Posts
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Nazi Fetish, or Politically Incorrect Fantasies
I've never quite understood how someone's fantasies could be deemed offensive. Fantasies and unacted-upon fetishes seem to be the last place where you can be yourself, where you don't have to worry about offending anybody, about conforming to societal mores, or being, Lord help us, politically correct. But as Behind Kink puts up a new, lengthy video explaining all the intricacies of their proposed rape fantasy site Midnight Takedown (read: a pre-emptive defense against an expected onslaught of criticism and controversy), I started thinking about my own politically incorrect fantasies.
Quite recently, I've shocked myself by a completely out-of-the-blue fetish for . . . Nazi fetishwear and roleplay. I suppose if I wanted to hide it, shade it a little, I'd say it was a uniform fetish, but it's not. It isn't just uniforms. It's one uniform in particular- a powerful aesthetic that, whether updated in latex and BDSM paraphenalia or as classic as the historical version it was modeled upon, evokes power, precision, fear, rules, and a healthy dose of taboo.I'm not quite sure where this fetish came from, or if it will slink back away to the recesses of my mind, but it's nonetheless fascinating at the moment- causing all my BDSM fantasies to be tinged with a
barking German accent, a derisive sneer, and a crisp, trim jacket and cap. It goes without saying, I hope, that I of course do not fetishize Nazi's themselves- or fascism, Hitler, the Holocaust, or anything remotely related to such. I'd rather the costumes not have swastikas, and I don't really want to see one-armed salutes; I'm not getting off on the Nazism. I'm getting off on taking it in, repackaging it in my mind, and finding sexual gratification in the meaning I have imbued it with. Or, as one person commented on a forum, "Atrocities aside, the Nazis had the best military uniforms of anyone in the modern world." Mix the fashion with the mere connotation of 'Nazi'- strict, powerful, foreign, cruel, and revolutionary- and all of the sudden, it becomes very, very sexy and provocative. No wonder punk fashion co-opted the look to make kinda-political-but-mostly-just-shocking statements.
And then, we can't forget, I think, that Nazi's have been sexualized in a lot of ways. I wonder how much "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" may have influenced my youthful self. The beautiful, femme fatale Elsa turned out to be a Nazi villainess. And yet even after her evilness is revealed, she is nonetheless still portrayed sexually- perhaps even moreso!- biting and sucking at a bound Indiana Jones' lip like an artful dominatrix. As a youngster who adored Indy, I must have sucked up that imagery like a sponge. And such imagery has come before and after that- from the highly controversial Italian film "The Night Porter" (above), to LeeLee Sobieski dancing around in joyful roleplay in her SS dress in "Walk All Over Me" (below). And that's not even counting all the Nazi exploitation cinema.
I'm not the only one who finds it hard to be immune to such symbolism. Max Mosley denied his Nazi sex scandal with Mistress Abi (pictured here in Nazi-ish regalia), but general consensus is a resounding "Yup, he did it.". And then there are the open fetishists who indulge in these thoughts: Facist Femmes, Uniformfetish, among others (leaving out those which make me uncomfortable with their explicit focus not only on fantasy, but on the actual Nazi movement, both historical and neo-Nazi modern).I must admit some trepidation in even pushing "Publish Post" for this blog. Undoubtedly there is someone out there who will insist I am evil and depraved for this little fetish. But I hope that this doesn't turn into a Nazi debate. I hope instead that it goes show that whatever your politically incorrect fantasies- age play, rape, incest, racial subjugation, you name it- they are just that: fantasies.
I think I'll let this odd, meandering blog close with one of my favorite quotes:
My own belief is that there is hardly anyone whose sexual life, if it were broadcast, would not fill the world at large with surprise and horror. ~W. Somerset Maugham
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
My Kind Of Sex Toy Testing
In a perfect world, you'd be able to take your sex toys for a test drive, much like you do your car. You could try it on much like your clothes. I mean, if it's important to get a bra that fits you right, how much more important is it to get something that fits your pussy/ass/dick? How many reviews have I read from people who have spent good money on toys that may be well-made but which still just don't do it? Why can't I go for quick run with that Rabbit vibrator before deciding to buy?
Of course, it's understandable, because used toys are, well, yucky. Even if you try to clean 'em up, someone's had them in direct contact with their genitals. And that's sort of nasty, even if we're assuming they're STD and infection-free. So even though I wish this could happen, it just ain't the case.
And while lots of sites do their best to provide good toy reviews, you're still left wondering. Sure, those buttons look nice, but will they be easy to hit in the heat of the moment? Yeah, that review says it's quiet, but how quiet is quiet? What are we judging it by? And for God's sake, how the hell am I supposed to use the Cone? You can always take their word for it, I suppose. Or you could see it in action.
That's just what Xtube's SexToyTester is trying to do. Though the guy only has one video up so far, and he is, well, as guy (meaning that, except for nipple, butt, or BDSM toys, he's not really much use for us gals), the premise is stellar: an ordinary person uses a sex toy for you on video. You get to see it the way you can't in a picture- up-close, at all sorts of angles, rotated for you and its size made very obvious compared to its surroundings and your body. You can hear any noises it makes, whether it's a vibrator's motor or the squishy sounds that you might not be expecting with a Fleshlight. If it vibrates or wiggles, your tester can plop it on the table or floor and let it go so you can see just how much movement or vibration it really has. Your tester can describe the feel and texture and can touch and point our various parts of the toy. No more confusing instructions in trying to get your batteries in and the thing on or off- watch as someone else does it. Watch as the person goes through their sexy time and any difficulties they might encounter (or not). The whole way through, they can point out good aspects and bad aspects (unless, of course, they're so enraptured by the toy that they forget or cannot speak . . . in which case, that's really a good aspect in itself!). In the end, they sum up the pros and cons of the toy, and you have a much better feel for whether or not the thing is going to work for you or not.
Heck, I'd be willing to shell out a modest price in order to get to watch these videos before I decide to buy a toy. Not to mention that everybody likes watching sexy people masturbate (or, for toys that can be used with couples, have partnered sex). Making it educational, useful, and helpful at the same time? Yes, please!
Go both SexToyTester. Tell him to make more videos. Make your own similar videos. Some entrepreneur out there- start up this website idea of mine. Because seriously, you deserve to know what you're buying.
Of course, it's understandable, because used toys are, well, yucky. Even if you try to clean 'em up, someone's had them in direct contact with their genitals. And that's sort of nasty, even if we're assuming they're STD and infection-free. So even though I wish this could happen, it just ain't the case.
And while lots of sites do their best to provide good toy reviews, you're still left wondering. Sure, those buttons look nice, but will they be easy to hit in the heat of the moment? Yeah, that review says it's quiet, but how quiet is quiet? What are we judging it by? And for God's sake, how the hell am I supposed to use the Cone? You can always take their word for it, I suppose. Or you could see it in action.
That's just what Xtube's SexToyTester is trying to do. Though the guy only has one video up so far, and he is, well, as guy (meaning that, except for nipple, butt, or BDSM toys, he's not really much use for us gals), the premise is stellar: an ordinary person uses a sex toy for you on video. You get to see it the way you can't in a picture- up-close, at all sorts of angles, rotated for you and its size made very obvious compared to its surroundings and your body. You can hear any noises it makes, whether it's a vibrator's motor or the squishy sounds that you might not be expecting with a Fleshlight. If it vibrates or wiggles, your tester can plop it on the table or floor and let it go so you can see just how much movement or vibration it really has. Your tester can describe the feel and texture and can touch and point our various parts of the toy. No more confusing instructions in trying to get your batteries in and the thing on or off- watch as someone else does it. Watch as the person goes through their sexy time and any difficulties they might encounter (or not). The whole way through, they can point out good aspects and bad aspects (unless, of course, they're so enraptured by the toy that they forget or cannot speak . . . in which case, that's really a good aspect in itself!). In the end, they sum up the pros and cons of the toy, and you have a much better feel for whether or not the thing is going to work for you or not.
Heck, I'd be willing to shell out a modest price in order to get to watch these videos before I decide to buy a toy. Not to mention that everybody likes watching sexy people masturbate (or, for toys that can be used with couples, have partnered sex). Making it educational, useful, and helpful at the same time? Yes, please!
Go both SexToyTester. Tell him to make more videos. Make your own similar videos. Some entrepreneur out there- start up this website idea of mine. Because seriously, you deserve to know what you're buying.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Porn Addiction? According To Who?
This post is largely a jump-off from this article about how the porn addiction portrayed in Kurt Cameron's new movie "Fireproof" is raising a lot of 'awareness' of such addiction.
First off, I still remember the good old days when I was in love with "Growing Pains". Mike Seaver had a best friend named 'Boner', something that amused my teenage self to no end. Or how about the episode where little Ben repeatedly called a phone sex hotline? For a girl who stumbled bewilderingly onto porn in her youth and had a lot of conflictions and guilt, that was a pretty precious episode to me, too. But now, of course, Kurt Cameron is uber-Christian . . . enough so that he refused to even kiss his onscreen costar in his new 'with God and some work, I saved my marriage' film "Fireproof". They had to bring in his real-life wife and some shadowy filming to get the scene. I try not to laugh at this fact. I try to tell myself that it's pretty amazing that he sticks to his principles that way and that he wants to remove himself from all temptation that kissing a strange woman might promote. Like I said, I try. I never said I succeeeded.
Even though it looks to be like a so-so acted, and very heavy-handed film with a big ol' "Christian" stamp all over it, it actually doesn't look half-bad, if you're really dead-set on watching a movie about relationships. My reaction is "Ugh", but then again, I've never cared for most love stories unless they seriously engage another genre and do it well. Maybe once I'm married or involved long-term, I'll suddenly garner an interest for these types of tales.
But I'm getting off-topic. What about the porn?
Ah, yes, porn. Bane of the Christians. And with a lot of good defenses of porn/erotica popping up (like 'How about the beautiful celebration of love and sex in "Song of Solomon"?' or 'What about educational movies?', etc.), about the only thing they can really latch onto is the whole "porn addiction" thing. Which, as I've stated before, is a real problem that affects a whole bunch of people and a lot of marriages. But then again, Christian perspectives are working from a viewpoint that condemns porn. Talking about the men and women who casually consume porn without becoming addicted or being adversely affected isn't part of the agenda.
It's interesting, actually . . . a little researching tells me that porn isn't the only thing breaking down the marriage in this movie, which makes me happy, at least. None of the sensationalism of, say, Lifetime's "Cyber Seduction: His Secret Life". But at the same time, Kurt Cameron's character isn't portrayed as being obsessed with porn. He watches it. He cleans out his browser's cache after watching it (although, when your wife screams and gives you a hard time about it, who wouldn't?). But I'm sorry. Addiction this isn't. And it's pretty scary that people are watching this film are coming out shaking their heads about the 'horrible addiction'.
The scariest thing, though, is the fact that, coinciding with the movie, Internetsafety.com is giving out a 30% discount on their porn-blocking software. Now, I'm totally a fan of discounts. I'm totally a fan of people realizing they have a problem and attacking it head-on. And at the same time, I'm upset that nobody is questioning the fact that porn-blocking software companies ARE companies, and they do have a vested interest in promoting the idea of porn addiction. Nobody seems to be taking a critical eye towards this fact. If hysteria and scare tactics are brought to light as tactics of the media to stay self-sustaining, then why can't we ask whether or not such filter companies might have something at stake in convincing people that porn addiction is hugely prevalent, that even occasional looking is addiction, and that it is such a strong force that nothing short of complete and total removal will help you?
Millions of Christians- men and women- watch porn or otherwise consume erotica, and feel it is consistent with their faith. Churches (dependent on tithings) and other religious anti-porn contingents (hired therapists, filtering companies, 'overcoming porn addiction with Christ' books, etc., etc.) can't exactly take that line. Where would they be, then? I'm not trying to say that Christians are motivated by money. I know a lot who aren't, at all, and who really want the best for their friends, family, and parishioners. But I think a we need to ask some serious questions here, and even more when we aren't Christian, but still are told we might suffer from porn addiction.
Who is benefiting from pathologizing you today? Who is requesting money to cure you of your diagnosed addiction, instead of telling you to practice some self-control instead of putting on blinders (which certainly don't work very well when commercials have half-naked chicks soaping up cars sexily)? Whose might like to guilt you straight to the "Porn Addiction" bookshelf at your local bookstore? Ask yourself these questions, and get back to me.
It's cool with me if you don't like porn. It's cool with me if you like porn but feel it's not so good for you and so you abstain. It's pretty dang cool with me if you like porn. But it ain't cool to let others make these decisions for you, especially when the person they're looking out for may not really be you.
Am I totally off-base here? I dunno . . . I'm tired and, for some reason, it's my third blog of the day (can we say 'no social life'?). Comments would be welcome!
First off, I still remember the good old days when I was in love with "Growing Pains". Mike Seaver had a best friend named 'Boner', something that amused my teenage self to no end. Or how about the episode where little Ben repeatedly called a phone sex hotline? For a girl who stumbled bewilderingly onto porn in her youth and had a lot of conflictions and guilt, that was a pretty precious episode to me, too. But now, of course, Kurt Cameron is uber-Christian . . . enough so that he refused to even kiss his onscreen costar in his new 'with God and some work, I saved my marriage' film "Fireproof". They had to bring in his real-life wife and some shadowy filming to get the scene. I try not to laugh at this fact. I try to tell myself that it's pretty amazing that he sticks to his principles that way and that he wants to remove himself from all temptation that kissing a strange woman might promote. Like I said, I try. I never said I succeeeded.
Even though it looks to be like a so-so acted, and very heavy-handed film with a big ol' "Christian" stamp all over it, it actually doesn't look half-bad, if you're really dead-set on watching a movie about relationships. My reaction is "Ugh", but then again, I've never cared for most love stories unless they seriously engage another genre and do it well. Maybe once I'm married or involved long-term, I'll suddenly garner an interest for these types of tales.
But I'm getting off-topic. What about the porn?
Ah, yes, porn. Bane of the Christians. And with a lot of good defenses of porn/erotica popping up (like 'How about the beautiful celebration of love and sex in "Song of Solomon"?' or 'What about educational movies?', etc.), about the only thing they can really latch onto is the whole "porn addiction" thing. Which, as I've stated before, is a real problem that affects a whole bunch of people and a lot of marriages. But then again, Christian perspectives are working from a viewpoint that condemns porn. Talking about the men and women who casually consume porn without becoming addicted or being adversely affected isn't part of the agenda.
It's interesting, actually . . . a little researching tells me that porn isn't the only thing breaking down the marriage in this movie, which makes me happy, at least. None of the sensationalism of, say, Lifetime's "Cyber Seduction: His Secret Life". But at the same time, Kurt Cameron's character isn't portrayed as being obsessed with porn. He watches it. He cleans out his browser's cache after watching it (although, when your wife screams and gives you a hard time about it, who wouldn't?). But I'm sorry. Addiction this isn't. And it's pretty scary that people are watching this film are coming out shaking their heads about the 'horrible addiction'.
The scariest thing, though, is the fact that, coinciding with the movie, Internetsafety.com is giving out a 30% discount on their porn-blocking software. Now, I'm totally a fan of discounts. I'm totally a fan of people realizing they have a problem and attacking it head-on. And at the same time, I'm upset that nobody is questioning the fact that porn-blocking software companies ARE companies, and they do have a vested interest in promoting the idea of porn addiction. Nobody seems to be taking a critical eye towards this fact. If hysteria and scare tactics are brought to light as tactics of the media to stay self-sustaining, then why can't we ask whether or not such filter companies might have something at stake in convincing people that porn addiction is hugely prevalent, that even occasional looking is addiction, and that it is such a strong force that nothing short of complete and total removal will help you?
Millions of Christians- men and women- watch porn or otherwise consume erotica, and feel it is consistent with their faith. Churches (dependent on tithings) and other religious anti-porn contingents (hired therapists, filtering companies, 'overcoming porn addiction with Christ' books, etc., etc.) can't exactly take that line. Where would they be, then? I'm not trying to say that Christians are motivated by money. I know a lot who aren't, at all, and who really want the best for their friends, family, and parishioners. But I think a we need to ask some serious questions here, and even more when we aren't Christian, but still are told we might suffer from porn addiction.
Who is benefiting from pathologizing you today? Who is requesting money to cure you of your diagnosed addiction, instead of telling you to practice some self-control instead of putting on blinders (which certainly don't work very well when commercials have half-naked chicks soaping up cars sexily)? Whose might like to guilt you straight to the "Porn Addiction" bookshelf at your local bookstore? Ask yourself these questions, and get back to me.
It's cool with me if you don't like porn. It's cool with me if you like porn but feel it's not so good for you and so you abstain. It's pretty dang cool with me if you like porn. But it ain't cool to let others make these decisions for you, especially when the person they're looking out for may not really be you.
Am I totally off-base here? I dunno . . . I'm tired and, for some reason, it's my third blog of the day (can we say 'no social life'?). Comments would be welcome!
Porno Singalong
Just a fluffy post because I'm feeling musical. And because, quite frankly, if you can't joyfully sing about porn in our world today, I'm not sure I want to live in it. Not all these songs are exactly sex-positive, and most have at least some little barb either about porn's stars, it's fans/viewers, or the industry, but I've tried to choose the top then that celebrate it nonetheless.
1) Avenue Q's "The Internet Is For Porn". Yes, Trekkie Monster, it truly is. Who knew puppets watched porn?
2) "Thank You For The Porn" by Sean Cullen. I want this to be sang at the AVN Awards!
3) French Stewart (on Penn and Teller), singing "Hooray Pornography". With blow-up doll dancers!
4) Trucks "It's Just Porn, Mom!". A very catchy protest to parents everywhere.
5) Paul and Storm's "Internet Porn". Another very catchy little tune that you'll get stuck in your head, singing under your breath in the supermarket . . .
6) David Keystone's "The Porno Song". I'd say he's asking a pretty valid question!
7) "Ode To You Porn". Touching, really.
8) Foxycock's "Internet Porn". A loving and groovy tribute to the stuff.
9) "Poor Man's Porn" by The Worst. Anybody know what SBS means?
10) Does Gwen Diamond's special rendition of "Don't Speak" count? Either way, I'm still humming "Fuck me" . . . oh, and if she counts, then so do all these gay porn star singers, even if they aren't exactly singing about pornish topics.
1) Avenue Q's "The Internet Is For Porn". Yes, Trekkie Monster, it truly is. Who knew puppets watched porn?
2) "Thank You For The Porn" by Sean Cullen. I want this to be sang at the AVN Awards!
3) French Stewart (on Penn and Teller), singing "Hooray Pornography". With blow-up doll dancers!
4) Trucks "It's Just Porn, Mom!". A very catchy protest to parents everywhere.
5) Paul and Storm's "Internet Porn". Another very catchy little tune that you'll get stuck in your head, singing under your breath in the supermarket . . .
6) David Keystone's "The Porno Song". I'd say he's asking a pretty valid question!
7) "Ode To You Porn". Touching, really.
8) Foxycock's "Internet Porn". A loving and groovy tribute to the stuff.
9) "Poor Man's Porn" by The Worst. Anybody know what SBS means?
10) Does Gwen Diamond's special rendition of "Don't Speak" count? Either way, I'm still humming "Fuck me" . . . oh, and if she counts, then so do all these gay porn star singers, even if they aren't exactly singing about pornish topics.
And let's not forget that fun little Porn: The Musical, either. "We're going for the money shot!"
Queers Claim Webspace
Of course, this isn't a new thing- a small, but precious niche for queers has been carved out on the Internet, providing resources and information for a long time. And we gay and fey folk have done what's natural and created groups and networks on various non-queer sites to represent ourselves. And yet, there's a new trend sweeping by thatBut what I love and impresses me most about these new sites is the level of interactivity. Following off of famous models like Youtube, Myspace, and so on, they are often even better because they combine the best features of these various sites, creating a one-stop shop where you can catch up on news, write your own blogs, post pictures and post videos (hooray for these sites that allow for PG as well as X-rated videos and pictures!), chat in real time, talk in delayed time through forums, read literature, create your own 'page' to represent yourself, spread the word about events, befriend people in virtual space and leave them comments, play games with other users, join groups of like-minded people, take polls, search out members in your area . . . the list goes on.
Case in point: go visit that lesbian place where all the hot girls come, Digiromp, or FtM haven The Men's Room, where you can do all these things and more. And, to a lesser extent (both in terms of what you can do on the sites and in 'queerness factor'), nifty places like Sharing Is Sexy, Playful Bent, and Creative Filth (among others).
Compared to the sites of old, where information was one-way and hardly interactive, and it's evident that we've come far- very far (especially when these amazing websites are being created, not by super-advanced technological experts, but ordinary folks with just a little web design knowledge to their names). The community grows and evolves by the interaction of the users . . . which isn't to say that the big professional non-interactive sites where the information only comes from the creators (often limited by and dependent on sponsorship from advertisers) don't have their place as well. But there's something to be said for these new sites popping up, grass roots-style, with most content being collaboratively shared and created.
Or maybe I'm just being supremely influenced by my computer-assisted language learning class this semester and hence I'm all starry-eye'd at the idea of technology helping queers get together and learn together.
Either way, it's cool.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
One Step Closer To Solving The Mystery
Well, I woke up this morning determined to dig a little deeper into last night's mystery, and sure enough, I started getting a lot more information. That's forgiveable, right? Well, in my defense, when I wrote that post last night, it was 4:00 in the morning and I was still slightly buzzed off of 2/3 of a six pack of Smirnoffs.
Turns out there was a little bit of name disambiguation here . . . it would appear the director of said film is not "Angie Downing", but rather "Angie Dowling". Which still boggles my mind, even as a linguist, because while I've studied the phonological cause for nasalization of various sounds, I still have no idea how someone would mix up "l" and "n". But, whatever. So, now we're getting closer. Turns out she's not British, but rather, Australian, although living (or was living at the time) in London. She was apparently the UK's first lesbian pornographer (though I can find no other mention, nor any of her work), and previously worked as a producer/panelist on several lesbian-themed documentaries commissioned by Britain's Channel 4 (such as "The Money Shot"). She was inspired by the work of her idol Pedro Almodavar, who began his directorial career in porn. She may or may not have organized the 2007 BOLD in Pensacola, Florida and been part of writing the same titled play, starring as Natalie in its run, and being a big part of its parent organization BOLD (which stands for "Birth On Labor Day" and is pretty much like "The Vagina Monologues" for labor and childbirth).
The names of her other three films have finally surfaced, too: "Knock Knock", "The Girlie Urge", and "Tick Tock". "The Girlie Urge" was marketed as "the first lesbian masturbation movie in the world", featuring seven separate solo scenes of girls getting off. "Tick Tock" takes place in a belltower where a closeknit group of seven gay girls live and spend their time exploring the realm of intense feelings. Supposedly very brightly colored and shot in "funky cartoon style" . . . whatever that means. "Knock Knock" takes a slightly more "boys, you can't have it" stance with its marketing: "These lesbians are 100% real, men have no chance at all. The ladies indulge in erotic pleasures at London appartments, vaginal juices flow like Indian mountain streams and clitorises swell to the size of golfballs. No bi-sexual women here, only true, hot-blooded lesbians in a colourful lesbian sex show." Quite frankly, I'd be a little scared of golfball-sized clitorises, and I have no idea how freely Indian mountain streams flow, but you've got to give them credit for creativity.
Turns out there was a little bit of name disambiguation here . . . it would appear the director of said film is not "Angie Downing", but rather "Angie Dowling". Which still boggles my mind, even as a linguist, because while I've studied the phonological cause for nasalization of various sounds, I still have no idea how someone would mix up "l" and "n". But, whatever. So, now we're getting closer. Turns out she's not British, but rather, Australian, although living (or was living at the time) in London. She was apparently the UK's first lesbian pornographer (though I can find no other mention, nor any of her work), and previously worked as a producer/panelist on several lesbian-themed documentaries commissioned by Britain's Channel 4 (such as "The Money Shot"). She was inspired by the work of her idol Pedro Almodavar, who began his directorial career in porn. She may or may not have organized the 2007 BOLD in Pensacola, Florida and been part of writing the same titled play, starring as Natalie in its run, and being a big part of its parent organization BOLD (which stands for "Birth On Labor Day" and is pretty much like "The Vagina Monologues" for labor and childbirth).The names of her other three films have finally surfaced, too: "Knock Knock", "The Girlie Urge", and "Tick Tock". "The Girlie Urge" was marketed as "the first lesbian masturbation movie in the world", featuring seven separate solo scenes of girls getting off. "Tick Tock" takes place in a belltower where a closeknit group of seven gay girls live and spend their time exploring the realm of intense feelings. Supposedly very brightly colored and shot in "funky cartoon style" . . . whatever that means. "Knock Knock" takes a slightly more "boys, you can't have it" stance with its marketing: "These lesbians are 100% real, men have no chance at all. The ladies indulge in erotic pleasures at London appartments, vaginal juices flow like Indian mountain streams and clitorises swell to the size of golfballs. No bi-sexual women here, only true, hot-blooded lesbians in a colourful lesbian sex show." Quite frankly, I'd be a little scared of golfball-sized clitorises, and I have no idea how freely Indian mountain streams flow, but you've got to give them credit for creativity.
"Madam and Eve" also has more secrets to reveal: some of the cast members are also part of Britain's all-girl shock-rock band Rockbitch. Some say it was shot in a abandoned hospital; others say it was shot in a disused Benedictine monastery in France. It's rumored that the film stars the members of a real-life sex commune. Everyone apparently got to wear costumes from latex fetish fashion label and production/performance agency Torture Garden.
I guess I should be pretty happy- I've got a correct name, a lot of personal history that seems to track a very vibrant globe-trotting activist woman, and I've got a number of websites selling all four of her real dyke films. But I'm still curious- I want to talk to this woman who has, it seems, never been interviewed (at least, and then had it published online). First dyke pornographer in Britain is a big title. Does she ever want to return from advocacy for pregnant ladies to producing more dyke smut? I visited Rusty Films but, as often happens, the domain name has expired and now whatever information it once held has been lost.
On the upside, all this searching through British female pornographers has unearthed some seriously cool ladies, including Hungry Films' Anna Brownfield and Anna Span (even if their stuff is mostly het). Although, let's not forget the amazing Brit Petra Joy, either, whose exploits are well-documented on the Web.
Anyways, that's Angie Dowling, Australian-British dyke pornographer maverick, still somewhat of a mystery. You can find her films scattered about UK retailers, but the best site I found, in terms of reviews, screenshots, and 0 (or region-free) coded DVD's, is Orgazmik Europe. Go ahead, buy them. I mean, seriously, you can borrow "Champion" from any of your trendy friends when it comes out. Who else is going ot have these films, though?
Who Is Angie Downing? Or: Dyke Porno Mystery
Yeah, I know, I know, it was only a short while ago that I was complaining about not being able to even keep up with all the new dyke porn out there. So you'll probably only have bad things to say about me when I bring up some old-school porn (old-school, in this case, being at least 5 years old). I can't help it, okay? I have an all-encompassing drive to have *the* most complete real dyke porn collection ever, or at the very least, the most comprehensive knowledge of the genre, no matter how obscure.And this one really does appeal to the dyke detective in me, because, quite frankly, I can find out almost nothing about it.
"Madam and Eve" is a UK flick, which might help explain some of its obscurity for a Yank like myself (along with its age and the relative presumed obscurity of being a real dyke porno). But nonetheless, the information I can scrounge up tells me that the film was nominated for Best Erotic Film of the Year 2003- certainly that means it got some acclaim and fame, right?
But Google is not being very forthcoming with information. All I know is that Angie Downing is the director of the video, and that her name is sometimes spelled "Angia" and that she also sometimes goes by 'Rusty Cave', which really makes me curious. And I know that the cover is plastered with the phrases "100% Lesbian Made" and "Real Lesbians Enjoying Real Sex". And that it has a delightfully wacky plot, involving a lesbian hospital where women are rushed in with their sexual emergencies. The tagline given to every site that sells it: Laugh as Madam gazes through her crystal ball predicting what sexual awakenings will happen in Eden today. Experience the loudest, longest multiple orgasm from Pinkie Vindaloo, witness Madam receive the most divine oral sex from Sista Kitty, and let Eve amaze you with her strap-on techniques.
Certainly, I've had my share of mysterious porn- I still haven't solved, for example, the question of who was really behind Mojo Video's "Real Butch Dyke Lesbians". But I do have Ms. Downing's name and the allusion on the interwebs that "Madam and Eve" is actually the third- yes, third!- lesbian film she's produced/directed.
The companies listed as part of the production are Red Hot Diva and Rusty Films (perhaps shedding light on the nickname), but I can find little about the former (except for the fact that they are heavily into publishing lesbian erotica), and absolutely none on the latter. Dead end there (for me, at least . . . maybe you're better).
Really, what I'm hoping as I post this is that some fantastic reader of mine will be a super-searcher or Internet troller who can promptly report back to me and solve this little mystery. At the risk of cheesily ripping off Ayn Rand, who is Angie Downing? Where have you gone, Rusty Cave? Are you still making lesbian porn for lesbians? What were the other two films you made? And most importantly, if I paid you in British pounds and exorbitant shipping fees, could I get "Madam and Eve" to play on my region 1 DVD player?
I truly am curious to get to the bottom of all of this, Scooby Doo-style. But even more than that, I want to explore this new aspect of queer porn history. I'm well-acquainted with the tale of American queer smut, way back from humble beginnings with OOB (that's "On Our Backs" for you layfolks) and Ssspread.com, all the way to cutting-edge companies like Pink & White Productions. And I got a taste of modern French queer smut with Emilie Jouvet and her film "Pour Une Nuit"/"One Night Stand". But British dykes . . . I know nothing except that Sarah Waters can write one hot lesbian period piece, for sure. I don't even have a language barrier, so it's sad that I- and, presumably, the rest of the the American queer porn fanclub- don't know about our friends across the Atlantic and what they were doing 5 years ago . . . or for that matter, what they might be doing right now. This is now my new goal: investigate Britain's queer porn scene. I shall report back.
In the meantime, if you're out there, Angie, let me know!
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