- Afrodite Superstar
"Afrodite Superstar" is an American independent
art film inNew York City in 2006. The film has also been referred to aserotica . The director also refers to the film as anexperimental film as the characters break the fourth wall, and there is a blend of satire. "Afrodite Superstar" was directed byVenus Hottentot .Executive producer Candida Royalle is also credited with directing the sexual scenes. "Afrodite Superstar" has been endorsed byAmerican Association of Sexual Educators, Counselors and Therapists andpremiere d in 2007 at theNew School for Social Research [ [http://www.eros-zine.com/articles/2007-03-06/afrodite_superstar0306/ Afrodite Superstar, Afrodite Exposed, Sexual Empowerment in an Adult Hip Hop Film, Afrodite Superstar, Abiola Abrams, Venus Hottentot, Candida Royalle, Natasha Cortes, Simone Valentino, India, Mr. Marcus, Justin Long, Sativa Verte, Jay Junker, Liliana Vel ] ] with a discussion about women of color and sexual images. The film subsequently as part of an art exhibit called "Hos, Putas and Dragon Ladies: Our Sexuality Remixed" at the chashama Gallery inManhattan . [http://www.chashama.org/dale/eventdisplay.php?id=2356; this citation is provided to verify the exhibit, but does not include reference to the film.] "Afrodite Superstar" was nominated for 7AVN Awards in 2007 including "Best Director", "Best Screenplay" and "Best Musical Score." The film was referred to as "erotic" and "cerebral" in "Essence Magazine " [ [http://www.essence.com/essence/bodyandsoul/relationships/0,16109,1640516,00.html Try This At Home : Essence.com ] ] , and was mentioned in theVillage Voice 's 2007 Sexy Gift Guide [ [http://www.villagevoice.com/people/0749,taormino,78549,24.html village voice > people > Pucker Up: Eighth Annual Sexy Gift Guide by Tristan Taormino ] ] by sexpertTristan Taormino .Director
"Afrodite Superstar" was directed by art filmmaker
Venus Hottentot . She joinsLarry Clark ,Matthew Barney ,John Cameron Mitchell ,Vincent Gallo ,Michael Winterbottom andGore Vidal "(Destricted ,Shortbus ,The Brown Bunny ,9 Songs " and "Caligula") as mainstream filmmakers who sought to make thought-provoking, intelligent films with explicit sexual content.Venus Hottentot is a feminist art school graduate who wanted to make a film that showed positive sexual representations of women of color to directly contrast the images in pop culture music videos, films and magazines, while also employing comedy and satire. She chose the name Venus Hottentot to reclaim the spirit of a South African woman, also called
Sarah Baartman , who was sexually displayed and exploited in Europe. The film quotesGloria Steinem andBell Hooks , and the director has been called the Zane of filmmaking. Venus Hottentot does not use the word "porn" to describe "Afrodite Superstar" as this term is misleading for this film. [ [http://www.edenfantasys.com/sex-toy-reviews/media/afrodite-superstar Sex toys reviews – AfroDite Superstar - Erotic video - Erotic and educational media ] ] To this end, the film has drawn ire from those seeking to use it for pornographic purposes as porn/ audience arousal was not the director's mission. [ [http://www.podcastdirectory.com/podshows/index.php?sid=1458607 TruMix.com : PodcastDirectory.com : Professor P's P4NORAMA Podcast ] ] As anAfrican American filmmaker, her objective with this project was reclaiming the voice and expression of women of color, as well as raising sexual self esteem. [ [http://www.venushottentot.com Afrodite Superstar ] ]Venus Hottentot has been identified as TV host/novelist and art film maker
Abiola Abrams . [ [http://www.abiolaabrams.com/id54.html Abiola Abrams' Film Page] ]Plot
The satirical film spoofs several recent pop cultural
It Girl moments such as Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction and Ashlee Simpson's lip synching fiasco. It has also been called an African American "Red Shoe Diaries ". [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1094986/ Afrodite Superstar (2006) (V) ] ]"Afrodite Superstar" evolves the standard fairytale of
Cinderella —girl gets her prince and a sense of self as well. The plot summary: Have you ever dreamed of being a superstar? Poor little rich girl AfroDite hasn’t—not until she runs into CEO, the mogul’s mogul of hip hop. Catapulted in to the world of made mega-stars, AfroDite quickly becomes a top selling rapper and nothing can keep her down – not wardrobe malfunctions, not lip synching fiascos, nothing! Well, almost nothing. Finding herself a little socially challenged in the love department, her secret crush CEO only seems to see dollar signs on her forehead. The principal questions are "Will AfroDite get her man" and "Will super-stardom turn out to be everything she never wished for?"Trivia
* American actor
Blair Underwood 's debut novel "Casanegra" coincidentally features a rap superstar also named Afrodite. [ [http://www.amazon.com/Casanegra-Tennyson-Hardwick-Blair-Underwood/dp/0743287312 Amazon.com: Casanegra: A Tennyson Hardwick Novel: Books: Blair Underwood,Tananarive Due,Steven Barnes ] ]ee also
*
List of mainstream films with unsimulated sex References
External links
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1094986/ Afrodite Superstar at the Internet Movie Database]
* [http://www.venushottentot.com/ Director Venus Hottentot]
* [http://www.candidaroyalle.com/afro/afro.html Afrodite Superstar Feedback]
* [http://www.royalle.com/ Producer Royalle]
* [http://www.essence.com/essence/bodyandsoul/relationships/0,16109,1640516,00.html Essence Magazine mention]
* [http://www.pornmoviesforwomen.com/afroditesuperstar.html Film Review]
* [http://blog.blowfish.com/videos/afrodite-superstar/384 Review]
* [http://www.thestar.com/living/health/article/197512 Canadian Newspaper Interview]
* [http://www.candidaroyalle.com/trailer2.html Afrodite Superstar Trailer]
* [http://www.women24.com/Women24/ChatWin/Guest_Columnist/Article/0,,1-2-151_16635,00.html Critical Article]
* [http://www.villagevoice.com/people/0749,taormino,78549,24.html Village Voice Mention]
* [http://www.eros-zine.com/articles/2007-03-06/afrodite_superstar0306/ Archived Afrodite Superstar University Premiere Info]
* [http://www.nypost.com/seven/02102007/gossip/pagesix/sex_deprived_pagesix_.htm Candida Royalle in NY Post]
* [http://www.aasect.org/ American Association of Sexuality Educators] On the Original Hottentot Venus
* [http://www.english.emory.edu/Bahri/Hott.html A French print]
* [http://www.hottentotvenus.com/index2.htm Mara Verna's interactive audio and video piece including a bibliography]
* [http://modelminority.blogspot.com/2006/04/buffie-body-is-venus-hottentot.html Video Girls & Hottentot Venus]
* [http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/worldwide/story/0,,653760,00.html Guardian article on the return of her remains]
* [http://www.southafrica.info/ess_info/sa_glance/history/saartjie.htm South Africa government site about her, including Diana Ferrus's pivotal poem]
* [http://www.frif.com/new99/hottento.html A documentary film called "The Life and Times of Sara Baartman" by Zola Maseko]
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