Psychology Tomorrow Interview Digs (and Digs Into) Dana Vespoli

VENICE, CA—Dana Vespoli has emerged not only as one of the industry’s most original and influential directors, she is also proving to be one of the most articulate and interesting people in adult. Fellow director Nica Noelle pulled off a wide-ranging interview for PsychologyTomorrow.com that is insightful and intriguing. Noelle introduced Dana as someone who “is steadily redefining what it means to be a 21st century pornographer.” Dana reveals herself as the antithesis of the porn stereotype. Deep, thoughtful and inspired, Dana is also refreshingly direct and, thanks to her acknowledged talent, she is largely able to do what she wants and can do it on her own terms. When Noelle pointed out that Dana threw the “standard 4-5 sex scene porn format out the window” for her movie She’s Come Undone, Dana was quick to acknowledge that she is not interested in following the industry’s rules or giving in to viewer expectations. “I’m kind of an asshole,” Dana said. “I don’t think about what the viewer wants. I’m devoted to the story and follow the story through, in effect letting the characters tell me where they want to have sex. Perhaps it will be my undoing in the industry, but I’m terrible at doing what others expect, or demand, that I do.” As it turns out, there is a huge audience ready to see something different come out of Porn Valley and her product is connecting with a growing legion of fans. She has largely won over the critics, too, garnering enthusiastic reviews and a long list of award nominations as well as some very impressive wins. For example, she won Best Director – Non-Parody at the 2013 NightMoves Awards. For someone truly doing things her way—and that way being significantly different from the standard fare—she’s garnering a lot of mainstream success. While Dana says she identifies as a feminist, she doesn’t consciously set out with a political agenda when she makes her movies. “I can’t approach my work with a political agenda. I shoot what I know and I shoot what I like,” she stated. “If it becomes political for me, I can’t do it.” She says she thinks it gets dangerous when people set out with a singular agenda to “make feminist porn” or try to define porn as either feminist or not—that it erases everything. “I come from a place where porn, to me, growing up, represented so much more than just an orgasm,” Dana revealed. “It represented a kind of freedom.” Taste that freedom with new releases directed by and/or starring Dana. Releasing this week is Lesbian Babysitters 11 (Sweetheart Video), which she says is the best of the volumes she’s directed of the popular series. Two new movies this week star Dana the performer: Spread Her Gaping Ass 2 (Depraved Creations) and There’s a Diesel in My Ass (Digital Sin). On June 16, she will release Lesbian Anal P.O.V. 5 (Dana Vespoli/Evil Angel). For more information on Lesbian Babysitters 11, click here. Read Nica Noelle’s great interview with Dana here. Follow Dana Vespoli on Twitter and visit her Evil Angel page.