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REFLECTIONS ON 1980s GAY SEX What exactly is sex? Does sex equal fuck? You hear the word “fucking” around, but does that necessarily mean penetration? The 1980s, in response to the tragedy of the AIDS epidemic, expanded our ways of thinking about sexuality. It was clear that unprotected anal sex (of course, not the only behavior that could cause AIDS) was dangerous. Yet that act for millenia meant man-on-man sex, even before the idea that a person could be gay in orientation (or even not really care for that act). So, if you couldn't literally fuck, what could you do as a sexually active gay man in the 1980s? Now, “french” sex (oral sex) was certainly viable, and that act of course was associated with gay men (even though it became more common among adventurous straights since the sexual revolution of the 1960s) to the point where it became a common insult (“cocksucker”). But there were risks involved in this activity (cuts and sores in the mouth). Again, I repeat the question: what can you do if can't or won't fuck? Director Michael Goodwin in The Goodjac Chronicles (we just remastered and released the first in this series of films on DVD and video on demand), though perhaps not intentionally from his perspective, totally plugs into what became, according to a review in Stallion magazine, “The Sex Act of the Eighties”: masturbation. We'll soon put put a comprehensive review up on the site, but its last scene reveals a concrete image of what became a safe way for gay guys to connect sexually in the eighties: a jack off party. (In fact, jack off clubs are still going strong in many cities. See our blog on them.) 
According to the review in Stallion: Goodwin himself draws a charcoal mural of the proceedings. Though most of those present are in varying stages of undress, there are certain notable exceptions: a California highway patrolman and a cop pounding each other to orgasm; a lithe blond swimmer type wearing nothing but a baseball cap, work boots, and weights on his balls; and two middle ages bodybuilders into mutual armpit licking as they whack away. The excursions into fetishism here (from specific sex toys to clothing to body parts) reflect another trend in 1980s gay sex. Fore example, Al Parker's Surge Studios' movie High Tech offers an incredible demonstration of vacuum pumps and was created during a time in California when safe sex and toys were the rage due to AIDS. (Also check out Surge Studios' Turbo Charge.)  As well, a magazine of that period, Manscape 2, offered fantasy material that seems to exist in a world without AIDS. But in a world where AIDS was now a life-and-death matter for gay men, other aspects of sexuality such as S & M activities and bondage that did not involve risky behavior like rimming or fucking without condoms were perhaps becoming a viable alternative for many gay men. For example, phone sex was becoming more popular and safe way to express oneself sexually.  Perhaps sexual expression is ultimately self-expression, either for your own pleasure or for the mutual pleasure and intimacy both participants can gain. In the case of gay sex in the eighties, a profound limitation on sexual expression opened the way for more diverse, creative approaches to this fundamental drive. |
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Artist/director Michael Goodwin's unique view of gay sexuality innovatively put to video, now available on DVD through Bijou Classics! The Goodjac Chronicles Goodjac Too For discount, just enter the following coupon code at checkout: goodjac Coupon valid through 11/25/17 |
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And check out our Tumblr for great classic gay porn images and our Ebay store on Pinterest |
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