3/27/99

Rodger Jacobs writes: Irish playwright Brendan Behan once opined that all publicity is good, except for an obituary notice. Perhaps someone should relay this pearl of wit and wisdom to pornstress Solveig because judging from the angry missive I received from the ebony beauty last evening she is in dire need of an attitude adjustment.

Earlier in the week I wrote about Solveig in my guest column, pointing out, as Solveig herself does with much deserved pride, that she is the first woman of color in the history of adult cinema to own, produce, and direct her own line of videos. I called it an "odd twist of fate" that Solveig's cousin is the late Oscar Michaeux, the first black director in Hollywood.

"After quite a few people brought this article to my attention I went online and read what you posted," Solveig writes, "and just like I was told there were negative comments. Can you explain why?" Solveig then writes a numbered grocery list of complaints as follows:

(1) Why is being related to Oscar Micheaux such an odd twist of fate?

(2) What does the statement "B grade porn star" mean?

(3) The statement about "what would my cousin Oscar think of that?" is also an insulting and rude comment.

"Please do not say anything about me," Solveig concludes, "that is not true or of (a) sarcastic and rude nature ever."

Certainly it was never my intention to be either rude or sarcastic. Any student of life's little ironies can see the inverted Horatio Alger tale being written with the lineage of "first black director in Hollywood" to "first woman of color" to control her own product in porno. When I suggest that Solveig is a "B grade porn star" I am stating the obvious. It is a sad and undeniable fact that very few African-American women have achieved "A-list" status in this business. The reasons for this, however, are not as painfully obvious as the fact itself.

SOLVEIG'S WAY, the series that Solveig is starring in and producing, is plugged in my article, as well as the distributor Exquisite Productions. It would have been "sarcastic and rude" to write the article without publicizing the product.

I sincerely wish Solveig the best of luck and extend a hand of congratulations for her efforts (SES Productions was financed by Solveig personally, without any outside investors). To paraphrase Samuel Johnson: If they should cease to talk of you, you will starve to death. Enough said.