- In 2012 Louis Theroux took his cameras to Porn Valley and created one of the most misogynistic, warped, and utterly misleading video editorials I’d ever seen. Turns out, this was completely on-brand for Theroux, who describes himself as “puritanical” and went on-record supporting Britain’s disastrous internet porn restrictions. Looks like this time he’s gone after young sex workers, outing them and playing fast and loose with their consent, and the BBC is backing him up. (In this op-ed for Guardian, he depicts female porn performers as disease vectors for engaging in sex work.) “The BBC has issued a response after Louis Theroux’s forthcoming documentary Selling Sex came under fire from two of the people who took part in it.”
* BBC responds to allegations against Louis Theroux’s new documentary (DigitalSpy)
These are serious allegations @louistheroux & I believe her 100%. I know many sex workers & support groups who were approached for this film & refused because they knew it would be exploitative. They were all right to do so & now You have caused harm to vulnerable participants.
— Whores of Yore (@WhoresofYore) August 9, 2019
- “Nars is making headlines for a “sexually-explicit” marketing video, which depicts a lipstick melting into a penis shape. The marketing video, shared yesterday on Nars’ Instagram channel, features the caption: “When the nudes keep you up all night”.”
* Why beauty brands like Nars and Charlotte Tilbury are going X-rated (UK Style Yahoo)
- Marriott’s attacks on single female travelers and sex workers makes so much sense when this article reveals Marriott partnered with Polaris Project (Polaris got busted for making things up) to formulate this ICE-like program. “When the hotel behemoth Marriott International announced it was doing its part in the fight against sex trafficking by training more than 700,000 employees to spot the signs of potential trafficking in their guests earlier this year, the reaction wasn’t what the company expected.”
* Marriott Trained Over 600,000 Employees To Combat Sex Trafficking, Which Sex Workers Say Is Harmful (Refinery29)
- “Experts have warned New Zealanders not to consume “sexy pavement lichen” because it could be contaminated with toxins. The University of Otago lichenologist Dr Allison Knight dubbed a common species of local lichen “sexy pavement lichen” after discovering it was being promoted as a natural alternative to Viagra in online marketplaces, especially in China.”
* New Zealanders warned about the consumption of ‘sexy pavement lichen’ (Guardian)
- “Bella Thorne, who first rose to prominence as a Disney Channel star, has directed an adult film for Pornhub. “Her and Him” is described as an ethereal “Romeo and Juliet”-themed tale of two lovers wrestling between dominance and submission.”
* Bella Thorne to Make Directorial Debut for Pornhub With BDSM-Themed ‘Her and Him’ (Indiewire)
- “Yesterday, ex-porn star Mia Khalifa left millions of her followers speechless when she revealed in an interview with life coach Megan Abbott that during the entirety of her short-lived but incredibly high-profile career, she only made a paltry $12,000.”
* Mia Khalifa Saying She Made Only $12K Doing Porn Is Entirely Unsurprising (MEL Magazine)
- “A recent ruling by the California Supreme Court is causing a stir among adult business owners, including performers who have been discriminated against by the global banking system, raising hopes of relief — but misunderstandings may motivate merchants down a legal dead-end.”
* Calif. Supreme Court Ruling Causes Confusion for Adult Merchants (XBIZ)
- “Today’s round of judicial nominations by the Trump administration include a Missouri district court seat for Sarah Pitlyk, counsel for religious group the Thomas More Society, a non-profit law firm formed to protect the right of protesters to harass people outside abortion clinics. The Thomas More Society now offers legal support to zealots waging the “War on Porn.””
* Trump Picks Anti-Porn Activist for Missouri District Court (XBIZ)
- “Who is Maitland Ward? She’s one of the show’s season six stars, and what she’s doing now is so far from the wholesome qualities of Boy Meets World that we can feel Mr. Feeney blushing from here.”
* ‘Boy Meets World’ Actress Maitland Ward Finds New Career In Porn (YourTango)
- “Pornography producers and sellers account for the lion’s share of copyright-infringement lawsuits in the U.S. — and judges may have seen enough. The courts are cracking down on porn vendors that file thousands of lawsuits against people for downloading and trading racy films on home computers, using tactics a judge called a “high tech shakedown.” In one case, two men were jailed in a scheme that netted $6 million in settlements.”
* Judges May Be Reaching Limit with Copyright Profiteering by Pornography Sellers (Insurance Journal)
- “Berlin’s former Tempelhof airport has witnessed some major events in its time — it was a Nazi airfield during World War II, the site of the Berlin airlift during the Cold War, and most recently an emergency shelter for refugees fleeing Syria … The mayor of Berlin’s central Mitte district has proposed installing “Verichtungsboxen” — booths where prostitutes can meet clients — in the airport site, a bid to improve the safety of the city’s sex workers.”
* Drive-in sex booths proposed at historic airport (Mercury News)
- If anyone is wondering I LOVE HER. “… the difference between a vulva and a vagina … why women should not put garlic in their vaginas. A challenge on Instagram from a woman who shoots ping pong balls from her vagina. A peer-reviewed scientific article looking at over 5,000 pieces of Chinese art and archaeological collections for vaginal jade eggs…that found none. Besides the word “vagina,” what do all of these viral moments of the past year have in common? Dr. Jen Gunter, MD.”
* This New Book Answers Every Vagina Question You’re Scared to Google (InStyle)