christ-on-a-stick

howdy luvluv -

Well, what did YOU think?

I's a waitin'!!!

Odemus

Why are porn actors referred to as talent? Are they actually something more than legal prostitutes?

Harumi

Christ-on-a-stick,

Did you enjoy doing what you were doing? So it was actually fun for you? Would you recommend any other person to do it?

If this comes off as annoying or offensive, please understand I'm a naive person and am only curious.

JerryM

I think all movie actors/actresses are generically called "talent." Just show biz terminology, I think.

christ-on-a-stick

Odemus -

Well, as JerryM pointed out, all movie (as well as t.v.) actors and actresses (as well as news anchors, come to think of it!) are referred to as "talent" - it is simply "show biz terminology" as he said.

As far as whether they are "actually something more than legal prostitutes" or not, that seems to be something of a semantics game to me. Generally prostitution refers to an individual paying another individual to have sexual activity with them, as opposed to a third party (studio/producer) paying two individuals to act out a script (including sexual activity) with each other on film.

Conversely, if your question is intended to make some kind of point as to your views on the ethics of the industry, well for Gawd's sake spit it out!

christ-on-a-stick

Hi Harumi!


Not annoying or offensive at all - when I decided to tell my personal story earlier on this thread I expected that people might have some questions which I am more than happy to answer. I am actually a bit disappointed that the original poster hasn't responded again since, IIRC, he had "hotly debated" the ethics of pornography and other sex work in this forum and at the time I didn't have the nerve to interject.

But anyway, as to your questions -

When I was 18-19 and I did a few "mainstream" video productions, I did not enjoy it. The producers and directors were by and large jerks, pushy and condescending (VERY high pressure to do more than you originally agreed to) and the male actors were mostly (although not all) jerks too. So I bowed out in short order and went back to my normal college/working life.

A few years later (at 22) while going through the dissolution of my brief first marriage, I was working fulltime but still having some financial difficulty. I began to consider exotic dancing part-time and talked to a girl I knew from school that danced at a local club. Although in discussing it with her I decided that it wouldn't work for me (not able to manage the late-night hours with my fulltime job), she essentially said "Well have you ever thought of modeling? Like adult modeling? 'Cuz I know this local producer..."

In short, (too late, right!) since my affiliation with him I have *VERY* much enjoyed the work I have done, at least 90% of the time. I have had a great "deal" with him, almost a partnership per se, in that I have worked exclusively for him (with one exception that he knew about) and been his most regular (and recognizable, to his repeat consumers) performer. The great part of the deal for me has been A) for the most part, picking my own partners and at the very least approving of a word-of-mouth referral B) contributing to ideas for themes, scripts and general content C) ALWAYS having final say over what I would and would not do - never any pressure and D) being paid very well and treated very, very well. And to be quite frank, that 90% of the time I had a lot of fun.

The 10% of the time that I haven't enjoyed the work has been due to essentially unforeseeable circumstances - another girl referred ending up being a bitch or, even worse, uncomfortable - one time (out of 7 years) about halfway through a scene I had to pull him aside and say "R., I can't finish this, she is totally uncomfortable and unhappy and I am not going to contribute to that". End of story; we reworked the shoot so she did some other stuff (solo, no girl-girl) and everything was fine.

Wow, I am long-winded. Your last question: Would I recommend any other person to do it? A very complicated question.

I don't think that I would ever "recommend" it to anyone as a career choice if it had never occurred to them. If someone was interested in it and asked me about it I would tell them 100% straight up what it has been like for me, some of the MAJOR downsides that I have seen others experience and encourage them to think long and hard about the ramifications if they were ever to be "caught" (assuming they wouldn't be "out" about it to family, friends, etc.) I would also probably recommend AGAINST relying on it as a lifelong career/failing to pursue other career and educational avenues. I have worked fulltime at "normal" jobs the past 7 years while doing this on the side and still made a good amount of money, but I have seen many girls get lured into "hey, if I do it fulltime I will make TONS of money" - which they do, and then work starts to slow down from over-exposure and they have *spent* all their money and have no education/skills/career options.

Lastly I would have to say that I would strongly recommend against jumping into something like this anyone that has dealt with any sexual abuse issues unless they have "got a handle on them" so to speak (therapy etc.). Wow that could be a whole other thread and I am not an expert but I have strong feelings on the subject as I have seen some unfortunate circumstances arise from this type of situation.

Wow, Harumi, bet you didn't expect me to be quite so long-winded, eh?!

It's actually kind of cathartic for me to be able to "talk" about freely since it's been a fairly big part of my life for a long time and I always have to (well, choose to) hide it from so many people who I am otherwise close to. People's preconceived notions and judgements and all...

Odemus

It's not a semantics game at all. Prostitutes by definition offer sex acts indiscriminately in exchange for money. Where they get their income from or whether or not taxes are deducted is irrelavent.

christ-on-a-stick

Allrighty then, by your definition, porn actors/actresses are legal prostitutes.

As to your question of (caps mine), well, I've always thought that every individual is "more" than what they happen to do for a living.

Do you disagree?

(FWIW, I think that prostitution should be legal anyway and regulated as it is in Nevada and some other countries).

(Oh and also, again further to your original question, if you are implying that any acting involving sex is devoid of any talent, what can I say? You haven't been watching anything good - or have only seen everything that's really bad. There's plenty of both.)

dangin

Actually it is semantics. If it was prostitution, there would be more stings and arrests in the industry. (There are some) I'm don't know this, but I assume the case law is on the side of the industry here. The contract is not for sex, the contract is for acting talent. The fact that the scene includes sex and failure to do it means you don't get paid is a fine line, but a line none the less.

There is also a significant difference between porn talent performing such and such, with such and such and a street walker who is at the beck and call of her "manager". Particularly in the situation where the prostitute has a quota to meet and faces danger to her self if she doesn't meet that quota. I've never heard of porn talent being threatened for not doing enough work.

Viti

coas...thank you for being so open about your career. People stick with their preconceived notions no matter what in many cases. When I was a stripper, people told me all kinds of things I must be or think or do...when I asked them "How many strippers have you met or talked to" they always replied "Well, you're the first". Yeah, but somehow they know the intricate details.

I also notice many people define others by their profession. Often if their is any sort of newsworthy occurance the headline will read "Stripper/former stripper/former prostitute" whatever instead of "mother/student/cashier". I danced for two years out of my life, but will probabluy always be known as the "former stripper" to some people.