Sex (book)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Author | Madonna |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Warner Books |
| Released | 1992 |
| Media Type | Print (Hardback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-446-51732-1 |
Sex is the title of a highly-designed coffee table book written by Madonna with photographs by Steven Meisel Studio and film frames shot by Fabien Baron, released October 21, 1992 by Warner Books. The book was released by Madonna as an accompaniment to her fifth studio album Erotica, which was released seven days prior (October 14, 1992). The book featured strong adult content and softcore pornographic photographs depicting simulations of sexual acts.
Featured in the book, aside from unknown faces, are model Naomi Campbell, actress Isabella Rossellini, rappers Big Daddy Kane and Vanilla Ice, gay porn star Joey Stefano, actor Udo Kier, the European socialite Tatiana von Furstenberg, and nightclub owner and Madonna pal Ingrid Casares. For the release Madonna gave a huge party at New York City's Industria Superstudio, for which she attended dressed as Little Bo Peep with a stuffed toy lamb.
As well as Steven Meisel, photographers from his studio were also employed. The book credits, aside from Meisel, Michael Stratton, Darren Lew, Line Barzudkas, Stephen Callaghan, and Chris Hobson. Fabien Baron, one of the book's designers, also shot many of the photo sessions on film (mostly Super 8), and many of the photos in the book were film frames taken from this footage.
Warner Bros. executives were reluctant to allow Madonna to make such a book, and though they eventually gave her permission, many of the executives remained opposed to the idea. Madonna was made to sign an agreement that forbade her from including any photographs depicting religious imagery, bestiality, or child pornography. Madonna soon afterwards took the helm of her own Maverick Recording Company, with the book becoming one of the first releases from the label. Since by contract she had total artistic control over any of the work released on the label, the agreement she signed with Warner Bros. concerning what not to do in Sex became obsolete. As a "tongue-in-cheek" way of demonstrating her power, Madonna included two photographs that "broke the rules"—a photo where she is tied à la S&M on a small table surrounded by candles with a large crucifix behind her, and another photo of her kneeling on the ground with a dog underneath her on its back, creating the impression that the animal is giving her oral sex.
Warner Bros. commented that the book was very difficult to produce, requiring contributions from many different printing companies, with Mighty Dimension Inc. coordinating the project—LTI, Bishop Studio, Master Eagle Graphic Design, and Shorewood Packaging, all based in New York City; as well as Laserscan Inc. in Phoenix, Arizona; Benson and Palmer in Newport, Rhode Island; Mohawk Papermills in Cohoes, New York; C&H Packaging Company Inc. in Merrill, Wisconsin; and Nicholstone in Nashville, Tennessee. At some point while the book was being produced some of the photos were stolen, prompting an FBI investigation that quickly recovered the photos. In the credits of the book Madonna thanks the FBI for "...rescuing photographs that would have made J. Edgar Hoover roll over."
The book was printed in 1.5 million copies in its first edition, and another 1.5 million in its second (Madonna herself is said to own the very first printed copy of the first edition). The book was manufactured by Warner Books in the United States only in the principal English version. Warner Books only allowed the book to be printed in English, French, and Japanese. These versions of the book were printed in their respective countries, and aside from the translated text and differences in paper, are identical to the English version. Books that were printed in languages such as Spanish, Thai, or Russian for example, are all unofficial, and were manufactured without the consent of Madonna or Warner Bros. These versions of the book were printed in a variety of styles, with varying covers and quality.
The book was designed by Madonna and Baron & Baron Inc. (consisting of Fabien Baron and Siung Fat Tjia), who also designed the packaging for Madonna's Erotica album. In the "standard" English version, some of the pages vary in type of paper, texture, and size. The Japanese release of the book was printed on art paper of far better quality than that of the U.S and French releases. The text of the book varies from handwritten to printed, with eye-bending styles of typefaces and colors. In the Japanese version of the book any printed text that was not printed in these complex typefaces had the Japanese translation printed over it, and any text that could not have the translation printed over it was translated in the back of the book on additional pages. The French version of the book included all translations of the text in the back of the book on additional pages.
Certain pages include images that are collages of ripped and pasted prints, proof sheets, entire pages in monochromes and full color, and other collages of photos that look as though they were stapled together. Most of the style of the book is presented in a manner suggestive of Andy Warhol, as with the famous shot on the mylar cover of the book. Depicted are acts of simulated lesbianism, sadomasochism, anilingus, and rape. The Japanese version of the book had any photos of genitalia "scribbled out". Several organizations tried to boycott the sale of the book, which still sold 150,000 copies in one day in the USA alone. All 1.5 million copies of the first edition were sold out worldwide in just a couple of days making it the worldwide most successful coffee table book ever released. The back cover of the English releases were stamped with a serial number, while the Japanese version was released in a special box with a certificate of authenticity. The French version of the book had a serial number printed on the second last page.
Madonna had originally intended to call the book X but changed her mind when the publicity machine for Spike Lee's upcoming film Malcolm X began (the film was released three weeks after the book), leading to the fashion trend of wearing hats and shirts with a large X in honor of Malcolm X. Madonna wanted the book to be of an oval shape, but the printing and manufacturing of such a book would have been too expensive. In the end, the original design for the "X" title and shape of the book were only retained on the back cover (see below).
Included with the book is a CD single. It contains a more subdued version of the song Erotica, titled Erotic which was only released via the book (this version of the song was also released in an edited version on a promotional-only LP picture-disc released in the UK). The packaging for the CD was designed by Madonna to resemble a condom in its wrapper to promote safe sex.
There is a small photonovella-style comic bound into the back of the book titled Dita in "The Chelsea Girl" which depicts a party at the Hotel Chelsea in New York City. Apparently Madonna made the comic book when photographer Steven Meisel placed a stack of random photos from one of the book's photo sessions on her desk. He suggested she conjure up a story while maintaining the random order the pictures were in.
Madonna wrote all of the erotica in the book, as a character named Mistress Dita, inspired by the silent film actress Dita Parlo.
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[edit] The Release of Sex
There was a huge public "buzz" prior to the book's release, which took place on October 21, 1992 and generating massive publicity, with many people feeling that Madonna had finally "gone too far". Many book stores refused to carry it, though the ones that did never saw a book sell out so quickly. Many critics considered it another calculated controversy timed to boost sales of her new album; and the majority of reviews were intensely negative.
The day after the release of the book MTV aired a special called The Day In Madonna (a pun on the title of it's daily show The Day In Rock) that profiled the release Madonna's Sex book and her new album Erotica, even taking the book to the streets to allow people to view it. The book was also shown to a sex therapist and group of real-life New York City Dominatrixes. MTV interviewed many people who had viewed the book at the the HMV music store in New York City, who, aside from holding a Madonna look-alike contest, set up a booth where people could view the book for $1.00 a minute, with the all of the money made going to Lifebeat - the music industry organization founded to help fund AIDS research.
Since all of the first edition copies of the book sold out so quickly, there was a huge demand for additional copies, with Warner Books deciding to print a second edition of the book. Prior to the release of the second edition, many book chains offered customers the option to pre-order a copy.
The Japanese version of the book was released on December 1, 1992, and after a week of being for sale the book was banned in Japan, leaving many book and music chains who purchased copies of the book unable to sell them, prompting these chains to sell the books via the internet. Since only one million copies of the Japanese version were printed, this version of the book in mint condition is today very valuable.
Now long out of print, Sex is very valuable—prices for a brand-new unopened 1st edition can start at USD $200 on Amazon.com or Ebay.com. As a result of the Japanese version of the book only being printed in 500,000 copies (being banned shortly after its release), an unopened edition can start at prices as high as USD $400.
[edit] The Sex book video
Many of the photos in the book Sex are from film frames. Madonna had photographer Steven Meisel shoot many of the sessions with regular photography, but these same sessions were also shot as a movie with various film techniques by fashion photographer Fabian Baron, mostly on super 8 mm. Baron used the footage for the video for the song "Erotica," which he directed.
Madonna and Baron compiled an hour of the footage for a film that Madonna had played during a party she gave for the release of Sex at New York City's Industria Superstudio. Madonna also had 100 copies of the film made to give to her closest friends. This film boasted a soundtrack of French music from the 1920s and '30s of songs by such singers as Charles Trenet, Edith Piaf, and Josephine Baker. At some point in the early to mid-1990s, this film leaked out to the public, and for a time copies of it were sold as The Sex Book Video or as The Making of Sex and Erotica in versions with variations in editing and soundtrack in online markets such as eBay. Occasionally a copy of the film will turn up for sale on eBay. Today copies of the original 60 minute edit with its 1920s/30s-noir soundtrack can go for prices as high as USD $500—even more expensive than the book itself. It has been said that this video was to be "officially" released but Warner Bros. scrapped the idea. Bootleg copies are now for sale on Amazon.com in DVD format as The Sex Book Movie.
[edit] External links
- Sex online on MadonnaOnline.ch
- Madonna arriving at Industria Superstudio for the release party for Sex
- Sex at the Internet Movie Database
[edit] Gallery
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