Doc here with the third installment of "Slow Jamming with Jessica", titled "Let's Talk About Etiquette".
In case you have missed the first two installments, Jessica works at Portland, Oregon's classic vintage adult theater, The Oregon Theater (address in the dB). Her insights and fresh perspective have been a breath of fresh air in this thing of ours, and thus she has her own column here @ The Good Doctor's Journal.
In this installment, Jessica addresses issues that are not just germane to The Oregon Theater, but across the spectrum to all adult theaters.
Read them and heed them.
Here is Jessica's outstanding column...
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Porn theater etiquette is very important. It ensures that everyone has a good time and that is what keeps people coming back. After all, most people can masturbate at home. We come to porn theaters to show off, watch, and/ or fuck. We have had a lot of etiquette problems here lately so I figured a reminder was in order. I prefer not to be mean (except to Dog Boy but he begs for it!) so perhaps this little reminder will allow me to avert unpleasantness.
First, I would like to answer a common question about porn theater play.....'What is the role of the escort in a couple?'
Usually, the escort in a couple is male although this may not be true in Domme situations or with tv/tg or same sex female couples. The escort is the person who plays less and figuratively directs traffic in a theater group sex situation.
My usual escort is my FWB, the irascible John. Before our trip down to the theater, we have a discussion about my boundaries. This includes who is required to use condoms (normally everyone except my fwbs), what holes I will be making available (usually all of them), what sex acts are off the table (I hate receiving oral), etc. This discussion is very important because it allows you to hash out what you want to do so that you can focus on having a good time at the theater.
I normally wear a very tight dress under a trench coat. When I walk into the auditorium, I am just in the dress and I pull the top down and the bottom up so the choir boys know I am there to play. John then announces my boundaries for the session in question while I pick out my spot and prepare to fuck.
Normally, I get on a bench with my ass and cunt in the air. As new guys come in, John keeps the line orderly and reiterates my boundaries. He keeps an eye out to make sure that the guys have condoms on and that they are following my rules. It is hard for me to keep track of the guys when I am surrounded by as many as 50 of them getting my brains fucked out. I prefer doggy style so I only actually see maybe 20% of the guys I fuck. If John was not there, I would have to stop after each person to make sure everything is running smoothly. He allows me to focus on having a good time.
This scenario is different for everyone. Some people just go in to watch the movie, some play with their partner only, some pick out a few additional play partners, others (like me) fuck pretty much everyone. I, myself, had a mishap last time I went in because John and I had not communicated beforehand and it was a definite killjoy. The last thing you want is to bring someone in to spice up your sex life by fulfilling some mutual fantasies only to have you or them get turned off by a bad experience, possibly never to return.
Now let's talk about etiquette and definite DONTs. This is normally more of an issue with people new to the theater scene so if you are a newbie please pay extra close attention.
- Respect other peoples' boundaries. Ask before you touch and definitely before you poke. Just because someone is in a porn theater does not mean that they are down for anything and everything you want them to be down for. Just because they did something with someone else doesn't mean they want to do the same with you. Unwanted physical contact is a crime in all 50 states, people!
- In the State of Oregon, where my theater is located, prostitution and drug use are against the law. When you engage in illegal activity at the theater, you disrupt other peoples' good time and put both the theater and the other patrons at risk. Two young chicks ran out of here the other day because some asshole offered them money. He is permanently banned and really lucky that I was not able to catch up with him.
- Do not take pictures without the permission of the people involved and the theater staff where you are playing at. A lot of people are not comfortable with having their picture taken due to the stigma surrounding theater play. Be considerate.
- Make sure you know and follow the other theater rules. For example, the theater I work at is now in a gentrified, family neighborhood. We have gotten many complaints over the years and we were even picketed by churches in the 90s. I was also told (but do not know for sure) that we had to sue a couple decades ago to stay open. The theater rules have been updated over time so that we can keep our doors open as the neighborhood and local laws have changed.
There are a lot of public misconceptions about people with our fetishes (as many of you already know) and it is important that we be mindful of how our behavior in and around theaters affects public perception. Let's not give them a reason to shut down or outlaw America's few remaining full action porn theaters.
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Doc here again... A huge thank you to Jessica for a spot-on essay on the tricky, winding road that is adult theater etiquette. This should be required reading for anyone who will be escorting their partner to an adult theater, or a patron of adult theaters.
Jessica, you are the best!
Thanks,
Doc