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| | | | | This Old Smut — DIY Porn Changes The Face Of The Industry | | | | | found on The Guardian
written by holgate, edited by John (Plastic) [ read unedited ]
posted Wed 30 Oct 11:24am | | | | |
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"The internet and digital video have changed the whole face of porn," [Irvine Welch] said in a recent interview. "Home-made porn is everywhere. It's easy to get a knocked-off DV camera in a pub, and shoot your own stuff and put it on the net. It's become a massive operation. And because it's been taken away from the backstreets, you get more women consumers involved. It's become a mainstream thing."
"In the 1970s, it was the Polaroid camera which made it possible for sexual partners to record their assets and exploits for posterity: instant results and the lack of external processing had consequences the manufacturers could never have imagined. Nowadays, it's the camcorder, and even more so, digital still and video cameras which bring the latest technology... into the bedroom. Or bathroom. Or on the kitchen table," holgate writes. "Libby Brooks suggests that the DIY sex film is 'the contemporary equivalent of the mirrored ceiling', taking advantage of both technological advances, and the notoriety of celebrities who've done the same, only for the results to be streamed across the Internet. Home-made porn also chimes with the fashion for 'Gonzo' commercial films, which appeal to consumers by disdaining silicone and sheen to mimic the production values of 'amateur' videos. It also helps that the ubiquity of online porn has created, in more strictly-regulated countries such as the UK, a generation of 'technologically literate and sexually exploratory individuals' who are 'sophisticated enough to know exactly what they want, and if they can't find it then they'll do it themselves.'
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| | | "But is it right to say that 'doing it yourself' represents a way for sexually adventurous women to take control of their image, 'subverting the notion that women's erotic power can only be located in their role as paid-for sexual objects, rather than as active sexual subjects'? Or is it mainly about hoping that the camera doesn't add ten pounds to your undulating backside?"
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[ more plastic... ] |
| | | | | | | 1. In the future... | | | | by David Flores |  | | | at Wed 30 Oct 11:39am | score of 4 witty | | | | | | |
In the future pornography will be so common it won't even be news, much less shameful. Indeed, the last page of your wedding photo album will be a few snapshots of you and the missus doing it doggie style and waving for the folks back home.
At work, next to the picture of you and the wife on vacation last year in Paris will be a picture of both of you 69nin' on the beach in Jamaica on the previous vacation.
And on the piano in the living-room you'll have a picture of you two getting it on hot and heavy in the shower.
GAFB and GAFB2
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| | | | | | | 3. A bright future | | | | by geekybob |  | | | at Wed 30 Oct 11:53am | score of 2.5 funny | | | | | | |
I'm expecting to make a lot of money from this: I'll film it, and people will pay top dollar not to see my flabby ass.
I'm not a Democrat, I'm a liberal. Democrats go to meetings.
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| | | | | | | | 5. Mommeee! Baby wants to f**k! | | | | by Akio | | | | at Wed 30 Oct 12:09pm | score of 4 scholarly | | | | | | |
So long as someone wields the whip, someone else will want to kiss it. Problem is, as soon as you find some kinky niche, it becomes just as dull as the last kink you got bored of. So you start by chiseling apart the pages of dad's Playboy, move up to brother's copy of Swank, and from there you sneak furtive, squinty peaks at scrambled pay-per-view porn. But that isn't enough. You have to take it up another notch and go with the hideously augmented blondes in impossibly high platform heels. But it still isn't enough. Before you know it, you're ordering bootleg copies of Virgin Ululating Throat Singers In Heat XVII, shaved panda amputee snuff porn, and forced colonic irrigation videos from Denmark.
It's a slippery slope, but if you're butt's packed full of KY already, who cares?
monkeyrotica.com: "It's like when they opened the Ark of the Covenant. Except with monkeys."
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| | | | | | 10. Re: Mommeee! Baby wants to f**k! | | | | by CaptainLiberal | | | | at Wed 30 Oct 12:25pm | score of 4.5 brilliant | | in reply to comment 5 | | | | | |
Before you know it, you're ordering bootleg copies of Virgin Ululating Throat Singers In Heat XVII, shaved panda amputee snuff porn, and forced colonic irrigation videos from Denmark.
What, no links?
Every dream turns into something on a T-shirt -- Shriekback
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| | | | | | 6. "Honey, tape the HGTV porn how-to special for me" | | | | by ilsa | | | | at Wed 30 Oct 12:14pm | score of 2 interesting | | | | | | |
Sure, digital photography/videography have revolutionized amateur porn. No question about that. However, the closest this article comes to answering "why?" is to say "because they/we can."
There are a lot of reasons for the popularity of amateur porn on the internet. It's cheap to produce, and someone will pay for it. People like it. The subjects, if nothing else, are real people enjoying what they are doing.
And similarly there are a plethora of reasons people like doing it. Some women like thier bodies, perhaps even worked hard to make them perfect, and want to show off. It's not unlike showing up to a party in a tiny cocktail dress. Some women see the porn out there and say "Hell, I can do better than that!" Sure, there are some women who do it for no better reason than to please thier significant other. Just maybe if she gets positive feedback, she will develop the self confidence to take a more equal role in the relationship. And there are a lot of women who do it because it is fun, and they don't mind other people knowing they are having fun.
Interestingly, the male amateur porn crowd appears to fall into two categories: "look at me you know you want it!" and "I am this guy's wife and turnabout is fair play."
Now, the issue of (ahem) private materials is a little stickier. I'm sorry, don't do home-made porn unless you expect the possibility of it becoming public.
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| | | | | | 12. Becoming public | | | | by veschke |  | | | at Wed 30 Oct 12:44pm | score of 1.5 intriguing | | in reply to comment 6 | | | | | |
"I'm sorry, don't do home-made porn unless you expect the possibility of it becoming public."
I have a little rule about digitizing. I ask myself, "Do I mind if the entire planet sees this someday?" If the answer is "yes," it remains analog.
(And no, I don't do porn, so don't bother trawling my Web site for any.)
Cynicism is the opposite of wisdom.
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| | | | | | 8. Nothing new here, move along | | | | by Cathedral | | | | at Wed 30 Oct 12:18pm | score of 2.5 astute | | | | | | |
The fact that new technology (internet, digital video) are being used for porn and sex really isn't new in any way. Anyone with a basic grasp of the history of human inventions in the past hundred plus years will see that new technology has very regularly been put to sexual uses quite quickly. Shortly after electricity became common in homes, there were several "must have" inventions. The electric toaster, iron, lightbulb, and the electric vibrator. The old Daguerreotypes (precursor of modern cameras) were used for some of the first photographic porn out there. Ditto the first silent movie cameras. Vulcanization of rubber? Well, what a good way of replacing sheep skin condoms. Technology like cars, phones, and drugs have also had a major impact on sex.
In summary: People love sex. People love new technology. People love to make money. With these three basic facts in mind, this article shouldn't be a surprise. What would be more fun is to guess what will be the next trend of technology and sex.
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| | | | | | 13. Re: Sex is a Catalyst for Tech | | | | by tomaxxamot | | | | at Wed 30 Oct 12:51pm | score of 2 astute | | in reply to comment 8 | | | | | |
The fact that new technology (internet, digital video) are being used for porn and sex really isn't new in any way. Anyone with a basic grasp of the history of human inventions in the past hundred plus years will see that new technology has very regularly been put to sexual uses quite quickly.
Just to expand on that a bit, porn isn't just an application of new technology, but also what drives new technology. Since I'm posting from work, I'm not going to make any Google searches for "pornography CD-ROM", "pornography VHS" or "pornography broadband" to corroborate with links, but in all three cases, a lot of the early adopters were motivated by faster delivery, better image quality, and increased privacy.
People got fed up with waiting for thirty seconds to view a Jenna Jameson .jpg, and therefore, faster and faster modem speeds were introduced. Then people got annoyed with hiccups in their streaming Swedish web shows, and as such, the cable modem and the DSL line became ubiquitous. The same was true for porn on video in the early eighties - the average consumer wasn't comfortable masturbating in a seedy theater with anonymous, grunting people seated in the rows around them, but was totally comfortable watching the same film and engaging in the same behavior when alone on their couch. Hell, one of the bigger contributing factors to VHS beating betamax in the VCR wars was that Sony wouldn't license their technology to the adult film industry, whereas JVC would license VHS.
Spread the News - the Ego has Landed.
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| | | | | 20. Re: Sex is a Catalyst for Tech | | | | by Sir Wacks-A-Lot | | | | at Wed 30 Oct 6:18pm | score of 1 | | in reply to comment 13 | | | | | |
"the average consumer wasn't comfortable masturbating in a seedy theater with anonymous, grunting people seated in the rows around them, but was totally comfortable watching the same film and engaging in the same behavior when alone on their couch."
I heard on the radio that a (I believe) Pinellas County Florida Statute requires that every other seat in a peep show house be removed, providing a modicum of privacy and cleanliness.
"No man is an island, but if you tie a buncha dead guys together, they make a pretty good raft" - Bug-Eyed Earl,Red Meat
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| | | | | | 14. Delusions | | | | by keta | | | | at Wed 30 Oct 2:26pm | score of 2 clever | | | | | | |
Perhaps the camcorder is providing people with a safe and satisfying method of reclaiming and recreating public images of sex for their private pleasure. And with that comes a better understanding of the potential of desire - that we might transform ourselves into anyone and anything.
I see this as the root* of this phenomenon. So many folks feel there is a gaping hole* in their lives, that they don't measure up* in relation to the full*, fun-filled*, adventuresome lives they perceive others are living. So they bend over backwards* to snatch* a piece* of the exciting lifestyle they feel they are missing. The article would have been a better read if the author had managed to track down singles or couples who had taped their sexual escapades, and then felt that taking a crack* at such an amusement wasn't at all worth the effort.
* all puns totally intentional
own your words...
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| | | | | | 16. Be careful whom you pose nude for. | | | | by Conrad Bombora | | | | at Wed 30 Oct 4:57pm | score of 1.5 intriguing | | | | | | |
A couple of years ago I got a digital camera (if you don't have one get one there great) one of the first things I took pictures of was my then girlfriends hot necked body getting out of the shower, over the months we got more creative with the camera. The details are unimportant. In other words we amassed a lot of porn. At the end of are relationship she asked me to destroy the photos. So I took out a CD and snapped it in half in front of her and said something like "there you go! gone!... happy?" She's a smart girl but not very computer literate. The CD that I snapped in half was just a generic backup of files from work.
I'm not going destroyed the photos...why would I want to destroy my artwork?
(I know it's an immoral childish betrayal of trust but come on she was hot)
Now here is the negative aspect to this;
if I were an evil vindictive asshole I would post the pictures on the web, potentially destroying her carrier as a teacher.
Luckily I'm not, but there are people out there who are.
I know that this is happening today and will more likely increases in the years too come.
I wonder are there laws against this and if not should there be?
"Must be nice to hope for the thing you wish to want... Sure beats doing it." Strangers with Candy
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| | | | | | 19. Re: Be careful whom you pose nude for. | | | | by Conrad Bombora | | | | at Wed 30 Oct 6:12pm | score of 2 astute | | in reply to comment 17 | | | | | |
You may not be an evil vindictive asshole, but you are a liar.
True, I do lie.
I lie sometimes to protect myself or simply for shits and giggles.
and seeing how my real world identity is somewhat unknown here on plastic makes your argument null and void.
You or anyone believing my story online is irrelevant the point I was trying to make however is relevant to the topic.
I know this is getting off topic, but the fact is any time we use a false identity or screen name we are being somewhat deceitful and are therefore lying. But that's getting into semantics.
So yeah I guess I am a liar.
in that case I have nude photos of your mom.
"Must be nice to hope for the thing you wish to want... Sure beats doing it." Strangers with Candy
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| | | | | 18. Re: Be careful whom you pose nude for. | | | | by tomaxxamot | | | | at Wed 30 Oct 5:50pm | score of 1.5 compelling | | in reply to comment 16 | | | | | |
I'm not going destroyed the photos...why would I want to destroy my artwork?
(I know it's an immoral childish betrayal of trust but come on she was hot)
In two sentences, you've articulated the biggest arguments for and against DIY porn.
On the one hand (and making the sexist assumption that it's typically the male and not the female who pushes for the photos/videos/etc) the phenomena basically boils down to the guy wanting to get off on images of his significant other instead of anonymous models in a magazine or on a web site. Without getting into private, gorey details too much, that was the motivating factor for me when my girlfriend and I used the camcorder one night - I'm desperately in love with her and think she'd drop dead gorgeous, so I wanted ..ahem.. visual aids for when she wasn't around. Why would I want to look at a naked model whom I don't have any emotional attachment to when I can look at sexual images of a woman I find equally beautiful whom I love?
On the other hand is the issue of trust. The product that's created in DIY porn belongs equally to both members of the couple. For either the man or the woman, it can be a permanent recording of intimacy and vulnerability, and if the relationship falls apart, there's a real risk that at least some percentage of ex-boyfriends will use the images vindictively. Posting them to an alt.binaries.* group is an extreme example, but even keeping them, and thereby maintaining a faux intimacy with one's ex is a violation. To be frank, if you and your girlfriend split up, you don't have the right to look at her when she's naked anymore (a nod to the feminists - I realize that the guy doesn't have the right to ogle even his current S.O. without her permission).
It's a weird phenomena, one where intimacy and trust sort of collide. I do think it can be a positive thing in a couple's sex life, but there's got to be a sacrosanct agreement ("covenant" might not be too strong a word) between the two before taping occurs. Doing it on a whim one night when you're drunk is probably a bad idea, doing it as part of a monogamous, long term relationship can invigorate sex lives and make a couple closer.
Spread the News - the Ego has Landed.
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| | | | | 22. Re: Be careful whom you pose nude for. | | | | by Conrad Bombora | | | | at Wed 30 Oct 6:52pm | score of 1 | | in reply to comment 18 | | | | | |
but even keeping them, and thereby maintaining a faux intimacy with one's ex is a violation.
Interesting? I never viewed it that way.
and in all honesty I rarely look at them.
but now that you got me thinking about it you're right; there is a "faux intimacy" from possessing them.
thanks for the free psychoanalyses.
"Must be nice to hope for the thing you wish to want... Sure beats doing it." Strangers with Candy
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| | | | | 24. Re: Be careful whom you pose nude for. | | | | by Chef | | | | at Wed 30 Oct 7:31pm | score of 1 | | in reply to comment 18 | | | | | |
"To be frank, if you and your girlfriend split up, you don't have the right to look at her when she's naked anymore (a nod to the feminists - I realize that the guy doesn't have the right to ogle even his current S.O. without her permission)."
In the time of Christ there was a sect of Pharisees that were called the Bleeding Pharisees because they walked around with their eyes closed to avoid seeing a woman. It was nonsense then and it's nonsense now!
Dissent is not a right, it's an obligation.
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| | | | | 25. Re: Be careful whom you pose nude for. | | | | by blong | | | | at Wed 30 Oct 7:45pm | score of 1 | | in reply to comment 22 | | | | | |
Isn't there that same "faux intimacy" in your own memories?
Especially since most people seem to forget the "bad parts" of the relationship and just remember the good parts.
Brandon
"The computer is also not famous for having mercy."-- Col. Graff, _Ender's Game_
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| | | | | 36. Re: Be careful whom you pose nude for. | | | | by Courier | | | | at Thu 31 Oct 5:46am | score of 1.5 novel | | in reply to comment 25 | | | | | |
Isn't there that same "faux intimacy" in your own memories?
This is precisely why you should insist on having your ex's brain wiped when you break up. Conrad Bombora's ex didn't go far enough by making him break the CD; she should have insisted on breaking his brain in half as well.
--G
This world must be destroyed.
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| | | | | 40. Re: Be careful whom you pose nude for. | | | | by hellohihihihi | | | | at Thu 31 Oct 8:26am | score of 1.5 astute | | in reply to comment 16 | | | | | |
Yeah... stuff like this seems to happen fairly often. A few years ago, a guy from my University taped himself and his girlfriend having sex without her knowledge using his webcam. His intent, I think, was just for personal entertainment, but somehow someone found it and uploaded it to the world.
Now it's all over the filesharing networks. I think the girl ended up transferring to a different University. It makes me wonder, though, what is so shameful about having a video taken and distributed all over the world? Isn't the shameful thing that people download it, watch it, are entertained by it, and think worse of you for it, as if people all over the world aren't having sex all the time? Especially college students...
On the other hand, the male involved apparently didn't feel any shame at all. Is it a double standard, or just personal feelings of comfort? It is horrible, but since it's happened, I have a hard time understanding why she felt embarrassed.
Maybe I feel this way because I've never been mirrored by the world. (Also note that you couldn't see that much... it was the view from a computer webcam to moving bedsheets.)
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| | | | | 47. Re: Be careful whom you pose nude for. | | | | by MiceHead | | | | at Thu 31 Oct 12:36pm | score of 1 | | in reply to comment 16 | | | | | |
...if I were an evil vindictive asshole I would post the [nude pictures of my ex-girlfriend] on the web, potentially destroying her carrier as a teacher. Luckily I'm not, but there are people out there who are...
I wonder are there laws against this and if not should there be?
Ah, the slippery slope of responsibility for one's own actions.
=MiceHead - The Stock Market for the Next 100 Years
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| | | | | | 23. media democratization and valuing the experience | | | | by ileechcowsdry | | | | at Wed 30 Oct 7:19pm | score of 2 intriguing | | | | | | |
Two separate points:
1. the democratization of porn (as a subset of media) is an interesting and legitimate phenomenon, as mentioned previously. its fun to think of Bangbus and digital video and webcams as lead users redefining an industry. The people's choice, the triumvirate -- sex, drugs, and rocknroll -- really have driven innovation on the net!
2. In an increasingly interconnected world, DIY porn is a phenom where people are taking part in a network-- but the interest is mainly in either exhibitionism/performing or voyeurism: actually doing it-- being in the moment-- or watching others. What's not part of the thrill is people watching their own videos. in fact its often quite unthrilling.
So if almost nobody watches their own videos, one can extrapolate to imagining a P2P system of live streaming porn, where you just hook up to it and you either turn the camera on yourself and your girlfriend and broadcast yourselves getting down, or else you tune in and watch other people getting down--- but the emphasis is not on the record of the event, instead only the experience of the event itself. Its totally plausible, right? if not happening already.
So its interesting that there is this increasing focus on the value of the experience itself, rather than the record of that experience. this is not the way we usually think about connectivity--here the value of the network is not the collaborative filtering of astute peers, but just the pure experience of actually participating in the network.
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| | | | | | 28. Re: media democratization and valuing the | | | | by empathogen | | | | at Wed 30 Oct 8:31pm | score of 1.5 novel | | in reply to comment 23 | | | | | |
you either turn the camera on yourself and your girlfriend and broadcast yourselves getting down, or else you tune in and watch other people getting down
Either? How about both simultaneously? I think then we're entering really interesting, new ground.
A sorta tele-orgy.
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| | | | | 29. Re: media democratization and valuing the | | | | by holgate | | | | at Wed 30 Oct 8:43pm | score of 1 | | in reply to comment 23 | | | | | |
its fun to think of Bangbus and digital video and webcams as lead users redefining an industry.
Actually, Bangbus is more interesting, as a wholly commercial, pre-scripted operation (yeah - it's fake) which mimics the aesthetics of DIY pr0n. So you have commercial porn pushing the technological envelope, and amateurs using the technology pushing the aesthetic envelope. The interesting thing is that just as porn, in general, is a parody of sex (in the most 'literary' definition of parody) the 'commercial DIY' porn is a parody of DIY porn. Bangbus is not Joe and Jane Public's sex tape, just as Peter North's triple-penetration scenes are not Joe and Jane Public's sex life. Guy Debord would be proud. Or at least Lacan would, since he had interesting things to say about porn.
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| | | | | 45. Re: media democratization and valuing the | | | | by Saviolo | | | | at Thu 31 Oct 10:23am | score of 1.5 informative | | in reply to comment 23 | | | | | |
There are already services that offer a P2P exhibitionist/voyeur experience, and it's free. You don't even need a webcam to participate, if you just want to watch. Of course, if you want a decent refresh rate, you need to pay money for the premium service, but otherwise, it's pretty decent.
Not that I use the service or anything.
Stay in line, citizen! Our weapons are only to protect you!
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| | | | | | 33. The Case of the Dirty Disc | | | | by Mike Steel |  | | | at Wed 30 Oct 10:30pm | score of 3 brilliant | | | | | | |
It was a dull day; fog rolling in thicker than Grandma's mashed potatoes, but not much of the bad feel that normally stalks the run-down part of town that my office embarasses. My name's Mike Steel, and I'm a private detective.
I was busy washing down a burnt takeout pork chop with a fifth of scotch when she walked in. She was as sharp as Swedish steel and as tall as Lady Liberty. Her curves had curves, and her voice would make a priest forget about the altar boys. "Mr. Steel, my name is Angela. I have a rather personal matter to discuss with you, if you're interested in taking my case."
"Well, doll, I can always free up some time for a classy dame like you. Call me Mike." Truth was, the last investigation I'd been on was three weeks ago, when I solved the Case of Why They Cut Off My Phone Line.
"Okay, Mike. I was in a relationship that recently ended. My ex-boyfriend has a CD-ROM that I believe may have some, well, some naked pictures of us. I'm a school teacher; I can't have that circulating." She sounded as lonely as a PETA recruiter at a slaughterhouse.
I took the case, of course - hangovers don't grow on trees. I got the dirt on her ex, turns out he lived in a ten-story joint over by the river. Building had a doorman, stopping me from just waltzing in. I decided a direct approach was the best. Doorman and I had an election, and he was outvoted 2-1 by me and my blackjack.
The apartment was locked, but my size 10 lockpick got the door open in a hurry. Inside, it made my place look like Buckingham Palace. Someone else had clearly tossed the room, probably looking for the same thing I was. Turns out it was just burglars. I found the disc (filed, alphabetically, under "porn") and nicked it, ditching an identical one of Pokemon pictures in its' place. What a rube. I made tracks just before the fuzz came nosing around.
Angela was plenty glad to get the CD back. I was hoping some of that gladness would have rubbed off on me, but the only thing fluid we exchanged was her cash. As I sat in my dirty chair, watching another decent skirt walk out of my life, I couldn't help but think that if she'd really made it worth my trouble, I would have destroyed my copy.
You see a lot, snooping around the dirty streets of this city. But there's one thing you've got to remember. No matter what the game, what the stakes, never tip your mitt. They don't need to know what you're up to. If you're filming, hide the camera. If you're copying to a CD, make a backup. And I know, 'cause I've been there, and worse.
... and a cold slate rain pounded the mean streets, as I went to look for another scotch, another dame, another case.
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| | | | | | | 34. the girl next door | | | | by G_Luv | | | | at Wed 30 Oct 10:37pm | score of 2 interesting | | | | | | |
The actual evolution of pornography itself speaks to the growth of DIY porn. For my generation, the first exposure to porn is usually in the form of a glossy magazine or a video tape. But I think over time, you get tired of watching all of these unrealistic depictions and acted out fantasies. You get desensitized to the formulaic nature of most commercial porn and it starts to feel like your watching the same Road Runner cartoon for the gazillionth time. You always know the coyote is going to fall off that cliff.
Then you start to yearn for something that feels a little closer to real life. Something that you can feel like you connect with more personally. You start wanting to close the gap between fantasy and reality. I.e. you want the girl next door instead of some puffed up bombshell you'd be hard pressed to see except at a porn convention.
Ultimately, porn is really about making fantasies a little more tangible, if only visually, and about experiencing things vicariously because we can't or won't do those things in our own lives. That's why I think there has been such an explosive growth in DIY porn. It has a less refined quality about it that mirrors real life more closely than commercial porn. Oddly enough, DIY porn makes the fantasy more real than commercial porn because the women are closer to ones you actually know and meet. So I think DIY porn is a positive outlet for sexuality and a natural evolution for porn itself.
Ultimately, I see the future of porn, be it commercial or DIY, evolving to a point where the technology will be able to provide a much more immersed and total experience akin to the machine in the movie Brainstorm where you can actually "live" the experience firsthand. Now that would be something!
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| | | | | | 39. 800x zoom | | | | by orionoir | | | | at Thu 31 Oct 7:13am | score of 1.5 informative | | | | | | |
we just bought a $200 canon video camera with an 800x zoom on it... that's a higher power than my binoculars.
what in the hell are you supposed to tape from a distance of two hundred meters? perhaps there are a lot of bird watchers out there with a need to tape very little birds.
more likely, though, someone at canon is thinking of thy neighbor's wife, frolicking in thy neighbor's pool, losing thy neighbor's bikini top in a fit of impish mammalian freedom...
thus, my prediction: voyeurism is destined to be the next growth item in the industry of vicarious sexual entertainment. there will be such growth at the supply end that prices will fall below zero, with roadside vendors paying passers-by increasing sums to watch (please!) the results of their vigilant surveillances of all the women within an eighth of a mile of their midnight ramblings.
i'm so happy i can't stop crying -- sting, fr. "lithium sunset"
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| | | | | | 42. another reason | | | | by jd142 | | | | at Thu 31 Oct 9:11am | score of 1 | | | | | | |
My wife didn't think of herself as pretty. I do. And being nude in front of the camera is something she enjoys. She enjoys the exhibitionist aspect of it, she enjoys knowing the she is the object of my sexual desire. We've even posted some pics in the appropriate newsgroups and on our website and she's enjoyed the replies. Hearing complete strangers tell you that you've turned them on can be exciting.
So yes, in this case the pictures really are a way for an adventurous woman to take control of her image. She doesn't do anything she doesn't want to and we enjoy looking over the pictures together.
And we don't have a digital camera. Professional developers have seen it all before. Most of them have rules that as long as everyone is over 18 and there's nothing illegal going on, they don't care. They've seen it all.
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| | | | | | 43. My 2 cents | | | | by LeggyLady | | | | at Thu 31 Oct 9:37am | score of 1.5 informative | | | | | | |
First off, most porn is boring. It's just too mechanical and the people are too perfect. People who enjoy sex, want to see others enjoying it. This is why Hoot Island (not work friendly) is a big success- "silly people having silly sex", it's FUN!
Secondly, my husband and I have dabbled here and there. We have quite a bit of web-cam material on his hard drive. We've thought about having an amateur web site. I've done lingerie modeling. We've done very erotic shots for a famous sex/underground photographer. We've been asked many times to do various porn films. We have public sex at sex clubs. We go to nude beaches. We wander around practically naked at various Pride festivals. It is fun. I know there are pics of me in various stages of exposure all over the world. Once in a blue moon, it bothers me. But then I remind myself, that I freely ran around in public half nekkid. People will take pictures. If I don't want pics taken I should keep my clothes on- no wait, that didn't work either, tourists like taking pictures of gothic punks, something they don't see at home. I give up! ;-)
These pics have never been discovered by my work, however, co-workers have seen me @ various Pride festivals and it has never been a problem, more of an amusement if anything. If the pics ever become an issue, I know I'll find a way to handle it- "my own time, never any reference to my company, etc." I know that it may someday happen. You live with the consequences of your actions.
Q:Doctor, how many autopsies have you performed on dead people? A: All my autopsies have been performed on dead people.
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| | | | | | 51. I wouldn't worry about someone from work seeing it | | | | by mrpoopyface | | | | at Fri 1 Nov 11:30am | score of 1 | | in reply to comment 43 | | | | | |
Eh, I wouldn't worry issues at work because by bringing it up to a higher-up, your coworker automatically admits to that same higher-up that he downloads a LOT of porn, because he's going to have to go through quite a bit to find your pics in the sea of what's out there, unless you have a video that manages to become especially famous and widespread like the unfortunate redhead mentioned upthread, but even then he'll still have to admit to some downloading.
We've got provisions, and lots of beer. The key word is survival on the new frontier. --Donald Fagen
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| | | | | | 44. Inevitable? | | | | by uncarved block | | | | at Thu 31 Oct 10:23am | score of 1 | | | | | | |
This seems like a natural end to several cultural trends that have been going on for decades. One is the saturation of videocameras: far from being exceptional (eg. those 50's home movies), many folks go to family events, work parties, etc fully expecting that someone there is likely to have a camera running. Apprehension over being filmed has been on a downward slide, and the popularity of 'reality' shows also indicate a taste for watching normal folks being filmed.
The other trend is the increased saturation of pornography into popular living. In some social circles, you're exceptional if you haven't seen porno at some point. As always, it's easier to do something you have seen than what you haven't. While only a small percent of porn observers may feel a desire to emulate it, if the pool of said observers is huge, the number of emulators will grow correspondingly.
While not explicitly stated, readers of Barthes' essay on the striptease could have predicted the popularity of 'amateur' porn. He noted that normal women performing in a professional manner returned a sexual element that was missing from the pros. The first wave of this was the resurgent popularity of 70's porn a couple years ago-- as one anonymous source put it, "It's nice to see natural breasts". Of course, those 70's flicks were still professional; they only 'felt' amateur in contrast to the movies of the 80's (and later, the 90's). These amateur films are a 'purer' form of what made the nostalgia kick in the first place.
Oh, and far from being some kind of journalistic exploitation or exaggeration, this article seems if anything a little behind the times. Case in point: there's an ad for a system (the brand eludes me) which burns tapes onto DVD, and the commercial ends with the man holding up a tape reading "private", or something similar. Now, how many complaints have you heard from social conservatives about this? None-- apparently the ad's assumption that "everybody's done this" doesn't warrant a challenge. I nearly fell out of my chair the first time I saw the spot . . .
Eschew Obfuscation Assiduously
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