Showing posts with label James Deen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label James Deen. Show all posts

Monday, January 28, 2013

A Week of Sex: January 20-27


This was a big week. I tried for two days to narrow this down, and I have finally given up. On the plus side, there should be something of interest to pretty much everyone here - even if cartoon-spoof porn is your thing. No, I'm not joking. 
As if there weren't already 50,000 reasons to love Susie Bright - now the sexpert is donating her archives (she's been writing about sexuality and feminist issues since the 1970s) to Cornell University. The archives 'document the “historical shifts in the social construction of sexuality, with a focus on U.S. lesbian and gay history and the politics of pornography.”' If you don't know who Susie Bright is, go introduce yourself to her work immediately. 
Ever wonder what goes through the minds of sex workers while they're dancing/stripping/etc.? Take a peek.
And if you ever wondered if the lofty heels of the dominatrix were the perfect fit for your dainty tootsies, here's a primer.
Because of the nature of sex work, sex workers not only work outside the law in a private, often secluded and uncontrolled environment, but are socially stigmatized. This is a bit like a Bermuda triangle of risk, making them targets for all sorts of abuse and violence if they're not careful and lucky. UBC students are proposing a pilot program to provide 100 sex workers in Vancouver's Downtown East Side (DTES) with panic buttons with GPS that only activate when triggered, thus removing the "big brother" concern associated with similar devices.
Spoiler alert: No.
Another perspective on porn deals with what today's hypersexualized culture (sexting, slut-shaming, porn - even advertising and mainstream media) is doing to children growing up with it. 
Yeah, you read that right. An orgy that enables students to explore an "adult playground," including public nudity and sex, is not only being tolerated but being backed by the University. I totally picked the wrong post-secondary institution.
I'm all for a good parody. Some of my favourite pornos are parodies. But is XXXing Spongebob taking it just a little far?
It's nice to see a lady admitting to loving having sex with her partner this much. It tugs at the heartstrings. Really. I may have even said "Aw."
I'm so proud of Sundance this year. Also really wishing I coulda been there.
A wee interview about a little film called Kink (that I talked about in this post) and the trailer for the film itself. Best quote? "If pornography was high school, we would be the goth table."
  • The War of the Jameses
Turns out two of my favourite Jameses - James Franco, blockbuster star turned porn aficionado, and James Deen, porn star turned The Canyons leading man - want to bring the now legendary character from 50 Shades of Grey, Christian Grey, to life on the big screen. I'd watch either of them so I'm having trouble picking sides. I like to picture them mud wrestling for the honours - but that might just be me.

Phew. Toldya. And with that I'm dragging my exhausted ass to bed. Hope my hard work gave you some entertainment!

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Condoms are Cramping Porno Valley's Style


Working in porn carries certain risks. Not least of which is the risk of catching an STD - HIV in particular. This is an issue porn production companies are not unaware of, and (at least on this continent) they put measures in place to minimize the risk of transmission amongst actors. But, the fact of the matter is, these risks exist.

Near the end of 2012, a proposed piece of legislature called "Measure B" was approved, mandating the use of condoms on all porn set in LA County - an area many adult entertainment companies and porn stars call home. Though hailed as a major coup by HIV/AIDS activism groups, the new law has not been as popular with adult entertainment producers - or the actors working in the industry.

In December 2012 James Deen (a porn actor primarily, but who will be starring alongside Lindsay Lohan in upcoming Brett Easton Ellis flick, The Canyons) spoke out on the subject, calling the measure unnecessary and further stating that the actors working in the adult entertainment industry are just that - adults - capable of weighing health risks and making their own informed decisions.

Perhaps not surprisingly, 2013 has brought with it a lawsuit in which Vivid Entertainment and porn stars Kayden Kross and Logan Pierce are suing the government over the law, claiming that it is unconstitutional and breaks their first amendment rights to freedom of expression.

I can see both sides of this particular debate. On the one hand, if you work in an industry where unprotected sex is the norm, even if you're a consenting adult, it might be difficult (or impossible) to say no to unprotected sex and still get work. There's also the issue of infection spreading faster than in the general population, and crossing over into it. But these are not new issues, and let's face it, there are plenty of people engaging in risky sex with multiple partners without getting paid for it.

On the other hand, for many - if not most - adult film stars, working bareback is something they are not only okay with, but prefer. And who's to tell them they can't do what they want with their bodies? No one's making everyone who hooks up at a club on Friday night for a one-night stand wear condoms by law, and some of them have gone without any form of testing for much longer and engaged in riskier behaviour than the porn stars in question. At least with porn stars, there's an added incentive not to take stupid risks - since if they contract an STD they'll be temporarily or permanently unable to work in the industry.

This is one of those issues I'm having a hard time picking a side on.

What do you think?