Good Vibrations Magazine

When you’re watching an adult flick and your co-worker is one of the stars… yeah, it can be a little strange. But, it’s also pretty interesting, as most folks don’t have the opportunity to ask a bona-fide porn star questions like “what it’s like to have sex with 10 people watching you?”

My co-worker, let’s call her “Syd”, has been involved in adult films and web sites for about a year. She currently is one of the wrestlers on ultimatesurrender.com — “The Ultimate Female Competitive Sexual Wrestling” site where “the winner gets to fuck the loser any way she wants.” She also appeared in The Crash Pad this year… an all-girl feature starring real queer women who make it very obvious they’re enjoying what they’re doing. (And, what they’re doing involves lots of pop shots and hard-pounding action!) The next feature, Superfreak, by the same company that produced The Crash Pad, Pink and White Productions (Porn for Pussies), is due out this fall. Syd is one of the producers of the film. She’ll also be playing an androgynous party-goer that gets possessed by Rick James and has some fun in the kitchen. Funk and roll!

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Syd and ask her some questions about doing adult-film work….

When did you do your first film?
About a year ago (2005), I started working for an online company in the San Francisco.

What were the circumstances? Did someone ask you to be in a film?
I had worked for an adult print publication and done modeling and photography for them and figured the next step in working in the sex industry was to move on to film. Several of my friends were working for this online company (kink.com) and really enjoyed their experiences so I thought I’d give it a try. I sent in my application and photos to their model coordinator.

Did you tell your parents? If so, what did you tell them?
I eventually told my parents that I was modeling, after becoming a porn producer myself. I told them about my company. They are actually pretty supportive contrary to what I expected. I think they are proud that I am successful and have authority and initiative over my life.

Did you find it awkward or exciting to be in front of a camera?
I find being in porn natural. Just like any other occupation or activity, there is a degree of professionalism and conduct. It is no stranger or different for me than going into my regular nine to five job, which is in the field of commercial art. I enjoy both. I think there is a misconception about porn — that it’s this big free for all. The reality is, that it’s performance. It’s a manufactured document. It’s a product made with the intention of creating a sort of feeling and/or idea to go along with it, much like any other film, work of art, or commercial media. If all porn was about was having fun, people would be too preoccupied to actually pick up a camera and record it. I think this is the reason why I find homegrown porn so appealing. There is an air of rawness and reality about it that the high budget and finely-polished films sometimes lack. However, it is a rare gem to find an aesthetically well-done film that possesses real passion.

Have you ever had to be sexual with a complete stranger or have you always known your co-stars?
I have had several shoots with people I hadn’t met until 15 minutes before the shoot. The wonderful thing about the porn I’m involved with is that they have a lot of resources for securing talented people and screening them. There’s also a mandatory STD testing service that everyone must go through at least once a month. There’s a lot of irony around people’s presumptions of what the risks of porn are. The reality is that the people I know who are involved in porn tend to be much more proactive about their sexual health than the ones that don’t do porn. There is knowledge and disclosure in the field of porn that promotes sexual health — knowledge and pleasure in a way that I think most of our society could highly benefit from. The culture of sexual fear, suppression and guilt that permeates our society has been far more hurtful than porn could ever be. This is one of the reasons I love porn — you can have sex with a complete stranger and there is this knowledge and precaution that creates a safe space. And, in a way, no one is a “complete stranger” because their name is in the database, along with their age, status, social security number, and health records. Imagine if you got all that info about the people you dated on your first date?

What’s been your favorite scene or favorite part of doing a film?
My favorite scene hands down was in The Crash Pad, because I got to work with some of my friends, and directly with someone I love. I know the director personally and knew how amazingly talented she is, as well as my co-star, whom I am in a relationship with. The real chemistry was there, along with true artistic talent.

My favor part of working in this field is that I get paid to do something I love. It is especially rewarding if you are working with people you truly respect and love, much like any job.

What has been the worst part? Any bad experiences?
The worst part of working in porn is dealing with people who don’t know how to respect other people’s boundaries, or think they are entitled to behave poorly because of the position they hold, or because of what they think this industry is about. Again, this could be said of any job, but I think that it’s truly unfortunate when people think they can be rude or disrespectful. Porn is still a professional business and there should be a level or maturity and professionalism to it. I hate having my time wasted by people who can’t understand this.

Who would be your ultimate co-star?
Umm… well I really enjoy working with people I know, especially if previous knowledge can somehow be integrated into the scene, but I also love getting to know new people. I think I get a little bit of both, regardless.

Who has the worst tattoos in porn?
Bad tattoos are rampant, just watch any porn and you’re bound to see some. My favorites include, but are not limited to: the Playboy Bunny (a sure fire way to NEVER get into Playboy), “Pornstar” (in case you forgot?), or any dated tattoo icons — i.e., dolphins, tribal bands, butterflies on the lower back… I could go on, but I sort of do appreciate these for their kitsch value and am sure I’ll feel the same way about mine in 10 years.

What about the best tattoos?
Well again with the irony, but mainstream porn tends to frown upon skin ink. For this reason I give big props to Belladonna (I know “bebe” on her knuckles — again, kitsch) and Janine because they’ve infiltrated so to speak. Obviously you have the Suicide Girls and nofauxxx has the same appeal if you like girls with good tats. I also really appreciate Dragonlily’s tats, who is someone I’ve worked with personally and is a very sweet person.

What would you never do in a film? What are your limits?
My main limit is more about whom I am working with and less about a particular act. I refuse to work with anyone that is disrespectful and does not know how to handle themselves in a professional manner. Other than that, I am up for just about anything.

What do you think is the best thing happening in porn, generally speaking, right now?
I think the best thing happening in porn right now is the fact that it’s finding acceptance in mainstream media. When Belladonna is getting interviewed on 20/20, you know the winds of change are stirring. I also think it’s wonderful that smaller companies are starting to produce some amazing work that is refreshing in terms of content and representation. People like Tony Comstock, Nofauxxx and Madison Young are creating great films that feature real, passionate, and beautiful people. It’s a big departure from the porn factory of the Valley and its cookie-cutter product. I love San Francisco in particular, and the scene that is developing here. It’s incredibly community-based, unique, artistic, and intellectual. Everyone I know here who is involved with the sex industry is an activist, academic, artist, and intellectual. There’s a real since of support that is absolutely special. This high-quality avant-garde intellectualism is what differentiates it from traditional Hollywood “blockbusters” that are a dime a dozen.

What would you change about contemporary porn if you could change something?
I think the majority of contemporary porn is incredibly formulaic and repetitive. Much of it comes from the same place by the same people and is more about quantity than quality. However, I think the most important change I’d want regarding porn, is the way people watch and understand it. This is actually my hope for all types of media, from billboards to sitcoms. It is incredibly important to understand that porn is entertainment and not necessarily there for education or to provide role models for behavior. As viewers, we need to be able to discern a constructed performance by trained professionals from a guide for our own behavior. Also know that much like other types of media, the porn industry is predominately controlled by a certain demographic, which might account for the sameness that plagues most of the market. Due to the abundance of this certain viewpoint, it has, in a way, set a standard and perhaps a belief structure on certain aspects of our culture. We need to be critical viewers and know that the images and products presented to us are subjective and constructed points-of-view and are by no means an absolute on “how it really is.”

I believe that once this way of seeing is fully utilized, the industry will be far better off with the amount of creative freedom this will provide. Our social notions of obscenity will be restructured with the knowledge that entertainment and art will no longer act as scapegoats for irresponsible individual’s behavior, and the lack of social investment we place in education and health systems. When we finally get an adequate form of sexual education that focuses not only on health, but pleasure and responsibility, the misplaced burden of sexual education that has been put on porn’s shoulders will be rightful back in the realm of the educators. When we have the freedom to disseminate accurate sexual knowledge and health information nationally as well as globally, the ignorance, myths and misconceptions that perpetuate the spread and rise of STDs will be eliminated.

What are your future plans in porn?
We, Pink and White Production, are producing our next feature film and it should be released at the end of the summer. My ultimate goal is to have a successful business, with multiple feature contract deals, a studio, and ability to travel and shoot on location. I want Pink and White Productions to be right up there with Vivid, Falcon, and VCA. I am still looking to be in film, but I really want to focus a lot of my energy into producing.

If you had a daughter and she said, when she was 18, that she was interested in doing adult films, what would you say to her? Whatever my loved ones want to do with their lives, I will be supportive. If they have the desire, drive and authority to do something, then I want to be supportive. Porn or not, that’s how I feel.

Be sure to check out Syd in The Crash Pad… which I’m happy to say has been a best-seller since the moment it hit our shelves!

	Judi B. still hopes for an adult film to be made someday starring Aeon Flux and Lara Croft.