My Daughter, My Sister, My Mom— The Porn Star
Today, on my In Bed podcast, I've made a special hour and a half compilation of my most personal interviews and oral histories of women in the porn business.
The Bizarre Destiny of Linda Lovelace,
Peep Show Secrets with Carol Queen,
Masturbation Guru Betty Dodson on her insights into younger lovers,
How Candida Royalle went from "shut up, you're just a porn star," to the pioneer of women's erotica,
The Truth About Traci Lords,
How Tristan Taormino made the first Anal Sex movies with a Woman's Point of View,
Greta Christina on fisting, the nature of "extreme" porn, and why the porn industry gets nervous about just how far women's fantasies go.
Listen to an excerpt
Listen to the whole show: LINK$2 a show, for a year, why not? LINK
It starts with my memories of Linda Lovelace, whom I encountered in some of those "Only in LA" moments that define the 1970s for me. I witnessed her crowning stage moment at Cal Jam 1 on my first acid trip, in 10th grade...just for starters! The phenomenon of her career and my own early impressions of porn are inseparable. I recorded this before her untimely death.
Another personal history here is my memories of Traci Lords. I covered Traci as a Penthouse film critic, (and, bizarrely, appeared with her in the same movie, The Grafenberg Spot), before her revelations that she was working as an underage performer.
The other audio segments are frank interviews with my friends about their personal and professional lives in the sex business.
I've been sisters and colleagues with these women for many years... we don't put on an act, or dress up the facts. There's no politically-correct, cheerleading for porn—trying to make it cute for the mike. You may have never heard women talk about sex this way, and if you have, you're going to feel in very good company!
Don't forget, you can send your confidential questions and feedback about the show to susie@audible.com.
Photo Credit: Honey Lee Cottrell, 1984, Kathy Andrew's first leatherwork studio, for On Our Backs
hi ya susie....how ya doin....if any of you want to look back
i now run bluevanities.com and have one of the largest selections of vintage erotica dating back as early as 1915..up thru the late 70s and i am currently workin on a documentary on the 8mm history.I am also restoring many of the classics ..and will be interviewing as many folks as i possibly can find from that era ..if you or your friends can help i am looking for any people from those days who will speak to me on camera-- actors, directors, cameramen etc...thanks cass they can contact me at
cass@casspaley.com
Posted by: cass | July 15, 2008 at 01:29 PM
Cass, I can't believe you're going to advertise your site, and not say one word about all your own stories in this business! You know virtually all the women I interviewed here. Ladies and Gents, Cass has directed, written and worn every single hat you can imagine in the porn biz. He should write his own book. Maybe he has! Cass, please uncloak!
Posted by: susie Bright | July 15, 2008 at 03:58 PM
susie, you are toooo kind..a book huh??? i have enough trouble remembering to turn out the lights much less what i did waaaay back then...but i might ..right now tho...interviewing the men and women from my past, some i worked with some i have yet to meet is much more interesting and maybe i can share some of the interviews with you on your site..as i gather them...miss talkin with you ....cass
Posted by: cass | July 15, 2008 at 07:34 PM
Susie, this collection of interviews and voices in this podcast is excellent, a great introduction to sex positive/radical life. I plan on sharing with everyone I know. Fucking dynamite!
Posted by: Carrie | July 17, 2008 at 06:09 PM
I always love your posts, love the podcast, and all that. But what got me on this one was the mention of Cal Jam 1! It may not be acid, but it's definitely a flash back. I grew up in Ontario and remember the OMS and the Cal Jam's well. After Cal Jam II, a friend of mine scoured the parking lots for hours in his beat up '56 Ford P/U picking up aluminum cans to recycle and make some bucks. Unfortunately, the net haul didn't pay to replace the tire we trashed in the process!
Posted by: Scott | July 18, 2008 at 07:01 PM