#1 29-10-06 09:51:08

polarchill

Member

Registered: 14-09-06

Posts: 585

On the Subject of Positive Erotic Female Role Models . . .

I just returned from a short trip to a genre convention this evening, and though it was an accidental discovery while going about other business, I am happy to report that Marilyn Chambers is cheerful, healthy, and aging quite gracefully.

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Polarchill

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Polarchill

gala

bonanza jellybean of state

From: melbizzy

Registered: 11-04-06

Posts: 1,553

Website

Re: On the Subject of Positive Erotic Female Role Models . . .

so are annie sprinkle, carol queen, veronica vera, betty dodson.......

nihpuad

Member

Registered: 24-04-06

Posts: 696

Re: On the Subject of Positive Erotic Female Role Models . . .

Marilyn Chambers is cheerful, healthy, and aging quite gracefully.

It's all that Ivory Soap, no doubt!

polarchill

Member

Registered: 14-09-06

Posts: 585

Re: On the Subject of Positive Erotic Female Role Models . . .

so are annie sprinkle, carol queen, veronica vera, betty dodson.......

I see Annie should be in Austria at the moment, touring with her partner doing year two of their epic art/lecture/wedding project.  I can't help but feel that she (and also Ms. Dodson, especially) would be pleased with what Richard and Max are doing here.

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Polarchill

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Polarchill

drinksun

Member

From: Atlanta, GA

Registered: 13-10-06

Posts: 26

Re: On the Subject of Positive Erotic Female Role Models . . .

So what was this genre convention that you speak of?

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Hey pretty baby come get high with me...
we can go to my sisters if we say we'll watch the baby
The look on your face yanks my neck on the chain
...and I would do anything to see you again

polarchill

Member

Registered: 14-09-06

Posts: 585

Re: On the Subject of Positive Erotic Female Role Models . . .

So what was this genre convention that you speak of?

*cough* In the interests of preserving my secret identity, we'll just say that it was a horror/sci-fi convention somewhere on the eastern coast of the United States.  It all tied into one of my side jobs writing for genre publications.  I was busy wrangling up interviews with a few friendly semi-retired celebrities and publicity-hungry young filmmakers.  Too much fun to call work, but if I get a single published article out of it, I get to write off the expenses on my taxes.  Woo hoo!

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Polarchill

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Polarchill

Siobhan

Member

Registered: 15-06-06

Posts: 823

Re: On the Subject of Positive Erotic Female Role Models . . .

This is a drive-by, but I want to add Helen Mirren to that pantheon of glory; my God I'm go glad she exists.

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Under all speech that is good for any-thing there lies a silence that is better.  Silence is as deep as Eternity;  speech is as shallow as Time.--Thomas Carlysle

nihpuad

Member

Registered: 24-04-06

Posts: 696

Re: On the Subject of Positive Erotic Female Role Models . . .

I want to add Helen Mirren to that pantheon of glory...

As long as we're going down that road, let's not forget Judi Dench. I was home sick the other day and happened to catch an episode of As Time Goes By... and was smitten all over again.

padraic

Member

Registered: 27-05-06

Posts: 127

Re: On the Subject of Positive Erotic Female Role Models . . .

This is a drive-by, but I want to add Helen Mirren to that pantheon of glory; my God I'm go glad she exists.

I wholeheartedly second that sentiment, Siobhan. Helen Mirren has one of the most beautiful faces and bodies in all creation. And she can act!

The_Elfman

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From: Yorkshire & Imladris

Registered: 17-07-06

Posts: 1,028

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Re: On the Subject of Positive Erotic Female Role Models . . .

Fiona Shaw

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Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense

gala

bonanza jellybean of state

From: melbizzy

Registered: 11-04-06

Posts: 1,553

Website

Re: On the Subject of Positive Erotic Female Role Models . . .

and while we're here talking about it, i went to the sex workers' art show tour last night with my partner.  lots of positive erotic female (and other gender) role models.  i think this is their third or fourth year running - it's a tour of sex workers doing performance art, both about sex work and about other pieces of life.  i was excited for it because i've been researching queer burlesque performance and some of the people i've been reading about were appearing (jo boobs weldon, dirty martini, annie oakley).  and because i'm up for challenges on the way i think about sex work and sex workers. 

it was a sort of cabaret-style performance, with folks doing performance pieces, dance, bondage art, music, readings, comedy, burlesque, etc.  i got to see a dirty martini fan dance, which was gorgeous but didn't have the rowdy audience it needed to keep the energy of the tease.  probably wasn't the best venue for that.  she also did a pleasingly-raunchy tribute to the patriot act.  there was a bondage artist who performed to an audio recording of a woman reading erotica aloud (complete with accompanying violin).  she was really fascinating to watch but i think it ran a bit long for the audience to hold on to.  there were lots of things that made me feel cool to be in a space with these people. 

there were also some things i could have done without (for art's sake), but i still respect the folks who do this and who put themselves out there as other personas in addition to the one associated with their career choices.  i think it's great to have opportunities to see sex workers speak for themselves, since we tend to talk for them sometimes when we're trying to dialogue about something so stigmatic.  so i was grateful for that.

carol queen was there.  i am really into her, even though folks who have that much energy usually put me off.  i love listening to her talk - as long as it's in person.  i think she's someone you really need to see in the flesh, because a lot gets lost in her presentation when she's recorded on video.  her style of speaking seems very organic and fluid, so it's just nice to sit back and watch it happen.  last night she read a story, which i think she might have written, about having the super mental powers to know when there's a blow job happening, anywhere in the city.  she gets a great deal of physical pleasure from this, and it can happen anytime since there's almost always a blow job going on.  lots of fun little blow job descriptions and her trials and tribulations living among civilised society (like on the muni, for example).  she read very quickly and you had to work to keep up with her.  i loved it.  she's wonderful.  my partner is starting to like her as well, as i've brought him out to see her a few times. 

at the end of the show, trouble from nofauxxx came up as a guest performer and sang a song.  it was really cute.  she has great style.  i also saw avarice, who does nofauxxx, thatbirdsnest, and has a set up on ISM.  i have had an internet crush on her for a couple of years.  i saw her as i was walking out of the venue.  she's super cute.  i didn't introduce myself to her, even though we sort of do the same thing, because i get shy around pretty girls, especially if they've done more porn than me.

she's so cute. 

so: good event, glad i went, it brought up some things to ponder, and some of it was pretty entertaining.  and i got to people-watch in the queerky community for a little while, which is always fascinating.  i think carol queen and dirty martini are as close to famous people in my little world as one can get, so i was sort of celebrity-spotting as well.  i'm such a huge nerd. 

if you're in the u.s. and you want to check it out:
http://www.sexworkersartshow.com/tourschedule.html

here ends the reading from the gospel of what i did last night.

Siobhan

Member

Registered: 15-06-06

Posts: 823

Re: On the Subject of Positive Erotic Female Role Models . . .

thanks be to Gala.

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Under all speech that is good for any-thing there lies a silence that is better.  Silence is as deep as Eternity;  speech is as shallow as Time.--Thomas Carlysle

Arielle

Member

Registered: 20-10-06

Posts: 90

Re: On the Subject of Positive Erotic Female Role Models . . .

Gala that sounds a lot more exciting than the walk to the park that I went on.

I like that you wrote:
"i think it's great to have opportunities to see sex workers speak for themselves, since we tend to talk for them sometimes when we're trying to dialogue about something so stigmatic."

and I agree with you. I think our culture has a peculiar habit of talking for others and projecting our own pesonal beliefs into separate groups of people.

I'm glad you had a good time and got to see some sex positive inspirational people. I checked out some stuff on Dirty Martini after that link you sent and I think she is gorgeous.

Cate

Member

Registered: 10-05-06

Posts: 470

Website

Re: On the Subject of Positive Erotic Female Role Models . . .

Great post Gala and Arielle that definatly was an important point she made.
Mistress Matisse's blog is very good in this regard, showing an auto biographical representation of the sex industry in a highly positive light. She refuses to portray her life/industry as the cliche everyone thinks it should be.

http://mistressmatisse.blogspot.com/

gala

bonanza jellybean of state

From: melbizzy

Registered: 11-04-06

Posts: 1,553

Website

Re: On the Subject of Positive Erotic Female Role Models . . .

I checked out some stuff on Dirty Martini after that link you sent and I think she is gorgeous.

she is gorgeous.  you should see this woman shake.  she was awarded 'best body in burlesque', and i can see why.  the woman has copious amounts of both bump and grind.  what i wouldn't give to clean the panties up off the stage after her act...

Last edited by gala (30-01-07 07:52:48)

Desertgirl44

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From: Australia

Registered: 13-10-06

Posts: 211

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Re: On the Subject of Positive Erotic Female Role Models . . .

Great post Gala. Great comments and very good points Arielle, especially

I think our culture has a peculiar habit of talking for others and projecting our own pesonal beliefs into separate groups of people.

Also great comments Cate and thank you for the link to Mistress Matisse's blog, I'd not seen it before.

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Desertgirl ... Exposed, for all the world to see