The curtain opens and the spotlights point to a rotating stage. To the rhythm of the music, a woman begins to undress. In a few minutes he no longer has any clothes left and he masturbates from a bar, a few centimeters from the seats. As they say goodbye, five other women appear who, in a more modest way, end up intertwined and covering part of their anatomy. This number gives way to a heterosexual couple having explicit sex while the stage spins. All this happens on any given night at the Sala Bagdad in Barcelona, a legendary venue for erotic shows that is about to turn 50 years old. Half a century of life where the content has barely changed: men and women, more of the latter than the former, have sexual relations on a stage several meters under the sidewalks of Parallel Avenue in the Catalan capital. Even today, with an entrance fee of 100 euros per head, drink included, it still has an audience.
Groups of young people visiting Barcelona, bachelor parties, solitary spectators or couples: the audience has become somewhat more heterogeneous and has changed in proportion and habits compared to five decades ago, but the objective has not changed: to watch porn live. Going back to the years of the inauguration, the interest in what was prohibited in the death throes of a dictatorship was understandable. With the arrival of the eighties and the desire for liberation, the social confetti illuminated the lack of prejudice for this type of places. Even into the 2000s, with the beginning of digital technology where risqué content began to spread, it had its pull. The development of the internet fostered curiosity about that little world, where names such as Nacho Vidal and Sophie Evans were already appearing (who had been trained, precisely, in the Sala Bagdad). What came next, however, was dynamite: computer and mobile screens – through websites, dating platforms, invasive advertising, cropped videos or even memes y gifs in messaging and networks—were plagued with pornographic stimuli.
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Why, then, do some people go to a place like the Bagdad Room, pay an entrance fee and see firsthand what they have at their fingertips for free? Juani de Lucía, its 68-year-old owner, is clear: “This is not like watching porn in your house. It is an experience to share. It is something nice to see from an armchair, having a drink.” The owner talks about her business, which she founded with her husband, Rafael Lucía – from whom she adopted the last name – as a proposal that is more artistic than lustful. “This is not for masturbation nor is it an exchange place: there is sensitivity here and there are no harsh practices,” he clarifies. “It is something more complete. It’s the desire to go out, to have fun, to see pretty girls. If we remove the direct and the personal, turn it off and let’s go,” adds De Lucía from his office. She compares it to having a beer alone at home or going to a club and soaking up the atmosphere. Baghdad, he points out, is a banner and a claim. It is promoted as the only room with a show “complete” erotica from Europe and was born after a trip to Hamburg. “In the Sant Pauli neighborhood we saw that there were these sexual acts. And we thought about doing something like that in the center of Barcelona. We got this space, which was a tablao where the best had performed. Then we found others, in Holland or those they made in Ibiza, but they were not the same,” she comments in plural, including her husband, who died in 2021.
For Juani de Lucía, the Sala Bagdad continues to exist because people “are attracted to it” and because “they can participate, always respecting whoever is on stage and the audience.” Something that is confirmed in those rows of seats placed in front of the curtain that gives rise to each show. The capacity is 100 people and at the moment there are 25 hired artists, 21 girls and 4 boys, who dance and approach those attendees to whom the director refers. In the audience there are two couples, some veteran men who claim to come regularly with the aim of getting excited and young guys who cheer on those who are on the stage. “At first it was a much more withdrawn audience. Almost all of them were men and the ladies, if they entered, went somewhere else. Now there are couples who come once a month and the women, who came further behind, are now the ones who order,” De Lucía points out about the transformation of the clientele. He does not give a specific profile, although he recognizes that there are many foreigners and that the influx has decreased compared to those nights when the line went around the corner.
Dinio García remembers some of those glorious nights. The famous Cuban, who rose to fame for his romance with Marujita Díaz, performs every night with Rafa, his twin brother. “Baghdad is an emblem. People come to see the place where many actors started and because it is something unique. And those who want to get into porn or are already in porn, want to go through its scene, which is the mecca, it is a name with prestige,” he muses at the door during a break. He believes that putting a video on some device has nothing to do with it: “This is close, different,” he summarizes.
An archive photo of the Bagdad Room in Barcelona.
Lluís Ballester, sociologist and pornography expert, argues that attendance at these places is a parallel dimension to the rise of consumption. “It gives the impression that among the regular consumer there is interest in knowing the industry or the backstage. Or see women face to face. There is a certain morbidity that, now, fits the personal brand of actors and actresses,” he says, stupefied by the inexhaustible increase of the world, despite its ubiquity: “It is surprising to see how there are thousands of channels, but a kind of relationship is established with a culture that makes them go to other meetings professionals.”
The expert comments that attendance at these rooms or erotic salons and different sexual acts makes its way along with addiction to porn, which implies not only watching it, but also “participating.” “They are so involved that it is the only thing they are missing. That’s why they don’t just go to these sites, they also interact online or they pay to follow particular actresses and exchange messages, to see them on private cameras…” he lists, alluding to an increasingly early hookup. According to the report Youth and pornography in the digital age. Consumption, perception and effects, from the Fad Youth Foundation6 out of 10 young people in Spain (62.5%) consume pornography (72.1% in the case of boys) and, of these, almost half admit that they watch too much (45.8%) and that they have tried to reduce it, but could not (45.7%). The study from the end of 2023, carried out through a survey of 1,259 people between 16 and 29 years old and interviews with experts in sexuality, education and gender, also points out how half of young people who watch porn believe they watch too much (at 16 .5% happens very frequently or often) and admits that they have tried to reduce consumption without success (22.9% very frequently or often). Furthermore, for 35%, porn negatively affects important areas of their life, such as “educational/work performance or sleep.”
Juani de Lucía (in the center), with some workers from the Bagdad Room in a photo taken on July 30, 2009.Edu Bayer
And, regarding the issue addressed, 52.6% of young people who invest money in pornography have felt at some point that they spent too much on it, and 10.7% very frequently. By gender, they are the ones who consume the most porn, of any type: 22.4% of boys watch it daily and half (48.1%), at least once a week, compared to 2.1% and the 13.6% of girls. The majority, the report concludes, access this content for the first time around the age of 13, although they usually learn about it before, and 49.5% point to it as a source of inspiration for their relationships. “It also leads to addiction and becomes pathological,” says Ballester, referring to the consequences in sexual relations, where violence is conceived as something normal, and in the pocket. “There are mechanisms to pay for a Premium version, such as leaving exclusive content or giving it free for a few days, as happened in the pandemic. In addition, there are applications like OnlyFans, where you look for something personalized,” says the person who is a full professor in the department of Pedagogy and Specific Didactics at the University of the Balearic Islands.
Paula Álvarez, sexologist and one of the hosts of the podcast They keep us happyadds another factor: reliability. “Going to a place like the Bagdad Room has some social experience and an aura of something safe. In other places couples also go to experiment, but this is more similar to clubs. striptease. It can be something erotic and morbid, but at the same time it is safe: it allows you to be like a voyeurbut accepting that they see you there and not in a brothel. It is wild and daring, but without the fear of being involved in participating,” he summarizes.
A promotional image of the Bagdad Room provided by the venue.
“I don’t think it will end up disappearing,” says Lluís Ballester about the Bagdad Room. “The bulk, however, is going to be hidden. It is a business that starts from pornography. It will be done for the morbidity of seeing it from the border, from marginality,” the theorist concedes. Juani de Lucía, who does not plan to retire and who follows those shows every morning where the spotlights shine, settles the question with an unappealable reason: “No one kills sex.”
In what ways does the Bagdad Room cater to social and emotional needs that may not be fulfilled by consuming pornography online?
## Open-Ended Questions for Discussion:
**I. The Nature of the Bagdad Room and Erotic Entertainment:**
* **The article mentions that people opt to visit the Bagdad Room despite having easy access to pornography online. What motivates them to seek out this physical experience? What needs or desires might not be met by online pornography?**
* ** Juani de Lucía argues that the Bagdad Room is more about “sharing an experience” and “seeing pretty girls” rather than being solely focused on lust. How does this differentiate the Bagdad Room from other erotic establishments? Is it convincing that the experience transcends mere sexual gratification?**
* **The article refers to the Bagdad Room as having a nostalgic element, recalling a time before widespread online pornography. Is there a particular appeal to this “old-school” form of erotic entertainment? Do you think nostalgia plays a significant role in its continued existence?**
**II. The Relationship Between Online Pornography and Physical Experiences:**
* **The article discusses the potential for online pornography to lead to addiction and unhealthy sexual expectations. How might the experience at the Bagdad Room, with its focus on live interaction and social atmosphere, address these concerns?**
* ** The experts interviewed highlight the increasing integration of online and offline erotic experiences. Do you think platforms like OnlyFans and live streaming are blurring the lines between virtual and physical encounters? What are the implications of this trend?**
* ** The article mentions that people might seek out the Bagdad Room for a “safe” and sanctioned way to explore their erotic curiosity. How does this compare to the anonymity and potential risks associated with online interactions? Does the physical space add a layer of security and accountability?**
**III. The Future of Erotic Entertainment and the Bagdad Room:**
* **Do you agree with Lluís Ballester’s assessment that erotic entertainment like the Bagdad Room will become more “hidden” and marginalized? What factors might contribute to its decline or continued persistence?**
* **How do you think changing societal attitudes towards sexuality and technology will impact the future of places like the Bagdad Room? Will it continue to appeal to a niche audience, or could it evolve to adapt to a changing landscape?**
* ** Juani de Lucía emphasizes her belief that “no one kills sex.” Do you think this applies to the potential future of erotic entertainment? Will human desire always find a way to manifest itself in various forms and spaces?**
These questions are designed to spark a nuanced and thought-provoking conversation about the multifaceted nature of erotic entertainment, the impact of technology, and the enduring appeal of human connection.
