I hope you’re ready to laugh, because this one’s a doozy… Only it’s not funny and cute like a cat video, or funny and sexy like a blowjob parody song. No, this is funny and sad like “People actually thought this was a good idea?”… It’s called Harmless, and it is an earnest attempt at “edutaining” the masses using my beloved horror genre to display the awfulness of porn.
Apparently having a box full of porn will cause overdone demonic child-women with long black hair to descend upon your family. Violet and Rye very clearly explained the hilarity of a box of porn being the porn method of choice in this film… Apparently it’s still 1996. I’ll have to go get my frosted nail polish!
While the attempt at horror in the trailer is just silly, the real scariness comes from the fact that this is a real attempt at denigrating porn and their Kickstarter was fully funded by like-minded people. While the content itself isn’t going to convince anyone, the message clearly has. I hope that more people vocally share their support of porn as a valuable (and not demon-summoning) tool for sexual self-discovery and for developing deeper connection in relationships. People need to think critically, and this is doing just the opposite.
So, what do you think? About the trailer, and about this issue in its entirety. Is porn harmless? Is the movie harmless? Is the movement behind the movie harmless? I always love sparking a good debate here… Or maybe we’ll all end up on the exact same side. ;)
Hmmm I wonder, has the religious right decided to get into the business of making “B movies”? A good write up Camille Crimson….
I believe, good, sex-positive porn, can make a positive impact in a relationship. I have tremendous respect for feminist porn… However I did come from a relationship, where my partner did rely too heavily on porn, etc & we’re taking about the main-stream, bad crappy porn & it did affect our relationship. However, his porn viewing was only a small symptom of the larger issues we had @ the time. Communication, trust, respect were all lacking in our relationship. His “porn viewing” was merely a symptom of greater issues.
Scare tactics gone overboard here? Lol! Its so bad, you’re past laughing….
I agree with you, Nurse. There are definitely lines which can be crossed, but that really is the case with everything, and it definitely speaks to a deeper issue at play. I think that more good, sex-positive porn with open dialogues about porn enjoyment and consumption will make all the difference in those types of situations.
Well I do agree with you on some points. But like so many things in life, nothing is neither black nor white. There is always a state of mixture of both. There is crap said about porn and there is crap in porn as well. Harmless ? In both cases, sometimes it is, and sometimes it’s not. It depends on oh so many parameters, people, money and power. Unfortunately.
but I simply love your view and your way of showing it
Thanks for this brighter side of porn
(PS: Personally, I have a hard time (yeah right lol) calling it, what you do, porn. Even though it is, it is at the same time so realistic and nicely done that it’s more like …. LIFE !
Aw, I completely agree, Vaudelaire. It’s never easy to make an issue black and white, which is why it’s so frustrating to see such reductive “all porn = evil” arguments, especially expressed in such a silly way. I’m glad to show a happy, shiny version of pornography, or whatever you call it.
Looks to me like the usual people preaching to the choir (though given the use of “occult” elements, maybe it’s not the same people who complain about Halloween being dangerous or Harry Potter teaching kids witchcraft).
For better or worse, I think there will always be people afraid of porn (and sex in general), and so there will always be anti-porn groups, and they’ll probably always be able to generate enough cash on Kickstarter for a project like this. But the audience will probably be limited to the already-sold or Z-movie horror fans who will watch it for a cheap laugh.
So I don’t think it will change the status quo in terms of people who see porn as a positive thing vs people who don’t. AV Club has pointed out that Kirk Cameron tried something similar with Fireproof (another Christian-funded feature film warning of the dangers of porn), and the impact on porn has been, let’s say, minimal.
I like the way you think of this, John. It’s quite reassuring to me. Not that I was actually concerned, but it’s always weird to see such support for something that feels so fringe. Sometimes I forget that I live in a porn-positive bubble, however expansive it is.
Shouldn’t the husband/dad be blind and have hairy palms? I mean, that’s what I was always told would happen if I gave into the desires associated with porn. Haha
YES! This should have been a myopic werewolf movie! What were they thinking?
“An American Werewolf in Sodom”?
Tag-line: ‘The moon isn’t the only thing full tonight…’
HAHAHA! I am almost crying here, Cal.
It’s interesting (to me at least) to think about porn in terms of sex-ed. I mean, clearly the people making this video are more concerned about the fate/morality of the children who discover the “box of porn” than they are about the parents who bought it. As I understand it, the idea is “porn is bad/evil/sinful/wrong/immoral,” and children should only be exposed to the concept of sex as a holy union strictly sanctioned for making more children. (i.e. no real sex-ed of any kind– no photos/images/explanations.)
But think what would happen if a kid– say, around age 13?– was exposed to a TAOB video as their first depiction of sex? They would learn that sex is something beautiful but real, passionate but respectful, an expression of relationship intimacy between caring people. Compare that to a 13-year-old stumbling across some hardcore site (or even a pop-up ad) with two random actors mechanically pounding each other and looking bored?
I realize I’m on dangerous ground here, and I’m not necessarily “advocating porn for children.” I’m not a parent, and have no idea how I would actually go about teaching sex-ed if I ever have kids. But porn is a fact of life that will never go away, and I would so much rather have my hypothetical kids exposed to TAOB than anything else!
Yeah, obviously for legal reasons, I am firmly committed to my site being 18+ only, but I feel like in general, if more people saw softer, more realistic and pleasure-based porn as an introduction to sexuality on film, things would be very different.
I am sitting here wondering why you posted this clip Camille.When the anti-porn groups inaccurately portray porn;when they show a woman being tied up and raped,and say,”this is porn”,you’d cry foul wouldn’t you?Then why do you show this nonsense?You portray anti-porn groups as loonies.When in fact,you know that porn can be trouble for some people and their families.It does have an additive quality and can ruin some relationships.Some people who dont like porn have a legitmate point.Not all of them are crazy right church fanatics.Some are sex teachers who dont like how too much porn can change the arousal circuitry in men’s brains.Should it be outlawed? No,but people need to be mindful of its influence and enjoy it recreationally and not as a must have.
Yes, but that is very different than making an earnest horror movie about how porn will haunt you forever. It’s not in any way a nuanced statement or argument at all. These aren’t sexuality educators… These are the loonies.
“Harmless” is so utterly inane that it defies mockery. Its that bad.
Ok, “Harmless” may be sanctimonious schlock but the notion that porn can undermine relationships is not groundless. Many women do not like porn and I honestly can’t blame them. Women in porn are generally treated like human sex dolls or, even worse, openly abused. Some women may object to porn for ethical or religious reasons. Other women may be very pro-sex but also anti- porn.
Far more men than women enjoy porn and therein lies the problem. If a woman in a relationship objects to porn but her man is an avid consumer, conflict is all but enviable. Imagine this conflict played out as scenes from a movie:
(Shock) “You’re a pervert!”
(Outrage) “You sexist pig!”
(Angrily or tearfully) “I’m not good enough for you?!”
(Materialistic) “The kids might see this…what kind of father are you?!”
(Betrayal) “You promised you would stop. You lied to me!”
All drama aside, these women have legitimate issues with their men for using porn. Porn itself is not necessarily evil, as “Harmless” would have us believe. But men who persist in using porn when their partners object can undermine the cornerstones of any lasting relationship: respect and trust.
I know what you mean. I think there needs to be a much more open dialogue about porn consumption in general because, while those feelings are valid, unpacking and addressing them would ultimately allow for emotionally safe enjoyment!
I think the worse thing a guy can do is be sneaky about his porn use. When he is eventually busted by his partner, she is apt associate porn with deception. It is often the cover-up and not the “crime” that does the most damage. As in life, honesty is always the best policy regarding porn.
Camille, I’m sure you know your work serves as excellent “Starter’s porn” for women. Its beautiful and what woman could not admire your fashion sense.
I agree. I think that we’ve created a culture of shame that is perpetuated by this kind of behaviour, so it really does work both ways. Open enjoyment of pornography certainly has the potential to open minds, and I would be tickled pink to be available in every porn starter kit! Such a thing should exist…
Camille, my brain tingles when I think of the huge number of men who would get more and better blowjobs by using your videos as an icebreaker.
BRAIN FLASH: You could produce a video for women and speak to them directly about the Art of Blowjob and the virtues of beautiful porn. In your own subtly convincing way, you could explain that blowjobs are not vulgar or degrading but are rather an act of mutual pleasure and of love. You are so elegant, so intelligent and so not “pornish” that your message would connect with women who would disdain conventional porn or “how to” videos.
My suggestion is only slightly in jest and its certainly tops “Camille the Ninja” and my rap ode to your butt.
Not a bad idea, but I do kind of loathe speaking on camera… I tried, but it really wasn’t me… Maybe an e-book?
Yes, an e-book then! Regardless of the medium, I think you are that very rare woman in porn who could actually appeal to women who don’t like porn (the boring/awful kind, i.e. 99% of it).
If public speaking is truly not “you” then I shall never suggest it again. Besides, who would want to change Camille Crimson?
Thanks! I tried with the Vlogs, but honestly, it took so much more time than writing and it still didn’t turn out like I wanted. I think my more introverted side comes out when I try to be more extroverted. I share in the ways that work for me.
Whether you are pro or anti-porn this movie is terrible. I think there are harmful messages in mainstream porn, and that porn can be somewhat addictive, but these movie doesn’t seem to be getting into that.
I suppose another way of interpreting it is that the woman in the wedding dress is actually the wife who was talking throughout. She put on a dress to represent her lost marriage and/or the general sanctity of marriage, then decided it was time to stab THE UNCLEAN, i.e. those who’ve been watching all that porn.
Actually, I think what it really is supposed to be is pro-sex dudes trying to mock prudes. They actually agree with Camille for the most part, and take great joy in making prudish conservatives look silly, all the while ignoring any possible nuance in favor of their irony.
I wish that last paragraph was the case… That would just be funny.