For a museum dedicated to one of humankind's boldest and most eye-catching acts, it's easy to miss the World Erotic Art Museum. Walking speedily through the streets of Washington Avenue, one might pass what looks like a standard office entrance, with an ornate statue by the door and a colorful elevator accompanied by a black rug. But look closer - and walk slower - and you'll see the entrance to the WEAM.
Welcome to the world's only museum dedicated exclusively to erotic art, proudly standing in Miami Beach for the past eight years. Last night, in honor of its eight-year anniversary, Naomi Wilzig, curator and owner, invited Danforth Prince, President of Blood Moon Productions, to give a talk about one of the most famous names in the porn industry: Linda Lovelace.
Before the talk began at around 9:15 p.m., guests arrived at a relaxed pace; those who were there since 8 p.m. enjoyed the reception, featuring an open bar and some munchies (read: sushi and chocolate). When it was time to move from the Mythology room to the Oriental room, guests quickly filled up the set up seating and others crowded in the back to listen. Prince's voice commanded the room and he spoke with ease on the subject.
Blood Moon Production company is known for publishing in-depth biographies of old Hollywood stars; as Prince put it, they "salvage" the oral history and mix it with dates and the written word to put down stories others might be afraid to tell. Some of their book covers even have the phrase "Hot, Unauthorized, and Unapologetic."
The oral history part couldn't be more appropriate, since the subject of the evening's discussion was a woman who was responsible for taking oral sex mainstream.
Blood Moon's Lovelace biography, scheduled for release to coincide with the Amanda Seyfried Lovelace film, was written by biographer Darwin Porter, who actually sat in on a meeting back in 1980s with Lovelace. The would-be porn icon was telling a biographer all about her wild life for a tell-all book. Lovelace was accompanied by a "quartet of journalists, who took down every word she said, all her memoir, every movie star she had serviced sexually, every attitude she had about the mob, every attitude she had about the legal cases that she went through; Linda told everything to [that] agency in 1988," said Prince. The book in question never got written, thanks to a lawsuit, but Porter kept the notes he took, and they eventually lead him to tell Lovelace's story a few decades later in Linda Lovelace's Deep Throat, published last April.
Naturally, the movie that made Lovelace an overnight sensation, Deep Throat, was the main conversation piece last night. Wilzig stood up midway through Prince's talk to mention that part of the movie was filmed in Miami, at an estate in Coconut Grove. She then pointed out three pieces from that same estate she had acquired that were on display in the room.
Aside from the bizarre connection Deep Throat has to Miami, here are five quick (and equally bizarre) things we learned about Linda Lovelace:
1. She was a Catholic schoolgirl. As if Lovelace weren't already fetishized enough.
2. She claims she was coerced into the porn industry by her pimp husband. This stands as the "great debate" -- was she or wasn't she?
3. Every man in Hollywood wanted to put his junk in her mouth. They threw parties just to invite Lovelace...and have her blow all the guests.
4. She worked as a "fetish servicer" for some time before discovering her true, uh, talent. She would attend fetish parties and be the object of desire; for example, she went to a vampire fetish party where they pricked her finger and drank her blood.
5. The Mob and Sammy Davis Jr. made Deep Throat a hit. Lovelace's claim to fame would likely have languished in obscurity without them. If it weren't for the mob backing the porno or Sammy Davis Jr. throwing viewing parties, it would have remained a forgotten flick.
Follow Cultist on Facebook and Twitter @CultistMiami.
