an Unlikely Match

“The Girl Studies” is a comparative study of teenage girls and pre-op trans women by LA based artist and professor Charlie White. White’s photographs highlight the parallels of innocence and blossoming womanhood of both groups.

This project caught my eye because of the guilt-laden sexual atmosphere that typically surrounds teenage girls and trans women, which is hidden behind the purity of the shots. As cultural types, teenage girls and trans women are mysterious and possess a kind of sexuality that subverts the norm, at once intriguing the mainstream and making it uncomfortable. White’s photographs depict his subjects as people rather than sexual beings; though by removing sexuality from the foreground and replacing it with vulnerability and personhood, the viewer is forced to consider why we place this sort of weird sexualization upon trans women and teen girls.

White’s photographs are part of an exhibit at the Hammer Museum, which also includes a short 35 mm film and an animated film.

From Heather Buchanen’s blog at http://heatherfuture.blogspot.com/2009/05/vagina-mary.html

The Holey Mother!

Thanks to Penelope for sending me this

5 minute meals

Yes! That’s right! It’s a whole cookbook devoted to putting spunk in your food!

Paul Photenhauer (or “Fotie” as he affectionately calls himself) uses semen in his recipes to add a “complex and dynamic” taste to his dishes, and thinks that you should too! He’s starting a movement, dammit, a movement to stop semen from being neglected as a food!  After all, as he says in the introduction of his book, they eat rotten fish in Sweden and guinea pigs in Peru, so what’s wrong with a little cum omelette in the morning?

Well, Fotie, it’s because it requires you to either: 1) stockpile jizz in your freezer like some Clarice Starling nightmare or 2) jerk off into a hot oiled pan.

Since Fotie loves semen so much, we can only assume he has an equal hard on (wah wah) for its source, and doesn’t want to see any permanent damages, which is why his book is full of other things to jerk off into! Such as…

The “Creamy Cum Crepes”:

or…

The “Man Made Oysters”:

(yes, those are just oyster shells covered in semen)

Interestingly enough, Fotie (who is a nurse by profession) told Vice magazine that he would never write a cookbook featuring vaginal secretion. I guess it doesn’t go that well with a Riesling…

Lightinthebox goes for subtlety, innocence…

Comes up with this.

off the cuff on sexual assault

Usually the posts on this site are thought out, revised and highly edited. Not this one. This one is getting boiled right out because I am fucking upset and angry.

I’ve been lucky, I haven’t been sexually assaulted. I’ve never been dehumanized like that, I’ve never had my power taken away by someone else. Even luckier, no one I know has been assaulted or raped while I knew them. I’ve heard the survivor stories, but they’re told from a distance, after there was time to process and deal.

I never saw the raw emotion until today. A girl I know, who is about to move, told me that she was assaulted over the summer by a friend of mine while she was visiting him in New York. She asked me if I would be there when she talked to him about it, since its never been mentioned before now. That’s kind of a perverse little twist: since we all go to the same small school, she sees him all the time and has to pretend to be friends with him, deal with it when he hugs her hello.

That’s the other thing, the guy is a friend of mine, has been for a long time. i met him when we both visited the college we ended up going to as high school kids. When my boyfriend broke up with me 3 weeks before prom, he was my date. I was over at his house all the time over breaks and now he lives with me in…the feminist house on campus.

He’s a smart, funny, charming guy. He’s also selfish, arrogant, stubborn and drunk. A complex human being, not some Snidely Whiplash villian type that I always think of when i hear ‘rapist’ or ’sexual assault’.

When people talk about standing up to rape, fighting the good fight, the people you are fighting are regular people with friends and parents and redeeming qualities, and its even harder to condemn when it’s your friend.

Very rarely do i think of things as black and white, especially as far as moral decisions go. Usually, I would say that the situation should be judged and rules should not be rigid. Knowing that a friend and housemate of mine did one of the worst things you can do to a girl (or really anybody for that matter), has forced me to make a hard-line moral choice, a fucking Decision, about whether or not to keep him in my life.

The Relevancy of Feminism by Meredith

Feminism has a long history and has manifested itself in many different ways. Yet, the first wave suffragettes, the bra-burners, the rrriot girls and the by-choice homemakers are all united by the underlying desire for freedom and equality. It is the pursuance of these goals, more so than the label of ‘feminist’ that truly unites us as a legitimate movement. In essence, the ideas of feminism are not radical ones. Feminism is based on the belief that every human should be allowed to begin from the same starting point, and that whatever they accomplish in their lives is solely due to their personal merits and effort. We stand in opposition to the sweeping generalizations that pervade our society: ideas about the inherent weakness or incompetence of any category of people, or that a certain group is more worthy of promotion. These concepts are not radical, but common sense. Categories, which have content and implications beyond a simple label, are imposed on human beings as an easy means to organize society. The content of these categories is socially constructed and is not based on the actual characteristics of the individual. The individual, by belonging to a category is judged based on the implications of said category. Individual people are judged not on their own characteristics but on the characteristics of a category, which does not describe them on anything but a superficial level. Does that make sense? Is that logical? Feminists say no, and that is the core tenet of feminism as it manifests itself today.

We desire freedom. Freedom not in the anarchical sense, but in the sense of autonomy and the maximum amount of control over the course of our own lives as possible. It is in recognition of our own humanity that we consider it a right to be able to actualize ourselves as women, whatever our definition of ‘woman’ may be. To not have our identities constrained by an imposed ideal of set of rules. To be able to make the choices that allow our lives to be truly our own.

We desire equality. To be considered and counted as we are as people, not to be disregarded because of some preconceived, generalized idea of womanhood. To demand the best from society, to counter the ills that give mankind a bad name, to ask that humanity be, well, humane.

We cannot escape the gender framework, nor do I think we would want to. Gender is basic to our personal identities, and there is nothing wrong with that. What is wrong is when a major component of who we are is dictated to us by external forces. I would like to see our manifestation of feminism deny power to the preconceived ideas of what a ‘man’ or a ‘woman’ is and instead put our faith in ourselves: in our own bodies, thoughts, desires, and principles, and to the personal truths we find there. This is an appeal to the rationality of human beings, to see rigid social, racial, religious, gender and class categories for the dangerous and false concepts that they really are. I want to see us make our lives our own, on our terms this time.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers by Kat

From the Geek Corner:

The all-inclusive genre of speculative fiction (the technical term for science fiction and fantasy used only by the professionals and the hopelessly pretentious) is the Paris Hilton Vagina of the literary world. Nothing gets turned away by SF: it’s got elements of queer lit, adventure, romance, erotica, anything else you could possibly imagine. SF by its very definition breaks the rules of categorization, and this outlaw attitude within the genre allows for more experimentation than most other breeds of literature – sexual or otherwise.

Since most SF (other than the media darlings of the genre: Eragon, Harry Potter, and the like) is still fairly underground, writers have the opportunity to really delve into and explore more taboo topics without the fear of having publishing companies breathing down their necks. SF novels tend to serve any of these three purposes: they can be reflections of the sexual mores of our own society, they can experiment with sex as weird as they like, and they can be introductions to the kinkier side of sex for people who may not have had any other experience with it.

The Merro Tree, by Katie Waitman, is a perfect example, though sadly out of print. The main character, a humanoid alien, has a long-term relationship with another male alien, who is the equivalent of a large, sentient snake. The premise of this is of course to mirror our own society – although homosexual sex is not seen as necessarily bad, inter-species sex is illegal and immoral. The book has no explicit sex between the humanoid and the snake – the mechanics are mind-boggling – but there are enough soft-core examples to make it relevant, both with the snake and with a female jelly-alien. The comparison here isn’t with social acceptance of sex with amoebas and boa constrictors in our society, but rather with sexual acceptance in general. If you’re in love, Waitman says, or are bored, or just really want to have it off with a jelly-alien, you should be able to do so.

There are also books whose sex scenes are not meant to serve some high-handed academic purpose, but are in there just because the author felt like it. Neil Gaiman’s American Gods is one of these. In the second chapter of the book, the ancient queen of Sheba, here portrayed as a modern-day prostitute, swallows her john with her vagina.

He opens his eyes. … This is what he sees:

He is inside her to the chest, and as he stares at this in disbelief and wonder she rests both hands upon his shoulders and puts gentle pressure on his body. He slipslides further into her.

“How are you doing this to me?” he asks, or he thinks he asks, but perhaps it is only in his head.

“You’re doing it, honey,” she whispers. He feels the lips of her vulva tight around his upper chest and back, constricting and enveloping him. Neil Gaiman, American Gods, p. 30 American paperback

What is the significance of this? Well, for many people, it’s the first departure from vanilla sex in their young lives.
Yes –reading about someone being swallowed by a vagina can get you hot. It’s a big step for any preteen to make. The first fantasy book I purchased independently of my parents, at the age of ten, was a book called The Iron Dragon’s Daughter, which took on both tasks – the mirroring of society (in this case the problem of street kids and gangs) and including weird sex for the hell of it, of which there was a lot. In fact, this book was one of the first sexually explicit novels that I read, and my first exposure to fetishes and kink.

As more kids get into SF through Harry Potter, through Eragon, through Diana Wynne Jones and Ender’s Game, they’ll eventually stumble across the more obscure, boundary-pushing literature– engendering, perhaps, a greater tolerance for alternate sexualities, and, if nothing else, providing titillating masturbatory fantasies for geeky kids too young to fuck.

“Sextraterrestrial” by Andy Maloney, “Adventure!” by Kat B

Subscription by Craig Ruse

the old men and

the retards come

in the early mornings

to buy their

jerkoff magazines

while no one else

is around.

the old men try

to hide and stare

at the ground.

stacking their shame

between Guns and Ammo

and Sports Illustrated.

the retards come in

tired and smiling

from the night shift

at the grocery store.

they comment on the weather,

and politely ask

for a Hustler.

You’ll Never Have to Decide Between Groceries and Sex Toys Again by Meredith

The human brain is a wonderous thing. Evolving over the eons, it has become capable of seeing the possibility in the world around us and has produced a laundry list of achievements: the wheel, the Mona Lisa, space stations and velcro. We at Head have used this mental capacity to see the dirty, sexy potential of everyday household items. So here, brought to you by the complex human neurological system: a list of pervertables available at your local Discount Drugmart.

1.The Oral-B Cross Action Power Whitening toothbrush; $6.49

-This little number has a battery included, and its smooth tapered end makes it a good light vibrator and ideal for sticking up your butt.

2. Johnson and Johnson First Aid Hurt Free Wrap; $3.19

-Good for tying-up, because, as advertised, it sticks to itself and not to skin.

3. Hearos Deep Sleep System; $9.99

-Blocks out light and sound with complimentary earplugs-better than a blindfold for sensory deprivation.

4. Flents eye patch (black); $2.49

-Pirate role-playing?

Senor Pirate! I'll do anything to keep from walking the plank!

5. Drugmart baby wipes; $2.39

-Not exactly a sex toy (you were wondering how we were going to spin baby wipes, huh?), but good for keeping them clean. You don’t want harsh cleaning agents anywhere near your sex toys, for fairly obvious reasons.

6. flyswatter $.99

-Good for light smackin’ around. The Flyswatter packs a light sting and comes in exciting day-glo colors.

WHAP!

7. keyboard miniduster; $.99

-Another good light toy. Pair it with the Hearos blindfold and…tickle your partner to ecstasy.

8. paperclips; 2/$1.00

-These are on temporary display at the end of aisle 8 (back to school, anyone?). Wide, colored, and plastic, these make perfect light nipple clamps.

9. Hershey’s sugar-free chocolate syrup;     $2.99

-For the diabetics in the house! Use sparingly-a little chocolate syrup goes a long way.

10. ping pong paddle; $3.99

-A classic. Will leave your ass red.

11. National Gallery over the door hanger; $5.99

-This is perfect for dorm rooms. Hang it over a closet door and suspend your partner’s arms nice and tight over their head. Plus, no explanation needed when your mom comes to visit.

12. Alliance dog collar w/ buckle; $3.39

-Adjustable, so whether your partner has a springer spaniel or beagle-sized neck, you’ll be a’ight.

13. hardwood dowels; $.49

-These are those wooden sticks in a box in the Hardware section (we didn’t know they were called dowels either). Cheap and unassuming, they will hurt like hell, so be careful.

14. cotton rope; $8.99

-Another classic. Cotton is better than nylon because it won’t burn nearly as much. Try it with the over-the-door hanger.

15. birthday candles (jumbo spirals);     $.98

-Drip a little candle wax on your blindfolded partner for some variation in sensation. Just don’t start any fires, k?

From the Body Monologues: The Purple Strap-On

I have….a purple strap-on. I’m a heterosexual female, in a monogamous heterosexual relationship: we have dopey pet names for each other, and I was nervous before I met his parents. We have fights and we have make-up sex. We have what is known as a ‘normal relationship’. And I still have…a purple strap-on.
One time, the day after me and my boyfriend had first used it, I had left it out on the nightstand waiting to be washed (just to clarify for those of you who have never put anything up anyone’s butt before, it’s not like a mess of poop up there. That would just be gross). I left my door ajar to go get laundry or something, and when I came back in the room, my friend Alana was sitting in a chair just staring at it. She points, not taking her eyes off it, and says, ‘what the hell is that?’ Now, I know that’s not as bad as say, your grandma, finding your strap-on, but I’m from a white-bread middle American town where you learn that you should be embarrassed if you’re just having vanilla sex, let alone purple strap-on sex.
So, we went into the bathroom. I forget why, maybe someone had to pee, or maybe its because it’s a rule that all important conversations between girls have to happen in the bathroom. Either way, we were in the bathroom, and I was telling Alana about it in pretty graphic detail, when I hear a flush from one of the stalls behind me. I swear to God, I’d never seen a person get out of a bathroom so fast in my entire life. And, of course, after that, I ran into the girl everywhere. We never made eye contact.
After I was found out, word got around a little bit, and I found myself having to defend my sex life. I was back in Chicago with some of my buddies, drinking in somebody’s basement, and the purple strap-on came up. Some of my friends were genuinely disgusted. One of them even said to me “Dude, you know your boyfriend’s gay if he likes that stuff, right?”. My boyfriend’s not gay, and I don’t think it’s disgusting, but I found myself qualifying it by saying that it had felt…weird when I did it.
But you know what, it didn’t feel weird. It felt cool. It felt sexy. Knowing what it feels like to fuck someone, to have someone trust you enough with their body to do that to them made me feel closer to my boyfriend than I think I’d ever felt before.
My relationship may look normal, and my sex life may look abnormal, but I say there’s no such thing when it comes to sex and love. Putting socially constructed limitations like ‘normal’ on a relationship is a denial of your self as it is and it makes your relationship dishonest. All that matters is what’s really inside you and what honestly exists between two people, and it took me a long time to realize that I didn’t have to qualify what I felt. The fact that I felt it was justification enough. I like my purple strap-on, and I guess the only thing I have to say to people who think it’s weird is…suck my dick.