Life
You're Going To Love This #RealWorldSex Couple
For many people, internet porn is their first introduction into sexual activity, thus forming a lot of the expectations we have when we first become sexually active. But what does that mean when most mainstream porn is not diverse? It does not feature gender or racial diversity, does feature completely hairless actors, and focuses on male ejaculation and orgasm.
Thankfully, we have MakeLoveNotPorn.tv combatting these detrimental mainstream tropes within adult entertainment. Rather than promoting censorship or stigmatization, Make Love Not Porn provides an alternative to erotic entertainment by only featuring user-generated content that celebrates #realworldsex. #RealWorldSex refers to videos that portray diverse bodies and sexualities, communication and consensual behavior, condom and lube usage, sexual education, and all of the funny, awkward moments that happen during real life sexual encounters.
Over the past seven months, Colin/Gray (or Colin and Gray), a real life heterosexual couple who have been partners for three years, have taken Make Love Not Porn by storm. Their creative plots, sexual chemistry, comfort and familiarity with each other, unique, fun personalities, and "intellectual and emotional connection" have quickly turned them into site favorites. Make Love Not Porn recently released an edition entitled MakeColin/GrayLoveNotPorn to provide even more videos produced by the humorous couple. Besides the obvious love and passion shared by Colin/Gray, here are seven more reasons to check out their work:
1. Their Videos Have A Mission To Promote Healthy Relationships, Consent, Communication, And Role Equality
While Colin/Gray's videos are clearly fun explorations into pleasure and sexuality, as Sarah Beall (MLNP'S Madam Curator) writes, "they've... never lost sight of showcasing non-performative #realworldsex in all its messy, funny, unscripted glory." Colin/Gray recognize that portraying their sex lives in an honest, consensual, creative, and #realworld way can have a greater impact than just entertainment. They write that producing MLNP videos creates a “platform for us to work together on, talk about and show what we believe is important in relationships (communication, consent, together time, alone time, and humor)."
They actively challenge tired, mainstream porn tropes like ridiculous plots, graphic ejaculation scenes (or "money shots"), and sexualized represntations of gender inequality. Gray writes, “I am on top as much as Colin is and same goes with oral sex. In our public and private lives we want it to be apparent that we have a healthy, consensual relationship."
2. Their Sexuality Includes All Of the Complex, Weird, Humorous, Unique Parts Of Their Personalities
Since Colin/Gray are avid readers, chess players, and sci-fans, they incorporate those parts of their lives into their videos, which demonstrates that open sexuality does not take away from or lessen your personhood. Rather, your personality enhances your sexuality. Whether the scene involves Colin dressed as an alien in a dream sequence, takes place in a sci-fi themed bedroom, features a game of strip-chess, or begins with each of them reading in bed, their playfulness, trust, and humor are evident. Colin/Gray celebrate that sex can be funny, and a shared sense of humor often makes sex a lot more fun. Humor motivates a lot of their video plots, and they are planning a mini-series called Sex Work, which is "about our many day jobs and fantasies we can have at them to make them more interesting."
3. Their Appearances Differ From The Unrealistic Beauty Standards In Mainstream Porn
As Gray herself writes, their MLNP videos are “where two non-porny, androgynous, scrawny, pale, short-haired brunettes can be sexy and promote sexual and emotional health and creativity."
4. They Destigmatize STDs And Promote Sexual Health
Gray began getting cold sores as a very young child, likely stemming from a shared drink with a family member who had an oral herpes outbreak. While 50-80 percent of the population has oral herpes, the infection is treated as a shameful secret. Gray explains that mainstream porn doesn't challenge this stigmatization, so she had an idea to create an informative video detailing how to engage in safe sexual activities with a partner during an outbreak:
I wanted to make a video about how it feels to be someone who has outbreaks and still wants to have sex because this is a reality that I will deal with for the rest of my life. Because there is such a high percentage of the population that gets cold sores, it is strange to me how embarrassing and stigmatized they are. We need to not only talk openly, but show that just because we have an ailment/issue/imperfection/std does NOT inhibit our ability to be creative/sexual beings.
5. You Can Learn Even More Practical Tips
Colin/Gray videos are popular for their exceedingly creative sex positions, and for featuring sex storylines about cold weather and sore muscles.
6. Their Videos Are Artistic, Theatrical, And Collaborative
Both Colin and Gray work in artistic fields (Gray is a visual and performance artist, Colin is a fiction and soap opera writer), and their creativity comes through in their work with MLNP. Gray loves editing and video work and would enjoy creating the videos regardless, “but in this way I can actually get paid for creating work and sharing it with others who enjoy it in a way that is much different than porn." The collaborative aspect of their creativity is always present as well. As an artistic partnership that has already lasted for three years, Colin and Gray have supported each other throughout various projects "and now we come together... as Colin/Gray, sharing with you our creative, explorative, goofy, sensual, theatrical and ridiculous #realworldsex."
7. You'll Be Supporting Healthy, Ethical, And Safe Sex Work
Colin and Gray are open about using their financial compensation from Make Love Not Porn on food, bills, rent, and the like. They also plan to start saving up their earnings to take a short, cheap vacation. One of the issues within mainstream porn is unfair labor practices, and by supporting Colin/Gray and other Make Love Not Porn Stars, you are supporting a production company that allows creative control, promotes safe behavior, and provides fair compensation.
If you'd like to take a trip down memory lane, watch the sex myths you believed as a child below (and subscribe to Bustle's YouTube page for more videos):
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Images: MLNPstars Colin/Gray/MakeLoveNotPorn.tv (8)
