Saturday, June 1, 2013
It’s Masturbation Month! Corset Magazine and Lovehoney want you to celebrate.
We’re giving away one Sqweel 2 Oral Sex Simulator to one lucky reader who is ready to take their self-pleasure to the next level!
To win, leave us a comment below or on our Facebook Page with your most creative fantasy for how you’d use the Sqweel 2!
Do you need any inspiration? Let its fantastic form seep into your thoughts. The case’s sleek design makes for a travel-friendly item. Maybe you could be tempted to write about where you’d be taking this with you or what you’d be doing at that very moment, when it suddenly arrives at your doorstep. And if you take a look at those tongues- well, what do you think those tongues can do to you? Those are just a couple of things that should make you think…
Corset Magazine Editors will pick the most erotic, imaginative story, and announce the lucky reader, Wednesday, May 22!
Get to writing and good luck!
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but Lovehoney’s Tease Me will never hurt me. It only makes me feel good.”
Lovehoney has done it again with their Tease Me Heart Crop. Due to the fact that I have never used one, I was quite surprised by how much I actually enjoyed using this with my partner. As we all know, a good stiff hand always does the job of smacking ass, but a hand can be unpredictable. The Tease Me Heart Crop is flexible, heart-shaped and, when used properly, leaves a beautiful print on your bottom instead of the print of a hand. Just like most of Lovehoney’s products, this one is well made with a leather wrist strap, strong handle, long shaft, and double sided satin.
Pros – Great for horseplay when your partner is riding you. Easy to use. Easy to grip. Brings a bit of theatrics into the bedroom.
Cons - Not easy to store. This is one of those items that makes you think, “Where to store it?” It’s not a “throw it in the drawer” type of product.
Overall, Lovehoney’s Tease Me Heart Crop is a Must Have for all your kinky pleasures. If you don’t have this in your toy chest, you’re missing out. I highly recommend it.
First generation-born American Bajan and Boston-raised woman Essence Revealed is both excited and honored to have been selected as one of only twenty burlesque performers to compete at the 2013 Milan Burlesque Awards. Corset Magazine is honored to feature her writings and hopes to help her get to Milan. Read, take in, and be inspired by Essence’s words about why she does burlesque!
It was my first year as an acting major. I thought it would be like recess at Fame. I imagined dancing with wild abandon, being dramatic for no reason and celebrations in the halls. I was looking for Leroy and everything. We were at college studying Thee-ay-tah, after all, Darling. Instead, I found myself as one of only a few people of color at the orientation activities. I was so happy to find the student of color groups on campus. One of the first conversations I ever had with them keeps coming up even to this day, and by now I’ve had this conversation too many times to count it: “Does an artist of color have a responsibility to create work that always speaks socially and/or politically to the Black experience?”
Since starting to do burlesque, the discussion has come to also include debates on whether or not doing burlesque translates into power versus objectification. Often, I am asked to comment about this specifically from a woman of color lens. A recent interviewer’s editor wanted “specific examples” of how burlesque becomes an agency of power because “these industries can be notoriously exploitive.” The first thought that popped into my head after this was “How does burlesque exploit anyone?” I’ve never heard of a pimp checking one of his performers for being slow about the hours she spent making and bedazzling her costume. Unfortunately, few performers depend solely on burlesque to pay all their bills. I may be wrong, but I’ve never heard of sex trafficking rings curating burlesque shows where they force women to spend several hours and money to create acts. I’m reminded by someone that “lay people” tend to clump things together. Perhaps this person was thinking about strip club stripping? Alright, fair enough, I suppose.
Photo Credit: Frederick V. Nielsen – http://featherrock.smugmug.com
However, I find both of these conversations to be moot. The former I find moot because there is no one singular, universal “Black Experience.” Therefore, the work I create or the statements I make are going to come from my particular life. Any piece of art I create is coming from a Black woman’s view. Even if I create a piece of art that is not about anything specific to THE Black Experience, it is from a brown gaze- by virtue of me being the creator. However, it is one Black experience. The latter discussion needs no “specific example.” In our society, any woman who chooses to have agency over her own body and sexuality is automatically taking a position of power.
There will always be people who want to argue that, no matter what the scenario, naked or scantily-clad women equate to objectification, period. Anything brazen in the realm of women and sex will be used by other people who will say it supports sex trafficking. I can never have a conversation about consensual sex work without someone putting trafficking into the conversation. Sex trafficking is HORRIBLE. I know no one involved in any aspect of sexuality education or work that does not agree with that fact. It just happens to have nothing to do with sex work as a choice. Burlesque is also a choice that has nothing to do with either of those things.
Photo Credit: http://photobystaciejoy.com
Like all of us, my particular spirit has many labels that can be attached to its human package. I am a big sister, eldest child, the cool aunty (Ok, so they’re only 3 and 1 now but when they get older, I will be crowned the cool aunty!!!), part of the LGBTQ community, first of the first generation-born in America, partner, woman, best friend, artist, etc. Yet, I am never asked for proof around many of these labels. Typically, the request for “proof” is from someone wanting to keep their assumptions safe and sound. It is easier for some people to snuggle tight with their negative opinions of industries they have never been on the inside of. I often wonder, too, if my non-people-of-color artist friends discuss the need to represent their race in “proper” ways. Do they feel the need to always make a specific socio-political statement about their experience as such? A wiser, older, sister friend once asked me why I felt the need to represent the entire race (because I can’t) or “prove” myself to others. She said to me: “No one is trying to prove themselves to us.” Aha moment number eight million with this wise lady!
Photo Credit: http://TonySavino.com
Every time I step even a pinky toe on any stage to take my clothes off, it is a statement of power. Every time that pinky toe hits the stage, the audience will see something from a Black experience: my Black experience. I released the pressure to mandatorily make statements. Yet, statements are made and power is owned. Just as I don’t feel the need to prove specifically how I am the cool aunty (ahem, I mean, will be), I don’t feel the need to prove any label. I created a burlesque act that is homage to women reveling proudly in their own sexual energy. No one has ever asked me to prove what the piece is about. Unless I told them, many won’t even know, but I think they will feel it anyway. I am so humbled and honored to have it chosen to compete in the 2013 Milan Burlesque Festival. I hope to have myself, all I represent and my particular brand of sexual bravado all up on that Italian stage in full force.
(Featured Photo Credit: www.emmafreemanphotography.com)
Essence Revealed received her BFA and MA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and Steinhardt School of Education, respectively. Her writing has appeared in publications such as $pread Magazine, BurlesqueBible.com, and 21st Century Burlesque. She’s been published in two anthologies, Pros(e) and Johns, Marks, Tricks, & Chicken Hawks. She performs and teaches nationally and internationally both solo and as a member of Brown Girls Burlesque.
Help Essence get to the Milan Burlesque Awards by supporting her on Indiegogo!
At the Federal Bar in North Hollywood, CA this Friday evening, Luscious Maven Pole Dance Studio is going to be presenting their showcase, ‘Wild Things’, – a Springtime theme with ‘a little extra added spin’ and ‘a tribute to all things free and uninhibited, from nature to animals to the ritual of dance.’ Founder and studio owner Heather West gave Corset Magazine a few sneak preview-worthy details that will be sure to pique your interest and excite you to come check them out!
Luscious Maven owner Heather West’s inspirations for show themes are many. In the past, as an exotic dancer within gentlemen’s clubs, she’s seen amazing women performing on stage, with little else other than staging and lighting. Of those performances, she said, “There’s no real production value.” She seeks to change that with her studio, nearly four years old and located in North Hollywood. Her admiration for Crazy Horse, Paris, and the Moulin Rouge is a big contribution to her visions. “I thought, what if you could take the best of the best of each performer and actually create a production on more on that level?”
The outcome? A showcase such as ‘Wild Things’! “It’s sexy, it’s sensual, it turns people on, but it has a real production aesthetic to it. It has a vision and an intent.” Heather tells us, “The audience is really going to be delightfully surprised at the level of creativity and how sexy the performances are. They’re not sexy in the traditional way – people really pushed the envelope with these performances.”
The pictures here only give a glimpse of what is in store! In addition to the performances, the audience is encouraged to become a part of the theme. “We encourage our audience members to dress in the ‘Wild Things’ theme. Our performers often tease, touch, flirt and play with the audience.” Heather revealed, “We also have a dance contest for our audience members during intermission.” Having the performance at the Federal Bar certainly will add another dimension. “It’s guaranteed to be a sexy dinner theatre experience perfect for singles, couples and groups of friends.”
Every theme is given as an artistic direction by Heather. Then individual performers develop his or her own interpretation of the theme. Not all performers in the show are from her studio, either, so those hopeful for an opportunity to perform do not have to be students from Luscious Maven. Heather and her team look for specific things about each performer. “The most important elements for dancers in each showcase are personal style, creativity, and stage presence.” The audition process for all hopeful performers always include these six items:
“1. Strong and clean execution of the movement for your level
2. A complete performance idea: A great song and a story or character that is inspired by your selected music.
3. A costume that ties in with your theme and music.
4. Flow, connection and musicality
5. Stage Presence and Follow Through
6. Personal Style – bring an element, a surprise, a story, a look that reflects your personal style.
7. A performance that fits with the theme of the show, Wild Things.”
“I think people are going to be jaw-dropped by what they’re about to see on stage- not just the skill level, but the storytelling, the evocativeness of the performers, the level of emotion. We are bringing a smart, sassy, sophisticated, and sensual world of fun to L.A. nightlife.”
“Wild Things Pole and Burlesque Showcase” will be on April 12th at the Federal Bar, 5303 Lankershim Boulevard, North Hollywood. For more information and to buy your tickets, click here. The show is for adults ages 21 and over.
Luscious Maven Pole Dance Studio is located at 11135 Weddington St. #113, North Hollywood, CA, 91601.
As part of their growing Sexecology movement, Beth Stephens decided that it was important to create a documentary about a place that shaped her life. From this came Goodbye Gauley Mountain: An Ecosexual Love Story.
The film was produced and directed by Beth Stephens with Annie Sprinkle, detailing Beth’s family history in the coal mines, the couple’s visits, and eventually, getting married to the Appalachian Mountains.
Gauley Mountain is named after the Gauls who settled there. (Gaul is another term for the French.) However, the Appalachian region was settled by people from different places, apart from France. Coal mining was the major reason for the region’s growth. Beth was born in 1960, a time when there was still a lot of racism. “I was conceived in the coal fields. I wish I were kidding. I grew up in the middle of mining.”
“There’s so many people that came in to work in the mines. They came from all over the world. I grew up in a super multicultural environment, which became whiter in my lifetime. The mining and labor has been eradicated by machines. But when I was growing up, there were all kinds of people there. My doctor was Mexican. There were Italians, and Jewish people in the neighborhood, and there were Black neighborhoods.”
“I lived in Boston, I lived in New York, and I lived out here (San Francisco). I never lived anywhere where there was as many people of color living in such close proximity to me as in West Virginia. It’s so interesting because Appalachia is always stereotyped as being this crazy White haven of crazed Rednecks. The stereotypes continue to make that area vulnerable as a sacrifice for energy production.” 
Goodbye Gauley Mountain will be a part of their Ecosexual Film Festival, set to be shown in France and England this year. The film festival will also be part of the 1st International Ecosex Symposium, which will be in Spain, England and France. For those in the United States that are interested and cannot make it to the film festival, there will be a sneak preview of Goodbye Gauley Mountain over at the Center for Sex and Culture in San Francisco on March 30th. Tickets are priced at $15.00 each.
To see the trailer, go to www.goodbyegauleymountain.org
For details about the 1st international Ecosex Symposium, go to www.ecosexlab.org
For more about Beth and Annie’s ecosex projects, see www.sexecology.org
Barbara Carrellas wants to help everyone expand their sexual experiences and lives! Through her experiences in healing and spirituality, she has successfully developed Urban Tantra® – an approach to sacred sex that is both down-to-earth and humorous. In addition, she is an educator, life coach, and an author of three published books. Take some time and get to know her!
1) What initially brought you to start your path on working in conscious sexuality and metaphysics in the 1980s?
The AIDS crisis. I made my living in the Broadway theater, so I knew a particularly large number of gay men. By the mid-1980′s these gay men were either sick, waiting to get sick, or dying.
It was very bleak. Some weeks I lost up to four friends, colleagues, or family to AIDS. We would be sitting in a hospital room with one sick friend, only to get word that someone across town had just passed away. We couldn’t mourn people properly. A good friend faced with a similar case of despair suggested I go to New York Healing Circle, a support group for people with AIDS and the people who loved them. The Healing Circle had been founded on the principles of Louise Hay‘s Hayride in Los Angeles-a group which attracted hundreds of people a week. I went to the Healing Circle with the questions we all have in times of tragedy: Why is this happening to us? What’s the meaning of all this? If there really is a God how could they let this happen to us?
Within the first few meetings I began to feel stronger. The enormous amount of love and acceptance in the Healing Circle seemed to transform all my grief and considerable bitterness into something more useful. I realized I had a new question that now seemed more to important than the ones that brought me to the Circle. What are we going to do about sex? Gay men had been the sexual adventurers of the 20th century and the decade following the birth of the gay liberation movement in 1969 had seen a sexual revolution not just in the gay community but in the entire country. What were we going to do about sex now that sex equaled death instead of liberation?
At the Healing Circle, I met Annie Sprinkle and Joseph Kramer. Annie was a porn star about to turn into a major performance artist. Annie was losing as many loved ones in her line of work as I was in mine. Joseph was a former Jesuit priest and an extraordinarily hot gay man. We discovered that all three of us shared a passion for finding the answers to this single question. Joseph had already begun experimenting with Taoist sexuality. Annie and I started studying Tantra. These Eastern philosophies looked at sex more as an energy we allow to move through us, rather than an action we perform. All three of us were looking for a way to have a hot time, completely safe sex, and include the spiritual component that was so vital to us at the Healing Circle.
2) When and how did you know that a path of working in sexuality with people was right for you?
I had studied metaphysics with Louise Hay and she and I had become good friends. One day Louise Hay asked my friend Daniel Peralta and I to be the guest facilitators at her AIDS support group, the Hayride in Los Angeles. Daniel and I decided that the topic of this week’s Hayride would be sex. The room exploded with emotion! Despite all the work these gay men had done to learn to love themselves, the topic of sex brought up enormous amounts of grief and shame and anger. It was incredibly intense and extremely challenging to facilitate. It was also one of the most astounding hours of group healing I had ever witnessed. After that Hayride, Louise walked up to me and said, “Well, I guess we all know what work you’re supposed to be doing.” It was pretty obvious that sex, spirituality and healing was my calling.
3) What were your inspirations on coming up with URBAN TANTRA®?
I had several reasons for creating the concept of Urban Tantra®, which was the basis for my book, Urban Tantra: Sacred Sex for the Twenty-first Century.
First and foremost, Urban Tantra is the the Tantra book I always wanted to read but could never find. There was nothing out there at the time that embraced and spoke to LGBTQIAA people, kinky people, people of color, disabled people-anyone who wasn’t white, heterosexual and middle-class. I wanted a Tantric practice and a Tantra book where everyone could find themselves represented. I also wanted to write a book that went beyond partner sex. I wanted to show people how solo Tantra (and sex) and group Tantra (and sex) was as acceptable and natural as partner Tantra.
I also wanted to provide a counterbalance to the sexual reductionism that was (and is) so prevalent in society. Our culture tries to make sex as small and narrow as possible. The best example of this was Bill Clinton’s statement in the 1990′s when he was asked if he’d had sex with Monica Lewinsky. “I did not have sex with that woman!” -as though a blow job was not sex. I am a sexual expansionist. I say let’s make everything sex. Let’s delight in our gigglegasms, angergasms and crygasms. Let’s learn how to make love with and in all aspects of our lives.
Finally, I wrote Urban Tantra so I could find more like-minded playmates. It worked. 
4) Through your observations, what types of people have benefited the most from URBAN TANTRA?
Urban Tantra appeals to everyone who likes a plain-spoken, down-to-earth, humorous approach to sacred sex. It appeals to every person who has ever expressed a desire for the “something more” that they know is available through their sexuality. It’s perfect for people who are curious about Tantra as well as those who are more experienced. It’s for everyone who believes (or wants to believe) that sex is fun and pleasure is good for you.
5) Do you have any personal recommendations to give to an individual who is just discovering your works?
1. Breathe. Breathe more, fuller, deeper, longer. Breathe before sex, during sex and after sex. Breathe like your pleasure, your life and your imagination depend upon it. They do.
2. Practice orgasm. That’s right, practice orgasm. With yourself, with a partner, with multiple partners, with toys, with nature. Go on a safari to discover how many different kinds of wild and wonderful orgasms you can have. Each one will open up new neural pathways in your body making new kinds of ecstatic experiences possible.
3. Medibate. Combine breath and orgasm and meditation into medibation. Meditate daily.
Barbara’s photo was taken by Barbara Nitke.
Barbara Carellas has also authored two other books, Ecstasy is Necessary and Luxurious Loving, works written and published to show how readers can become more ecstatic with themselves and to make love and sex more erotic and sensual for the fast-paced couples out there.
Visit her website for updates, news, information, and more!
First, let me start by saying this: Spicy Subscriptions is to die for! From the moment I received it in the mail, I was truly impressed. Not only is their packaging supreme, but the products I sampled are unique.
Spicy Subscriptions comes to you in high-grade black box, which doesn’t have a chance to get crushed during shipping. That is a huge perk. When I opened the box, to my surprise I received six products, with two of them full-sized. What I enjoyed about these products was that they were all brands new to me. In my opinion, that is a change, because most subscription boxes have popular brands everyone has heard of before. So, it was refreshing to try different products.
Here is a list of the items I received in my box and why I loved them so much:
- Dona Jo Massage Candle- I have tried a few massage candles. My partner actually likes them as well. However, this was the first candle that we both agreed on the scent. I received an Aai-scented candle and once I opened the tin the aroma was heavenly. Once the candle was lit the scent lingered in the air and set a sensual mood. Since the oil is natural and paraben-free, my partner’s sensitive skin was not irritated. I highly recommend this candle and I will purchase more.
- Jo Hybrid Personal Lubricant- This was a silicone- and water-based lubricant. Unfortunately, there was nothing new about this lubricant, but it worked well and I didn’t experience any irritation. It’s a good product to have in your love arsenal.
- PipeDream Mini-Mals Stimulator- Besides the pretty packaging, this cute little massager was an absolute blast. Not only is it waterproof, but you can fit it in your purse or pocket. It has little ears on the top of the massager- reminiscent of a Rabbit. One of the best features is how quiet this massager is. My personal recommendation is to purchase it if you have never used a waterproof product. You will not be disappointed.
- Pink Indulgence- This lubricant sample was a favorite in the box. Its a silicone-based lubricant infused with vitamin e and aloe vera. It’s geared towards women and I understand why. Unfortunately, if you are allergic to silicone, you cannot give this a whirl. However, if you want something a bit thicker in consistency, purchase Pink!
- Aloe Cadabra Peppermint Tingle- I must say this was pretty impressive. I used this lubricant on my partner and he was quite surprised. Once you put it on an area, you can breathe on it and increase the tingling and cooling sensations. This is a great product. I love the name.
- Masque Sensual Flavored Gel Strips- Gel strips for oral sex are pure genius! This is my first time trying this product, but it I will purchase this again. The strips come in little packets, just like breath freshener strips. The strip’s flavor coats your tongue with a taste that can block flavors created during oral sex, but the strip’s flavor doesn’t overpower your tongue.
Overall, this has been my favorite adult subscription box. The branding and its contents are very impressive. I highly recommend everyone purchasing it as a gift for someone or for themselves! Learn more about Spicy Subscriptions by clicking here.
Ms. M. is quite the lady. Besides being a sex therapist and an advice columnist for New York City’s Museum of Sex, she also happens to be an artist and a musician. With CORSET she shares details about her ideas for sex topics, writing, music, and the ideal sex education curriculum!
1) What is your creative process for writing for your Museum of Sex column?
The creative process really stems from two things: trends I see in e-mails I receive, and what is happening socially, politically, and culturally in society. For example, one column consisted of all questions from teens. I wanted to shed light on the fact that parents and schools are neglecting to educate children properly about sex. Another article I wrote, America’s War On Humanity and The Spiritual Side of Sex, was in response to the Sandra Fluke ordeal and the awful all-male panel that spoke at the Congressional contraceptives hearing last February. In general, I try to access the needs of society, and address those needs accordingly.
2) Do you have any favorite topics or issues to write about either on your blog or column?
Yes. Sex and relationships—they go hand in hand (no pun intended). You don’t have a great sex life without great relationships, and the first great relationship has to be with yourself. On my personal blog, I like to write about food, women’s issues, music, fashion, people, and give relationship advice outside of the sexual realm.
I’d also like to address how we teach sex education in the world, and more specifically, how women learn about their bodies, sexualities, self-love, and pleasure. If we can teach better ideas from a younger age, it would make a big difference in society. There is no reason America should have the highest teen pregnancy rate of any developed country, but we do. We need to readdress how we educate ourselves and our children about sex. For example, I don’t think young girls should even attempt to lose their virginity until they have learned how to make themselves orgasm first, or until their partners can get them off with their mouths or fingers first. What’s the point in risking pregnancy or an STD just to get him off? And don’t even get me started with what a joke abstinence-only sex ed is!
Women need to step their game up and not be afraid to admit they didn’t orgasm; they need to stop faking it and having sex to get a man or keep a man; they should have sex for their own pleasure and joy. Men need to learn how to last longer and learn how to listen to their partner’s body better. Both sexes need more self-awareness, empathy, and a deeper sense of connection and understanding.
Being a professional musician as well, I really love sharing new music along with new artists whose work addresses and revolves sexual topics.
Internal clitoris sketch from Ms. M.
3) How would your ideal sex-ed curriculum look like and start out?
Sex education and relationship education must go hand in hand. Teaching relationship education and what constitutes a healthy relationship first is key. From ages five to seven, we can begin discussing what makes a good friend and what makes a bad friend. We can discuss self-esteem and help children to identify experiences with friends that make them feel good or bad about themselves. We can begin to subtly teach the ideas of empathy, altruism, awareness, and compassion, which is a great foundation for further understanding of human intimate connection at a later age.
As far as sex education, we must first educate parents and teachers on how to identify when a child is ready or has a need to sit in an elective workshop or class. So many parents push the responsibility of sex ed on school and teachers, but it has to be a combined collective effort. If you’re a parent and you can’t facilitate an honest open conversation about sex comfortably, then how will you expect your children to broach other serious topics with you comfortably?
The reason I say we need to be able to recognize and identify the needs of children is because no two children are alike. Some children may need or be ready for sex ed when they’re seven or eight, yet some not until they’re eleven. There are so many variables in children’s lives that would illicit curiosities, questions, and, hopefully, discussions: the child who has been abused; the child with gay or lesbian relatives or parents; the child who sees mom bring a different man into her bedroom every night; the child who witnesses domestic violence; the child with one or two co-dependent parents; the child who uses their iPad to google “penis” and giggle with friends. The general rule of thumb is that if they’re old enough to ask about it, they’re old enough to have a discussion about it. Of course, there are age-appropriate ways of explaining things and the honest answer is always the best answer—not, “The stork brings the baby … ”
The last thing I would say on this topic is that we must get over our fears and talk to children about these things. We don’t want the core of their sex education, nor their first notions or ideas of sex, to come from hardcore pornography they see on the internet. The age of children looking at this stuff gets younger every year. It’s imperative we not neglect our children, and teach them that a lot of what see on the internet is not what real world love, sex, or connection is. The sooner adults get over their fears and hang-ups, the sooner we raise a generation of relationship-conscious, aware, intelligent beings.
4) Musically, what are you working on right now? Who is the latest artist you’ve been listening to?
Currently, I am a freelance composer scoring for t.v., commercials, and documentaries. I have my M.M. in Classical Voice and performed as a mezzo for many years prior to becoming a sex therapist. I still sing opera, and I love singing jazz. I also play oboe in a chamber ensemble and we perform at various events around the city.
Lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of Jay-Z, Dylan, and The XX. The one song I can’t get enough of is by Kendrick Lamar, called “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe.” But I just would like to add, I LOVE Beyoncé. She’s a phenomenal empowering force for females, and it seems there’s a Beyoncé song for every scenario a girl could go through!
Ms. M. will be a speaker on an upcoming panel on February 5th at the Soho House New York. The panel includes Cindy Gallop (Founder of Make Love Not Porn) , Dr. Helen Fisher (writer), and Claire Cavanah (author of Moregasm and co-founder of adult toy store Babeland).
Ms. M is on Facebook. Check out her Museum of Sex advice column and her own site for more!
