Many of us had some sort of "porn intervention" coming up as teens in the information age. Whether flipping through the late night channels while at a sleepover (like hell your parents were going to pay for HBO) or surfing chat rooms, you probably saw it at some point and no doubt, it affected the way you now think and engage in sex. If you've lacked any sort of formal sex education, watching porn might be the only impression of sex you've had. While it's easy to point out ways this has created a disconnect for some (is it possible that THIS many women love facials?), it is absolutely important to explore the many ways in which porn can contribute to a more open-minded and informed sexual well being. 

So we asked feminist porn reviewer, Lynsey G for her rec's on a few series that can teach you a thing or two about a thing or two. Check out her recommendations below and get busy learning!  

 

A great sex ed series for those who lean toward vanilla is “Jessica Drake’s Guide to Wicked Sex.” This series of instructional DVDs were all written, directed, produced, and hosted by porn superstar Jessica Drake, who has won a closetful of awards for her performance, writing, and directing work. She knows her stuff, and in these films videos, she talks plainly about topics ranging from foreplay to oral sex to plus-size sex, then shows demonstrations (in which she often performs) with some of porn’s biggest stars.

For those who are into kinkier and more hardcore fare, the Vivid Ed series is worth a look—particularly the “Expert Guide” films directed by Tristan Taormino. Her films explore topics like rough sex, anal for beginners and experts, and lots more. This series is a few years old now, but the demonstrations are hot because Taormino allowed performers to choose their scene partners, ensuring great chemistry. In most of the films, she interviews the performers before and after their scenes to talk about what they did and how much they enjoyed it, too, which can help the uninitiated feel more comfortable with what they’re seeing.

For full-on hot, queer, kinky sex, I recommend everything from Pink & White Productions. This indie, queer, feminist group, headed by the amazing Shine Louise Houston, has been making groundbreaking queer porn for well over a decade and has never been afraid of showing the nuts and bolts of how performers get themselves off. Most of their work isn’t strictly educational, but conversations about consent are included in the action and behind-the-scenes footage, safer sex practices are common, and diverse bodies of all sizes, genders, orientations, and levels of kink are educational by virtue of their mere existence. From feature films like Snapshot to educational short “Fisting 101” to vignettes at Crash Pad Series, their material never disappoints.