CYBERSPACE—When it debuted, EroticScribes.com was focused on one of the narrower specialties in the entertainment world: porn made specifically for women. Part news, part satire and part sex education resource, the site has steadily grown beyond its original vision, quickly surpassing in reach and popularity similar blogs and entertainment news sites established long before EroticScribes.
"It might be a commentary on the current state of American celebrity culture that a website which started out its life as a blog filled with musings about erotica made by and for women has evolved into something of a mainstream entertainment news and commentary site," said EroticScribes founder Angie Rowntree, who also owns the leading erotica-for-women subscription website, Sssh.com.
In one recent post, EroticScribes author Skye O'Donovan takes Lovelace star Amanda Seyfried to task over a series of confused and contradictory statements about pornography made by the young actress. Among other things, O'Donovan notes that in "kinda-sorta trying to defend porn, Amanda managed to invoke just about every stereotype that exists about the adult entertainment industry.
"I find myself shaking my head in confusion and disbelief at the steady flow of contradicting and just plain clueless statements that came out of this gal's mouth," O'Donovan continues. "Amanda is a lovely and promising actress, but it's just a shame that she is going on and on with such drivel."
While most of the site's commentary is less biting, Rowntree says that readers can expect candor and "the kind of truth that stings a bit" when they visit EroticScribes.com.
"What we don't want is for the site to descend into being a celebrity gossip rag, or just another blog cataloging the many 'nip slips' emanating from red carpet events," she said. "Humor, fun and a lighthearted look at sex in the media are all definitely a part of the EroticScribes DNA, but the points we make and the issues we raise are quite serious. Sex is a fundamental part of life, and as we saw in the last national election cycle, the way people think about sex and talk about sex can really define the way others see them. These days, it can be the difference between sitting in the Senate, and sitting in an abandoned campaign headquarters, asking yourself where you went wrong."
Rowntree attributes the success of the site and its recent traffic increase to the efforts of EroticScribes editor in chief, Coleen Singer.
"Coleen has really invested herself in EroticScribes and given it new life and a new vision," Rowntree said. "She's such a perceptive person, which really comes through in her writing, and in the way she works with our other writers to ensure a high level of quality and consistency in what we publish."
Singer commented, "In my time of writing for Erotic Scribes, I noticed that any time I covered complex topics such as politics, censorship and other pressing sexual anthropological topics, readers really responded. There is a vast pool of things in our culture that are ripe for commentary, specifically how it deals with the topic of sex and adult entertainment. My current focus is to create a place for thought provoking exploration of the many nuances of sex in society."
