Sex is the title of a 1992 coffee table-size book written by Madonna with photographs by Steven Meisel and film frames Fabian Baron released October 21, 1992. The book was released as an which accompanyment to her fifth studio album Erotica. The book (ISBN 0-446-51732-1) featured strong adult content and "soft-core-pornographic" photographs depicting simulations of sexual acts and BDSM. For the release Madonna gave a huge party at New York City's Industria, for which she attended dressed as Little Bo Peep with a stuffed toy lamb.
The book caused huge publicity at the time of release, primarily leading to bad press and negative attitude toward the star. Many critics considered it another calculated controversy timed to boost sales of her new album; Spy magazine called it "a fuck book that contained no actual fucking," adding Madonna to its annual "100 Worst" list. Now long out of print, the book is very valuable - prices for a brand-new un-opened 1st edition can start at USD $200 on Amazon.com or Ebay.com.
Some of the pages vary in type of paper, texture, and size. The text varies from handwritten to printed, with eyebending typefaces and colors, to a plain, and a bit out-of-place, copyright page. The images are collages of ripped and pasted prints, proof sheets, and entire pages in monochromes and full color. Depicted are acts of lesbianism, sadomasochism, anilingus, rape. None of these acts are literally depicted, instead only hinted at or simulated. Also featured in the book are model Naomi Campbell, actress Isabella Rossellini, rappers Big Daddy Kane and Vanilla Ice, as well as gay porn star Joey Stefano.
Madonna had originally intended to call the book X but changed her mind when Spike Lee's film Malcom X was released (around the same time as the book), as well as the fashion trend at the time of wearing hats and shirts that said X. Madonna also wanted the book to be oval shaped, but the manufacturing of a book with such a shape would have been far to 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 the CD single titled "Erotic". It contains a the original version of the song Erotica, titled Erotic - which was only released via the book (as well as in an edited version on a promotional LP only released in the U.K.). The packaging for the CD was designed by Madonna to resemble a condom in its wrapper to promote safe-sex. The back cover of the U.S. releases were stamped with a serial number, while the Japanese version was released in a special box with a certificate of authenticity. There is a small 'photonovela' style comic bound into the back of the book titled Dita in "The Chelsea Girl" which depicts going-ons in a bizarre 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.
The Sex Book Video
Many of the pictures in the book Sex are actually film frames and not photographs. 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 and New York City's Industria. Madonna also gave copies of the filom to her closest friends. This film boasted a soundtrack of old 1940s french music of such singers as 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 was copies of it were sold as The Sex Book Video in versions with variations in editing and soundtrack in online markets such as Ebay.com. Today copies of the original edit with the 1940s-noir soundtrack can go for prices as high as USD $500 - even more expensive than the book itself.
External Links
Sex online on MadonnaOnline.ch
Gallery
-
Sex Outer cover made of mylar. -
Front Cover. -
Back Cover. Madonna originally wanted to call the book "X" and have it be of oval shape, but in the end only the X on the back cover and on the included CD and its cover retained the original design scheme. -
Special Bonus CD of the song Erotic that was included with the book. The "zip-lock" packaging for the CD was designed by Madonna to look like a condom in its wrapper to promote safe-sex. -
Complete U.S. release set. -
The Comic that was included with the book titled Dita in "The Chelsea Girl". -
U.S Releases of the book came with their own serial number -
A promotional stand for Barnes and Noble, with slips (bottom-left) to be filled-out in order to reserve copies of the book in advance -
The Japanese release came in a special box. -
Complete Japanese release with an alternate version of the box. The Japanese version came with a certificate of authenticity (upper-right corner). -
The first page of the book with book credits -
Madonna dressed as Little Bo Peep at her realease party for Sex - 11/15/92. To her left is producer Shep Pettibone, to her right is photographer Steven Miesel.
