Visiting http://www.ranchocarne.com right now takes you to an account suspended page. Looking at the reasons for suspension on Web1Host’s TOS show that it could be as simple as a DMCA notice. So let’s hope they get it taken care of and are back up and running quickly. If the boss of RC is around I’d love to hear what happened and when it’ll be fixed.

by Jon Tribb  

I first came across Kristin Battista-Frazee in an article she’d written for The Daily Beast criticizing Rick Santorum’s war on porn. She’s the daughter of Tony Battista. In the early 1970′s Tony went from being a stockbroker to handling stag films. It was the transportation of one of these , Deep Throat, that lead to him becoming a convicted pornographer. Despite this he remains in the adult business to this day. When Kristin was a young adult she decided to write a memoir about her father’s trial and the effect it had on her family. It’s called Pornographer’s Daugher and is awaiting publication. Here she answers my questions about the religious conservatives views on porn and sex.

1 Are religious conservatives with their views on porn and sex in a minority or are their views shared by many Americans?
Religious conservatives are a very vocal, influential minority and the main reason why there is still this ongoing debate about whether or not pornography damages people and relationship.  For someone like Rick Santorum to become so popular with the conservative base of this country shows that his anti-pornography message still resonates.  Similarly, Mitt Romney’s openly gay foreign policy aide, Richard Grenell, (of two weeks) recently resigned under pressure from social conservatives. I suspect that in Romney’s case, he is really not that uptight but obviously needs to cater to this wing of the Republican party just as he needs to cater to the Tea Party.  But, as we know, Santorum lost his bid for the Republican nomination for president and this provides good evidence that conservatives do not actually represent the majority.

2 Some trace America’s love hate relationship to porn with the Puritan spirit. Would you agree or disagree?
I would agree our Puritan roots have inspired our ambivalence, and sometimes outright hatred towards, pornography. The notion that sexual thoughts are bad or dirty has been the basis of this country’s view on a lot of things; the private and public dimensions of sexual behavior, gender roles, fashion, careers, etc. I think it’s dangerous for religion to advocate keeping people clueless and silent about sexuality since it’s in the very nature of who we are and it’s important for everyone to have the chance to explore and understand who they are. But I realize that that same Puritan spirit has inspired spirituality for many and has brought people peace and solace, so if that works for people, good for them. Our religious heritage is a blessing and a curse in so many ways and to elaborate would take forever.

3 Would you agree that there has been a pornification of American culture?
I don’t like the word “pornification” because it takes on a negative connotation that is unnecessary in the discussion of pornography. Maybe I’m just thinking of words like fornication, say, versus, photography or biography – nicer, friendlier words. But yes, pornography is more readily accessible in our society and has influenced fashion and behaviors and with this insurgency, of sorts, and requires of people much more responsibility to balance the use of pornography in terms of how they conduct their personal lives. Just as they do with alcohol or all the rich foods we’re being asked to consume.  But like alcohol and gourmet food I don’t think pornography’s availability is a bad thing and the benefit is that it has prompted needed discussion around the role of sexuality in our lives. 

4 How would you define pornography and obscenity? Is it more than about time to redefine these words for the C21st?
Great question and I don’t think pornography can be defined.  The Supreme Court couldn’t even define pornography and Justice Potter Stewart was once quoted as saying pornography was hard to define but, “I know it when I see it.” Obscenity is really difficult to define and the latest guidance on that was Miller vs. California in 1973, which grants local community to determine what’s obscene.  This law is really obsolete because whatever offends one particular person doesn’t translate to other groups and everyone has a different tolerance. Also what is a community?  The Internet is a virtual community with millions of adult sites. How could anyone determine who would speak on behalf of this community? I think pornography is a customizable experience for everyone based on preferences, needs and orientation and has provided us a unique opportunity to challenge conventional thoughts about sexual satisfaction.  Most importantly, pornography by definition is not obscenity. Often times the two are considered the same and they are not.

5 Is the First Amendment still enough to protect people who make porn? Can more be done constitutionally to give a concrete right to free expression?
Yes the First Amendment is enough and no I don’t think we need more or different laws to grant freedom of expression. Our founding fathers were pretty clear about the First Amendment. Even as unclear or nonsensical as the current laws are, they work in a weird way. Since the community standard laws emerged, the First Amendment legal fights that ensued during that last few decades further solidified local laws that ultimately protects pornography in many ways.

6 What do you think of the community standards law? Is it confusing and unclear and should it be replaced?
As I eluded to above, the current community standard laws are obsolete, especially in the case where a community determines what’s obscene or not. This is made a lot more dysfunctional in that a definition of what is a community is totally blurred, or, say, much more complex, since virtual communities have no boundaries. Luckily, litigations on obscenity cases has set enough precedent so that pornography can continue to be accessed by adults, and so it doesn’t make sense to lobby for any new overarching federal laws. 
 

7 What if any laws should there be on the distribution of porn?
Strict enforcement that pornography should only be available to people 18 years and older.  Of course child pornography is absolutely a crime and we should be unyielding about banning it.

8 Whilst the religious conservatives can’t ban porn they can harass the adult industry. What do you think of the mandatory condom law and it’s possible effects?
I have mixed feelings about this condom law. On the one hand it does seem to be a political tactic to censor porn and anyone who performs in this industry is making a personal choice to take the risk of being exposed to STDs and HIV, despite the monthly testing. It seems like an occupational hazard of sorts.  We can’t dictate whether someone wants to work in the adult industry. But I would hope the porn industry could make condom use sexy and use its influence to promote the use of condoms and safe sex practices. The argument that the films are supposed to inspire fantasy and condoms are not a part of that bothers me. If I were single part of my fantasy is I meet a great guy and he’s into safe sex practices. What can I say? I’m just a practical girl. 

9 What do you think about organizations such as Morality in the Media, the Family Research Council etc and their power and influence on politicians?
Everyone’s entitled to fight for what they believe in but I don’t think highly of these organizations. They are a dangerous influential minority who often use inconclusive research to prove all sorts of ridiculous things like that porn promotes violence against women and sex trafficking. And also they mix their arguments with child pornography, which obviously should be banned, but confounds the whole discussion and doesn’t promote real conversations about how porn is utilized in our society. It’s a dishonest, cheap trick and should be recognized as such.

10 Although Republican candidates claim they uphold family values the party has been involved in quite a few underage sex scandals. What do you think this says about the mentality of the men of the GOP?
It’s not just legislators in the GOP who have been caught in sex scandals over the years, prominent Democrats like Anthony Wiener, Wilbur Mills, and John Edwards are also in the mix. We certainly can’t forget the Republican screw ups like Mark Foley, John Ensign and David Vitters that have been caught in some sticky scandals.  Elected officials in the Republican party seem to be a bit louder about portraying themselves as role models for family values but both sides have had their fair share of embarrassing moments. I guess you could say that hypocrisy somehow doubles the crime, and I love that Larry Flynt is out there trying to expose the hypocrisy. When he was promoting his book, “Sex, Lies And Politics: The Naked Truth” on the Piers Morgan show and Morgan recounted to Flynt that the incoming speaker Bob Livingston (R-La.), who he exposed as having an affair, called Flynt a bottom feeder, Flynt’s quick response was, “look what I found at the bottom.”  You know the old saying; people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.

11 Which aspects of sex work do you think is most important for any US government to concentrate on?
Well, I think sex work is illegal almost everywhere in the US but in small pockets of the country it’s legal. I think no one under the age of 18 should engage in sex work. Also the healthcare aspect is very important so as to ensure that sexually transmitted diseases are not spread, I think customers of sex workers should be screened to show they have a clean bill of health as well as the workers.

12 What should be the role of porn in the life of a couple?
That’s up to those couples and not for me to state an opinion on. It is available to people if they want to engage in that type of entertainment because they are consenting adults able to make their own choices.

13 Do you think children are becoming hypersexualized? What if anything should be done to protect them?
I think commercials and shows are racier today than when I was growing up and parents should be more vigilant about what their kids watch. Everyone has to be involved and engaged in protecting children; family, friends, government, schools and churches. We all need to be involved and engaged in what our children are doing. 

14 Are filters enough to stop children seeing adult content on the net or should ISP’s be required by law to block such sites at source with an opt in system for adults?
I don’t know enough about the effectiveness of ISPs to say if it should be required by law or if this type of requirement would be detrimental to the porn industry. But I know there are lots of different software products to block porn sites on the market– but obviously none of them are fool proof.  In China they have put massive efforts into blocking pornography and controlling the Internet but it hasn’t been 100% effective, nor will it ever be.

15 What’s your view on abstinence pledges?
It’s unrealistic to think these types of pledges should be the only line of defense for teens in their decision to become sexually active. It’s an admirable goal but in the event people don’t think they can uphold an abstinence pledge they should be armed with the information to engage in sexual activity in a safe way.  Remember those who are uninformed suffer the highest rates of unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.

16 What can be done to improve sex education in the US?
I think incorporating sex and HIV education in US schools has progressed over the years and become more accepted but not all states mandate it. I find it really odd 33 states mandate HIV education but only 22 states mandate sex education. This makes no sense to me since HIV is a sexually transmitted disease for the most part. I hope one day all 50 states make sex education a requirement.  In some research I found this pretty good policy brief   about what is covered and required in the US.  If we do achieve mandated sex education in all states, I realize the parent opt out avenue may still be available.  It seems too many times parents are fearful about their children receiving this education in school and opt them out.  But it’s very necessary for healthy development and I would encourage parents to become more open-minded about sex education and buy-in to this educational process. Also I think at the age of 13, teens should be able to make their own decisions, independent of their parent’s wishes, as to whether they want this information. Let’s face it sex is a part of biology, teens deserve access to education on this important topic.

17 Would you describe the proposals made by the Republican candidates as a war on women?
If I think logically about these recent attacks on birth control and Planned Parenthood, it’s really nothing new and has been lurking in the shadows since the 1950s and even further back in time. But to hear the articulation of these primitive views made so recently and to be given such a credible platform by the media public just sickened me and to tell you the truth I couldn’t pass it off as some oddity the press was reporting with amusement. I was really angry.  I think there is always going to be a segment of our country that believes in very old fashioned notions and will use an interpretation of religion to rationalize their position to keep women at a disadvantage. But conservatives will pay the price this election season and progressive women today are in a much better position of power to fight against these archaic notions.

18 Where can people find you on the net?
On Twitter at @porndaughter and www.porndaughter.com .  You can also find my dad’s stores at Premier Factory Outlet  http://premieradult.com/ , Beach Adult Emporium http://www.beachadult.co/ , Southern Exposure http://www.southernexposure.co/

ADULT MEGASTARS NIKKI BENZ & VICKY VETTE ANNOUNCE BLOCKBUSTER INTERNET PARTNERSHIP IN THE VNA NETWORK
Benz Embarking on Media Tour this Week including the Stern Show
 
Penthouse Pet of the Year 2011 & AVN Crossover Star 2012 Nominee, Nikki Benz (http://www.nikkibenz & http://www.twitter.com/nikkibenz) & Xbiz’s 2012 Webstar of the Year, Vicky Vette (http://www.vickyathome.com & http://www.twitter.com/vickyvette) are proud to announce that Nikki Benz has signed a long term deal to join the Vette Nation Army (http://www.vnagirls.com) Network (VNA) of pornstar websites.  The move comes on the heels of Vette’s recent signing of Sweden’s #1 Pornstar, Puma Swede & AVN Hall of Fame superstar Julia Ann, as well as the VNA’s recent deal with Fleshlight.  Nikki Benz joins the VNA Network’s formidable line up of Julia Ann, Puma Swede, Bobbi Eden, Sara Jay, Francesca Le’, Deauxma, Charlee Chase, Canadian Shanda Fay, Gabby Quinteros, Cuban export Angelina Castro & rising Wicked performer Carmen Valentina.  Members of Benz’ site will get the entire VNA Network & live daily shows.

 
Nikki Benz is one of the best known adult & feature entertainers in the world.  She is in the upcoming Saints Row video game (only the 3rd adult actress to do so – the others being Sasha Grey & Tera Patrick).  Along with being the reigning Penthouse Pet of the Year, Benz’ mainstream appearances include Fox Sports show Cubed & a mainstream movie role in "My Trip to the Dark Side".  Nikki just got back from Miami where she wrapped up shooting her cameo in "Pain and Gain" directed by Michael Bay, starring Mark Wahlberg and The Rock.   In addition to numerous AVN & XBIZ awards, Benz has been featured in many popular magazines such as Penthouse, High Society, Genesis, Fox, OUI, Cheri, Hustler, Club & Club International. Vicky Vette is the current XBIZ Webstar of the Year & the most followed active adult actress in the world (with nearly 300,000 followers). Vette runs and operates the VNA Network.

 
Nikki Benz is quoted as saying: "Although my site won an XBIZ Award for Pornstar Website of the Year, I wanted to make it bigger, better & more interactive. My fans deserve the best internet experience they can get for the money.  After checking out who I should sign with, I am super happy to say I clicked with Vicky.  It’s no secret she is kicking ass on the net…. and works her ass off promoting a lot of the top talent in the business.  It just feels like a great fit. I can’t wait for my fans to see all the new stuff they are gonna get & to take my Official Site to new levels."
 
Vicky Vette is quoted as saying: "I am always flattered that girls who I consider megastars trust me with running their sites.  Nikki Benz is bar none one of the biggest, most recognizable, and best looking girls in the business.  She could have picked anyone to sign with so I was thrilled when she said she wanted to be part of the VNA. Nikki & Puma teaming up on live web events will be memorable I am sure. I swore we were done signing talent but girls like Nikki Benz don’t come around often.  I guess the ‘Dirty Dozen’ is now the ‘Dirty 13′. We are hell bent on doing more for fans than any other network in porn.  We are not done making moves so stay tuned."
 
It is anticipated that NikkiBenz.com will be redesigned in the coming months. Nikki Benz adds, "I can’t wait to get started on the new site… it’s going to have all the bells of whistles we can add."  Nikki Benz is currently on a cross-country media blitz this week that included an appearance on the Howard Stern Show in New York today & feature dancing at Penthouse Club in Tampa, Florida, this weekend. Vette is in Miami where she hosted an XBIZ Miami Webmaster Summit party on Tuesday & is appearing at the Finals of Miss Freeones this weekend.
 
Nikki Benz can be reached for comment at
NikkiBenz@NikkiBenz.com  
 
Vicky Vette can be reached for comment at
Vicky@Vickyathome.com

The Superstars of LA Direct Models Headline EXXXOTICA Miami Beach

Melina Mason
 
25 Girls Represented by LA Direct, Including Tori Black, Alexis Texas, Lexi Belle, Allie Haze, & Eva Angelina Sex-Up EXXXOTICA May 18-20!
 
May 15, 2012, MIAMI BEACH, FL – Twenty-five of the sexy superstars represented by LA Direct Models will be in attendance at the upcoming EXXXOTICA Miami Beach.  From May 18-20, thousands of curious adults will visit the Miami Beach Convention Center for their chance to meet the girls of LA Direct Models.  Adult stars Tori Black, Alexis Texas, Lexi Belle, Eva Angelina, and Allie Haze will all be at the expo, as well wrestler turned Vivid contract performer, Chyna.
 
Representing a variety of backgrounds, appearances, ages, and sexual preferences, each of LA Direct Models’ performers are available to provide a unique perspective regarding the adult industry.  Media interested in scheduling an interview with any performer represented by LA Direct Models may email info@ladirectmodels.com.
 
LA Direct Models’ extensive client list attending EXXXOTICA Miami Beach includes Tori Black, Alexis Texas, Lexi Belle, Allie Haze, Chyna, Eva Angelina, Charmane Star, Ann Marie Rios, Kagney Linn Karter, Courtney Cummz, Playboy magazine model Spencer Scott, Gracie Glam, Capri Anderson, Amy Brooke, Eden Adams, Tory Lane, Zoey Monroe, Lilly Banks, Siri, Taylor Wane, Aleksa Nicole, Maddy O’Reilly, Melina Mason, Veronica Rodriguez, Christie Stevens, and Madison Fox.
 
Allie Haze states, “EXXXOTICA is one of the best places to meet all my awesome fans, and I love them so much!  Come see all the sexy stars in Miami; you can’t beat the sun, surf, and porn stars!”
 
"I am very excited to be a part of EXXXOTICA Miami this year,” says Eva Angelina.  “I have not signed at this convention for three years, so I am stoked to visit with my Miami fans and give them the opportunity to buy my new movies, autographed, and take pictures with them.  Personally, I think that’s the best jerk off material I can provide them with!”
 
Melina Mason says, “I started my career in Miami and recently transitioned to filming in LA.  I’m so excited to be at EXXXOTICA this year.  It feels great to be back on the east coast and to connect with my fans in person!”
 
In addition to media interviews, the stars are available to fans for autographs and photos.  Signing locations will vary between EXXXOTICA’s Club Spotlight booth and Star Valley.  For more information, visit http://mb.exxxoticaexpo.com/.
 
May 18 marks the beginning of EXXXOTICA’s seventh show in Miami Beach.  Throughout the years, LA Direct Models’ A-list clients have provided the star-power needed to draw over 100,000 attendees to the popular event.
 
“A walk on the wild side,” is what Miami’s CBS 4 called EXXXOTICA in its news segment from last year’s convention.  “People loving love!”
 
MiamiBeach411.com stated the fan experience continues to get better due to the attendance of performers like those represented by LA Direct Models.  Matt Meltzer of the popular South Beach website wrote, “EXXXOTICA is one of the most accessible, carefree, fun events that comes to South Florida every year.  Because much like the [adult] industry itself, EXXXOTICA doesn’t take itself too seriously and just wants people to have a good time.  And as long as the good folks who run it maintain that attitude, they’ll always be welcome in South Florida.”
 
Additional EXXXOTICA Expos scheduled in 2012 include EXXXOTICA Chicago and EXXXOTICA New Jersey, plus an unannounced location.  Fans can expect to find LA Direct Models’ stars at each of the events.
 
For a complete list of talent represented by LA Direct Models, visit http://ladirectmodels.com/

(HOLLYWOOD, CA)  Adult entertainment superstar Tanya Tate (http://TanyaTate.com) adds extra excitement to her EXXXOTICA Miami Beach appearance, May 18-20 at the Miami Beach Convention Center, with a social media based game. Tanya is set to make a signing appearance at the annual EXXXOTICA Miami Beach event this weekend and is featured on billboards in the promotion of the expo. Fans who "tweet" a picture of themselves with the Tanya Tate EXXXOTICA billboard using tags @TanyaTate and@EXXXOTICA or "check in" at the billboard location using Foursquare will be eligible to win a signed Tanya Tate Fleshlight.

"I’m very flattered that EXXXOTICA is using my image in their marketing campaign," said Tanya. "They have used the imagery of the biggest names in adult entertainment to promote their successful shows. To be among those ladies is very thrilling. I wanted to celebrate this occasion, so I thought it would be fun to do a giveaway of my newly released Fleshlight novelty toy utilizing social media."

Now through the final day of the show, May 20th, fans over 18 years of age may enter. Tanya will be appearing at EXXXOTICA Miami Beach this weekend, signing at the CLUB Spotlight booth. There, Tanya will be signing her latest DVDs, 8x10s and of course, her Fleshlight. Tanya’s EXXXOTICA signing times will be found on her official website TanyaTate.com. EXXXOTICA will be taking place at the Miami Beach Convention Center located at 1901 Convention Center Dr., Miami Beach, FL 33139. Ticket and other information can be found on the official EXXXOTICA Miami Beach website: http://mb.exxxoticaexpo.com/tanya-tate-to-appear.

The Tanya Tate EXXXOTICA image can also be seen in the current issue of AVN Magazine. Page 121 of the May issue showcases a full page advertisement of the expo.  Fittingly, on page 122, there is a candid image of Tanya from the 2012 SHAFTA Awards where she won her third MILF of the Year award in as many years.

For more Tanya Tate, please visit the Tanya Tate network:
www.TanyaTate.com

NL- Excellent article  from LarryFlynt.com  Who are you gonna vote for?

When we at HUSTLER think of Willard Mitt Romney—the former governor of Massachusetts and current Republican Presidential aspirant—T.S. Eliot’s poem The Hollow Men comes to mind. How else would you describe someone who has no discernible identity? Oh sure, flip-flopper kinda works, but does it really convey the truly empty and vacuous entity that is Mitt Romney? Of course not.

So just how hollow is Mitt Romney exactly?

That’s not an easy question to answer, given that it’s impossible to know what Mitt really believes in—if indeed he believes in anything at all. In less than ten years, the former CEO of Bain Capital has totally reversed himself on such issues as abortion, same-sex marriage, gun ownership, tax reform, climate change, healthcare and probably a few other issues we’ve forgotten about.

How is such a thing possible? Well, of course, Romney is lying about at least half and maybe even all of the positions he’s taken. It’s possible he doesn’t believe in anything except, perhaps, lying to get what he wants. But even with that, wouldn’t a person feel shame about being such a transparent liar? Or is it possible that the supposedly committed Mormon not only doesn’t believe in anything but also doesn’t feel anything? That would truly make him a hollow man.

Hollow men don’t care about other people. From his early adult years, when Romney served as a bishop in the Mormon church, we have this story reported in the New York Times : Carrel Hilton Sheldon, a married mother of four, was advised by her doctor to terminate her pregnancy because he feared a potentially dangerous blood clot. But Romney, she alleges, insisted—as a representative of his church— that she not go forward with the procedure. According to Mrs. Sheldon, “He was blind to me as a human being.”

That lack of concern for people followed Romney into the job market. As CEO of Bain Capital— a private equity investment firm specializing in leveraged buyouts—he bought companies, sold the assets and shipped the jobs overseas. In many cases, although the acquisition was eventually forced into bankruptcy, Bain Capital still made a huge profit. Romney later said if he had the opportunity to do it over again, he would “be more sensitive” to that issue. Notice he didn’t say he’d do things differently.
We all know about Romney’s “I like being able to fire people” quote. Those who defend the Presidential wannabe for that remark point out he was talking about healthcare companies that weren’t providing “good service.” But we’d like to note that most people would say they “changed companies” or they “like changing companies” when they don’t get good service.

Of course, in Romney’s case, he has had a lot of experience canning employees of the companies he took over at Bain Capital, so the words “I like being able to fire people” would seem to flow naturally from his lips. We wonder how many insurance companies he’s “fired,” if any. Additionally, most people are just stuck with their healthcare provider. Only the superrich like Romney can afford to shop around.

Continuing our analysis of Romney’s attitude toward people, let us not forget that this is the man who said “Corporations are people.” Again we have to ask, can he really believe that?

Because, right on the face of it, that’s nonsense.Yet he said it with no shame.You can see him saying it on YouTube. It’s clear he’s talking down to the people who have just challenged him. He is, in our view, once again a Mormon bishop telling people not what’s real but what to think. Mitt’s talking doctrine instead of facts.

We all know what Republican doctrine is. It’s for ending Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, and it’s stringently against legalized abortion, same-sex marriage, tax increases for the superrich, banking regulation, the closing of corporate loopholes and, most notably, against Obamacare, which is based on Romneycare, the heathcare program implemented in Massachusetts when Mitt was governor. These Republican positions are all anti-people or at least antipeople who are not part of the 1%. And, of course, the 1% includes Romney with his $250-million nest egg.

It is worth noting that Romney’s 2010 tax return reveals he paid 13.9% in taxes. That is significantly lower than what the average working person pays. Additionally, Romney is hiding millions in the Cayman Islands, an offshore tax haven. The only question is, how many millions?

This is a man who, even though he wants to be President of the United States, doesn’t want to contribute to the well-being of his country by paying his fair share in taxes.

In essence, he’s screwing all of us. So for Willard Mitt Romney, we offer this T.S. Eliot-inspired poem:
You are of the hollow men
You are of the stuffed men
Looting together
Headpiece filled with greed. Alas!
Your dried avarices, when
You whisper together
Are quiet and meaningless
As wind in dry grass
Or vulture capitalists crawling over broken glass
To get to do their leveraged buyouts
This is the way your candidacy ends
This is the way your candidacy ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.

NL-Allie Haze and Vivid parting ways is the big news story today. Allie is such an amazing performer in a gorgeous girl next door package, I’m sure the other companies will be banging down the door to shoot her. She is available through LA Direct Models. She will be at MiamiExxxotica this weekend at the Vivid booth.

NL-This is former porn star Penny Flame’s new book. I look forward to reading it. She is an excellent writer.  I have a feeling this may not be too kind to the porn industry, but i haven’t found out any details yet .. It comes out in July

This is the description on Amazon-

Former porn star, reality TV personality, and blogger Jennie Ketcham presents a strikingly honest, disarming memoir about her descent into the emotionally numbing world of pornography and addiction and her path toward recovery.
Jennie Ketcham pulls back the curtain on sex addiction from a uniquely female perspective, tracing her descent into pornography and addiction to sex, drugs, and alcohol. Her interpretation of her dad’s warning that “guys only want one thing” to mean “if you use your sexuality creatively, you can take over the world and own all the men therein,” combined with the trauma of her parents’ marriage unraveling, led her to lose her virginity at thirteen. By eighteen, she was nude modeling, and, as her increasing involvement with pornography began to take its toll on her relationships, she thrust herself further into the enticing world of immediate gratification. Eventually, she was participating in hardcore shoots and answering only to the name Penny Flame.
     When Penny entered Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew to drum up publicity for the porn Webcam studio she managed, she encountered what she least expected: The beginning of her road to recovery. Now, Penny Flame is Jennie once more—she is back in school, in a committed relationship, and has reconnected with her father. As two stories converged, that of a troubled young woman who flees intimacy and that of a woman breaking down emotional barriers and building a new life, I Am Jennie is a poignant and honest memoir, and an eye-opening account of sex addiction and the toll it can take on women.

 More about the book on Amazon

by Jon Tribb

Dr. Chauntelle presented findings from her paper “Adult Film Performers and Occupational Safety and Health” (Stanford Law and Policy Review 23) during a panel at Stanford Law School in April, 2012. She summarized her talk beforehand on a podcast for her site, Porn Valley Vantage . I found it very interesting and asked her if she’d agree to another interview.

1. For people who haven’t had the opportunity to listen (yet), can you sum up the main points of your talk?
Certainly!! In a nutshell, I conducted focus groups and interviews with twenty-four women and men currently working as adult performers in the Southern California/Los Angeles area about occupational safety and health. Specifically, we discussed how they felt about occupational condom use and STI testing, potential health risks, and STI status disclosure on the job.

4. Adult performers feel as though they are the only ones who should be in control of their bodies. 

That’s it!!

2. How did you choose the performers for your study, and was there any reluctance to participate?
Well… Participants were recruited through what’s called “snowball sampling,” a name I’ve always found hilarious. I sent out a call for participants to five of the LA area agencies and asked each to circulate the call amongst the performers they were affiliated with. Performers were asked to contact me directly via email to reserve a spot in one of the focus groups and/or schedule an interview. I also attempted to generate participation via social networking sites and community blogs using the same call.

As far as reluctance to participate, thirty (LA and SF) people showed up and shared their thoughts, so that definitely says something – willingness!! But any details beyond that drift into confidentiality territory.

3. Can you tell us something about the differences in how the industry is organized in Southern and Northern California?
Oh there are so many things, but one clear characteristic I’ve gotten from the people I’ve spoken to is “full-time verses part-time.” In general, in Southern California, porn is someone’s main job; but in Northern California, porn is often a part-time gig or maybe something that’s done as an exploratory, growing, and/or for-fun experience. These occupational structures (or not) lend to very different experiences.

4. Why do you think performers rarely weigh in on the condom debate?
Well, it could be for any number of reasons. First and foremost, people simply don’t ask. They don’t know who to ask, or perhaps they’re not willing to do the legwork it takes to get people to talk… or maybe they’re uncomfortable with the kind of work performers do, or maybe they really actually just don’t care. Who knows, but I think they main reason why performs rarely weigh in on the debate is because no one asks them to.

A close second is the fact that people don’t tend to take performers very seriously. Sure, there are some high profile people that the powers-that-be occasionally seem to listen to, but the vast majority of performers are not high profile “big deals” – they’re just folks doing a job. And when some young porn chick explains how it is in her experience and that experience happens to be very contrary to conventional understanding… well, people tend not to listen or hear in those situations. (this is a bit of what I was talking about in my third finding point, btw)

5. Young female performers have started to rush into doing more hardcore scenes quite early in their careers. How well aware do you think they are of potential risks, and how they can protect themselves?
That’s a complicated question, and honestly – it depends. It depends first on what constitutes “risk.” Some people I’ve spoken to understand every aspect of a very “conventional” definition of sex-related risk, and they make their decisions with this knowledge accordingly. Others don’t; most are somewhere in the middle.

In terms of performers protecting themselves, I think education and information is beyond key – if performers have “conventional understanding” and “porn understanding” at their fingertips, then they have the power to make more informed decisions about whatever it is that they choose to do. Making this type of information comprehensive and accessible is a daunting task, but I honestly believe this would be the most far-reaching endeavor at this point.

6. Why do you think the regulators just want to apply existing law without trying to understand the particularities of the adult industry?
Hmmm… well, I could answer that cynically (as I do think the cynical answers come into play more often that I’m comfortable with), but I’d say it has a lot to do with sex. Specifically, it has to do with the endless series of sex-related disconnects that exist between the adult industry and regulators, which really just speak to a wider series of disconnects existing between the adult industry and wider society.

Regardless, porn is capable of scrambling many peoples’ brains. Regardless of consumers’ apparently endless appetites for porn, the adult industry, its products, and its workers are ununderstandable to so much of the wider world. This is problematic, deeply discriminatory and limiting, and needs to be worked through. But given all this and to answer your question, it’s not that regulators just want to apply existing law without trying to understand the particularities of the adult industry… it’s that they almost can’t understand the particularities of the adult industry, at least not until so much more work has been done to untangle our wider cultural issues with sex.

7. How would you like to take your study forward, and what can be done in the immediate to promote understanding between the industry and legislators?

I would like to expand it!! I would love to have a number of participants that more closely reflects the overall number of performers working in the LA area, and I would love to bring the voices of Bay Area workers into the conversation (in more than a preliminary way). Things are so different between the LA and San Francisco industries – they both may deal in adult, but it’s done very differently. This needs to be understood in order to make recommendations and changes and retain existing components in a way that makes healthy, safe sense to everyone involved. And I would be more than happy to help legislators figure it out.

In the immediate though, my research and blog work are available for everyone (not just legislators and academics) at PVVOnline.com . I would suggest reading through its archives to anyone looking for a foothold on understanding industry basics, but more importantly – go to the source. Ask performers, producers, and every other member of the industry (there are thousands) what they think – they know what they’re talking about. They live it.

And come say hi on Twitter at @drchauntelle  or email me at chauntelle@pornvalleyvantage.com . I’d love to hear what you have to say!!

UPDATE- Thanks for the link Kelli. This is the first time I have ever heard of Chris Mallick’s name being attached to this project. I wonder if the film was shot and then Mallick came in with money to get the movie edited, released and  promoted? I’ll ask the director..

http://gfy.com/showthread.php?t=1068080

NL- I did help a bit with this one. I know it will be great. I can’t wait to see it! Mary looks fantastic as always…

Hey Cindi, I wanted to wait until we had all of our ducks in a row before I sent you this.  First, our title has been changed to After Porn Ends; the trailer and clips from the film can now been seen at our official website: www.afterpornends.com.  Second, we will be available in over 100 million homes starting May 21st (via Video On Demand) with some of the largest cable and satellite providers in the country!  Also, we’re already available on the pre-order page of iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/after-porn-ends/id525368780, as well as Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/After-Porn-Ends/dp/B0081TU32M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336767942&sr=8-1

    And wait, it gets better…  We’ll also be available on DVD August 21st through our multi-platform distributor, Gravitas Ventures!  With such great reaction from members of the adult community at our surprise screening of the the trailer of the film at the 2012 XRCO Awards, as well as our responses from our festival run, and test screenings.  We are confident that this will be a film that will be satisfying to all quadrants.  We worked hand in hand with adult industry insiders, bloggers, and legends; as well as well respected authors, film makers, and academics in order to bring the most fair and balanced film about the adult industry to date.  As the film’s director I am incredibly proud and thankful for everyone’s contribution to a true work of art and I sincerely hope all of your readers get a chance to see it and enjoy it!  

    Please feel free to forward and questions about the film to me on Twitter: @bryceless, or the other film makers @afterpornends; and of course on The Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AfterPornEnds. Thank you for all of your help and support Cindi, we’ll get you a screener soon!