The Sex Boat Sails from Holland: Brits Adam
and Jordan's Amsterdam Adventures
interview by David Hoffman
Tuesday, February 18, 2003
It's a start-up called Amsterdam Adventures (Boolou Productions) run
by a British couple named Adam and Jordan Jewel. Still somewhat in its
infancy, it features a roving ôlove boatö similar to what the mega-huge
Private Media Group (headquartered in Barcelona) attemped, but failed
to pull off, many years ago. While their website isn't much to look
at as yet, I found Adam and Jordan an animated and interesting couple.
Hell, I'm a sucker for anything European... well, except boiled calves
brains and scat pics.
DH: You and your partner Adam are originally from London. What
were you doing prior to moving, and how did you make the transition
to adult? And why Amsterdam?
JJ: Believe it or not we were both Residential Social Workers,
dealing with clients who had mental health problems. I am also a trained
dancer, and used to also dance for clubs in London. Adam also used to
dance for clubs, and we both met in a club. We both wanted some adventure
so we soon after traveled around the world. Whilst in Australia, it
seemed a logical progression when I started lap-dancing, as I love to
be the centre of attention. and soon after, when Adam saw how much could
be made, he also learnt to strip quickly, and we traveled round the
continent for 18 months working in stripclubs, lapdance, and peepshow.
The latter being the most hardcore. We had the most wicked time, and
experienced a positive journey through the adult industry there. Perhaps
because Australians are so open and friendly, and many parts of the
industry are so well regulated there.
On returning to London we looked for similar work, but found a very
different industry, sometimes unfriendly, cut-throat and with a dark
atmosphere. After suffering a few months, we fled to Amsterdam.
This was kind of an impulsive thing, but we thought 'well.. its the
sex-capital of the world isn't it?' Plus its near to London, Adam had
experience living there, and we were attracted by a system where hardcore
was legal and well regulated, like Australia... a far cry from the official
'down to a g-string' policy in London. So we up and left again for another
adventure.
DH: Tell me about the adventure you had starting in Amsterdam,
the place, the people, the adult scene.
JJ: When I first came, I loved the place, and still do. It's
a city, but feels like a small cozy town. It has a quaint charm, and
very beautiful. We stayed in a hostel on first arriving. Accommodation
here is very scarce, and this was all that was available. We then set
off to the Famous Red Light area, to look for jobs. I have to be honest,
I was completely intimidated at first by it all. The girls in the windows,
the junkies everywhere, the freedom of it all. Even the live sex theatre
amazed me, as I had never seen such a thing. Adam was used to it, after
having been many times to Amsterdam. For a few nights even after that
I did not want to return, until Adam reminded me of some of the places
we had worked, and lived, which had been far more intimidating. So I
returned, and let the charm of the red-light district, and it's characters
excite me, and it still does. I never tired of the man that walks the
streets selling his Viagra every night, or the old transvestite painted
white, asking for spare change. I love saying hi to the girls in the
windows.
As cultures I think the Dutch are very different to us English, they
have a different manner, and a liberal outlook on life, which I do love.
However there are double standards here. Dutch people are well aware
what they're known for, i.e.: sex, drugs, but it doesn't mean they enjoy
that reputation. They do know however that it makes money, so the sex
industry here is big business, an it is all legal, with lots of rights
for the workers, but I still feel that like most places, it is run in
the interest of making the money, and not for the care of their workers.
DH: Tell me about the process of learning to run your business.
You must have some amusing anecdotes.
JJ: At first we had no knowledge in the internet business, until
we worked in an internet studio doing live sex. We were very popular,
and so decided we were better working for ourselves. Adam has spent
the last 2 1/2 years learning everything about building websites, and
both of us have been investigating the internet adult industry. We soon
discovered that it is not that easy to set up quality live sex, and
it is at the cutting edge of new technology. Also with hardly any money
it has been a long slow haul. We started with one crappy desktop PC,
which we call Pig, and now have a multitude of stuff. We have also worked
in nearly all areas of the sex industry, so our knowledge as workers
is extensive.
During this time we have had to grab amusement wherever we can, though
in Amsterdam this mostly comes from the tourists. Last week about 30
English boys, ALL on magic mushrooms, came into the sex theatre where
I strip. By the time they left, at least 6 of them were so inebriated
they walked out of the theatre... straight ahead... and went plop! plop!
plop! into the canal. This animated the junkies, and as always the police
were not impressed, refusing to touch any of the wet unfortunates...
(they know what's down there... 56 bodies on average per year are pulled
from the canals)
We try to see the comedy in most things, though I must admit its been
100 times easier to laugh AFTER the shoot, when we are in the editing
chair, watching; men dying a death, almost crying with frustration,
as they try to bash their cock into some sort of erection, or the peeping
rambler creeping up on us whilst making a lesbian film in the sand dunes,
then after being admonished he asked us if he could just watch! The
camera man told him he could wait till it came out on VHS like everyone
else, and to f-ck off!
Unfortunately that time is our money, but an uncut porn film can be
the stuff that makes us bawl with laughter. Luckily after those mistakes
we now take time to find only professional men (when we need one...
our films are mostly female), and make sure there is no chance of an
unwelcome audience (unless we are doing flashing shots!)
DH: What are the Dutch girls like to work with, and the men?
Do you find an abundance of female models to work with, and what are
they like (age, attitude, etc.)? I ask because I notice most companies,
such as Private, go to Hungary or the Czech Republic to shoot, as there
is an abundance of cheap, willing girls. Does the liberated sexual ethos
of the Dutch translate into an abundance of young, willing models?
JJ: Holland is full of Paradoxes. Dutch girls are great to work
with, the ones that are in the business have a good mentality.
The men are the same here as with most countries. You can find many
more men offering their services than girls, most of the time. The trouble
is trying to find the Dutch girls, as there is anything but an abundance
of them. As I said before most Dutch people are liberal thinking, but
would not want their daughter doing it. Also the girls here, are very
scared of being labeled a hooker, and Holland is a very small country.
Even some of the girls I used to strip with have trouble getting boyfriends
because of the jobs they do. It's ironic, that in the UK boys would
love to date a stripper, but a bank manager would look down on you.
Here the bank manager welcomes you with open arms, but men won't take
you out. I feel though that because we are in Holland that we should
use Dutch girls, as much as possible. It is of course easier to find
girls from Eastern European countries, because they need the money,
will work cheaper, do more for less, and are less likely to be seen
by their relatives. I find myself uncomfortable in the Pimp role, and
the people that profit the most from these girls, are the adult companies
themselves.
We are unique in Amsterdam in our employment policy, because we want
to employ girls from every corner of the world, including Amsterdam,
and pay them above what others pay locally, much to the derision of
many an old skinflint in the industry here! We scout hard for girls,
and we have a pre-shoot questionnaire that allows us to match the right
people together with the right script, so we don't have any problems.
and we know in advance what everyone is happy doing.
DH: I read somewhere - I forget exactly where - that the legal
age for girls in Holland was originally 12, then it was bumped up to
15, which is what it is in most places in Europe. I even read that Dutch
parents often encourage their children to have sex by age 14. That's
pretty liberated! Does this age apply to adult work there? I hear what
Americans would call "child pornography" is abundant in Holland. This
may not apply to you specifically, but it is something I'm curious about.
JJ: Yes this is true. Now the age of consent is 16, but yes it
was 12. I think they have a very good liberated outlook on sex. In the
UK most teenage pregnancies are between the age of 12-14. Here the percentage
is laughable. They are aware of safe sex, HIV, unwanted pregnancies.
Personally I do feel more comfortable that the age of consent was made
higher. Also most Dutch girls in the adult industry are older, 25 and
up. 18 is the minimum for any sex work, and we must always see ID. Also
nearly all the girls that work in the windows are from other countries.
I think also Holland is a very easy target to blame for child pornography,
because of the laws here. Every country has these sick perverts producing
this filth, and every country has the sick perverts who buy it. Belgium,
and Germany seem to let these films filter through, but I have never
encountered it at all since being here.
It's certainly not abundant in the hardcore superstore on the corner,
or in the redlight area, although there seems to be an disproportionate
amount of sh-tsex and German Shepherd action in certain shops!
DH: Tell me about the live-show situation in Amsterdam. There
must be loads of live shows, webcams, live-feeds, etc. Why do you say
there is only one in such a sex-intensive place?
JJ: Here in Amsterdam you have the traditional live-sex theatres,
and here, (as from nearly every country now) there are hundreds of live
sex feeds. Anyone can place a webcam in their house, office, dorm, etc.
and broadcast themselves across the net. However not anyone can run
a large established, very successful internet studio. We are lucky in
that we have had long experience in a big studio. We meet many people
who are trying to make sex sites, and have experience in the computer/business
side, but cannot conceive what it would really look like. They are desperate
for the knowledge we have. So even though sex is legal to broadcast
here, we feel as though there is only one major model. (who's founders
worked for the same studio we did three years previously)
Though surfing the net you would think there are a thousand REAL! LIVE!
shows, many Direct from Amsterdam! Upon further research you discover
that most of these are either:
a) an outright lie... something else completely;
b) pre-recorded tripe;
c) direct from some Spanish/Czech/Canadian ho-house;
or most likely,
d) linked/affiliated to one of only a handful of sites who REALLY do
this legally and live 24/7.
One of those elite handful operates from Amsterdam. No need to say who...
anyone who knows them knows they are the most successful liveshow ever
on the net.
DH: What kind of things are you planning on doing that will make
your live-feeds "the most unique, hardcore, outrageous and user-friendly
live-show ever to hit the net"?
JJ: We want to create a fun environment for all the artists to
work in. This is the most important to us. If your artists are not happy
the customers are not so happy. Our aim is have girls say 'wow, it was
great working there'. In the summer we will have deck parties, and actually
invite lucky internet customers, on board the ship, to meet the girls.
We will openly smoke joints on camera, and anyone who works for us can
also. Magic mushrooms are legal here, so a big sex party on mushroom tea
could be interesting viewing. A dungeon is also in the bowels of the ship,
so any stowaways will be dealt with severely. Also being planned is a
real live-ship soap opera. With characters, like the transsexual cook,
the sex mad Rear Admiral. While we are live we will have a set schedule,
but unplanned events will happen constantly throughout live broadcasting.
Also customers will be able to book special shows i.e., two girls in the
engine room, a threesome in the captains quarters. Eventually the added
excitement is where will the ship be this week, maybe Spain, England,
Thailand... Also will be free competitions for the customer, with great
prizes.
I think our best feature is our monthly member ship. For all this they
pay only $9.95. Private bookings are extra, but they are only $2.99. They
also get to see the live couple having sex, and if they're lucky a solo
girl joining them. As much as possible all our girls will be of different
nationalities.
According to all sources, if we have happy, quality, multicultural girls,
on a legal, friendly, affordable website, with crisp video and audio streams,
where we actually give people what we advertise, this would already make
us pretty unique. However we are going even further, to bring a professional
level of user-friendliness to our sites, and an element of 'carry on cruising'
type humour missing from porn since the 70s.
We also feel that the big brother thing is over. Although people can watch
what happens, that spycam quality is awful, and rather than insult peoples'
intelligence with contrived performances, we will supply the fantasy,
with quality models, exciting scenarios and more pixels/frames per second.
DH: Tell me about Pussyboat.com. The owners of a cruise-ship partnering
with an adult business to create sort of a 'love boat' of floating sex?
What exactly will this entail, and how exactly will this operate? It wasn't
Holland-America line was it? (grin)
JJ: We met the owners of the cruise-ship a few months ago, through
a mutual friend. We originally asked them if it was possible to shoot
some films on it, and they did not have a problem with this, and found
it all quite amusing at what we did. At the time we were also looking
for a studio, to do our live feed from. After a few meetings with them,
they loved the idea of having the studio on the ship itself. The are both
Dutch, and have never had any dealings in this kind of industry before.
So with our knowledge, and already working website, we have combined our
companies to create the Pussy Boat. Yes it will be like a floating "love
boat". In the beginning we will be in Amsterdam, but after a while we
will actually sail to different countries, and get the girls. This we
will film. Docking, and running around trying to get girls aboard the
sexship. The girls will then stay on the ship in their own cabins, and
do internet shows, which will be broadcast live from the ship. The customer
will be able to watch what's happening on the ship. We will run live for
12 hours every day, in the beginning, and make our own films to show customers
the remaining 12 hours. The f-cktug.com (b&d) is just one of the other
boats we also will use for our naughtiness; so its kind of a fleet really!
www.amsterdamadventures.com
a.butlin@chello.nl