Inspiration

My inspiration to study porn and sex comes from different places. I am genuinely interested in the topic-- I don't think anyone should devote six (or seven, or...) years of their life to something that doesn't hold their intellectual curiosity.

I also get inspired by people opening up to me and telling me that they've had some of the same thoughts or feelings that I've had, but they didn't know how to express them or were too ashamed to. I am not sure how or why I should have the authority to give people permission to explore their sexual selves, but some people- I would say perhaps most people at some point- just need to be told by someone that it's okay to be a freak in bed/kinky perv/wanton slut/whatever. I am more than happy to be that person! That's very inspirational to me.

But the inspiration I've been most struck by lately is the type that comes from seeing the truly horrifying consequences of repression, exploitation, and sex education gone terribly horribly wrong, and being so pissed off that I can't imagine doing anything else with my life than combating it. Let me show you what I mean.

Exhibit A

Orgasm, Inc is a film by Liz Canner about the medicalization of "female sexual dysfunction." I cannot wait to see the film, because I was outraged by just the preview:



(Sidenote: Shame on you and your misinforming scare tactics, Oprah.
YAY for you and your topographical map of the clitoris, Carol Queen!)


Exhibit B

As many of you know, I have joined a very awesome sex toy company called Love U*. We sell only body-safe, non-toxic, high quality stuff, and I am so excited to be a part of it. However as part of my sex toy demonstration, I went hunting for some "scary" products to show people What Not To Buy. And I quickly came up with several. One example:

The Stinging Jelly Bacteria Trapper




As one reviewer notes, "it has that awful chemical smell, which prevents me from sucking it (like my husband enjoys). It also irritates my anus..."


Yeah... that awful chemical smell and irritating burning sensation would be because it contains... AWFUL CHEMICALS. Which can be absorbed through the skin, while the porous jelly material traps bacteria. From your butt. Oh joy.




Exhibit C

The ever-vigilant and brilliant Epiphora and her lovely partner in crime Carnivalesq hunted down and lampooned some sketchy guy named Doug who runs a website called HealthyStrokes which, as far as I can tell, exists to tell teenage girls desperate to find out if they are "normal" or not that they must only masturbate

- on a bed
- on their backs
- lightly
- with their fingertips

all to prepare themselves for "sexual success" in hetero missionary-position sex. Possibly with their brothers.




Some days it can be tough to put all my time and money and energy into becoming a sex educator. Days like this, it's easy.




*More on this later, once I figure out how to improve my temporarily lame website.