2009
An actor in a light-blue hood and body suit swims in dark-blue water. She makes the case that a penis in water presents a challenge: it produces drag and might be snagged. She demonstrates how a right whale tucks his penis inside his body until erect. We watch more than one erect male appear around a female, who turns on her back keeping her vagina at bay while the males determine who is strongest. Then, the strongest male, ready to mate, waits until she needs air and turns over.
Mon, May 5, 2008
An actor tells us about bee life: the queen, fat, doing nothing but laying eggs. We see unfertilized eggs hatch into sons and fertilized eggs hatch into daughters. A sterile daughter does all the work: antenna to hear, foot pads to smell, compound eyes, and a stinger; communicating with her sisters by dancing. Royal jelly is fed to one baby sister to make her fertile and a queen. Then, we see the life of a drone, with many brothers doing nothing, waiting to have sex. A female passes; the drones fight until the strongest wins and can mate in flight. Pulling out, after sex, he leaves his penis behind, like a cork, and bleeds to death. His mate becomes queen.
2008
In a green leotard with tight-fitting green cap, an actor shows us the life of a male mantis: with forelegs held as if praying. She demonstrates how the mantis can move its head almost 180 degrees and change colors to camouflage. The mantis approaches his mate, a cannibal, but that doesn't scare the male, whose sex drive trumps good sense. He approaches, mounts and penetrates: she turns her head and snatches off his head, as he keeps copulating.
2008
An actor in a seemingly-see-through flesh-colored leotard tell us about being a snail: first showing its one large slimy foot. She twists her body to fit inside her shell, with the foot the bottom and the anus on top of the head. In a mix of live action and animation, we see the snail withdraw entirely into the shell. The snail has both penis and vagina, and can produce arm-like darts, used to inflict pain on its partner before mating. Two snails approach each other for some sadomasochism and copulation.
2009
An actor is a black body suit stands in the middle of a sea of colorful and unique penises made of paper, each as tall as she. She explains that eggs are precious while sperm are cheap, so a female body is designed to protect eggs, to them in a hole that's hard to reach. In addition, she explains that every penis and vagina pairing is species-specific, a cozy fit like hand in glove. Who wants to be screwed by a bear? she asks coyly.
2009
An actor in a red body suit stands legs apart and arms extended representing a five-armed starfish. She explains that starfish reproduce sexually and asexually. She demonstrates the asexual process: she breaks off an arm, which grows into a new starfish. She does this a second time with a leg. Then, with an offspring on either side, she suggests that starfish can mate, no penis required.
2009
An actor in a coolie hat represents a young sexless limpet, attached to a rock, its hat visible to other limpets that might float by. After it's been stuck to the rock for awhile, it becomes a female. A sexless limpet attaches itself on top of her and becomes male. More hat-like limpets collect one on top of another into a pile: these limpets are sexless when they arrive, then become male. The female dies; the first male atop her becomes female, and the cycle continues. The chorus of limpets in the stack exclaims, "We're hermaphrodites!"
2009
An anglerfish, ugly, hides in the abyss where there is no light. She hangs a luminous lure by her mouth to attract fish. The husband arrives: he's smaller, with a big nose to smell her out and a sharp tooth on top of his head. We watch him use the tooth to penetrate her belly and fuse himself to her, providing her own personal sperm bank.