Sex Out Loud – Page 3

Jan 3: Steven St. Croix on Everything You Want to Know about Porn Stars (and Are Embarrassed to Ask)

Jan 022014

This Friday, January 3rd at 5 pm PT / 8 pm ET, Sex Out Loud welcomes to the show one of the most prolific male stars in the adult industry, Steven St. Croix, who will pull back the curtain on his 20+ years in the business as both a performer and a director. We’ll hear how he got his start as a entertainer, stories from his favorite and most outrageous scenes, and what inspired him to write them all down for his new book “Porn Star.” Plus, we’re live and we’ll be taking calls and questions.
This week’s show is LIVE, which means we’ll be giving away a Sportsheets prize to a lucky fan. Find out all the ways to listen here so you can call in with questions and comments at 1-866-472-5788, join the discussion on Facebook or Twitter, or e-mail me via tristan(at)puckerup.com and I’ll read them live on the air – you could be chosen to win!

Steven St. Croix has performed in over 1200 full length feature movies with over 1600 woman on camera. He received 55 nominations for AVN, XRCO and XBIZ Awards (and 19 wins), won 2 Nightmoves Awards, and is a member of both the AVN and XRCO Halls of Fame. He’s the triple crown winner for Best Actor 2013 for XBIZ, AVN and XRCO for his role in “Torn”. St. Croix is the first male star to be signed to an exclusive contract with a video company, the first male contract star for Vivid Video, and had his penis insured for $1 million dollars through Lloyd’s of London. In addition to starring in films for Vivid, Adam & Eve, Penthouse, Wicked, Cinemax, and Hustler, he’s also written and directed 20 adult films. He’s widely known for comedic and dramatic roles, including parts in Baywatch, Babylon 5, Diagnosis Murder, Six Feet Under, The Client List and Castle. His latest book is “Porn Star: Everything You Want to Know and Are Embarrassed to Ask.”

Sex Out Loud airs every Friday at 5 pm PT / 8 pm ET on the VoiceAmerica Variety channel. You can listen on your computer, phone, or tablet, find all the ways here!

Dec 27: Dr. Cheryl Cohen Greene on Sex, Love, and Her Journey As A Surrogate Partner

Dec 262013

dr. cheryl cohen greene

This week’s episode of Sex Out Loud is once again live on Friday at 5 pm PT / 8 pm ET, with Cheryl Cohen Greene, a Certified Sexologist, with a doctorate in Human Sexuality, a 20 year member of the San Francisco Sex Information Training Staff, and a surrogate partner for over 30 years. Her work with writer Mark O’Brien was portrayed in the movie The Sessions and she’ll talk about the experience of seeing her work depicted in a Hollywood film. Cohen Greene will share parts of her memoir, An Intimate Life, Sex, Love, and My Journey As A Surrogate Partner, as well as answer questions from listeners.

This week’s show is LIVE, which means we’ll be giving away a Sportsheets prize to a lucky fan. Find out all the ways to listen here so you can call in with questions and comments at 1-866-472-5788, join the discussion on Facebook or Twitter, or e-mail me via tristan(at)puckerup.com and I’ll read them live on the air – you could be chosen to win!

Cheryl Cohen Greene has been in private clinical practice as a Surrogate Partner and Consultant in Human Sexuality in Berkeley, CA since 1973. She was trained in the Masters and Johnson modality. She was on the training staff of San Francisco Sex Information for 19 years. She is a Certified Clinical Sexologist / Sex Educator and in 2004 she earned her DHS (Doctor of Human Sexuality) from the Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Sexuality in San Francisco. Currently Cohen Greene serves as the Vice President of IPSA (the International Professional Surrogates Association). She is a frequent media guest, who has been interviewed on Larry King Live, the National Geographic Channel, the WE Channel, Joy Behar’s Show, Say Anything, and CNN among others. Her work with poet and journalist Mark O’Brien was adapted into a major motion picture titled THE SESSIONS starring Helen Hunt as Cheryl Cohen Greene. Cohen Greene’s memoir AN INTIMATE LIFE, Sex, Love, and My Journey As A Surrogate Partner, was released in January 2013.

Sex Out Loud airs every Friday at 5 pm PT / 8 pm ET on the VoiceAmerica Variety channel. You can listen on your computer, phone, or tablet, find all the ways here!

Dec 6: Sinnamon Love on Sex, Love, and Hip Hop

Dec 032013

sinnamon love

This Friday on Sex Out Loud at 5 pm PT / 8 pm ET, I present the final episode of our CatalystCon West 2013 series of interviews and we go out with a bang, bringing you the marvelous Sinnamon Love! Love appeared in over 250 hardcore movies, numerous men’s magazines and countless appearances on Playboy TV & Radio, and along with her educational background, she has turned her experience into a career as a writer, sex educator, lecturer, and radio host. I talk with her about feminist porn, improving sex education, sex work and parenting, as well as her popular radio show, Sex, Love, and Hip Hop.

Sinnamon Love is a retired adult film star & fetish model. She works as a staff writer & relationship columnist for TheWellVersed.com, as well as a freelance, contributing writer for hip hop, parenting and feminist websites and academic books. In 2011, Sinnamon Love launched an internet radio show called Sex, Love & Hip Hop on DTFRadio.com. Love’s 17 year on camera career and educational background has made her an expert in the field related to pornography, sex work, human sexuality and other related subjects. Currently, Love lives in Brooklyn, New York raising a teenage daughter and Autistic teenage son. She has an adult daughter attending a university in Los Angeles, California. She is an outspoken Autism/ Asperger’s parent advocate and has recently taken on improving sex education in Inner City schools.

Epiphora’s Sex Toy Holiday Gift Picks

Nov 152013

The infamous sex toy reviewer and blogger Epiphora did a fantastic sex toy gift guide on the November 15 episode of Sex Out Loud, so we are sharing it here! –Tristan

Vibrators

My #1 pick is the Mona 2 vibrator from LELO. I’ve become so obsessed with this toy lately that I’m pretty sure everyone’s getting sick of hearing about it. But it covers all the bases: it’s rechargeable, strong, fully submersible in water, and the shape is just awesome. It has a bulbous end for great G-spot stimulation, but it’s also sort of tapered on one side, so it sits nicely between the labia when used clitorally. It also has incredible range in terms of vibration, so a person who doesn’t know how much power they need yet can find out.

As a bonus, it comes in a box that’s already perfect for gift-giving. You can literally just toss a bow around it and be done. Which is great because I’m already having flash-forwards to how much peppermint schnapps I’m going to have to drink while I wrap presents this year, just to make it bearable.

If you’re looking for a solid clitoral vibe, my favorite rechargeables are the We-Vibe Touch and LELO Mia. The We-Vibe Touch is one of the most powerful rechargeable clit vibes I’ve ever tried, which, of course, I love, and the LELO Mia is USB rechargeable, so it’s basically the best travel vibe ever.

Pleasure Works Diving Dolphin vibrator sleeve

Pleasure Works Wild Hare vibrator sleeve

Pleasure Works makes a couple 100% silicone sleeves called the Diving Dolphin and Wild Hare, and those fit over any vibrator with a diameter of an inch or so. They fit perfectly over the Silver Bullet, which consequently is an excellent starter vibe, and they give it some extra grip, too, which is awesome.

Dildos

Some of my favorite dildos of all-time are the dildos made by Vixen Creations. They have a dual-density pure silicone called VixSkin that is highly detailed, delightfully squishy, and will last a lifetime. I’m addicted to it, to put it mildly.

I’m also a big fan of G-spot dildos. If your gift recipient is new to G-spot stimulation, a really simple silicone dildo with a good G-spotting head will do the trick. I really like the Tantus Rocket, the Pleasure Works Siren, and the LELO Ella.

But if they’ve already found their G-spot and want to up the ante a bit — perhaps even learn to squirt — I absolutely adore the njoy Pure Wand, which is stainless steel, the NobEssence Seduction which is made of wood, and the Jopen Key Comet G Wand, which is half-glass and half-silicone. All of them are basically G-spot homing missiles, so you can’t go wrong.

But what if the person you’re buying for already has a hefty sex toy collection? I’d suggest a toy that offers a truly unique sensation, and I would know which ones do because I have a very discerning vagina. I suggest you check out Fun Factory’s Stronic line. These toys do not have traditional motors; they actually contain weights that move back and forth. Yes, like a Shake Weight. Except for your vagina. And a lot more useful. The Stronics are not cheap, but I think they’re worth it. And I don’t say that a lot about $200 toys.

If $200 is a bit much, and I don’t blame you there, look up the Tantus Splash or Crystal Delights Crystal Twist. These two dildos are oddly shaped, yet feel so wonderful because of it.

Anal Toys

If your gift recipient has never tried anal play, I would suggest the Fun Factory Bootie, a little silicone plug with a curved tip. It’s cute, small, and it has a great base.

If they’re more well-versed in anal, they’ll love the njoy Pure Plug, which is stainless steel, or the NobEssence Romp, which is wood. Both feel amazing and really have that “wow” factor when you open them because they’re so gorgeous.

Kegel Balls

My favorite kegel balls — and I’ve tried quite a few — are the LELO Luna Beads. These are inserted vaginally and can be worn around, to make mundane tasks less excruciating. Oh, yeah, and they tone the PC muscles, too. But mostly the sensation of the inner balls rolling around is just really fun.

Sleeves

Fleshlights are awesome. My boyfriend is super picky about sleeves, but he loves the luscious material used to make Fleshlights… as do I (you can sometimes find me casually fingering one). There are about a million to choose from, from basic orifices to extremely detailed porn star vulvas. There’s even a build-your-own option.

Other Stuff

If you want to veer off the traditional sex toy path, there’s always the Sportsheets Under the Bed Restraint System. This thing basically turns any bed into a bondage playground, complete with both wrist and ankle cuffs. And when you’re done, you can just toss the straps and cuffs under the mattress, effectively hiding them away from your kids… or in my case, my cats.

And finally, I must mention lube! It’s the best. Everyone should use it. My favorite brand is Sliquid, because all of their lubes are glycerin- and paraben- free. I say get some lube samples and stuff them in a stocking. Plus then you can do a lube flight and find out what both of you like.

Can’t decide?

If you can’t decide, and if I’m overwhelming you with suggestions, see if your favorite sex shop does gift certificates (hint: Good Vibes, Babeland, SheVibe, Early to Bed, Come As You Are, and Tantus all do). One thing you can do is make a list of potential toys to show your partner — you could even put together a sex toy brochure or menu or something — but leave the final say up to them. This shows that you put some effort and research into it, but ultimately you’re giving them the reins. People love having the reins.

Nov 15: Julie Stewart on Keeping Couples Connected with Sportsheets and Epiphora with Honest Sex Toy Advice

Nov 132013

Julie Stewart Headshot Epiphora

This week’s episode of Sex Out Loud with Tristan Taormino features an interview with Julie Stewart, President of Sportsheets, recorded live as part of the CatalystCon West series. Stewart talks about what brought her to Sportsheets and what she’s learned from her 19 years in the industry. Then we’ll feature a special segment with Epiphora, sex toy reviewer extraordinaire, who will give you the lowdown on all the best sex toys (to help you start planning holiday gift buying). You’ll love her honest, smart, and BS-free recommendations for what products give the best orgasms.

Julie Stewart has been part of Sportsheets for the past nineteen years overseeing finance, sales, marketing, human resources, strategic planning and working with product development. In 2012 she was promoted to President of the company. She grew up in Michigan and graduated from Warren Wilson College in 1993. In 1999, she received an Executive MBA from Pepperdine University. She enjoys the challenges of running a business and especially likes working with customers, the Sportsheets staff, and seeing our new releases excel in the market place. She loves that Sportsheets is about keeping couples connected and is rewarded by the joy Sportsheets brings to people. On her time off she loves being with her family learning from her six year old daughter Samantha. She likes music, traveling, shopping, reading and being with family.

For six years, Epiphora has been testing sex toys and writing about them on the internet. Her popular blog, Hey Epiphora, is filled to the brim with relentlessly honest sex toy reviews, matter-of-fact masturbation journals, industry critiques, and sex blogging tips. Highly trusted and well-known for her snarky style, she is the antidote to the coy, euphemistic sugar-coating that plagues bad sex writing. Many loyal readers entrust their future orgasms to her. As a trusted voice in the sex toy landscape, Epiphora has been featured on Slate and VICE, interviewed in XBIZ Premiere magazine, and quoted in Tristan Taormino’s book, The Secrets of Great G-Spot Orgasms and Female Ejaculation. . She was recently named Kinkly’s #1 Sex Blogging Superhero of 2013.

Nov 1: Former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Joycelyn Elders and Jackie Strano of Good Vibrations on Sex Out Loud

Oct 282013

EldersTaormino

Tristan Taormino welcomes Dr. Joycelyn Elders and Jackie Strano to Sex Out Loud on Friday, November 1, 2013 at 5:00 pm Pacfic time, 8:00 pm Eastern time on the VoiceAmerica Talk Radio Network. Taormino interviewed Dr. Elders in person at CatalystCon West in Woodland Hills, California, where Elders gave the closing keynote talk last month.

During the interview, Dr. Elders recalled growing up in rural, segregated, poverty-stricken Schaal, Arkansas and how it ultimately impacted her lifelong dedication to public health. Dr. Elders talked about her appointment as U.S. Surgeon General by President Bill Clinton in 1993 and how she was forced to resign over a controversy about her public statements about safer sex, masturbation, and sex education. Elders and Taormino discussed abstinence-only sex education, the current state of HIV/AIDS, and how we can empower young people around their sexuality.

dr elders Dr. Joycelyn Elders, the first person in the state of Arkansas to become board certified in pediatric endocrinology, was the sixteenth Surgeon General of the United States, the first African American and only the second woman to head the U.S. Public Health Service. Long an outspoken advocate of public health, Elders was appointed Surgeon General by President Clinton in 1993. In 1995, she returned to her alma mater, the University of Arkansas School of Medicine, as a faculty researcher and professor of pediatric endocrinology at the Arkansas Children’s Hospital. In 1996, she wrote her autobiography, Joycelyn Elders, M.D.: From Sharecropper’s Daughter to Surgeon General of the United States of America. Now retired from practice, Dr. Elders has teamed up with the University of Minnesota Medical School, which has created The Joycelyn Elders Chair in Sexual Health Education to advance the design, evaluation, and dissemination of essential sexual health curriculum for all individuals as well as training for allied health care providers and education professionals.

“It was an honor and a privilege to speak to Dr. Elders,” says Taormino. “She is such an inspiration to sex educators everywhere. She’s bold, unapologetic, and fearless about her commitment to comprehensive sex education in our country. Plus, she’s very feisty—I can’t believe some of the things she said!”

The second half of the show will feature Jackie Strano, Executive Vice President of Good Vibrations, the presenting sponsor of Sex Out Loud. Strano was at CatalystCon West for Dr. Elders’ keynote. “Dr. Elders is one of my personal sex positive icons for her bravery and for telling a simple and necessary truth during a climate of intense fear around sexuality in this country’s history,” says Strano. “For the last 19 years, Good Vibrations has dedicated the month of May as ‘Masturbation Month’ in homage to Elders’ bravery and commitment to pleasure, sex positivity and sex education.” In their interview, Taormino and Strano talk about the state of sex education in America, why sex-positive retail stores are so important, and how Good Vibrations has paired with various non-profit sex-positive organizations to raise money and awareness.

Jackie Strano is the Executive Vice President of Good Vibrations the legendary feminist sex positive adult retailer founded in 1977. Strano is an award winning and best-selling adult filmmaker of explicit and non-explicit sex-ed movies, a sex educator for over 20 years, author, performer, producer, and has lectured at conferences, universities, and appeared on HBO, various documentaries, and featured in Cosmo, Playboy, Self Magazine, Salon, The Village Voice, and various independent newspapers throughout the country.

“Tristan continues to deliver high quality shows week after week on Sex Out Loud,” says Karen Dana, Executive Producer of the show at VoiceAmerica. “Not only does she have top-notch guests from a variety of fields, but her conversations with them are thoughtful, provocative, and inspirational. That’s what makes Sex Out Loud the highest-rated show on the entire VoiceAmerica Network.”

Sex Out Loud airs live on Fridays at 5 pm Pacific / 7 pm Central / 8 pm Eastern on The VoiceAmerica Variety Channel. All shows will be available in Tristan Taormino’s Content Library on The VoiceAmerica Variety Channel for on-demand and podcast download. It is sponsored by Good Vibrations, Astroglide, We-Vibe, and Sportsheets.

About Sex Out Loud®:

Sex Out Loud explores the world of sexuality from every angle with host Tristan Taormino®, who interviews leading authors, educators, artists and icons and gives listeners an uncensored, inside look at alternative sexual practices and communities. Guests have included Dan Savage, Susie Bright, Jessica Valenti, Kandi Burruss, and Margaret Cho. Sex Out Loud airs live on Fridays at 5 pm Pacific / 7 pm Central / 8 pm Eastern on The VoiceAmerica Variety Channel; it is the number one rated show across the entire VoiceAmerica Talk Radio Network. Tristan Taormino is an award winning author, sex educator, speaker, and filmmaker. She is the author of seven books and editor of twenty-five anthologies. She has appeared on Melissa Harris-Perry, Joy Behar: Say Anything, HBO’s Real Sex, Ricki Lake, and The Howard Stern Show. She lectures at top colleges and universities and teaches sex and relationship classes around the world.

About Good Vibrations:
Good Vibrations is a diverse, woman-focused retailer providing high-quality, sex-positive products and non-judgmental, accurate sex information through our clean and comfortable stores, catalog, web site, wholesale division, product and movie production lines in order to enhance our customers’ sex lives and promote healthy attitudes about sex. We recognize that sexuality touches on every aspect of our lives and that many people face challenges around positive sexual expression. Our goal is to help everyone we come into contact with to discover ways to experience sexual pleasure, health, and well-being. Since sexual diversity is a core component of the human experience and each person’s sexuality will change over the lifespan, we welcome all forms of consensual sexual expression, desire, and fantasy. Good Vibrations strives to be an agent for social change, through the lenses of sexuality, diversity and ethical business practices. Both within our organization, and throughout the communities we serve, we are committed to fostering respect, promoting supportive communication, providing access to educational resources and strongly advocating for women in leadership roles.

About VoiceAmerica/World Talk Radio, LLC:

World Talk Radio, LLC is the world leader in online media broadcasting and the largest producer and distributor of live internet based talk radio and TV, delivering more than 200 hosts broadcasting to eight niche community based channels and over 1,000 hours of programming weekly on its VoiceAmerica™ Network and WorldTalk Radio Network as well as live and on-demand video content on VoiceAmerica.TV. World Talk Radio, LLC is one of the pioneers in internet broadcasting, producing and syndicating online audio and video, offering an innovative, effective and comprehensive digital broadcast platform.

Oct 25: Marcia Baczynski on Communicating Desire, Asking For What You Want, and Successful Nonmonogamy

Oct 222013

marcia b

Recorded live at Catalyst Con West 2013, this week’s episode of Sex Out Loud on Friday, October 25th at 5 pm PT / 8 pm ET features relationship coach, writer, and sex educator Marcia Baczynski. Tristan talks with Marcia about her journey to becoming a relationship coach and sex educator, including specializing in helping people articulate their desires in relationships and ask for what they want. She’ll also share info from her latest book, “Four Mistakes Couples Make When Opening Up Their Relationship (and How To Avoid Them)” and discuss her latest project, The Good Girl Recovery Program.

Marcia Baczynski is a relationship coach, writer and sex educator who has spent the last 10+ years specializing in helping people figure out — and ask for — what they want in life, love and in the bedroom. She has taught workshops across the US, been on TV, radio, magazines and newspapers in 27 countries, (including Montel Williams, People magazine, NPR, and the Washington Post). She regularly receives letters and email from people around the world, all wanting a deeper understanding of how to ask for and get what they want in life, love and the bedroom. As the co-founder of Cuddle Party, (www.cuddleparty.com) she has helped thousands of people find solid footing around issues of intimacy, touch, boundaries and communication. Since its founding in 2004, Cuddle Party has grown to include over 80 facilitators in 8 different countries. In 2009, Marcia started Asking For What You Want, a series of coaching programs and workshops to help people identify (and ask for!) what they wanted in their sex lives and relationships. Her ebook “4 Mistakes Couples Make When Opening Up Their Relationships (And How To Avoid Them)” is available at www.successfulnonmonogamy.com Marcia’s most recent project is The Good Girl Recovery Program, which can be found at goodgirlrecovery.com

Ask Tristan: FAQ on Silicone Toys

Sep 202013

This past Friday we kicked off the second season of Sex Out Loud with an amazing guest, Metis Black from Tantus Inc. We had so many questions from listeners that she didn’t have time to answer them all on the air, so she graciously wrote them up for us afterwards.

Q: Who makes the silicone toys that are the very healthiest for people to use?

I like to think Tantus does. There are only a few raw silicone manufacturers and for some reason they have all come to get Tantus’ business from time to time telling us who else they sell to- so I’m pretty much in the know about who uses what. But Tantus actually doesn’t buy off the shelf silicone- we actually do have a unique formula . If a company wants our business, they have to meet our standards. Not all of them are able to. When I saw we are the largest silicone toy maker that information comes directly from the raw material companies. We buy more RTV silicone than anyone else in North America including Fleetwood RV or Fisher Price. I was actually stunned by this news.

Q: Silicone toys are expensive compared to other types of toys. Is it very costly to make them? What is the manufacturing process? How much does the material cost, and what factors go into the pricing?

First off silicone raw materials are at least triple the cost of RTV or Latex. Then as any manufacturing business, you need to account for overhead (the building, electricity, and most of all labor). If you choose to manufacture in the USA rather than say China or other third world manufacturing facilities, the labor expense is included in the pricing. Tantus also gives our employees health benefits…. that goes in there too.

Q: When did silicone sex toys first enter the market?

Thank you for asking this because I love to share this information. Gosnell Duncan created the first silicone dildos in 1971 for the disabled community. He went on to create the company Scorpio who took it to Eve’s Garden, the first feminist sex toy store in the world. I first heard about Mr. Duncan from Susie Bright who was the manager for Good Vibrations at the time. GV was a tiny hole in the wall store with books and 3 vibrators (ok I don’t think that number is really accurate), but Susie saw dildos and she instantly recognized that this was something she wanted for the store.

Q: What prompted you to explore aluminum as a material (the Alumina line)?

You know I am a sex toy slut. I love toys and I have an amazing collection of some of the most original amazing designs. One of my favorite designers is Ray Cirino who made Inner Space Toys. He was the designer of all the toys in the Penthouse centerfolds. He specialized in hard acrylic toys but he also made several into metal toys, and I own a few of them. I love playing with hard toys like these and so we created Alumina.

Q: My packer, which I wear outside my body all day every day, is made of silicone. I notice that sometimes it leaves a little bit of a greasy stain sometimes. Why is that? Is it normal? Can it hurt me?

That oil is Dimethicone. It is silicone and won’t hurt you at all. Dimethicone is used to soften the silicone. You’ll find it in every silicone lubricant. Beautifully body safe.

Q: I use a cyberskin packer and clean it with soap most every day but also boil it once a month. My friend said this isn’t a good idea. Is it ok? Will it destroy it?

Cyberskin is a SEBS material and won’t stand the temperature of boiling. If you’ve been able to boil it once… than it shouldn’t have any difficulty being boiled again but I’ve yet to see a super soft material that was boilable and wasn’t silicone and I’ve been looking hard. Santiprene is boilable (it’s the soft material on toothbrushes) but it’s still too hard for most sex toys.

Q: Are there any sex toys you have a dream of creating but cannot physically manufacture? Are there limitations?

Well, there used to be. And I still can’t manufacture all the toys of my dreams in my facility, but there is technology now that allows companies to make just about anything out of silicone- being able to afford the R&D, now that can be a problem. Most toys made that are intricate have a molding expense that is pretty prohibitive of making small changes to. It’s hard to proof your toys and make certain they play to your specifications, before bringing them to market- but we’re still evolving.

Thank you all so much for listening and sharing with me your questions. I’m available on twitter if you have any more. – Metis Black Listen to the full episode here.

You can find Tantus toys at Good Vibrations, and if you use code “TRISTANGOODVIBES”, you’ll get $20 off any purchase of $100 or more!

Sept 20: Feminist Porn Pioneer Candida Royalle

Sep 162013

This Friday, September 20th at 8 pm ET / 5 pm on Sex Out Loud, we’re live and featuring an entire hour with Candida Royalle, author and expert on issues of relationships, sexuality, and women’s self-empowerment. Tristan will talk to her about her legacy as a feminist porn pioneer, her recent trip to Amsterdam for the 2013 Porna Awards, what she thinks of the current feminist porn movement, and her successful sex toy line, Natural Contours.

This week’s show is live, so find out all the ways to listen here so you can call in with questions at 1-866-472-5788, join the discussion on Facebook or Twitter, or e-mail me via tristan(at)puckerup.com and I’ll read them live on the air!

Candida Royalle: Author, Pioneer, Entrepreneur. Ms. Royalle first came in to the public eye for her internationally acclaimed line of erotic films from a woman’s perspective. Innovating the concept of “couples erotica”, she created Femme Productions, Inc®. in 1984 in order to produce adult films that spoke from a woman’s voice and could be entertaining while promoting positive sexual role modeling for couples to view together. Royalle’s work has been favorably received by both viewers and the media, as well as the sexology community. She has become a sought-after speaker, having lectured at such venues as the Smithsonian Institute, the American Psychiatric Association’s national conference, and the World Congress on Sexology, as well as several sexuality conferences and universities including Princeton, Columbia, Wellesley College and New York University. She is the first erotic filmmaker to have been invited to become a member of the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists due to the message of “positive sexuality” in her films. Continuing to lead the way in women’s sexual empowerment and pleasure, Royalle partnered with Dutch industrial designer Jandirk Groet, whose product design repertoire ranges from Nordica ski boots to Ricoh compact cameras and Panasonic TVs to the cockpit of the Fokker aircraft, and together they created the Natural Contours® line of high-style, discreet ergonomically designed personal massagers. The line debuted in 1999 to favorable reviews in ID (Industrial Design) Magazine, Mademoiselle and Glamour, to name a few, and quickly became best-sellers in women’s mainstream health catalogs. Drugstore.com launched its sexual wellness range with the Natural Contours® line and Holland’s leading drug store chain, ETOS, features the line as part of its family planning outreach. In October ’04 Royalle authored her first book, “How to Tell a Naked Man What to Do”, published in the US by Simon & Schuster/Fireside, and in the UK by Piatkus Press. The paperback was published in February ’06. Royalle recently created a new line of “ethnic erotica for couples” called Femme Chocolat® in order to provide high quality intelligent erotica for the largely underserved market of ethnic women and couples. She is now moving on to the role of mentoring young new female directors so that they may continue the Femme line while expressing their own visions and ideas. What makes Ms. Royalle’s story particularly interesting is her rich and varied background. The daughter of an accomplished professional jazz drummer, she trained and performed in music, dance and art, having attended New York’s High School of Art and Design, Parsons School of Design, and the City University of New York, where she was active in the women’s movement of the late ’60’s and early ’70’s. In San Francisco she got involved with some of the original members of the infamous Cockettes including the late Divine to create avant garde jazz and theater productions. In ’74, looking to finance her unconventional lifestyle, she entered the world of erotica as an actress, performing in about twenty-five adult feature films. She returned to her native New York City in 1980 and stepped behind the camera to create Femme Productions® in 1984. Since then she has been a guest on numerous news and talk shows from Anderson Cooper to Dateline NBC, and has been written up in countless magazines and newspapers from The New York Times, Time Magazine and The London Times to Glamour and Marie Claire. Candida Royalle is a member of the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists, (AASECT) and a founding Board member of Feminists for Free Expression (FFE). For more about Candida Royalle and her products visit her web site at:
www.candidaroyalle.com

Aug 30: Cooper Beckett and Ginger Bentham on Progressive Swinging, plus Kelly Martin Broderick on Feminist Memes

Aug 272013

Tune in to Sex Out Loud this Friday at 8 pm ET / 5 pm when I’ll be LIVE with Cooper Beckett and Ginger Benthem. You already know Cooper’s voice from the introduction and conclusion you hear each week on Sex Out Loud. Cooper and Ginger co-host the podcast for Life On The Swingset, a site that also includes blog posts and sex toy reviews. We’ll discuss swinging, polyamory, triads, what all these different open relationships label mean, and provide some helpful advice for pros and newbies alike. I’ll also talk to Kelly Martin Broderick, the feminist activist who recently found herself in the center of an internet meme, and discuss how she used the attention to expand our understanding of what feminists look like.

Cooper Beckett‘s life isn’t like other people’s. When he’s not writing or podcasting at Life on the Swingset, he’s living it up as an evangelical swinger drifting toward poly, spreading the good word that “sharing is caring.” He truly believes that a good many people would be open to exploring the fringe of human sexuality and relationships, knocking down the borders between orientations, and experiencing the most basic of human rights: great sex, if only they were told it’s okay to do so. He has resolved to change the world, even if it’s only one couple at a time.

As an oversexed, omnisexual castaway from the sexually-repressed culture, Ginger Bentham believes the next sexual revolution of total sex-positivity is just around the corner and it’s time for the revolutionaries to unite! As a co-host Life on the Swingset, she strives to help people expand their way of thinking and discover their true sexy potential.

Kelly Martin Broderick grew up in Columbia, Maryland and is a student at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) majoring in Gender & Women’s Studies. Before returning to school at 28, she worked as a retail store manager and makeup artist for almost a decade. Kelly has been involved in feminist activism for a number of years, more actively since transferring to UMBC. She served as an Ambassador for Planned Parenthood Maryland from 2012-2013, assisting PPM with outreach campaigns and other projects. She is also a member of Baltimore NOW (National Organization for Women). At UMBC, she’s a co-leader of a Gender & Women’s Studies sponsored feminist activism group called WILL (Women Involved in Learning & Leadership), is a student staff member at the Women’s Center at UMBC, and a Transfer & Established Student Leader for the Honors College. She has a strong interest in politics and this summer was a communications intern for Maryland State Delegate Mary Washington.

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