by flea Tuesday, August 12th, 2008  6 comments

Offsprung Interview: Nina Hartley.

When looking back over the twenty-plus years of Nina Hartley’s career in the adult film industry, one thing becomes very clear: at any given time, she’s always been the smartest person in the room.

After graduating magna cum laude from San Francisco State University with a degree in nursing (and a specific interest, she says, in midwifery) Hartley entered the adult industry first with a job stripping at San Francisco’s O’Farrell Theatre. Then she made the leap into adult films in the mid-80’s, leaving nursing behind to perform in hundreds of movies, including a darkly comedic star turn in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Boogie Nights, where she held her own with William H. Macy and Julianne Moore. Along the way, Hartley became legendary for her beauty, her sense of humor, and the obvious pleasure she takes in her choice of career.

A Berkeley native, Hartley’s personal life has clearly been influenced by her strong family background. The youngest of four children, her parents have been married since 1947, and seem to be a strong influence in Hartley’s pro-family views, as well as shaping her desire to use her talent and her interest in education in service to those outside the industry. As an adult film star, she believes in the importance of helping today’s parents - both Dad and Mom - have closer intimate relationships, her theory being that happier parents have happier children. Hartley’s family is Buddhist, and during the interview she referred to the religion from time to time in order to make larger points about life, family, and the pursuit of happiness.

At 49, Hartley has really come into her own as a magnificent sex educator. Her series of educational DVDs are genuinely impressive, in a “so that’s what it looks like when it’s done right” kind of way. They’re the perfect combination of her nursing degree, a love of sex performance, and that great big brain, which makes the Guides a must-see.

Today, Hartley is happily married to director Ernest Greene, and they work together on projects for the industry when not hanging out at home cooking, reading, and watching Al Swearingen battle cocksuckers.

In our interview, she gamely answered questions from all over the spectrum, and created a comprehensive sex education plan for public schools to boot.

__________________________

Offsprung: First of all, I’m absolutely in love with the Guide series, its awesome feminist leanings being one of the primary reasons. Too often feminist porn seems to get the feminism part down, but leaves out the hotness, and too often mainstream porn isn’t geared toward women at all. How does feminism influence what you do?

Nina: Feminism influences everything that I do in adult entertainment. My decision to do this work stemmed from the overt messages I got in the 1970’s about my body being mine, taking responsibility for my orgasm, that Prince Charming was dead. At the same time, in Berkeley, the discussion about queer sexuality was beginning and I discovered myself to be exhibitionistic, voyeuristic, non-monogamous and bisexual. I had a two-fold mission: to further my own understanding of sex as well as educating others about it. Oh, yeah, and to have lots of sex with people I didn’t have to date! When it comes to sharing information about sex, moving pictures are worth so much more than words. This holds even more true as I get older and still find plenty of work on camera. I admit to my age and wear my bifocals and don’t give a flying fuck if people don’t like it!

Offsprung: I love that on your website you mention that your weight is 140 pounds. It stinks that it made me so happy to see a healthy weight listed for a hot woman. It’s so important that we move girls and women away from the mindset of the 98 pound ideal - a bad self-image leads directly to a bad sex life. Okay, that wasn’t a question, but feel free to expound on that topic, if you like.

Nina: Thanks. I do it because I try not to lie about things like this. I haven’t had a hysterectomy to remove my permanently enlarged uterus, either, even though I always look 4-5 months pregnant and it makes it hard to get clothes to fit well (fibroids). Growing up looking at classical art, I’ve always preferred a more padded woman, and my dyke side likes them, as well. The butch in me enjoys playing with a naturally petite woman, as I can throw her around and feel all big and strong, but only if she’s naturally that way. One of my favorite playmates is 5′ and 110 pounds of solid muscle, but she’s still light enough for me to pick her up. So, I like healthy women of whatever weight they are.

One good thing about the ever-smaller niches for porn is that there is more room than ever for a wider range of body types. Now there are ‘plumpers,’ who are bigger than the stick girls but smaller than the 200+ pounds “fat chicks” of yore.

Offsprung: The cast in your DVDs seem to be genuinely having a lot of fun. What happens on your set that causes that relaxed, happy atmosphere?

Nina: Thanks for noticing! First: my husband, who is also the writer/director of the Guides, and I love sex and have no ambivalence about what we do or what the mission objective is. Second, we hire only those who, gasp! actually like being sex performers. We make sure to hire people who like doing what it is we need them to do. We usually hire the women first and then ask them for their list of preferred male partners and get that guy. We don’t shoot more than two scenes per day, so there’s no rush. We give them plenty of time to do what they want and make sure the women have any vibrating toys that they might need to get them over the edge. Simple!

Offsprung: You and Ernest appear to care very much about the physical and emotional well-being of the performers in your employ. Do you find that your work ethic is unique within the industry (both adult and mainstream)? Have you often run across women in the industry who do not want to be there? I’m reminded of Bella Donna’s Primetime interview, where she constantly says she wants to leave, but doesn’t seem to be able to.

Nina: The Primetime “interview” with Bella was classic ambush TV. Having her mother there? I mean, really, how much pressure do you want to put on a young woman, anyway? She seems to have made her peace with being here. She’s married, with a three-year old daughter. I’ve been to her home and it’s lovely. So, she’s had a level of success here that relatively few women have attained.

There are other directors who try to match up willing people, and to only hire those who seem to like the work for its own sake. Nica Noelle, of Sweetheart Productions, is one. Most directors want the performers to have a good time. Very few don’t give a damn, actually. Ernest and I just really, really mean it.. Nica is starting this month a b/g line that will have lots of eye contact, kissing, and mutuality between the partners. It should be good, as her g/g movies are great.

Offsprung: How much do you hate George W. Bush? Just a lot, or with the hate of a thousand suns? One of our pet peeves at Offsprung is the utter ridiculousness of “abstinence-only education,” as well as the creeping grip of religious fundamentalism that’s at the root of all this push for sexual ignorance. And how about that bill that’s attempting to equate birth control pills with abortion, giving health care providers the “right of refusal” to give information about abortion or prescribe or fill prescriptions for birth control pills? Seriously, it’s the hate of a thousand suns, right?

Nina: Yup. As a sex-educator, I’m with you 100% on what passes for sex “education” these past few years.

Offsprung: What do you think an effective sex-ed program for kids should look like?

Nina: One that is age-appropriate. When a small child asks, “where do babies come from?” the answer is simple: “from a special place inside mommy.” I’m a big believer in the great books out there that explain puberty to the 9-12 y.o. set. What’s Happening To My Body? is a great book. I believe there is a version each for boys and girls. Good Vibrations has an excellent sexuality library with many books for children and parents.

Obviously, telling teens to “just say no” is useless. All the data point to the fact that abstinence-only kids have sex pretty much at the same rate as others but are less likely to use birth control or condoms and are more likely to engage in anal sex as a way to preserve “virginity.” WTF?!?!

I believe that we should teach kids about privacy, tolerance, masturbation and any and all non-coital ways of sharing pleasure and learning about their bodies. I say “non-coital” because, at such a young age, worrying about Death and Babies really puts a damper on things. If we can get away from people thinking “sex” equals intercourse, we’d be well on our way. Bring back heavy petting without the shame and ignorance attached to it!

Offsprung: Our readers really enjoyed the clip of you in Seymour Butts’ How to Eat Pussy Like a Champ. Our readers are straight, gay, queer, single, married, broke, older, younger, but the one thing we all have in common is that we’re really fucking tired. I think a lot of the clip’s appeal, (besides the two of you!) is that it was hot, yet at the same time not so athletic that we feel it’s something best left to those with more energy. We looked at it and thought, oh yeah, we could do that! What else can we do to keep things lively without killing ourselves?

Nina: Be very generous in how you support each other. If you don’t have the energy to fuck, can you “help” your partner by being present while he or she masturbates? Having someone to kiss and hold and fondle helps the orgasm along that much more smoothly. Side-by-side masturbation is also a nice way to unwind without having to “do” anything to any body. Certainly watching porn that you both enjoy as a quickie way to get on the same page for an actual quickie can be helpful.

Offsprung: You seem to be pretty happily married - have you noticed any real difference between sex as a single woman and married sex? Is there anything you do to keep away those thoughts of “Oh. You again.”

Nina: I’ve never been single, so I’ve never been on the dating scene. I’m sorry for that, actually. I’m polyamorous, as well, so the only-one-partner angle has never been it for me.When we treat each time with a lover like the first time, sex is a constant surprise. The capacity for surprise is the hallmark of both the young and the young at heart. In Zen practice there is the concept of “beginner’s mind.” Beginners, who don’t know what they don’t know, bring an openness of attitude that allows for surprise, delight, discovery, awakening, learning and connection. When we think we know, our minds begin to close off and our emotions and bodies soon follow. This leads to the odd, though not uncommon, refrain that sex has become boring or feels obligatory. For some, only a new partner can refresh the sense of surprise. This, as we know, can lead to a host of new problems far bigger than being bored. We can alleviate our boredom by changing our attitude to the world around us instead if we choose.

The saying goes that one can never cross the same river twice since the river is always changing and so are we. This notion also applies to lovemaking. When we act from beginner’s mind, our lover’s body is new to us each time we touch it.. Staying in the moment, without flitting backwards or forwards in our minds, we can be fully ourselves and available to our bedmates. Only then can there be magic. Be it a one-night stand or the thousandth time with the same person, all we have to do is show up, open and generous, ready to share delight and pleasure, and beginner’s mind does the rest.

I got into porn for many reasons, not the least of which was to have a safe and easy way to get naked with lots of people I didn’t know and didn’t have to date. Nothing calls for beginner’s mind more literally than performance sex with someone you just met an hour ago, and for whom you harbor no romantic yearnings. With no story to live up to, or obligations beyond the polite and professional, it’s just the two of you in the moment, figuring out what will work best under the circumstances. Getting my hands and mouth on a constant stream of new bodies has been delightful, amazing, revelatory and a never-ending source of surprise. Bodies are wholly unique and individual, each one liking what it likes; as well as common and ordinary, with most bodies responding well to variations on a few themes. This newness-within-sameness/sameness-within-newness provides endless opportunities for discovery, even in monogamous relationships. If a particular body is new to me, its general anatomy certainly isn’t, since all genitalia are built on the same chassis. If the body I’m with is well known to me, I avoid sex-by-the-numbers by simply staying alert to my partner’s responses and emotions.

The challenge of monogamy is opposite to but not entirely different from the challenge of connecting well with multiple partners. Monogamy requires us to keep discovering the newness (ever-deepening emotions) within sameness (the body of our lover or spouse). The challenge of stranger sex is allowing ourselves to take pleasure in the unfamiliarity of a new body while remaining true to what we know about our own sources of sexual gratification. Done properly, repeated sex with the same person becomes smoother and more exciting with time, building on past understanding while adding little fillips and zingers to spice things up. Likewise, stranger sex becomes more exciting and has better odds of a pleasurable result as we learn from our previous explorations with a variety of others and acquire more accurately tuned “selection radar.”

For all the sex I’ve had in my life, I continue to be surprised by it every time. As a scientist, I’m always curious about how a particular body will respond to a particular stimulus. Does it prefer pinching or scratching? Slapping ass or grabbing it? Light touch or heavy? Fast strokes or slow? I keep my ego out of it and just pay close attention to my partner’s responses to what I’m doing so I can do more of what he or she likes and less of what he or she doesn’t. I have to stay in the moment or I’ll lose their interest quickly and mine will dissipate shortly thereafter.

How do we learn to stay in the moment? By paying attention to our breathing and our bodies. To “conspire” literally means “to breathe together,” and that, along with a generous and forgiving spirit, is what keeps lovers together. The world is new with each breath and so can sex be if we treat it with the respect it deserves.

Offsprung: What’s a night at home like for you and Ernest?

Nina: When we do make love, it’s almost always in the late afternoon/early evening, before dinner, when our energies are highest. It’s a perk of not being parents. If he’s working late, as he often does, we’ll have dinner (I cook and, if he’s working, do the dishes as well), relax for a few and then it’s back to the computer for him. If he’s not working, he’ll do the dishes and we’ll either play a little pool or catch up on our recorded shows. We like the news. Our favorite TV shows: Deadwood, Swingtown, Mad Men, ER. I like sit coms, but he’s not so fond. He likes sci-fi, but I’m not so fond. We catch movies on the On Demand channel. Yell at Lou Dobbs and watch Anderson Cooper and usually call it a night by 3 am.

When possible, we like to entertain company for dinner. If we play with someone, we also do that before dinner, so she has a chance to go out afterwards with people her own age.

Offsprung: What are you reading right now?

Nina: I just got done with His Dark Materials by Pullman. Wow. Death Benefits, by Jeanne Safer. Great. I gave it to my parents. Birth, by Tina Cassidy. Bonk, by Mary Roach. Eat, Pray, Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert (I loved it). Outwitting History, by Aaron Lanksy. Next in the line up is Seductress, by Betsy Prioleau. I love reading, mostly non-fiction, but the Pullman books are fantastic. I also enjoyed the Harry Potter books, as well.

Offsprung: I used to own a sex toy store in Wrigleyville in Chicago, and had many, many conversations with female African-American sex toy store owners, as well as interracial couples who were customers, about the lack of really good, really hot interracial porn that isn’t racist, a la “White girl getting back at Daddy” or “Jungle Fever” stuff. We know that porn is primarily made for and marketed to white guys, but what’s an interracial couple to do? I did hear that you shot a very good scene with Mr. Marcus once - where can we find that? Where can we find others?

Nina: Good question! Most of my scenes with Mr. Marcus are very nice. He doesn’t do thug or gangsta roles, either. One of the things I always liked about porn was that it did show, without anyone dying or getting arrested, interracial sex. Every couple deserves to see porn that reflects its own situation. blacksandblondes.com* has some nice scenes. I do a good one with Byron Long. Unfortunately, the Jungle Fever angle is what drives a lot of Black man/White woman porn. I’m bored with it, myself and have long desired to work with a Black man who is, say, a student, or guy in a suit, and not some white director’s fantasy of ghetto love. Even the companies that are run by Black people make that kind of porn. I don’t know where to send anyone. Each consumer needs to pay attention to the companies that make what they do like and avoid the companies that make videos they don’t like. It’s a trial and error kind of thing, sadly.

Offsprung: What’s next for you?

Nina: As I ease out of performing as my main gig I’m moving into consulting/counseling/teaching/lecturing about sexuality, relationships and assorted similar topics.

Offsprung: Sounds perfect for an Offsprung get-together! Thank you so much, and for your great, great answers to my questions.

Nina: Write anytime!

After our interview, Hartley sent me the following email:

Upon further reflection it occurred to me that I have several titles that would be good for fans of interracial porn that doesn’t involve offensive stereotypes.

Any of my titles from before 2000 or so that involve me and black actors. The whole gangsta/thug porn trope hadn’t gotten started yet. In the ’80’s and ’90’s I worked with Billy Dee, Ray Victory, F.M. Bradley and Robbie Dee.

The following titles are from Adam & Eve:

The scene between me and Sean Michaels in my Guide to Sensual Submission: How to Submit to a Man

Between Adrianna Nicole and Tyler Knight in my Guide to Foot Fun

Between Flick Shagwell and Byron Long in Anal Kinksters 2**

Between Marie Luv and Alec Knight in my Guide to Erotic Massage

Between Marie Luv and Evan Stone in my Guide to Stripping for Your Partner

Bryon Long is one of the players in the Guide to The Ultimate Sex Party

This should help some.

Indeed!

_______________________

Flickr photo of Hartley being interviewed posted with permission from photographer Thomas Hawk.

*The link for “Blacks and Blondes” reroutes you to “www.freetube.com” which is a free registration site. However, it asks for a credit card number for I.D. verification, which I didn’t want to provide, so my research ended pretty much where it began. Sorry.

**I was not able to find this title at Adam & Eve. Instead, the link takes you to Sugar DVD, where it is available for purchase.

Filed under Celebrity, Interview, Porn.