4 Reasons To Watch THIS Instead Of Porn

We humans are voyeurs by nature. How else could pornography, reality TV and gossip magazines be as popular as they are? We love to watch other members of our species in action.

When it comes to watching people doing that kind of action, however, many of us—despite our healthy interests in it—can feel apprehensive, shameful or simply unsure of where to start. And based on some of the female-unfriendly porn that's out there, it's no surprise we feel this way. But a 2011 study showed that unmarried couples who watch pornography together are actually more committed than their non-viewing brethren. It makes sense: Watching other couples get it on can be a springboard for openly communicating to your partner what makes you feel good—both in and out of the bedroom. Not to mention, you've gotta be pretty comfortable with each other to watch erotica together in the first place!

But here's the thing: if what you're watching is all about BJs and "facials," there's not much to work with, is there? That's why we're all about making educational sex videos the go-to erotica for couples. Besides offering more couple-friendly material to mimic and learn from, we asked our friends at the Sinclair Institute (maker of educational sex videos) to help us with a list of reasons every couple should be watching these videos. 

1. The couples depicted in instructional sex videos are actual couples. In porn, the actors are hired. In some instances, they've never even met before the shoot, and this staged chemistry (or lack there of) comes across on-screen. If the point of watching an erotic film as a couple is to have better sex, it makes sense to mimic the way real couples do it, to hear what they ask for, how they sound, the way they look at each other, all of it.

As Sinclair's reps point out:

"Porn's sole purpose is to titillate and is generally not watched by couples, and not typically viewed more than one time. The information that someone could discern from a XXX film is usually incomplete, inadequate and may even be harmful if portrayed inaccurately and without explanation."

2. Not only are the couples real, so are their bodies! Most instructional videos feature women with real breasts (or at least, you won't find the gargantuan implants that porn is rife with) and real bodies (aka women actually have hair down there—gasp!)

Viewing other couples' natural, beautifully imperfect bodies will probably make you feel more comfortable in your own beautifully imperfect skin. Watching the cosmetically curated bodies of porn stars can leave women and men alike feeling inadequate and insecure—and where's the fun in that?

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3. Trying these moves at home will actually work! If porn reflected reality, every woman would orgasm in a matter of minutes, from anal sex and without a hint of clitoral stimulation. Sound just like you? No, we didn't think so. Instructional sex videos are focused on actually helping couples have better sex, not with propagating unrealistic fantasies. Educational sex videos provide a realistic reference for what others do in private. Not to mention, as in the case of Sinclair Institute's educational sex videos, certified sex educators, therapists and doctors provide on-screen commentary, so you know you're getting the real deal.

4. They help couples explore their sexual curiosity together. Contrary to the belief that porn is for-men-only, watching other couples' sexytimes can arouse both men and women (heck, Oprah's even done a show on this!). And as those in long-term relationships know, staying sexually curious can be a great way to keep the fires burning long after the initial burst of passion has cooled.

Rather than watching a nudie flick as a means of escaping one's reality, educational videos like Sinclair's offer guidance to couples who want to explore their sexuality together.

So what do you think? Ready to start watching? Check out Sinclair's adult sex ed video catalog now! 

Want to see what happens behind-the-scenes at a Sinclair adult video shoot? Watch this exclusive, on-set video from the set of their latest couples sex ed shoot.