Good Vibrations just picked up the highly anticipated film CHAMPION from award-winning director Shine Louise Houston. You can read cast and crew bios, see more images (NSFW) and find out more about the film on its website Champion-Movie.com, and order it at Good Vibrations!

The film’s lead, Syd Blakovich, is a local talent making big waves in the industry. We’re lucky to have gotten a moment of the busy star’s time to have this interview and get a glimpse into the world of queer porn and competitive female fighting.

Syd: Mixed Martial Arts is also popularly referred to as “Cage Fighting” or “UFC Style Fighting.” It used to be pretty much anything goes, where the fighters would start standing and can use striking (punching, kicking, elbows, knees) as well as ground fighting (wrestling, jiu jitsu, and submission wrestling which includes joint locks and manipulations and chokes). Over the years rules have been added (no head butts, groin strikes, eye gouging and small joint locks including fingers and toes). I train in Muay Thai Boxing and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu as well as some wrestling. MMA can be fought in a cage or a ring. In the US it is more or less done in a cage, in my international fights I have fought in rings. Cages cost a hell of a lot more money, and in the movie we do it in a ring, which Shine hand-built in one night. She is super crafty.

Photos Courtesy of Champion-Movie.com, photographer Eleanor Digby

GV: In the film, your character Jessie Eaton is faced with a lot of homophobia that she has to overcome. As a fighter in real life, is this similar to your experience? Do you have any antidotes for MMA fighters?

Syd: Oh man, you really forget what the world can be like when you live in a bubble like San Francisco. MMA has allowed me to travel domestically and internationally and it is crazy how just getting out of the city will really open your eyes to a very different culture. MMA is a hyper form of this performative neo-masculinity within the US and I find it absolutely fascinating.

I think due to the fact it involves two people of similar presented genders making physical and intimate contact, exchanging body fluid (blood and sweat), and is this public exhibition of this act there is this response to it… homophobia is such common place in the world of MMA and in my opinion a response to all these things in light that culturally we are using this form of entertainment to shape the American perceptions of the masculine identity.

I think that Americans find homosexuality a direct threat to their gender identity constructs because it so heavily relies on binaries, which it uses a lot of heteronormative standards to edify. There isn’t much room for variance in this type of construct. So short answer is yes, there is a lot of homophobia in MMA, but the great irony is that there is just as much sexism and female MMA fighters are virtually invisible anyways and a queer female MMA fighter, well you might as well be talking to people about flying unicorns.

During my first amateur MMA fight, I fought for a production that was put on by one of the first American MMA fighters who also is an outspoken, conservative religious person. I have a lot of respect for people’s religious beliefs and come from a  pretty religious family whom I love. I was treated with such little respect not only as a female fighter, but even after they had verbally PROMISED that I would be invited back, as soon as they learned I was queer and about my work, they told me I would never be invited back. The homophobia and hypocrisy was insane. It makes me incredibly sad to see people use religion as a way to propagate hate and I find it absolutely disrespectful to the religion itself. That was in California. I have had other domestic fights, where I had wonderful experiences. Oklahoma was beautiful and everyone there was so nice.

GV: What did you like best about CHAMPION and working with Shine Louise Houston of Pink & White Productions?
Syd: I love working for Pink and White and Shine, because I get to make work for, by and with members of my community whom I love and respect. It is unlike anywhere else and I am so grateful to be a part of it all. I loved making CHAMPION , partially because it was fantastic to make a film that combines my two life’s passions: porn and fighting. I think it was also wonderful to make CHAMPION , because it is also a social commentary about some of the issues female athlete’s face, making this visible is really important. Yes, some might say that it is problematic to use porn as a platform for social awareness, but I firmly back Shine’s vision and belief that is is essential for queer, females of color to seize the power of image making, especially when it is about our bodies. I think her work has so much value as a cultural vehicle for awareness, visibility and education. Her films are the great queer Trojan Horse of the 21st century. They are subversive, sexy and socially necessary.

GV: We’ve seen you in other Pink & White films and in Lesbian Life: Real Sex San Francisco, as Shawn. What films stand out as your favorites, and where else can we find your work?

Syd: Check out CrashPadSeries.com, which is an on going membership site brought to you by Pink and White Productions as well as UltimateSurrender.com which is a fetish wrestling kink site for more of my work. To date, I must day that CHAMPION is my favorite video I have been in. Getting to play the lead was a great honor.

GV: Who are your role models, both in the ring and on the porn screen?

Photos Courtesy of Champion-Movie.com, photographer Eleanor Digby

Syd: My trainer Lana who has pretty much devoted her life to build up female professional fighting. I am also a big Roxanne Modafferi fan who is an amazing fighter and should get a lot more credit than she gets. Megumi Fuji, Megumi Yabushita, Tara La Rosa, Vanessa Porto…. there are so many female fighter out there who get little to no recognition because the world of female fighting is ruled by a bunch of dudes who rather have ring girls pillow fighting in the cage than real female fighters and a lot of talented women are over looked because of this. I think this is the plight of the female athlete. It is this weird unspoken bullshit… they want a model that can fight… in my opinion these are two separate occupations and should be treated as such. Yes, it can be pointed out that I do both, but I actually am on a break right now from fighting because I am focusing on my career and know that I can’t do both right now. It should also be pointed out that female fighter make little to no money, it’s a fucking joke. If you are lucky, you’ll get %10 of what your male counterparts earn, who for the most part don’t get paid that much either,  so don’t quit your day job. It actually costs me more money to fight than it would for me not to and porn allows me to do this and not be broke.

As far as other adult stars I look up to, it would be those who are shaping the world of porn in some amazing ways. Madison Young who is a feminist pornstar and arts community builder, SIR Productions, Comstock Films and Trannywood Pictures who are expanding the cultural consciousness of porn with some great work, and of course all my lovers and friends I get to work with on screen and are a big part of this queer porno revolution.

GV: As a pornstar, what are some of your favorite toys to use on film?

Syd: Strap-ons are wonderful and of course all things Vixskin. The Hitachi is also super awesome.

GV: How do you see Good Vibrations’ involvement with the queer porn community?

Syd: Ha! Good Vibrations is like a second home for a lot of the queer porno community. Shine and I met while we were working there when it was a cooperative. Actually, I think most of our talent has or currently does work at GV. It’s like a prerequisite! I also believe Jackie Strano worked at GV before she started SIR with her partner Shar.

GV: How can fans and allies of queer porn support your work?

Syd: Buy queer porn! Pink and White’s videos include The Crash Pad, Superfreak, The Wild Search (the new name of the currently titled film In Search of the Wild Kingdom), CHAMPION , and Crash Pad Series Volume 1-3 and you can also get a membership to our website CrashPadSeries.com, but we also encourage people to support the work of our peers like NoFauxxx.com, Trannywood Pictures (Cubbyholes, Couch Surfers), and Madison Bound Productions DVDs from Bondage IT girl Madison Young because we are all part of one big community and when we support each other we are also supporting ourselves.

Like a lot of kids who grew up watching Saturday morning cartoons in the mid 80’s, I too let out a collective sigh of loss when Pee Wee’s Playhouse went off the air due to Paul Reuben’s unfortunate run in with the law while masturbating in a porno theater in 1991. While no one at the time was too surprised when the hit show was quickly taken off the air following the salacious scandal, TV just wasn’t the same anymore without Miss Yvonne, secret words, singing puppets, and waiting with bated breath to see what magic wish Pee Wee would make this week.

It’s been over 15 years since the Playhouse was torn down and now those same kids are all grown up and celebrating the quirky goodness of Paul Reubens (and the goodness of masturbation) with Paul Reuben’s Day, which will take place this year on Saturday July 28th in San Francisco. To get to the bottom of this annual phenomenon we went straight to the source and spoke with PRD’s founder and lead “Wee,” Sadie Lune. For all you super GV fans, you also might remember Sadie as our brilliant Trophy Girl during last year’s Amateur Erotic Film Competition.

AG: How did you get involved with Paul Reubens Day?

The first year that I lived in San Francisco my then boyfriend and another East Coast transplant and I were talking about porn in a bar, and I bemoaned the fact that I had never seen porn in an actual porno theater. Very quickly the idea of Paul Reubens’ Day emerged, and while our original idea to get a bunch of Pee-wees to watch porn in a porno theater has never happened (there aren’t any more operating porno theaters in SF) the idea took on a life of its own in a different manifestation. So the first year Aaron Muszalski, Jamie Slater and I co-organized the event, and since then it has grown and gotten weirder and I have been the primary organizer with a roving group of very helpful volunteers and co-organizers such as Frog Gillmore.

AG: What kind of responses do you get on PRD when people on the street spot this huge contingent of Pee Wees walking around San Francisco?

Oh, it’s hilarious. Some people are frightened by the outlandish costumes- while most participants dress as a version of Pee-wee, we get all sorts of other characters (Cowboy Curtis, Jambi, the Flowers that sing the King of Cartoon’s song, one of the crazy nurse clowns from the Big Adventure, the Puppetland band, etc.) and since everyone has their own variation of “-wee” it can be a little disorienting and hard to figure out exactly what is going on. And then of course there is the simulated masturbation, which some people find delightful, while others are horrified. We always bring extra bow ties for people that were not planning to spend their day screaming at the secret word, but run into us and then can’t resist the absurdity. Hooray for them! Tourists tend to have a very wide-eyed look of mixed fear/disgust/curiosity/ and trying to play along, their faces tend to read like “oh, this is that part of San Francisco I have heard about”, in other words, the weirdos. When we accidentally ran into Andy Dick in Dolores park on year 2, he loved us and jumped up on one of the big fiber-glass heart sculptures that were sprinkled about the city so we could take pictures of him surrounded by -wees. But my favorite reactions are when Gen X-er type parents, those of the age-range who remember the Playhouse show fondly for its subversive and bizarre wackiness, see us humping everything, freaking out and spraying things with fake spooge and get all excited, and then point us out to their young children who have probably never seen Pee-wee’s Big Adventure or any of the episodes of Playhouse and say “Look, look its Pee-wee Herman!”

AG: What’s your favorite Pee Wee movie?

Perhaps the one that’s yet to be made. Supposedly there are two new Pee-wee movies in the works, thanks to the magic of after-effects. Mr. Reubens has said something along the lines of, “we may all end up looking younger in these films than we ever did originally”. But really, it’s hard to say. The Big Adventure is the classic and everybody’s favorite, and rightfully so; where else can you see a cameo by Mr. T cereal? But I have a soft spot in my heart for Big Top Pee-wee, both because of my circus/sideshow fetish and because it is not afraid to portray Pee-wee as the two-timing jerk he really is.

AG: Does PRD exist outside of San Francisco?

I am not omniscient, so I can’t answer with authority. Thanks to the internet, it exists in all possible places and dimensions, all the time. When Moby commented about it in his blog, he was in Australia. I like to think that worldwide on PRD people dress a little spiffier, masturbate a little more heartily, and find themselves taping their noses to their faces, even if they’re not sure why.

AG: What is your affiliation with Carol Queen / The Center for Sex and Culture?

Carol Queen kinda shaped the path of my life through her writing back when I lived on the East Coast. Her work is a big reason that I live in San Francisco now. And the most amazing thing is that we are close friends now. I am a huge supporter of her and her partner, Robert’s, work. I was an intern for the CSC a couple of years ago, and then a volunteer; though these days I mostly do the occasional benefit for the Center, because I believe it to be addressing a great social need. The very existence of the CSC increases the world’s sex positivism, how ingenious to associate the words “sex” and “culture” in the very title! I would love to see the time where every city had their own Center for Sex and Culture.

AG: What is the basic message you want to send out to the world through celebrating Paul Rubens?

Masturbation is more than an unmentionable, shameful act; more than acceptable or snidely tolerated; masturbation can be affirming, healing, and a hell of a lot of fun! The fact that Surgeon Generals can loose their jobs and beloved celebrities arrested and publicly humiliated over the single most universal and safest sex act is a clear indication of the perceived power and danger of pleasure. It is all so painfully absurd that my retaliation is equally as absurd; and sometimes just as painful

Let’s not let our innate capacity for pleasure be co-opted and constrained by sex-negative authority, let’s take the sexy power back into our own hands!

Besides that, I like bridging the gap between people’s “lives” (i.e. non-sexual lives) and their sexuality, to show that sexuality is an integral incorporated part of everyone, even if they are celibate or asexual. And that play, whether its child-like screaming REAL LOUD at the secret word, or sexy “adult” play, is of great value to humans, though often unrecognized. To make a long story short, (too late!), reclaiming joy in sex, play and silliness.

AG: What does Sex Positivity mean to you?

It means analyzing “common sense” to find out what’s really behind all of these fearful, schizophrenic concepts floating around about sex, gender, and pleasure. It means being open about my work as a sex worker, my joy in multiple partners, my desire for kink. It means examining my own sexual fears and shame and attempting to help others realize they don’t just have to live with theirs. It means speaking up when I see a media portrayal of sex as dirty, or a crime victim as deserving because of their sexuality, or anything else based on the tenet that sex in and of itself, is wrong, sick, gross, damaging, or perverted (I actually like that one); not letting those thoughts be relegated to unexamined “truth” and saying that I disagree. It means encouraging others to talk about sex, what they want, what they do, what they are afraid to want and do. It means making space for people to be whole selves, including a sexuality which may not look like the one TV, or Jessica Simpson, or the religious right, or our parents, tells us we should have.

AG: Did you know there is a Tribe site dedicated to you?

Yes, an ex made that for me a couple of years ago. I’m not on Tribe anymore, so I doubt there’s been any activity on that site for about 2 years.

AG: Since this is the 5th anniversary of PRD, what can people expect to see this year?

We are revisiting the site of the first PRD, which is before we had a benefit party as part of the event, starting at our very first stop: Vesuvio. We will have some circus-style entertainment to greet the -wees and then we are off into North Beach, for gelato, tequila dancing, porn stores and of course a visit to the Lusty Ladies, the highlight of PRD I. I just found out that the North Beach Jazz Fest is concurrent, so we will see if Pee-wees and Jazz fans are natural enemies or allies.

Then, the benefit Playhouse Party! From 4-6 pm the Stud (in SF) will be transformed into an overflowing Playhouse full of -wees, including a Spank It! booth, Kissing Booth, Miss Yvonne Beauty Pageant, Amazing Larry’s Trivia Contest, and the Reubens-esque costume contest. And a host of fabulous performers including burlesque from Lady Monster and Ginger Virago, comedy from Mary Van Note and Wendy Vinaigrette, and erotic spoken word from Sherilyn Connelly, horehound stillpoint, Charlie Anders, and Raina Bird, and more. All set to the twisted and demented audio/visual stylings of KrOB. Think Pee-wee/porn mash-up. And of course there are the clips from the very porn Mr. Reubens was watching when arrested! And, specials on tequila shots- I don’t drink but if Pee-wee’s at a bar, it’s either a banana milkshake, a Shirley Temple, or a shot of tequila for him.

AG: What porn titles might someone spy you watching in a dark theater one day?

Porn titles I’d *like* to see: “Dentata” (queer femme vampire porn), Tooth and Claw (anthro-furry kinky porn), Spare Some Change? (a story of a femme cougar who picks up crusty street kids and gender fucks them), Keep On Fucking (a mostly live-action, multi-gendered, porn interpretation of the work of R. Crumb, starring a trans-lady Crumb girl), or a x-rated version of Velvet Goldmine.

The best porn I’ve *actually* seen lately was Pink and White’s CrashPad and the shorts from the Good Vibes amateur porn contest. I don’t watch very much video porn; the quality, messages and aesthetic tend to make me sad. I like magazines and live-enactments for my viewing pleasure.

AG: Do you have any other projects in the works that you’d like to tell us about?

Whew! I just finished a lot of performances for the Sex Workers Film and Art Fest, so July has been a super busy month!

I play Miss Scarlet in the play “Clue” at the Dark Room Theater (www.darkroomsf.com) for one more weekend, and on Saturday I get to make a quick transformation from ‘Kink-wee’ into the 1950’s madam. My comic, Saturn Returns Komyx, also appears in $pread magazine ( http://www.spreadmagazine.org/), my short film “Yum” will be show at the Parkway Theater in Oakland on August 9th and I will be featuring at Queer Open Mic at the GLBT center on August 10. I have plans for both an illustrated zine and a book about sex worker issues in the works. My biggest goal for immediately after Paul Reubens Day is to relax, travel a bit, and make space in my life for lots of kinky sex!

**

For more information about Paul Reuben’s Day events go to: http://www.paulreubensday.com/

I sat down with Coyote to talk about what making this important list has meant to her….

How does it feel to be featured in the same magazine, on the same list as Belladonna and Jenna Jameson?!

To be honest, completely overwhelming. Not only are we in different segments of the industry (making content versus buying content) but they are mega-stars in both adult and mainstream industries and I don’t feel that important. To be considered influential in this larger-than-life industry is really an honor. I just feel really honored.

How did AVN find you? Or…How did the nomination come about?

I don’t know. I work closely with people over at AVN in the promotion of Good Vibrations products and brands. I have also been included in a few articles they’ve written such as the one on phthalates. A few months ago I received a phone call from AVN asking for my thoughts on some of the top players in the industry who were under 40 and I named a few accomplished people never thinking that I would be under consideration as well.

Did you know who the others were that were picked before you saw the issue?

I had no idea. I honestly don’t know the ages of many of the people I work with and I didn’t know which segments of the industry they were looking at.

Did you scream when you first saw the cover?

I think I actually gasped for air and my skin was all goose-bumpy. I adore Belladonna and to see her looking so radiant… and knowing that somebody considered me to be the same caliber or in the same range of caliber. I just feel really honored… and a bit overwhelmed by it all.

Were you the only non-porn-world person chosen for the list?

No, but one of a few. Julie Stewart, co-owner, of Sportsheets was also included. I was actually excited to see this – Julie is great to work with and such a lovely person in general. It was great to see another sex-positive company included in the list and one where women and female pleasure is very much a value.

How psyched were you that you had the chance to verbalize why your job is so important to you?

I love my job and I love this company. I don’t often get a chance to talk about what it is I work so hard for and why this company and our values are so important to me. It was awesome to be able to be passionate and know that other people would be able to hear about what it is I work for every day.

By the way, what’s your favorite adult movie and who’s your favorite performer?

I’m usually a fan of the story-line adult videos… but recently added video selection for Good Vibrations to my position to I’ve been watching A LOT of porn. Out of everything I’ve watched recently my absolute favorite was Mami Culo Grande 4! Seriously hot. Lots of enthusiasm, attraction and round, round bottoms.

As for performers, I have to say that Belladonna remains one of my favorites. Lorelei Lee grabs my attention as well—such a cutie. And despite not being that impressed with his AVN acceptance speeches, Manuel Ferrara is a super performer!

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10?

I think about this a lot. This industry is amazing and I would hope to still be in it in 5 years. I can’t really see myself working anywhere else—Good Vibrations is a great company. Not only in the history and legacy but also in how supportive a workplace it can be. We attract top-notch employees and it can be a real pleasure coming to work. I can still see myself here in 5 years but if not at GV than perhaps working somewhere else in the industry. Maybe someplace like AVN or Free Speech Coalition. There are a lot of ways to work in the industry—I just hope I can continue to exact change and be in a position to talk about issues I feel are important.

It’s actually not true that video killed the radio star, because Sirius Radio has become quite a phenomenon, with its 200 channels and superstars such as Howard Stern. In fact, our friend Diana Cage hosts a show on Sirius’ Out Q, the gay channel. On her show, “Diana gets down and dirty with talk about relationships, gender politics and all things personal. Diana blasts stereotypes with an irreverent and smart look at GLBT lives and culture.”

GV Staffer Jo-El is now working with Diana Cage as a guest “sexpert.” Jo-El has been sex educating the masses since 2001, traveling all over north California, Jo-El’s passion lies in the sex positivity that Good Vibrations promotes. Whether it is working with youth, med students or post-menopausal women, nothing is more satisfying than getting accurate sex information out there. (source)

Recently, Jo-El and I sat down via cyberspace and talked about spreading sex positivity via satellite….

Hey Jo-El, how did you get involved with Diana Cage’s Sirius radio show?

I met Diana a couple of years ago in the subcultural world of San Francisco queer “celebrities” via my drag king alter-ego, Rusty Hips. I knew she moved to NY last year, but wasn’t aware it was because of her Sirius radio show. I divulged to my co-worker, Coyote (GV’s toy buyer), that I secretly wanted to do a radio talk show when we were brainstorming marketing ideas. That’s when Coyote told me that Diana was doing her show on Sirius, and suggested I get in touch with her to get in on it. So I did.

What’s your role on the show?

I am the guest “sexpert” every other Friday from 11:15-midnightish Eastern time. Diana knows me and the many hats I wear…one as a performer, which is great for radio…the other as a sex educator, which is great for content. I have been working as a sex educator for almost 6 years…teaching workshops, training all in-coming sex educator sales associates for Good Vibes, and directing the off-site sex education programs of the Center for Sex and Culture. I’ve been ready to take it to the next level for a while now. Diana’s show is a great opportunity to do so.

What kind of questions do people call in with?

You name it! The call-ins have been pretty random. I think what has surprised me most about the show, both listening and when I’m a guest, is how many heterosexual callers are listening to the Out Q Gay Radio station! Yay for the straight but not narrow, right??

Has there ever been a topic brought up that stumped you?

Stumped…not really. The only time I had to really put on my sex educator thinking cap on was in reference to someone inquiring about anal fisting. In my many years teaching about sexuality, I have never had anyone inquire about anal fisting—can you believe it??! Luckily, I know the physiology and anatomy of all-things anal related, in addition to vaginal fisting techniques, so I did pretty good.

What’s the most common kind of question people have about sex? Are there “themes” that pop up regularly?

I’ve been doing the show for only a couple of months every other week, so I haven’t noticed a “theme” yet. Diana always prompts me with questions at the beginning of the show, and those seem to revolve around sex toys and vaginal fisting…so far. Female ejaculation has come up a couple of times, too.

What’s the most unusual question you’ve ever had?

“Unusual,” huh?? Now I’m stumped. So far, I haven’t really gotten a caller with an unusual question. Working as a sex educator, however, I’ve pretty much heard it all…”Can you use shit as lube?”, “Can you get pregnant from having anal sex?”, “Does having anal sex mean that you’re gay??” I love these types of questions the best…they are usually preceded with “I have a really dumb question…” I truly believe that there is no such thing as a dumb question in regards to human sexuality. The truth is that most people have been given misinformation or complete lack of information about sex. Diana’s show is great because it gives us as educators the ability to reach people all over the world, really, and give them accurate, sex-positive information that is so needed.

***

Make sure to check out Jo-El and Diana Cage on Sirius Channel 109 Out Q! You’ll be amazed at what you can learn from the radio waves (all while keeping both hands free)!

Origami is an awesome once-Melbourne, now-San Francisco-based band that wants to make you dance! I had the pleasure of seeing one of their shows recently, and have to say… they can MAKE you dance!

I sat down with bass player, Natalie, recently and asked her a few questions. And it went a little something like this:

JB: As queer artists, what would you tell a young queer or questioning kid about surviving society’s pressures?

Natalie: It may sound cheesy but just be true to yourself and don’t let anyone make you feel bad for expressing who you are. You’re not alone out there so try and connect with other queer kids – maybe even start a band!

JB: How does sexuality play into your lyrics and music?

Nat: Sexuality isn’t a major focus of our lyrics but it can’t help but show up sometimes …particularly with songs like O Beach Party which is about getting down in the sand with a girl in a muscle tee. But wait .. I really shouldn’t interpret Rhonda’s lyrics. She will feel exposed.

As the bass player, I just have to mention that the bass is very sexy. It’s all in the rhythm!

JB: What’s the sexiest song ever?

Nat: Let’s Get Physical – Olivia Newton John. Hands down …the hottest.

JB: What’s the sexiest thing on your nightstand right now?

Nat: Some books – nerds are sexy… right?

JB: Tell me a little about Australia….and your experience there in terms of being artists and queer.

Nat: San Francisco has so many more gays than Melbourne, Australia so our experiences here have been quite different than they were back at home. I think one of the main differences is that there is a greater sense of a queer music community here in San Francisco – there are definitely more queer artists, events and venues. Melbourne is great though. It has a really strong rock history and music scene.

JB: If you had your own reality show, what would it be called?

Nat: That is a really tough question. Everyone in the band seems to be obsessed with their hair so perhaps it would be called “Hair Today –Gone Tomorrow” viewers would decide who is having the worst hair day and they would be voted off the show. Wait that just sounds ridiculous but it is the best I could come up with.

JB: Have any fans ever tried to get “too friendly” with you?

Nat: A girl from the audience had Rhonda (our singer) in a headlock during our last show. Is that considered too friendly?

JB: Tell me about Pink Saturday (the day before the SF Gay Pride Parade & day of the Dyke March) and where you’ll be……

Nat: Before the march we’ll be appearing with our partner in crime, the fabulous Jenna Riot at Lexington from 3-5pm. We promise to make it hot and sweaty for you.

Check out Origami’s myspace and their official web site: www.origamitheband.com

And watch their video, O Beach Party!

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/3lU14MpUYu0" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

]]> http://magazine.goodvibes.com/2007/06/20/meet-origami/feed/ 1 http://magazine.goodvibes.com/2007/05/30/behing-the-vibes-meet-dr-charlie-glickman/ http://magazine.goodvibes.com/2007/05/30/behing-the-vibes-meet-dr-charlie-glickman/#comments Wed, 30 May 2007 18:38:39 +0000 Judi B. http://magazine.goodvibes.com/2007/05/30/behing-the-vibes-meet-dr-charlie-glickman/ With a staff as interesting and diverse as ours, we just can’t keep them to ourselves anymore! In this installment, Meet Charlie, a Ph.D. who’s working hard to help you have better orgasms!

Where did you grow up?

Millburn, NJ (about 20 miles west of New York)

When did you start working at GV?

1996

What did you do before working at GV (work-wise)?

I worked at Peet’s coffee for a couple of years slinging java and lattes, I was a program coordinator at Bay Area Women Against Rape and I studied American Sign Language at Vista College in Berkeley. Oh, and I also tutored math, did safer sex outreach and stage managed a dance company.

What’s your favorite thing about working for GV?

I love knowing that right now, someone is having a better orgasm because of something I said or did. And the opportunity to talk about anal sex and vibrators with strangers is always entertaining, especially at parties.

What’s the most unusual experience you’ve had at work?

That’s a tough one- my definition of weird is pretty far out there. But the time that someone bought a butt plug and asked if he could go into the bathroom and put it in was a bit of a surprise. (We asked him to go home before using it.)

Did you ever think you’d be selling sex toys?

No, but when I got the job, everyone I knew said “of course” so I knew it was the right place for me.

What’s your idea of a “perfect” day?

Breakfast in bed, working in my garden with my sweetie, having friends over for dinner (especially if I’m eating a rare steak), and staying up late talking about everything under the sun.

What are five things you couldn’t live without?

My sweetie

My cats (I’m counting all three as one item)

Music (anything from classical to jazz to house)

Sci-fi books

My garden (I love homegrown tomatoes!)

Favorite (sexy) movie?

I just saw Conversation(s) With Other Women and I have to say- the sexual tension was amazing and it had one of the hottest sex scenes I’ve seen in a movie in a long time. But then, there’s always Secretary…

Book?

Anything by Iain M. Banks, Georgette Heyer or Theodore Sturgeon

Song?

It’s hard to pick just one, but here are a few of my favorite CDs:

Haunted by Poe. I love her smoky voice

The White Album by the Beatles. I grew up listening to the Beatles and I never get tired of them.

Bach’s Lautenwerke. A lovely bit of music to listen to while eating brunch.

A Voyage into Trance by Paul Oakenfold. It always gets me moving.

Where could we find you on any given Saturday night?

Depending on my mood: dancing, watching cheesy movies with my sweetie, going for long walks in the Berkeley hills, spending time with friends.

What’s one thing about you that would surprise your co-workers if they found out?

That I used to be a neo-hippie with hair halfway down my back. And that I studied math & physics in college.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? I mean, if you’re not still working at GV!

I expect to still be teaching and doing sex education. I’m setting up a program at the Center for Sex & Culture to offer Continuing Education credits for psychotherapists and I’m an adjunct professor at JFK University in Pleasant Hill, CA. So whether I’m at GV or not, I’ll still be teaching people about sex.

What’s one thing you’ve learned by working at GV that you’d like to share with our customers?

You never know what you’re going to like until you try it, so give it a shot. And if it doesn’t work, try again later- sometimes it takes a couple of times before it clicks.

Being the world’s first female-to-male transsexual porn star, almost everything he does is ground-breaking, history-making and eye-opening. Undaunted by the fact that, at first, most people really didn’t know how to take him; Buck got over on a lot of skeptics by sheer determination and having faith in himself.

On the outside, Buck is a strong, muscular, sexy, tattooed, cigar-smoking butch daddy. On the inside, he has a great sense of humor, as well as the courage to be wide-open. He is accessible and kind, faced with the inevitable curiosity. You get the impression that it’s not so much about gender for Buck anymore, but more about being a whole, complete person.

Ultimately, either you get Buck or you don’t. But it seems like more and more people are recognizing his work and accomplishments. In January, he won Transsexual Performer of the Year at the AVN Awards; porn’s version of the Oscars.

Producing films through his own company, Buck Angel Entertainment, he pushes the conventions of traditional porn in every way – by taking a staunch condom-only stand, and by avoiding gratuitous extremes or a sideshow mentality.

In his latest release, “Buckback Mountain,” filmed in panoramic high desert locations, there are gorgeous shots of sunrise skies and beautiful, authentic cowboy guitar music. Plus, the sex is pretty hot, complete with lots of foreplay and kissing. Needless to say – not your typical porno.

These days, Buck is on the road a lot. At clubs, Pride celebrations and special events all over the world – just recently on a whirlwind tour of Madrid, Amsterdam, London. It’s not surprising that global domination is the next destination on Buck’s amazing journey.

He will be speaking at the San Francisco Queer Arts Festival on June 21-22, and making appearances at the Good Vibrations festival booth. Go to www.queerculturalcenter.org for more information.

Good Vibrations: You’ve experienced some amazing success and progress this year – does it seem like a dream come true? What things have happened that mean the most to you?

Buck Angel: The main thing was winning the AVN award for Transsexual Performer of the Year. It was, of course, the first time an FTM performer has been nominated (as opposed to an MTF) and winning was truly amazing and historical. It really validates my efforts in the industry and shows that my efforts are being recognized. Now THAT was a dream come true.

I also got distribution in Europe with Shots Video and they are really great. I made a movie with the Japanese, and added Canadian distribution–all things that show I’m really “going global” which is great.
I also won “Circuit Party Performer of the Year” for my performance at The Black Party in NY. It cracks me up that I won over Toni Braxton and Gloria Gaynor!

And, things have taken off so much that I actually hired a manager to help me deal with traveling and setting up shows, performances, interviews and so on. He is doing a great job, and we are keeping each other busy!

GV: What’s the best thing about the experience of being an adult performer?

BA: Getting to work with a lot of wonderful people and show that safer sex can be hot sex. And that guys like me are sexy too! More broadly, I like to show the world that the penis does not make the man, and that there are other aspects of a person that make up their gender.

GV: And the most difficult thing?

BA: Probably all the travel. It isn’t as easy as it used to be and it can be very draining to do all those body cavity searches without getting paid. (Ha-ha; But really, travel is fun but tiring!)

GV: What’s your fanbase like these days? Are you attracting a straight audience or more attention from the LGBT side?

BA: My fan base is primarily gay men and women of all sorts, including straight women. Probably the smallest category is straight men. So, yes, lots of my fans are from the LGBT community. And a big thank you to all of you who ARE Buck Angel fans!

GV: I know you had a lot of trouble being accepted in the beginning, by industry and non-industry alike – what happened to cause that to change?

BA: I guess I stuck it out long enough for people to start taking me seriously. When I was new and unheard of, they thought it was a novelty and maybe something weird, or at least really different. But, like anything else, repeated exposure helps to normalize perspectives, and as I stayed in the industry and expanded my fan base–as more and more people heard of me and liked my work, well – that speaks for itself.

GV: You’re very open about being transgendered and have been very careful about not allowing yourself to be portrayed as a freak — do you think transgendered people still feel a huge amount of stigma or does there seem to be more acceptance happening gradually? Do you think it’s important for transgendered people to be open, in order to gain more acceptance?

BA: Well, contrary to what some people think, I do not consider myself a spokesperson for the transgendered community. I represent…myself: Buck Angel. I can’t really speak for anyone else.

For me it is important to be open, and in terms of, say, taking home a potential trick or partner, I DO think it is vital to be honest. As far as whether you need to “out” yourself at your job, or everywhere you go, I can’t really say. That is very personal. I believe if you are true to yourSELF, everything else will fall into place. I believe that I am not a transsexual anymore. I think of myself as a man. I am not transitioning.
GV: Do people treat you differently in Europe, Asia, etc. than they do here in the States?

BA: I have found that people seem more “ready” for me outside of the US. It has kind of been a struggle in the States to get people to accept me or take me seriously, but that isn’t a problem at all any place else I go. As a result I’ve been focusing a lot of my efforts in Europe and elsewhere around the world.

GV: You’re first big scene was for Titan Media, in “Cirque Noir.” How did that deal come about?

BA: That wasn’t actually my first scene (I’d done a couple of movies by then) but it was my first appearance in a gay movie by a major studio! They had seen my other work, and were familiar with me and thought it would be exciting and different to include me in one of their projects. Keith Webb (co-owner of Titan) and I had been discussing a project for a while. It just had to be the perfect one.
I liked the idea of it right away, and I have to say that Titan was amazing to work with. They are totally great people and very professional to work with. I think the finished product is really incredible. That movie has certainly gotten a lot of notice and a lot of press, in part, because I was in it. That’s what I call a win/win situation.

GV: Have any of the “mainstream” adult studios approached you with potential projects yet?

BA: I have had a number of discussions with a variety of studios. I DO like doing my own movies, but you might find me here and there. Stay tuned for more info!
I am doing a documentary on my porn career right now. I am also talking to a pretty well known director about doing a part in a mainstream film. I think I will be one of the fastest porn stars to make the transition from porn to mainstream.

GV: You’re into fetish and BDSM — do you see that becoming more acceptable?

BA: I HAVE seen it becoming WAY more acceptable than it used to be. Fashionable even! I do not think that BDSM activities have the same stigma that they used to have. More people understand that it is a consensual power exchange between partners, and I feel there is a lot less harsh or negative judgment about it than before.

GV: What would you be doing if you weren’t a porn star?
BA: I’d probably be doing what I was doing before I became a porn star: working in the industry behind the camera–producing and directing porn. Or, I’d be smoking cigars by the pool at my private paradise, at home in Mexico.

GV: Your latest release is “Buckback Mountain,” what can the audience expect from that title? Who’s in it, what’s the concept behind it and what was your favorite scene?

BA: Well, Buckback Mountain is a kind of takeoff of the namesake movie, of course. It was shot on location in the California desert and the movie is much more of a feature film than any of my other work. It has great production values, a musical score and an award winning editor; in short, it rocks!

I have really hot co-stars and it is an amazing movie that I feel really proud about. So, I don’t want to tell you the whole thing, because you need to see it for yourself! Don’t miss it! Feel free to check out http://buckbackmountain.com/ for more details.

GV: Do you have a favorite sex toy?
BA: I love to fuck and get fucked by dildos of all types, but there is nothing quite like a Hitachi Magic Wand for a great screaming orgasm! I am in talks, as we speak, about my own toy being made. I am so excited about it. I think everyone is going to love it.

GV: What other projects do you have pending?
BA: I did a movie with some Japanese folks and I expect that to lead to more work in Japan. I think I’ll be going there and doing some live sex shows too. My manager has all kinds of live shows, TV shows and other things lined up for me all over the world!

Stay posted to my website: buckangel.com and my blog: buckangel.com/blog/

After Europe, I’ll be heading back to NYC to do a couple of weeks performing at the amazing new club “The Box.”

For more of Buck Angel, visit transexual-man.com and buckangel.com

Where did you grow up?

A small cowboy town called Makawao, on Maui, Hawai`i. Really! Next you’ll ask: “So why did you ever leave?!” And I’ll tell you… I got island fever. I longed for a queer community. (Hello! There were like two dykes on the entire island! Two!! And they were already dating each other!!!) I’m also really interested in cutting-edge art. The art scene on Maui is just… so… touristy. I wanted to join the freaky experimentalist haven that is SF. I do go home about twice a year to visit ohana.

When did you start working at GV?

I joined GV’s rockin’ Web/IT Department a year ago.

What did you do before working at GV?

I managed a café, gave private swimming instruction, directed a non-profit Asian American Art organization, was a nude model, a professional modern dancer, and a pornstar. I now work full-time at GV in the web department and am part of the collaborative performance art duo, Twincest.

What’s your favorite thing about working for GV?

Great health benefits (including alternative medicine), which is very hard to come by in the non-profit world. I also love the other perks like my rad co-workers and finding surplus condoms in the free box.

What’s the most interesting experience you’ve had at work?

I have more interesting experiences outside of work, when I come out to people as working for Good Vibrations.

Did you ever think you’d be selling sex toys?

Nope. I actually thought I’d forever be a starving art star.

What are five things you couldn’t live without?

1. The Internet

2. My Bicycle

3. Crying

4. txt msgs

5. art (with a lowercase “a”)

What’s your favorite (sexy) movie?
Crash Pad and SuperFreak are pretty wild. Tail of a Bondage Model and Wild Kingdom are great too. (ahem)

Favorite book?

Too many to chose from. I just finished reading The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (Haruki Murakami).

Song?

Oh, this might be embarrassing… The song’s called “Girlie Girlie” and it’s by a band called Jawaiian Rainbow. I was really into Jawaiian music (Hawaiian songs with a Reggae beat) for most of my childhood. What is a “Girlie Girlie” guy, you ask? This song refers to the kind of playa who has a girl in each town, one for each night of the week. Maybe this early childhood favorite could be my non-monogymous root? It’s one of those songs that gets stuck in my head, but since no one else is from Hawai`i… I keep it to myself, like Iz’s “Over the Rainbow”… mainland folks just wouldn’t understand.

Where could we find you on any given Saturday night?