Why I Love it Old School Style by Liselle

"I don't think I'm gonna put it in. No no no, not this time." says John Leslie to a semi-naked Gina Carrera, with self satisfied control. Gina sounds genuinely disappointed and begs, "Please put it in!" (Stiff Competiton, 1984 Joybear Classics)

When has a man looked so cool and in control with his pants down?

And just to confirm the 'length' (sorry) of his control, he purposefully teases young Gina with a few restrained thrusts, fueling Gina's frustration (and ours).

It's probably obvious that I love John Leslie - most of us are attracted to sexual confidence - but my love for 70s and 80s porn is a rather more complex affair. With the release of Joybear Classics, 'Dixie Ray Hollywood Star' (1985) and 'Stiff Competition' (1984), I was trying to figure out what draws me to these retro treasures. Maybe I'm just nostalgic and curious to see sex in a world when I was too young to understand it. But I also think there's more to it than that.

The performers are certainly a big part of it. And I'm talking about more than big parts (sorry, again). Firstly, the women really were women. Frequently, they were intelligent, often well spoken and actually weren't half bad at acting too. I'm not saying that there aren't attractive and strong female performers today but unfortunately there seem to be so many girls just doing it for the quick money, the fame and the glamour. Who can be the prettiest? The bustiest? The dirtiest? Plus, the popular trend is boorrrrring; painted dolls with an open-mouthed, sleazy expression.

And the men! The men have personalities. And even if they're not the best looking (Ron Jeremy), they have a bit of charisma, intelligence and maybe even a sense of humour. So is porn attracting a different kind of performer today, or are we talking about a much bigger change in society?

Having spoken to a female porn veteran about this, her explanation was that back then, they didn't aim to be pornstars. They wanted to act. By doing adult movies you got experience in front of the camera and could even get to be the star of a movie. Plus, although the risks were higher, the sex scenes were often less demanding, due to the amount of non-sex acting time on screen. Things have flipped round these days. 15 minutes of script and 5 minutes of sex have turned into 5 minutes of script (if that) and 15 minutes of sex. So, the irony being that when they didn't aim to be pornstars they gave us good sex and now it's what they choose, sex often looks like it really is just a job.

Of course, the industry has also changed a lot and so has what the public demand from porn. Quick fix, search specific clips mean there is less room for features with plot development and character. Directors often either succumb to the key market while remaining frustrated artists, or their own interests lie firmly in the close-up shot of 'Tammy's Hollywood-waxed foof (although I'm sure 'foof' is not how 'Tammy' would refer to it).

Things change and we must embrace the positives of modern day erotica. And there are so many amazing possibilities that come with technology. But, when I leave my porn littered desk and go home for some private and personal entertainment in 2010, it is John, Ron, Hersch, Veronica, Annette and Nina who still do it for me.

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