Feminist Porn Week Rocked

It is kind of astonishing to me that I live in the city where Feminist Porn Week happens to take place every year.

It is truly so amazing and fantastic that it feels like a gift, a glorious coincidence, a joyful miracle. I do not take it for granted.

This year I live-tweeted the whole Feminist Porn Conference, and it made me even more hyper-aware of what was going on around me – in a good way. Reading other people’s moment-by-moment tweets, and composing my own, allowed me to process and enjoy the talks and panels even more.

I won’t write an exhaustive summary like I did last year, because frankly the #FPCon2 hashtag is full of fantastic accounts of what went on. But I will write a little about the most memorable moments and experiences that happened to me during Feminist Porn Week.

The fisting workshop. I will be honest: I bought my ticket not so much because I wanted to learn about fisting (which is still, I think, well out of my vagina’s conceivable grasp), but primarily because I wanted to see Courtney Trouble… in person… fisting someone. I mean, how amazing is that?!

The “fist-ee” was Zahra Stardust, the adorable pink-haired Australian porn princess who ended up winning Heartthrob of the Year at the FPAs two nights later. I developed an intense crush on her from the way she talked intelligently about porn laws down under and then took Courtney’s fist with seemingly no effort. She squirted on the people in the front row. Courtney fucked her powerfully and intensely and it felt so intimate that I shouldn’t be looking, and yet I couldn’t not look. It was beautiful and educational.

Dylan and Danny’s talk. Um, I may have mentioned how much I love Dylan Ryan and Danny Wylde before. They are my favorite porn stars, ever. But I love them even more now, because of the wonderful talk they gave at the conference. They spoke openly and candidly about “getting in and getting out” of the porn industry and how those transitions have affected their identities. They are both amazingly smart and thoughtful. The room was positively packed, for good reason: it was one of the best talks of the conference.

Tobi’s talk. Tobi Hill-Meyer is a trans woman who makes feminist porn, so of course, she’s no stranger to receiving criticism. Her talk was about how to deal with criticism effectively. Of all the sessions I attended, this one had the most pertinence to my real life, and I think many people there felt similarly. When you work in a controversial area like sexuality or feminism, no matter how peripherally or centrally, it is useful – nay, vital – to know how to respond gracefully to critics. I will be sure to start implementing some of the strategies I learned in Tobi’s presentation.

Aussie porn. Australia has some fucked-up porn laws. A lot of it is illegal, and they are very strict about things like fetishes, BDSM, squirting (which they classify as urination and therefore a type of fetish), and fisting. The Aussie porn session, run by the very articulate Ms. Naughty and Zahra Stardust, screened several films, many of which were political and commented directly on the injustice of the porn laws there. I also discovered that Ms. Naughty’s company, Bright Desire, makes the exact kind of porn I’ve been longing for all my life: female-gaze-oriented, female-pleasure-focused, sensual, sexy, soft, yet also hardcore. Hey, my birthday’s in about a week; I’d gladly accept a Bright Desire subscription if you’re not sure what to get me! Wink wink.

Courtney Trouble’s keynote. Oh my fucking god. Everyone was speechless. Not literally – we were all tweeting up a storm and cheering our hearts out – but figuratively, we had the wind knocked out of us by what Courtney had to say. I will embed the video below, because you MUST watch it; there’s little I could say about it that could embody just how powerful it really was. Courtney, if you read this, thank you, thank you, thank you, for saying so many things that badly needed to be said. Every single person I’ve spoken to has said that this speech was one of the main highlights, if not the highlight, of the conference.

Were you at any of the Feminist Porn Week events? What were the highlights for you?

Heads up: there’s a sponsored link in this post!

Porn Review: Tristan Taormino’s Guide to Kinky Sex for Couples

Fuck Fifty Shades of Grey; this is what couples should be watching if they want to learn how to have kinky fun together.

Tristan Taormino’s Guide to Kinky Sex for Couples is a no-nonsense, no-shame guide for people who know nothing about kink. It introduces all the basics of BDSM play, one by one, in a way that’s gentle and non-judgmental.

As with all Tristan’s instructional DVDs, this film is formatted to alternate between educational spiels from Tristan and super-hot sex scenes that illustrate what she’s just explained. In the past, I’ve sometimes found Tristan’s explanations the tiniest bit grating – “Get to the sex already!” – but they seem a lot more natural and enjoyable in this film. Tristan seems happy and excited to be imparting every piece of information, which adds to how totally un-intimidating the film is.

Tristan starts out by defining some key terms, like kink, BDSM, and scene. She explains a little bit about why someone might enjoy kink – the fine line between pain and pleasure, the hotness of power exchange, etc. – which I think is really useful information for the target audience of this film, who might be curious but confused about kink. She then goes on to explain other crucial concepts, including enthusiastic consent, safewords, and safe-signals.

As an introduction to the first sex scene, Tristan goes over some of the kink implements the performers will be using – blindfolds, feather ticklers, edible body dust, and massage oil candles. These descriptions are interspersed with clips from an interview with the performers and clips from the sex scene itself, which makes for a nice preview of what’s to come.

The first sex scene involves Danny Wylde (my love!!) and Lyla Storm. At the outset, Danny is dressed in a lavender button-up shirt and a silver tie, and he looks fucking adorable as always.

Lyla is very giggly. My boyfriend and I watched this together, and he found Lyla’s “bubbliness” tiresome. I mostly just thought it was cute. She giggles her way through the entire scene, and I think it’s a good way to start off the film, since it makes kink seem fun and friendly instead of scary and intimidating.

They play with a feather tickler and edible body dust. Danny licks her clit while tickling her (and, as always, dude appears to be a stellar cunnilinguist). She moans and giggles all over the place.

At one point, they find themselves in a very inventive position: she’s on her stomach with her hands behind her back, and he thrusts into her hands. It’s the strangest handjob I’ve ever seen, but totally hot.

Shortly thereafter, while fucking her from behind, he drips oil from a massage oil candle onto her back. He doesn’t continue to thrust while he massages her, but my boyfriend and I had a whole debate about whether or not he could massage me and fuck me at the same time. (He thinks he could; I doubt he has the coordination. Maybe we’ll try it one day…)

The rest of the scene is pretty much a standard fuckfest, without a lot of explicit kink involved. He fucks her in a position I associate with James Deen while she uses the We-Vibe Touch on her clit. My boyfriend thought Lyla sounded “like a dinosaur” during her orgasm; I thought she was cute. The scene ends with Danny coming on her stomach.

Overall I thought this scene was a good warm-up for what’s to come, but it didn’t strike me as anything amazing. I don’t think Danny comes off as a natural dom in this scene; he’s being really gentle and playful, not especially commanding. But, then again, that might be a good thing for a viewer who just wants to dip her toe into the world of kink.

In her intro to the next scene, Tristan defines terms like top, bottom, and switch. She describes and explains orgasm control and denial, and why someone might enjoy wearing nipple clamps. In a clip from an interview, Danny Wylde provides one of the best takeaway quotes from the film: he says that kink is “like cowboys and indians for adults… This is a game.”

Sex scene numero dos stars Evan Stone and Adrianna Nicole, both people I don’t find particularly attractive but who always bring all their energy and enthusiasm to every scene they do. I gotta respect that, man.

Evan comes off as way more dominant than Danny. He forces Adrianna to strip for him slowly, throws around a lot of ownership-related dirty-talk, and even squishes her face into his balls. There’s plenty of face-fucking, gagging, rimming, and ball-sucking. This scene is an oral servitude fetishist’s wet dream.

In a demonstration of what Tristan calls the “tease and torment” game, Evan alternates licking Adrianna’s pussy and slapping it. It looks painful but kinda hot, and is a vivid example of that orgasm denial stuff Tristan explained earlier. (I love that she explains things and then they’re immediately shown in the next scene. I think it would make these new terms and concepts a lot easier to learn and process for beginners to kink.)

He makes her beg for his cock, and then takes it away and puts some nipple clamps on her instead. Later, he makes her beg again, and when he finally starts fucking her, there are a couple of moments where his dick slips out of her by accident and she begs for him to put it back. Girl is a killer sub, and she’s definitely met her match in Evan.

When Adrianna blows him until he finally comes, he makes her lick all the semen off him and then tells her, “You missed a spot.” Then she asks permission to get herself off with the Hitachi, and he says, “Yes, you may.” Did I mention that Evan is an amazing dom…?!

I think this scene is the roughest and most extreme on the whole DVD – but it’s not so intense that it would scare off beginners to kink, so long as they’re open-minded. This scene is chock full of enthusiasm and chemistry, and it demonstrates a healthy model of mutual pleasure within a D/s dynamic. I probably enjoyed this scene the most of any of them.

Tristan intros the next scene by explaining something really important: how to communicate and ask for consent in a scene without breaking character. This is super crucial information for beginners to know, since it can often seem awkward or impossible to ask for consent without breaking the mood, until you know how.

The third sex scene features Aiden Starr and Christian. I adore both of these performers. Aiden is an adorable, tiny, loudmouthed dom chick, while Christian won “Heartthrob of the Year” at the Feminist Porn Awards this past year, so you know he’s a hottie.

This is the only scene on the DVD where the dom is a woman and the sub is a man. I kind of wish there was another femdom scene in the film, for reasons of gender equality/balance, but this scene is so good that it almost doesn’t matter.

Aiden is one of the best lady-dommes in the biz, and she really struts her stuff in this scene. Right off the bat, she sets up the rule that Christian isn’t allowed to come until she does (which isn’t exactly true, as she comes many, many times before he does).

She makes him beg for her pussy, to which Christian responds, adorably, “Please, can I have your vagina?” (I didn’t know how to feel about the fact that he used the word “vagina” when she had been saying “pussy,” so I just laughed.)

There is lots of kinky stuff in this scene. She blindfolds him and puts a collar and leash on him. She sits on his face in such a way that she’s practically smothering him. She makes him literally kiss her ass. She talks dirty to him the whole damn time. There’s even a part where she tells him to remove her shoes, and when he takes too long to do it, she berates his shoe-removal technique. Aiden Starr is a fucking powerhouse, and looks gorgeous while domming the shit out of her sub.

There is lots of fucking, and she uses a Hitachi. She comes practically a zillion times, and every orgasm is accompanied by a cute eye-roll (I love when people have distinctive orgasm faces!).

The actual scene doesn’t show Christian’s orgasm, but earlier in the DVD, when Tristan talks about orgasm control, they do show that part of the scene. It is hot as hell: Aiden tells Christian he can come when she finishes counting to 10, and he does. I’m not sure why the editor(s) didn’t include that part in the scene itself, but it is hot and worth watching nonetheless.

Before the last scene, Tristan talks about spanking – how to do it safely, what implements to use, why it feels good, etc. She also talks a little about anal play, and drops another of the best quotes in the film: “Realize that it’s your butt in the driver’s seat.” She goes over some stuff that beginners to anal play usually worry about, like pain and cleanliness. “If it hurts, you’re doing it wrong!”

The final sex scene stars Derrick Pierce and Asa Akira. This scene has a more relaxed D/s dynamic, sort of like the first one with Danny and Lyla – Derrick is clearly running the show, but he’s smiling the whole time and is more of a benevolent dom than a bossy one.

He uses Lelo Luna Beads on her, which she had apparently never tried before. He inserts them before spanking her with his hand and with a paddle. It had never occurred to me that Kegel balls would pair so well with spanking, but after seeing this scene, I think it’s pretty much the best idea ever and am dying to try it out.

There’s some more orgasm denial in this scene: Derrick holds a Hitachi on Asa’s pussy, and just as she’s getting close to orgasm, he jerks it away. He tells her that she’ll have to stay perfectly still, or he’ll move it. She obeys, and as she comes, he pulls out the Luna Beads really fast (is this a thing? I thought that was only supposed to work with anal beads?).

She blows him while he spanks her, and she says, “I wish I could just live my whole life like this!” There’s some choking/gagging during the BJ, which always turns me off instantaneously, but she handles it like a true champ.

Asa is definitely a sub, but she’s very active compared to the other subs – she takes action, initiates things, talks dirty, begs for Derrick’s cock without being asked, and so on. It’s good that her sexual style is so different from the subs in the other scenes, because it gives viewers a different perspective on what submission can look like. Yay, sexual freedom!

Toward the end of the scene, Derrick starts warming up her ass, using a Tantus Little Flirt and a larger metal plug. He smiles and says to her, “It’s your cock, I’ll let you put it wherever you want.” (Ungh, swoon.) Then they have anal sex, she comes several times, and she brings on the end of the scene by shouting “You can squirt in me” until they have a simultaneous orgasm.

I really like this scene because it has a very friendly, playful vibe to it. It feels like an actual, real-life couple rolling around in their bed.

To summarize, I really adore Tristan Taormino’s Guide to Kinky Sex for Couples. It’s the best introduction I can possibly imagine for beginners to the world of kink. It’s easy to understand, full of information that every kinkster of any skill level should know, and the sex scenes are unbelievably hot. As per usual, Tristan has created what will be an invaluable addition to anyone’s porn library.

Thank you so much to Tristan Taormino for sending me this film! All photos courtesy of Tristan, too.

Make Love, Not Porn

I received a beta invitation to MakeLoveNotPorn.TV under false pretences. I’m sorry, Cindy! I promised I would submit a video of myself jerking off with various toys if I got fast-tracked up the invitation list, but as it turns out, the website isn’t equipped yet to receive submissions from countries outside of the U.S. (and I live in Canada). Such a bummer! Oh well. Someday…

For those of you who don’t know, MakeLoveNotPorn.TV is an awesome not-yet-totally-launched website created by advertising guru and sex education enthusiast Cindy Gallop. It’s the logical next step after she launched MakeLoveNotPorn.com a few years back.

Just to be clear: the websites and their creators are not anti-porn. They are “pro-sex, pro-porn and pro-knowing the difference.” Their message is simple and yet huge: people shouldn’t learn how to have sex from watching hardcore pornography. Maybe that sounds obvious to you, but you’d be surprised how many people have no other way of learning about sex, since we live in a culture where sex ed is condemned and porn is fucking everywhere.

MakeLoveNotPorn.TV is sort of like Facebook meets YouTube, except it’s sex-focused. Cindy Gallop says she wants to make sex as socially acceptable and socially shareable as all those other relationship milestones we write about on our social media outlets. You know your friend who just posted all her wedding photos on Facebook? Well, what if she could share her sex life in the same way she shares her romantic life?

Contributors are encouraged to film themselves having “real-world sex”: organic, authentic, potentially even goofy. Unlike porn, the stars of the clips don’t “perform for the camera,” but instead, they focus on their partner(s) and the sex they’re having, just like they would if there was no camera in sight.

Each contribution must be accompanied by a $5 curation fee. This helps to cover the costs of running the site. If your video is accepted, it’s then published in the new edition that comes out every Wednesday, and people can “rent” it for $5. When they rent it, they can watch it as many times as they want for the next three weeks. Of the $5 they paid to rent your video, $2.50 goes to you, the contributor, and the other $2.50 goes to the website.

You might think that doesn’t sound very lucrative, and you’re right, it isn’t. But it’s fair, it’s better than nothing, and it’s part of a super fun and exciting social network. You can make friends, consensually spy on real people’s sex lives, chat about sex, and be as anonymous or upfront as you want.

And, as it turns out, you can also watch Danny Wylde have real-world sex.

I’ll be honest: this is mainly what enticed me about MLNP. The promotional materials declared that porn star Danny Wylde (who happens to be my favorite male porn performer, because he’s hot, eats pussy like a champ, and has an intact dick) had submitted a video of himself and his real-life girlfriend Lily LaBeau (also a porn star) gettin’ it on. Not in a performative, porn-set situation, but as if they were just doing it for themselves.

It is a tasty clip. Lily reveals in the behind-the-scenes footage that her vag often gets sore from how many porn scenes she shoots, so her real-world sex with Danny in this video is all about her ass. I’m not usually the hugest fan of anal sex in porn, but this clip sold me on it. Plus, Danny rims Lily. Uh, more dudes need to rim ladies in porn, because it’s hot.

My rental of the Danny/Lily clip is going to run out soon-ish, and after that, I’ll look for something else. Maybe some amateur pussy-eating. Whatever I end up choosing, I’m very damn appreciative that something like MakeLoveNotPorn.TV exists, because erotic performers need more fair compensation and everyday sex needs more recognition. Can I get an amen?!

What’s Changed Since I Started Reviewing Sex Toys?

I’ve been blogging about sex toys for over a month now. I started out writing about toys I already had, moved on to receiving free items to review, and now I’m blogging for Sex Toys Canada and reviewing for a few different sites. I’m surprised at how quickly this project has taken off for me, and how much fun I’ve had so far, even with only a month of work under my belt.

I’ve noticed myself changing already, though – for the better. Here are a few of the differences I’ve spotted in myself since I got started on this road of vibrator-touting.

1. I use lube now. I was always one of those girls who figured my natural lubrication would be enough. It was only when I started reading other reviewers’ work that I realized how many other people insist on always using lube when they masturbate. I’m now a staunch supporter of smearing my beloved Blossom Organics on any toy that’s going into me, and it has improved the experience more than I would’ve thought.

2. I actually like porn now. Prior to reading other sex blogs, I wasn’t terribly aware of the “alt porn” scene. I had no idea who James Deen, Danny Wylde, Belladonna, and Dylan Ryan were. I thought most porn was bound to be gross airbrushed shit, with fake-looking orgasms and tons of female degradation. But then I started watching stuff like Sexing the Transman XXX and Dylan and Danny Extra Credit, and I realized that porn can be real and extremely hot. Now I’m an avid alt porn consumer, and it has changed the way I experience solo sex.

3. I truly enjoy using toys. I used to sort of view sex toys as a means to an end – whatever made me come the fastest was a winner. But reviewing has forced me to step back and enjoy the journey as well, since that’s mainly what I’m reporting on when I write about a toy. I notice little details – textures, intensities, shapes – more than ever. It’s like an exercise in meditative masturbation.

4. I care about what I put into my orifices. I know that jelly toys are evil, so I haven’t used my jelly rabbit at all since I started reviewing, and I plan on replacing it with an elastomer version as soon as I can. I’m also very careful about keeping glycerin-laden lubes away from my junk… not to mention, I stay the fuck away from anal toys that don’t have a flared base.

5. I’m learning what I like. I already knew what I need from a partner; now I’m coming to understand what I need from a toy. I don’t enjoy internal vibrations. I can’t take more than seven inches before bumping into my cervix. I love the way glass feels inside me. My G-spot responds best to firm, rhythmic pressure. I need to rub vibrators against myself in order to get off. I don’t care if a toy is loud as long as it works. And I cherish being able to receive oral sex while a large, firm toy is buried inside me. Being sure of what I want is one of the best gifts I could give to myself, as it helps with every facet of my sexuality.

I’m looking forward to more adventures in the world of sex toy reviewing. For now, I’m just beginning my journey, and it’s been an outrageous amount of fun so far.