Porn Valley- I had a lengthy chat last night with Don Hollywood. Funny thing happened. Hollywood went to get tested at AIM this week. But it was only after he was tested that Hollywood was told it wasn't likely that he'd get his results back in 24 hours, that there was a "change in protocol" with AIM's testing lab. [Health Line Clinical Laboratories, Inc. at 1903 W. Empire Avenue in Burbank].And because of that, Hollywood's test would take longer to come back. [I'm now hearing this same story from other sources so Hollywood's is not an isolated example].
As you might expect, Hollywood asked what this change in protocol was. That's when he got no answers and no attempts at an answer. Meanwhile, Hollywood is still waiting for his test to come back. Hollywood says he was told six other performers were also affected. But if you start adding up the numbers and go under the assumption that there might be at least 1500, maybe 2,000 active performers, it would seem that on any given day, at least 60 performers test. Hollywood says this is the first he was hearing of this change in protocol-thing and why hasn't AIM been public with it, that it's affecting the livelihood's of performers who are sitting with thumbs up their asses losing work because of it.
Hollywood said he received the AIM news with a bit of astonishment that the change in protocol is delaying the return of tests. Hollywood asked if there was a change in the DNA test and was told it was the way the lab was running them. he asked if the differences could be explained and was told, "We can't explain them to you. No one there could tell us what was going on."
Hollywood then asked how long would it take for his test to come back and was told anywhere from two to six days. The turn around has been 24 hours for HIV testing.
According to Hollywood's estimates, between himself and Hunter, they've already lost five scenes because of not having their tests. "The scenes that we've lost- those are working for other people. In addition to those five scenes- for our websites- we shoot one day a week for each website. Sometimes two days a week." Hollywood said he was also forced to cancel two of those scenes [non-paying].
"What it means in our world is that we lost $2400," says Hollywood. According to Hollywood, Brooke Hunter got a call from AIM early Wednesday evening telling her that the lab won't return AIM's telephone calls and that from January 31, there are six people besides them that are complaining "bitterly".
Other than this, Hollywood's in the complete dark. "Isn't this somewhat reminiscent of what we went through in April when there was accusation of a delay in getting the word out that there had been an HIV outbreak?" he asks. To that extent, Hollywood adds that no one from AIM in a position of authority [meaning Sharon Mitchell] is commenting about this latest snafu. Hollywood says Hunter suggested that AIM do a mass e-mailing to inform people of what's happening. Hollywood says Hunter was told AIM wasn't equipped to do that.
Hollywood's also griped by the fact that if you want to work for some of the big companies, you have to provide an AIM-sanctioned test. "It appears to me that there is a fair amount of politics involved in all this," he says. "None of the other clinics that have offered testing to the industry have been able to stay in the game. The North Hollywood clinic was really great. They had a full health care facility. They had doctors there. You got the medical services that you needed. But for whatever reason, they're not around."
Hollywood finds it odd that with last year's clamor about going to twice a month testing, that if you comply with current rules- at least for what's happening now- you can lose a week's worth of work.
"AIM fell down between the 24th of January and the 31st- that we know of. How much further this has gone, we don't know. But if you went to test on the 31st knowing you had to pay your rent on the first and had scenes scheduled expecting your test back, those poor people are really in a bind." Likewise, Holliday and Hunter tested on the 31st and have not seen hide nor hair of anything. "One of the companies that both of us work for fairly regularly had a scene for Brooke." Hunter was straight up with the company and told them her test expired as of the 31st that she tested, could they shoot it the following day. They did, but the extra day's delay finally prompted the company to go with someone else.
"But work's work and that's where we derive a portion of our income," Hollyeood says. But for those in less desirable straits [Hollywood is also an attorney], Hollywood muses about desperate people seeking desperate measures. "That concerns me. It's inconceivable to me that we're at the mercy of a clinic that has repeatedly proven itself to be incompetent to properly handle a situation." Hollywood also wonders what happened to all those promises of reform that had been made at the mainstream press conference last year. "How they [AIM] were going to re-group and re-organize. But I haven't seen any changes. I sat back and said this is the third time around." Honestly, Hollywood says he figured that things weren't going to change.
"I think that everyone that was out those talent meetings were well-intentioned," Hollywood states. "But I think it fell on deaf ears. As long as there's a monopoly that exists where AIM's the only game in town- I know the price of tests continue to goes up. But that's the price of doing business." The funny thing says Hollywood is that no one informed him of the delay in getting the tests back until after his blood was drawn. "And you already paid. Oh, by the way, the tests aren't coming back in 24 hours. Really? What's the problem? Nobody seems to know what changed at the lab."
