As with most creative endeavors, inspiration stems from a simple notion, a whim or in the case of “Porndogs,” merely a joke. It is within the process of fleshing out the initial concept and bringing it to life that one discovers its depth and fullness.
Porndogs began as nothing more than a canard, a parody of adult films performed by dogs. At the time, had one asked me to explain the levels of humor and just how they were to be executed and revealed, I would have stumbled. Consciously, all I knew is that it would be funny. But subconsciously, I was acutely aware that this was an endeavor that had to be undertaken, regardless of cost and obstacle.
From a practical standpoint, Porndogs was an obvious choice for a low-budget, independent movie. I wouldn’t have to pay the actors! I also understood that the comedy would largely stem from the dialogue. And since this would all be done in post, the pains one normally takes to achieve clean sync sound could be eliminated. There would be no rehearsals, no make up, no second, third or fifteenth takes, no forgotten lines, and at best a minimum of costumes.
From a marketing standpoint, Porndogs was a natural. Simply put, sex sells! In addition, everyone loves dogs. But there was also an inherent potential for controversy. Questions as to the ethicality of the film might be raised as well as concerns regarding whether harm was done to the animals. Combine all of this with comedy and a concept that had never been done before, Porndogs would be a publicist’s dream. It wasn’t until later did I realize the potential of lining up celebrity talent to do the voice-overs.
When it came time to develop the script, I was finally forced to articulate the meaning and theme behind the film. What began as a parody of Pornography soon took on deeper significance. Not being an avid viewer of adult films, I had never considered how pornography played on the human psyche. But as I viewed a number of films, past and present, I started to realize that in a way, pornography is in and of itself satirical. The medium of pornography merely dramatizes and exaggerates human sexuality and moreover, many adult films of the 70s do so with humor. However, even when depicted with “tongue in cheek” comedy, I would argue that the element of satire is largely lost due to the titillating nature of the content. In a sense, it is difficult to satirize human sexuality through the depiction of human sexuality much in the same way as it is difficult to critique violence in film through the depiction of violence.
Picasso once said “Art is a lie that makes us realize the truth.” Whereas pornography is less of a lie as it is fantasy, it was apparent that Porndogs was to be less a parody of adult films than it was to be a satire on human sexuality. If I could get the dogs to perform the array of sexual activities as presented in pornography, I will thereby have created a lie that will allow the viewer to realize the truth of our own sexual behavior. What was magical about the production was that I barely had to get the dogs to perform: Mother Nature took care of that. But then, if I were merely to depict dogs sniffing and copulating as nature prescribed, there would be little to distinguish Porndogs from a nature film.
What I realized is that the key to the satire lay in the manipulation of the film’s context. It is in this sense that Porndogs took on a Pavlovian quality. Essentially, I could allow the dogs to do what dogs naturally do – with a little coaxing of course. But with a few appropriately colored sets and props, by overdubbing the same misogynistic dialogue that accompanies so many adult films and by applying a soundtrack that in places borrows from stereotypical porn music, I might be able to convince the viewer that s/he is actually watching porn. By applying the aesthetics of pornography, the aesthetics that we have all been conditioned to recognize, in a way, upon viewing Porndogs we will have become like Pavlov’s dogs, reacting to a subconscious cultural conditioning. Ultimately, without our knowing it, we will at once be disgusted by and forced to laugh at ourselves. “The Treachery of Images (Ceci n’est pas une pipe)” – Magritte
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