‘50 Shades of Erotica’ Panel to Gather at USC on October 14

LOS ANGELES—The USC School of Cinematic Arts will host “50 Shades of Erotica: The Blurring of the Line Between Hollywood and Adult Entertainment,” a panel discussion on the adult industry at the University of Southern California on October 14. Adult performer Casey Calvert, filmmaker Magnus Sullivan, and adult performer and sex educator jessica drake will be the featured speakers. Presented by the USC School of Cinematic Arts, the event will be held at 7 p.m. at the Ray Stark Family Theatre on USC’s campus in Los Angeles. Alex Ago, director of programming and special projects for USC's School of Cinematic Arts, will moderate. The event is open to the general public. For more information and to RSVP, click here. The aim of the panel is to show how sex in Hollywood is about extremes: it is either objectified, fetishized, shown as part of an ogling community, à la Fifty Shades of Grey, or it’s shamed for showing characters that embrace what is deemed an overly sexual nature who must change, such as in this summer’s sex comedy Trainwreck. Characters who crave sex in a monogamous relationship are generally applauded, while those characters who enjoy an abundance of sex outside of monogamy are generally demonized or depicted as requiring saving. The discussion will also focus on how Hollywood often tries to push the boundaries of sex, as it relates to puritanical America, while still maintaining an ideology based on sex as a dirty word. On the other hand, the adult entertainment industry, which makes movies based around sex, is continually vying for mainstream acceptance and to be taken seriously. “Being a part of this panel is going to be a very exciting experience,” said Calvert who also educates on the topics of BDSM and fetishes for GameLink.com. “Joining such amazing and talented people, like Magnus and jessica, and to share in their knowledge, is truly going to be a great experience for me and the audience.” Filmmaker Magnus Sullivan, whose recent groundbreaking independent film Marriage 2.0 earned wide acclaim for mixing explicit sex scenes with a compelling tale of a modern marriage, also will offer his take on creating a new genre with his film. “I feel audiences are ready for films that blend elements from adult movies with independent filmmaking,” Sullivan said. “We’ve proven that with the tremendous response we received from filmgoers and critics alike for Marriage 2.0. It’s a new era and a new day for filmmaking.” Renowned sexual health expert and Wicked Pictures contract performer jessica drake is also featured on the panel. The adult superstar is known as creator, director, producer and host of the acclaimed sexual education video series jessica drake’s Guide to Wicked Sex. Pictured, l-r: jessica drake, Magnus Sullivan, Casey Calvert.