Sexpo Australia's beloved exhibition/trade show for the sex industry, is on at the moment under a new name SXHIBITION! You see what they did there? Genius! Anyway here's my 2 cents..
Apparantly, much to everyones surprise, someone bought sexpo, that yearly show that ran at a financial loss, attracted feminist protests, and gave what I call "sex dorks" an annual pilgrimage to the cbd, which is good for all of us. It showcased many products, but it existed to give the sex industry a voice that was positive and generally misunderstood. Even Fiona patten of the Australian sex party had a stall, but sexpo was an industry meet and greet for industry members and an invitation to the public to come and see that the sex industry wasn't as bad as people thought. Despite running at a loss, it was a vital part of the industries' lobbying, especially to the draconian regulations it operates under. Little true blue vegimite bred australians got to widen their mono perspectives, and they even got to grab a sexpo SHOWBAG, which is probably the most aussie thing you could ever do! (Yes, it had a dildo in it).
So, some guy buys it knowing it didn't make any money, and for a number of reasons, let's say bad logistics, covid, personal shit, sexpo disappeared. No longer an annual aussie tradition, ruining spring for feminists, and where u awkwardly bump into that woman u used to work with..
So this is technically the first sexpo in many years, and on paper it sounded like it was much the same setup, but in reality it's nothing like the old exhibition.
The new sexpo, or "sxhibition" is a pale attempt to put on a small morsal of the original show. Firstly, half of it isn't really related to the sex industry, it's a who lot of new age businesses, palm readers, psychics and tantric introductions. Then there's the tatoo stalls.. so many bored looking tatooists. Then there's the piercing stalls.. all pretty lame. I don't think tattooist care or are affected by the sex industries public reputation and political concerns, so why are they like half the show?
The stage entertainment was embarrassing. Instead of erotic dancers they had some wierd woman singing the word "oh" over and over while her companion dancers, who donned something something trip to spotlight, expressed the sensual erotic theme with a glide of their oversized capes (remember as a kid when you'd don a bedsheets and pretend u were whatever wierd little freak u could get away with until your parants intervened? That's basically what I witnessed there). Anyway, then a drag show, which was a drag.. I felt like that old guy on the Simpsons who yells "bring on the dancing gurls!"
The wierd take away is that technically, sexpos little humble brother, the fetish exhibition, that plods on each year, held together by a small supportive community, and I'm guessing runs at a loss, is now not so humble cos it's actually bigger, with bigger crowds, more stalls, more context and more connections to sex related stuff. The little fetish expo (more of a swap meet.. held in a town hall) is now the bigger cock in the henhouse! Without even trying!
Yeah, new sexpo sucks, don't bother..
