Last week we compared advice for pursuing and achieving successful anal sex from magazines GQ and Complex, and from adult performer Valentina Nappi, who not only seems destined to become a lifelong porno legend but has earned a reputation for cutting through the bullshit and pretension rife in today’s porn industry. Ms. Nappi’s guide to getting her ass ready for an anal shoot was predictably more detailed and worthwhile than anything GQ or Complex had to say, spurring on further Mr. Pink’s investigation into just how pornstars prepare themselves for the physical gauntlet that is a hardcore shoot.
Enter WoodRocket, a porno revolution in digital form. Packed to the proverbial gills with all kinds of informative backstage glimpses into professional porno life (as well as a killer range of original porn parodies), WoodRocket’s regular Ask a Pornstar feature recently spoke with porn’s best and boldest to discover what helps them get ready to shoot some smut. From the obvious (April O’Neil gets a good nights rest) to the hilarious (Mickey Mod keeps himself hard at gangbangs by browsing Tumblr), a dozen-or-so performers both female and male dish on their pre-scene rituals.
Anna Bell Peaks says she performs via webcam before almost every shoot, masturbating for fans and having at least one orgasm to really put her in the mood. Also a confessed pre-scene masturbator, Trinity St. Clair only packs one bright outfit along with many dull ones, giving her director no choice but to let her wear what she wants; a real comfort. Rain DeGrey admits to Twitter-stalking her co-stars before a shoot, trying to find attractive qualities but going so far as canceling shoots because they proved a shithead online. Amarna Miller Seemingly concerned more with herself than her partners, the always intriguing Claire Robbins nakedly admits to standing before a mirror to poke and prod and examine her body before letting a camera capture her naked, a ritual that “put [her] in the right mindset” for porn.
Bathing is obviously important, as is personal grooming. Amarna Miller hit the bathroom or salon to ensure her signature red hair is properly, evenly dyed and that her natural roots aren’t showing. A long, hot shower or bath is a common night-before preparation, though I was somewhat surprised to hear most women asked say they shave, obviously having worked out any issues with skin irritants and visible razor-burn over the years. Still in the bathroom, enemas and douching proved very popular, the latter somewhat surprisingly. After horror stories and urban legends of rampant fatal infections, tearing, and acid burns, I naively assumed douching had gone the way of the dodo but instead it’s thriving in Porn Valley: Jade Nile mixes coconut oil with a little tea-tree oil while Draven Star and most others seem to stick with fresh water. (Spanish-accented Amarna Miller saying it’s necessary to “not have a funny pussy.”)
Women prod and poke and preen themselves, take of physical cleanliness both external and internal, and try to summon as much enthusiasm as possible, but aside from Mickey Mod trawling Tumblr, what do the men do to ready themselves? Mick Blue, reigning AVN Male Performer of the Year, spoke up and revealed his very own private pre-porn ritual: a double espresso. That’s it.