luvluv

... or whatever late night news show it is that Diane Sawyer is on. (I get them mixed up.)

It looks pretty interesting. I plan on watching it and I would like to discuss it here if anybody else sees it. Consider this a heads up.

Viti

Do you have a link or anything luvluv? Is it an in depth look at the whole industry, its affects on society, one person's experiences or what? Just "porn" is a pretty broad term.

luvluv

No links. (I'm ashamed to say I caught wind of it on The View. I wasn't wathcing it! Honest! I was just channell surfing! I swear!)

I think it tries to do it all, its an hour long show. I know they interview one girl pretty in depth (they documented her for like 2 years I believe. They follow her decision to become a porn star, and document her first scene, supposedly), and also explore the corporate ties to porn.

AnthonyAdams45

PrimetimeThursday, 10 p.m. ET
Thursday, Jan. 23:
• How does a nice Mormon girl end up starring in porno films? Primetime investigates the hugely profitable adult film industry, and talks to some of the young men and women who are drawn into the business by the promise of quick cash.

That's all the
website said.

thebeave

I wonder if that's the same woman who used to work as an aide to Orrin Hatch back in the mid '80's, and then turned into a porn star?

luvluv

Anybody see it?

christ-on-a-stick

Yes, I made a point to watch it.

It was much more realistic and down-to-the-nitty-gritty than I thought it would be. I thought it would focus more on the Vivid/Wicked Pictures/high-gloss and slickly produced side of the biz; imagine my surprise when 60 seconds after the intro they were interviewing Jim South of World Modeling Agency in Van Nuys. It seemed like only yesterday (when it was in fact 10 years ago) that I met him in that same office.

FWIW if anyone else saw it, I ended up going down the path of the girl (can't remember her name now) that did a couple of things and then bowed out while the other girl, Michelle St.Clair (BellaDonna) got pressured into doing more and more and is now in it fulltime and has done gangbangs, DP and pretty much everything.

It was actually very unnerving for me to watch because it was so true to life in how they lure the girls in with "bikini/lingerie modeling" or "tasteful nudity" when HARD-CORE PORN is the only thing that they (World Modeling) really does. I know this factually, not only from personal experience but from continued friendships that I have with some people in this industry.

Personally I am not against pornography - the making, distributing or consuming of it - but out here in L.A. at least there are some very ethically questionable practices employed by the agents and producers. Essentially that is the biggest problem that I have with the industry - not what they are doing per se but some of the methods that I know (and have seen) employed to attract talent and some of the ways that the talent is treated in the course of the work.

The one thing that I found somewhat disingenuous in the reporting is that they stressed that only "contract players" ("name" girls with contracts for Vivid, Wicked, Jill Kelly etc.) are generally required to use condoms, thereby affording them protection from disease (besides pregnancy). HOWEVER, they failed to mention that the vast majority of minor studios and independents do require AIDS testing (done by the DNA method) EVERY 30 DAYS to work. You have to bring your original stamped negative test from A.I.M. (Adult Industry Medical in Encino) to the shoot, even for girl-girl usually, or you are not allowed to work.
I was surprised that they didn't mention this protective trend in the industry despite the fact that they interviewed Sharon Mitchell who is the president and founder of A.I.M. (as well as being a former performer). Anyway, it just seemed like they were propogating a more dire scenario re: the risk of AIDS/disease than is actually the case by omitting this important fact.

* I hereby admit without shame that a few years after my "brush" with Jim South, World Modeling and the mainstream adult film industry, I "re-entered" the industry in a sense by hooking up with a local independent producer/director specializing in fetish and girl-girl productions, and to this day remain affiliated with him.

In the past 7 years I have probably done at least 100 shoots with him - solo, girl/girl and fetish (lite bondage, feet, stockings, smoking etc.) - translating to 60 or more adult titles - some were series - and in the last year I have "trickled down" (my husband wants me to "retire" completely) to maybe 1 shoot a month. This time last year I was in Vegas for the AVN (Adult Video News) convention as a "signer" (promoting at a booth, signing videos, taking pix, signing autographs etc.) and attended the awards ceremonies and parties, etc.

Point being (and I know I am rambling here), if anyone wants to discuss the *actualities* of how things are on the porn set, how people are treated, the precautions that are taken , etc., etc., I know WTF I am talking about. Despite my limited personal involvement in the past 7 years, I continue to have many friends in the biz and have been "on-hand" for many scenes - namely even though I don't do boy-girl anymore I have done make-up artistry for quite a few feature production in the past few years.

lunachick

Hey, C-O-A-S.

I crashed before I had time to respond. Wow.

My only problem with porn is the coercion of talent, too. I reckon there are enough people who do not have any problems performing for the adult vid scene that it would be unnecessary to 'trick' people into it. As far as I'm concerned, if everything is safe and consensual, go for it. I don't like anything that is abusive - I'm not talking consensual BDSM here, but the real tragedy stuff. You know what I'm talking about - snuff movies, violent rapes and beatings for the sake of a sick underground clientelle.

But, yeah, maybe I've seen you in one or two films.

PS: Actually, one other thing - I wish the adult film industry would actually show condoms being used - they tend to 'hide' them, and I think that ought to be changed.

Godless Dave

Within the past two years Frontline did a show called "American Porn" that was very interesting but not as in-depth as I'd hoped. The main negative thing I learned from that is the producers had no respect at all for the female talent. One man involved with Hustler's "Barely Legal" series made a point of calling them girls instead of women. They didn't talk about coercion or dishonesty on the part of the producers but it doesn't surprise me that it exists.

I've noticed a trend lately to feature 18-20 year old women who look even younger. As a 32 yo man I'm just not into that. When I rent or download an adult movie I want to see adult women, dammit!

To Lunachick: in the last couple movies I saw the condoms were front and center. You couldn't miss them.

JerryM

What struck me was the seemingly enormous disparity in the amount of money going to the producers and the money actually being made by the performers. The talent is apparently paid a flat fee--more for some acts than others. I suppose someone asking for a percentage of a film's proceeds would be quickly told where to shove it. This is definitely one group of workers which should be organized for fairer compensation and more influence in their working conditions. But with an endless supply of young people willing to do almost anything for money, it seems that the industry management holds all the cards.