We debated it for a while, since we've turned down interview requests before, for the sake of anonymity. However, we were led to believe that this story would shed a positive light on MakeLoveNotPorn.tv and we could spread the good word about our involvement in it and why we've taken part.
The interview was done in our apartment by a small team and we felt like we were respected, our anonymity kept in tact, mostly, and that they weren't out to shame us for our blog or videos.
We talked to the reporter for about a half hour. We covered a lot of ground, and we both felt like we made some really great points about the state of pornography, America's hypocrisy about sexuality and our culture's inability to discuss sexuality in a healthy way.
What remained was one pull quote.
Ah well, at least we gave it a go.
All in all, the piece sheds a fine light on the site and doesn't seem to be negative about what Cindy and the team at MLNP are trying to do, which is a positive. Also, Cindy's drinking a martini with the reporter in the Black Apartment, which is pretty fucking badass.
If you haven't yet, please go check out our videos on MakeLoveNotPorn RIGHT HERE.
Same here - I and the team were filmed at length a few months back and I was looking forward to a more in-depth piece on the nuances of MakeLoveNotPorn, the fact that this is a gender-equal movement (girls and women are as influenced by porn as boys and men); that the issue we're tackling is not porn, but the lack of an open, healthy dialogue around sex in the real world; that we're not just about 'making love' but any kind of sex as long as it's real; our revenue-sharing business model, based on my belief that the business model of the future is shared values + shared action = shared profit (financial and social) etc etc.
ReplyDeleteWe were also told this would be a standalone look at our journey and our business.
Clearly, Nightline decided to try and keep the post-NBA Finals/Jimmy Kimmel on a particularly high-viewing-figures night by sensationalizing an 'OMG Porn' segment. Oh well. I thought Violet & Rye came across brilliantly, and we've had a major spike in signups, rentals and lots of positive commentary, so all good regardless :)
Very well said, Cindy. As if we'd expect anything less! Thanks again for the opportunity, we're more than thrilled to help spread the word!
DeleteV+R
Although I would have loved to hear more from you in the Nightline segment, you came across really well.
ReplyDeleteI'm a woman who almost exclusively watches gay porn. I signed up on MLNP for Dale and Colby's video and then started poking around elsewhere on the site. I have to say, yours are the first straight videos I've really loved in quite a while. I'm completely blown away by how natural, uninhibited, and sexy they are. THANK YOU!
Oh, Natalie, that's so fucking awesome to hear! Thanks so much for trying one of our videos out, and we're thrilled you enjoyed yourself!
DeleteP.S. We also watched Dale and Colby's, and holy shit, right?
V+R
Nice piece. I think it's a great thing you're doing. I'm just jealous of the woman who interviewed you.
ReplyDeleteThanks Buddha!!! And yeah, she was a very nice woman to spend an evening with...
DeleteV+R
Wow. My wife and I had browsed MLNP one day after hearing the creator on Savage Love, and I remember noting the quality of your videos. I just saw your Dateline interview and I just found your blog and looked at some of your posts. You two are really inspiring. You really do show the health and fun of sex. You're both beautiful and sexy and you're inspiring us to go have sex now. So, thanks. Keep doing what you're doing.
ReplyDeleteOh man, that's just the fucking BEST. Thanks so much for the kind words, Justin, we're so happy that you and your wife are enjoying our work! Enjoy the sex!!!
DeleteV+R
You guys are lovely, beautiful, inspiring and total rock stars!
ReplyDeleteYes, yes, yes and YES! Thanks Ella!
DeleteV+R
Late to the party once again. I finally, FINALLY, found a moment when I could sit down and watch the video in this post.
ReplyDeleteOk. Man. So much to say. So little brain thinkings organizationing.
As I mentioned in a previous post, I shaped a lot of my own sexuality from the music that I was listening to at the time. Raw. Earthy. Powerful. My parents had absolutely nothing to say to me on the subject of sex (other than my father, who said "don't get pregnant"). I consider myself so damn lucky to have had the opportunity to shape my own sexual identity, rather than having had it foisted upon me by circumstance, abuse, rape, porn, etc, although honestly, some guidance from someone would have been good. Thank GOD it wasn't my fucked up parents.
By the way, "don't get pregnant" sent me down the wonderful path of fucking girls for a few years, until I discovered the joys of cock, and finally had to come to grips with my own heterosexuality in college. Heh. Thanks, Dad. (guess he did have a little bit of influence on my sexual identity, however unintended)
Yeah, still can't find people in real life to have actual conversations about sex with, other than my husband. Most people are shocked. I mean, this of course may be related to the fact that I'm exceedingly eccentric (well, intellectually, anyway), but having found a group of friends that are as eccentric as I am (and as a bonus, we've all seen each other naked now, thank you Spa Castle), I still find that there's this streak of rampant puritanism that runs through so many people that just prevents the open discussion of sex and anything sexuality-related.
FUCK.
I mean, here is a sampling of topics that would have been awesome if I could have found ANYONE to discuss them with intelligently over the past year: sexuality & motherhood, sex as you get older, married sex, sexual chocolate (just seeing if you're paying attention. hi!), sex after you've had cancer, sex when you feel like your body is betraying you (see cancer), and sex and body image.
I've also found that it is difficult to have conversations with many people about sex, even if they initiate it, without them thinking that you're hitting on them. or vice versa. Hard, I say. No pun intended. Ok, maybe a little pun intended.
So yes. I love the idea of MLNP.tv, and I am a member, but I haven't actually watched anything yet because I am utterly uninterested in watching people have sex on video (everybody's got a kink, yo). I probably should watch something, just to support the site, but again, time. Le sigh.
I love the fact that y'all, and Ms. Gallop in her fancy black apartment are talking about these things, and making the "explicit" explicit, because there just isn't enough talk about it yet.
And, can we speed this shit up? My kid is 7. I want her to be able to have decent conversations about this stuff by the time she really starts to ask some questions, so I'm thinking we've got about five years before she starts asking/talking about sex outside the family. Five years isn't too much time to create a sea change in cultural attitudes, right?
how, you ask, do I deal with talking about sex with my kid? No lying. No evasion. Answer questions as honestly and directly as possible as they come up. Have some pointed conversations about birth control, masturbation, porn, sex, etc, in a few years, as these things start to make appearances in her life.
Fortunately, I've got two philosophy degrees and a shitload of feminist theory under my belt for backup.
Hey Virginia, sorry for the late reply! We thought we answered this, and just out that we hadn't, so apologies to you for that! As a first aside, HOORAY for Spa Castle! Also the reason for having seen our friends naked, with all their wonderful, different, shapely, beautiful, hot bodies.
DeleteWe've discovered in our own groups, that as we tell more and more of our friends circle about what we do, the more open our discussions about sex become. In almost every case, the people we tell are surprised, supportive and relieved that they can finally talk about some of this stuff with someone. The assumption always sways toward conservatism, yet in one-on-one scenarios, we've discovered more often than not that people are DYING to express themselves about sex. We spend so much time thinking about it, watching it, masturbating, having sex, and yet such little time expressing ourselves about it except for with our partners. Which is good and all, but seriously, let's spread it out a bit and talk about such a major part of our lives with people we spend time with already.
And good for you with the child sex talk, it's so crucial to be open, honest and real about it. The fact that people think otherwise further demonstrates the illness seeping into our culture.
Oh, and sexual chocolate (we did pay attention)!
V+R