Off the Set: Porn Stars and Their Partners [Hardcover]

Paulie & Pauline (Author), Tristan Taormino (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2, 2010

Porn stars are lightning rods. In a society that both consumes pornography and condemns it, pornography has always been as a divisive barometer. And in spite of the recent dialogue regarding the pornification of America, porn performers remain a group of people who are consistently pushed to the margins of our society. Often, the pervasive condemnation that pornography is inherently dehumanizing is used to deny porn performers their humanity. As a group, they are dismissed as incapable of many of the things valued by the public at large, among them stability, family, and loving relationships. Photographers Paulie & Pauline stepped behind the scenes of the porn industry to take an intimate look at the private life of ten porn stars and the significant others in their lives, including Jesse Jane, Tera Patrick, Seymore Butts, Mari Possa, Kylie Ireland, Buck Angel, Nicki Hunter, and Lorelei Lee. What they discovered was not a collection of people whose work as porn performers reduced them to damaged, jaded victims who need to be rescued and rehabilitated. Instead, they found a group of acutely self-aware individuals who, along with their partners, embrace their choices to work in porn and thrive on their romantic relationships. The photos in Off the Set capture the beauty of the genuine bonds shared by these couples. Much as if you were permitted to peer into their private journals, this collection of photos aspires to reveal their vulnerability and, most of all, their humanity. In addition to more than 100 b/w and color photos, the book also features a foreword written by sex educator Tristan Taormino, and several essays on the realities of relationships for porn performers written by the stars themselves. A portion of the sale price of each book will be donated to the Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Off the Set is a playful, insider's view of porn stars in a way they are never seen. Paulie & Pauline have given us a glimpse into the everyday, shockingly normal sex lives of these hardcore stars who look like they could be your next door neighbors. --Barbara Nitke

Off the Set treats porn seriously, and its stars shine when given the chance to exhibit all of themselves, not just the naughty bits. --Penthouse Magazine

About the Author

Paulie & Pauline are a creative team based in New York City. Anchored in the visual traditions of Mary Ellen Mark and Danny Lyon, the documentary photos in Off the Set explore their subjects from a genuinely intimate perspective. In both their portrait work and their erotic photography, Paulie & Pauline seek out candid moments in the human experience with a curiosity that is heavily influenced by their backgrounds in journalism and sociology. Mostly, though, their photos reflect their voyeuristic fascination with people and their stories. Photos from Off the Set have been published in print and online, appeared in several group exhibitions of fine-art photography, and are included in the permanent collections at the Museum of Sex in New York City and the art gallery at the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction. Tristan Taormino is an award-winning author, columnist, editor, sex educator, and feminist pornographer. She is the author of six books, including True Lust: Adventures in Sex, Porn and Perversion and The Ultimate Guide to Anal Sex for Women. She runs her own adult film production company, Smart Ass Productions, and has been an exclusive director for Vivid Entertainment since 2006. She wrote the popular syndicated sex column Pucker Up for The Village Voice for almost ten years.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 120 pages
• Publisher: Aural Pink Press, LLC; First edition (April 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0615338631
• ISBN-13: 978-0615338637
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #800,530 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Loved it., January 19, 2011

By 

Robert P. Beveridge "xterminal" (Lakewood, OH) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Off the Set: Porn Stars and Their Partners (Hardcover)

Paulie and Pauline, Off the Set: Porn Stars and Their Partners (Aural Pink Press, 2010)

In all honesty, I picked this up expecting it to have less nudity than it actually does. When you consider the ideas of "porn star" and "off the set" together, doesn't that kind of flip a switch in your head? "I go to work and have to wear clothes. They go to work and have to be naked. Thus, since I go home and want to be naked..." Paulie and Pauline (who as far as I can tell self-published this book; I can find not a whisper of mention of Aural Pink Press anywhere not directly related to this book), on the other hand, made sure to capture the offscreen relationships, sexual and otherwise, of their subjects. As a result, it's worth noting if you have kiddies that you may want to tuck this one on one of your higher shelves until they're older, since it does show some naughty bits. Of course, if you share my belief that it's idiotic that we, as a culture, are okay with kids having almost limitless access to violence but cover their eyes at the glimpse of a naked breast, then ignore that advice. In my house, it's on the second shelf from the bottom. (Granted, my kid is 15.)

The title tells you everything you need to know, really. The subjects are porn stars and their offscreen husbands, wives, lovers, occasionally "partner" in the sense of "business partner". Some of those are also in the industry, some are not. Some have sex for the camera; some are more candid shots just around the house, or in the backyard. (Lots of backyards. Assuming, that is, one keeps one's swimming pool back there. Everyone I know who has one does, but I'm not a porn star.) And given that the concept of the book, in the words of the introduction, is to "demystify" the porn star, it does its job, and it does it well. Porn stars are just like us, though quite a few of them are a lot more into plastic surgery than the average person.

I probably shouldn't be so flip about a book I liked as much as I did this one. The pictures are a mix of posed and candid that keep the experience interesting. The small essays interspersed throughout, written by the subjects, are varied and generally quite good. And there really IS a sense of "aw, shucks, honey, they're just like us." Mission accomplished. Pick this up. ****

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Book, May 10, 2011

By 

Shira Tarrant - See all my reviews

This review is from: Off the Set: Porn Stars and Their Partners (Hardcover)

This is a beautifully rendered fine-art book. The book highlights off-set porn actors and their romantic partners. These photos invite viewers into the everyday lives and intimacies of actors who are generally on the receiving end of so many projected fantasies and political or moral debates. It's refreshing to see a book that avoids perpetuating stereotypes about porn actors as (choose from among the following): dupes of the patriarchy, victims of big business and/or sexual trauma, outcasts, hypersexed, etc.

The timing of this book is important as "the sex wars" are heating up again. Off the Set is an important -- and productive -- voice and visual in these ongoing conversations about sexuality and the politics of pornography.

(As an aside, the previous reviewer mentions nudity in the book. There's some mild nudity but really nothing more than I see in ads for lingerie in the daily newspaper.)

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Insider's Look at What Porn Stars Are Really Like, December 5, 2011

By 

Rachel Kramer Bussel "Cupcakes Take the Cake ... (New York City) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Off the Set: Porn Stars and Their Partners (Hardcover)

If you think you know what porn stars are like just from watching their movies, think again. This provocative book combines beautiful photography with essays by the stars themselves about the joys and challenges of their work and how it impacts their personal lives. These aren't manifestos, but rather intimate portraits of what drew them to the world of professional exhibitionism, what keeps them there, and clears up many misconceptions. The photos demand the reader and viewer look at them as people, not that different from anyone else, but with an unusual spin and special life experience. Whether you're an ardent porn fan or not, this book is a behind the scenes look at a world filled with both glamour and the mundane. You will almost certainly look at their work in a new way, and come away with an appreciation for what they bring to their sets.