SCOTTSDALE, AZ – For adult entertainment mega star Jenna Jameson the fall of 2003 has seen an amazing degree of interest by the mainstream media. An issue of New York Magazine with Jenna on the cover created the most buzz so far this year. She has also been the subject of articles in the past few weeks in US, Maxim, Entertainment Weekly and The Week magazines, plus there has been coverage on Fox News and in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post and The St. Petersburg Times.
New York Magazine writer David Amsden concluded that Jenna has become a “cultural icon” in an era where “Internet porn is everywhere; even ‘nice’ guys are hooked.”
The cover line on the issue asks: “Is This the Other Woman in Your Life? Cyberporn superstar Jenna Jameson.” A New York executive said it was the most talked-about cover of the year so far.
“Thanks to the advent of cable modems and DSL connections, it’s now easier than ever to scan lewd material in the privacy of your own home,” says Amsden. “One minute you’re reading The New York Times, and then two clicks on Google and-oops!-you’re downloading highlights from Jenna Jameson’s oeuvre.”
Amsden added, “And speaking of Jenna Jameson, she was recently plastered on a billboard in Times Square, she has spoken at the Oxford Union, and her autobiography is being ghostwritten by Neil Strauss, a Times critic.”
Karen Valby’s extensive profile of Jenna in the October 24th issue of Entertainment Weekly is perhaps one of the most in-depth articles to date about the “the reigning queen of the porn industry.” The headline asks: “With a book deal in hand and network TV on her tail, will she seduce the mainstream?” Valby notes that “her videos still outsell the 18-year-old youngsters 10-1. She’ll retire a winner.”
US Weekly magazine featured Jenna in an issue on celebrities under 30 who have undergone plastic surgery. She had her breasts enhanced when she first got in the adult film world, zooming up to a 32-DD bra size. “They looked really fake – up to my chin! I decided to have them redone by Dr. Garth Fisher, the doctor everyone wants,” Jenna told US. “If you’re going to have breast enlargement,” she added, “don’t go overboard. Once you get past a C, it’s just a pain in the ass.”
A feature in The New York Times about the mainstreaming of porn on network television shows reported that producers have met with Jenna for “extensive research” to add realism to their scripts.
The last page of the November Maxim features an imaginary quiz called Bar Exam and a photo of Jenna with her eponymous anatomically correct action figure nestled in her significant cleavage. The caption asks: “What is porn superstar Jenna Jameson trying to bring to your attention?”
The Wall Street Journal on October 31st said that “public pressure won a victory for religious expression by elevating a Christian ad to the status of a porn star. The battle started last month when the United Methodist Church inked a deal to run an ad on a video-screen billboard in Times Square. About the same time Jenna Jameson, the star of 48 best-selling skin flicks, unveiled her own billboard nearby, baring nearly all with the line: ‘Who Says They Cleaned Up Times Square?’ At the very least, Times Square’s tourists would have received mixed messages — a form of equal time. But a few weeks later, with Ms. Jameson still on view, the Methodist Church learned that its ad was being rejected.” The Journal article, which was accompanied by a picture of Ms Jameson’s billboard, noted that the Methodist turn-down has since been reversed.
Another article that appeared in The Washington Times and other U.S. newspapers in early November by Hollywood television producer and columnist Dave summed Jenna’s recent activies: ” Perhaps porn’s biggest foray into the mainstream comes from porn queen Jenna Jameson, who was described by one Internet porn addict as a “cultural icon.” Her book, “How to Make Love Like a Porn Star,” comes out in May. She recently appeared on the cover of New York magazine and was featured in an E! True Hollywood Story profile in August. Ms. Jameson is on the verge of breaking the Hollywood barrier that (Burt) Reynolds said six years ago could never be done. But Burt’s so retro. Ms. Jameson has signed with the video games division of the Endeavor talent agency, which represents Ben Affleck, Adam Sandler and Jennifer Garner. Her picture currently graces a three-story-tall Times Square billboard. Abercrombie & Fitch, Pony and Jackson Guitars have used her in ad campaigns obviously aimed at a young demographic. Network television offered her “Who wants to Be a Porn Star,” a knockoff of “American Idol,” in which she would have played a Simon Cowell-like role. She turned down the gig, citing her concerns about influencing young girls. At least she has higher standards than the networks.”
During the past few weeks Jenna has also been interviewed for upcoming network documentary and news programs, for a profile in a major national newspaper and has been photographed for at least two more magazine features. She also will be co-host of the AVN Awards Show in Las Vegas on January 10th.