It’s a job that many men fantasize about and some parents dread that their children would make a career choice in.
Cash, fame, and sex; all of these words identify with the adult film industry. However, pornography has always been stigmatized and largely produced and distributed out of sight from the mainstream of proper society. It was not until the 1972 movie, “Deepthroat” featuring Linda Lovelace, that pornography started to make its entry into the mainstream. After its breakthrough, the adult film industry exploded in popularity and it was no longer a taboo subject. Pornography became a cash machine and there was much money to be made. It is estimated that the porn industry today generates about four billion dollars a year.
The Seventies and early eighties are often regarded as the golden age of porn. Linda Lovelace, John Holmes, Andrea True all became huge stars in an industry that was largely based out of Southern California and New York City. Thousands of men and women obtained acting roles in these films. With the advent of the Video tape player, pornography went from seedy movie theaters to the comfort of bedrooms and many fraternity houses. Some considered it the golden age of the porn business because its actors were making great money. But there are two sides to the industry. The one filmed in front of the camera and a secret one taking place behind it. Sadly the golden age would end as a stealth killer would eventually wreak havoc on the industry.
THE ILLNESS
It is estimated that 40 percent of the workers in the Adult Film Industry have had at least one Sexually Transmitted disease. Each time porn stars had unprotected sex, they unknowingly played an unseen game of Russian Roulette. Venereal diseases such as Gonnorhea, Genital Herpes, and Chlamydia were risk factors that were treatable with medication. In the early eighties, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) filled a graveyard of adult film actors. The hardest hit of this group were men in the gay porn industry. Unfortunately, in the American adult film culture, the usage of condoms in films is looked down upon. The public doesn’t like to see it. By the time, many of these actors had found out about their infection, the disease had progressed to full blown AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). By the nineties, Lisa de Leeuw, Lon Flexx, Lucky Luc were just a few of the many performers to succumb to the disease.
Dr. Sharon Mitchell holds a doctorate in Human Sexuality and is an expert on issues relating to the adult film industry. Mitchell is a former adult film star that appeared in over 2,000 films. She survived a 16 year heroin addiction as well as a brutal rape by a crazed fan that nearly killed her. She left the industry after her attack and in 1998, she helped co-found the nonprofit Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation (AIM) after one male performer named Marc Wallace infected several female actresses.
AIM tests Los Angeles based performers for HIV/AIDS every thirty days. They keep a record of every test and have most likely saved many lives. However, the testing does not always prevent an outbreak. In 2004, much of the industry put itself in self- quarantine as 4 performers in the American scene were infected with the HIV virus. During a period of a month, actor Darren James had unprotected sex with 13 other women. Three actresses; Lara Roxx, Jessica Dee and Miss. Arroyo were found to be infected with the HIV virus. It was later revealed that James had gone down to Brazil and had done unprotected sex scenes with several Brazilian adult film actresses. One of them was named Bianca Biaggi who was later found to have the HIV virus. With advancements in medicinal treatment, HIV is not the early death sentence it was two decades ago. Yet, it still kills people every day around the globe.
PERSONAL DEMONS
Wendy O. Williams is best known as the sexual exhibitionist lead singer of the famous punk group the Plasmatics. Before her foray into the music scene, the singer known for her Mohawk hairdo had a short stint in porn films. Years after her music career ended, she worked in peaceful obscurity as an animal rehabilator. On April 6, 1998, in Storrs, Connecticut, she walked into a wooded area and died of a self inflicted gunshot wound. It was never revealed why she took her life at the age of 48. In an industry where the age of 48 is considered middle aged, many performers don’t even make it past the age of 30.
Shannon Wisley, better known by her film name “Savannah” had an adult film career that lasted less than four years. By the time she starred in her first film, she was already immersed in a lifestyle filled with drugs and sex. She had a reputation of dating a bevy of rock stars that included Vince Neil, Gregg Allman, Axl Rose and Slash from Guns and Roses. However, after years of drug abuse and failed relationships, she was involved in a serious car accident. Moments after the accident she made it to her house and phoned a friend begging for help. When the friend arrived at the house, Savannah was near death from a self- inflicted gunshot wound. Hours later, the starlet from Texas was dead, just months short of her 24th birthday.
Unfortunately, suicide is not uncommon in the lives of porn actors. Many of them have suffered through broken families, sexual abuse, and mental illness. They suffer from negative stigmatization of being in the industry and that further erodes their self-esteem. Many of them have trouble maintaining romantic relationships because they are viewed as sex objects. To help them get through many of the sex scenes and emotional pain, they turn to drugs and alcohol to cope. Sadly, addiction takes over and a downward spiral often occurs. Many men and women have fallen victim to the addiction and these demons can plague them for years after their exit from the industry. For some, once they leave the industry, they lose their identity and can not adjust to finding a normal job.
SEX AND VIOLENCE
The late Anti-pornography activist, Andrea Dworkin claimed that the pornography industry was one of woman-hating dehumanization where the female performers are subjected to abuse and exploitation. In her book, “Ordeal”, Linda Lovelace, stated that her husband/manager Chuck Traynor forced her to do the scenes against her will in several films. She stated that she was repeatedly raped and physically abused by Traynor. Her claims have been both backed up and denied by various people associated with the film and industry. Lovelace whose real last name was Boreman, divorced and later remarried another man with whom she had two children. She became outspoken against pornography and became an activist. Despite the fact that “Deepthroat” grossed over fifty million dollars, Lovelace claimed she never saw a dime from its profits. Lovelace was lucky she didn’t suffer the same fate as adult film actress Haley Paige. Paige was found dead of an alleged drug overdose at the age of twenty-five on August 21, 2007 in King City, California. The prime suspect in her death was her husband, porn film director, Chico “Wanker” Wang. Months before, Wang was charged with kidnapping and assault against Paige. A month after her death, Wang was also a casualty of the industry. The UCLA Film School alumnus succumbed to a drug overdose.
Another dark side to the porn industry has been its connection to organized crime and drug dealers. While most of the adult film studios are run by legitimate corporations, the mob still has its talons in many smaller productions. Because of the drug usage of many in the business, several homicides of adult film performers have occurred. The most famous is the unsolved murder of “Hogan’s Hero” star, Bob Crane. Before he was a mainstay on television, Crane had been involved in making and starring in porn films as early as the 1950’s. On June 28, 1978, he was found bludgeoned to death. A business partner of his in the porn industry was the prime suspect. John Henry Carpenter was brought to trail for Crane’s murder but was acquitted. Even famous porn star John Holmes was involved in a quadruple homicide famously labeled, “The Wonderland Murders” which occurred in July of 1981. It was alleged that the porn legend either participated in or helped set up the murders. Though he was tried, he was never convicted of the murders. Subsequent trials of other suspects resulted in acquittals and mistrials. It is still believed that Holmes was personally involved in the brutal murders but the forty-three year old actor died on March 13th 1988 becoming another victim of the dreaded AIDS virus. At the time of his death, it was alleged that the first Male Superstar of Porn had sex with over ten thousand women.
OVERVIEW –
Mainstream society has often looked at pornography as being a dirty little secret. While performers such as Jenna Jamison, Jill Kelly and Ron Jeremy have made a large income from the industry, most have not. The average career in porn lasts about two years. Most people enter into it for financial survival and sometimes get caught up in the world of drugs. Some come out more psycologicaly damaged than when they went in. Organizations such as the Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation have helped cut down the incidence of Sexually Transmitted Diseases and HIV in the industry. They have also taken steps to help treat drug addiction and mental illness issues that plague the industry. The only problem with this is, that it only applies to the California scene of the adult film industry.
A common question asked about pornography is, does it exploit women and men? Yes and no. When violence and extortion are used, it is exploitation. When performers are not paid accordingly, it is exploitation. However, if it is between two consenting adults with clear minds that are aware of the consequences of their actions, it is responsible capitalism.
People participate in pornography to pay bills, to pay for education and just to get ahead financially. Anti-pornography activists place the blame of the evil on pornography on the producers and directors. The truth is, it should also be on it’s consumers. While it is mostly a male based audience, many women are customers as well.
With the advent of the internet and improvement of film technology, the adult film industry has become global wide . Adult films can be made for thousands of dollars and distributed for even less. It will be impossible to police the new wave of porn performers. That means more people at risk for HIV infections and more deaths to drug overdoses and suicides; More women and men susceptible to violence. Being an adult film actor is not a dream job. It is a job with serious risks. As long as the majority of Americans continue to buy and view porn, there will always be casualties.
