ZzzzZivity: Empowering, Real, Boring Porn

I am not a big consumer of porn, but I have always been interested in the aesthetics and politics of the business. Especially the in-between stuff that tries to be art or politics as well as smut. I used to like New York Girls, then got all uppity about Richard Kern. Suicide Girls turned me on at first, socially, not sexually. But really, that was just American Apparel with more tattoos. I do still adore Betty Page.

Anyway, I was curious when I saw the Village Voice slide show on Zivity, a newish social networking site promising “tasteful nudity” and “female beauty.” But you know what, from the non-naked teaser in the Voice (my application for an invitation to the site has not yet been approved), this smut does not sizzle. The girls look like models in an alt-weekly gift guide spread. All hipness with no sexy. Vintage dresses, and bustiers, record players and umbrellas. But no allure. This one looks like a toothpaste ad. (Skis, goggles and a leafy chain link fence?)

You’d think from the marketing that Zivity was made by women. But almost all the names on the about page belong to men.

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