Porn, like any good art form, evokes something visceral, emotional, something primal, to the viewer. Some people freak out at the idea of a naked Jesus made out of chocolate. Others freak out at the thought of an older woman seducing a younger woman, or vice-versa, with the results filmed in high-definition colour (i.e., Pink Velvet). Some people are comfortable with good ol’ straight missionary sex on film (just like the old stag reels dad kept in the garage, along with his old detective magazines), while others feel challenged or thrilled by something more dangerous, such as Nina Hartley seducing Anna Mills in a scene form Girlfriends Films Lesbian Seductions series, or Kimberly Kane seducing Joelean in Triangle Films Boundaries.
In the first case, Ms Hartley instructs not only Ms Mills in basic safety during a domme-sub encounter, while in the second, Ms Kane gives Joelean a safe word to use if things get too rough. The Hartley-Mills scene was my first experience with such a scene and, frankly, I was left confused. I’d been confused before (plenty of times–hell, I’m either confused or just plain wrong a dozen times before breakfast), and at first I couldn’t understand how anyone could, or why anyone would want to, involve him or herself in a scenario like this. Gradually, however (and especially after reading I was a Teenage Dominatrix by Shawna Kenney) I started to understand that it was another form of role-playing and that while on the surface it appeared that it was the domme who was in control, it was actually the sub who held the winning hand. The sub had the safe word. The sub could call it quits with just one word. It was that simple. And, in this role, the sub could let him or herself be pushed further than s/he would normally allow. It was permission to explore something deeper about his or her psyche. Now that is cool. And it gave me, I think, a little more insight into the minds of porn stars/adult performers. Not only is there pleasure from the basic act of sex, the release of endorphins during orgasm and all that, but there is also the creative aspect of building something for others to enjoy, and, on top of all that, the legitimate world of porn (as opposed to the dark underworld where kids are exploited and human trafficking occurs–something well away from what you would find on the shelves of your local video store, I hope) offers men and women a place where they can play with ideas they might not feel safe exploring at home in a place where there isn’t all the (self-)censorship, bias, prejudice or what have you. On location, during the shoot, Ms Lee, Ms Knox, Ms Banks, Ms Hartley, Ms Montana, Ms Mills, &c., can do something different. They can be someone they can’t be at home. They can be the wanton vixen, take off their clothes and screw like mad. And when its done, they can wash it off, put their clothes back on and go back to their regular lives. It’s a job.