Bukkake: (noun) a type of sexual activity in which several men ejaculate on another person. Yep, it’s a fancy word for a group jizz session. But where did this fetish begin and how is it so popular?

The term bukkake originates in Japanese culture with the genre of pornographic films first being developed in the 1980s. While relatively niche, the popularity has grown with bukkake videos becoming more heavily featured in American and European productions. As a sub genre, it has also expanded into the gay market.

The word ‘bukkake’ translates as ‘to dash or sprinkle water.’ In it’s more pornographic context though, spunk is the alternative ‘water’ being splashed around.

What’s the history?

In an attempt to beat censorship which prevented explicit penetration or the showing of naked genitals, producers tried to find ways to beat the system. Japanese pornography focuses more on the face and bodies of the actresses to avoid unnecessary blurring. Bukkake became an alternative sex act that could be shown as the ejaculation itself was accepted. This gave producers a loophole to splash out their creativity.

What started as a loophole became popular in its own right. Not only did the scenes support the male dominant/female submissive dynamic but also merged into group sex. Now it is common to see orgy scenes where the actress alternates giving blowjobs to different men before receiving multiple facials. Bukkake marked the beginning of many sticky scenes to come.

The term for the act itself and its’ rise in popularity is credited to director Kazuhiko Matsumoto in 1998.

Crossing boundaries

Harder pornography has become more popular since the 1990s. Initially bukkake fed into the trend for double penetration videos while also featuring in the surge in gangbang scenes. Filming bukkake is easier for production costs as only one actress is needed.

Hardcore porn often features humiliation and female submission, both of which bukkake covers. Where blowjobs, facials and voyeur scenes are trending.

A variant of bukkake is ‘gokkun.’ In this, a group of men ejaculate into a cup or onto an item which the receiver must then drink/eat. Although this began as a sexual fetish, stories of hazing rituals featuring this concept are in the rumour mill.

Why is it hot?

Bukkake taps into the desire to see the woman ‘used.’ The men own her in the scene while she is submissive to their dominance. Group sex feeds the desire for wild behaviour. When men watch others enjoying their climax, there is a kind of vicarious pleasure in this.

When a woman is on her knees begging for a man to cum on her, it flatters his ego. She is on display for his entertainment. Clearly when there are a group of men, the thrill of the scene increases. Both in the woman being submissive to their whims but also in the exposure of her ‘slutty’ behaviour.

Spurting cum on someone’s face or body feeds into male dominance. The alpha male controls what happens in the scene while the woman is keen to receive. In addition, the exposure of the woman’s body is a kick. She’s on display for the audience of men around her while being on show to the camera.

Fantasy vs Reality

Porn provides a depiction of everyone’s darkest and dirtiest fantasies. While it might be difficult to arrange for five men to finish on a woman in real life, porn caters to this. When we go to the cinema, we want to be entertained by something that is different from our reality. Sex is no different.

No one wants the world to be taken over by aliens but if we watch Men in Black it’s a fun comedy. Do we actually want to have a group of men spurt their cum over us? The taboo nature is a turn on.

Fantasy gives us a change from reality. It allows us to explore things that simply aren’t possible in real life. Porn might be seen as a loophole. A way to imagine sex with other people or different scenarios that we won’t actually act out but can enjoy through imagination.

What’s next?

There are many ways to approach porn. Whether it’s going for more realistic actors and scenes or more extreme types, sex is limitless.

Critics want porn to be more inclusive and represent a wider range of body types as well as a more healthy approach to sex. Some think bukkake encourages violence and the objectification of women. As feminist porn challenges how the industry treats women, more change is on the horizon.