There are no two words more iconic in porn than “deep throat.”

In 1972, Linda Lovelace turned global cinema on its head with her controversial starring role in Deep Throat, the movie responsible for the brief heyday of “porno chic.”

Lovelace plays a frustrated young woman who can’t seem to cum, no matter how hard she tries. Dejected, she goes to a psychiatrist named Dr. Young for an explanation. He tells her she’s been born with an unusual defect: her clit is located in the back of her throat. In order to reach that elusive orgasm, she’ll have to seriously work on her “deep throat” technique. Luckily, Dr. Young is happy to help.

Deep Throat (1972) pic.twitter.com/GvGB24w8TR

— tanglefoot tony (@tanglefoot_tony) May 1, 2024

When the movie was released, “deep throating” shot into the spotlight. Suddenly, big dicks were big news, and studios scrambled to put actors’ gag reflexes to the test with deep throat porn of their own.

But agreeing on one definition for deep-throating blow jobs would prove difficult: How deep is a deep throat, really? Are we talking nine to ten inches? Balls and all? Does a blow job only become deep-throating when it pushes past pesky gag reflexes?

There’s no one better suited than porn performers to answer these burning questions. Here’s what they had to say…

Sadie Summers

“Deep-throating is when the head of the penis opens the upper esophageal sphincter and slides down the throat,” explains Summers, a former nurse who returned to the porn industry early last year. “There’s a barrier between the esophagus and the pharynx, which opens during swallowing and allows food to pass. You can feel this when it happens [during a blow job], and it feels amazing.”

But Summers cautions that this isn’t easy. “Deep throating definitely needs to be practiced!” she says. “The trick is to tip your head back at the right angle and breathe through your nose, relaxing as you feel the head slide down. It’s best if a guy helps cup your head back with one hand on your throat, but the biggest challenge is if a guy is too girthy for the width of the throat. The long, skinny boys are best for this!”

Finally, she clarifies a misconception: “Some people say deep throat is when [the dick] hits the back of the throat, but to be truly deep it has to go down, in my humble opinion.”

Serenity Cox

Like Summers, Cox also transitioned from a career in ER nursing into mainstream porn back in 2020, but she recently learned a few lessons about deep-throating the hard way.

“I would categorize ‘deep throat’ as any blow job that challenges my gag reflex,” she says. “Usually, the biggest challenge is finding the right angle to open up for girthier gentlemen, but recently, while filming a studio scene, I had one well-endowed partner behind me providing momentum to deep-throat another partner, and as I pressed my tongue out to provide a smooth entry, my bottom teeth split open my lingual frenulum. Lesson learned after that slightly gruesome tongue injury; I’m now more conscious of my tongue position before inviting a man full-force into my throat!”

Ebony Mystique

Ebony Mystique, a former Brazzers and Playboy model, keeps her answer short and sweet: “Deep throat is the act of fellatio that overcomes the gag reflex. It’s my favorite way of performing sucking pleasure. Unless it hurts the gentleman — then, we adjust!”

Mistress Alexandra

Athens-based femdom Mistress Alexandra brings a different perspective to the table. “In mainstream porn, deep-throating is often defined by full penetration — taking the entire length of the penis down the throat, usually without gagging or stopping — but that’s a limited definition,” she explains. “In femdom, deep-throating isn’t just about depth, it’s about control. It’s about how long a submissive is kept at the edge of suffocation, how well they endure it and how well they obey without breaking position. True deep-throat submission is measured in obedience, not inches.”

To Alexandra, deep-throat in a femdom context is about finding pleasure in the struggle. “In traditional porn, [the aim is] to make it look effortless, suppressing the reflex and opening the throat to take everything smoothly,” she continues. “I want my submissive to choke, tear up and endure because their discomfort is proof of their devotion. Many submissives think they can deep-throat — until they’re made to do it in a way that’s truly degrading and merciless.”

She does offer a quick, handy analogy. “It’s basically the Olympic sport of oral sex,” she jokes. “If you’re not gagging, tearing up and questioning your life choices mid-scene, you’re probably not doing it right!”