"Why is it," I asked him rhetorically, "that smut is less acceptable than violence or the shallow idolization of 'famous people'? It's damn odd really, because my kids got here through normal, healthy sex -- not via violence or the vicarious living or emotional stalking of celebrities."
Speaking of books and moms, Elline (at Girl with Pen) happily reviews Mama, PhD: Women Write About Motherhood and Academic Life in Off the Shelf: Mama, PhD:
The contributors in this book, edited by Caroline Grant and Elrena Evans, break the seal of silence that suppresses the intense difficulties and institutionalized prejudice that academics who want to be more than just a "head on a stick" – but rather a whole person, including a maternal body – experience.
In what certainly will not be news to feminists who have long argued that images in & portrayals by the media, the bottom line was, according to Dr Bjarne Holmes, a psychologist who led the research, "We now have some emerging evidence that suggests popular media play a role in perpetuating these ideas in people's minds."
Interestingly, after participating in the survey about media and relationships, Alessia then asked Which Came First? The Chick-Flick Or The Egg On Your Face? Worth reading -- and keeping tabs on her continuing thoughts on the study.
Because, yes, it bothers me deeply when you (especially my sweet cross dressers), get all squeamish about menstruation. Some of you think it's TMI, but a few of you have made comments about how "lucky" they are to "take what they want of femininity and leave the rest" -- and that really makes me angry. It makes most women angry.
The greatest harm that I can find in the story I have to tell, is that when I thought porn was evil, it had a negative effect on my confidence with women, and in myself; it led to psychological issues for me, and it meant a denial of my true sexuality. That ideology was harmful to me in the same way as it appears that certain right-wing Christian ideologies can be harmful to young gays in their midst. I am glad to accept erotica and porn as being not in and of themselves evil or wrong.
There just seems to be this inability for some of Luke's fans, mostly male fans from my experiences, to accept the fact that this character is a sexual being. I suppose because the Force and being a Jedi is always depicted as being "spiritual" and away from the body, those fans feel the need to see him as a celibate priest. I won't even get into the debate over the Old Jedi Order (Yoda, et.al.) and its regulation that Jedi have no attachments and whether or not that meant celibacy. Lordisa, I'm not touching that one right now!
Nothing against him -- he's been very nice dealing with a movie fan whose ignorance is pretty clear -- but how do I better articulate my thinking that our perceptions may be, at least in part, influenced by our genders (and related expectations, emulations, and emotions) without sounding like a silly girl? Or worse yet, some foaming-at-the-mouth feminazi?!
But at the end of the day it isn't sex in exchange for money that degrades, cheapens and enslaves women it's societal norms and roles. Prostitution will NEVER go anywhere because it's apart of human/ape/primate identity, it's who we are. Whether or not you look at it this way there is "prostitution" all throughout "regular" sexual relationships between people even marriages.
Because you know there's still a lot more defending of sex work to be done, Amber Rhea (of Being Amber Rhea), has some Red Herrings for you:
It's about people articulating their own sexual desires and boundaries - especially women, as we have been traditionally denied this right.
Last, but not least, Latoya Peterson's post (at Racialicious) called The Not Rape Epidemic which is so good, that I cannot select a quote from it. Just go read it all. I mean it.
A few final words about this carnival...
I had a great time hosting it. While the holidays admittedly slowed the number of submissions, those I received were wonderful; in fact, I'll be adding quite a number of new blogs/bloggers to the sidebar due to this experience.
The carnival, and in fact the issues the carnival supports, needs your support too. So please submit to future carnival editions, consider hosting a future edition, and link to the carnival posts.
Perhaps most important of all, please continue the conversations presented in individual posts/articles in the Feminist Carnival of Sexual Freedom and Autonomy. It can be silently, in your mind; in person discussion with friends & family etc. in the real world; or via blogging, letters to the editor at other publications, or other use of media. But continued exploration and expression of these issues is important.
While my carnival hosting duties may officially be over, I'm open to hearing from more of you about such related topics; so please, whenever you have or find posts which fit my beat aka submissions call, please do contact me.
I absolutely abhor it when a person starts off a blog with "I'm sorry I haven't written", a preamble to some excuse that, frankly, nobody really wants to read; but today I have to do it. (Such is the curse of uttering the word "never".)
I've had a dreadful sinus infection, keeping me couch-ridden for several weeks as moms cannot afford to take to their beds and still watch the tots -- yet I was too tired to climb the stairs just for a change of sleeping venue. The reason I mention this is not to 'excuse' my absence (as a hobby-blogger, you pay me nothing for my services; so I owe you nothing in return), but rather to explain just how I managed to watch hours upon hours of films as I just have. OK, and maybe to justify things if, still under the influence of cold medicine & an antibiotic still ripping its way through my digestive tract (and sure to cause a yeast infection), I don't make a lot of sense right now.
Enough of the disclaimers already; get yourself a beverage and settle in to read because I'm about to begin a long post.
For the second time in my life I watched Let's Make Love (1960). The first time I saw it in its entirety I was about 16 & I really disliked it.
I told myself that I didn't like it because of Yves Montand. His personal ickyness in his relationship with Marilyn was so visible in his character (Jean Marc Clement) -- or at least that ickyness was the general perception of Jean Marc Clement & why the theatre group in the film was mocking him. Also, because 16 was the age at which I began stalking Marilyn Monroe, knowing how horrid director George Cukor was to her made me feel the whole film was a mean mess. While this film isn't Marilyn's greatest, and there's something valid in Marilyn's real life situations which would affect the film thus, the real truth -- the honest truth -- is that sixteen-year-old-me was uncomfortable with Marilyn's sexuality.
And it hits you right from the start of the film, with the voluptuous blonde wearing a bulky but short purple sweater over a sheer black nylon catsuit.
Strangely, I've always loved Marilyn singing My Heart Belongs To Daddy. I've owned it on CD and even performed the song, including public impersonation of Marilyn singing it (actually I did so twice, if you count my parody performance of My Heart Belongs To Mommy at a "lesbian music festival"). But the vision of Marilyn in such sexualized 60's beatnik garb just didn't sit right with me at 16; while the song was verbalized peek-a-boo & tease, the physical display was nearly vulgar to me.
Aesthetically speaking, I prefer more glamour and peek-a-boo tease than blatant sexuality in dress; but what made me squirm at that age, though I never would never say so out loud, was all those curves -- including a soft, feminine, rounded tummy. Watching the film again as an adult, I was once again embarrassed -- but this time, over my confused, immature, 16 year old self's reaction.
It's easy to understand, and forgive, a young woman's discomfort with such an out-there, highly-sexualized presentation of the female form. And I did forgive myself for that easily enough. But that other part, that lack of acceptance of a woman's real form -- including her belly, that seems unforgivable... Unless you allow for my early indoctrination of beauty standards which eschew the realities of the female form. And that's precisely what upsets me.
How unforgiving I was, how unkind to my idol, to not allow her her humanness in physical form when I was so ready, willing and able to condemn those, like Cukor and Montand, who wouldn't allow her human frailty-- or would exploit her for it. My inability to accept her non-perfection -- even when so uncomfortable being confronted with her attractiveness, her sexuality -- seems nearly unforgivable.
My only consolation is that I have out-grown such childish notions. Having put them aside, I no longer will need to avoid watching Let's Make Love.
Feeling wiser and somewhat emotionally victorious, but no better health-wise, I was prompted to then watch another movie that I had not seen since I was 16.
That movie was Blue Lagoon.
Blue Lagoon was the 'it' film for teens in 1980, and raised quite a ruckus which I felt was a much-to-do-about-nothing. Maybe it's because I was already reading far 'worse'; or maybe because while I found the film to be a sensual ode to (primarily) Brooke Shields, I did not find it erotic. Shields was (still is) beautiful, but I found the film footage to be more artistic than smutty... The island setting, the flora and fauna, the ocean and sky, were beautiful and Shields' beauty just seemed to blend in with that. It was natural. Not that sex isn't natural, but I didn't feel any heat. Not 'down there', not on my cheeks either.
You'd think that after all I said about Let's Make Love and Marilyn's obvious prancing sexuality that I'd have had some discomfort or other with this film. Especially as Let's Make Love was watched at home alone, while Blue Lagoon was a public trip to the theatre with my peers. But I didn't experience any sexual confusion or discomfort; at least not directly.
Perhaps this was because Christopher Atkins did next-to-nothing for me. He was too soft & pretty -- like those non-threatening boy-band guys (then and today). Which totally explains his 1982 nude appearance in Playgirl.
Even watching it again as an adult I was more moved by, attracted to, Brooke's beauty than his. But I certainly didn't feel 'erotic'.
Not that Let's Make Love made me feel erotic (then or now); but there was the idea of sex, much more so than in Blue Lagoon... In fact, Blue Lagoon, while lush & far more beautiful (in terms of film quality too), just had the feeling of kids playing at being grown-ups. It could have been the awkward acting, simplistic dialog dumbed-down rather than portraying innocence (almost mocking what we then-called Third World countries for a lack of education and superstitious rituals in place of actual Religion), but even then I held the director, Randal Kleiser, accountable for being too in lust with 'beauty' to care about the story.
In fact, I wasn't just "not erotically moved" by the film, but disappointed angry at what was delivered as opposed to what could have been. There were hints of possibilities, things to think about, but it was campy -- and what was up with that tacked-on rushed ending? Wasn't the family's return to 'society' one of the most interesting concepts to explore?
I guess Brooke & Chris were too beautiful for anyplace other than that island setting.
Anyway, the sticking point for this film, the food for thought for today, is what happened after my friends and I had watched the film back in 1980. All my friends, those I had seen the movie with and those who had just seen it period, were absolutely in teenage love-lust with Christopher Atkins -- and staring at me oddly because I was not.
This is where my embarrassment kicks in.
No, I didn't think I was a lesbian; I didn't think I had any problem at all. I was embarrassed by their adoration of this pretty man-child, that they would fall for some mishap of movie making which attempted to manipulate them -- transparently, cheaply, and without any skill or finesse. Like a cheesy country song or the clumsy hand of a careless lover whose only concern is to please himself. (Yes, Kleiser, you can take that personally.) How could girls fall for that? Truly embarrassing.
It was even more embarrassing & disconcerting than those who objected to the film for moral reasons.
I was keen to watch Blue Lagoon again after my recent experience with Let's Make Love, I wondered how I'd feel about it now; but nothing had changed after all. I'm still disturbed that anyone could be moved by the film enough to fall for the romance or be outraged by the immorality.
Whatever points 16-year-old-me lost with Let's Make Love I more than recouped with Blue Lagoon.
But my re-run movie fun isn't over yet.
Next, up The Wedding Singer. There's not much to say other than I have always loved this film (I own it and the soundtrack); as a product of the 80's why wouldn't I? While watching it with my husband he asked, "What else has the actress who plays Linda been in?" I couldn't think of a thing -- which is rather a shame because Angela Featherstone's excellent as the bitch-to-hate.
But the real reason I mention this is that right after The Wedding Singer ended, I flipped channels.
What did I find?
On the Sci-Fi channel, Caved In: Prehistoric Terror, an as-to-be-expected campy horror film -- starring Angela Featherstone and Christopher Atkins!
I shit you not.
Featherstone is still pretty; but Atkins isn't -- he's finally handsome!
Chris and I have finally grown up, I guess. And now I wouldn't mind some nude photos...
PS If you're still reading this, I will be (fingers crossed) moving this blog to its own domain & private hosting this weekend.
I do this because ever since the "blogger warning" has been issued to me (and yes, I take it personally), traffic (also affected by a lack of posting, I know) and stat tracking (which should not change with poor posting habits) has dropped drastically.
I honestly have no idea what fresh hell I shall discover with such a move, but, despite the possibly snarky sounding (yet accurate) statement that I owe you nothing as far as guaranteed postings, I do apologize in advance for any craziness which comes from 'moving' the blog.
This week, I've been outed (with my husband yet!), forced at gunpoint to join Twitter, and been interviewed on Radio Blowfish (direct link to the specific podcast download here.
Time to stop tooting my horn & having air blown up my, er, 'skirt'.
I return now to my regularly scheduled hermit status.
I've been out in the big blue room, buying or at least hoping to add to my collections; so I've not been online much. I'm not sure if it's greed which makes me stay away, or if it's just a momentum issue & I resist a change to once again sitting in front of the screen... Well, that and I may have an announcement regarding a project next week or so :knock wood:
But in any case, here are a few things I managed to spot this week...
1) Peter at Beauty In Darkness discusses BDSM in mainstream movies -- I'm less interested in Wanted; but revel in the dish on The Mask of Fu Manchu.
In male fantasies, the myth of "the sexy lesbian happening" is bountiful. I discuss them -- and more -- in Of Pillow Fights & Panty Showing at Sex-Kitten.Net.
The question is, "Vintage or not, what have you learned from your porn today?"
I remember being allowed to stay up late and watch The Carol Burnett Show. Korman was rather dashing to me. I know Lyle Waggoner was supposed to be the stud, "tall dark & handsome"; but Korman was tall dork and handsome, and that won me over.
(Which explains why Tim Conway was put in the pile with Artie Johnson -- funny & cute, but not tall enough for me. Sorry, guys.)
I loved that Korman often couldn't keep a straight face. That somehow made him less imposing and more human, especially to a goofy, dorky girl like me.
Therefore, I don't want to wish Harvey the traditional, "Rest in peace", but a more meaningful, "Go do that voodoo that you do so well!"
In honor of Korman, I recommend watching Blazing Saddles.
If I stopped hunting for things and their stories, I’d be bored, and a lot less interesting. And I’d only read more to get that thirst sated. Who’s to say reading as escape, or researching in books, is any more important than questing for objects? Either way, your brain, soul, and shelves are full.
And I don’t mean, in any way, to imply that one collection is better than another — that comic books are less than non-fiction tomes, or that new action figures are less important than documents. Because the way I’m beginning to see things is that the act of collecting is about questing… It’s about finding more than objects, but answers.
Perhaps what we’re all doing, ultimately, is seeking the answer to “Why do I collect this?” And that answer is individual, unique. My answer will be different than your answer — even if we covet & collect the same “junk”. The joy is in finding that answer. Which is why collectors often change collections — they’ve answered one question and are off on a new question, a new quest. And this simply refutes the idea of a mental illness; for what can be more healthy than self-knowledge?
Adam Carolla, dressed as a Latin Lothario, complete with Zorro mask & cape, finishes a Paso Doble with Julianne Hough and says, "I want to thank the wardrobe department for dressing me like a silent porn star."
This after beginning the dance on a unicycle.
Occurred Monday, April 7th, on Dancing With The Stars. Adam was still the one to be cut last night. Since Adam plugged this blog, I'll plug The Hammer.
John Coulthart of Feuilleton and I had been discussing my eroticizing specific non-erotic artworks. He suggests it's simply the sublime in the illustrations, the "sinuous Art Nouveau curves"; I believe it may have more to do with something else...
I wrote:
Does anyone else find such illustrative style, and in fact most illustration in fairy tales etc., very erotic? I mean it’s not sexual, and the stories aren’t (necessarily) so either, but something in the epic nature, the good v. evil, combined with the fantastic puts me in such a frame of mind…
Also as noted in my comment, I'm not sure where I'm heading with this train of thought. Even after a discussion with my husband on this (an astute judge not only of art and graphic design, but of 'me' and my thinking), I'm still not much clearer.
I most definitely agree that Art Nouveau is sexy. But I still believe there's something more than just the style at work here.
I'm no closer, really, to being able to articulate what it is I am trying to get at, what I am feeling here... And in part, there's a reason why.
In all honesty, I've put off posting this for quite some time as I'm beginning to think (fear) that all roads lead back to Girlie Town. That somehow, in my mind, there's nothing really to point to other than a romanticism of the classic female variety, for which I feel on the defensive -- as if admitting my gender, created in no small part by (and also in spite of) our pervasive & insidious culture, is some how a fault, a flaw which will haunt me... rendering any past and all future posts to simply the opinions of a girl.
While I cannot be other than what I am (even if in my entitled position of "being in process"), there's something about being stamped A Girl which undermines credibility.
If my eroticism of Art Nouveau is boiled down to the simple "because you're a girl", then it's not only condescending to my gender but to myself personally.
My character, education, experience and opinions (which are a result of all the former things) are suddenly dismissed. I become predictably female and my opinions impotent in such simplicity (even if living as a female is anything but).
It's very much like artist whose work receives the stamp of Pop Culture Favorite. While the focus should be on the fact that the "pop" stands for "popularity", folks deride the value of the work. Ultimately, an artist communicates, and if the message is accepted, becomes popular, then ought not success, real not (only) monetarily, be the stamp given? Yet, the relationship seems to most often be a direct but inversely proportionate one. The more people like it, the less it is respected; as if mass adoration/adoption must equal "watered down" and worthless.
My (perhaps very) female reaction, however complex it might be, to Art Nouveau becomes watered down and worthless by virtue of its very direct relationship to a large number of persons, i.e. the female population. And I don't like it.
Especially when Art Nouveau has the very same sublime curves as I.
#3 For those who need names for their SPS scorecard, I give you Nick van der Kolk of Love & Radio. It's a bit of foreshadowing, so feel free to study ahead of the rest of the class.
When I was a little boy, I had a minor obsession with superheroes. I wanted Superman and his bulge to rescue me, I wanted Batman to make me his Boy Wonder, and I wanted Wonder Woman... well, I wanted to be Wonder Woman.
The purpose of this meme is to give high-fives to 5 people, posts, blogs and/or websites you've admired during the week. I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 5 high-fives on Friday. Trackbacks, pings, linky widgets, comment links accepted!
Visiting fellow High-Fivers is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your High-Fives in others comments (please note if NWS).
His student created the poster below for a scholarship contest at the Art Institutes, and while this smut collector spends much of her time either in a 'porn v art' debate (or trying to avoid one), I proudly declare that life is indeed better with art in it. No matter how you define 'art'.
Even if you secretly believe it would look better with a visible nipple. *wink*
Of Lust, Loss, Film Stars & Humor (Or, Get Me On Vince's Bus)
What I am about to discuss is a rare look into the personal life of Silent Porn Star. I do not offer it as a gratuitous glimpse of myself, but rather to illustrate the complexity of arousal and the uniqueness of celebrity status.
I have a personal fetish for a man simply because he looks a lot like one of my former lovers. This lover is now deceased. He died of a brain tumor nearly a dozen years ago. Our stormy relationship, messy separation and short-lived reunion at the time of his diagnosis (further confusing because of his choices in how to spend his time before he died) has always played tricks with my mind. Perhaps our ages have something do with this -- not just his 'too young to die' status, but my own immaturity in how to deal with it. The result is that he is not dead to me.
Instead, he lingers like any long lost lover; in the echoes of my mind he is forever frozen as he was, at the age and appearance of our last interlude, yet he remains alive, wandering about, living his life without me somewhere... The proof that I so believe this is cemented in my hell-hath-no-furry-like-a-woman-scorned anger at the thought of him -- until I remember that he's actually dead. Then I pause, trying to grapple with that fact. I rarely succeed in a real acknowledgment of this. It's an old wound, and very deep; and my denial is only apparently stronger with time.
I do not dream of this man, as some do in -- I think -- similar cases, nor think of him unprompted. However, my breath is taken away with the sight of this man -- or, more factually, the sight of this man who looks so much like him.
And it's not just that this man looks so much like him, but his voice, his humor, and even his mannerisms are so similar that I nearly cry, "Doppelgänger!"
Yet I swoon, all over again.
This celebrity who has the fated position of my fascination is Vince Vaughn, who is all over the news for the much anticipated and now released Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show; a film which, if the trailers are to believed, has my former lover 'written all over it' in terms of humor.
When I watch Vince, I am transported into some fantasy world where my lover is alive and even available for me. I am transported to the days when his arm rested around my shoulders & our laughter rang in my ears -- and, this time, I'm able to lay his darkness to rest in the security of my love. Vince is 'him' and 'he' is Vince. All is well here in this dream. (Even when this general non-celebrity caring girl will occasionally want to kick Jennifer Aniston's ass.)
Does it make me a bad person to flock to Vince's films because I long to pretend that he is my now-dead lover? If it does, then what I do at home to the Vince Vaughn movie rentals & DVD viewing is certainly not to be forgiven. Because, yes, I take the fantasies much further than anything Vince has done on screen.
Sure, Vince is the proverbial tall, dark & handsome. And he's funny. I obviously have a weakness for all of that. I'd like to believe I'd be a fan even if he didn't resemble my former love; but there's no way to know for sure now. He does; and I do.
It doesn't hurt that Dwight Yoakam is also in the film. While I'm not really a modern country music fan, Yoakam's Turn It On, Turn It Up, Turn Me Loose was one of songs I listened to (over & over again) during one of the many break-ups I'd had in that stormy relationship with the man who looked like Vaughn. Talk about your sentimental journey.
The fact that Wild West is a big party boy production, with men being men (read: testosterone fest), means there will be plenty more than just eye candy and my sentiments. Heaven help me, I love men, even at their pull-my-finger worst; but witty men? :swoon: Oh, how I'd love to have been on the tour bus -- flirting with them all, including Vince. (And if he dared to spurn me, Dwight can always sing Turn Me Loose again.)
(No, I won't discuss how Justin Long fits into all of this; I'll just note that he matters too.)
All I can say is that I hope to get to Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show -- but if I don't, I'll be buying the DVD release and adding it to my private viewing pile for many a stay-home and, ah, 'snuggle' night with the Wild West boys.
My point is, that 'celebrity', 'fame', and 'sex icon' status are awards not always given for tangibles which can be counted on. PR machines cannot create them; the people and personas themselves must touch us in some way. Just how they touch us is not always known. I doubt highly that somewhere in America right now there is a focus group dedicated to deciding the next leading male in film based upon his drawing power with female film watchers who've lost a lover to death. (A film, maybe; but not an actor's looks.)
The esoteric 'it' factor can't always be defined, let alone manipulated into marketing. But they still try. Even if only shoot enough would-bes at the wall and see who sticks.
I remember when as a young teen, Tiger Beat et all tried to foist Leif Garret upon us. Yeah, I loved Peter Lundy And The Medicine Hat Stallion (what young girl didn't love a horsey movie?) but I didn't fall for Leif. Peter Lundy? Maybe. However my crush didn't transfer to Leif.
Even when a friend won tickets from the local radio station to attend a Leif Garret concert, the three of us stood there chanting, "Dead!" whenever the other girls yelled, "We want Leif!" (So it was, "We want Leif dead!" --because we were clever, clever teenage girls -- gone wild!)
Perhaps if Leif resembled someone I had attachment to, he would have had a better shot. But his non-threatening white boy status (what marketers continue to thrust at the girls today) just didn't mean a damn thing to me.
While the giant PR machines try to sell us our fantasies and create celebrities they can profit from, there still is no formula they can rely on. And all of this is equally true for the stars of our pornographic dreams. It's not enough to have a big attribute & a pretty face; we want something more. And what that 'something more' is will vary so greatly that it's difficult to make a marketing equation based upon it.
Who could predict that Marilyn Monroe would have more 'it' than Jayne Mansfield? Who can say why Bettie Page lives on while millions of others have not? Who would have known that Parker Stevenson would succeed where Leif Garret failed?
Or just how & why Vince Vaughn will make a grown woman groan.
Noticed the spiffy new blog header, did ya? Well, while I was at it, I made some banners/buttons for you all to use when linking to me. Not that you have to use them -- or even link to me. But some folks have asked...
Note: The second one appears smaller in the post; but, as usual, click it and you'll see a larger version.
I get quite a few people who arrive at this blog searching for "where porn stars come from", "making of a porn star" and the like, which I'm guessing leads to some rather disappointed people who arrive here. I mean if you're looking for a how-to on becoming a porn star, this history-slash-collectibles blog isn't likely what you hoped for or expected to find.
But then again, I doubt there's any site which could really tell you, let alone teach you, what you want to know in that regard...
There's no formula to becoming a porn star or any sort of celebrity. You can study your craft, assume the position, be in the right places, and even know all the right people -- for any gig. But to become a star, a celebrity, a legend, well that requires that undefinable 'it' factor that cannot be learned, purchased, nor even, to the chagrin of some, given away should you have it.
People make you popular, and what makes the people want you, like you, and in the case of porn, desire you in that way, is elusive to define. Certainly if there's one thing that's obvious here at this blog, it's that. There just isn't anyway to know for certain why some become the sex symbol, the object of lust, the icon of sex; or why others do not.
“It was Bobby Fischer who had, single-handedly, made the world recognize that chess on its highest level was as competitive as football, as thrilling as a duel to the death, as esthetically satisfying as a fine work of art, as intellectually demanding as any form of human activity,” wrote Harold C. Schonberg, who reported on the Reykjavik match for The New York Times, in his 1973 book, “Grandmasters of Chess.”
Surely Bobby, as the rock star of chess, had his groupies -- those who knew geek-chic before there was a name for it, those who likely giggled at "Checkmate" or used it as a euphemism.
Heck, Bobby had 'it' before there was even 'porno-chic'. And as such, he deserves at least these passing remarks at Silent Porn Star. Rest in peace, Bobby.
Will Straw, PhD, Department of Art History and Communications Studies professor spotted my Hollywood Follies post and sent me an email requesting some information.
While I dig around in my collection (I have a system, but it's not very friendly to research requests like this), Will has allowed me to share his email so that any here with info can help.
Hi -- I was googling "Wayne Sabbath" and, after five pages of references to religious books, found your site, with the scans from Hollywood Follies. Thanks for those. I've been trying to reconstruct the career of Wayne and of his partner (who may, in fact, be him) "Cap'n Joey"/Jo Burten, who published spicy magazines from the 1920s onwards. Burten's Follies was the best known of these, and "Follies" turns up in many of his titles. The last record of any of them I can find is a reference to Joe getting busted c. 1959 for obscenity. Do you know any more about these guys?
In any case, thanks for the interesting read, Will
If you have any info please post it here and/or contact Will via contact info on his webpage.
I don't normally participate in memes, adult or not, but The Marketing Whore's year end meme seemed worthy of participation as a way to reflect on a few things...
1 What was your very favorite post you made this past year?
My first thought was my post on why this blog's not about me, but as I'm playing this meme about me, it seems rather too ironic... So I'll go with the Bumper Crop by Sample Simon because it exists nowhere else and I'm proud to bring that to the 'net. *wink*
2 What post was the most effective post you made this past year? (Based on links to it, comments, emails, sales etc.)
Are my comments to be included or am I to subtract them from the count? Since it's my blog and I opt to avoid too much math, I'm deciding that my comments do count (am I not important too?)
3 What are three of your favorite posts/articles that you've read this past year? (Not your own, but the works of others.) And do tell us all why you selected them.
First I'm going to mention Peter's Beauty in Darkness because it's an excellent blog digging up history of BDSM. I wish I could comment there, but it requires me to register and I hate another login dealio... (However, as he continues to find very cool stuff and ponder history, I fear I may have to.) Since I have been too lazy to do so as of yet, I point to his entire blog.
Now, as for particular posts...
Shon's post on porn moves me because he, however incorrectly, ponders to what degree his porn collection was the responsible for the end of his marriage.
While I will continually stress that porn does not end marriages -- incompatablity does -- his honest musing of such territory is to be commended. (I'm sure Shon would prefer I point out a stellar piece of fiction, for which he is deservedly famous, but I have to be honest and direct you to what I feel is noteworthy for it's alternating ugly anger, apologetic justifications, and lusty loathing. But while there, please do stop and enjoy a saucy tale.)
Last, but certainly not least, is Secondhand Rose's short story Warm Wet Velvet. It's rare that I point you all to an erotic story, that's true; but this story captures the essence of early sci-fi, the aroma of loneliness, and the texture of, well, warm wet velvet, bringing them -- and the reader -- to the sort of climax that lingers... Kudos, Miss Rose.
4 What was the most surprising thing you learned in 2007?
That the posts which consistently receive the most comments are the short posts of mainly images. Duh, the blog's got 'porn' in the title... And people have short attention spans.
I guess that's not as surprising as the fact that I keep on making larger, juicy, written posts. *wink*
Those longer posts do get comments -- and emails too. But some days, I wonder why when there is the most to talk about, there is less for others to say... Is it possible that I say everything that can be said? *wink*
5 What was the most valuable thing or lesson you learned in 2007?
Every blogger dreams of being selected for the cool kids' table by being mentioned at sites like Boing Boing and I was thrilled to actually achieve this honor in 2007 (Wo0t! -- this is me, beaming from ear-to-ear!) From the honor (and other similar linkage) I learned the following:
* that few visitors bother to visit the rest of the site
* that, again, the popular posts are quick and image laden (while I bust my hump to provide detailed, original and well-researched posts)
Ironically, and I refer you to question #4, I don't seem to stop the long posts.
But the big lesson here is that ultimately I blog here because I find this stuff interesting; the rest of you be damned.
6 Is there anything you wanted to learn this past year that you did not? Why not? And are you going to make this a goal for 2008?
Learn? How about "covet"? Couldn't that be an option instead? No? Damn, you're a demanding Marketing Whore!
I still am looking for information on many of the items listed in the help label/tag.
I continue to search, but am hoping readers will provide help -- hence the tag, dear readers.
Optional (but worth 100 extra Marketing Whore Bucks lol): For most of us, guarding our identities means not taking/publishing photos, but I double-dog dare you to take some photo of yourself, crop it to remove what you think is necessary to keep your privacy but still gives something special (and hopefully naughty) of you away ~ and publish it on your blog.
I might consider breaking my rules if Marketing Whore Bucks were redeemable for Gracie's vintage porn & historical sex stash -- I've seen bits of it, and I want it!
Because I am so greedy, I will consent to taking & posting an obscure photo of myself...
Yes, that's my slightly-aroused nipple looming over the cover of a March, 1969, Playboy.
I really hate to make this post -- I feel it clutters up the blog. But on the second anniversary of Silent Porn Star, some things apparently need to be addressed. Rather than an insipid celebration, I bring you a (perhaps long overdue) opus on the blog (an additional FAQ of sorts).
In the interest of those who don't care -- who want 'on with the show!' -- I'm going to list the types of persons/issues covered here. If you don't see 'you' on the list and are not overly interested in 'the blog as whole' (but rather just enjoy the pieces), please, feel free to skip this post. (There are no nifty photos or images to entertain.)
1) Companies/persons with products to sell. 2) Persons who want to ring my neck because I won't play memes & other online games. 3) Persons who want to know more about me, the person behind the blog.
-- Begin Opus --
Blogging is a balancing act. Every expert will tell you that blogging is all about 'transparency', the ability to be seen, identified, and contacted. The degree of transparency, to many, equals the degree of respectability and/or credibility. People 'should have the right to know who you are' including your education, experience and whatever else it is that makes you able to have -- or at least justify -- your opinions, ramblings, advice etc. On the surface, this sounds fair enough. Yet most of the sane folks will also warn you about privacy, especially in the adult arena. Put the two together and bloggers who talk about, show, or otherwise deal in human sexuality have to tread carefully. Transparency & Safety are a balancing act.
I will admit that in the matter of transparency I likely err on the side of safety. Other than contact info, I give little of myself away; and that's by design. However, my privacy is not the only reason for my opaqueness; in fact, it's not even the primary reason.
When I started this blog, I did so with very clear ideas of what I wanted to do: To look at stuff (of a sexual nature) and, where I could, examine them as a part of their time and a part of our culture. But I also knew that whatever you knew, whatever I shared about myself, would color how you interpret and react to this blog's show and tell.
I realize that I'm a filter, the filter, and as such there's a lot of 'me' in here. My gender, race, education, profession, economic status, marital status, motherhood, age, weight, and probably eye color for all I know -- all of that colors what I select and say. I know that much, have admitted that much. But still, I try to limit the amount of 'me' here.
For every person who thinks that my own education, for example, would lend credibility to what I say; there would be another who would find it lessens my credibility.
If I said my education was in marketing, poli-sci, English, history, which would make my posts crap? Which would make them credible? Would the institution matter?
This is tricky, subjective, and hell, highly personal.
With sex, it's trickier yet.
If I said that I had been paid for assisting people with their sex lives, would it be better (more credible) if that assistance came from authoring sex ed manuals, research for a call-in radio show, a condom maker, a Planned Parenthood nurse, a therapist for sex addicts, a sex toy inventor, or a hooker? For that matter, who is the most knowledgeable about sex? Is a counselor more knowledgeable about sex, or is a medical doctor? A sex worker? Would the gender, of any, matter?
In truth, your answers are in part based upon your gender, race, education, personal experiences, etc., etc., etc. They are your filter, and add to the conversations (comments & emails) -- even dictate whether you'll be here in general. But just as I don't require you to name, divest or otherwise unravel that ball of yarn which is you in order to share your thoughts, I don't need to do so to share mine either. We may be curious about one another, you and I... but we really don't need to know all of that.
This is why I decline to participate in online memes, refuse to review sex toys here, won't tell you what positions I love & hate, and won't dish on what I did last night, or who it was with. My feelings on the reverse cowgirl, the latest vibrating Vivid Girl gadget, or bisexual escapades in (or post) college are even less relevant than the afore mentioned matters. I can (and in many cases do) all of those things elsewhere without mucking things up here -- it makes for less muckraking. And that's the point.
I want the objects, persons, scandals, artifacts and artifices to be under the microscope, the fodder for discussion; not me.
Part of blog growth is a plethora of requests, oft requiring repeating yourself over & over again in emails. I hope this helps us all save some time...
Reviews:
I won't review sex toys, products or services which are personal here at this blog; so don't ask. I may review them at other sites -- under different pen names. Should this be of interest to you, email me. (Addy is on the sidebar & in my blogger profile.)
I will may review products and services which are related to this blog. These include books, films & publications on sexual history (including objects, icons, time periods etc.), as well as sites with similar themes, software for collectors, events for collectors/historians, etc. Contact me if you think you've got something 'very Silent Porn Star.'
Link Swaps/Reciprocal Links:
If you are a corporate site, or a site selling things -- especially those I wouldn't review, and 'all you want is a link swap', please note that I have no wish to (further) clutter the sidebar. I do understand pagerank et all; I just prefer to keep my readers in mind. I cannot link to 'everyone' so I offer BlogAds as an option for you.
Anyone else, feel free to link to the blog if you A) like it, and/or B) think your readers will like it. If you want a link back, feel free to ask; but I cannot promise (like Gracie says, it's limited floor space).
Also, if your blog is less than 3-4 months old, or with very little posting activity, you may want to wait to ask until you've got a more established blog.
Ads & Affiliates:
I use a very select number of affiliates. These are selected mainly for their inventory of older &/or more rare or historical inventory, and aside from Amazon (which honestly pays me in books), they are more shown off as I think of them. (And I'll admit, I occasionally watch those stats and see what you folks are interested in -- where I can, and when I can, I am reminded to post items from that category, time period etc.)
However, I am, in fact, quite often too forgetful (lazy?) to use affiliates etc. where I could. Ads are easier and better performing for us all. (Readers know those of you advertising like Silent Porn Star, so your ad dollar is like a vote -- hopefully readers will be returning the votes with dollars of their own.)
BlogAds has an excellent reputation, in no small part to very high CTRs, and if I can answer any questions for you about that, please let me know. Or go ahead and sign up here.
(Readers, I do personally approve each ad and decline unscrupulous companies/ads -- to the best of my ability. However, I am not responsible for those companies, offers or persons.)
Overall Notes On Money & The Blog:
I don't get rich from this; nor do I expect to. But I'm human and money is useful.
Frankly, funds raised serve as a kick in the behind to keep me posting. So if you like Silent Porn Star, support the advertisers. Really.
Writing:
As the sidebar says, I will neither write nor publish paid posts. That's Payolla & I'll have no part in it.
If you'd like me to write articles/post for your site/publication, please contact me. Due to time constraints I may not be able to, especially if it's short notice. (It's not just my 'big head', but I really do write professionally and deadlines are part of my life.) Paid gigs get preference, of course; but I do love small indie outfits too. I am happy to discuss my other writings with editors/publications who will respect & guard my privacy as well as knowledge of my pen names/writing credits.
Would it be too much -- too insecure -- for a lusciously intellectual person to say this ranks up there with the birth of her children? (I have 3, so if I say this ranks in my Top Ten Cool Moments, would that be OK?)
Thanks, Gloria. I'm as giddy and twitchy as if you stood before me with a switch.
I do not claim rights to all works presented here at Silent Porn Star; all images/audio used here are presented with proper credits as known. * and **
Mainly this is a history blog and the works shown are used here:
A) To show what I have in my collection
B) To illustrate/exemplify a work, artist, period, issue, etc., and/or are a reference point or example for discussion
C) As part of a review, or other 'fair use' situation
C) To add to the blog's value as a (admittedly fun) resource.
* Should you own the rights to the image(s) &/or audio and wish to inform me of proper credits, how you'd like to be credited/linked, or have a reason why you would like me to remove the image(s), please do contact me to let me know.
Text Transcription:
I do find the caps, use of quotes, and other typeface tricks part of the charm and fear changing them affects the integrity of the intended presentation. So those which are not due to spacing issues, but by design, are posted here in an 'as is' fashion. (Therefore, all caps are as printed -- not my 'yelling' at you on the web. *wink*)
However, I do make use of the 'modern' technology and place links, where appropriate, for your reading enlightenment and research pleasure.
Image and Audio Use:
** Well, "all but my own" is most likely more like the truth; I am terrible about noting that I do, in fact, maintain exclusive rights to my own works. By the power of copyright law I need not claim them with a note; I automatically own them. If you want to use them and you note Silent Porn Star as the owner/creator and you link to this blog, no harm shall likely befall ye.
If you have questions about fair use and proper crediting etc, please email me.
Some may consider this just another meme, but since I know Dee (and the company she keeps in the blogosphere) and I know that this wasn't started by Roberta Ferguson with the intention of being a meme, I consider this a grand thing, a real honor. That alone can make a girl blush and stammer -- and it certainly did so here -- but the kick is that I'm supposed to select five others to give the award to and that's a lot of pressure!
I don't want anyone to feel slighted, or have their feelings hurt, but I do want to acknowledge my Rockin' Girl Status. *wink* So I took a long silent pause (one which I hope didn't seem rude to Dee) before I making my decisions. (I even cheated a bit, as you will see.) So here we go... In alphabetical order.
I grant Rockin' Girl Blogger status to:
Angela St Lawrence of Zen Fetish. This minx mixes literature, her own wonderful written works as well as those of others, with more traditional blogging snippets of her own life as a PSO. So you can visit for the quality writing and while you're there be a bit of a voyeur too. For those who think that all phone sex operators are just talking dirty for a quick jerk-off, Angela is one bad girl who works hard for her money. (Toot-toot! Hey, Beep-beep! Hey, Mister, if you've got a dime...)
Gloria Brame. No, I didn't select Gloria because I'm afraid of being rude to a well-known Domme :p In fact, Gloria, for all her well-deserved recognition, is really quite a doll. (Maybe she doesn't want everyone to know that... But hell, it's true.) And her blog a wonderful mix of academia, news, common sense, and 'everyday woman'. It's also true that her Erotic Art Fridays were both inspiring and intimidating. Who could even try to follow that? Who would be dumb enough too? Well, me, a bit, I guess. But like reporters, we cover slightly different beats; and our drummers are obviously different too. I would have thought she'd already had this award, but it is my honor to present it to her.
Gracie Passette. (And here's my cheat -- I asked her if she already had the award, and upon the surprising discovery that she had not, asked which of her blogs she'd like the award for, so it officially goes to The Marketing Whore.) Gracie is one of the kindest women ever. You might not think such an opinionated woman could be so generous with her time with newbies and all, but she is. If that weren't enough, Gracie was one of the earliest 'sex bloggers' -- before there was blogging software. Years ago she and her friends were dishing their sex lives, vintage babes and other matters at SK, and it was from reading them over the years that I finally decided to give bloggin' a go myself. So Gracie is inspiration, mentor, role model and friend.
Slip of a Girl. Proof that what may be simple, isn't necessarily so. Slippity-do-da, as we girls often call her, took her (obsessive) love of lingerie and showed us all that it isn't some trifling matter. While many of us knew that lingerie was more than the stuff we wore to save our most tender parts from the chafing of other clothing, more than just the stuff we put on to entice a lover, more than just a shopping addiction, Slip was/is able to put these things into words and start the conversations. Lingerie articulation may seem frivolous, and hearing 'lingerie blog' may make you think of shopping coupon codes and splogs, but read at her blog and you'll see there is so much more to lingerie.
Thom of Fabulon. I know he's a guy, and I'm not trying to be some ignorant ass by suggesting a gay man is a girl trapped in a man's body (that's transgendered), but honestly, Fabulon is one of my favorite blogs. It's a dirty secret, but relevant here, that after being shown Fabulon I toyed with pretending I never saw it and to do my own such blog. My admission is a compliment, really it is! :P And since I scoured the Internet for the origins of the award (finding no hard rules) and had permission from Dee to make and break my own rules (because I am now a Rockin' Girl Blogger), I feel that Thom and Fabulon must be on this list. One, after all, can take "Rockin' Girl Blogger" to mean that it's a blogger whose blog rocks girls, as Fabulon certainly does. I do, however, require that Thom make himself a new badge -- one that reflects Fabulon's personality. Others have done so, as noted at Roberta's, so it's A-OK. (I would do so myself but have zero skills in that area; no small part of my decision not to copy Fabulon. lol I know Thom does have such skills -- it is one of the reasons the blog is so fabulous.) So, Thom, go make a button and make me proud!
If your name is on this list, proudly display the button (it is customary to link back to the person who gave you the award, and I'd appreciate it!).
And enjoy the sweet-torture of naming your own favorite five Rockin' Girl Bloggers. *wink*
What's one question you've been expecting to be asked at your blog which has never been asked?
Do I display my collectibles prominently (visible to folks) in my home?
Why?
Because with the state of affairs in this country, it's not pc to like nudes or porn; or at least not so much as to display these things like ceramic cats or Elvis plates. Especially if you have children, which I do.
Answer it.
Most of my visual collection, such as the art pieces and statues etc., are in the 'boudoir.' But the books are out-and-about. There are so many books, including old encyclopedias, history and anthropology books, and even modern fiction, that the kids just walk past them all.
I'm less concerned with my own children seeing nude people (they take their showers naked and have to know they'll be adults one day, and I'm open with them about their bodies, sex and love) than I am with their friends coming over and asking questions that perhaps I ought not (at least in their parents opinions) be answering -- or worse yet, their parents calling or whatever.
What's one question you've wanted to ask your readers, but never have?
What do you collect? Or what are you most interested in reading about here at SPS?
Why not?
Because it sounds like I am pandering, or lazy and desperate for ideas or something. (But aside from wishing to be interesting, I am a nosy girl!)
Honestly, I expected to hear about the silly crushes readers had, the silly things they spent their money on, as well as the 'I wonder what I did with those posters' sorts of things. (OK, and 'mistakes' too. lol)
Show us one blog you are jealous of or wish to emulate.
Wow. That's a rough one. I don't know of my blogs that focus on what I do -- not exactly, anyway. But I am completely jealous and wish to emulate the traffic and following of a few sites... Just one?
Because Eros is the oldest true sex blog I know of (many now use blogging software to publish, but they originally were 'zines' etc.), and as a collector, I'm all about seeing things grow older and more valuable. *wink* Seriously, Bacchus has done a great job and I'd love to have his readership. :Rubs hands together menacingly:
Playing along? Use this to post your name and the URL to your meme post.
All are welcome to leave comments too, of course; this is just to make linking easier (and a tad more handy for clicks *wink*).
I received an email regarding my post on Lewis Carroll. Not surprising, I guess. After all these years collecting sex history items I'm used to these sort of questions.
I'd like to post the email here, but as an ethical person who wishes not to feed search engines and therefore persons searching for the sorts of materials discussed here, I'll paraphrase. I'm certain you can read between my lines.
The basic question is: "Why would I post such images?" And more to the point, "Don't I realise I am only encouraging such sickos?" (Specifically, the email quoted my line about the nudes not being available online as proof of my wrongness.)
In truth, paraphrasing and condensing focuses on the real issue I'd like to get at here. Well, it's two issues.
The first is that as a collector, an amateur historian, I'm documenting, researching and questioning. I find an object, which leads to a story. Or a set of questions and ideas to explore. It's the story of us all, we humans, and sometimes our own stories and ideas make us uncomfortable. But that doesn't mean the stories ought not to be looked at. The old (perhaps tired) adage says we should learn from our history. We can't do that if we selectively, defensively, ignore stories and lessons. Similarly, the "How did we get here" and "Where are we going?" cannot be clearly answered if we do not look to our past. There's more to this philosophy, but for now let's sum this up so we can get to point two: History should not be censored or otherwise ignored. Sex history is no different.
As a sub-point, I'd also like to say that I was not salacious in that post. The (brief) research was provided within context and, as with this post, specific words were not used (i.e. I did not glorify or try to sell pedophilia via arousing terms). Context and intention are important -- which leads us to point two.
As a collector I'm often either in the middle of or next to a discussion (rant) about censoring, separating &/or preventing the sale or trade of such items. One of the most commonly discussed issues is the matter of vintage nudist publications which often have images of children.
No matter that with most vintage nudist materials genitalia is air brushed into a photographic image of Ken's genitalia, or that these children are now 70 years of age or long deceased; people still get very upset. It's the idea of what someone might do to/with these images of innocent children who had no knowledge of such possibilities or ability to even consent to photos (or in fact the nudist lifestyle). They are children, and our culture currently abhors the notion of sex even touching their children's lives.
While I'm in complete agreement -- as a law abiding citizen and mother, I cringe and wail at the notion of pedophilia -- this was not the intent (for the bulk) of nudist colonies or their publications. Context and intent, remember, are important.
"But," cry the upset people, "what of the intent of the person buying the stuff now?" Ah, yes. We collectors of "smut" are a randy bunch, right? Not exactly. I can't speak for or to the proclivities or others, but the collectors I know aren't exactly 'using' their collection in such a manner. While we certainly do enjoy our collections, and most of us select items or are drawn to specific areas based on what (and who) appeals to us, this is not a sexual activity.
Could someone, would someone, masturbate to items in their collection? I'm sure they can. In fact, many collections of say Playboy likely began in pursuit of physical pleasure well before a historical or research thrill was even thought of. But this does not mean that all collectors are so aroused by their collected objects.
However, for the sake of argument, let's say they are so inclined. In the case of the previously mentioned vintage nudist publications, were they to be put to use for our worst fears this is surely a bad thing. But to prevent or otherwise ban the sale of such items to legal adults based on 'what they might do' is crazy. You never know what a person intends to do or will do with an item they've purchased. Is that pillow for sleeping or are you going to smother your spouse with it?
Limiting the scope of this conversation to 'just sex' (which is apparently the largest fear-based motivator, second only to "terrorism"), this could-they-would-they-in-a-boat thinking is near hysteria in its proportion. (And this part of the discussion becomes another sub-point really.)
If the question is, "Will they masturbate to it?" my first response is, I surely do not know. What if they do?
"Don't you care?" is met with, Why should I? The act you are worried about is a private one, a legal one, and none of my business. Should that intimate human act become the motivator for some illegal act, well then I'll entertain a discussion of the facts; but for now my answer is, 'It's none of my business'. Masturbation is a victimless act.
And really this issue really isn't about adult collectibles or any category of collecting, for that matter.
We don't know what anyone does with anything they obtain. Is that banana for eating? Is that plush Smurf toy a gift -- and for whom? What are they going to do with it? Name an object and I can point to its sexual objectification and/or satisfaction. It's not just that I'm a perv; that's just the way humans work.
So could someone use my posts as fodder for sexual fantasy? Sure. Does it matter to me? If it's legal (and so far both fantasies and masturbation are legal), then no, it doesn't matter to me. (Does it interest me? Only for research purposes. *wink*)
My collection of "smut" drives the research, and results in documentation of history. Our sexual history via the objects and persons we've objectified in sexual ways. That's what this blog (mostly) is about. That's the context and intention, for the most part. I do also hope it's entertaining -- for entertaining means it will be read, and therefore spark thinking if not actual conversation, research or collections. And if that 'entertainment value' includes masturbation, well, that's really none of my business and certainly nothing I want to police or censor.
Rereading this for some research, I was struck by the following:
In fact it nearly became expected that we'd show our unmentionables, and therefore bare our bodies. But we couldn't bear our bare bodies as they were, so we began to go to gyms and hire personal trainers. We became slaves not just to skinny, but muscular. We were to be equally strong as men -- only we had to wear pretty panties of power too. And if all this diet and exercise was diminishing our curves, well we could fix that too; we'd get implants.
This awareness of what a 'healthy body' looks like in skimpy-scanties drove fashions which didn't allow for bodily flaws. You couldn't fit girdles & slips under these clothes -- and even if you could, you'd better not! These were body bearing fashions. Even if the fashions would hide, allow or forgive foundation garments to fix your flaws, fashion designers wouldn't.
The shoulder pads of the 80's were heartlessly ripped out as women were told to create their own damn shoulder mass to counter balance the female curve of hips. Lycra was put into everything -- including the garments we wore to the gym to work for bodies which could wear them. Hell, many of us desperately purchased home workout videos so that we could get in shape enough to present ourselves at the gym to get a membership. (And we were right to do so, for gyms were the new meat markets where sexy healthy people paired up.) We couldn't even hide behind big hair and perms for now hair became as straight & sleek as our bodies.
As if this weren't enough, work-out fashions became everyday clothing. Bicycle shorts, sports bras, leotards & leggings (what yoga suits & pants were called before they were called 'yoga suits' and 'yoga pants'), and tank tops replaced t-shirts and jeans. Clothes pressed ever tightly towards our bodies, leaving nothing to the imagination save for what colorful play wear you had at home to prance about in.
Which reminds me... Do you remember how we put our exercise expectations onto little girls? Mystie remembers Get in Shape Girl which was the way for little girls to have that "just like mommy" Jane Fonda Workout. Corny as it seems, maybe we should make more of these kits for our fattening American children...
But let's not get so carried away with it that we destroy self-esteem.
And natural is not the look she has achieved. The plump lips and wide eyes remind me of a de Kooning woman. The mobile mouth seems disconnected from the frozen brow. "Let's face it, miracles don't happen," she says, as if reading my mind. "What counts is the spirit. To have young friends, to have a good time, not to be outdated. This is what counts."
My research project will be taking some time, and I'll be making some notes here -- so be prepared for more oddball and sad trips into beauty-hells-past.
The Rules: Once you've been tagged you can't be retagged, you have to write a blog with 10 random things, facts or habits about yourself. At the end, you choose 10 more people to tag and post a note telling them they're tagged and make them come along and read your blog.
10 Oddball Random Things About Me:
While I collect adult items, I only own three films which could be called 'porn.'
I am labeled a "straight woman," but nude male artworks leave me rather cold.
I lost my virginity to the old 'wet thumb' confusion and felt so dumb afterwards, I waited another year to have sex again.
My musical tastes are stuck in the 80's.
There are two times that I pray: When I drink too much, and when I'm out of cigs.
I love history and traveling, but Europe is at the bottom of my travel list.
I believe that true sexual freedom for women must have occurred some time in the past, in pre-history; but that it will be long after I am dead until it will exist again.
Flower arranging taught me that natural things occur in odd numbers; hence my fantasy of a perfectly natural threesome.
If money were no object, I'd remain a perpetual student going from class to class, college to college.
Being a self-employed writer, I have no insurance and find that completely unacceptable.
If you want to contact me, post a note. If you wish to talk in private, Naughty dot Words at gmail dot com is the current solution -- however, if it's about link swaps, affiliate programs etc., read the FAQfirst!
If you insist on knowing more about me...
I've been interviewed on Radio Blowfish (direct link to the specific podcast download here).
Peter of
Jane's Guide says, "This blog site is perfectly charming. What an enjoyable time I had here. Your hostess, and the site, is named Silent Porn Star - with no doubt interesting and untold stories behind the name. The focus here is in curating - and celebrating - sexual iconography. I browsed the site's last couple of years of archives, hip hopping over such delights as old pulp fiction cover art, black & white vintage photography, occasional contemporary censorship issues, and even - to my delight - a link to a YouTube clip of Cher and Raquel Welch, all glitter-glamoured up in their prime and glory, singing Peggy Lee's "I'm A Woman". If that isn't as iconic as you could ask for, you're not looking. The commentary is smart, positive, and insightful. This is just the sort of unique site we love to encourage." (Silent Porn Star even made Peter's list of favorite sites!)
Cinema Retro says, "[A] gem of a site that will appeal to any libertines among our readers. Silent Porn Star is an addictive, often hilarious look at how sex and pornography has presented in pop culture over the last century. There are vintage postcards of topless Polynesian dancers, tasteful nude starlets of yesteryear and some delightfully distasteful photos and stories of more recent vintage. We don't expect too many contributors to Mike Huckabee's presidential campaign to patronize the site, but those of us who are proud to be less pure can have a field day looking through those old ads for movies about promiscuous teenagers as well as reveling in other forbidden delights. There's plenty to gawk at whether you're straight, gay or in between - fun for the entire family!"
"Required reading," and "When it comes to sex and collecting, there is no better blog to read because it is always about the sex and the collecting," says Shon Richards.
Blowfish Blog says, "Although the writing is warm and friendly, an aura Sphinx-like and cool surrounds Silent Porn Star. Written by a female collector of historical erotica and risque objects, in it we find out a great deal about a great many things, although not much about the author. But that is part of its charm; like an expert strip-tease, you think you see everything, and then realize that you only saw what you were permitted to. If you are a lover of historical smut, this site is simply mana from heaven, of course. But for everyone, the commentary is learned and witty, intellectual without being snobbish. And we learned so much about the mafia, too."
Starla of The Naughty Guide says: "The writing is elegant and flows off the screen with ease and the site is packed full of information. Some humorous, and some thought provoking. I am sure you will find something to tease your taste buds on this site."
Engaging in "rampant presentism," says anonymous. (Ha!)
Erotic Mandy of Sexy Blog Reviews says, "This is a sex blog of a more 'cerebral nature'," and gives Silent Porn Star 3/5 Orgasms because I'm, "interested in vintage sexuality and is probably quite smart."
Terra at The Naughty Guide gushes, "Silent Porn Star was a joy of a find for me, due to my fetish for vintage erotica. LOVE IT!! This is a blog that is a collection Vintage Erotica bringing it to us in one spot. It is a must visit for those of us that are curious or enthralled with the history of erotica. ...Content is slick, almost as if it was a commercially produced site. I usually read personal blogs, but this interest blog is one that I am adding to my daily read list."
