HBO OnDemand: A Millenial's Sexual Awakening
It was the early 2000s, your parents were asleep, and you finally had the TV to yourself. With the volume down on low, you maneuvered your way to the adult OnDemand section. This was where you’d find shows like Real Sex, Pornucopia, Cathouse, and Taxicab Confessions.
This was your sexual awakening.
From 1990 to 2009, HBO premiered these four docuseries. Aimed at adult audiences who wanted to learn more about the sex industry or just sexuality in general, these softcore porn episodes were where I learned about pony play, phone sex operators, and the titillating Katie Morgan.
Let’s break each one down.
Real Sex
Real Sex (1990-2009), was my personal favorite. It had the most episodes and a huge variety. There was something for everyone. Each episode featured five or so segments that showcased the world of human sexuality. Topics like peep shows, strip tease classes, BDSM dungeons, and ‘How to Please a Penis.’ And it wasn’t just heterosexual Americans. Lesbians and gay men were interviewed, a man from China, women from Russia. They truly had it all. Katie Smalheer said, “that was the essence of Real Sex, real people doing what turned them on, and having fun.”
In between segments, they had interviews with people on the sidewalks of New York City. They asked these strangers where their favorite place to have sex was, and what they named their penis.
Pornucopia
Pornucopia (2004), a Real Sex spinoff mini-series explored the ins and outs of the California porn industry. This is where I learned the names of Stormy Daniels, Jenna Jameson, Katie Morgan, and Jenna Haze. Only producing six episodes, Pornucopia showcased the behind-the-scenes of filming pornography. I specifically remember that the show filmed the auditions for ‘Space Nuts,’ an upcoming film with aliens. The show took us to The 2003 AVN Awards, which is basically The Oscars but for the porn industry. They had categories like Best Anal-Themed Feature and Best Spanking Tape. Jenna Haze was happy to win Starlet of the Year and Best Solo Masturbation. The directors and producers in the industry were interviewed, and it was shown just how… normal the porn industry can be.
Taxicab Confessions
Taxicab Confessions (1996-2006) featured strangers in the backseat of a taxicab. With hidden cameras all over, the driver asks the passengers to confess (mostly sexual) secrets. Thankfully, the strangers signed waivers to release the footage after filming. Sometimes the strangers were regular people who had had a threesome recently, and sometimes it was an exotic dancer who just got off her shift. It wasn’t always sexual in manner though. A body piercer was interviewed, drug addicts, a homeless man, an AIDS victim, and so much more. Taxicab Confessions revealed the secrets of New York City and Las Vegas, one car at a time.
Cathouse
Cathouse (2005-2015) was probably the most popular at the time. This series documented the lives of the women working at the Moonlite Bunny Ranch in Nevada. At the time, the ranch was owned by Dennis Hof who went on to own seven different brothels in the state of Nevada.
I know I said Real Sex was my favorite, but Cathouse comes in at a close second. We got to see inside a REAL brothel! As a pre-teen watching late-night TV clandestine, how cool was that? I remember thinking that I couldn’t wait to visit when I was 18 or did I want to work there? I knew I’d have to choose a name like Airforce Amy, Bunny Love, or Leah Lust. When a customer entered the ranch, the girls in their sexy outfits would line up. The customer would choose who they wanted (sometimes more than 1!), and the negotiation phase would begin. Each girl had their own room, complete with their own toys and bathroom. In other episodes, the women would be in the ranch pool together, discussing different sex positions they want to try. Since it was reality TV, there was always a bit of drama between Dennis and one of the women. He was always dating one of them, and another one was always jealous. But in all, it seemed like a fun place to be.
Where’d the smut go?
Curiously, HBO removed all of their erotic adult shows in 2018. An HBO spokesperson said that “while we’re greatly ramping up our other original program offerings, there hasn’t been a strong demand for this kind of adult programming, perhaps because it’s easily available elsewhere.” And it’s true. The internet has exploded with adult content since these shows were around. Any information you learned from HBO, can easily be obtained today just through Google. PornHub is available to all, and there are articles upon articles with information on fetishes and how to tie up your partner. But I don’t think anything can beat these four shows. They were real. Real people, real stories, real relationships. PornHub can help you figure out what you’re into, but you know it’s all edited to look the best. I loved watching these shows for the realness of it all.
It’s even hard to find these shows to watch online or order DVDs. They have for the most part disappeared and are just a memory inside my head. Except for Pornucopia! Check out 3 of the episodes in the link below, which includes the audition for Space Nuts.
Where are they now?
Now the question is, where is everyone today? Katie Morgan is 42 years old and still in the industry. Jenna Haze is 40 and ended up giving a TED Talk and even went to college. Stormy Daniels is 43 and went on to film directing. The people who were interviewed on the streets of the city are probably all in their 50s or 60s now. Imagine seeing your mother or even grandmother on one of these old shows. Now that would be interesting.
As we get further and further away from the 90s and early 2000s, when these shows were at their peak, I can’t help but wonder if another show like this will ever be produced again.
An OnlyFans documentary, anyone? I want to see more behind the scenes.
Human sexuality is fascinating. Everyone has different kinks, turn-ons, desires, and fetishes. Some people don’t realize all of their desires until late adulthood. Some discover them very young (oops). Some people are repulsed by sex, others literally can’t stop watching porn.
I’ll leave you with this, YKINMK. And that’s quite alright.
