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• New on Nerve, 2.19.08: The Match Game

  I admit I was entranced by Mystery on The Pick-Up Artist, and I watch Patti Stanger work her strange, loud-mouth magic on Bravo’s The Millionaire Matchmaker. (Do I think she’s “horrible,” as Talk Soup’s host, and my boyfriend, say? No. But she ain’t pleasant.) But what do any of these shows really teach us about dating, except that only the rare, charismatic former magician can make oversized furry hats and guyliner work? Not much. Enter Shula Melamed, who runs a dating consulting service. Ms. Melamed spoke with Nerve about the secrets for successful dating, and shared her tips for how to win booty and hearts, no games required. Check it: Free dating advice, right here.   Posted Feb 19 2008, 11:37 AM by Nicole Ankowski with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: matchmaking, dating, Steph Auteri, Shula Melamed

• Brand-Spankin’-New on Nerve, 2.11.08: The Modern Materialist Blog

  Sure, money can’t buy you happiness…but it can buy you lots of sweet-ass lifestyle accessories. Check out our brand-spankin’-new blog, The Modern Materialist, “your new guide to the best ingredients of the good life (the best material ingredients, anyway). Whether you're looking for hip gift ideas, suggestions for designing and furnishing your new home, or you just haven't a clue how to spend your paycheck, we'll have all kinds of tips to point you in the right direction. Covering the whimsical, practical, fashionable, and just really weird, The Modern Materialist will be jam-packed with great finds, regular  features, awesome deals, contests and more.” Contests? Whimsical, practical, and weird? Sign me up. Plus, little-known fact about blogger Steph Auteri: she owns a BeDazzler, and she’s not afraid to use it. Visit The Modern Materialist to find items that'll make you joyfully scream like the lil' kids, above. Posted Feb 11 2008, 12:43 PM by Nicole Ankowski with | with no comments Filed under: Steph Auteri, The Modern Materialist

• New on Nerve, 1.29.08: Upgrade U

  Beth Lisick spent a year reading self-help books, from how to have better sex in a cleaner apartment, to filling her well (creatively speaking), to tagging along with Richard Simmons on his Cruise to Lose. Nerve correspondent Steph Auteri discussed it all, plus Men and mars and women and Venus. Here’s one little gem she learned: This is semi-embarrassing, but having a cleaner and more organized house probably did lead to more sex. After ten years with someone, it's easier to "go there" if you're not excessively preoccupied with all the annoying crap of life. Part of the home-organizing philosophy is having a place for everything, and always knowing where to reach for the lube is a good idea. Check out the entire interview here. Posted Jan 29 2008, 01:05 PM by Nicole Ankowski with | with no comments Filed under: book interview, Steph Auteri, Beth Lisick, screening room

• From the Archives: I Was a Teenage Prostitute

  Excerpted from Lisa Carver’s memoir, Drugs Are Nice, this tale of teenage prostitution that went up on the site back in 2005 deviates from the usual hard-luck or sexual-empowerment tales by occupying a space in between, where selling your body is both a means of connection and an unavoidable path to losing yourself. Carver wandered into prostitution as a means to take advantage of her 19-year-old beauty. In her new role, she found a part of herself that was incredibly adept at perceiving and playing to the fantasies of others. She eventually struggled with leaving this job that she essentially enjoyed in order to salvage the final bits of her true self. — Steph Auteri Posted Jan 15 2008, 10:15 AM by Nicole Ankowski with | with no comments Filed under: lisa carver, archives, Steph Auteri

• In Other Blogs: Photobloggers Celebrate the Holidays

  • Siege has been a busy boy. He captures Dania looking forlorn in her lovely party dress; Pauline looking pretty (and pretty bare) in a bare, wood-paneled room; and Mara posing for a Xmas portrait. Meanwhile, a mystery girl bathed in red light receives a close, pelvic inspection. And as far as holidays go, New Year’s Eve wasn’t all orgies and booze. Siege is down with the nerdy games and good conversation that can only occur between close friends. • Autumn has gone and done us proud with her appearance on the cover of FS, a fancy-pants photogeek mag featuring self-portraits this month. Aside from that, she managed quite the wild holiday celebration, including naked lagoon-swimming and weenies (both kinds). We here at Nerve are quite jealous of all the traveling she did while we were visiting our parents and stuff. • Brandon waxes nostalgic whilst visiting the fam over the holidays, but still manages to serve up plenty of cock and balls. He also treats us to New Year’s in London, with some surprisingly sexy potty shots. • Christmas makes Chase all sorts of emotional, and so he presents us with some Christmas photos of yore. After a quiet yuletide, he gets back to work, finding himself happily infused with that good ol’ creative energy again. • And finally, to get into the holiday spirit, Rose + Olive, along with their friends, provide photographic evidence of some real-life reindeer games. These ladies sure do know how to have a good time. Meanwhile, another friend of theirs has recently quit her job and, in her free time, is lending those succulent lips of hers to the lens. — Steph Auteri Posted Jan 02 2008, 06:00 PM by Sarah with | with no comments Filed under: photoblog, photography, Autumn, Siege, Brandon Herman, Rose and Olive, in other blogs, Chase, Steph Auteri

• In Other Blogs: Pee Wee is back!

  •  Scanner has been busy lately. I would go into everything, but it would take so darn long that you’d probably miss out on the next slew of ridiculous viral videos out there. What you do have to know is that Pee Wee Herman is back; mad scientists have made fruit flies bi-curious; Scanner Bryan made me snort up my bottom-of-the-pot coffee when he speculated about the best music to have sex to; a Craigslist Missed Connection ad tugs at our heartstrings…and has us wondering what percentage of women targeted on Craigslist eventually require restraining orders; and crazy people try to trademark the term NSFW. •  Screengrab traumatizes us with news that there will be a sequel to Night at the Museum. At least there is some justice in the world: Screengrab informs us that Christopher Guest received an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Music from Berklee (golf claps). Also interesting is the comprehensive list of the Thirteen Greatest Long-Ass Movies of All Time, none of which I’ve ever seen because my butt starts to hurt when I sit in front of a screen for long periods of time. •  On the Nerve Video Blog, Oliver brings us REM’s music video for “It’s the End of the World As We Know It,” using it as a representation of his life at this point in time. Though I suppose, looking over my multiple to-do lists, I can empathize. — Steph Auteri Posted Dec 12 2007, 05:00 PM by Sarah with | with no comments Filed under: scanner, screengrab, nerve video blog, in other blogs, Steph Auteri, pee wee herman

• In Other (Photo) Blogs: Dollface

  • Siege slips us a quick shot of his wood, but not the type that conjures that image of the bad boy you dated back in college who crotch-flashed you in the Macy’s Suits department. • Autumn introduces us to her travel companion, as they head off into the wild. With company like this who needs civilization? They’re not completely cut off, though. Here, she treats us to a sort-of-behind-the-scenes series of photos starring…the makeup artist. Is today’s sexy makeup artist yesterday’s sexy pool cleaner? • We’ve missed Brandon so much (six empty days makes us antsy; that’s what love is), and now he’s back with a special treat. The image he previously posted for that group show in Paris has finally been rendered 3D! Anyone have a pair of those trippy glasses? • Chase is rocking our world with this picture. He’s described his most recent take on self-exploration…down there…as ”sex education the easy way.” The quasi-creepy retro-doll embellishment in the piece adds an especially intriguing dimension to the photo, as well as to the phrase “inner child.” • Rose + Olive juxtapose their gorgeous prose with this gorgeous photograph that embodies the surrender inherent in desire. And because they’re feeling especially snap-happy today, we get to meet this dangerously beautiful lady, and also Addie, who is all sorts of bright and lovely in that vivid red dress of hers. — Steph Auteri Posted Nov 29 2007, 06:30 PM by Sarah with | with no comments Filed under: photoblog, photography, Autumn, Siege, Brandon Herman, Rose and Olive, in other blogs, Steph Auteri

• In Other Blogs: Puppet Sing-Alongs and Christina Aguilera Naked

  •  Scanner starts our day with a bang by reporting on Norman Mailer’s posthumous victory in the challenge for the Bad Sex in Literature Award. It was this literary luminary who once described the flaccid man-sword (is that any better?) as a “coil of excrement.” The day only got better from there: we learned that cheap garments being provided to our armed forces were suffering from “crotch durability problems,” and that dolphins now come in hot pink. (Think of all the enviro-lover T-shirt possibilities!) Christina Aguilera left us somewhat disturbed by her nude appearance on the cover of Marie Claire, but what disturbed us the most was the possibility that our hair bands may have been made from used condoms. Is it tomorrow yet? •  Screengrab escapes into the sweet safety of the past, fondly reminiscing about the many faces of character actor Wallace Shawn. The Village Voice speculates about I’m Not There’s place in the Bob Dylan revival and Julian Schnabel makes a “comeback.” Also: Puppets have a sing-along. • Finally, the Nerve Video Blog ensures that we’ll all suffer nightmares tonight by bringing us the absurd lunacy of talking yellow telephones delivering empty promises. (Don’t ask me; just check it out.) — Steph Auteri Posted Nov 28 2007, 06:30 PM by Sarah with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: scanner, screengrab, nerve video blog, in other blogs, Steph Auteri, Christina Aguilera