WEST VILLAGE — What can porn stars teach the rest of us?
A lot, it seems — and not just about sex.
Since 2010, the adult industry's most famous mattress actresses have been taking to the lectern at "Porn Star Sex Life" (totally not safe for work), a West Village-based series of nudity-free live workshops and online videos that discuss what happens before and after the Big Event almost as much as bedroom technique.
"It was everything — that's what the workshop was about. Not just the sex, but things that make women want to be open with you," said Fort Greene resident Ken Corris, 27, a Financial District systems engineer who attended Porn Star Sex Life's first workshop in June 2010 after he stumbled upon it while "doing some Googling."
"The whole confidence factor thing really hammered home. What is considered appropriate when reaching out to a woman? When's a good moment to approach?"
Founder and lifelong New Yorker Josh Rosenberg, 30, who works from a computer in his bedroom, calls the series "sex education for couples, adults — anyone who wanted a more satisfying sex life… It's not for people just trying to pick up a piece of ass at a bar.”
But there is one goal in mind: "We teach you how to f—k," Rosenberg asserts. The company's website is just as blunt.
Once Rosenberg and the series' stars get past the sales pitch, however, they are quick to emphasize that learning "the secrets" takes more than simply memorizing the "Butterfly Technique" (Module 2: Foreplay) or trying to imitate the “Cirque du Soleil…you see on camera” in typical triple-X fare.
“It’s just caring for your partner,” Rosenberg said. “It’s really understanding what’s going on in your partner’s head.”
The first workshop, held at the Velour Lounge, attracted roughly 60 people for $1,000 a ticket. Led by adult film celebrities Ryan Keely, Justine Joli and Jade Vixen, the event lasted from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Rosenberg hired a video crew to record the whole thing. The footage became Porn Star Sex Life's online video series, which consists of 10 modules with titles like "Sensual Touch" and "Things You See in Porn That are Bad Ideas." It costs $67.
"It's a lot sexier than a lecture," Rosenberg said. And the attire is much skimpier.
Marni Kinrys, a self-described professional “wing girl” and dating coach in Los Angeles who discovered the series last year, called the videos "very educational."
"It's just information: 'Don't do that, do this instead.' And I thought that was really helpful," Kinrys, 31, said. "I take lessons for tennis, people take lessons for the piano. Why wouldn't people take lessons for one of the most important things in their lives?"
Rosenberg organized more live workshops as he built Porn Star Sex Life's online presence, then shifted the company's focus to the web and reduced the workshops to about one a year. Online sales are not only more cost effective, he explained, but the stars' frequent travel between the city, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas, make the workshops difficult to schedule.
He also began developing new products, including an e-book titled “Bedroom Titan,” and a series “for people comfortable pushing the limits of their comfort zone” called the “Sexual Pioneer System.”
Together, the products have made Rosenberg a wealthy man as he’s passed his 30th birthday — “not quite yet a millionaire,” but he said he expects to approach the high “six-figures” by the end of the year.
"We've really helped a lot of people," he said. "We're helping couples reignite their passion."
