Well, it looks like I’m not going anywhere, so I might as well share a little bit about who I am.

So hi. I’m Sophie. As we’ve established, I work for The Art of Blowjob. I have always taken care of the social media, blogging, writing, PR, marketing and so on, but I’ve also taken on additional work pertaining to business development, public speaking, more academic writing, directing and editing. Now I also perform. I’m like a girl Friday, now with blowjobs! I’ve been with the company for over four years now and beautiful porn is a very big part of my life, both onscreen and off. When I’m not working on my day job, I shoot porn for a local community-based porn collective and I also help with making DIY sex tapes at a local sex club. Oh, and I host a monthly sexy storytelling event called Tell Me Something Good. AND I have restarted my burlesque act. Phew.

It sounds kind of funny to be talking about myself, but some folks have mentioned that they’re curious, so I’ll run through some more of the personal aspects of myself, almost like a little list of sorts.

- I love to read. I have way too many books on my desk at any given time and at least a couple in my purse. My favourite authors are Dave Eggers, Italo Calvino, Miranda July and John Rechy. My favourite poets are Frank O’Hara, Leonard Cohen and Allen Ginsberg. My most recent favourite read is Drunk Mom by Jowita Bydlowska, which is depressing as all get out, but in a gripping way.

-  My sense of humour is verrrrry important to me, and it’s more or less shaped by the following sources: The Simpsons (only season 1-10), Arrested Development, Community (only seasons 1-3), 30 Rock, Clerks Animated, Achewood, Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law, classic Woody Allen movies (I have a problem with him, but I can’t deny that Manhattan, Annie Hall and Hannah and her Sisters left an imprint on my comedic psyche), Kate Beaton of Hark, a Vagrant and the comedy stylings of Jon Mulaney, Rob Delaney and DeAnne Smith. And probably lots of other things, but that’s what comes to mind. Suffice it to say, funny is sexy and witty banter is extremely important to me.

- I actually come from an all singing, all dancing background. I studied opera extensively, focused on jazz/contemporary dance and somehow parlayed that into directing/choreographing/vocal coaching for musical theatre, which I still do on the side. I’m also on and off in a really cool choir… Yes, such a thing exists.

- Relatedly, I have very little free time.

- Cooking and baking are some of my favourite things. I can whip up a risotto like nobody’s business, bake the best cornbread ever and make a mac and cheese that’d rival any mother’s recipe. And yes, I make many healthier options, too. My favourite thing is to infuse florals into my baking, so I’m always grinding lavender into brownies or using elderflower syrup in a cupcake. I also used to work as a cake decorator, so I have weird precision when I actually put my mind to it. I WILL bake you cookies.

- I realize I’m treading on well-worn ground, but I love Scotch. I’m half Scottish (and the other half is a mix of mostly Irish, some English and a smidgen of French) so I come by it honestly. I have a soft spot for Aberlour (especially the 15 year or the a’bunadh Spanish cask[!!!]), Oban, Glenmorangie, The Balvenie, Auchentoshan (18 year if possible, but I honestly quite like their 12 for everyday at home tippling) and, for my specific roots, the 18 year Talisker. I’m pretty open to different styles. I like it smooth, smoky, peaty, so I’ll also gladly do Lagavulin or Laphroig… Basically, if you have a decent Scotch, I’m there.

- When I’m not doing Scotch, I’m in it for a Hendrick’s gin and tonic, a dirty gin martini or a well-crafted cocktail from someone who knows what they’re doing and may or may not have basil, mint, rose water or lavender.

- As I have a musical background, I’m all about music. I love going to (smallish) shows and devour new music like some sort of a music-devouring animal. Some favourites include: Kishi Bashi, Basia Bulat, Sufjan Stevens, Beirut, Joni Mitchell, LCD Soundsystem, HAIM, Gentleman Reg, Robyn, Grimes, Evening Hymns, Caribou… Yeah. Lots more, but I don’t want to exhaust you.

- Outside of that which I’ve already mentioned in the comedy category, my favourite movies are West Side Story, Shortbus, Cabaret, The Muppet Movie, Me You and Everyone We Know, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Empire Records and, I’ll be real here, Clueless. My tastes are eclectic. As for TV, on top of the aforementioned humour-shaping shows, I have deep love for The West Wing, Orange is the New Black, Freaks and Geeks, Bob’s Burgers, Parks and Recreation, Louie, The Daily Show and the Colbert Report.

- So, documentaries are their own category because I love them so much. The Hot Docs festival is like my Christmas. My favourites of all time are: Beauty is Embarrassing, Paris is Burning, Bad Blood, Whores’ Glory, Serving Life, How to Survive a Plague, Punk Singer and so on. So much on. So much.

- A few of my favourite things: puppets (making, playing with, watching), makeup, green juices, very sweaty workouts, going to the nude beach, just about any sexuality-related social/political cause, yoga, brunch, cats and dogs, walking around my favourite cities, karaoke, doing little crafty things, Thai/Vietnamese/Indian/Mexican foods, playing my ukulele, tending to my little windowsill/balcony garden… The list goes on, and I’m sure I’ll expand on these various passions.

So, that’s (some of) me. What about you?

Well, I did it. It definitely happened faster than I expected, but sometimes you test something out, it looks right and you just decided to submit it. I was expecting the worst, but I was very pleasantly surprised to see how many people were actually enthusiastic about seeing me in porn. I mean, sure, people are generally speaking pretty psyched to see porn no matter what, but it does feel really great when it’s at least somewhat specifically to do with the person as well as the content. So, yeah, my first update is live.

Since I’ve always essentially been someone else, I’ve always had a certain amount of distance. Now that I’m myself and fully exposed as a performer, it takes on a really different feeling. It has definitely taught me that receiving first-hand compliments for your appearance as opposed to your work is quite a mind trip for someone who hasn’t always felt beautiful. That’s something that I’m honestly surprised by, but I certainly think it’s something I could get used to without developing a big head.

The other thing that has been surprising me is how polarized my feelings are towards the idea of people actually watching the porn I made. I mean, sure, I’ve always been intellectually aware that this kind of publicity means it’ll be observed and enjoyed by other people… That’s kind of the point. At the same time, I didn’t really think of it too much. So, on the one hand, it feels kind of strange to know that people are getting off to what is essentially my face, but it’s also kind of hot in a way. It’s only been a few days, so I’m still processing it.

Regardless, I hope you’ll go take a look at the update. It’d be really nice to get some feedback and hear what you thought of my first attempt.

Hey. Sophie here. Long time, no see, I guess. After the confusion and general unpleasantness of the response to my last post here, I kind of avoided this blog, but I wanted to be straight with everyone because something is likely going down and I want you to be on board, or at least aware.

So, I want to do porn. I’ve danced around this for years. I met with a SuicideGirls photographer when I was 18, but I chickened out. I had some recruiters from Playboy magazine come talk to me when my school was chosen as a party school on one of their big annual lists, but it didn’t feel right. I started working in porn and opportunities seemed to be coming up left, right and centre from artsy folks, queer folks, community-oriented folks and even some bigger names who made me swoon just thinking about it. I was still too scared at the time, though now I’m much more settled in my career. But what I really want to do is shoot for The Art of Blowjob. So, what has been holding me back now?

Um…  You. Not you personally (though, maybe) but the idea of the past fans of the site and what they might think/say about me and what it means for me to be on the site. I know there’s going to be a certain percentage of the audience that will say just plain mean things, but I’m not even really talking about the internet trolls… I’m talking about people who will assume things about my motives and intentions in moving from behind the scenes to in front of the camera, so I want to proactively set the record straight.

The thing is, I’ve been a Cyrano de Bergerac type for a long time and it didn’t at any point suit me. I am far too opinionated and self-possessed to try to be anyone but myself, and I value authenticity in so far as that is possible in the adult industry. By finally being myself and exploring my sexuality and sexual politics on my own terms, I’m doing what I’ve always wanted to do. Yes, I’m benefitting from the platform I’ve cultivated over the past over four years with this company, but this is a culmination of desires and opportunity over nearly a decade. I have mulled this over and I have made my decision. Sure, it’s going to be different than what it once was, but the personality and potential of the site can change and grow. I hope you’ll be open to it.

Hi everybody!

I know that a lot of you have been asking questions about what’s going on, so I’m here to set the record straight. I’m sorry that I couldn’t post here sooner, but this domain name was a contentious issue for a while and I didn’t want to ruffle any feathers by posting here, even though I wanted to clear things up. I did explain what happened over on the new blog at The Art of Blowjob, but the news didn’t necessarily reach all the way out here. For now, I’m not writing up any press releases or making any grand statements, just trying to explain what’s going on.

Before I get down to the explanation, I did want to say one thing that’s not always really thought of with regards porn: there’s a whole lot that goes on outside of the end result of a production, and that’s even more true with beautiful porn. The reality is that beautiful porn was conceived of to show the beauty of sex through filmmaking and through expertly captured photography. It’s about glorifying the passionate and celebrating the sensual, but fundamentally it is about the artistic process. Mike has always been a visionary in this regard and, though he’s always stuck behind the scenes because he’s not so much into the glory of recognition, he has always been a huge part of this company and he’s not going anywhere.

Once Camille was out of the woods and stable after her second surgery, she had a lot of time to think and she realized that she was in love with someone else, so she left Mike. It’s sad, but it happens. It was clear right off the bat that The Art of Blowjob would have to change because it would no longer feel right for them to make porn together. As for CamilleCrimson.com, that was more unclear. In the end, she decided to do her own thing with her new partner. We respect her decision and wish her the best.

Mike and I thought about whether or not we were going to continue making porn, but ultimately the desire to continue changing the industry and making something beautiful outweighed the potential challenges of the transition. The Art of Blowjob is completely back on track with new weekly updates featuring the same gorgeous cinematic style that’s always been synonymous with what we do. We’re currently working with new models who are passionate about giving sensual blowjobs, and Mike is shooting at an even higher artistic calibre. While we’re not looking to “replace” anyone or planning on having just one “star” of the site, we’re still committed to showcasing the personalities of the fascinating women involved over on the blog and they’re taking care of their own social media. Although a lot of you have become accustomed to following one person, we really hope you’ll give these other women a chance… They’re smart, funny, artistic, interesting and kind people, so I genuinely think that a lot of you will find commonalities and intrigue with them.

As for CamilleCrimson.com, that’s a bit more challenging. Obviously we can’t put new content on it without using a new face. For now, we’ve unearthed a never before seen video featuring lots and lots of sex, plenty of close-ups and a beautiful blowjob, too. We have a few options, which we’ll be weighing over the next week or so, and we’ll come to a decision on what to do about it in the new year. We know that you’ve been going a while without updates, so you can contact me at theartofblowjob@gmail.com if you’re upset and would like to discuss that and I’ll find a way to make it right. This was unfortunately a completely unforeseen circumstance, but we don’t want anyone to feel wronged as a by-product of this turn of events.

The most important thing to take away from this is the fact that the artistry and the ethos remain the same. Mike has always been the visionary behind the site and the reason it was so emblematic as beautiful porn. We’re not trying to diminish the role that real love played in the beautiful porn process, but he’s committed to continuing to make something visually stunning and doing so with women who are passionate, interesting and really into the pleasure of giving pleasure. From my perspective, I want to keep on giving advice/tips, writing erotic content, discussing the worlds of porn, sex, sexuality and gender and generally trying to help people find the passion and sensuality of beautiful porn in their own lives. While it may be slightly different now, the beautiful porn spirit lives on and will continue to be shared and propagated throughout the industry.

- Sophie

Last year’s costume: Camille as a sexy witch!

Halloween has long been my favourite time of the year. I grew up as the type of teen who would go to the shadow cast version of the Rocky Horror Picture Show every month, dressed far more liberally than my parents probably should have allowed for such a young age. In hindsight, I was kind of made to work in porn, wasn’t I? My love for the sexy, the fringe and the exciting far precedes my foray into the world of adult entertainment. I have always loved costumes, getting theatrical and relishing the opportunity to become someone else, spooky or silly, though always at least kind of sexy. This year, and particularly the past month or so, has been tumultuous, but Halloween does always lift my spirits… Insert joke about raising the dead and communing with the spirits here. And candy is delicious. Plus, Jezebel posited that Halloween lovers are the best, and we all want to consider ourselves the best, don’t we?

I want to wish you all the happiest of Halloweens. Even though there’s no special update this year, I hope you’ll all share your plans and costumes here. There’s nothing better than communing over all hallow’s eve, even if your plan is mostly about carving pumpkins and handing out candy. Speaking of which, I need to go snag some for the trick or treaters. Wouldn’t want to get egged!

- Sophie

Pam, the loveable HR representative from Archer.

Halloween is just around the corner. It’s my favourite time of year, I’d have to say. I love dressing up, parties and candy. I’m not actually so much about the spooky stuff, but one of my favourite traditions is to carve a bunch of pumpkins, save the seeds and toast them to eat later while watching a few of the classic Treehouse of Horror Simpson’s Halloween specials. While I already know what I’m going as (Pam from Archer: see header photo) I have just the thought for those of you who are 2 days out from various parties without a single idea of what to wear:

So easy! A suit jacket with tails, fishnet thigh highs and a g-string with a bow tie. Oh, and the incredibly ability to move your buns to Beethoven in perfect time with grace and elegance. I assume at least one of you will wear this… But who will it be? Regardless, I hope you enjoy this ode to the butt and to one of the world’s most celebrated composers. Can’t forget about him.