A few weeks ago I wrote a post where I recommended 5 wonderful pieces of internet that I felt had made me a smarter and/or happier person, or at least someone who’d be more interesting to talk to at a dinner party. You guys seemed to like it, so I’m doing it again. So, if you’re looking for a way to spend the precious final hours of this winter holiday, I suggest you watch, read and/or listen to the below:
1. Nick Broomfield’s Fetishes
Fetishes is a film made by the famous British documentarian, Nick Broomfield, in 1996. Personally, it was one of my first extensive introductions to BDSM. It was filmed at Pandora’s Box, the most elegant and infamous S&M parlor in New York, and it’s extremely informative–you will learn about everything from Domme/slave relationships, to rubber, to infantilism, to asphyxiation, to mummification–and it’s also beautifully shot, and incredibly funny. And it’s important to be informed about this stuff because duh, everyone is going to be talking about BDSM in 2015, aka the year of the 50 Shades movie! And lucky for you, the film is now fully available to watch on Youtube, yay!
2. The Happy Hooker
This is one of my fave books ever, obvi–it makes the perfect birthday gift for your slutty friends! It was written in 1971 by the amazing Xaviera Hollander. The book is Hollander’s memoir, and talks in amazing and hysterical detail about everything from her first sexual experiences, to becoming one of New York’s highest paid prostitutes, to eventually becoming the madam of New York’s most upscale brothel… until she was eventually deported from the USA on the grounds of “moral turpitude” (tragic). Hollander also wrote a famous advice column for Penthouse magazine called Call Me Madam, which ran for 30 years. The Happy Hooker is considered a landmark of sex-positive writing (my hero!). I suggest you run out and buy it now!
3. Radiolab’s “Patient Zero”
Most of you are probably familiar with the podcast Radiolab. I admittedly only started listening to it regularly a few months ago, but in my recent bing this episode was definitely my favorite. “Patient Zero” explores the single figure at the genesis of an outbreak–the person who sets it all in motion–by looking at some of the most iconic Patient Zeros of all time: Typhoid Mary, the genesis of the AIDS epidemic, the origins of the Ebola outbreak, and it also asks: who invented the high-five?
4. Camille Paglia interviewed by Bill Maher
Camille might be the most controversial feminist of all time, and some of her ideas are insane and kinda nonsensical, but I can’t help but love her. This interview she did in 1995 with Bill Maher on the show Politically Incorrect–about feminism, and many other things–is one of my favorites she’s ever done.
5. “Prey,” an essay by Kathleen Hale
This incredible essay is an upsetting but important read. In it, writer Kathleen Hale describes the incident of her college rape, the ensuing two-year-long rape trial, and how she went from prey to predator. Hers is an incredibly important story, especially now, in light of the current backlash against colleges for their continued mishandling of rape cases. You can read here essay HERE.
p.s. If you want to buy one of my lovely Slutever Vaj T-Shirts (featured on me in the Happy Hooker pic) you can still do so. Details on how to buy one HERE.
Thanks, this is interesting stuff!
I was looking for a movie like fetishes. Thank you!
Thank you so much for sharing.
You are fantastic.
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Just watched “Fetishes”. So fascinating and insightful! Thanks for putting me on this!