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Wednesday, November 22, 2006

SEX ESTATE SALE Winner: Antique “Soi-Meme” Enema Kit

filed under: Retrosexual by Melissa Gira | Leave a Comment

The winner of last week’s first retrosexual sex estate sale guessing game is Hyacinthe, with her winning vote for c) a French autoerotic enema administrator.

Now, since the opening of the contest, the eBay item in question had expired, but curiously, today I’ve found it reposted. That reluctant auction winner’s loss might just be your gain.

Of course, if antique enerma kits aren’t your thing (and honestly, this one is probably best purchased by a well-meaning donor to the Center for Sex and Culture’s collections), there’s always this unique, ultra-modern version:

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

More Sex & Robots: Seksu Roba’s “Inter-sexual Overdrive”

filed under: Design for Sex by Melissa Gira | 1 Comment

From the Japanese band who claims to have flashed on-air (with a theremin) on the Discovery Channel, a multilayered orgy of robotic future sex bliss:

(via Strange Ink)

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Where Are the Sex Vlogstars?

filed under: Erotic Elite by Melissa Gira | 1 Comment

The intimate nature of video doesn’t provoke me to spread and masturbate to tell my truth — goodness knows I have, and shyness has nothing to do with it. More so, I want to see more people exposing themselves, their experiences, their emotions, their nakedness that goes beyond just stripping. Undressing is easy. It’s what you do once you get there that matters, that provokes, that inspires.

In tribute to the sex blogosphere, here’s the beginning of a Sexerati Sex Directory, starting off with the best of sex culture & education in video podcasting (and go ahead, add your own show, or start with your secret sex vlogstar identity):

Seska’s Videoblog
Seska Lee is an amateur superstar, a total indie web pro, as well as a burlesque performer and a sex worker rights’ activist. You may remember her from her appearance on the very first (and much-missed) Kitkast.

GVTV
Feminist pioneers Good Vibrations have a new-ish Internet TV approach to demystifying sex toys with appearances by local (read: San Francisco) luminaries like Carol Queen demonstrating full-motion technique on the finest of silicone. Also: Woman on the Street-style interviews with tourists in at the cable car turnaround.

Science of Sex
With a title like that, I’m not going to not link it, but throw in some naughty professors talking about hip-to-waist ratios, and I’m subscribed forever.

YumFig
Promising smart start-up from a flamingly filthy guy sex educator. The p-spot instructional is priceless.

vaginavlog
An unfortunately one-off video blog project documenting a production of The Vagina Monologues in New York City.

(And the photo: flashing my duckies for Ze Frank at the Vloggies.)

Monday, November 20, 2006

tagged: “single nyc female graphicdesigner bottom brunette nsa hiv- hpv+”

filed under: Design for Sex by Melissa Gira | Leave a Comment

Regina Lynn’s Wired piece on the future of sexually transmitted infections, stigma, and the technology of notification systems…

SxCheck, which launched this month, is the latest contender in the movement to change how we think about STIs. It’s a joint project between Stanford graduate student Doug Wightman, 23, and the Adult Industry Medical Health Care Foundation, or AIM, offering the general public an STI testing service based on one the adult industry has developed over a decade.

Doug believes that by making STI testing routine, and the results easy to show to potential partners, SxCheck will have a profound impact on social behavior.

…points to the possibility of reducing shame by way of… tagging (?)…

Doug envisions us embedding HTML in our online dating profiles to share test results and the date of our last screening, and he’s already working on making results accessible (securely) by mobile phone. That makes information available when you need it, without the social awkwardness of carrying a lab slip folded up in your back pocket “just in case.”

…which opens up a lovely Pandora’s box of privacy and ethics quandries.

There’s already a few pilot notification projects in place around reporting results back anonymously to one’s partners (programs have been active in San Francisco and New York since the early part of this decade), which allow for public health to take precedence over fear, stigma, and shame, allowing us better disclosure through technology. This all seems like a sane, compassionate step towards the future of sex.

An alternate approach would be the sort of proactive, profile-based tagging system. Seeking our partners for adventure and then some online already forces us to articulate our desires with the tools available, to put our wishes into an interface we don’t really have a role in determining. To out yourself as a leather top on Alt.com, for example, takes far less initiative — just check the box — than on Consumating, where one has to own one’s tags for what they say.

Where there’s little room for sexual secrets in a mating game ruled by database queries, and there’s also a high potential for abuse in a system where anyone can tag anyone anything, applying one’s health and safety concerns to any IA is going to have emotionally significant drawbacks. The reality is, sexual health is more dynamic than who puts what where covered with what, and who was tested for what and how and how long ago.

So for the moment, I’ll just tag myself “nosexissafe.” Flexible, an opener for conversation, and yet still conveys the point.

Think of something better? Or want to join me? Comment with where you’re deploying your sex tags, and how, and who you get.

Monday, November 20, 2006

Blogging the Sex Classroom

filed under: State of Sex Ed by Melissa Gira | Leave a Comment

These human sexuality students at George Mason University are keeping a group blog “devoted to the thoughts, feelings, and insights” during their class experience together this Fall. With the semester nearly done, there’s lots to read back on.

Some favorite quotes, why not, to give us a little faith in the small revolutions in sex ed going on each day, somewhere in America:

From Mimi:

“So I REALLY had a great time doing the experiential activites. I ended up choosing a lot of the activites that allow you to discuss certain topics with your partner: like enhancing sexual enjoyment, birth control options, and how to be a better partner.”

From student A:

“From reading chapter 13 it is interesting to read about childhood sexuality. I learned that about childhood masturbation. I had no idea that is was so common and is very natural.”

From Miss Scion tC:

“One activity had me view myself in the mirror and in doijng this activity I relaized that I havea lot to improve on and that I do want to improve myself.”

Okay, so they could use some minor revolutions in spelling, too, but how heartening is the message.

I’d love to keep tabs on more sexuality education blogs. Links, please!

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