PLUG Magazine - The Artificial Issue

The Artificial Issue S u m m e r 2 015

C O M M U N I T Y & C U LT U R E

ARTIFICIAL synthetic fake false imitation mock simulated faux ersatz substitute plastic man-madE manufactured unnatural fabricated replica reproduction

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Let’s Collaborate We are always looking for fresh talent and new partnerships. If you are interested in contributing, collaborating, or being featured in PLUG Magazine, we like you already. Even if it’s just to say hello, get in touch with us.

ED ITOR I AL D I R EC TO R S Timothy Loo Liam Greenall C O M M U N I T Y E D I TO R Josie Mitchell C U LT U R E E D I TO R Sean Broadhurst

Stay Connected Find us online to stay in touch and up to date with content, events, and what we have in store for our faithful PLUG followers.

AS S IS TANT ED I TO R Jason Kwan

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D IG I TAL ED I TO R Lap Capistrano

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MARKETING John Gil WEBSITE

P H OTO G R A P H E R Kent Foran DESIGN TEEM Jeremy Loo

I N S TA G R A M

THE

CO N T E N T

artificial issue COMMUNITY A RT I F I C IA L adjective 1. made or pro du c e d by human b eing s r at her t han o c c u r r ing natu r a l ly, esp e ci a l ly as a copy of s omet h ing natu r a l.

2. (of a p ers on or t heir b ehav iou r ) insinc ere or af fe c te d.

09 Beautiful Minds 12 Phat Rice 13 Community Business 14 Artificial Love 16 Buck Angel 22 Harper Lit 24 Quest Terrariums

CU LT U R E Cover Photo

Kent Foran

Š A Publication of PLUG Magazine Artificial Issue Printed by Invoice PLUG is fully protected by copyright and nothing may be printed wholly or in part without permission.

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photo

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music

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travel

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art

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film

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food

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sex

Sara Swaty Pop: The Question Window of the World

The Imitation Game Movies about Movies What’s in a Fish Ball?

Stranger than Friction

• COMMUNITY

WE ASKED:

“What’s the most artificial thing in Hong Kong?”

A Letter from the Editors

YOU ANSWERED: McDonald’s.

The coastline - a huge part of HK’s land is reclaimed, and it blows my mind that around 15-20 years ago, much of what we see now didn’t exist.

The weather; it’s all made in China!

The air.

The price of housing versus what you actually get.

Fish balls. Not fish. Not balls.

When you invite someone to a party and they say they will ‘try’ to make it.

The voting system.

Democracy!

They call HK a wealthy place...but only a few are actually wealthy.

Mister Softee’s Jumbo Orange.

The people that live here... so many times they seem to be the most artificial thing in this city.

“Gardens” with no trees or flowers, “gardens” packed with gigantic concrete blocks.

The government and the left hand side of the escalators.

The fruit and vegetables in the wet markets. I’m sure asparagus is not intended to be a foot long.

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‘Artificial’ is a beautiful word, obviously not one without negative connotations though as mention of it brings to mind genetically-modified food, sickeningly saccharine drinks, fake friends, and whatever the hell watermelon candy is supposed to taste like. But the very definition of something artificial requires an understanding of what is real, to the extent that it values reality so much as to (attempt to) recreate it. So despite the stigma, we are finding more and more ways to appreciate and be thankful for the positively synthetic: transformative medical procedures, prosthetics, 3-D printing and natural substitutes are just some of the beneficial man-made alternatives available today.

There’s no denying that we live in an artificial city. Hong Kong sits on hectares of reclaimed land that is covered with more high-rise buildings than anywhere else on earth to cram in 7 million people to create a seemingly unnatural cultural community. On top of this, we are surrounded by ads/creams/ products/apps/meals/purchases that tout counterfeit happiness. But just like the word itself, there is a flipside to this artificiality. Surprisingly, Hong Kong is almost three-quarters natural park (thanks to our surrounding waters) and most of our closed landfills have been converted into golf courses, grass pitches and even ecological parks. So it’s not all bad then.

We decided to explore a little bit of the artificial in and around Hong Kong. We asked you what you thought to be the most artificial thing here, came up with some interesting facts on the ‘artificial’ infrastructure of Hong Kong, dissected some fish balls and sent our Culture Editor and photographer to wander the Window of the World in Shenzhen.

We also interviewed a moss terrarium specialist and the founder of Phat Rice, an eco-conscious online shopping platform, to find ways to bring some nature back into our lives.

Serendipitously timed with the media frenzy surrounding the world’s introduction to Caitlyn Jenner, this issue features two interviews with transgender people- Buck Angel, the man with a vagina, and Harrison, the young subject of a raw photo series from artist Sara Swaty. They challenge us to questionhow man-made is the concept of gender?

Just as this issue is about questioning artificiality, we encourage you to go out and find what is real to you in this city- is it hiking to Tai Long Wan in Sai Kung and camping under the stars?

Is it spending a night in with friends avoiding LKF? Is it participating in the very real struggle for equal rights and democracy? Or is it very simply, love?

- Tim and Liam

DID YOU KNOW?

• COMMUNITY

BEAUTIFUL

MINDS Hong Kong has the most skyscrapers and high-rise buildings of any city in the world. There are 52 skyscrapers over 200 metres tall, 272 over 150 metres, and a whopping 7,687 high-rise buildings.

No other city even comes close. Our tallest building is the 118-storey (484m) International Commerce Centre in West Kowloon.

We imagined a Grindr spin-off app (Mindr?) that puts peoples’ intellect and influence on display. Here are 4 people from history whose profiles we like. Having the courage to be proudly themselves made them beautiful inside and out.

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Despite the height and density of our buildings and being considered one of the world’s greatest cities, almost threequarters of the smaller total 1,092 km2 of land is bench, smaller tree countryside or natural reserve. This comes to 30 natural parks.

ICEQUEEN22 Head of State Status: Married Dislikes: Strip clubs Sign: Libra

There are 68 public parks and gardens across the city, all run by the famously crotchety Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD).

Favourite quote:

“A society that does not use the intellectual power of its female population fully is not a wise society.” (Me) I’m up for fun if it means fighting the pay gap between men and women.

We generate over 6.4 million tonnes of waste annually, and it was predicted that exisiting landfills would be filled by the end of this year. Current closed landfills have been repurposed into facilities such as golf courses, grass pitches, rest gardens, and eco parks.

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• COMMUNITY

2

BRUSTIN Hardcore Pacifist Likes: Gandhi Status: Partnered Tribes: Daddy

1Johanna SigurDardottir She became the world’s first openly lesbian head of government when elected to be Iceland’s first female Prime Minister on 1 February, 2009. She is also Iceland’s longest serving member of Parliament, having been reelected on eight successive occasions. In a move to recognize women as equals rather than commodities, she helped ban strip clubs and paying for nudity.

Do you have your own notable LGBT person that you think deserves to be profiled?

We want to hear about them!

Share with us at editor@plug-magazine.com

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Looking for:

Equality in Human Rights and Peace!

I’ve been arrested several times for civil disobedience and open homosexuality, not interested in anyone hiding in the closet.

2 Bayard Rustin As a tireless crusader for social justice, he organized the ‘March on Washington’ where Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous ‘I Have a Dream’ speech. Rustin had to legally adopt his partner to ensure he would inherit Rustin’s savings.

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3

STR8M8

xSAPPHOx Muse

Pen is Mightier

DOB: 620 BC

Status: Curious?

Likes: Ladies

Nationality: Brazil

Nationality: Greece

Tribes: Straight

Hobbies:

I love spending late nights fingering the lyre, reading poetry and singing in the company of red wine. Play me a tune and I’ll write you a song, I’m married now but not for long...

Looking for: A sexy lady...or a time when people accept my novels. I’m straight but I like my characters gay! Get over it!

Totally DD-free... except tuberculosis.

2nd Lieutenant in the Marines.

3 Sappho,

OH Sappho

4 ADOLFO CAMINHA

She is commonly considered to be one of the great lyric poets and was named by Plato as the 10th muse.

Interestingly, the word ‘lesbian’ comes from Lesbos, the name of the island where she was born and the word ‘sapphic’ is derived from her name.

His most famous novel, “BomCrioulo”, is about a black man who avoided slavery by joining the navy.

He befriended a white cabin-boy and their friendship developed into a homosexual affair. The critics at the time obviously hated it and called it “too controversial”.

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P L U G + P H AT R I C E

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FEEL GOOD LOOKING GOOD PhatRice searches the world over to find product developers with powerful inspirational stories and products. If you are a conscious consumer and looking for ethical, environmental and social products, PhatRice is your one-stop shop.

Anthony Lance, a Phat Rice co-founder, says “People come to PhatRice.com to discover products that are changing the world, and to choose items that not only look good, but also make a statement about what they believe in.�

Head to the Phat Rice website to browse their full range of beautiful products (and feel good about shopping!) PLUG recommends investing in one of their sleek reusable water bottles.

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Hong KOng

L G B T WORKPLACE INCLUSION

INDEX & AWARDS 2015 On 15 May, 2015, Community Business, a not-for-profit organisation focused on corporate responsibility, revealed the results of the first Hong Kong LGBT Workplace Inclusion Index.

Here are the Top 10 Employers in Hong Kong for LGBT Inclusion 2015:

The index is a credible tool for companies in Hong Kong to assess, progress and promote their efforts towards LGBT inclusion.

Go online to see the full list of individual LGBT Awards, which recognised significant contribution made by community organisations, companies and individuals. www.communitybusiness.org

1

Goldman Sachs

2

The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation

3

J.P. Morgan

4

Morgan Stanley

5

Bank of America Merrill Lynch

6

Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited

7

Barclays Capital Asia Limited

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Nomura International (Hong Kong) Limited

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Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited

10 British Consulate-General Hong Kong 10 British Council Hong Kong

Congratulations from PLUG Magazine!

• COMMUNITY

Artificial Love Written by Josie M. Translation by Candy CG.

Enviably tall with striking bone structure and a beautifully fresh complexion, Thai Mimi has lived in Hong Kong since she was 13. She is fluent in both Cantonese and her native tongue, but her effervescent, candid and affable personality bursts through no matter what language she’s speaking.

She has kindly allowed me to share her story with you in hopes of shining a truthful light on the life of prostitution in Hong Kong. So, here we go…

“When I was 21, I started clubbing with a bunch of other gay guys. These guys loved dressing up as women; I thought they looked beautiful so I asked them to show me how. The first night that I went out with make-up on, in a little dress and heels, I felt amazing. I started to get attention from guys, mostly Westerners, and I loved it.

Back then, I was pretty naive, so when a guy approached me on that very first night and asked “How much?”, I had no idea what he was talking about, “How much what?” I replied. He offered me HK$1000 to go back to his hotel with him. I was excited about being able to make such ‘easy’ money, so I went. I didn’t enjoy the sex but the attention and the money were enough to get me hooked. I went back to the club again and again, raising my price each time, seeing just how much I could get. At the peak of my career, I could earn $30,000 for just one hour.

When I was younger, the sex was just part of the job. I didn’t feel attracted to the clients but I thrived on having money to buy nice clothes and make-up and getting my hair done. Often the job would be more than just providing clients with sex, many guys are looking for the girlfriend experience. An older American client who regularly visited Hong Kong would always call ahead of time to book me for the entirety of his stay. He’d pay me a daily allowance, take me to nice dinners, concerts and even took me on holiday to Phuket, “You’re Thai so I’m taking you to Thailand”, he said. But these experiences can’t compare to a genuine relationship. The client is under no pretence that you’ve fallen for him. He knows fully 14

The client is under no pretence that you’ve fallen for him. He knows fully well that if he wasn’t paying, you wouldn’t be there. well that if he wasn’t paying, you wouldn’t be there. He probably had a wife and kids at home.

Of course, not all clients treat prostitutes so well. I learned quickly how to spot violent ones and became good at running in heels. I took a few beatings but I never had any serious injuries. Some of my friends weren’t so lucky. Dangerous clients weren’t the only thing to be wary of, the threat of the law is always lurking. In my 18 year career, I’ve been arrested 3 times. Although prostitution is technically legal in Hong Kong, it comes with certain regulations to keep it out of the public eye.

I was charged with ‘Soliciting for an Immoral Purpose’, a law which prevents us from approaching clients to offer our services. At each arrest, the penalty worsened.

First, I was let off with a caution. Second, a month in jail with a suspended sentence. Finally, I ended up serving 6 months in a prison for men. After this most recent stint, my lawyer gave me a serious warning - if I get arrested again, I’d be facing at least a year.

You’d think that this admonition would be enough to stop me from ever going back to those Wan Chai clubs. In reality, it was my fear of drugs that ended my career. Back in the day, when I started hanging around with that group of gay guys, I slowly realised that they too were going home with men for money. This didn’t faze me. It was when they were taking drugs that I became judgemental. I was really against it. I thought it was disgusting. But eventually, after a year or 2 of constantly being offered coke, ice, ecstasy, etc. by clients and friends, night after night, I gave it a try. 20 years down the line, I now have a fully-fledged addiction to a variety of drugs, mostly ice. Drugs changed the way that I looked, my face became drawn. When high, I’d end up in situations that I couldn’t get myself out of. One time, I was in a supermarket with my friend late at night. She gave me her shopping bags and asked me to hold them while she went to the bathroom. I wandered around the

shop aimlessly for hours before it dawned on me that my friend wasn’t coming back. I looked in the bags and found small envelopes full of drugs so I called her but she wouldn’t pick up the phone. I thought back to my lawyer’s warning and panicked so I immediately called her and she advised me to dump the bags and get out of there. I later learned that I was probably being set up by my so-called friend so that she could get a pay-off for being a police informant. In HK, the penalties for drugs are far worse than for soliciting. If I had been found with those little envelopes, I would be spending at least 20 years locked up.

My mum helped me find a rehabilitation centre in Thailand. I spent a year there getting clean before returning to Hong Kong. I have a new job now. I’ve been working in a Thai restaurant for 6 months. The hours are long and the money is low but it keeps me away from drugs. I haven’t touched any since I came back. I am often tempted to go back to Wan Chai for the quick money, but I feel like I wasted my life there. Now that I’m 40, I look back on that old American guy who had been so unattractive to me due to his age, and I wish he was in my life again. When I was younger, I had a boyfriend for 3 years. I’m not sure if he knew the truth about my job.

He probably worked it out towards the end. The sex with a boyfriend is much more pleasurable than with clients, even the good ones. When working, you pull out certain tricks to get the job done. But with a genuine relationship, the sex is so much more about mutual enjoyment.

As I got older, I started to find more clients attractive. If they were young and handsome or simply good in bed, I’d even look forward to them coming back. There were a few guys that I developed feelings for. I would have done anything to make them be mine. But alas they went off with someone else. There were some girls who ended up having relationships with and even marrying men that they had met through sex work. I dreamed of having a Pretty Woman ending.”

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• COMMUNITY

BUCK ANGEL International trans-icon, motivational speaker, adult-film producer and performer, activist - The Man with a Pussy.

By Jason Kwan

J: What was it like growing up in an age where the exploration of sexuality isn’t as easy as it is now?

B: I’m 52. I grew up in the 60s/70s and we didn’t really talk about sex. In my early adulthood I started becoming more aware of my sexuality. That was very difficult because back in the day, being gay was not okay! The community I felt comfortable in, as a gay woman, didn’t exist either. It was very much taboo to be that way. I remember when I was 16, coming into my sexuality, feeling attracted to other girls, I felt so disgusted in myself because I felt so embarrassed about it. I was a very masculine girl and I was an athlete - the old cliché! I was teased for that and had no-one to talk to. I had sex with some of the girls on the team, but it was always very secret. It wasn’t until my early 20s where being gay became something people could talk about. I found a community and became more out and proud. But when I was a teenager there was nothing, and let’s talk about trans! I didn’t even know that that existed - so I identified as a gay woman back then.

J: Was there a sense of community then?

Or did you feel quite lonely?

B: I felt extremely lonely. How I coped was with drugs and alcohol. They were my saviours. I was a very accomplished track runner, but I really couldn’t deal with my sex-

ual feelings. They overpowered everything.

I had such opportunities to do so many amazing things, but everything always came back to my sexuality. It was depressing for me to hide it everyday - I couldn’t talk about it. I know what I’m saying now is so profound, because I know so many people, who in 2015, are still feeling what I felt in 1975! That says a lot! These feelings are universal and real. I didn’t feel understood - the sexual feelings felt so powerful that they were all that mattered to me. Until I got out of high school and found the gay women’s community, that was great for me.

The gay women’s community was powerful and was something that I felt a part of. We were outspoken in the early 80s. I was part of an organisation called Queer Nation, which was in the early 80s of the AIDS epidemic. I got attached to those kind of organisations which were really powerful and fun and made me feel a part of a community. I do at this point in my life have a love/hate relationship with the community.

But I do believe that community is a very important thing.

J: In terms of family, in Asia it’s such a taboo to talk about our sexuality. A major struggle for some people is achieving that family approval or understanding and support. What was your experience with your family like?

I first met Buck fully-clothed on the steps outside his rousing talk as part of Durham Pride Talks. For the interview, Buck dazzled me on Skype with an unintentionally tantalising, ‘shirtless after a gym session’, tease before realising he was on video.

After having been interviewed

by Tyra Banks and Howard Stern, I already felt intimidated to interview Buck. But as we chatted, his honest and open demeanour, paired with my eagerness, allowed for an insightful discussion about his experiences growing-up, the Californian LGBT-community of the 70s, his transition, his career in pornography and the future for Buck and activism. Telling his story and his approach to life, he makes it clear to me that he is not trying to dictate the way anyone should be, but aims to empower, inspire, and share.

He certainly inspires me.

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• COMMUNITY - BUCK ANGEL

“Everyone’s going to have to come out at some point to their parents, but when do you do that? What do you do if they react in a negative way?”

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B: You’re right, I think this is a universal problem: everyone wants approval from their family. The problem wasn’t that I didn’t have it - it was alcohol and drugs.

These things made me a bad person. I was a liar, a cheater, I didn’t go to school, I fought a lot - I was reacting to a situation so bad that my parents just saw me as a trouble-kid. I didn’t even have the terminology to say that I was gay. So my parents sent me to a lot of doctors. I went to a lot of psychologists and was actually put into a ‘mental hospital’ because they didn’t know what was wrong with me.

Finally, through therapy I realised that I was a gay woman, and I came out to my parents. Gosh, I remember this so clearly: I remember saying to them, “I am a gay woman.” And they told me that they already knew that. But the thing I said to them was that it’s not that I feel like a gay woman, it’s that I feel like a man.

And when I said that to my Dad, he cried. He blamed himself because he always wanted a boy and brought me up as one, but even though I still didn’t have the terminology to tell him that I’m a transgendered person, I told him instead that I was a really butch female and it had nothing to do with how he brought me up.

Everyone’s going to have to come out at some point to their parents, but when do you do that? What do you do if they react in a negative way? I don’t know if any of us has the answer, but I think that the best thing is to do it when you’re ready. And be prepared that sometimes they’re not going to be okay with it. The best thing to do is to teach them about what it means to be a gay or to be a trans person. Parents have this understanding that your life is over if you’re gay! Most parents think that we choose to be gay until they just step back for a moment and realise that it is not a choice and that it’s just the way it is. Clearly most people would not chose something which would make their life difficult. Then they can take the next step and realise that their child must do this. The more amazing role models we

have, such as you, showing this positivity through the magazine, will show parents that it’s not a death sentence.

J: When was the moment in your life when you decided to begin your transition process?

B: I got sober 21 years ago, and I became awake. Through sobriety, I went to see a therapist who kept telling me I was just a very male-identified female, whatever that means! She was a gay woman who didn’t want me to become a man. She kept telling me I was a dyke, but I’m not! I was clearly a man. And so I found another therapist. I remember seeing a movie which showed a transition period from a woman to a man, and that was not something you saw back then! There wasn’t the internet for understanding what it meant to be transgendered. When I said to my therapist that I feel like a man, and she suggested how we could fix this - that was it. That was the moment I realised I was going to become a man, no matter what.

J: What was your transition process like? And how did you find your doctor?

B: My therapist didn’t have any tools, and I remember going to this gay and lesbian bookstore in L.A and found a homemade magazine. I didn’t even know what I was looking for. Then suddenly this magazine was just there - in my head there was this light shining on this magazine and music was just playing, and there it was: the magazine that saved my life!

It was a transgendered resource guide, homemade, stapled…I still have that thing! I took it to my therapist, we looked through it, and found a doctor in L.A that was an endocrinologist, a hormone doctor. We called him up and he told us that he’d never worked with a trans-male before, only trans-females, but that he was willing to work with me. Basically, I was his first patient; I was his guinea pig. It’s a scary thing to start shooting a foreign substance into your body, not knowing what will happen physically. Am I going to look weird? It didn’t matter to me - it was either I do this, or I’d end up killing

Young Buck Buck modelling as a female androgynous model in his earlier career.

myself. So we did it! He was the most amazing, loving doctor ever.

Then through that same magazine, I found a doctor who is a plastic surgeon who dealt with transgendered women surgeries. I called him up, and he told me he’d never done any trans-male surgeries it’d be his first! And same thing, he found a new surgery called The Keyhole, which is where they cut right underneath your areola, which was what I wanted, and I was able to get top surgery. It was just handed to me - my transition was not difficult, and I had such a support of people around me. Everyone of my friends were really accepting, except for my community. The lesbian community just bailed on me. They didn’t understand it, they didn’t want to understand it. They thought of me as a traitor, even used those words they were man-hating. It was very sad to me. They all just looked the other way.

But I realised that I was one of the first guys to be out there doing it, pioneering!

J: You were back on your feet, everything was looking great - and you embarked on your adult film career! Tell me about it!

B: Right on! Some people say crazy shit like, “Oh, you had a sex change to become a pornstar?”, like, really?! I was already working in the adult-porn industry, and my wife at the time was a professional dominatrix and we were doing fetish films. I then met a trans-woman who was pretty big in the adult-film world, and I had taught myself how to code websites so she wanted me to take over her website. I took over and through working with her behind the scenes, noticing how big trans-porn was, it was a lightbulb! A cartoon lightbulb: “Man with a pussy”. I just saw it. I remember looking on the internet, and there was nothing. I didn’t know if I could get naked in front of a camera and have sex, but the opportunity was so huge, and my friends said to me, “You are going to change the world.”

“It’s a scary thing to start shooting a foreign substance into your body, not knowing what will happen physically.”

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• COMMUNITY - BUCK ANGEL

“For me, I talk about having a vagina because it’s what works for me, and I want to empower other men who’ve also chosen to keep their vaginas.”

It has been the most amazing and positive experience for me. But the hate-mail I got, even from the industry, was really intense. I equate it to people not being ready for it. They could not comprehend a man with a vagina. Even in the porn industry where there were ‘chick’s with dicks’! A ‘man with a pussy’ was just alien to them.

J: What was your decision making process when you considered bottom-surgery?

B: It’s important for people to understand that this is my story of why I chose not to get a penis. I am in no way anti-bottom surgery. Everyone deserves to have a choice in doing what they want to do.

If bottom-surgery is important to you, you should research it and find out what’s positive for you out there. For me, I talk about having a vagina because it’s what works for me, and I want to empower other men who’ve also chosen to keep their vaginas.

I wanted that penis - are you kidding me? I wanted it so bad! But doing my research, and knowing someone who had it done, I just realised that it was not for me. I’m a very sexual person, and I started to enjoy sex with my body. One of the effects of getting a penis could result in 20

losing my orgasm, and sex and my sexuality are very important to me. There were too many variables that were on the negative side for me. It was a very difficult choice for me because I was being told I would never be a man without a penis.

Now I’m going against the grain and telling myself that I can be a man and have a vagina. I took that leap and said, forget it, I’m keeping it! That was the next step for me, learning to accept myself for the man I am.

J: What do you think the next step is for trans-rights?

B: It’s moving so fast it’s making my head spin! I can’t keep ahead of it! I find it really fascinating how acceptance of trans-people is, but the acceptance of gay people is still behind. I equate that to the fact that gender is an easier thing for people to put their head around. For most people, gender is black and white - although we know that’s not true. But gay, it’s about sexuality, and people cannot understand same-sex attractions. I’m discouraged by the fact that people in the trans-community don’t think things are moving so fast…are you kidding me?! Take a step back! I feel more connected to the gay community than the trans community in many ways. My life revolves so much

more around sexuality and sex, that I feel more connected to gay advocacy. I don’t live my life as a trans-person, I live my life as a man, although I’m a transexual.

J: What are your views on how the trans youth can be more involved in activism?

B: In the States, so many young trans people are very involved because of the internet. The internet is your tool! If you feel that there is no change, get your butt on the internet! The activism is there. Be the change you want to see. Become part of that solution and you will see change so much faster. Remember to always be grateful and happy that you have that voice to move things forward, because things aren’t moved forward by hate.

They are moved forward by acceptance and gratitude.

J: One last question, what is the first thing that pops into your head when I say, “Artificial”?

B: PENIS.

For the full interview between Buck Angel and Jason Kwan, visit the PLUG Magazine website. www.plug-magazine.com

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‘Reunion Tour’

by Harper Bliss

“Please allow me to present to you the next big thing,” my manager said. “The Harriettes.” You were obviously their leader, the way you hung back a bit—the way I learned to do all those years ago—to allow the others to shine during moments of lesser importance, like being introduced to a band long past its prime.

“Oh my god,” your bass player giggled. “We are such huge fans. You are our biggest inspiration.” It sounded a bit rehearsed, what with her not even being born yet the year we broke through. You appeared smarter, more composed, shrouded in that cool sort of silence that no one can take issue with.

When we shook hands, though, I detected the slightest hint of sweat on your palm, and when you met my gaze, I knew. I’m old enough to know.

You take your first of many faux-modest bows. After five months on the road, I know your routine by heart. I can only imagine the adrenalin coursing through your blood right now. Not that it doesn’t still happen to me, but the years have taken away the highest highs. I’ve learned to put it all into perspective more, to see the long-run—the end game. But I hope you’re enjoying this moment, because it truly is glorious. Unencumbered by self-consciousness, lifted up by the incessant roar of the thousands of people in front of you, that one moment you sang and strutted your ass off for the past forty-five minutes. The higher your high, the more you’ll want me after.

You and your band members exit the stage, walking right past me, as usual.

The first time it happened after we’d been together, it hurt a little bit, but I never held that against you. It would be like holding being young against youth. You’re pumped, ready to go back out there, to soak up whatever precious minutes of adoration you have left after your gig. Yet, for all your bravado, your magnetizing stage presence, and your—admittedly—raw, powerful vocals, you never let it go to your head.

“I need you to do this to me,” you said, the first time. But I didn’t need you to tell me that.

I wait patiently, glaring into the bright lights of the stage, the corners of my mouth lifting spontaneously as the people out there scream your name, scream for you to come back. Our own fans, like ourselves, are older now, and rarely call for encores in this unbridled, shameless, self-effacing way.

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H arper B liss

is the author of the novel At the Water’s Edge, the High Rise series, the French Kissing serial and several other lesbian erotica and romance titles. She is the co-founder of Ladylit Publishing, an independent press focusing on lesbian fiction.

Harper lives on an outlying island in Hong Kong with her wife and, regrettably, zero pets.

Check out her personal website and blog: www. harperbliss.com.

❧

When you shuffle past me again, it’s as though I can smell you. Your sweat. The state of arousal you’ve worked yourself into during your set.

“I’ll be there,” I whisper to no one but myself. “I’ll be there when you come down.”

And I am. After you perform two more songs—The Harriettes’ first hit ‘Boyfriends’ and that cover you and the girls always insist on playing of our 1986 song ‘It’s not me’—I rush to my changing room. At least, due to my status as new wave goddess of the eighties, most venues, even festivals, easily grant me my wish for my own changing room.

If I wanted to, I could count down the minutes it takes from the applause on the other side of the stage to die down, until you knock on my door. It never takes more than five—just enough time to exchange some high fives with your band mates—and you always knock.

“Come in,” I say, in my most earnest voice. No time for smiles just yet.

You close the door behind you and lean against it, sinking your front teeth into your bottom lip. Already, the first pang of hunger, of blind, delirious lust, shoots through me. To this day, it’s still unclear if you chose me or if I chose you. Perhaps we just chose each other. Perhaps, in that long first glance we shared, we saw what we could mean to each other.

As per our ritual, your back stays glued to my changing room door. I forbade you months ago to lock it. I get up from where I was sitting—a rather dingy couch, unworthy of the backstage of a festival of this standing— and, slowly, take a few steps in your direction. The first thing I always do, is unhook my belt and slide it, loop by loop, from around the waistband of my jeans.

Your eyes catch on it and your teeth sink deeper. There’s a twitchiness to your demeanor, a desire so great it shines through in every tiny movement you make. You don’t know this, but I feel it too. It burns through me now, and destroys me a little every time you close the door behind you again, every time you leave. But I don’t think of the pain that is to come, because this moment is not about my pain. It’s about yours.

This story was first published in the Ladylit mini-anthology ‘Cougars: Five Tales of Mature Lesbian Lust’.

23

PLUG + QUEST TERRARIUM

MAN-MADe BEAUTY We chatted with Timothy Wong, the green thumb behind Quest Terrariums, a hip, new start-up specializing in custommade terrariums, succulents and moss decor. His unique style of incorporating miniatures and pop-culture references sets him apart from the craftsier alternatives, as evidenced by his collaborations with Highsnobiety and HOME Journal.

What do you like about terrariums? And why include miniatures?

For my terrariums, I like to use cactus, succulents, and moss, because they are low maintenance. Miniatures give so much character to a terrarium. It draws peoples’ attention in and makes them more intricate.

What made you start Quest Terrariums?

I started buying plants to decorate my house. When I looked up references, I came across moss terrariums and decided to make one of my own. Originally I had only planned on creating an Instagram to showcase my plants, but now it’s a fully-fledged business.

Why should people buy one?

They’re just awesome! But really, terrariums are the easiest houseplants to take care of.

What’s been your favourite project to work on?

All of my moss wall installations have been awesome since they are far more challenging mainly due to their size. They take about 4-5 weeks from start to finish. Specifically, I would have to say my latest moss installation for the restaurant, Nha Trang. The client hired me to create 2 spring inspired moss frames. I had to learn new techniques and even incorporated concrete and preserved butterflies within the design.

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w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / Q u e s t . T e r r a r i u m

PLUG + QUEST TERRARIUM

Hayley to Harrison: One Year in Transition

by Sara Swaty

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Harrison was still Hayley when we first met in a St. Louis high school in 2006. I remember how we enjoyed complaining about the trials of our graphic design class, his deadpan humor always on point – even at 8 AM. Years later, we had another chance encounter, where I learned that he was going to begin transitioning from female to male in just a few days. We arranged our first shoot just days after his “T–party,” which marked the celebration of his first Testosterone shot and the beginning of hormone replacement therapy.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Throughout the next year, we met multiple each times each month to document his changes and bi-weekly testosterone shots. After just a few photography sessions, I already felt an incredible bond with Harrison.

Accompanying him on his journey felt like a gift. As time went on, we learned to read each other and the process became a visual conversation between photographer and subject—a unique collaboration between the two of us. Our shooting sessions became a form of art therapy to me and transcended the act of documenting his physical transformation.

The locations of our sessions changed each week. Different friends would passionately fight over who would administer his testosterone

shots next, whether in a bar bathroom, alley, or a front porch. These unique places became a notable celebration towards a self-conception that has been ingrained in Harrison since his adolescence.

For many of our shoots, I would arrive early in the morning at Harrison’s door. It felt important for me to photograph his rituals, how they changed, and document his life as often as possible. Testosterone works very quickly, with physical changes apparent after only one month.

With each session, I noticed his arms growing bigger, his face slimming, and hair slowly sprouting in new places. We rejoiced at the beginning signs of a mustache and shared breakfast while comparing muscle mass.

Witnessing the human body change, emotions fluctuate, and mentality begin to meld with one’s physical appearance is an amazing and beautiful process. It calls into question the definition of what a man or woman is or is supposed to be.

How they fit into society with pre-determined roles, responsibilities, and expectations, and tests the gender boundaries society and culture places on individuals.

Gender is not a rigid black and white construct— what is usually perceived as a male-female binary is actually an infinite and beautiful gradient.

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“I view gender similar to how I view colors in a full spectrum. No two boxes can hold gender, it’s all up for personal interpretation.

I would identify myself in the wide category of gender as: a blue monkey, moose, mostly blue and shades of grey, ever changing, magical unicorn, narwhal, queer as a four leaf clover, mostly Harrison.

I began taking testosterone in June of 2011 to feel more like myself. Living as a woman pre-testosterone in others’ eyes was annoying, embarrassing, and frustrating. There’s only so many times you can switch pronouns and apologize before making things awkward for yourself, not for me.

Trying to explain myself, that it was ok, and that no one needed to apologize for my experience was just horrifying for the other person – all of these factors just made me dislike myself and how I physically appeared more than anything.

Trying to explain how my body and voice didn’t match up with my head is and was just too much for people to understand – I just ended up getting a confused and disgusted look.

The way the male community treated me was that of any other woman, which is annoying whether trans or not. I don’t feel like people should be treated any special way because of their sex, and that hasn’t changed for me. If anything, I advocate for gender equality more now than before.

Before I would try and explain the image of myself, now I really don’t have to. My sex is still female, and I don’t plan on changing that. However, in terms of gender, it is easier for people to identify me as male, which is more acceptable to me.

In a perfect world (or Sweden), I wouldn’t have people identify me as either pronoun, just Harrison would work fine.

Life led me to begin my transformation, but it’s been a long and slow 22-year process. Coming out as transgendered to my friends wasn’t shocking to them at all, as they all had watched me grow more into myself. People tend to do that in life, mine is just as different and as individual as anyone else.”

-Harrison

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P H O T O G R A P H Y - S A R A S WAT Y

“ONE YEAR IN TRANSITION”

MUSIC •

Pop: the question

Too synthetic and stuck in its ways; is chart music suffering from a crisis of its own making? Peter Sabine, aka DJ Fabsabs, explores…

Pop music is the most divisive of subjects for DJs. Overtly manufactured to make the most money possible, admitting to being a fan of certain pop acts would be akin in some DJ circles to puking on the table at a five-star wedding banquet.

Yet before you say ‘DJs are a bunch of pretentious wankers’, there is a point to be made here: pop is getting worse.

There are reasons why the synthetic nature of pop, once one of its strong suits, is leading it down the road to ruin.

1 Subject matter has narrowed over time, with most songs now alluding or describing sex and drinking, and getting “high”.

Songs that don’t conform, or are too quirky, increasingly miss the boat.

2 Lyrics have become increasingly asinine. “Your booty like two planets, go ‘head and go ham sandwich,” implores Jason Derulo on Wiggle. Will.i.am, meanwhile, pops up on Nicki Minaj’s Check It Out for this valuable contribution: “I'm shot caller, get up off my collar, you a Chihuahua, I'm a Rottweiler.” Eh? 3 Regurgitated looks and provocative outfits are de rigueur, but serve no real purpose accept for mindless sexual commoditisation.

In Birthday by Katy Perry, the imagery and lyrics all lamely allude to the listener that she puts out pretty easily. If you want to do sexy and mysterious, check out Debbie Harry from Blondie. And no, she didn’t play with inflatable cocks like Miley.

4 Song lengths have been limited to between three and four minutes. God forbid you give the masses a nine-minute Guns N' Roses November Rain or a skit

M USI C

like The Beatles Her Majesty any more (except in hip-hop, they love them).

5 Structures are limited to the formula: introduction-verse-chorus-repeat, finishing with a key change. There are variants on this, and I’ll admit, the key change can be powerful, like in Whitney Houston’s cover of I Will Always Love You (there is my Patrick Bateman moment).

It might be argued that these characteristics have always been part and parcel of pop, particularly its more manufactured variants, and for every moronic song nowadays, there is an intelligent gem.

But can you ignore the greater downward spiral?

To read Peter Sabine’s full take on pop music, visit the PLUG Magazine website. w w w. p lug- ma ga z ine. c o m

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WINDOW OF THE WORLD Written by Sean Broadhurst Photography by Kent Foran

38

T R AV E L •

“Okay meet u in China next to the Eiffel Tower.”

That was how the day started. And it only got weirder from there.

That was the last text message I received from Kent Foran, our photographer, before I crossed the border into Shenzhen and made my way to Window of the World.

For those who don’t know, Window of the World is a theme park in Shenzhen that features replicas, some to scale and some not, of monuments from around the world. Ostensibly so that Chinese tourists who are unable to travel the world can see some parts of it. But, for us, it was one of the weirdest and most wondrous places we’ve ever been.

When you first get off the Metro (at the conveniently named Window of the World station), you emerge into a replica of the Louvre’s glass pyramid in Paris and are then greeted by the star attraction: a 1:3 scale replica of the Eiffel Tower emerging like it’s no big deal amidst the bland, functional apartment buildings of the surrounding skyline. In front of the tower is a giant globe bursting open to feature a stage, a huge water fountain and a collection of iconic statues from all over the world.

It’s pretty freaking amazing. You’re just kind of like, “... how do I even make sense of all this? Do I even try?”

Surrounding that globe are huge columns and pillars from different architectural periods and geographic locations.

Imagine living nearby and looking out your window every day and seeing the pyramids, Angkor Wat and Mount Rushmore side by side. That has to fundamentally alter your perception of the world. For as much as Window of the World wants to replicate the real world, the more you explore the park, the further you seem to venture from any reality you’ve ever known.

Let’s face it, for all it’s wonders, China can sometimes feel like a strange place. It has different customs that we don’t always understand and a method of doing things that can seem confusing. Combine that with a stroll down the Champs-Élysées surrounded by giant octopus statues and spinning flowers and it basically feels like you’re on another planet.

And, to be honest, that’s what makes the place so wonderful.

It’s just so incredibly weird. And bizarre. And strange. And amazing.

I dressed up like an Arabic prince and RODE ON A FUCKING CAMEL. Like, that’s a game changer.

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• T R AV E L - W I N D O W O F T H E W O R L D

“Imagine living nearby and looking out your window every day and seeing the pyramids, Angkor Wat and Mount Rushmore side by side.”

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Let’s go back to the beginning...

In order to get an overview of the place and a handle on just what we were getting ourselves into, we decided to take the monorail that runs through the park. We climbed up the stairs and waited for the monorail to arrive. The monorail is made up of three cars which perilously teeter over the park’s many miniature monuments. One thing I don’t really consider at theme parks is my safety. But at this park, the danger feels earned or real. I know it’s probably safe. But it’s China, you just never really know. And that slight hint of imagined danger is actually pretty exciting.

Our monorail arrives at another station and we try to get off but are bluntly told, “NO,” by the lady on the platform. So we stay on the monorail as it continues on its slow, lofty path. We pass by one more completely unattended station before we arrive back at our first station, having gained a better understanding of the park’s layout, but no closer to understanding its mystery.

Other ways of getting through the park include paying the same price as the monorail ticket to be driven in a golf cart around the park OR you can hire out one of those scooters people use at Disneyland for 90 yuan an hour. It would amaze you how many people rent out these scooters and very slowly glide through the park at a frustratingly glacial pace.

We decided to head first to the European bar and pub street in the hopes that maybe a slight buzz would help us better understand what we were seeing.

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However, our plans were cut short by there simply being no way of getting to the European bar and pub street. We made our way past the non-consecrated church where you could rent a wedding dress and have your photo taken at the altar (they also had a sign reading, “church show times”) and through the back alleys of fake Europe but found the gates barred and locked.

We then tried to get around another way but ended up stumbling upon one of the park’s greatest features: an indoor ice world! With an indoor ski hill! For 20 yuan, you can rent a winter jacket and some boots and enter an arctic wonderland. The snow feels more like cold sand that melts in your hand but the chill in the air is real and so are the ice sculptures. You can rent skis and snowboards and go down the small indoor hill for a fee or you can drag an inner tube to the top of the slope and slide your way to the bottom for free.

We chose the inner tube. And we chose correctly.

It went fast. It went very fast. I held on to those handles as if my life depended on it. And maybe it did. As the speed intensified, I could have crashed and skidded down the hill at any moment. Thankfully, I just smacked into the cushioned wall at the bottom and came to a halt. Once again that sense of danger returned. In other places, you’d probably need to wear a helmet or safety gear, but here it’s a no-holds-barred, don’t-be-a-wimp sort of thing. And it’s exciting. Oh that gentle danger!

In the end, we never did make it to European bar and pub street.

Photography by Kent Foran (www.kentforan.com)

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“Our photographer was trying to take a picture when a little boy ran onto the Manhattan bridge and just started pissing into the East River.”

Undeterred by the gentle danger and lack of alcohol, we made our way to the Americas. This is probably the only place in the world where you can go paddle-boating beside the New York City skyline (with the World Trade Centre still intact), the Easter Island Moai statues and Rio’s Christ the Redeemer while the Jurassic Park theme song blares in the background. Our photographer was trying to take a picture capturing all three of these items in one frame when a little boy ran onto the Manhattan bridge and just started pissing into the East River. So much action in one shot!

From there we made our way onto the two “thrill rides” of the park. One is a log ride that took us through what I assumed was the Grand Canyon, past some sort of First Nation’s campfire party, down a steep drop and out towards a crowd of Chinese tourists whose smiles belied the fact that they just paid money to soak us with a giant water gun.

The second ride is simply referred to as “Greenland Underground Expedition.” Outside the queue is a giant sculpture of an old dying man, his animatronic eyes spinning around in agony. On the park map, this same man appears, but he seems to be blowing out or sucking in a bunch of bodies and maybe some magic dust? What these things have to do with Greenland or an expedition of it are beyond me but no one else seems to be questioning it, so I go along with it. The queue also leads you under a horoscope-looking carving and the word, “BRATAHILD,” with no further explanation.

A quick Google search led me to a Wikipedia entry for Brattahlid, which is Erik the Red’s viking settlement in Greenland. So maybe the dying old man is a viking?

A dying viking? A dying, magic dust-sucking viking?

Anyway, we board an old viking boat, strap on our seatbelts and are soon hurled horrifyingly through the dark underground expanses of Greenland.

Oh that gentle danger!

After that, we found a food stand that sold beer.

So we bought a few cans to drink while we debriefed and reflected upon what was possibly one of the most surreal and amazing day trips either of us had been on.

A few beers turned into many and soon we were full-on day drunk in the weird world monument theme park in Shenzhen in China.

Which was obviously the best time to stumble upon the opportunity to dress up in ethnic clothing, ride a camel and pose in front of a miniature replica of the Sphinx.

That was, quite possibly, the highlight of the day in what was, also quite possibly, one of the best Sundays in recent memory.

So, next time you find yourself wondering what to do with your weekend, I strongly encourage you to get yourself a China visa (many people can even get a Shenzhen-only visa at arrival on the border) and head on out to Window of the World for a bizarre, surreal day out.

I mean, camels, man.

Who can say no to that?

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33

• ART

THE IMITATION THE IMITATION GAME GAME

by Liam Greenall

PLUG presents to you a gallery of artists who play with their own bodies to create new biographies. These artists invent artificial characters and enact their stories or weave them into their own autobiographies.

Genders and stereotypes shift through the use of costumes, props, masks and disguises to become an altered state of ego. Where does the real finish and the imitation game begin?

• JURGEN KLAUKE • (Pictured left) In Klauke’s photographic series Transformer (1973) he humorously poses with a range of sexualized objects attached to his body. He plays with multiple forms of genitalia, which results in gender being presented as androgynous. He calls himself a happy hybrid, in which the performative element in his work revealed a more brutal representation of the pop cultural references at the time; think Brian Eno and David Bowie. The androgynous visual presented in his work exaggerates gender to represent a multitude of sexes.

• PIE R R E MOLINIE R • (Pictured above) Molinier was a true surrealist.

He used his own body to create a state of ‘sacred perfection’. By using make-up, female masks, corsets and heels he re-created himself into a hermaphrodite and photographed the results using his own voyeuristic eyes. There are binary gender shifts in his series L’Aiguillon de l’amore (1966-68), and with the added use of mannequins and dildos, he explored his subconscious transexual desires until he committed suicide in 1976.

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• ART - THE IMITATION GAME

• OREET ASHERY • (Pictured right) Ashery’s site-specific performances are engineered for the audience to interact with the alter egos and fictional characters she creates. In 2000, Ashery created Marcus Fisher.

Through the construction of this orthodox Jewish man, she developed a series of interventions, one being inviting participants to a hotel room in seven cities across the globe and for them to share 3 minutes in which Marcus would facilitate any exchange. Marcus would do anything - apart from causing or receiving any pain. This playful space provided a variety of constructed intimacies and fictions to take place.

• YASUMASA MORIMURA • (Pictured left) During the 1980s Morimura started creating photographs, using himself as the model, based on iconic art masterpieces.

From Frida Kahlo to Manet, he recreates the work with such familiarity that it takes a second look to see that some oddities begin to reveal themselves. In the work Doublenage (Marcel) (1988) he references Man Ray’s famous portrait of Duchamp’s own alter-ego Rrose Selavy. This contemporary reworking not only presents the male masquerading as female, but matters of race and culture contexts are evident in this particular work and also in his other painstakingly recreated images.

• DAVID HOYLE • (Next page) Hoyle is a self-confessed anti-drag queen and celebrated performance artist. If there’s a queer arts festival happening no doubt he’ll be propped up at a bar-cum-performance space shouting profanities and slagging off the materialistic-hedonistic gay scenes of London, New York and any other city he’s waltzed into. In the mid-90s Hoyle

created his alter ego, The Divine David who has transformed into many different guises over the last two decades. One of them being a hairdresser at a salon in Liverpool, curated by Liverpool’s queer arts festival, Homotopia. You could get a free cut and a good gossip if you dared to enter the salon.

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16

• CULTURE - FILM

by Sean Broadhurst

1 SULLIVAN’S TRAVELS

PLUG’s TOP 5 MOVIES ABOUT MOVIES Films are inherently artificial.

They may attempt to be a recreation of life but we can never escape the fact that they are a product of a system; of a group of people working together using lights, sounds and actors to create something that looks a lot like life but isn’t. From the car chases and explosions to the incredibly witty or incredibly stilted dialogue, movies are not reality, they are an artificial representation of it. But what happens when those films look back

at themselves? What happens when movies embrace their own artifice and explore that aspect of it? Cinema has always had a fascination with itself. I guess when you spend all your time being concerned with how you look and sound, it’s hard not to become a little self-absorbed.

Thankfully, the results of all this vanity and self-obsession are usually pretty fascinating. So, here you have them, PLUG’s top 5 movies about movies.

Alright, well, first off, let’s just get this out of the way. Singin’ in the Rain is the number one best movie about movies, but the world has already unanimously agreed to that, so it doesn’t need to be written about anymore. But ten years before the release of Singing’ in the Rain, writer/director Preston Sturges brought us Sullivan’s Travels. The movie tells the story of the eponymous Sullivan, a successful movie director who has grown tired of making silly comedies and wants to make a serious, socially-affecting drama by adapting the novel, “Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?”

(Yes, like that Coen brothers’ film. We’ll get into Sturges’ influence on the Coen’s when we talk about the next film.)

Sullivan’s plan is to go undercover as a hobo and learn about the plight of the

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• CULTURE

modern man. Along the way he clashes with the movie studio (that cynical view of Hollywood studio execs being only about the money was already firmly entrenched in the 1940s), meets a wannabe actress and, through a hilarious succession of coincidences and misfortunes, ends up in a labour camp but ultimately learns about the importance of film, especially comedies. The film is a great satire of the Hollywood studio system and how out of touch it is with society. This may even be the first film to make a joke out of the “sex sells” mentality of corporations. Plus, being from the 1940s, all the characters in the film have that bizarre transatlantic accent that all the old films used to have where the characters speak a mile a minute and say things like, “Now, look here, see…” So make sure to keep your ears open or you might miss the million and one jokes being delivered a mile a minute.

2 BARTON FINK

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Barton Fink is another send-up of the Hollywood studio system in the 1940s, but is more an examination of the creative process and what goes into writing a script. This palme d’or winning film tells the story of one Barton Fink; a naive, pretentious intellectual playwright who claims to identify with the ‘common man,’ but really doesn’t have a clue.

After his first Broadway play achieves fame and success, Fink is hired by a Hollywood movie studio to produce scripts. Worried about being a sell-out

3 CLOSE-UP

The Coens’ are often seen as very intellectual, very removed filmmakers, but Barton Fink finds them at their most self-reflective and their most self-reflexive.

and the transition from New York to Hollywood, he reluctantly accepts the job. After arriving in Hollywood, Fink meets a wide variety of different Hollywood types who are all loosely based on real people who were working in Hollywood at the time. What draws the movie further into an exploration of what’s real and what isn’t is the severe writer’s block that Fink develops during his new tenure as a scriptwriter. What’s interesting about that is that the Coens’ wrote this film while they themselves were struggling from writer’s block while trying to finish Miller’s Crossing.

The character of Barton Fink is almost certainly a smirking admission of some of their own flaws when it comes to filmmaking. The Coens’ are often seen as very intellectual, very removed filmmakers, but Barton Fink finds them at their most self-reflective and their most self-reflexive. It’s basically a movie about what it’s like to sell your soul for the sake of your art.

While the previous two films were comedies and satires about what it’s like to make movies, Close-up is a more serious exploration of reality and artificiality in filmmaking and how that artificiality can infiltrate our own reality.

With Close-up, acclaimed Iranian director, Abbas Kiarostami, has created a very bizarre meta-documentary about a very bizarre incident in Iran. Based on a true story, Close-up concerns itself with the story of Hossain Sabzian, a man who is mistaken for a different famous Iranian director on a bus and decides to impersonate that director.

He slowly insinuates himself into the life of the family who mistook him for the director. He visits their house every day under the guise of scouting it as a location. The family eventually discovers that he is not the director and he is arrested. What makes this movie particularly interesting is that Kiarostami films the actual trial proceedings with his camera. The film is presented in a non-linear order with footage from the trial being intercut with staged re-en-

FILM •

actments of what happened. What makes these re-enactments especially interesting is that the real people involved actually play themselves. The director who is impersonated even makes an appearance and offers to While, it’s certainly not a pretty film to watch, the grainy quality lends itself even further to the weird mixture of reality and unreality. drive his impersonator on his motorcycle to apologise to the family that he deceived. While, it’s certainly not a pretty film to watch, the grainy quality lends itself even further to the weird mixture of reality and unreality. The most engaging parts of the film are the impersonator’s testimony, as he describes his love of cinema and how being, if only momentarily, a part of that world made him feel. It’s a fascinating exploration of how the artificiality of cinema can indeed shape our own reality.

The next film on our list is also an exploration of artifice and reality, but this time featuring some Hong Kong cinematic royalty. Maggie Cheung plays herself having been cast as the lead character in a film-within-the-film directed by an ageing French director.

She arrives at the set to find the production in absolute chaos. The movie features all the behind-the-scenes chaos of an actual movie, but viewed through the eyes of Cheung, who eventually finds herself lost in her role and confusing her own life with that of her character. The film itself was partly improvised and filmed on the go and is very self-reflexive in its analysis of French culture as well as film culture in general. Director Oliver Assayas takes his cues from Truffaut’s Day for Night, which is arguably the more important film that should be on this list, but we wanted to keep things close to home (Hi Ms. Cheung!).

4 IRMA VEP

*Inland Empire

Do you have some other movies about movies that feature plots that don’t all sound the same?

Send them or any comments to culture@ plug-magazine.com

5 INLAND EMPIRE

Alright, we’ll be honest, this one is pretty difficult. It’s three hours long, largely impenetrable and was fairly divisive among critics. But if you found Lynch’s earlier Mulholland Dr a little too straightforward and easy to follow, then this is the film for you. Featuring yet another behind-the-scenes look at making a film with yet another actress who can’t tell the difference between herself and her character (it’s getting harder and harder to make the plots of these movies sound different and unique).

However this one is a lot more nightmarish with the descent into a hell a lot more literal and a lot less playful than the one in Barton Fink. Laura Dern does an absolutely phenomenal job in this film playing an aging actress on the set of her comeback role. During the filming of the movie-within-the-movie, Dern gets lost in the world of the film and, along the way, encounters an unnerving sitcom starring rabbits, the scariest smiley face seen on film and so so many line-dancing prostitutes.

Doing the locomotion has never been more terrifying.

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• FOOD

Asia’s largest LGBT festival returns!

WHAT’s IN A

FISH BALL? Fish balls (literally “fish eggs” in Chinese) are ubiquitous in local Hong Kong street food stalls. Actually made from fish paste, there isn’t a portion of testicle in them, so far as we know. So what is in a fish ball?

Apparently there are two kinds of fish balls sold in Hong Kong- yellow and white. But anyone who’s lived here knows the distinction is more often ‘spicy’ or ‘not spicy’. The yellow variety is the budget ball and most often found mass-produced to sell by street food vendors.

They tend to be smaller and made up of less than 20% actual fish, the rest being fillers like wheat flour, starch, egg, water and sometimes even pork. The white fish ball (the ones in your noodle soup) are proportionally more fish and sometimes even fresh fish, so these would be your healthier option should you have a sudden craving for balls.

DID YOU KNOW?

Fish balls are also common in Scandinavia, and usually made from cod or haddock. Which begs the question, why aren’t they on the IKEA menu in Hong Kong?

Celebrating Inclusion, Loving Diversity.

Pink Season 2015 aims to bring together a growing community, inclusive of LGBTQI people and those who embrace diversity. The festival will celebrate self-acceptance, openness, and awareness through a series of exciting events. The calendar promotes arts, entertainment, sports, and adventure.

Oct - Nov 2015

FISH

NOT FISH

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• SEX

STRANGER THAN FRICTION

by Lap Capistrano Ever wondered what the options are for more than just the average dildo, fleshlight, or love doll? Good news, there’s plenty out there if you’re in the mood for something more than your typical wham­bam-­thank­you-­ hand. We took it upon ourselves to scour the infinite possibilities offered online, each one more unique than the last. And by unique, we definitely mean disturbing.

So here’s eight of the weirdest we’ve found ­ (we won't lie, it was hard to limit this list to just 8). We’re pretty damn sure there are plenty more strange sex toys on offer, so keep an eye out and share what you find by commenting at our PLUG website!

Visual from Quest Terrariums

STRANGER THAN FRICTION • AGE MATTERS

before you blow his/her brains out with your brand new facecock. Just don’t be surprised if you’re given a new nickname like Dickface or Cockjaw.

1 Rainbow Ponytail Butt Plug Absolutely amazing if you happen to be a My Little Pony fan – unleash your inner Brony! This rainbow pink ponytail buttplug is a two-­ toned toy made of borosilicate glass, perfectly safe for you and your orifices.

2 The Squildo Never judge a book by its cover, or a dildo by its tentacles. Not only does this little toy please your aesthetic sensibilities with its sparkly and colorful appearance, but it also fulfills your hentai obsession (in more ways than one!) Satisfy your tentacle­porn fantasies and let the Squildo pull you down 20,000 leagues under the sheets.

3 Vanilla Crocheted Ribbed Dildo Now we know exactly why grandma has been so busy! Check out this lovingly hand­made crocheted ribbed penis, made from quality acrylic yarn and polyester fibre fill. We imagine it’s similar to getting frisky with a sweater.

4 Pussy Foot Foot fetishists, look no further! This little intriguing toy comes in a size 6 woman’s foot with a silicone vagina tucked in the heel. Viewed from the top, they look just like harmless mannequin feet.

But check underneath and you’ll either run away screaming or thank the heavens that your masturbatory­ latex­ amputee­foot­bondage­vaginal­transplant desires can now be satisfied!

5 Tuna Taco Masturbator Get over the hideous name choice and you’ll find that the tiny, travel-friendly and titillating Tuna Taco is a tight little tunnel that boasts of blissful bumps for surefire stimulation. Made of lifelike Fanta Flesh, this mini­ masturbator should feel super ­real.

6 The Accomodator This toy gives a whole new meaning to “you have something on your chin”.

Best advice is to first try it in the dark just so your partner won’t burst out laughing

7 ‘Teddy Love’ Teddy Bear Vibrator Meet Teddy Love, the world’s first Teddy Bear vibrator. Snuggle with Teddy, squeeze him tight, and see where the night takes you. Finally, a teddy that loves you back...

8 Head O’ State If you’ve got nothing but great love for President Obama, ­I mean if you REALLY love the guy,­get a 7-and-a-half inch, golden likeness of Obama, complete with a set of balls at the base. So now everyone can get screwed by the government!

If you’ve tried any of these creative inventions or have another personal favourite to recommend, we’d love to hear from you. editor@plug-magazine.com

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RESOURCES Here is a list of contact information for the organizations we’ve featured in the current and previous issues of the magazine.

Community Business communitybusiness.org A not-for-profit organisation focused on corporate responsibility and LGBTinclusion in the workplace.

Double Happiness doublehappiness.lgbt@gmail.com The first organisation in Hong Kong to actively campaign for the legal recognition of same-sex couples’ relationships and marriage equality.

Transgender Resource Center www.tgr.org.hk Helps society develop a deeper understanding of the transgender community and of transgender issues.

TGR Gender Care Hotline (+852) 8230 0838 Every Weds Night 8:00-11:00pm Except public holidays.

If you, a family member or friend has questions about gender orientation or identity, please call our hotline.

AIDS Concern 852 2394 6677 Yau Ma Tei Health Service Clinic Unit 602, 6/F King Centre 23-29 Dundas Street, Yau Ma Tei AIDS Concern offers free HIV and syphilis antibody rapid tests, alongside gonorrhea and chlamydia testing.

Les Peches www.facebook.com/groups/lespeches Organisation founded by Abby and Betty.

Hong Kong’s premier event organizers for lesbians, bi/queer women and their friends.

Queer Straight Alliance facebook.com/QSAHK2008 www.queerstraightalliance.wordpress.com Out in Hong Kong facebook.com/groups/outinhk Fruits in Suits www.fruitsinsuits.com.hk facebook.com/FinS.HK Equal Opportunities Commission www.eoc.org.hk Pink Season www.pinkseason.hk facebook.com/pinkseason.hk Write us at editor@plug-magazine. com if you’d like us to feature your organisation or group. We’d love to help plug the good work that you’re doing!

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS We’d like to say a special thank-you to all the contributing artists, designers and authors that helped make this issue especially creative.

1 Harper Bliss Harper’s books are published

by Ladylit Publishing. All information on how and where to get them can be found on the Ladylit website at www. ladylit.com.

2 Quest Terrariums Follow and like his Facebook page and get in contact to order your own custom-made terrarium.

3 Sara Swaty Our featured photographer in the Culture section.

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CONTACT US Please write our marketing director if you have any events you’d like to plug or resources you’d like to share. Definitely let us know if you are interested in being a distribution partner for PLUG Magazine and we’ll collaborate on a great partnership. john@plug-magazine.com

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D I S T R I B U T I O N PA R T N E R S Kapok bap@ka-pok.com 2520 0114 3 Sun Street, Wan Chai

Konzepp info@konzepp.com 2803 0339 G/F, 50 Tung Street Sheung Wan

Pink Dot www.pinkdot.hk info@pinkdot.hk press@pinkdot.hk

Brunch Club info@brunch-club.org 2526 8861 G/F, 10 Peel Street, Central

Life Cafe info@lifecafe.com.hk 2810 9777 10 Shelley Street, Soho, Central

Mr Gay Hong Kong www.mrgayhongkong.com info@mrgayhongkong.com (852) 9660 5552

Culture Club info@cultureclub.com.hk 2127 7936 15 Lower Elgin Street, Soho Central

Just Green info@justgreen.com.hk 2810 9777 52 Graham, Soho, Central

HK Helpers Campaign www.hkhelperscampaign.com info@hkhelperscampaign.com

Inbetween Shop info@inbetweenshop.com 9677 7815 6B Tai Ping Shan Street, Sheung Wan

Kubrick info@kubrick.com.hk 2384 8929 3 Public Square Street, Yau Ma Tei

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