[dropcap]I[/dropcap] think that as an artist, when you open yourself up to the world — when you allow yourself to be ‘naked’, so to speak — that’s when you truly connect with people.” Karley Sciortino is a sex blogger who does just that and is part of the generation of bloggers who are willing to open themselves up and expose the naked truth about sex in the infinite realm of the blogosphere. Her blog Slutever is both empowering and entertaining, maintaining the perfect balance of information and frank disclosure in a society still awash with perpetuated myths and shame regarding sexual practices. Sciortino states that “so much of what we fear and discriminate against comes from a simple lack of understanding”, and her main aims are to “humanise people who are often thought of as ‘sex freaks’ and to support all types of consensual kink”.

Although the blog has become synonymous with sex, Sciortino admits that its origins were purely personal and anecdotal, focusing on the everyday, including her sexual experiences as “I’ve always been quite a sexual person, and feel comfortable and confident talking openly about sex.” Everyday life, however, was far from mundane, with Sciortino living in a south London squat where, “it wasn’t out of the ordinary to come home to a living room full of naked people on DMT conducting some sort of makeshift ritual, or to find a homeless Romanian family you’ve never met before baking bread in the kitchen”. These bohemian antics and her alternative lifestyle continue as the blog progresses, with Sciortino stating that “it organically turned into a blog that deals mainly with sex, as I got more interested in BDSM [Bondage, Discipline, Sadism and Masochism] and sex work”. Experimentation features in her blog and Sciortino confessed that “Slutever” came from a high school friend who substituted “whatever” for “slutever” — a substitution which she remembered when creating her blog. “In hindsight it was a perfect choice, because I think it’s fun, frank and sarcastic, but also relays a pro-sex message, and I like to think the same is true about my blog.”

The frankness and sarcasm that is prevalent throughout her blog is anticipated in Natalia Leite and Alexandra Roxo’s new comedy web-series Be Here Nowish, which achieved its funding through Kickstarter. The show centres on two sexually progressive New York girls who run off to LA in pursuit of a spiritual awakening. Sciortino describes it as being “similar to Portlandia, except in LA — so basically it’s a sexy show that highlights the humour in the rituals of new-age culture, things like astrology, ‘power cleanses’, yoga, and medicinal plant ceremonies — which is all very popular in LA right now.” The show aims to strike a balance between parodying these alternative cultural rituals whilst respecting people’s beliefs toward them, as Sciortino adds “Alexandra and Natalia are both very involved in new-age culture in their personal lives, so they are using the show to illustrate the humour in something that is actually very important to them.” Sciortino plays a “ditzy, yoga-loving, trust-fund lesbian”, and although she herself has not had the spiritual experiences of her co-stars, the exploration of sexuality that is a core component of the show, features heavily in her blog. “There’s threesomes, lesbian relationships, some S&M — and those experiences I could definitely relate to,” and even if audiences had similar experiences, Sciortino believes that “anyone who is at all sexually or spiritually curious, or who has ever felt a little bit lost in the world, will definitely connect with the characters in the show.” Comparisons, of course, will be made with Lena Dunham’s Girls, which also charts the overwhelming restlessness of twentysomethings, “I feel like every time a girl creates something, people instantly compare it to other things that girls within her age group or vague social bracket have created, and I think we need to stop doing that, because it’s really lazy.” Indeed, given that Be Here Nowish focuses primarily on lesbian relationships which will also feature in the third season of Girls, how does Sciortino feel about the portrayal of homosexuality on television?

“I think the portrayal of lesbians in mainstream media is often very cheesy and encourages stereotypes, so what’s great about Be Here Nowish is that it’s real, honest and also is a self-aware portrayal of the gay communities in New York and LA.” Now based primarily in New York herself, Sciortino admits that with a liberal circle of friends it is easy to  “sometimes feel like I live in a bubble”. However, having grown up in a strict Catholic family she is well aware of the realities for many queer people, especially homosexuals, as she herself “can’t talk about having a girlfriend, and I can’t bring my girlfriend home for the holidays or anything like that”.

With liberal attitudes in her blog, columns and artistic endeavours, there is no doubt that she has ruffled a few feathers along the way, particularly in her attitudes toward sexuality and feminism. One such instance is her dismissal from feminist blog Jezebel for which she wrote an advice column. The reason for her departure? “I got a lot of hate comments from their readers, for being too irreverent about sexuality and feminism.” Sciortino herself is wary of the term “feminist” and the connotations it bestows, admitting that although she identifies as a feminist, she states that “I’ve always said that I think that what I do is more a product of what feminism has achieved than an avid act of feminism itself.”

With the constant debate surrounding the hyper-sexualised imagery of women in today’s society, Sciortino adds that there is still a double standard within society, with the practice of slut-shaming alongside the open discussion of promiscuity and masturbation. Sciortino hopes that a middle ground is found “where girls feel comfortable and confident enough to dress and act as slutty or as prudish as make themselves happy, and don’t feel pressure to act in one way or another in order to please other people”. Indeed, Sciortino’s blog encourages readers to feel comfortable in their sexual exploration and she highlights the experiences of women whose sexual preferences and practices might lie outside the realm of conventional norms. Sciortino mentions her interview with Sarah, a quadriplegic dwarf who is bedridden and permanently on a ventilator and who interacts and lives vicariously through her avatar in the virtual world of Second Life. The interview had a profound impact on Sciortino who states that “I found it really inspiring that she found a way to overcome her disability, and in the interview she talks about losing her virginity, getting her first job, and doing all the stuff normal young girls do, just in her own unique, virtual way.” Interviews such as this, highlight Sciortino’s ability to highlight and humanise the sexual practices of society, both within and outside the realm of conventionality in a non-judgemental and thought-provoking fashion, and Sciortino believes that “people appreciate the honesty”.