# Real Sex

Real Sex is a documentary television series broadcast on and a production of HBO. As its name implies, Real Sex is a sexually explicit "magazine" which "explores sex '90s style."
Real Sex explores human sexuality. Gary R. Edgerton and Jeffrey P. Jones described the fare in The Essential HBO Reader as "a peek into the diversity of sexual activities...with an emphasis that ranges from the unusual to the bizarre." The show typically explores three to four topics each episode. Segments are separated by street interviews with random people, relating to the episode's topics.
It spawned a spin-off series called Pornucopia.

## Episode guide

| Episode # | Segment name | Segment title | Description |
| Episode 01 | | | November 1990 |
| Episode 01 | | "How to Strip (for your man)" | A striptease class taught by LaGioconda (a.k.a. Lisa Suarez). |
| Episode 01 | | "A Family Business" | A husband and wife strip couple filmed at Big Al's in Peoria, IL. |
| Episode 01 | Sex by Telephone | None | A brief segment about phone sex which grossed $400 million last year (1989?). A vast majority of callers are male and earn more than $30,000/yr. The average caller spends $45 for 30 minutes. |
| Episode 01 | | "Portrait of a Virgin" | A 31-year-old virgin talks about her chaste lifestyle, and how she plans to wait to have sex until she is married. |
| Episode 01 | | "Homemade Home Video" | A kinky homemade video of a couple jumping into bed filmed by Adam Crown. |
| Episode 01 | | "Sex for One" | A masturbation class for women taught by Betty Dodson, Ph.D. |
| Episode 01 | | "An Actress Turns Director" | Erotic films for women directed by Candida Royalle and Femme Productions. |
| Episode 02 | | | |
| Episode 02 | | "Stripper with a Difference" | Jane Jones strip show and exotic circus includes a 600 lb. Siberian tiger named Qadesh, a Burmese python, and a topless saxophone performance. |
| Episode 02 | | "Sex Under Glass" | Carol Queen's peep show. |
| Episode 02 | | "The HOW-TO-MAKE-LOVE Couple" | Married couple Donna and Gary filming Videos for Lovers for the Better Sex Institute. |
| Episode 02 | | "The Madam and The Prostitute" | Madam Beverly Harrell of the Cottontail Ranch |
| Episode 02 | | "Annie Sprinkle's Sluts and Goddesses" | Women dressing up in Annie Sprinkle's clothes and acting out slut and goddess fantasies. |
| Episode 03 | | | |
| Episode 03 | | "Cherokee Sex Workshop" | |
| Episode 03 | | "A Stimulating Collection" | |
| Episode 03 | | "The Honorable Cicciolina" | |
| Episode 03 | | "Mister Madam" | |
| Episode 03 | | "Auntie Maim's House Of Domination" | |
| Episode 04 | | | |
| Episode 04 | | "Annie Sprinkle's One Woman Show" | Annie Sprinkle's show about her sexual evolution from a shy teenager to porn star and exhibitionist. |
| Episode 04 | | "The Agony & The Ecstasy" | 1991 Miss Nude World pageant organized by Samantha Jones. |
| Episode 04 | | "Deutschland's Top Quiz Show" | German game show called Tutti Frutti where contestants removed various items of clothing. |
| Episode 04 | | "Tell Me Your Fantasy" | Live tele-fantasy New York public access show called Voyeurvision hosted by Lynn Muscarella. |
| Episode 04 | | "Riding the Orgasmic Wave" | Oceanic Tantra workshop where the couples undulate like dolphins through the waters of Maui. |
| Episode 05 | | | A sex-shop entrepreneur; and a stripper who moonlights as a boxer. August 5, 1993 |
| Episode 05 | | "Introducing Venus De Light" | Lynn Chase's exotic burlesque dance and animal show. She boxes for stress relief. |
| Episode 05 | | "Of Human Bondage" | Frank and Ona Zee show home spanking and bondage play. |
| Episode 05 | | "Doctor/Director Frank Sommers M.D." | Dr Frank Sommers, M.D. makes short sex education films for women. |
| Episode 05 | | "Susanne Bartsch's Girls Girls Girls" | Susanne Bartsch throws a drag queen show (including RuPaul). |
| Episode 05 | | "Sex Shop Granny" | Beate Uhse talks about her well-known German sex store. |
| Episode 06 (1993) | | | August 5, 1993 |
| Episode 06 (1993) | | "Cyber-Sex Game" | Mike Saenz creates an early adult interactive video games called Virtual Valerie. |
| Episode 06 (1993) | | "The Royal Sex Maniacs' Ball" | Tuppy Owens creates the anything goes Sex Maniacs Ball to raise funds for disabled people. It includes an early view of virtual reality sex. |
| Episode 06 (1993) | | "A Filmmaker's Fetish Fantasy" | Eric Kroll takes fetish photos of 3 women wearing girdles. |
| Episode 06 (1993) | | "Adam's Whips & Gillian's Toys" | A couple makes sensual whips and toys. |
| Episode 06 (1993) | | "Pleasure Bus of Brazil" | An exotic play called Soltando a Franga by Sady Cinema which loosely translates to "Release the Inhibitions". The driver is Sady Baby (a.k.a. Sady Plauth) an infamous actor and filmmaker |
| Episode 07 (1993) | | | November 11, 1993 |
| Episode 07 (1993) | | "Naked City" | Photographer takes quirky fine art black-and-white nudes of his friends on the streets of New York. |
| Episode 07 (1993) | | "For Women Only" | Michelle's XXX Revue is a Los Angeles lesbian and bisexual strip club founded by promoter Michelle Levy. |
| Episode 07 (1993) | | "From Russia With Love" | Russian men's magazine Andrei[sp]. |
| Episode 07 (1993) | | "Libido" | The couple behind Libido The Journal of Sex and Sensibility shoot a nude layout for the magazine. |
| Episode 07 (1993) | | "The Master of Non-Ejaculation" | A virile Chinese senior citizen. |
| Episode 08 | | | |
| Episode 08 | | "Moscow's School of Striptizi" | Alla Maximova (Алла Максимова) striptease school for the "new" Russian woman |
| Episode 08 | | "Members Only" | Male sexual seminar, men only |
| Episode 08 | | "Lady & Lord K of RIO" | Sexy male and female 'rock stars' in Rio perform in the nude "they practice what they preach" |
| Episode 08 | | "How to read a Dirty Movie" | Porn critic and sex educator Susie Bright gives seminar on 'how to read a dirty movie' |
| Episode 08 | Exotic Erotic Ball | "The Exotic Erotic Ball" | Exotic Erotic Ball was held up through 2009 at various locations throughout California; the 2010 ball was cancelled the day before the show, and no ball was scheduled in 2011 |
| Episode 09 | | | August 13, 1994 |
| Episode 09 | Late Night Swedish TV show | "A Thousand and one Nights with Ylva" | Ylva Maria Thompson's wild late night Swedish TV show. "Tusen & en natt" |
| Episode 09 | | "Body, Heart and Soul" | 5 day Love, Sex and Sensuality workshop in Hawaii with Alan Lowen |
| Episode 09 | Drag King Show | "Girls will be Boys" | Drag king show mixed with strip show, to show how fluid sexuality is. |
| Episode 09 | Making adult audio CDs | "CYBORGASM The Making of a XXX-rated CD" | An erotic party that is recorded to create an adult audio CD Lisa Palac and M. Gantt |
| Episode 09 | Mr Nude Universe | "Bare & Bold" | |
| Episode 10 | | | |
| Episode 10 | | "Pins & Needles" | |
| Episode 10 | | "Paris After Dark" | |
| Episode 10 | | "Interactive Fantasies" | |
| Episode 10 | | "Cross Dress For Success" | |
| Episode 10 | | "Valeria: Queen Of Carnival" | |
| Episode 11 | | | |
| Episode 11 | | "Call-In Love Radio" | |
| Episode 11 | | "The Ultimate Orgasm" | |
| Episode 11 | | "Doris Does Dungeons" | |
| Episode 11 | | "Pajama Party Live (Behind The Scenes)" | |
| Episode 11 | | "London's Rubber Ball" | |
| Episode 12 | | | |
| Episode 12 | | "Getting Off On-Line" | |
| Episode 12 | | "The Black Orchid" | |
| Episode 12 | | "Truck Stop On Highway 93" | |
| Episode 12 | | "Video Erotique Avec Laetitia" | |
| Episode 12 | | "Taking Care Of Business" | |
| Episode 13 | | | |
| Episode 13 | | "Electric Sex With Dante Amore" | |
| Episode 13 | | "Jocelyn Taylor's Lesbian Erotica" | |
| Episode 13 | | "Whiplash" | |
| Episode 13 | | "A Tight Squeeze" | |
| Episode 13 | | "Golden Oldies" | |
| Episode 14 | "Wild Cards Special" | | Annie Sprinkle with Lily Braindrop Borana, Jennifer Einstein, Dominique D'Anthony, Danielle Willis & Jennifer Blowdryer |
| Episode 15 | | | |
| Episode 15 | | "Heather Takes Off" | |
| Episode 15 | | "Homemade Love Movies" | |
| Episode 15 | | "Hot Shots In Rio" | |
| Episode 15 | | "Folsom Street Fair" | |
| Episode 15 | | "A Family Tradition" | |
| Episode 16 | | | |
| Episode 16 | | "Miss Black Nude" | |
| Episode 16 | | "For Swingers Only" | |
| Episode 16 | | "Passion Food" | |
| Episode 16 | | "Supermarket Du Sex" | |
| Episode 17 | | | January 14, 1997 |
| Episode 17 | | "Nudes-A-Poppin'" | |
| Episode 17 | | "Out To Africa With Photographer Uwe Ommer" | |
| Episode 17 | | "Fun House" | |
| Episode 17 | | "Yoyogi-San Master Of Orgasm" | |
| Episode 18 | | | March 14, 1997 |
| Episode 18 | | "Wild Anna Malle" | |
| Episode 18 | | "Through The Looking Glass" | |
| Episode 18 | | "Secrets Of Nina's Boudoir" | |
| Episode 18 | | "Erotic Art Auction" | |
| Episode 19 | | | February 7, 1998 |
| Episode 19 | Mud Play | "Down 'N Dirty" | A group gets together to play in the mud in the desert. |
| Episode 19 | Jamaican Beat | "Miss Black nude: Going Tropical" | Club 55 in Washington DC (closed in 2008) and Hedonism II sponsored beauty pageant for black women. |
| Episode 19 | Fantasies | "Male-Order Fantasies" | |
| Episode 19 | Decadence | "Doktor Hirschfeld's Museum Of Sexologoy" | |
| Episode 20 | | | May 2, 1998 |
| Episode 20 | Miss Nude World | "The Barest In The Land" | Miss nude world 1998 exotic dancer competition at the "pink pony club" in Atlanta GA. Won by "Holly Montana" |
| Episode 20 | | "Ladies' Night" | Monthly Male exotic dancer show in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Arranged by Lady Simzie |
| Episode 20 | Love without Limits | "Polyamory" | Deborah Annapol workshop on polyamory and relationships. |
| Episode 20 | Angels and Demons exhibition | "Naked Art" | a Nude art exhibition in New York City 'Natasha VonRosenchilde' is the artist. |
| Episode 21 | | | September 5, 1998 |
| Episode 21 | Private Parts | "The Feel of Real" | The making of realistic sex toys from capture of porn stars' "parts" to manufacturing |
| Episode 21 | Voyeurism | "Voyeur's Vacation" | Oakland, CA's Edgewater West Hotel (now closed) |
| Episode 21 | Old-Fashioned Erotica | "Doris Wishman: Queen of Sexploitation" | |
| Episode 21 | Titillating Art | "An Art Gallery Exhibition(ist)" | the production of a lesbianism-themed art exhibition called "Women Loving Women," which included live lesbian sex performances by porn star Missy and other women in the gallery, with some of the female patrons participating |
| Episode 22 | | | February 20, 1999 |
| Episode 22 | Dolls | "Real Dolls" | Making of and playing with realistic ($6,000) female RealDolls from Abyss Creations |
| Episode 22 | Tantric Sex | "Tantric Sex: Riding the Orgasm" | workshop on full-body orgasms |
| Episode 22 | Dutch Swingers | "Fun 4 Two" | European Sex Club for Couples, Holland farmhouse where couples live out their fantasies |
| Episode 22 | Sacred Vows | "Exotic Erotic Wedding" | Performers '13' and 'Princess' of the 'Impotent Sea Snakes' get married at San Francisco's Exotic Erotic Ball |
| Episode 23 | | | May 8, 1999 |
| Episode 23 | | | arousing African-American dancers |
| Episode 23 | | | a stimulating sex club in Paris |
| Episode 23 | | | an adult-film star-turned-performance artist |
| Episode 24 | | | February 26, 2000 |
| Episode 24 | Different Strokes | "How to please a penis" | Suburban housewives learn new oral and tactile techniques at a home party |
| Episode 24 | Dirty Words | "Punany Poets" | Exotic Performers read erotic poetry they've written as part of their show |
| Episode 24 | Footsies | "Tootsie Roles" | Foot fetishists |
| Episode 24 | Bon Apetit! | "Sploshing" | British specialty that features arousal by playing in a variety of sloppy foods. |
| Episode 25 | | | June 17, 2000 |
| Episode 25 | Strap Ons | "Strut Your Strap On" | featuring Tristan Taormino |
| Episode 25 | Flirt Fest | "Texas Flirt Fest" | |
| Episode 25 | Erotic Cabaret | "Blue Angel Cabaret" | |
| Episode 25 | Pleasure Party | "Dr. Suzy's Speakeasy" | featuring Susan Block |
| Episode 26 | Lessons in Love & Lust | | April 7, 2001 |
| Episode 26 | Love Licks | "Clit Tricks" | Cunnilingus workshop |
| Episode 26 | Swing Fest | "Swingstock " | Swingstock '99 – Swingers camping convention in Rural Minnesota |
| Episode 26 | Tropical Tease | "how to be Miss Florida" | Florida Exotic Dancer competition |
| Episode 26 | Tight Squeeze | "Latex Sex" | The joys of latex – from paint-on liquid latex to being vacuum sealed between sheets of latex |
| Episode 27 | Slippery when Wet | | |
| Episode 27 | Deep Sex | "Underwater Erotica" | |
| Episode 27 | Peek-a-boo | "Voyeur Dorm" | Nine college girls live in a house filled with 55 cameras |
| Episode 27 | Long Licks | "Lick It" | Exotic Dancer with very long tongue |
| Episode 27 | Hot Toys | "Sex Odyssey" | Sex toys made of Pyrex |
| Episode 28 | Bedroom Tricks & Treats | | |
| Episode 28 | Giddyup! | "Ride Pony Ride" | Women who enjoy playing as horses |
| Episode 28 | Naked Shakespeare | "Much Ado about Nothing" | Exotic dancers get around local laws by performing MacBeth in the nude |
| Episode 28 | Sex Doll | "Boy Toy" | Making of and playing with realistic (US$6,000) Male Love Dolls from realdolls.com |
| Episode 28 | Teasing 101 | "Bring Back Burlesque" | Modern exotic dancers learn the fine art of classic burlesque dancers |
| Episode 29 | Let it all hang out | | April 6, 2002 |
| Episode 29 | Slippery Sports | "Santa Fe Wrestling Asylum" | Oil wrestling |
| Episode 29 | Dick Tricks | "Penis Puppeteers" | Off-Broadway show: Puppetry of the Penis |
| Episode 29 | Bareback Thrills | "Ms Nude Great Plains" | Exotic Dancer Competition that includes nude horseback riding in Topeka, Kansas |
| Episode 29 | Nude Twists | "Secrets of the Kama Sutra" | Couples' Kama Sutra workshop |
| Episode 30 | Down & Dirty | | |
| Episode 30 | Hi-Tech | "Sex Machines.cum" | Violet wand and Sybian |
| Episode 30 | Erotic Awards | "London's Erotic Oscars" | Erotic Oscars |
| Episode 30 | Dirty Movies | "Lights, Camera, Fantasy!" | Company that provides professional video services for couples that wish to act out their fantasy |
| Episode 30 | Kinky Circus | "Cirque du Sex" | |
| Episode 31 | Am I good in bed? | | |
| Episode 31 | Anal 101 | "Bottoms up" | featuring Tristan Taormino |
| Episode 31 | Punk Pinups | "The Suicide Girls" | featuring SuicideGirls |
| Episode 31 | Latin Lovers | "Ay! Papi Chulo! Hot Latin Daddy Revue" | |
| Episode 31 | Sex Party | "Sexual Soiree" | |
| Episode 32 | A Real Sex Xtra | | Segments from past specials (2001) |
| Episode 32 | Pimp 'n Ho Costume Ball | | Themed erotic Halloween party in Vegas |
| Episode 32 | Masturbation Club | | "Club Relate", the only heterosexual masturbation club in America |
| Episode 32 | Ladies' Night | | Lady Simzie hosts a monthly show of "supersized" male exotic dancers in Philadelphia, and manages for "The Immortal TMs" (True Men). |
| Episode 32 | Real Dolls | | A tour through Abyss Creations' studio where Real Dolls are made. |
| Episode 32 | Strut Your Strap-On | | Lesbian "girls only" parties and the toys they use. |
| Episode 33 | Stocks Down, Sex Up [final episode] | | Produced in late 2009, this almost standalone episode looks at how sex workers are adjusting during the economic downturn of the year before. |

## Lost Media Status

While a hit show for HBO during its original run in the 90s (with HBO rerunning the series and compiling "best of" episodes to air late night well into the early 2000s), the series has become lost media. HBO has declined to include it in any of its various streaming services such as HBO Go and HBO Max/Max. In the Vice documentary series "Sex Before The Internet", series creator Sheila Nevins lamented the show's lost media status; stating that HBO largely disowned the series after finding mainstream critical success with shows like "The Sopranos" and "The Wire" and considers the series and other sexually explicit shows such as "The Cathouse", as old shames.