Archives - Wednesday, May 13th, 1999

Jenna Jameson Controversy

Aurore Dupin, a journalist for Night Moves and other magazines, writes:

I first met Jenna Jameson in Pittsburg when she did a bookstore signing before her company Wicked had released any of her videos. A dance club owner and his assistant and I went to check her out. She seemed a total bleached blonde bimbo with no brain, direction or sense of self. The whole thing was "do this Jenna, sign that Jenna, pose for a photo Jenna" like she could not think, act, walk, talk for herself without her handlers.

I found myself amazed when she became popular. I asked her agent Steve Chase why - "Has she gotten better or is there no accounting for taste?" He answered "probably half of each." So I went to see Jenna's gig after learning she had divorced and assumed more control of her life. I also heard that she had a feud with "Jasmin St. Clair," the ex-New York house dancer who used to act like a friend. So Jenna and I started a decent conversation when one of her new boyfriend/handler/roadie people dragged her away. Her conversation favorably impressed me enough to want to try to speak with her again, but whenever I went to a convention Jenna was always way too mobbed to interview. But last October in in Atlantic City she appeared wearing glasses not contacts and a regular skirt and sweater instead of a spandex or sequined or trashy porn star outfit. She seemed friendly with Jill Kelly, whom I also met when a house dancer in Los Angeles. We had a nice but brief chat. I told some people that "if Jenna continues to improve at her present rate, in another five years she might become a real person." And based on these seeming positive changes, I wanted to know more.

Well, maybe not. Another agent, Lowell Smith, in March said that Jenna seemed to him the next candidate for "the dead pool." Julia Parton, who besides dancing and modeling and acting, also writes, does Internet work, and sometimes runs a modeling agency and works in the business side of adult enterprises, said that she had followed Jenna as a feature in a few clubs and heard bad stories about her wildly excessive partying. Leslie Glass, Penthouse Pet and Vivid actress, said she heard stories that Jenna had bad financial problems from bad management and excess spending and had sold off a great number of cars... Jenna cancelled a gig in Boston after two days and did a no-show in Los Angeles a few weeks later. But then she showed up in Toronto and Steve Chase and others gave me positive reports. When her Polaroid line finally wound down at the Foxy Lady in Providence two weeks ago, her manager asked if I wanted a Polaroid. I briefly explained why I had come, and to my pleasant surprise Jenna light up like the Fourth of July and says "Hey, what's up?" I felt shocked that she remembered me from our two brief chats. The three of us went downstairs and I had a rather impressive audience with the Queen. I noted my surprise that she had remembered me and that, considering her busy schedule and the many peolpe she meets, it made me think "Wow, you're smart." Jenna replied, "Well,w hat the f--- do you think?" And she started talking about various accounts about her and her mixed reputation. She particularly complained about apochryphal stories calling her a drug addict. I mentioned Luke F-rd. She said she had spoken to Luke pleasantly at the XRCO Awards and said "He had better start being nicer to me." I said that I knew Luke and that he had written positively about her - in fact I had brought some of his postings for her to read. I asked if she knew Julia Parton. She said Julia helped her get started in the business, but that recently she heard that Julia had dissed her. I noted that Julia had for many years used as promo a claim that she was "the world's most widely published nude model" and that Jenna's recent promo used similar language, noting 75 or so magazine covers in her career. Her manager said "It's just jealousy." Before I had the chance respectfully to mention the value of respecting another's work and perhaps lauding Jenna's accomplishments without using the exact same words Julia used, Jenna said that she had to change and prepare for her next show, and that we would talk afterward.

Well, after her next show some moron bought about an hour of private dances, running right up to the club's closing time. The DJ ultimately yelled over the mike "Jenna will do one last show for three songs before the club closes" and Jenna scampered to get ready. Her manager and I spoke pleasantly during half of that jour, and made an appointment for after her matinee show Thursday. Based on an offhand remark of Jenna's, I even thought to surprise her with pizza.

Instead caution proved more appropriate. Jenna at first acted all nice, but instead of bringing me downstairs after the show, said she had to do a few things and would come upstairs in about 15 minutes. After about ten minutes Michelle, a house dancer, said she was going to talk to Jenna too, and asked where she went. I said she was changing clothes downstairs, so Michelle ran down to grab her. After 90 seconds Michelle returned, saying about Jenna "What a bitch! She left."

Those who know the Foxy Lady know it has different vibes, like the nursery rhyme about the little girl with curls. The good Foxy Lady vide flowed Tuesday night, when the manager then on duty recognized me and passed me through the VIP gate without even collecting my free pass, and Jenna made nice and substantial; contrasting sharply with the bad Foxy Lady video on Thursday when the OTHER manager, who GAVE me the free passes, decided they were not good during Jenna's gig, and Jenna disappears. So I elected NOT to stay around and had other things to do. Jenna seemed to consume considerably more vodka than she suggested to Luke. I know nothing about what else she may have consumed or done, and the behavior pattern of acting great Tuesday and less great Thursday, while common enough among features and house dancers may well bear out the various accounts of underlying problems about which Luke wrote. Jenna Jameson and Nikki Tyler mentioned "Lexus Locklear." I met her at the New York Erotica convention in April. She said she had stopped working for Vivid and stopped doing videos, that she still danced, and that she was going through a transition and trying to decide her future. She acted more pleasantly to me than to the photographers, but not a whole lot more.

I asked the Free Speech Coalition booth officials what they knew about her. Bill Margold said he met her the first day she had gone to Jim South's office. I asked if he was impressed. "I was most impressed by her total lack of humanity," said Bill. When I told Bill of her refusal to pose for pictures, he said, "The she should not have even bothered to come. It's a public show."

When I met XXX actress "Farrah" in Tampa a few weeks later, she said she knew Lexus. Of her extra aloof actions in New York, Farrah said, "she's capable of acting that way. She's Lexus." Since I had not previously considered Lexus equivalent to Maria Callas or Greta Garbo, I guess my puzzled look showed through to Farrah. She continued, "I don't think she's happy with, or even right for, the whole business. She came over to my house one night and we talked a long time and she acted really nice and different and more relaxed than she does in public." But Farrah ultimately proved not much warmer or open for interviews than Lexus seemed. Some dancers said Lexus acted nicely at her gig in Pittsburg May 5-8. So I called Club Alex's in Boston to double check on her the next week. They said the gig cancelled. No details.

Steve Chase gave details. He said Lexus had flown to Boston but not liked the hotel. "It was a perfectly good and fine hotel. There was no good reason for her to inssit that the club owner move her to the hotel she wanted for $150 a night for two rooms. She got on a plane already and is glying back to LA right now." I asked Steve when Lexus would next appear on the East Coast. "Well, uhh, she has nothing scheduled right now. Actually, we probably wil not represent her any longer. She has done this kind of thing to me at least three times now, without any good reason." I mentioned the way Lexus acted in New York and what Bill Margold and Farrah had said about her, and Steve agreed that she probably did not make a good match for the adult business. I also sensed that half of Steve had a whole lot else to say, but the more prudent half passed on it. But does Steve think is OK and not likely to die soon? "Oh, she had problems last year but this year, she had some but has gotten better. She works too much and too hard. She'll be around for at least another year, maybe two (pause) maybe even more."

When I mentioned to Steve that Jenna had quit the same Club Alex's after two days, and they had also had no shows with "Penelope Pumpkins," Jasmin St. Claire and several others since January, Steve said he only represented a few of the features concerned, and that Club ALex's had no problems as far as he kenw. Julia Parton had also told me that she had worked at Club Alex's and liked and could not understand whyother features had problems there.

I told Steve that "Rocki Roads" had attacked Centerfolds in Providence for publicizing a gig for her when they had never booked her, and said that many clubs falsely advertise features that they have no intention of hiring. Steve said that Club Alex's had no such problems and that he thought Rocki had vastly overstated the prevalence of any clubs doing false advertising. Later that same day I read on Mimi Miyagi's site that the Gentleman's Club in LA canceled her booking on a bare week'snotice after she and the club had advertised it extensively. She wants to sue.

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. (AP) -- Students are defending a course at Wesleyan University that requires them to create a work of pornography as a final project.

The course, College of Letters 289, examines pornography as a cultural and political practice.

One student in Professor Hope Weissman's class submitted as a final project a short film that focused on a man's eyes while he masturbates. In another project, a female student acts out a scene of sexual bondage. Martin Brimmer: "This week marks my 7th year in porno. How odd. On May 9th and 10th of 1992, Wesley Emerson shot "Dirty Books" for VCA, the first movie I ever wrote (and may I add proudly that it was an Ashlyn Gere feature)."

Stripperfan writes: "I saw your news about Kim Kataine. Are you absolutely sure Kim is dead? I saw her about 6 months ago at the Spearmint Rhino in the City of Industry. After her show, we talked and she invited me out for a drink. We went to a bar about one mile from the club that she liked because they allow smoking in the bar. We sat for a couple of hours, did a few shots, and she told me about her life. She said that this was her last dancing gig and she was giving up porn to marry some attorney in Canada. He is from Ontario and his family is wealthy. Kim said she was getting married in a couple of months. The reason I asked if you are sure if she's dead is because she told me that once she's married, she's finished with porn. I wonder if this "death" is her way of escaping the porn business forever. If she truly is dead, I'm terribly sorry I sent this to you but unless it's positively confirmed (obituary, death notice), I would be suspicious."

Business of the Business

Only half a dozen owners showed up to the AVN Cancun conference, making Luke's price-fixing speculation look ludicrous. Goalie owner Edward Wedelstedt's making snide remarks about GVA West/Sin City not paying its bills. But GVA West is simply slow paying, like most porners, particularly distributors. But GVA West/Sin City always pay in the end. And at least they don't burn down competitors, unlike Wedelstedt.

Some suspect that Eddie W. stole several hundred sex shops from Reuben Sturman in the late 1980s, stiffing Reuben for payment when the godfather went to jail. AVN publisher Paul Fishbein was thrown a surprise 40th birthday party last Saturday night. Though hurt he wasn't invited, Luke contributed a couple of abject retractions as a present. Why did VCA's Russ Hampshire leave the FSC board and reduce his contributions? He was tired of being an "enabler." Time for his peers to pick up the slack. Russ was a bad boy in the 1980s, full of bluster and threats. He's mellowed since marrying Betty. He recently donated (along with several other porners) a couple of thousand dollars to an Orthodox Jewish Chabad day school in San Francisco. Rob Spallone's brother is out of prison in Barcelona, Spain (for drug dealing), and accompanying Rob to porn sets. Tuesday night I took a porn chick to the Robert DeNiro, Billy Crystal movie Analyze This, about a mobster who needs a shrink. It looked similar to my relationship with Rob, who talks just like the mobsters in the movie. Samantha Strong and Kendra Jade may soon show up in some Sin City movies.

Metro has bounced more checks.

Free Speech Does Sacramento

Sande Weinstein, in Phoenix, Arizona, writes to AVN's Gene Ross (Luke has hacked Gene's email):
I am an avid supporter of adult entertainment, be it film, clubs or print and I've been involved in the adult industry for some time off and on. I read AVN regularly and I have been a daily visitor to both yours and Luke F-rd's websites for some time mostly because of your consistent Abbott & Costello back and forth comedic relationship. You both have cured me of my nasty habit of skimming the National Enquirer in the checkout line at my local supermarket. I just print out both your webpages and take them with me.

That being said, I wanted to let you know that I was in attendance at Free Speech Coalition's Free Speech Lobbying Days '99 in Sacramento. I would like to offer an "outsiders" point of view of both the positive and negative elements of the event and the industry at large. My friend, Mike Renzulli, an impassioned Libertarian, and I were attending this get-together because of circumstances in our state of Arizona. In Phoenix, a real hotbed of democracy, our city council, at the behest of the National Family Legal Foundation which is based in Scottsdale, Arizona, has found it an urgent need to pass new more restrictive ordinances regulating the adult entertainment industry in Phoenix. The industry in Phoenix like all over the country was apathetic and lethargic when the public hearings were being held and the ordinances were easily passed. I would like to do anything I can to change that, hence, my attendance. I guess I just love my porn. I thought networking to get new ideas would help with this.

First of all, I attended the National A.C.T. fundraiser at Centerfolds in Sacramento on the Saturday before the Lobbying Days event was to begin. I would like to offer my "outsider" view of this event. We went to Centerfolds that night with Kat Sunlove, whom I finally met that night after corresponding with her for several months. Despite what Michael Ross contends, both Mike Renzulli and I knew that this fundraiser was for National A.C.T. because I asked and received an email notice of the fundraiser. I don't really think it mattered to the customers at the front door but they were told several times about the fundraiser by the D.J. after they got in. I saw no conflict or conspiracy by Kat Sunlove or anyone else with regard to the Free Speech Coalition and National A.C.T. sponsorship of the event, although, if it had been me, I would have made damn sure I had the pre-publicity and advertising exact and correct long before the event. Mike Renzulli and I stayed for the first half of the event due to transportation arrangements but I enjoyed the show immensely as did everyone else apparently. Christy Lake put on the best show I've seen in awhile but Johnni Black, having never danced live in a club before, looked to me like she'd been doing it for years.

It should be noted and it was an obvious foretelling of coming events to follow that when Mike Ross finally arrived as I knew he would eventually (with Luke F-rd in tow), the D.J. rudely, inappropriately and repeatedly announced that Mike Ross was "in da house" and that he was the "adult industry lobbyist". Mike Ross does represent this and most of the clubs in California and obviously this D.J. are very good friends. I, for one, know absolutely that Mike Ross had nothing to do with this prime example of bad taste to occur. People in this industry just take this s--- entirely too seriously. The night was an absolute success, Kat Sunlove and Bobby Lilly and everyone else involved with this event did a great job and if the leadership of National A.C.T. are smart, it would continue these events often in many other venues in the future. Contrary to Mike's opinion regarding the destination and use of funds collected; this was a National A.C.T. "fundraiser" to raise money. Non-profit organizations raise money. These funds could just go to the organization's coffers for use later.

As I said earlier, I had confronted Kat Sunlove months earlier by email and phone because in Arizona I found the industry here is as much a lapdog in fear of government as it is in California and nationally. As an outsider to the adult industry elite invited to this event, I was interested and honored to be here and I was eager to add my 2 cents worth in discussions regarding the status of this industry nationwide and locally. I found both Jeffrey Douglas and Kat Sunlove staunch in their desire to make this event a "feel-good time" with as little controversy as possible. I could already tell this was definitely a public relations exercise as well as a talent parade.

During the Lobbying Days '99 event, there was some formal discussion of the First Amendment and how it applied to the adult industry along with a review of case law history of the industry with very limited discussion. What I believe was missing was an overview and discussion of the present status of the industry now and its future in the new millennium. This industry is missing VISION and CREATIVE THOUGHT. The adult industry has no vision and is devoid of any creative thought when it comes to foresight and future planning. It doesn't take a genius to rip off the plot in a mainstream movie or television program and turn it into a adult film. It's so used to working in the shadows it refuses to mature and come out into the open and stand up for itself. There was approximately 30 in attendance when the public political salon was finished. Over half in attendance were past and present talent obviously there to be shown off on Tuesday's Capital Day. Not one of the top 10 production companies were represented other than one public relations staff member. Why so few in attendance from such a large industry? Where were the big producers and owners of the large companies this organization allegedly speaks for?

No matter how many porn stars you present to legislators, the understood language of the legislature is "business, professionalism and money". These people want to know about business economic and market impact in their state and just handing them a white paper by adult film stars with facts and figures on it won't make them change their attitude that this is still the "pornography" business. This fact does wonders for the industry's credibility, respectability and reputation. For an industry to be taken seriously by government, it must have credibility, respectability and have some semblance of a positive reputation, something this industry is clearly lacking.

Tuesday at the Capital, several attendees from the prior days events were conspicuously absent, some due to prior commitments. As far as I can remember there were approximately 20 people at the press conference on the steps of the capital. I noticed immediately prior to the press conference that the ONE cabaret owner still supporting the Free Speech Coalition and the dancer from his club were NOT in attendance. Apparently it looked like no one mentioned this to the Free Speech Coalition spokespeople. At first Jeffrey Douglas took the position that the Free Speech Coalition did not represent clubowners but he was quickly corrected smoothly by Gloria Leonard and Kat Sunlove. They had previously done the same thing, omitting the mention of cabarets or cabaret owners, on the Free Speech Coalition Mission Statement and in my opinion, that is probably why the cabaret owner who came to Sacramento out of loyalty to the Free Speech Coalition left early and decided not to be at the capital. He had previously told me that he would be there. Luckily, press coverage for this event turned out to be negligible at best, considering it was difficult to find any press on it.

I'll repeat the mantra that everybody repeats - How can such a high profile industry said to be worth approximately 8 billion dollars per year consider political advocacy and industry representation such a low priority. An industry such as this that has a history of governmental and right-wing religious persecution and regularly gets pummelled harder than Stone Cold Steve Austin would realize this isn't working. This is one of the reasons that I think Jeffrey Douglas doesn't give a damn whether the Free Speech Coalition accomplishes anything or not, nor does he give a rat's ass whether he keeps his position as Executive Director or not. He's a lawyer. He represents the industry. He must since he was included in this past week's Cancun excursion. He's going to make money no matter what happens because he lives to litigate. He apparently has convinced the video production end of this business that he and any lawyer they hire can make all their problems disappear with a little courtroom action. If that's so, then why even the need for the Free Speech Coalition?

And while we're talking of Cancun, I would bet big money that Mike Ross' name was discussed at length many times throughout this porn pow-wow. What is this scary fixation on Mike Ross? Trust me, I've met him, he's not that pretty. When I mentioned Mike Ross' name to Jeffrey Douglas in Sacramento, I thought he was going to pop a blood vessel and go into convulsions. I've been corresponding with Mike Ross for over a year now, back when he WAS the Free Speech Coalition's lobbyist and I've found Mike to be intelligent, assertive and most of all, politically informed and savvy. However, according to the Free Speech Coalition, Mike Ross is the anti-christ! I met Mike Ross face to face, at the National A.C.T. fundraiser but according to the Free Speech Coalition, I expected him to resemble Linda Blair in "The Exorcist" with his head spinning and spewing split pea soup. Trust me, it didn't happen. It is painfully obvious and it should be for the Free Speech Coalition and the production end of this industry that Michael Ross knows what he's doing otherwise they wouldn't be as obsessed with him as they are. I constantly read on Luke F-rd's website responses from Gloria Leonard to things Mike says. She can't stand Luke and can't stand Mike...so why does she end up in print on there? Mike Ross is doing the things right now that the Free Speech Coalition should have been doing years ago. The Free Speech Coalition and the production end of the industry has clearly shown, so far, that they are definitely not the NRA gun lobby, nor the Liquor and Spirits lobby because those industries are professionally represented both in Washington, D.C. and in every state in the Union.

I was told by some in the Free Speech Coalition while in Sacramento that Mike was too aggressive, too radical, too assertive and one person told me he was too SMART to be the lobbyist or the Executive Director. I was also told that it was just those attributes that got him removed from his position as association lobbyist. I think that about says it all, doesn't it? Why would the Free Speech Coalition or the industry want to stop Mike Ross? Apparently, the industry and the Free Speech Coalition have a death-wish. They will stand hand-in-hand at the barricaded door until that Family Values steamroller comes crashing in, then the industry will crawl underground and then its everyone for itself! Those who fail in the courtroom just fade away and those who win can stay afloat until the next time continue to stay in the game.

And while I'm writing this, Rev. Jerry Falwell is on my TV doing his usual Sunday night Liberty Foundation Church service repeating his "Take America Back" sermon. During his windy diatribe, I've already heard him repeat over and over again, "It is my life's work to take America back and to take back our government and rid our country of so-called musicians like Marilyn Manson, guns and pornographers who desecrate our children and our country." I guess the "pornographers" want to see how it feels to be one of the Teletubbies! Remember Tinky Winky? Well, at least we have something to look forward to in the new millennium. More Sin City Ineptitude?

Jeff Wozniak from Sin City writes: "SIN CITY contract girl Nikki Lynn will appear on Inside Edition tomorrow, Thursday, May 13, in a segment focusing on porn stars who have happy, nurturing relationships with their children. Lynn is the happily married, devoted mother of two boys. The genesis for the story came after a profile written of her by Brian Smith, a freelance writer based in Arizona, Nikki's home state, was published in Phoenix New Times magazine and posted on their website. The story generated an unusual amount of interest, and Inside Edition picked it up from there. For more information, please contact Jeff Wozniak, Director of Publicity at (818)704-4488."

A source: "You should dig a little deeper into how Sin City totally dissed Nikki Lynn over this "Inside Edition" thing. The producers of the show tried three times to contact ANYONE at Sin City who could help them get some boxcovers or other PR material to use in the segment. Each time they were told that no one could help them as anyone who could was in a meeting and unavailable. Apparently, no one at Sin City saw fit to return any of the phone calls either. Finally, Nikki called the Sin City PR guy Jeff Wozniak and he completely pissed her off because all he wanted to get from her was some info on how they could get "Inside Edition" to do something on their other contract girls...or better yet, a story on Michael Raven. Nikki told him that this was about her, not them, but finally, all she could do was blow him off. She next called Russ Hampshire at VCA, cause she had done some work there... And Russ personally pulled some boxcover or other pr slicks and had them sent to to the inside people. So who knows whether Sin City will get any sort of mileage out of Nikki's segment... It'll be interesting to see if VCA does."

Email: "Sin City has botched Nikki's contract from the start. Ineptitude reigns there. Out of the three boxes they've done with her, two of them are shared. They've done almost nothing with her...and here's a girl who knows how to go out and work the publicity thing. She's a reigning Miss Nevada fitness and a former Miss Nude International. A former high shcool cheeleader, she was a high end feature dancer BEFORE doing any porn. Nikki Lynn recently was featured in an A&E documentary called SEX FOR SALE...and became their spokesperson in their commericials. Sin City has never had anyone associated with them who can go out and generate the kind of publicity this girl can. Nikki even had a special costume made that says SIN CITY in sequins all over it and the titles of her movies. She features at clubs and has sold almost as many copies of her movies as the salespeople at Sin City have."