For The Love of Reading: GUEST BLOG: MIXING EROTICA AND PARODY

Thursday, June 7, 2012

GUEST BLOG: MIXING EROTICA AND PARODY

Mixing Erotica and Parody

by Eiko LaBoria

Thank you for the opportunity to write a guest blog about mixing erotica and parody.
The Fame Shame Game: The Debut is an illustrated erotic parody.

A brief blurb on the subject matter:

"The restless spirits of Hollywood are creating their usual brand of mischief when they take special notice of the newly arrived Lana De Luna, an aspiring movie star. Lana has a face and body created for sex and an overpowering voice in her head that beckons her to take no prisoners – in vain, she tries to subdue the voice as it urges her to have but one goal, make it to the top of Hollywood by any means necessary – instead she falls in love with the callous and handsome rake, Morton Cay, who reduces her to shambles, thrusting Lana to finally heed the echoing almighty voice and transform into the most ruthless player in the game – looming souls laud her new ambition – bringing Morton Cay and all of her detractors to their grimy knees!"

A lot of things about sex are funny to me! The positions, the faces, the grunts, the things that make us feel good, don’t necessarily look good. This is the starting point from which I decided to write an erotic parody. I have traveled to Los Angeles and numerous film festivals throughout the years and one thing that continually strikes me like a thunderbolt; is the great number of people that are willing to do absolutely anything to obtain fame. Whether it be a foundation on which to build on or a fleeting desire, the search for fame brings out the best, but more times than not, the worst in the seeker.

I’ll always remember the night when I attended a party hosted on a private estate in Malibu. There were many familiar faces from the big screen, it was dreamlike to be surrounded by stars, in the sky and on earth, all which had an air of royalty about them. But there were also many faces that I didn’t recognize, those that had the air of fake-it-till-you-make-it about them. Suddenly, I see a leg struggling to overcome a concrete wall, a young girl was trying her best to get into the hot spot, surely she thought the feat of climbing a wall was a small price to pay. Then in the blink of an eye, she falls into a rose bush full of thorns. She doesn’t scream, just rubs her bare legs and begins to wiggle herself into the party. With blood running down her legs from puncture wounds, I remember the embarrassment I felt for her as security approached her and escorted her out of the party. Although, I didn’t laugh at the moment, a few days later, when I recalled the incident, I laughed so hard, I cried, what was she thinking? And had she been able to remove all those prickly thorns from her ass.

I went further and imagined the young girl staying at the party and sashaying over to a producer she somewhat recognizes. She offers oral pleasure for the small price of an audition, they lock themselves in a bathroom, she performs, he zips up his pants, they leave, when she seductively asks.

“When will you be calling me for an audition?”

“In a couple days, but for now, we’re only look to fill two positions, Minnie and Belle.” he replies.

  “Minnie and Belle? What studio are you with?”

  “Well, it’s not exactly a studio, it’s more like a land?”

  “A land?”

  “Disneyland! But I’m the only one you blow, no blowing Mickey, no blowing Beast, no blowing Prince Charming, just me!”

The brainstorming was a combination of kitsch silliness and cringe-inducing sexual scenarios. From there, it was about creating a dynamic unforgettable main character, a character that could bring the pleasure and the pain. A character men would die to be next to and women would kill just to be her, if only for a minute and just like that, Lana De Luna, was born. The Fame Shame Game: The Debut evolved from this brainstorming session unto what it is today. There are situations that are hardly believable, as what comes out of some actresses mouths, at times, is superior to what goes in them.

I recall a long ride I had with another actress in the Hollywood grind. She told me how she had just had the audition of a lifetime. She was thrilled, ecstatic, beyond blissful!

“I mean, I didn't even have to audition with the rest of the girls. He actually took me to his house for the audition.” she said.

“His house?” I replied.

“Yea, straight to the bedroom, but it’s OK, I don’t mind. It was me and another girl. It was so funny the way we were both competing with each other to do him the hardest, because we both really wanted the part. But I won! Now don’t get me wrong, I’m no lesbian, but I’ll fuck a woman for a good role.”

And I laughed...it was vulgar, funny, Hollywood!

It was seamless to intertwine erotica, Hollywood, and parody. Inspiration was abound and humor rummaged through every part of the story. I began to think of what starlets of Old Hollywood must think of this generation, were they different or unfortunately the same. I pondered on the studio system of the 1930’s, 40’s, 50’s; where studios would take in an actor, which instantly became studio property. They were then polished, taught how to dress, act, and live. They developed all the facades that must be erected around a single person, in order, to create a movie star or the allure of a movie star. I consider all the actors of yonder years as the ultimate movie stars.

I began writing scenes where Old Hollywood Glamazons were more than just memories, they were goddesses, nestled high above the skies, looking down on current Hollywood and favoring those they deemed fit, while those they abhorred, with a flick of their fingers, closed all of their doors. I did not want these goddesses to merely speak, I wanted them to sing, so I wrote three songs for Goddess Judy Garland, Goddess Jean Harlow, and Goddess Rita Hayworth. This introduction of Old Hollywood Goddesses created more scenes with all the same elements of erotica and parody, but with a touch of revered antiquity.

After I wrote the story, I developed the illustrations. I wanted the illustrations to be as raw and gritty as the story. I wanted them to make even the most hardened erotica lover blush just a bit. I could have chosen illustrations that did not depict sexual acts or compromising situations, but I did, because I knew that the sentiment of taboo associated it would be as original as the story. I hypothesized that because many of these situations were inspired by events and stories that were true, it would make it that much more intriguing to read about everyday life in the part of the world where dreams can either shine or shatter. This was a heavy concept, so I added humor to it. It’s not an attempt to lighten the truth, but sometimes, if you can make someone laugh, you make them just that more comfortable and in comfort there is understanding.

In conclusion, The Fame Shame Game has a mixture of heighten and exaggerated emotions and situations, like life, at times we experience one emotion more enduringly than another for any singular period. But like the seasons, emotions too change and evolve and so does the balance of the erotic and parodic.That said, the elements of erotica and parody are only two facets of a multi-faceted story. Adding parody to an otherwise erotic story, I believe helps in the digestion of the world, especially a world where only the fittest, wittiest, most beautiful and ruthless tend to survive.

Thank you for reading and I hope that you’ll be able to read The Fame Shame Game: The Debut soon!