No Stinking Pirates Here

Every now and then I run across something that makes a point better than I ever could. And for that reason I am going to post it here. This was a from a home video forum where downloading and "piracy" was being discussed:

I've found this situation amusing from the get go for OH, SO MANY REASONS.

Let me get this out of the way first: I'm not so naive as to believe that piracy has nothing to do with the decline of sales, but to put the blame on it entirely or even suggest it's the number one factor? Absurd.

First of all, let's go back to the 1980's/early to mid 90's. VHS is the current king of home viewing formats with DVD looming on the horizon. How many people do you figure were copying movies using RCA/coaxial cables and an extra VCR? I'm going to figure on A LOT, in fact, even more than people who can currently grasp the concept of finding something on the internet, if current online intelligence trends are any indication. It's not a hard process, especially since your local mom and pop video store kept a decent cache of rent-able porn handy.

So there's that factor. People engaging in piracy before the widespread advent of the internet. In 2001, it was estimated that the porn industry made $500 million to $1.8 BILLION from video sales ALONE. (Source)

Logically, if piracy were such a huge factor in the decline of sales, then how in the hell could the "industry" make that much money, given the easy and accessible nature of obtaining porn without paying for it? Or even obtaining a permanent copy at the cost of a one night rental? It seems to me that if obtaining a non-original copy of said product were truly detrimental, then how have all these companies managed to stay in business all these years?

My second point as to why this whole discussion is rib-tickling hilarious is the moral and ethical standpoints being taken by pornographers and porn "marks" and people who threaten to use legal means to keep their bottom lines from shrinking, and the whole "snitch" mentality that's been encouraged as of late.

The porn industry using legal tactics. The porn industry, which made itself by thumbing its nose at the law, now seeks to run to the very forces which would see it die horribly and smile while it happens, because they mistakenly feel they share a common bond with the mainstream and feel that they can benefit from the same fight.

I find it completely hilarious that in the face of financial doom and digital scapegoating, pornographers encourage such subjective social constructs like "morals" and "ethics" when it's been proven time and time again that the modern porn industry is completely devoid of either. People who made their living catering to a sexually dysfunctional demographic, screwed talent, set workers, and no telling how many other people over are now crying and whining about how their livelihoods are threatened and pull at people's heartstrings by employing their completely subjective point of view under the guise of "morals" and "ethics" about stealing "their work" or "their art," when in reality, they could give a shit about either. They want their $40 per DVD and they'll force feed you their tripe and tug at your own sense of morality and ethics to get it.

Again, using guilt tactics and subjective social constructs like "morality" and "ethics" to increase your bottom line? Hilarious.

Let's now talk about quality of product, which I feel is one of the true culprits in the decline of the porn industry. On my DVD rack, right now sit a few pornographic movies. To name a few as an example: The Devil In Miss Jones, This Ain't The Munsters XXX, and Zazel. These, in my opinion are good things to watch as far as pornography goes. I bought them, laying down hard earned cash to get them, because I wanted them. I can watch them completely through because they're entertaining.

What you WON'T find on my shelf are titles like "1 In The Pink 1 In The Stink 10," or "POV Pervert 11," or "Jizz Guzzling Meth Addicted Knuckleheads With Big Titties 88." Why is that? It's pornography isn't it?

Yes it is. Trouble is, it's shit.

Who is masochistic enough to fork over money for SHIT? I'm not. Call me a filthy non-enabler of the obviously amicable "artistic" goals of the modern porn industry if you like, but I can't for the life of me be even the LEAST bit entertained by generically hot, plastic, emotionally disconnected waifs getting plugged in every orifice by vacant himbo douchebags in someone's house for the sake of wank material. I especially won't pay $40 fucking dollars for it.

90% of modern porn is complete shit, and the consumer picks up on this.

AND THERE'S SO FUCKING MUCH OF IT. Around 12,000 titles a year. Possibly more.

Over-saturation. It's whats for dinner.

It's a proven fact in economics: When the market is over-saturated, sales will suffer. Factor in the current economy and consumer attitudes with that, and it seems that piracy is actually not the scary, final-boss level boogieman that the money grabbers would have you believe it is.

There's a ton of factors here, and to believe that digital piracy's elimination through invoking of social constructs and guilt-tripping will suddenly revive the industry and money will gush from the asses of all involved is naive, delusional, and quite frankly, the desperation of some no-talent, unimaginative shits looking for a scapegoat to blame for their bottom lines getting smaller than their penises.

I hope to FUCK this modern "industry" of pornography tanks. I'll laugh like a madman if and when it does. I hope to hear about most of these so-called "producers" working at McDonald's because their cookie cutter, demographic-catering porn factories shut down.

If it does, and this is wishful thinking on my part, maybe they'll get back to basics and rebuild. Maybe they'll put out better content, and less saturation of it, and get the consumer interested again to the point where they WILL want to own the product as if they were buying a mainstream release.

It used to be about making movies that not only made money, but were an expression of sexuality. Now it's catering to demographics with cheap, generic ideas of what's "hot."

And to see those poor, desperate, noble pornographers come to us, hat in hand, asking us to snitch on people or buy their shitty product in order to "support" a billion-dollar industry?

Hilarious.

Sex in '69: The Sexual Revolution in America (2009)

Before 1969, very few people in American had sex. Those who did, only did so for procreation, not enjoyment, and knew nothing about what they were doing. They did do it often enough to produce a lot of kids who became hippies. The hippies started having sex a lot before 1969, but were pushed out of their sexing grounds in San Francisco. When they fled the oppressive San Franciscans, they migrated to many other parts of the country. By 1969, everyone else noticed them having sex, figured there might be something to this, and started having sex too. Feminists thought that all the sex was oppressing women, so they objected to the sex. Black People of Color had been having a lot of sex before 1969, but they were oppressed. Gay people were so oppressed from all the sex that they started rioting in 1969. But at least everyone, save Richard M. Nixon, was having sex. Then came disco music.
And that pretty much sums up the narrative to the documentary Sex in '69. Which also shows you the limits of arbitrarily designating a particular year for a paradigm shift. Got some news for you kids: Pops here was around back then and it wasn't much fun. At least from what I could see as a youngster. The union guys at the GM plants near my town were either chasing tail on Saturday or in church Sunday (from all the sex). And in some cases both.
Want a good history of the sex revolutions in America? Read the Gay Talese book. This History Channel two-hour special is way too superficial.

Bitch-"Be My Slave"

Once upon a time it was really, really hard to find any women in leather.

But thinks to the wonder of YouTube, you can now watch Betsy and her love slaves if you go here.

OK, This Thing Is Just Plain Evil

From the Prague Sex Machine Museum

Fetlife and spam

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American Swing (2008)

The sexual revolution goes down in flames in this fascinating documentary from Magnolia Films.
It's the story of Larry Levenson and his swing club, Plato's Retreat. For a brief time, the late 1970's, Plato's Retreat, was the destination in New York City for people who wanted to dance, party, and fuck each others' spouses. From the film, which features numerous interviews by the people who frequented the place, Larry was a big-hearted Jewish guy who thought he was creating something unique in the history of American sexuality. And he was. But Larry was also a lousy businessman.
Around 1980 the IRS raided his club and busted Larry and friends for tax evasion. Larry ended up doing less than half of the 8 year sentence he received, but by the time he returned in full glory to his palace of orgasms, Plato's had turned sleazy. In 1985 the city of New York raided Plato's and closed it down for multiple unsafe sex practice violations. This was at the height of the AIDS epidemic and the city was cracking down on all kinds of sex establishments.
Larry would pass away years later, living in a basement, trying to make a living as a taxi driver. He was largely forgotten by his former friends and clientele. In American Swing, one lady who frequented Plato's remembers getting in his cab and being shocked to discover who was driving her to the next location.
Most of the documentary is filled with people talking about how great Plato's was in it's full glory. Larry had taken over the basement of a swank old hotel in NYC and turned it into a full service swing club. Lines would wind down the street. People from all walks of life would line up to get in on the action. A tight set of rules (couples only!) kept the gawkers and strokers to a minimum.
An excellent documentary about the rise and fall of one fortress in the sexual revolution with a somber reminder of responsibility.

The Masseuse (1990)

Sad and uneven film from the last hurrah of the adult film industry. Randy Spears plays a shy librarian who falls in love with a woman(Hypatia Lee) working at a massage parlor. This sort of story has been done countless times, but the director wanted to go a more serious route and create something memorable.
Unfortunately it doesn't really work since it's hard to believe superstud Spears would have the least bit of trouble getting some action (he plays a virgin in this movie). And Hypatia Lee just can't give it the needed performance.
A good script with plenty of surprises and an ending which leaves the viewer with a sense of hope.

The Most Hilarious Thing I Have Seen All Year

Go here to watch the most hysterically funny sex committed to film in the past decade. I won't reveal the subject matter, just that the guy has a gorgeous woman who wants to do him up the butt AND HE HAS A PROBLEM WITH THIS?
A 2007 movie from Canada which I caught one night on cable under the title YPF.

I'm still alive.

...Although I haven't posted anything since last December. Sorry, but real life issues have taken their toll. Hopefully, I will begin posting again.