Here is part 2 (of 3) of an interview conducted by her wife and partner (in work and life), Pepper Sox. Continued from Part 1.

You recently were invited to Toronto for The Feminist Porn Awards? How was that?
Yes! The FPAs are hosted by the sex toy company Good For Her (another great company!) and I went out there because I was up for a nomination. Roulette won an award for “Most Deliciously Diverse Cast.” It was a very important moment for me, to be surrounded by so many amazing people, specifically Jiz Lee, Syd Blakovich, Madison Young, and Dylan Ryan – we all won awards, and we’re all from San Francisco – it made me feel like we were really starting a revolution, not only here in the Bay Area, but worldwide. What just seems like small projects here in SF is really actually something that’s being perceived as a “movement” out there in the rest of the world.

Roulette Director Courtney Trouble accepting Most Diverse Film Award
Photo: Lana Paiement from the Good For Her Feminist Porn Awards

My award for diversity really meant a lot to me, because having a diverse cast in a porn film seems of utmost importance right now, with “alt” porn being so prominent in the mainstream – to really be the one to say, “we are all sexy” – to make a film that anyone can relate to. Porn, to me, has a responsibility to be diverse, to break stereotypes, and to celebrate all the kinds of different out there in the world. Being there at that moment made me feel like a founder in the movement, who had finally been recognized for creating a foundation that artists and activists will be using for decades, until the next big movement comes along.

The first scenes of this movie were filmed over three years ago, and the last scenes in January 2009. How do you think they differ?
The first scene that I shot for Roulette is actually the last scene in the movie, Milo and Cole. I borrowed professional lights and a camera from a friend, got some sex toys donated from Smitten Kitten. I thought I knew what I was doing, and the scene turned out great in the end, but looking back I can see that I had a lot of learning to do as a filmographer versus a photographer. The last scene i shot was Ceci and Kenji (the first scene in the movie) and I have to say, my d.i.y artistry was still in tact, but I had shot enough to learn how to create a really beautiful moving image, and anticipate the scene, whereas before, I was lucky to get the beautiful footage that I did of Milo and Cole. I think being a photographer since childhood had a lot to do with this beginner’s luck – I like to say sometimes that I see the whole world with a black widescreen frame around it.

Are there real couples in Roulette?
Each scene has a real couple in it, aside from the solo scenes. Ceci & Kenji, Syd & Jiz, Milo & Cole. Walter & Nikolaj actually got engaged the day before we shot their scene on the rooftop. It’s hard to mess up chemistry when you’re working with real couples!

How did you get the music for Roulette?
I’ve been active in the queer music scene for about 10 years, going to shows, going on tour, et cetera. I thought it was really important to have a queer porn soundtrack, something that would truly reflect the community of queer artists I was filming. So, I asked my friends from Erase Errata, Younger Lovers, Cottages, Delta Dart, Scream Club, French Quarter, and Katastrophe to donate tracks to the film. I even have two of my own bands on there, Divine Feud and Bunnykick. Hopefully the music is as enticing as the sex – it’s a lot of genres of music made by queer musicians. I honestly believe that queer music and queer porn are set out to do similar things – create awareness, bring culture to our community, define ourselves in a difficult society. You can hear the soundtrack for free at nofauxxx.com/roulette.

Do you think the release of Roulette will change things for nofauxxx.com?
I would hope that Roulette would bring NoFauxxx.com more attention and more paying members. However, I didn’t make Roulette with a specific audience in mind, I’m not trying to cater to anyone. The film is seven different vignettes, with the point that queer sex is hard to define. We don’t fuck the way people would assume, we are unexpected. No Fauxxx really mirrors that statement, and I think that Roulette really reflects the whole mission of NoFauxxx.com: to showcase the sex of an undermined, subversive, and insanely creative community. Roulette is an extension of No Fauxxx, expanding the ideas that I’ve explored with No Fauxxx for the past six years. To celebrate the release, I’m giving away free one-month memberships with the first 100 DVDs sold through goodvibes.com and Good Vibrations stores, so I know at least 100 people who will be joining No Fauxxx after buying Roulette. For free!

Are there any teasers of Roulette?
There are two teaser scenes available for members only on NoFauxxx.com, as well as a free “PG” version on YouTube:

NoFauxxx.com’s Roulette, Directed by Courtney Trouble. Order at GoodVibes.com

Continue Reading Part3, with an exclusive Roulette Gallery!

She was talking about how porn doesn’t show the intimacy and connection that are part of sex. And I 100% agree with her on that, with the exception of a few small companies such as Comstock Films. And as Tony Comstock pointed out on another post, his work places him outside the distribution channels and reach of the rest of the porn world.

At the same time, sex isn’t only about intimacy and connection. Don’t get me wrong- I think that sex with vulnerability and mutual passion is amazing. It can be an amazing experience that deepens a relationship and offers opportunities for growth and transformation. Sex with love is fantastic. And it’s not the only way to have sex.

As far as I’m concerned, sex with mutual liking can also be great. As can sex with mutual respect and shared desires. See, our culture grew out of an amazingly erotophobic pattern that said that sex is bad unless something redeems it. Historically, that meant procreation within (heterosexual) marriage. That has slowly shifted, so that many people today will allow love to redeem sex. But that still rests on the idea that sex needs to be redeemed. And given that there are lots of reasons people have sex in addition to love, that seems like it continues to limit the full expression of healthy desire. (Note: there are some methodological concerns with the research on why people have sex, but I’m more interested in how we deal with the fact that there are lots of reasons to have sex rather than pinning down all of the exact reasons that people have sex.)

You’re not going to see love in much porn. Other than a few individuals, most porn talent aren’t in personal relationships with the people they have sex with on the set. Similarly, you’re also not going to see real love in most non-porn movies. But at least TV and movie actors can act (mostly). There’s a reason the porn industry calls them “talent” rather than actors. And as long as we vilify porn talent, anyone who can actually act isn’t likely to have sex on screen. Yes, we also idolize some porn stars, but that doesn’t change the fact that having sex on camera pretty much paints you into a career corner unless you can stay in the closet about it.

Given that, it’s not surprising that the closest connection that you’ll find in porn is sex with mutual liking and desire. And I can tell you that lots of people say that they would LOVE to see more of that. At GV, we try to find any examples of it that we can, but it’s not easy- there’s not a lot. Nor is it a surprise that most porn scenes are made by people who don’t have any connection at all and sometimes, even dislike each other. They don’t usually get to choose who they’re shooting a scene with.

In my ideal world, we’d actually see more examples of loving, sexual relationships in our everyday lives. That doesn’t mean that we’d see everyone having sex. But as long as we don’t offer role models for how sexual relationships with intimacy and vulnerability can look, there’s nothing to balance things out. As long as we keep everything about sex secret, we won’t have other examples for happy, healthy sexual relationships. And that means that there won’t be anything to help us to understand that we don’t need to model our lives on what we see in porn.

Just for a change, I think it’d be great for more DVDs to have a bonus clip of the talent negotiating what they’re going to do. Something like “My leg cramps in that position. Let’s do this one instead.” Or “I like it when you suck the head of my cock and stroke the shaft.” Or whatever. Anything that lets us see that these are real people having sex.  One of the few DVDs along those lines is the Chemistry series and given how popular it is, I think it shows how much people want to see that.

One of the things that makes that tricky is that deep sexual & emotional connection isn’t easy to film. Anyone can grab a camera and film people fucking. It’s a lot harder to convey the subtle nuances of a relationship. But I can dream.

So, yeah. Porn isn’t going to offer us examples of deep connection, vulnerability and intimacy. That’s not what porn producers are trying to do.

Ever since having a conversation with a dear friend about the Palin porn he envisioned (filed under MILF of course) I’ve been waiting for the industry to pony up and release a Palin-inspired title. And after watching last night’s debate… I was hoping somebody would hurry and start filming…

The wait is over! Just read this on AVN:

Hustler Reveals Details of Palin Porn Flick
Lisa Ann to play lead role in ‘Nailin’ Paylin’

By: David Sullivan

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – Hustler Video has cast Lisa Ann as Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin in a porn spoof called Nailin’ Paylin.

Word of the latest political parody from Larry Flynt and company spread earlier today after the New York Daily News printed a rumor that Hustler was seeking Palin look-alikes on Craigslist. Hustler Video denied any connection with the ad but confirmed the Palin parody is in the works.

“Nailin’ Paylin will take the viewer on a naughty adventure to the wild side of that sexy Alaska governor,” the company announced in a press release. “Sara Paylin will not only be showing us some girl-on-girl lovin’ but will also be nailing the Russians, who come knocking on her back-door (wink, wink) and in a flashback, young Paylin’s creationist college professor will explain a ‘big bang’ theory even she can’t deny!”

One scene will show the Palin character in a lesbian threesome with characters based on Hillary Clinton and Condoleezza Rice. The movie will also feature a Bill O’Reilly character as the announcer who dishes dirt on the Paylin sex scandals.

“Obviously, the real life antics of Sarah Palin are much funnier than anything we could ever make up,” Hustler exec Jeff Thill told AVN. “Her public appearances seem more like a trailer for a Farrelly brothers film then a carefully executed run at the White House.”

Jerry T. is signed to direct. Hustler plans to have Nailin’ Paylin on the streets in time for the November election.

For those of you who remember our post about Safe for Work which is a really really hilariously artful website and you can laugh here: (http://www.sfw-porn.com/).

Think that’s clever? Wait till you see it in action with the TRAILER! (Thank you Smartyboots for the tip.)

www.diesel.com/xxx and http://www.sfw-porn.com/

VOD, or “Video On Demand” is great! You can watch just a couple minutes of a movie, or the whole thing. The titles are under “Digital Downloads” on GoodVibes.com. It’s a great way to “try out” a movie in a genre you might not be familiar with.

The only downside is that not all studios do it… yet. So your favorite indie-produced video may not be able to view VOD style. The good news is that buying said DVD also supports that small company and will get them one step closer to putting your fav stars on the digital highway.

So think of our new Digital Downloads like a rental program… only faster!

There are TONS of new features on our new site, and one of them is the much anticipated VOD and PPM. What is Video on Demand? It’s just that — you buy it online and watch it right then! What’s PPM? Pay Per Minute means you can check out a few minutes — scan ahead and browse — or buy the whole discs’ worth of minutes and watch the video in the comfort of your own laptop. Maybe you’re wondering what a studio is like, and want to get a short glimpse before throwing down all your money on a DVD you may not care for when it arrives in the mail.

The Video on Demand (Digital Downloads) and Pay Per Minute (PPM) options we now have are available for quite a few of our DVD films. If you see the little play button, that’s what that is! Why is it not available for all videos? Well, because some smaller studios do not offer their content online like the big budget producers can. And that’s okay, because you’ll probably want to support those smaller companies with a great purchase of their DVD.

Okay, what’s new besides VOD stuff… is international shipping, and a Buyers Discount Club where you can earn points for each purchase. Sweet!

So, log in and take a look!

WWW.GOODVIBES.COM 

Well, they are. Giana Taylor, founder of the 1st Annual Urban Spice Awards is recognizing adult industry talent who usually only get their for nods in the “Best Ethnic” categories. Shafted (literally?!) by award after award, this Sunday’s award ceremony brings some of our favorite adult film stars to the forefront.

And! Hosted by Sean Michaels, Olivia O’Lovely, and Comedian Evan Lionel. Red Carpet hosts Tia J and Speedy the Comedian. San Francisco’s lovely but I wish I was over there.

Platinum Live 11345 Ventura Blvd. Studio City, CA 91604
www.urbanspiceawards.com

Watch her Interview on AVNLive

Nominations…

Best Agency with Ethnic Talent
A List Talent
Double Exxxposure
Exotic Talent Agency
Five Star
Gold Star Modeling
Spieglar Girls
XXX Valley Babes

Best Anal Performer
Beauty Dior
Cherokee
Chyanne Jacobs
Emma Cummings
Jada Fire
Jazmine Cashmere
Kitten
Marie Luv
Mone Divine
Monique
Nadia Styles
Rebecca Linares
Sinnamon Love
Sydnee Carpri
Tia Sweets
Vanessa Monet

Best Celebrity Sex Tape
Darkside Hustler
DJ Yella: West Side Story
DJ Yella: XXX Games
G Unit: Groupie Love
Ice T’s Pimpin’ 101
Karina Stephens Super Head
Kim Kardashian & Ray J. Super Star
Little John’s Vivid Las Vegas Party
Snoop Dog: Doggy Style
Too Short: Get in Where you Fit In

Best Director – Body of Work
Alexander Devoe
Bishop
Brian Pumper
Dave Navarro
Diana Devoe
Dwayne Dane
Jacob Jewel
Jax
John E. Depth
Juan Cuba
Justin Slayer
L.T.
Lee G
Lexington Steele
Mandingo
Marco Banderas
Sean Michaels
Terry
Tony Flush
Tony T
Vanessa Blue

Best Director – Feature
Bishop
Diana DeVoe
Justin Slayer

Best Female Performer
Beauty Dior
Candace Von
Carmen Hayes
Carmen Luvana
Cherokee
Chyanne Jacobs
Eva Angelina
Gina Lynn
Jada Fire
Jazmine Cashmere
Jessica Bangcook
Katsumi
Kitten
Lana Croft
Mari Luv
Mika Tan
Misti Love
Mone Devine
Monique
Nautica Thorn
Niomi Banxxx
Olivia O’Lovely
Pinky
Rebecca Linares
Rosario Stone
Roxy Jezel
Roxy Reynolds
Sinnamon Love
Skyy Black
Sydnee Capri
Vida Valentine

Best Interracial Star
Alexis Amore
Annette Schwartz
August
Belladonna
Brianna Love
Emma Cummings
Gianna
Jenna Haze
Nina Hartley
Ricki White
Sara Jay
Sasha Grey
Savannah Stern
Sophie Dee
Velicity Von

Best Male Newcomer
CJ Wright
Ethan Hunt
J Strokes

Best Male Performer
Brian Pumper
Charlie Mac
CJ Wright
Deep Threat
Jack Napier
Jaune Claude Batiste
Jon Jon
Justin Long
Justin Slayer
Marco Banderas
Mr. Marcus
Nat Turnher
Nathan Threat
Prince Yahshua
Rico Strong
Rock
Sean Michaels
Shorty Mac

Best New Company
Black Market
Brian Pumper Productions
Heart Breaker Films
Nautica Thorn Productions
Ryhmes N Dimes

Best Oral Female
August
Carmen Hayes
Carmen Luvanna
Jada Fire
Jazmine Cashmere
Kitten
Luscious Lopez
Marie Luv
Pinky
Roxy Reynolds
Sunny Leone
Vida Valintine

Best Oral Male
Byron Long
Devlin Weed
J Strokes
Nathan Threat
Prince Yahshua
Rico Strong
Rock

Best Studio
Adam & Eve Pictures
Alexander DeVoe Productions
Anabolic
Bang Brothers
Belladonna Entertainment
Black Ice
Brian Pumper Productions
Combat Zone
Elegant Angel
Evasive Angles
Exquisite
Gina Lynn Productions
Jules Jordan Video
Justin Slayer Productions
Mercenary Pictures
Metro
New Sensations
Pink Visual
Reality Kings
Red Light District
SexZ Pictures
Shaynes World
Smash Pictures
Teravision
Voyeur Media
West Coast Productions
Wicked

Best Videography
Alexander Devoe
Bishop
Diana Devoe
Jacob Jewel
Juan Cuba
Nato
Vanessa Blue

Biggest Ass in Porn
Beauty Dior
Cherokee
Luscious Lopez
Mya G.
Olivia O’Lovely
Pinky
Skyy Black

Crossover Female
Marie Luv
Roxy Reynolds
Tera Patrick

Crossover Male
Lexington Steele
Mr. Marcus

Freakiest Girl in Porn
Candace Von
Carmen Hayes
Cherokee
Jada Fire
Jazmine Cashmere
Lorena Sanchez
Luscious Lopez
Marie Luv
Mone Devine
Monique
Olivia O’Lovely
Rebecca Linares
Roxy Reynolds
Sydnee Capri
Tia Sweets
Vida Valentine

Hall of Fame Female
Angel Kelly
Dominique Simone
Heather Hunter
Janet Jackme
Jenie Pepper
Vanessa Del Rio

Hall of Fame Male
Byron Long
Devlin Weed
Johnny Keys
Julian St. Jox
Mr. Marcus
Ray Victory
Sean Michaels

Hottest BBW Star
Bootylicious
Crystal Clear
Farrah Foxx
Misses Butterworth
Sabrina Love
Scented Kisses
Thunder Kat

Rising Star Female
Amile Waters
Candace Nicole
Cassidy Clay
Chavon Taylor
Desiree Diamond
Donna Red
Gianna Lynn
Heidi Waters
Melrose Foxxx
Millian Blue
Misty Love
Nazara
Nikara
Pleasure Bunny
Sandy Jackmon
Shyla Haze
Stacey Adams
Stacey Lane

Visionary
Alexander Devoe
Lexington Steele

For folks who like their lesbian sex real, and their queers really diverse, this site is hands down the go-to place to score.

The episodes compiled in this particular film run a gender gamut of what being a queer person in the city of San Francisco is like for me. The scenes feature folks from a range of gender and sexual identities: from FtM and boi studs to androgynous gender fuckers to dyke-identified performers and even a trans womyn who is post-op — something almost invisible in pornography. How exciting is THAT?

Morty Diamond, director of Tran Entities: The Nasty Love of Papi and Wil, and all around brilliant author and trans activist (see this resource from MIT) answered a great response to an interview by HotMoviesForHer.com about the idea of a misconception people have in porn about a “Trans Body” — “Transgender people have a myriad of body types, some choose hormones and surgery and some do not. I wish more people would understand that you do not have to “graduate” to a trans body by altering it somehow.”

I think that Pink & White exposes the complexities of queer sexual desire… taken strictly from their online description: “dedicated to producing sexy and exciting images that reflect today’s blurred gender lines and fluid sexualities.”

Okay, I could go on and on but here’s a Sneak Peak (and it’s safe for co-workers, but maybe not you…): http://radio.blowfish.com/video/cpsv2/v-bvi-1594.mov

Find all the award-winning Feminist Porns that Good Vibrations carries of Pink & White Productions at GoodVibes.com.

I’ll qualify that a little. It makes part of our brains called mirror neurons think we are having sex. A recently released study monitored brain activity in people who were being shown images of aroused genitalia, apparently to determine whether “the sexual preference of the observer determines the neuronal responsiveness to pure male or female sexual stimuli in the human reward and motor system”. (I’m not a scientist, but that seems like kind of a basic assumption. Next! A study to determine whether water is wet!) They found that the subjects were, in fact, aroused by the genitals that arouse them (yay science), but the way it happened in the brain is what we’re interested in here.

Seeing the arousing images triggered the premotor cortex, which is where we find imitative, or mirror, neurons. Mirror neurons “mirror” the action of another person (or even animal), as though the observer was actually engaging in the action. They’re part of the same neurons that fire if you move your body to do the action you see, in fact. As you watch a movie there’s a part of your brain that’s imitating what you’re seeing, so if you’re watching someone fucking, there’s a part of your brain that’s doing it, too! (Of course, that also means that if you’re watching someone fucking while in an obviously uncomfortable but photogenic position, as often happens in porn, your brain may think you’re doing that instead, which can be a bummer.) It’s not just porn – this applies to pretty much all other activities and is why seeing some get sick can make us queasy and watching a boxing match makes us punchy. Our brains are constantly using the information they’re getting from the eyes to learn about the world and how to get around in it.

This makes me wonder about about this supposed lack of responsiveness in women to porn. Currently the vast majority of porn is produced by men for men – this is, in fact, one of the things Good Vibes exists to remedy. What if women aren’t responsive to porn because they’re wired differently, but because they’re wired exactly the same, but are watching and mirroring different things when they see it? Could it be that the arguments made against porn, that it’s anti-woman for example, are actually our mirror neurons seeing it and thinking “Oh my aching back”? Okay, that’s trivializing a complicated issue, but it does make me wonder if one day great porn will be produced by wiring some people up to an fMRI machine and seeing where their brains light up. Oh brave new world…

via The Frontal Cortex blog

Tristan will be in San Francisco in June to help launch her book – through an After Hours workshop on June 2nd and then through a delicious launch party on June 5th. The party will be celebrating the launch of Opening Up but also of her fourth release of the Chemistry Series. The launch should be a blast and I’d you to stop by as there will be some special guests – besides Ms. Taormino!

Tristan also just launch a new website in conjunction with Opening Up. Here’s the info:

“Author and Village Voice columnist Tristan Taormino has launched a brand new website in anticipation of the release of her new book May 1. OpeningUp.net is a website for people interested in open relationships of all kinds, including monogamy with benefits, nonmonogamy, partnered nonmonogamy, swinging, polyamory, polyfidelity, solo polyamory, mixed orientation marriages, and other relationships styles beyond monogamy. It features a blog, an extensive resource guide, message boards, and the Open List, a list of professionals (therapists, social workers, psychiatrists, psychologists, consultants, relationship and life coaches, doctors, lawyers, etc.) who are experienced and knowledgeable about alternative sexuality, lifestyles, and relationships. Check it out!”

We are thrilled to be a part of the launch and look forward to much success for Opening Up – the book and for the website to continue to inspire and be a reference for folks.