s leading sex therapists and sex educators with over 20 years experience studying human sexuality from the clinical to the esoteric. Her work and commentary has been sought for media around the country including Channel 10’s The Project, ABC Radio National, Triple J, Triple R, JOY 94.9, ABC Melbourne with Jon Faine, The Age, Sydney Morning Herald, Cosmopolitan Magazine, Mamamia and both Aust. Women’s & Men’s Health Magazines. She was also a co-creator of six educational podcasts with Catherine Deveny on popular topics in adult sex education. She was the founder and host of Pleasure Forum Australia which ran in Melbourne from 2010- 2013. Cyndi has also hosted events and spoke at The Wheeler Centre, Victoria University, University of Melbourne, Family Planning Victoria, Arts Access Victoria , Aust. College of Applied Psychology, and she was a panelist with the prestigious Sydney ‘‘Women Say Something’’ event.

Cyndi counsels individuals, couples & beyond on issues related to sex and relationships from her practice in Melbourne and globally via Skype. She runs comprehensive and entertaining educational seminars and workshops on adult sexuality, pleasure & relationships both in Australia and globally to demystify sex and emphasize pleasure. Cyndi is known for her capacity to offer practical information, esoteric insight and emotional warmth & reassurance all wrapped up in light -hearted Australian humor and fabulous footwear. She is uniquely placed to be able to bridge the world of sexology from a variety of perspectives and approaches that embrace, understand and challenge the diversity of human sexuality.

Oct 3: Doctor X Treme & Alexandra Ars from Orgasmatronics on the Ambrosia Vibe and their mission of Less Pants, More Science

This week for Sex Out Loud, I talk to the co-founders of Orgasmatronics, Inc. Doctor X. Treme & Alexandra Ars. Their recent crowdsourcing campaign is bringing the first touch response bionic strap-on vibrator, the Ambrosia Vibe. They’ll discuss the process of bringing the revolutionary Ambrosia Vibe to the market, how they create innovative toys, and their inspirational motto “Less Pants, More Science.”

Sex Out Loud airs every Friday at 5 pm PT / 8 pm ET on the VoiceAmerica Variety channel. You can listen on your computer, phone, or tablet, find all the ways here!

When Doctor X. Treme was a child he dreamed of becoming an inventor. His aspirations led him to the field of physics and his studies earned him a PhD from Yale University. After graduation the Doctor took a job in a government lab. He spent the next six years erecting quantum measurement devices for low temperature physics. While the work was engaging, Treme found it constricting and oppressive, like wearing pants. He grew weary of the military’s involvement in his field. To the Doctor, applied physics was about more than advanced weaponry. One fateful night, his wife made a simple request. “Build me a sex machine?” she asked. And just like that, Doctor X. Treme quit his government job, took off his pants, and got to work. These days, the Doctor dedicates his time to coupling science and technology in the bedroom. He researches ways to use physical principles to enhance the lives of (extra)ordinary people.

Alexandra Ars manages the brand, designs the web and brews the tea for Orgasmatronics, Inc. She co-founded the company with Doctor X. Treme. Alexandra used to be a graphic designer for a jewelry company, several bands and, for a little while, Mozilla. But when Dr. X. elucidated his vision of a queer sex toy company while they waded in a freezing river she knew she had to help make the dream a reality. She is a kinky, polyamorous, bespectacled drummer. She believes socks and scarves are the sexiest items of clothing especially when worn exclusively. Alexandra loves the Ambrosia Vibe bionic strap-on for it’s simplicity and body-hacking and gender-bending possibilities.

 

Call for Papers for Sex Education Journal: The Media’s Evolving Role in Sex Education

Entertainment media have long been identified as having a key role to play in education about sex and relationships. All too often in studies of sexual learning the media have been assessed for their potentially negative effects on young people. For example, studies have correlated consumption of particular media forms with early sexual intercourse or teenage pregnancy, while parents and schools have been seen as providing a positive corrective.

However empirical research shows that this simple binary is not always accurate: in some instances entertainment media may offer positive information and representations while school or parents often offer more moralizing or conservative perspectives. For example, a young person growing up in a homophobic family may see happy queer characters in a sitcom; or young people attending a school that emphasizes young women’s role as gatekeepers and controllers of men’s sexuality may find helpful TV dramas that explore women’s active sexual agency.

This special issue of the journal Sex Education will engage with these and related concerns, pausing to take stock of where we are now, especially with respect to the positive role that old and newer forms of media can play in learning about sex.

Papers may focus on any aspect of the entertainment media, and on any aspect of healthy sexual development – including, but not limited to, open communication about sex, assertiveness, sexual agency, sexual identity, or an acceptance that sex can be pleasurable.

If you are not sure whether your article is appropriate for this special issue, please feel free to send an abstract in the first instance to a.mckee@qut.edu.au

Articles for the special issue will be subject to normal peer review in line with the procedures of the journal.

You should submit your article for review by the 24th the journal’s instructions for authors at: http://www.tandfonline.com/action/aut...?

Peer review:

Articles for the special issue will be subject to normal peer review in line with the procedures of the journal.

Timeline:

You should submit your article for review by the 24th October 2014. You can find the journal’s instructions for authors at:

http://www.tandfonline.com/action/authorSubmission?journalCode=csed20&page=instructions#.Utent_27yf0

When you submit your article will be asked whether you are submitting for a special issue. Please use the pull-down menu to note that you are submitting your paper for the special issue The Media’s Evolving Role in Sex Education. Please also note in the manuscript of your article that you are submitting it for this special issue. If you have any questions about the mechanics of submitting a paper for Sex Education you should find the answers in the guidelines for authors mentioned above.

More on the guest editors

Alan McKee is a Professor in the Creative Industries Faculty at Queensland University of Technology, and leads the ‘Promoting Healthy Sexual Development’ research group at QUT. He is particularly interested in the relationship between media consumption and healthy sexual development. He has published in the Journal of Sex Research, Archives of Sexual Behavior, International Journal of Sexual Health and Sex Education.

Sara Bragg is a Senior Research Fellow in the Education Research Centre at the University of Brighton. She is co-author of many books, reports and articles on young people’s cultures including Young People, Sex and the Media (with David Buckingham, 2004); co-editor of Children and Young People’s Cultural Worlds (with Mary Jane Kehily, 2013) and of Rethinking Youth Cultures in the Age of Global Media (with Buckingham and Kehily, 2014) .

Tristan Taormino is an award-winning writer, sex educator, speaker, filmmaker, and radio host. She is the editor of 25 anthologies, author of seven books, and co-editor of The Feminist Porn Book: The Politics of Producing Pleasure. As the head of Smart Ass Productions, she has directed and produced sixteen sex-ed films. Tristan’s work, writing and films are routinely used in college courses to explore the complex issues of relationship and sexual diversity, politics, and media.

Anna Brownfield’s new erotic feature, The Bedroom

Anna Brownfield is embarking on her second erotic feature entitled The Bedroom. The Bedroom is set in one bedroom over six decades and celebrates the diversity and changes in sex and sexuality in Australia.  While, the film is set in Australia, like her previous film The Band, it will appeal to a universal audience.

Last week, she launched a crowd funding campaign for The Bedroom.  You can check it out here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-bedroom–2 .    Any contribution you make would be greatly appreciated and would help her to continue to create high quality, alternative, unique erotica.

She’s got some great rewards for your contribution from limited edition handmade DVDs and VOD access of the film, or perhaps you would like to have a Skype date with an actor of your choice?  You can even come and join them as a VIP at the exclusive cast and crew screening!

Strapped for cash but still want to help out?  Well you can by getting the word out there via social media, email, blog about it or even just old school word of mouth!

Thank you in advance for checking out The Bedroom.

Sept 19: Cooper Beckett of Life on the Swingset Talks Progressive Swinging, Orgy Etiquette, and CatalystCon

Sex Out Loud radio is BACK! After a brief hiatus of summer reruns, I’m live tomorrow night at 8 pm ET / 5 pm talking with Cooper Beckett host of the popular podcast “Life on the Swingset” (and who you also know as the voice announcer of my show). Cooper will give us an update on what happened at CatalystCon West last week. We’ll also discuss progressive swinging and swingers, orgy etiquette, and answer listener questions about polyamory and non-monogamy.

This week’s show is LIVE – and I’ve missed talking to my listeners, so I hope you’re ready to talk to me. Find out all the ways to listen here so you can call in with questions and comments 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.

Cooper Beckett‘s life isn’t like other people’s. When he’s not writing or podcasting at Life on the Swingset, he’s living it up as an evangelical swinger drifting toward poly, spreading the good word that “sharing is caring.” He truly believes that a good many people would be open to exploring the fringe of human sexuality and relationships, knocking down the borders between orientations, and experiencing the most basic of human rights: great sex, if only they were told it’s okay to do so. He has resolved to change the world, even if it’s only one couple at a time.

Sex Out Loud airs every Friday at 5 pm PT / 8 pm ET on the VoiceAmerica Variety channel. You can listen on your computer, phone, or tablet, find all the ways here!

Aug 1: Mark A. Michaels and Patricia Johnson on Redefining Relationships

This Friday at 8 pm ET / 5 pm PT on Sex Out Loud radio, Mark A. Michaels and Patricia Johnson return to the show to discuss their new book, Partners In Passion: A Guide to Great Sex, Emotional Intimacy and Long-term Love. We’ll talk about non-monogamy, communication, passionate long-term relationships, and the controversy around their recent article on Alternet, “Life-Long Sexual Monogamy Just Isn’t Natural“. They’ll also join in answering listener questions.

Mark A. Michaels and Patricia Johnson are a devoted married couple. They have been creative collaborators – teaching and writing about sexuality and Tantra together – since 1999. Michaels and Johnson are the authors of Partners in Passion (Cleis 2014), Great Sex Made Simple, Tantra for Erotic Empowerment, and The Essence of Tantric Sexuality. Their books have garnered numerous awards: Independent Publishing (IPPY), ForeWord Reviews, and USA Book News Best Books, among others. They are also the creators of the meditation CD set Ananda Nidra: Blissful Sleep. To support the pleasure-positive community in New York, they co-founded Pleasure Salon in 2007. www.MichaelsandJohnson.com

Sex Out Loud airs every Friday at 5 pm PT / 8 pm ET on the VoiceAmerica Variety channel. You can listen on your computer, phone, or tablet, find all the ways here!

July 25: Lisa Vandever of Cinekink on Intersections of Film & Sexuality

This week’s guest on Sex Out Loud is Lisa Vandever: a producer and consultant with over twenty years of experience in film and television. She seized the unique opportunity to combine two of her overriding fixations, film and sexuality. Founded in 2003, CineKink recognizes and encourages the positive depiction of sexuality and kink in film and television, most visibly through its annual film festival, CineKink NYC. We’ll discuss media representations of alternative sexuality, visual depictions of kink, and the intersections of film and sexuality.

This week’s show is LIVE. Find out all the ways to listen here so you can call in with questions and comments 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.

As co-founder and director of CineKink, an organization that recognizes and encourages the positive depiction of sexuality in film and television, Lisa Vandever curates and oversees an annual film festival and touring series, designed to promote and showcase such works. Billing itself as “the kinky film festival,” with offerings drawn from both the independent cinema world and the adult, works presented at CineKink, currently in its eleventh season, range from documentary to drama, comedy to experimental, slightly spicy to quite explicit–and everything in between. A producer and consultant with over twenty years of experience in film and television, Vandever was formerly the director of programming for a regional network of public television stations, worked as a development executive for two New York-based independent production companies and was associate producer of the Sundance award-winning feature film, “Songcatcher.”

Seizing the unique opportunity to combine two of her overriding fixations, film and sexuality, Vandever previously co-founded the New York S/M Film Festival, which ran 2000-2002. Over the years she has also consulted with media distributors on how to best reach sexuality communities, and has advised filmmakers on how to present their works to a wider market. In addition to serving on the board of directors of the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom, she also volunteered on its media committee, alerting community members to media presentations of alternative sexuality, and encouraging feedback. She has spoken several times on the intersection of film and sexuality at the prestigious SXSW conference, with additional appearances including the International Film Festival Summit, Film Festival Academy, DIY Convention, Sex 2.0, MomentumCon, CatyalystCon and Leather Leadership Conference. She is proud to have once stumped the panel as a guest during a round of “What’s My Fetish?” on the Radio Chick Show …and she probably watches a lot less porn than everyone seems to think she does.

Sex Out Loud airs every Friday at 5 pm PT / 8 pm ET on the VoiceAmerica Variety channel. You can listen on your computer, phone, or tablet, find all the ways here!

July 18: James Deen and Kelly Shibari on Breaking the Mold for Porn Stars

This week’s episode of Sex Out Loud features TWO of today’s hottest performers in the adult industry. You know James Deen from the 4,000 scenes he’s performed in, his appearance in the mainstream film “The Canyons” or perhaps his internet series “James Deen Loves Food.” I talk with Deen about his popularity and why he’s so good at his job. Then, Kelly Shibari is on live talking about her recent Penthouse Forum cover shoot, her appearance on Margaret Cho’d podcast, and what’s next for the stereotype-breaking tour-de-force. Tune in this Friday July 18th at 8 pm ET / 5 pm PT to catch this episode live, you don’t want to miss it! Listen on your phone, computer, or tablet, find all the ways at SexOutLoudRadio.com. My interview with James Deen was pre-recorded, but you can call in with questions and comments for Kelly Shibari 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.

Since the age of 18, James Deen’s boy-next-door good looks helped him carve out a niche within the adult industry. Over 4,000 scenes later and Deen is now considered the top male porn star in the world. Deen is the youngest ever to earn Male Performer of the Year honors at the AVN, XBIZ, and XRCO awards shows. He is highly lauded within the adult industry with numerous award wins steadily throughout his career. Deen’s accomplishments extend far beyond the adult industry, with mainstream reporters chronicling his popularity as he continues to break down societal barriers. Popular female-oriented website Jezebel.com often reports on Deen’s large female fan-base, calling him the “permanent crush of all straight ladydom.” In 2012, Hollywood screenwriter Bret Easton Ellis and director Paul Schrader cast Deen opposite Lindsay Lohan in the feature film “The Canyons” which premiered internationally at the Venice Film Festival with Deen in attendance.

From her background in design and construction in mainstream film and television production, to performing in front of the camera as the sexually charged figurehead for chubby Asian girls everywhere, Kelly Shibari is a stereotype-breaking tour-de-force. Holding the distinct honor of being the only plus-sized performer ever molded for a Fleshlight, Kelly is also the face of harness company SpareParts Hardwear®’s plus size line, and made sexy pop culture media site Fleshbot’s Top Ten Crush Object List for 2013. Her self-produced, self-marketed DVD, Kelly Shibari is Overloaded, was nominated for both XBIZ and AVN, not just for the DVD itself but also for its marketing campaign. Kelly was named 2013 BBW Performer of the Year at EXXXOTICA’s fan-based awards, “The Fannys,” and also named Best BBW Performer at the 2013 NightMoves Awards. Most recently, Kelly made history as the first-ever plus size model ever to grace the cover of Penthouse Magazine’s Penthouse Forum.

Sex Out Loud airs every Friday at 5 pm PT / 8 pm ET on the VoiceAmerica Variety channel. You can listen on your computer, phone, or tablet, find all the ways here!