Annabel Chong
Encyclopedia
Grace Quek better known by her stage name Annabel Chong, is a former pornographic actress
now living in the United States
. On 19 January 1995, at the age of 22, she became famous by engaging in 251 sex acts with about 70 men over a ten-hour period, setting a world record, with the resulting footage being packaged as The World's Biggest Gang Bang. The film started a trend of 'record-breaking' gangbang pornography, which saw her record subsequently surpassed. She is also the subject of the documentary Sex: The Annabel Chong Story
.
, where she was enlisted in the country's Gifted Education Programme
, and Hwa Chong Junior College
. Former teachers and classmates describe her as quiet, intelligent and studious. After taking her A levels she took nearly three years off, including a year spent in the US. She then went on to study law
at King's College London
under a scholarship
. While in the UK, she got drunk on a train. There she met a man and agreed to have sex with him in an alleyway. He brought along other men, and she was gang raped and robbed in a rubbish closet under an inner-city housing block. At the age of 21 she dropped out of law school and went on to graduate studies in photography, art, and gender studies at the University of Southern California
(USC), where she excelled academically and also began working in pornographic films. Chong went on to graduate work in gender studies
at USC.
Chong presented her work in pornography
as an attempt to challenge the settled notions and assumptions of viewers about female sexuality
. For example, her conception of a gang bang
was based on the example of Messalina
, a wife of the emperor Claudius
. Historically, Messalina has suffered a poor reputation, a fact that some attribute (at least partly) to gender bias. Chong sought to question the double standard
that denies women the ability to exhibit the same sexuality as men, by modelling what a female "stud
" would be.
. The modelling agency turned out to be an adult film company, which led to photo shoots and then an interview with director John T. Bone
. Bone, recognizing Chong's talent, embarked on producing a series of films starring her. She was the new hardcore star in her early gangbangs such as Sgt. Pecker's Lonely Hearts Club Gangbang and I Can't Believe I Did the Whole Team. Chong was reportedly interested in blurring the boundary between pornography and performance art
in her work.
. This event also prompted author Chuck Palahniuk
to write a novel, Snuff, about a fictional character who aimed to surpass Chong's record by having sex with 600 men. In her March 2000 appearance on the radio
program Loveline, Chong admitted that there were slightly fewer than 70 men in her gangbang and that there were water and lunch breaks during the 10-hour time span. For her performance, Chong earned a "dubious achievement award" in Esquire
magazine. In 2007, a play written by Ng Yi-Sheng based on her story, 251, was staged in Singapore, directed by Loretta Chen.
, Ron Jeremy
and Seymore Butts
. In the film Chong states that she intended World's Biggest Gang Bang to challenge "the notion of women as passive sex objects", and that, "We're not wilting violets, we're not victims, for Christ's sake. Female sexuality is as aggressive as male sexuality. I wanted to take on the role of the stud. The more [partners], the better." She also self-harm
s in the film, taking a knife to her arm. The documentary propelled Chong further into the world media as it became a hit at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival
, where it was nominated for a Grand Jury Prize. The film has since been shown as part of university gender studies courses around the world.
's novel Neuromancer
. After 2000, she largely stopped appearing in mainstream porn videos, concentrating instead on producing content for her website and appearing in a few BDSM
videos. In 2003, Chong retired from porn entirely, leaving a final message on her website that "Annabel is dead" and stating that she had become a web developer and consultant. She also stated that she intended to "begin her new life of peace and relative obscurity".
She has largely declined media interviews since leaving the porn industry and has declined to comment on her pornographic career. Quek engaged in limited correspondence for the biographical play 251, and refused to endorse it, telling the producers "Do whatever you want with Annabel Chong because this person doesn't exist anymore." She also stated that she could not understand the continuing fascination and sustained interest in Annabel Chong after many years. As of 2008 she was still working as a web developer in California and has also taken up marathon
running
.
Pornographic actor
A pornographic actor/actress or a porn star is a person who appears in pornographic film. Most actors appear nude in films...
now living in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. On 19 January 1995, at the age of 22, she became famous by engaging in 251 sex acts with about 70 men over a ten-hour period, setting a world record, with the resulting footage being packaged as The World's Biggest Gang Bang. The film started a trend of 'record-breaking' gangbang pornography, which saw her record subsequently surpassed. She is also the subject of the documentary Sex: The Annabel Chong Story
Sex: The Annabel Chong Story
Sex: The Annabel Chong Story is a documentary, directed, filmed, and produced by Gough Lewis, and edited by co-creator , which profiles porn star Annabel Chong...
.
Early life and education
Chong was born and raised in Singapore. She was a student at Raffles Girls' SchoolRaffles Girls' School (Secondary)
Raffles Girls' School is an independent girls' secondary school in Singapore. RGS was recognised by the Ministry of Education in 2006 by being awarded the School Excellence Award , among other awards...
, where she was enlisted in the country's Gifted Education Programme
Gifted Education Programme (Singapore)
The Gifted Education Programme is a Singaporean academic programme designed for the top 1% of pupils, identified in two rounds of tests at the end of Primary 3.-History:...
, and Hwa Chong Junior College
Hwa Chong Junior College
Hwa Chong Junior College was a junior college in Singapore offering pre-university education. The college was founded in 1974 and merged with The Chinese High School on 1 January 2005 to form Hwa Chong Institution.-Founding:...
. Former teachers and classmates describe her as quiet, intelligent and studious. After taking her A levels she took nearly three years off, including a year spent in the US. She then went on to study law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
at King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
under a scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
. While in the UK, she got drunk on a train. There she met a man and agreed to have sex with him in an alleyway. He brought along other men, and she was gang raped and robbed in a rubbish closet under an inner-city housing block. At the age of 21 she dropped out of law school and went on to graduate studies in photography, art, and gender studies at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
(USC), where she excelled academically and also began working in pornographic films. Chong went on to graduate work in gender studies
Gender studies
Gender studies is a field of interdisciplinary study which analyses race, ethnicity, sexuality and location.Gender study has many different forms. One view exposed by the philosopher Simone de Beauvoir said: "One is not born a woman, one becomes one"...
at USC.
Chong presented her work in pornography
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
as an attempt to challenge the settled notions and assumptions of viewers about female sexuality
Human female sexuality
Human female sexuality encompasses a broad range of behaviors and processes, including female sexual identity and sexual behavior, the physiological, psychological, social, cultural, political, and spiritual or religious aspects of sex...
. For example, her conception of a gang bang
Gang bang
A gang bang is a situation in which one person has sexual intercourse and performs other sex acts with a number of people, either in turn or at the same time. When the person has not consented to such activity, it is called gang rape or pack rape.A limited study by Joan and Dwight Dixon indicate...
was based on the example of Messalina
Messalina
Valeria Messalina, sometimes spelled Messallina, was a Roman empress as the third wife of the Emperor Claudius. She was also a paternal cousin of the Emperor Nero, second cousin of the Emperor Caligula, and great-grandniece of the Emperor Augustus...
, a wife of the emperor Claudius
Claudius
Claudius , was Roman Emperor from 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, he was the son of Drusus and Antonia Minor. He was born at Lugdunum in Gaul and was the first Roman Emperor to be born outside Italy...
. Historically, Messalina has suffered a poor reputation, a fact that some attribute (at least partly) to gender bias. Chong sought to question the double standard
Double standard
A double standard is the unjust application of different sets of principles for similar situations. The concept implies that a single set of principles encompassing all situations is the desirable ideal. The term has been used in print since at least 1895...
that denies women the ability to exhibit the same sexuality as men, by modelling what a female "stud
Gender role
Gender roles refer to the set of social and behavioral norms that are considered to be socially appropriate for individuals of a specific sex in the context of a specific culture, which differ widely between cultures and over time...
" would be.
Pornography career
Since her parents did not approve of her dropping out of law school, she needed a source of income to pay her college fees. Chong started in porn by answering an advertisement for a modelling agency in LA WeeklyLA Weekly
LA Weekly is a free weekly tabloid-sized "alternative weekly" in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Editor/Publisher Jay Levin and a board of directors that included actor-producer Michael Douglas...
. The modelling agency turned out to be an adult film company, which led to photo shoots and then an interview with director John T. Bone
John T. Bone
John Bowen is a British-born and American pornographic movie director who uses the name John T. Bone.A member of the AVN Hall of Fame, he has worked for numerous studios and, as Harry Horndog, has also acted in some porn movies...
. Bone, recognizing Chong's talent, embarked on producing a series of films starring her. She was the new hardcore star in her early gangbangs such as Sgt. Pecker's Lonely Hearts Club Gangbang and I Can't Believe I Did the Whole Team. Chong was reportedly interested in blurring the boundary between pornography and performance art
Performance art
In art, performance art is a performance presented to an audience, traditionally interdisciplinary. Performance may be either scripted or unscripted, random or carefully orchestrated; spontaneous or otherwise carefully planned with or without audience participation. The performance can be live or...
in her work.
World's Biggest Gang Bang
The production that propelled her into the limelight was another Bone production The World's Biggest Gang Bang, released in 1995 when Chong was 22. Part of her motivation to do the film was an attempt to challenge gender roles. Chong advertised on adult television for 300 participants for the event. Reports initially differed as to whether she had sex with 251 men over the course of 10 hours, or with around 70 men multiple times to reach a total of 251. Some of the men did not wear condoms. As well as being the largest single grouping of men in a pornographic film, Chong had started a new trend. Even though the movie is one of the highest grossing pornographic films, Chong was never paid the US$10,000 she was promised, and apparently did not receive any money at all from the video.Appearances in popular culture
After the event, Chong made a host of media appearances, including The Jerry Springer ShowThe Jerry Springer Show
The Jerry Springer Show is a syndicated television tabloid talk show hosted by Jerry Springer, a former politician, broadcast in the United States and other countries...
. This event also prompted author Chuck Palahniuk
Chuck Palahniuk
Charles Michael "Chuck" Palahniuk is an American transgressional fiction novelist and freelance journalist. He is best known for the award-winning novel Fight Club, which was later made into a film directed by David Fincher and starring Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, and Helena Bonham Carter...
to write a novel, Snuff, about a fictional character who aimed to surpass Chong's record by having sex with 600 men. In her March 2000 appearance on the radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
program Loveline, Chong admitted that there were slightly fewer than 70 men in her gangbang and that there were water and lunch breaks during the 10-hour time span. For her performance, Chong earned a "dubious achievement award" in Esquire
Esquire (magazine)
Esquire is a men's magazine, published in the U.S. by the Hearst Corporation. Founded in 1932, it flourished during the Great Depression under the guidance of founder and editor Arnold Gingrich.-History:...
magazine. In 2007, a play written by Ng Yi-Sheng based on her story, 251, was staged in Singapore, directed by Loretta Chen.
Sex: The Annabel Chong Story
The sensation caught the interest of university film student Gough Lewis. Lewis met Chong and embarked on producing a documentary about her, named Sex: The Annabel Chong Story, released in 1999. The film includes footage from the gang bang shooting and her subsequent publicity appearances, explores Chong's motives, revisits with her the site of her rape, and depicts a painful conversation in Singapore between Chong and her mother, who until then didn't know about her daughter's career. It was directed by Lewis, and featured contributions from Quek, Al GoldsteinAl Goldstein
Alvin "Al" Goldstein is a former American publisher and pornographer. His company Milky Way Productions, home of Screw, and his long-running cable TV show, Midnight Blue was started in 1968 and went into bankruptcy in 2004...
, Ron Jeremy
Ron Jeremy
Ronald Jeremy Hyatt , usually called Ron Jeremy, is an American pornographic actor. Nicknamed "The Hedgehog", he was ranked by AVN at number one in their "The 50 Top Porn Stars of All Time" list...
and Seymore Butts
Seymore Butts
Seymore Butts is an American pornographic film director, producer and occasional star who has produced hundreds of films in the "gonzo" genre of pornography .-Life and career:...
. In the film Chong states that she intended World's Biggest Gang Bang to challenge "the notion of women as passive sex objects", and that, "We're not wilting violets, we're not victims, for Christ's sake. Female sexuality is as aggressive as male sexuality. I wanted to take on the role of the stud. The more [partners], the better." She also self-harm
Self-harm
Self-harm or deliberate self-harm includes self-injury and self-poisoning and is defined as the intentional, direct injuring of body tissue most often done without suicidal intentions. These terms are used in the more recent literature in an attempt to reach a more neutral terminology...
s in the film, taking a knife to her arm. The documentary propelled Chong further into the world media as it became a hit at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
, where it was nominated for a Grand Jury Prize. The film has since been shown as part of university gender studies courses around the world.
Late pornography career and retirement
Chong continued to work in the porn industry for a short while after the documentary came out, directing and starring in movies as well as setting up a website. In 2000 she directed and performed in the gang bang movie Pornomancer, her take on William GibsonWilliam Gibson
William Gibson is an American-Canadian science fiction author.William Gibson may also refer to:-Association football:*Will Gibson , Scottish footballer...
's novel Neuromancer
Neuromancer
Neuromancer is a 1984 novel by William Gibson, a seminal work in the cyberpunk genre and the first winner of the science-fiction "triple crown" — the Nebula Award, the Philip K. Dick Award, and the Hugo Award. It was Gibson's debut novel and the beginning of the Sprawl trilogy...
. After 2000, she largely stopped appearing in mainstream porn videos, concentrating instead on producing content for her website and appearing in a few BDSM
BDSM
BDSM is an erotic preference and a form of sexual expression involving the consensual use of restraint, intense sensory stimulation, and fantasy power role-play. The compound acronym BDSM is derived from the terms bondage and discipline , dominance and submission , and sadism and masochism...
videos. In 2003, Chong retired from porn entirely, leaving a final message on her website that "Annabel is dead" and stating that she had become a web developer and consultant. She also stated that she intended to "begin her new life of peace and relative obscurity".
She has largely declined media interviews since leaving the porn industry and has declined to comment on her pornographic career. Quek engaged in limited correspondence for the biographical play 251, and refused to endorse it, telling the producers "Do whatever you want with Annabel Chong because this person doesn't exist anymore." She also stated that she could not understand the continuing fascination and sustained interest in Annabel Chong after many years. As of 2008 she was still working as a web developer in California and has also taken up marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
running
Running
Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...
.
External links
- Archive of her official site, May 2003
- Extensive interview with Annabel Chong, by Amy Goodman, 1999
- Annabel Chong interview, by Robin Askew, 2000
- Discussion of the documentary "Sex: The Annabel Chong Story", by Gary Morris, 2000