October 29, 2004

  • Mischievous Babe raised this question the other day as a comment and I thought it would make a good topic for a Xanga entry ...


    Q:  ... Referring to your porn review -- can you tell me what's so erotic about anal sex? For the female, I mean. The anus isn't intended for sexual intercourse and it's muscles won't contract like a vagina's.


    A:  Wow, that's a great question, but a proper answer is rather complicated!  A good starting place to answer your question is the definition of erotic.  According to the American Heritage Dictionary, it means something that concerns or tends to arouse sexual desire.


    First, the answer to your question -- insofar as watching porn goes --  might be absolutely nothing!  I think nearly all porn is (and always was) produced with the male audience in mind, so even if a particular act is not erotic for women, there is no hesitation in featuring it.  Gonzo directors don't care because they see their market as horny, perverted and jaded men ("raincoaters").  There is a shrinking market for "features" with a story and dialog.  Features are often sold to cable TV and and hotel networks.  These "couples" films might be more sensitive to female desires.  The movie I reviewed -- Full Anal Access #04 is definately in the first category.


    Second, you have to keep in mind that porn is primarily a visual medium.  So long as something looks "hot" or turns people on for some other reason, that is enough -- even if it bears no relationship to reality.  An anus might not be intended for sex, and it may not be enjoyable to the model, but if the image of a large stiff one up some pretty girl's bum turns on the audience, porn producers will show it.  Like any other industry, adult entertainment is demand driven.  Titles that feature some form of anal sex have dominated porn sales charts for the last five or six years.  At one time, anal sex was a novelty in porn, now it is routine and many discs show it in every scene.  Girls in the industry who do not perform anal sex find difficulty getting work -- especially after they have shot their initial flurry of newbie scenes. 



    OK, now that we got the fantasy porn aspect out the way ... let's shift gears and talk about practicing anal sex in real life.  The porn discussion above implies that anal sex in not pleasurable, but in reality many females do enjoy it.  A large, academic survey performed in the early 90's reports that 9% of women report having anal sex in the last year.  Although that may seem like a small percentage, in terms of sheer numbers, it represents a lot of females permitting access to their hershey highway -- millions and millions and millions.  The seminal Kinsey studies from 1948 and 1953 found "11% of males reported, in marriage, a frequency of anal sex ranging from a single attempt to often."  It's possible that some of these women do it soley to please their partner.  However, anal sex is pleasurable for many of them. 


    Here's some information from Jack Morin, Ph.D., author of Anal Pleasure & Health:  A Guide for Men & Women and The Erotic Mind:  Unlocking the Inner Sources of Passion & Fullfillment.  Dr. Morin is also a board certified sex therapist, and licensed marriage and family counselor. 


    Anal stimulation provides many kinds of pleasure



    • The highest concentration of nerve endings is around the anal opening itself. A finger can focus on them especially effectively. When an object or penis is inserted beyond the anal opening into the rectum, other pleasures are involved. The outer portion of the rectum, like the vagina, has several nerve endings. The inner portion responds mostly to pressure.
    • Some people enjoy the feeling of pressure and fullness once they understand that these sensations do not presage an impending bowel movement. Rectal pressure is especially important to enthusiasts of "fisting," a form of anal sex in which several fingers or even the entire hand and forearm are inserted into the rectum and sometimes into the lower colon.
    • In men, the prostate-which is just beyond the rectal wall, a few inches in, toward the front of the body-can be a source of pleasure when massaged by a finger, an object, or a penis. Also, the lower end of the penis, or "bulb," is near the anal opening. It is stimulated indirectly by most types of anal sex.
    • Anal pleasure can be psychological as well as physical. The anal taboo adds to the thrill of the forbidden. The most common anti-anal message (it's dirty!) sometimes returns as a source of raunchy, sleazy excitement. Rimming enthusiasts may enjoy the feeling that they are being disgustingly-and delightfully-perverse. Other people regard the anus as a secret, special place. Sharing it with a partner is an act of openness and giving.

    Soooooo, viewed in this light, perhaps anal sex is erotic after all! 


    -- Snowman


    Sources and further reading:


    *  Things to Know About Anal Sex by Jack Morin, Ph.D.
    *  Kinsey Study Data [Research Program] - Selected Research on Anal Sex (1948, 1954).
    *  Laumann, E., Gagnon, J.H., Michael, R.T., and Michaels, S. The Social Organization of Sexuality: Sexual Practices in the United States. 1994. Chicago: University of Chicago Press (Also reported in the companion volume, Michael et al, Sex in America: A Definitive Survey, 1994).

Comments (4)

  • well, Thank yoou.  It was very interesting to hear about other perspectives and statistics on anal. Too bad porn is targeted mostly at a male audience, since women like them with more of a plot. I like how your writing style is matter of fact and humorous.

    -have a nice day!

  • I saw a message thread on this very topic tonight on AdultDVDTalk.  Here's what one porn star (Darcie Jade) had to say about it: 

    "Anal can be amazing for a woman if the guy knows how to do it right. I was surprised by how much I enjoy it and it actually feels better for me than vaginal sex. I can orgasm through anal in a few mintues pretty much every time whereas I have only had like 1 orgasm ever through vag. The first thing you need to do is take every anal sex scene in a porno out of your mind because it's not like that in real life. Your ass is not naturally lubricated like your pussy so it is a slow proces for a woman to take a penis in there and she needs to be relaxed. If the first experiences with it are awful your wife is unlikely to want to try it again. When you get used to it it becomes a lot easier but don't expect to be pumping away madly the first few times. You might only be able to get a little bit inside the first few times, as your wife becomes more comfotable she'll be able to take the whole thing."

  • You forgot the mention the fact that most women who practice anal sex regularly are often well educated (either college grads or students) as opposed to those who don't take it in the ass.

    J.P.

  • "Auburn Goddess" wrote the following comment about this entry under another one, so I thought I would copy it here for convenience ....

    "I wanted to comment on your previous entry about anal sex. In the real world anal is much more about the man than it is about the woman. I know very few women who have tried it and much less enjoy it. And these are healthy, sexual women who are even wild in bed. For me personally, it's something I'd be willing to TRY only with my husband and I call all the shots. I agree that porn is about visual and therefore if it looks good it turns on the viewer and therefore it's erotic. However, the problem with that is that men get so turned on by it and then they get the idea that if their woman isn't as psyched about doing it as the chick in the flick, then she's uptight or rejecting him. The line between fantasy and reality gets blurred. So to me, that's the biggest problem with anal, the fact that in porn it's so glorified that it raises the bar for normal women. Most real, down to earth women are NOT anxious to do it and if a guy can't tell the diff between reality and porn, then he has a problem."

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