Green Porno: The Scandalous Sexual World of Animals
03 juni 2022 
9 min. read

Green Porno: The Scandalous Sexual World of Animals

Created by model, actress and filmmaker Isabella Rossellini in 2008, the series of short films Green Porno aims to discuss the sexual behavior of animals through comic staging. Green Porno grew out of Isabella Rossellini's contact with Robert Redford and his Sundance Channel. 

Robert Redford

According to her: “When Robert Redford, founder of Sundance, had the idea of short environmental films for the Internet, I knew it was a unique opportunity . I particularly love short silent films (George Melies, Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton), and the idea that this classic format could be adapted to the Internet where shorts are so popular was appealing”. 

green porno Isabella Rossellini lobsterFig.1. 'Lobster'

Scandalous Aspects

So, the Sundance Channel set aside a budget for Rossellini's project and proposed that the shorts be shown on the Sundance show The Green. With an average duration of 4 minutes, each episode deals with an animal and aspects related to its procreation, of which sex stands out for its scandalous aspects:

“I've always been interested in animal behavior, and I certainly know a lot of people who are interested in sex. So, here you have the three elements that make the core concept of Green Porno: short stories, animals, and sex. In each of the films I imagine myself as a particular animal and I make love as that animal would. Each film is scientifically accurate; nature is infinitely scandalous! The first animals I portrayed are the ones that live in my garden—the bee, the earthworm, the snail—and in my home: the spider, the fly”.

green porno duckFig.2. 'Duck'

In Depth

Each episode is underpinned by in-depth research Isabella Rossellini has carried out on the animal to be featured. The challenge was to translate, in visual and scenic terms, the research material into something both educational and comic. Therefore, the costumes are essential to achieve these intentions. They were developed by Jody Shapiro and Rick Gilbert, also directors of the series, from paper and glue.

Green Porn SnailFig.3. 'Snail' 

Isabella Rossellini Green Porno SnailFig.4. 'Snail

Overfishing

Green Porno ran for three seasons. The first season dealt with invertebrate animals and the second season focused on sea creatures. In the third, Green Porno sought to present an environmental theme, dedicated to the issue of overfishing and the mating of animals used as food. In the third season, in addition to Isabella Rossellini, the series has the presence of biologist Claudio Campagna.

Green Porno SharkFig.5. 'Shark

Green Porno salmonFig.6. 'Salmon'

Irony

The great asset of Green Porno is in the way Isabella Rossellini exposes the biological aspects related to sex practiced by animals, not only limiting herself to exposing information about it, but ironizing human sexual behaviors, by representing in the animal kingdom what for us it would be absurd.

Anthropomorphization

The anthropomorphization of animals, which occurs not only through the costumes used by the actress, thus has its comic aspects in the text (Isabella begins the shorts with the expression “If I were...), since the information is many sometimes translated literally, generating a kind of visual metaphor. In the episode about the snail, for example, a single word, unfortunately, is capable of arousing laughter, the moment it follows the explanation of how the snail snuggles inside its shell beside its foot and anus. 

(video:

Sadomasochism

The description of the animal's sexual act is comical, since the encounter between the snails takes place violently, one wounded the other, which leads Isabella Rossellini to pronounce: “I can produce starts. I use them to inflict pain on my partners before mating. I love to be hurt too. Sadomasochism excites me”. 

Vagina Like a Cork

In the episode about the bee,, the lines almost become a Shakespearean monologue: “If I were a male bee, I wouldn't have a father and I will be called a drone. I would have many brothers and we would do nothing just waiting to have sex a female ready to mate sex. I would fly after her. I would kill her in flight. It's our natural flight but pulling out from her. Oh my penis will break off. He would get stuck in her vagina like a cork in a bottle but he would prevent other evils from mating with her. She will be queen. She would start a new colony with my babies but I would die without my penis. I would bleed to death”.

Green Porno FlyFig.7. 'Fly '

Pain and Pleasure

Isabella Rossellini manages, by passing on information about the animal world, to bring its sexual activities closer to those performed by human beings. The comic element, converted into the absurd, leads us to realize that, although sex is governed by many conventions in human society, aspects such as pain and pleasure are not something limited to sadomasochism clubs, but, perhaps, they are proof that we are as animals as the creatures around usndre Derain, 1936 (wikiart.org)

Fly episode:

Hamster episode:

Duck episode:

Wasp episode:

Dolphin episode:

Click HERE for an article on Porno Graphics: The Book by Dan Greenburg, Which Must Be Read and Then Hidden.....!!

What do you think about Rossellini's Green Porno project? Leave your reaction in the comment box below...!!

About the author
Alexandre Rodrigues da Costa is poet and works as a professor of Art History at the State University of Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Kristian
By

Kristian

on 03 Jun 2022

OK! Nothing new under the sun :)

Darya
By

Darya

on 03 Jun 2022

If they didn't do octopus and mantis, it's all in vain ;)

JB
By

JB

on 03 Jun 2022

This is absolutely hillarious... and informative. It has to be one of the best additions ever to the Shunga Gallery. I wasn't aware of these. Excellent find. How many of these did she make?

Alexandre Rodrigues da Costa
By

Alexandre Rodrigues da Costa

on 03 Jun 2022

Hi JB, Isabella Rossellini made three seasons with the following episodes: season 1 S01E01 Earthworm Isabella Rossellini explores the mating habits of worms. S01E02 Dragonfly Isabella Rossellini explores the mating habits of dragonflies. S01E03 Bee Isabella Rossellini explores the mating habits of bees. S01E04 Firefly Isabella Rossellini explores the mating habits of fireflies. S01E05 Snail Isabella Rossellini explores the mating habits of snails. S01E06 Spider Isabella Rossellini explores the mating habits of spiders. S01E07 Fly Isabella Rossellini explores the mating habits of flies. S01E08 Praying Mantis Isabella Rossellini explores the mating habits of the praying mantis. season 2 S02E01 Why Vagina April 1, 2009 SundanceTV Isabella Rossellini explores the wonder of compatible vaginas and penises. S02E02 Whale Isabella Rossellini explores the mating habits of whales. S02E03 Starfish April 1, 2009 SundanceTV Isabella Rossellini on the reproductive miracles of starfish. S02E04 Clean Isabella Rossellini explores the hermaphroditic reproductive abilities of the limpet. S02E05 Anglerfish Isabella Rossellini fills us in on the deep sea sexual antics of anglerfish. S02E06 Barnacle April 1, 2009 SundanceTV Isabella Rossellini explores the special reproductive talents of the barnacle. season 3 S03E01 Bon Appetit - Squid Isabella Rossellini takes an intimate look into the perilous life of a squid. S03E02 Bon Appetit - Anchovy September 14, 2009 SundanceTV Isabella Rossellini takes a closer look at the life of an anchovy. S03E03 Bon Appetit - Shrimp Isabella Rossellini explores the shrimp. S03E04 Harem on the Beach Isabella Rossellini finds that size does matter in the heirarchy of elephant seals.

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