As the $97 billion porn industry continues to enter the high-tech realm (yes, virtual reality will soon be the norm) old school favorites could eventually be erradicated. Artist and photographer Phillip Toledano set out to preserve the the art phone sex operators have been conducting for decades. His book, Phonesex (Twin Palms Publishers), has captured over two dozen men and women whose faces may never be seen by the people they bring pleasure. Flip through to see just who takes those calls.
"I never thought I would work in the phone sex industry. All those years doing customer service, my customers would comment on my sexy voice. I thought I was being professional, not sexy. This work is customer service. It's just your customers leave with more than a smile."
"Tuning into men's voices, instead of getting caught up on their looks, was the same as a person suddenly going blind, only to find their other senses enhanced. I learned to listen to men in a deeper way. My job behooved me to reach beyond the little mind games, straight into their pants and grasp them by the balls. I think if all women did phone sex before they lost their virginity, they would make much better choices."
"I have a naturally high voice. I'm also immature and submissive. The voice I use on the phone is somewhat a representation of those qualities. There's one specific voice tone I use when pretending to be sexually aroused. Imagine a Catholic school girl getting de-virginized by her history teacher. "Oh, oh, Mr. Johnson, it's so big! You're gonna hurt me!"
Phillip Toledano courtesy Twin Palms Publishers
"Definitely the most amusing part about the job was when my partner would be in the room with me, usually reading while I worked. She'd only hear half of the conversation, so she'd either think it was absolutely hysterical or, sometimes, kind of sexy. I'd usually try to avoid eye contact with her during a call, because I'd see her stifle a smirk or make a gagging gesture or look at me wide-eyed, pantomiming utter shock, and I'd start laughing uncontrollably. Sometimes I could work that into the call; other times I really couldn't."
Phillip Toledano courtesy of Twin Palms Publishers
"I've only been a phone sex operator for a few months now to help with extra income--I'm a single mother of two young boys. I'm in a loving relationship with a wonderful man who loves my kids and treats me very well. He understands that I'm only doing this part-time, to help save money for my children's college fund."
Phillip Toledano courtesy of Twin Palms Publishers
"To simulate a bed rocking, you can use certain things to cause that sound. Knocking the bed board against the wall, or knocking a chair against the table. Some clients like to hear the sound of your dick slapping against the phone. This can be done by actually slapping the dick against the phone, or tapping your two fingers against the mouthpiece (preferred) ... I have fun doing what I do. I share myself with individuals who're not getting what they need at home. I feel like I teach them how to please themselves, by telling them where to put their hands, and how to stroke themselves."
Phillip Toledano courtesy Twin Palms Publishers
"I really am not into guys. I'm into ladies. I really don't like when I get calls from guys for the simple fact that I'm not into them. I was at one point in my life but that boat has docked and bounced. I personally don't like dark skin people. If I met them face to face and if they were dark skin, I would get nasty with them--I just don't like them. My wife doesn't know I do this, but what she doesn't know won't hurt her, right?"
Phillip Toledano courtesy Twin Palms Publishers
"I am a straight male who speaks to women. They want me. They want me to talk to them, and to take them to another world. I'm good at it. I'm a pro. A ladies' man. I speak to younger women. I speak to older women. I speak both Spanish and English. I have been thrown offers left and right. They want me to meet up and have my way with them, but I keep it only to phone conversations."
Phillip Toledano courtesy Twin Palms Publishers
"I was young when I started in the phone sex world. I had no choice. My grandmother had gotten sick and I needed to be able to help her, and I still work and make good money. I wanted to do whatever she wanted--go shopping for her, take her to get her hair done, take her to the museum ... As a virgin, it was hard for me to talk about sex to horny men. I had to read books and watch porno films with my friends--they'd point at something on the screen and say, 'Use that in your phone calls!' ... I am a girl with a big heart that loves life, and loves people."
Phillip Toledano courtesy Twin Palms Publishers
I'm 60 years old, have a BA in Cultural Anthropology from Columbia University, and married for 25 years. I have a son in his last years of college who lives at home. He's a 4.0 with a double major in English Literature and Religion. Men call me for an infinity of reasons. Of course, they call to masturbate. I call it 'Executive Stress Relief.' It's not sex; it's a cocktail of testosterone, fueled by addiction to pornography, loneliness, and the need to hear a woman's voice. I make twice the money I made in the corporate world."
Phillip Toledano courtesy Twin Palms Publishers
