The Feminist Sexpert’s Deep Thoughts About Deep Throat

“When a woman has a penis thrust down to the bottom of her throat, as in the film Deep Throat, that throat is not part of a human being who is involved in discussing ideas”.  Andrea Dworkin

As the porn and pop culture worlds celebrate the 50th anniversary of Deep Throat, arguably among the first pornographic films to draw mainstream attention and acclaim, I celebrate nothing but the memory of a woman ahead of her time.

Long before the dawn of the Me Too movement, Linda Boreman (called Linda Lovelace for the duration of her brief porn career) had the courage to speak up about her alleged, extreme abuse at the hands of her then husband, Chuck Traynor. I first read her story in the pages of an essay on the subject, written by my idol Gloria Steinem.

The savage physical, emotional and sexual abuse that she details is hideous, tragic and tough to read; with Boreman at one point surmising that, whenever anyone viewed Deep Throat, they were witnessing her rape (Deep Throat at 50: the controversial film that pushed porn into the mainstream | Movies | The Guardian)

Now, just to be clear: Boreman did not accuse her director and co-stars of sexual assault, but the husband who she claimed coerced her into the making of the film. She told her story in the pages of her book Ordeal, testified before Congress, and spoke at public events held in conjunction with various feminist groups. And in the commentary section of the DVD “Inside Deep Throat,” a representative of the Deep Throat production crew “backed up Lovelace’s allegation of a brutal beating that she claimed left bruises that are visible in the film. The man said his motel room was next to Lovelace and Traynor’s and emphatically stated that Traynor beat Lovelace viciously at night.” (TimeNote).

Also, to be fair, some say that her story changed over time (although, as Steinem points out in her essay, Boreman did pass lie detector tests, and porn legend Andrea True corroborated her story), and towards the end of her life she did agree to sign Deep Throat merchandise. What Deep Throat merch would look like; I really don’t want to know. And frankly, the fact that she acknowledged fan appreciation of her work does not mean that she was not abused.

So, what was the plot of Deep Throat? Well basically, a lass discovers that she can’t reach orgasm because, all this time, her clit was in her throat.

OK, so. Throughout the course of her life, this woman seemingly did not miss her dislocated clitoris, conveniently located in a place that could only be stimulated through that brand of oral sex that pleasures the man. Really? (Picture the Feminist Sexpert at this point banging her head against her computer screen). Erica Jong, one of the original feminist sexperts, refers to this concept as appalling. I can’t help but to agree.

Are there any positive points to Deep Throat? Well in the eyes of Christar Damiano, daughter of Throat director Gerard Damiano, Deep Throat is a feminist film in that it is told from a female viewpoint, and it details a woman’s search for pleasure. Christar and her family seem nice enough, and she has a pretty name. And the film’s lead actor, Harry Reems? Hey, he’s cute!

But these few pluses amount to nothing compared to the agony of Boreman’s story, told here in her words.

Somehow, I just can’t see myself celebrating the 50th anniversary of Deep Throat. So, this year, I instead celebrate the golden anniversary of Goldenrod; the first porn made by and for women. But more on that later.

These days, as more and more women rise to power in the adult industry, change is happening. My heart soars as I see feminist directors of all genders, in fact, producing beautiful and empowering pornographic art.

But abuse also is occurring as well, as it does in every industry, and it needs to be addressed.

Want to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Deep Throat? Well as the great Melissa Etheridge once sang in her hit, Similar Features, “Go on and close your eyes. It shouldn’t bother you.”

Although the whole point of the song, and this column, is that it should.

Rest in Power, Linda Boreman.