So, I ended up seeing Annie Sprinkle. Here's a rundown of the evening.
By the time it started, the theatre was *completely* packed. They even brought out folding chairs. As I walked in, a little early, I noticed that seated in the very last row were about four dubious middle-aged men each sitting alone - I didn't notice them holding any popcorn boxes suspiciously, but maybe they did later. I'd say the gender breakdown of the crowd was about 75-80% female.
Although everyone was handed "pro-prostitution" and "pro-porn" pamphlets, the presentation itself was just about her own life, with slide shows and video footage. They carded everyone, because it was holy-shit-is-that-what-I-think-it-is graphic. Before that night, I could say that I've never seen a dwarf having sex. Nor an amputee using the stump as, well, *cough cough*. She had slide shows showing how she had redefined herself, twice: from Ellen Steinberg, awkward teen, to Annie Sprinkle, porn star. Then, after the AIDS crisis, from Annie Sprinkle to Anya, a spiritual persona.
"Annie Sprinkle masturbates."
"Anya meditates...while she masturbates."
There was one excerpt made by a woman who always wanted to make a horror movie, but she made a porn movie instead. Annie remarked, "...when she got done with her porno movie, it looked a lot like a horror movie!" It was something about a ghost getting revenge, and it had laughably bad special effects and yet it still made everyone uncomfortable.
She estimated that she has had sex with 3000 men, and if you were to put all of those penises end-to-end, then it would be as tall as the Empire State Building. She also made a similar calculation regarding seminal fluid.
Two of her most notable performances were "The Legend of the Ancient Sacred Prostitute" and "Public Cervix Announcement" and there was some interesting footage from both. For the former, people in the audience were handed rattles to shake, while "Masturbatorium" by the Hafler Trio was playing. Annie kneeled over a fire, nether-region exposed, and flailed her arms and wailed. Annie said, "People came in on crutches and left without them" (ha!). For the latter, Annie invited people to look at her cervix, using a speculum and a flashlight, and she has estimated that tens of thousands of people have seen her cervix. In the video footage, after someone was done looking, Annie would say very politely, "I hope you enjoyed it" or "I'm glad you liked it," which cracked me up.
During the evening, she gave out "Aphrodite Awards" to anyone in the audience who wanted one, as "Pomp and Circumstance" played - it was an award for being pro-sex in some way. Afterwards, there was a question/answer session - the audience was very receptive (more or less preaching to the converted), so controversy was larged avoided. One man asked a (very very lengthy) question about his experience having sex with a ghost (apparently this has a name: "Incubus experience"). Someone asked about the effects on her family (her father said that she could do anything she wanted to - I'm not sure being a porn star was what he had in mind) - she said it was difficult, but her family came around eventually.
Afterwards, in the lobby, you could buy "tit prints" (paintings made with her breasts) and share a few words with her, so I shook her hand. Incredibly charming woman.
― Ernest P. (ernestp), Monday, 21 February 2005 22:08 (twenty years ago)
She seems nice, but I have to say it doesn't sound all that enlightening. I'm glad a porn star has been able to successfully segue out of the making-movies business, but I think, unfortunately, this is generally the most they can do. (And by "this" I mean simply putting a more "scholarly" spin on their past work.) If they choose to stay in the public eye, they're never going to outrun that shadow.
Maybe this is only true in the U.S, though.
― sugarpants (sugarpants), Monday, 21 February 2005 23:04 (twenty years ago)
sugarpants wrote:
She seems nice, but I have to say it doesn't sound all that enlightening.Actually, I agree with you. To call the presentation "enlightening" would be an exaggeration. To be honest, I was kind of expecting at least a little soapboxing, but there was very little. It was very much simply a presentation of "Hey, here's what I've done."
The pro-porn battle has largely been won already. The pro-prostitution thing (widespread decriminalization) may be a hopeless cause. But what I mainly see Annie doing now is using her semi-celebrity status to promote sex education and safe sex, try to make people less uptight, and encourage discussion on women's issues.
― Ernest P. (ernestp), Tuesday, 22 February 2005 06:58 (twenty years ago)
two weeks pass...