Written by Bear @ 12:57 pm

I try to think about Buck Angel on rotten days especially. Ever since he came last August to The Smitten Kitten, the very thought of him makes the day seem less long, the coffee a little fresher, and the mounting paperwork seem like nothing. Buck is a light in the world whether he is caring for his team of dogs at his home in Mexico, donating money to Haiti, or producing some f*cking hot porn. Having struggled in his early life, transitioned to male, and become a icon in the porn industry, Buck offers a unique, and often challenging, perspective within the sex industry. He makes porn that he likes to make, with people he likes to work with, and at the end of the day, he controls the show. He even has time to start a Body Building Website. Damn that man never tires.
So I have been following the mounting discourse around his presentation at Yale University. Yale hosts a biennial Sex Week, where they offer an amazing spread of events ranging from sex and religion to appearances by porn stars like Buck. Oh and there is free STI testing. For some Alums and students this is an exciting event, supporting the discussion on the sex industry, sex, and sexuality, others are upset by a guest such as Buck Angel, porn being not an academic topic in their minds, and a few are upset that there exists a sex week at all. One forum member comments, “Bringing in a porn star to speak at sex week is like bring mark mcgwire to speak at a diet and exercise conference - that is unless the more legitimate reasons for sw are really just a cover for perpetuating the systems of dominance and image manufacturing purveyed by the commercial sex industry”. Buck Angel is a business man no doubt, he understands what sells and what doesn’t, he gets the internet versus DVD thing. But, he also continues to be a radical presence in the sex industry, creating sex positive, inclusive porn, when so many are not. This presence, like so many others mentioned on this blog (Tristan Taormino, Madison Young, Pink and White Productions) are rallying against system of dominance in its own language, resemantizing Porn, creating more and better.
Plus it is really really really hot stuff.
I wish I went to Yale or had the budget of Yale to put on such an event. Hanging out with Tristan, Buck, and Madison for week doesn’t sound to shabby. I am glad to have met these people who are doing such great work and who happen to be smart and kind individuals. I know their presentations will be radical, well thought out, and a bit funny too. Have fun at Yale!

Written by Leo @ 8:49 pm

The Buginese people of South Sulawesi have got it right. Talk about appreciating differences in people. In their culture they recognize five genders of people. Along with this, they believe that the holiest people transcend the binary of “man” and “woman.” I recently saw a short clip about the region on hulu.com’s “Taboo” series. Quite ironic name for the series considering the subject of understanding and genuinely embracing different people. I mean, come on, who get’s to decide what is “taboo.” Far as I’m concerned, being violent and hurtful to individuals/communities just because they look or live differently than you is taboo.

Engendering Peace: http://www.hulu.com/watch/108325/taboo-engendering-peace#s-p2-sr-i1

I hope for this year we start seeing the good in each other, breaking past the harmful definitions media can place on race and sexuality. Come on 2010, make me proud.

Written by Jonesy @ 7:15 pm

I’m making an effort to profile (in no particular order) some porn performers whose work is worth checking out.  Here’s the second installment of my porn star round up!

Name: Christian (also billed as Maxx Diesel or Christian XXX)

DOB: May 8th, 1974

What he’s known for: Fans of director Tristan Taormino’s work will probably recognize Christian as that big, awesome bald guy that shows up in her work all the time, consistently delivering intense and entertaining performances in a variety of scenes. Christian started his career working in gay porn under the name Maxx Diesel. He identifies as heterosexual in real life, and now works in straight porn. In DVD interviews and on his blog, he speaks calmly and candidly about several brushes with homophobia in the porn industry, citing instances in which performers and directors have chosen not to work with him because of his supposedly “unhealthy” or “risky” past working in gay porn. Christian’s open, queer-friendly and sex positive attitudes toward the industry and his own career make him one of my favorite people in porn.

What to watch him in: Chemistry Vol. 2 starts with a pretty amazing scene between Christian and Kimberly Kane. Christian appears in many of Tristan Taormino’s other movies, including Chemistry 2 & 3 and several of her Expert Guide DVDs.

Christian’s performances often include an element of intimacy and connection that I personally find lacking in a lot of porn. He genuinely enjoys what he’s doing, and it makes a difference who he’s doing it with.

For a peek behind the scenes of Christian’s career and the porn industry, check out his blog.  Here’s a particularly interesting entry. He chronicles every shoot he goes on, and includes photos as well as tons of banal little details about the day to day workings of the industry. It’s an alternately boring and fascinating read.

In conclusion: Several of us Kitten staffers refer to Christian as our “porn boyfriend.” He manages to convey intimacy, sincerity and a genuinely sex positive attitude in his performances. He demonstrates professional and personal respect for his female colleagues on and off screen, and he makes fabulously intense, serious sex faces. He plays World of Warcraft and used to coach basketball.  Adorkable!  Two enthusiastic thumbs up for Christian.  Check him out asap.

Written by Alley @ 6:52 pm

Jeff stopped by yesterday to hang up some work from his photography sessions with individuals and couples.  Jeff does amazing portraits, and what I love most about them is the feeling of authenticity I get from them.  The photographs are intimate and you get a sense of personality. Instead of creating a mold that his intimate photographs fit into, there is a sense that each individual is represented as who they truly are, whether alone or within a relationship. Stop by the store to check the photos out in person, or look him up online at his website. You can find more information about his intimate portrait sessions here.

Written by Loon @ 9:59 pm

Here at the Smitten Kitten, we are committed to learning as much as we can about every single one of our products. When something new comes in we learn about it, try it, and share our information and opinions with coworkers and customers alike.

When we decided to buy the Tenga Flip Hole, many of us were ecstatic about it’s design. Unlike the standard Flesh Light that has become the popular choice for a “like the real thing” masturbation sleeve, this product actually folds open so that the user can more easily clean all the nubs and and bulges on the inside. The Tenga Flip Hole is by far one of the most genius masturbation sleeves we have found on the market; so as you can imagine, I was super stoked to try it out.

The Fisting:

One quiet night at the store, Leo and I decided tonight was the night to really get a feel for the Tenga and contrast it with our popular Stroker sleeve. Lacking the particular biology necessary to utilize this device, we opted for THE FIST. Now fisting as a sexual act conjures up images of plunging a balled up fist over and over into some particular orifice of the body. Not so. That type of fisting may very well hurt a lot; the goal is to feel good. Instead, fisting is a build up and requires lots of good lube (we recommend a Gel lube for anal, like Slippery Stuff Gel). One finger turns into a couple fingers and sooner or later, when everyone is feeling comfortable and good, a few fingers turns into a handful of fingers. Rather than balling up the hand, however, it is best initial practice to have your hand folded into the shape of a beak…or a shadow puppet mouth. From here then you can choose, based on a conversation with your partner, whether balling up completely is gong to happen or not. Tenga and I decided that we were not going to ball up that night (mainly because my hand was to big).

The Findings:

Tenga felt awesome! All of the nubs, bulges, and surprises on the inside provide a like-real experience. It is also incredibly unpredictable to know what the sensation will be because it is not a repetitive texture. Externally, there are three buttons that can be pushed to lend pressure to what is going on internally and also provides suction. My personal favorite was the bottom button. After all was said and done, all i needed to do was flip Tenga open, use some soap and water, and scrub out the insides. Simple!

Stroker felt awesome too! The inside of the Stroker similarly has ridges, but it is a repetitive pattern, so you kind of know what you’re getting. Nonetheless, the sensation rules.

Moral of story: masturbation sleeves rule, penis or not.

**Please Note**

The Tenga Flip Hole is NOT made of silicone, it is made of elastomer. In this way, it is porous and can never be fully sterilized. This product should not be shared between individuals due to its porous nature and is, over time, disposable.