Awakenings: Emmanuelle in Space

I originally had a different post planned for today that covered some heavier topics, but because the Bad Wives got put in Google jail not once, but twice, I decided to try something a little less... heavy. 

For a certain age group Emmanuelle in Space was a kind of first exposure to erotica. The series of seven films were an official spin off of the Emmanuelle films, features a young woman joining a group of aliens to teach them about love, lust and pleasure. Mixing fantasy, sci-fi, plenty of stock footage, and erotica Emmanuelle in Space became a memorable late night staple of the 90's. The material was very soft, with a focus on romance novel style story telling that included plenty of sexy shenanigans mixed in with whatever intrigue the writers could make work with Roger Corman stock footage library. Taking over the lead role of Emmanuelle was Krista Allen. From what I can remember, she did a pretty good job of playing the character as a woman who was secure and comfortable in her sexuality. This is one of her first roles, and she carries the weight of the series on her shoulders like a champ. She actually went on to have a very nice career in Hollywood, and continues acting to this day, as I thinks he just finished a run on Bold and the Beautiful not that long ago. Before that she had been a lead in several TV series, including the underrated Unscripted. She also showed up in a few horror movies. Most notably Feast and The Final Destination.

Now, the reason that this one is not a movie talk is because I was not able to actually watch this one before writing about it. Emmanuelle in Space is not streaming anywhere, nor do I expect to ever stream anywhere. There were DVDs released of the series, but they are very hard to find, and can cost a pretty penny. I am actually kicking myself, because I owned the set of films back in college, and I have no idea what happened to them. That was almost 20 years ago now, so I am guessing those discs are long gone. Who knows if the series masters even exist anymore. Sadly, this series may just be lost to time. If you have this one on DVD or VHS, hang on to them. Who knows if the series will ever resurface again.

Even though I wasn't able to watch the series, I still want to talk about it, though. I think this series is actually kind of important to me. 

A lot of people my age saw this when they were younger. Probably too young to actually be watching it. I know I was. This was probably one of their first exposures to any kind of filmed erotica, as erotic content was not as easy to come by. From what I can find online the show has aged fine, although some may find it a bit cringe, and the cheese level is pretty high (especially the theme song). It was also a show that was very sex positive. That is important. Depictions of sex and sexuality in this show were shown as a good thing. They were shown as enjoyable for both both partners. Yes, every romantic interlude ended with a soft, gasping climax, but the climax was there. This show gave me an idea about sex that I think is lacking in a lot of hardcore material. That sex can be hot and heavy, but it can also be intimate. It can be a connection. Even if that connection is short term.

Obviously this show is very much aimed at a straight male audience. The pairings are almost all straight, with a sapphic interlude here and there. I mean, my baby gay ass had to work with what was available, and luckily shows like Emmanuelle in Space didn't shy away from showing male bodies. There was no male full frontal nudity, but the guys weren't hidden off camera like they could be in other series, or softcore films of the era. The creators of this understood that there was an audience that did appreciate seeing the male form, so at least they threw gay viewers like myself a bone... for lack of a better term. I mean, they probably were thinking it was for the ladies, but little did they know. It was for sure not like cable is today, where you can't seem to go anywhere without tripping over a prosthetic penis. Male frontal nudity seems to be a running theme in shows like The White Lotus.

For a lot of people shows like Emmanuelle in Space were a part of their sexual awakening. For better or worse, late night cable films were some of the first ways people saw sex and sexuality in a visual medium. Luckily for those who did find shows like this one, the aim was to create sex positive material, that approached the subject as something enjoyable to be explored, and learned about. I mean, I understand that the show wasn't that deep. I really do, but when I look back on what shaped my idea of what is sexy, this show is one of those things. It was one of the things that I still think back on, and remember fondly. Well, I mean, not fondly in that way. More in a light smile, and a reminder that all I had to make due with was a few brief shots of a guy's butt in a sea of boobs. I do think this show is part of the reason that I have such a curiosity around sexuality. I am also grateful that of all the things I could have been exposed to, I got the one that made a point to come from a sex positive view point. This one almost feels like the sneaking your mom's romance novels, or the first time you read a book you aren't supposed to like. Just with a lot less (as in zero) bodice ripping. 

I'm kind of curious if anyone else has a show like that. I'm in my 40's now, so I grew up in the heyday of late night cable. I'm not sure if there really is anything like that anymore. Let me know in the comments if this has sparked any memories for yourself. Keep it clean, obviously, but sound off below!