Everything You Might Want to Know About Merrick Monroe
(or: some things she thinks you should)
There used to be a FAQs page here. As in "frequently asked questions". But nobody asks me questions, at least not about the sort of stuff that I might want to tell you here. They ask questions like "What are you up to?" or "Do you wanna go to The Tube this weekend?", and we all know that Twitter answers the first one (and that yeah, I love The Tube). But see how those sorts of FAQs aren't really the sorts that are useful to you? So here's what I think you need to know. If you have any better ideas of what it is you need to know, you can ask. :)
Objectification:
Do I do it to myself? Am I okay with it? Do I think the mass media does it to women? How about this question: Would my answer to any of those change your opinion of me, were you a potential customer? Because if that's not what you are, you probably come armed with your own agenda, and nothing I say will sate you.
"I know I am not an object, therefore I am not an object." The short answer to the first question is that no, I don't objectify myself but sometimes, yes I do. Sure, some people will care about the intent and concept behind any photo I publish, but to some others it will still just be a photo of a nekkid chick. Whatever; sometimes it is. You can't go assuming artistic, intellectual intent behind everything I do, but I'd like to think there is obviously more than meets the eye with some images. I leave it up to the individual to objectify me, should he/she see a need. As long as nobody confuses a picture on the Internet with the reality of life, and try to act on it, I think I'll be okay.
Reality:
That's where I live. I work, play, love, learn, and--in that--consume, within virtual reality. It's hard, sometimes, to not get the two mixed up, since I do all those things IRL too. Reality/Virtual Reality... they hover and bleed together like pure green and red tones side-by-side. But you can't compare them because they are not the same, and you can't expect the same things from both. But it's a fun combination to explore, non? Just to see what happens? That, my friends, is called "art"... the exploration of concepts, thoughts, unfamiliar and unrealized as of yet, via a visual medium. It doesn't matter what your palette holds--bits of code, smudges of pigment, blurs of flesh--when you step back to admire it as a whole the results can range from beautiful to disgusting, but you can't stop thinking about it. That's the Internet for you.
Modeling:
When I was a chubby adolescent people told me I had an old soul; when I was an anorexic teen people told me I had great legs. Now I'm somewhere in-between and people call me a nerd, which I like just fine. People always told me I should be a model, but I only gave in so that I could professionally play dress-up (so far so good). I was 15 the first time someone told me they didn't like me because they thought I was prettier than them, which coincidentally is about the same time I started getting discounts and freebies from guys working the cashier (ref: Objectification, above.) Honestly I can't say I really understand the reasons behind either. Yes, modeling is as catty and full of drama as you'd expect it to be, no matter what niche or network you fall into. But there are good people to be found, and I love that I have found several.
Shoop-shoop-a-doop:
I love Photoshop, that's a given. It's a great tool for preparing any type of image for publication. But I know I'm not the only one to feel it's overused, especially in the modeling and fashion industry. I make an effort to keep my own image editing within reason, focusing on colour manipulation and the sort of alterations you can do in a darkroom, with--yes--the occasional touch-up of spots, blemishes, and other similar corrections. But you won't find me doing anything drastic, like tucking in my waistline or performing digital plastic surgery on my face. I trust all the photographers I work with to do the same. My face and body represent who I am, the combined effect of the life I have lived. If a person wants to take my picture, or I want a person to take a picture of me, why would I enjoy a final product that's no longer "me"?
Nerd vs. Geek:
It's hard to say what separates a nerd from a geek. I think... a nerd is just a smart person, someone with intelligence and who manages their life in a logical way. But geeks are the ones you gotta watch out for; they're the ones that are going and getting all hyped up about mundane stuff nobody cares about. Geeks are dedicated, sometimes in that what's-that-smell-i-don't-know-is-it-him sort of way. Which isn't good, to be that sort of geek. Everything in moderation, right B? I have my geek moments, definitely. I'll always be a music geek, and I have an undeniable need to argue "for" the Matrix series (yes, even the third movie). I play video games and read graphic novels and lust after gadgetry, but my truly geeky passions are few and far between. No, mostly, I'm just a nerd.
Fetishes and Kinks:
Yes/no/maybe... it's impossible for me to say anything definite, especially with the wealth of acts out there I have yet to attempt! Some have been with me a long time (*cough*Michelle Pfieffer as Catwoman in Batman Returns circa 1992*cough*), others came from exposure via the Internet: rope bondage, corsetry, medical, submission, there's probably some obvious ones I'm forgetting. Anyway, they're there, I've got them, and I bet you do too. Did you know some people have a glitter fetish? I think that's awesome; if anyone would like to pay for me to coat myself in glitter, please email. :D
Sex, Sex, and more Sex!
I'll be upfront with you: there's not a ton of sex in this website. If you're looking for close-ups of pink, messy facials, or every-which-way kinky hardcore sex, you'll find better stuff on a Google image search than you will here. It's not that I'm opposed to sex or sexuality--ha! that's ridiculous--but that's just not where my site and life is focused right now. Yes, I have done hardcore work before but I am enjoying taking a break from it as I figure out my head. Even though I have this site, I'm a "real girl", not a hardened porn star, so it still gets to me after a while (not that porn stars aren't real people too!! they are awesome people). But don't take that to mean that you'll never see me sticking stuff up my bum again... ;)
Members=Friends:
I quickly learned when I started camwhoring in '04 that the sort of people who were finding me online were not the terrible porn-hound addicts that traditional media paints them to be; these were awesome, honest people who had their own non-masturbation-based lives. They weren't judging me for what I was doing and I certainly was not going to judge them for supporting me. Even now, though I'm not interacting with my members via live video, I extend a hand of friendship to them. My members are amazing people and I love hearing about their lives, helping talk them through personal issues or just shooting the shit via IM. I'm not just in it for the money, I'm doing this for the people and the connections as much as I'm doing it for my own gratification.
