Brett Rockman posts: Let’s all stop for a moment and bring awareness to an issue that has permeated our industry in a far too negative way.
Allow me to ask, how is it that no one is publicly condemning the business practices of Derek Hay of L.A. Direct Models? So many people have told me all the ways they’ve been wronged by this guy. For those of you who don’t already know, Derek has been “Black listing” individuals (talent) by declaring they cannot work with “his” girls.
In doing so he is taking massive amount of work away from those people. He has also “Black listed” location owners by preventing shoots at their houses by simply declaring that “his” girls won’t work there. I don’t think many people are shocked reading this because it’s common knowledge throughout the industry. Readers please verify the “posted names” that Derek’s company L.A. Direct Models has in the office; of talent “his” girls are not allowed to work with. The real question is not how can he do it but how is it that we let him do it? The answer is that most people don’t get involved in anything unless it directly affects them. Those that were around a few years ago remember how difficult it was to organize talent-press meetings to discuss the medical concerns in the industry. So it should come as no surprise that Derek has gotten away with this unfair business practice.
This may sound like a “bad-guys” scene from an episode of the old TV show “The Untouchables” or a Gestapo meeting in one of those war movies but it’s not. In fact, this topic pales in comparison to the stories we’ve all heard about this guy from others in the industry. This type of unfair business practice is still alive and well today. We don’t mind following 2257 regulation updates and we even follow up on all these “puppet gossip stories” all over the internet; but no one looks at this individual who has wrecked havoc on our industry while at the same time providing an otherwise seemingly good service. Why does he get away with what he does? Because he offers a service that many companies need. How then do we deal with inequality in the work space in this industry? This may prove a more challenging question than any of the health related questions we dealt with 2 years ago.
Who am I to speak up? Many know that I am owner of Rockman Entertainment, a medical doctor on the AIM advisory board, former Marine, and columnist on avninsider.com, and many know that I’m compelled to take on important industry issues when they arise. Well this issue seems important enough now to bring attention to. In what seemed like an honest good service company we witnessed the growth of a corporation. Anyone see the movie “The Corporation”? Watch it and know that a corporation concerns itself with maximizing profit at any cost. Also a corporation is not interested in individual people but in efficiently generating the most amount of profit humanly possible. A corporation often has ‘limited liability’ and answers essentially to no one. Perhaps it’s a false rumor that Mr. Hay is not even listed as the president of L.A. Direct Models. If so, isn’t that strange for someone who makes all the decisions for this company?
I’m concerned that most of us feel no obligation to rock the boat. We are guilty of letting someone operate in our industry that represents everything OPPOSITE of what freedom is all about. Someone who’s greed for money and desire to avenge his enemies is so intense he shows no accountability or remorse.
Why this letter and why now? It’s been over a year since we at Rockman Entertainment stopped supporting this man. Unfortunately, he has both great girls and good people working for him in the office who do as they are told. Let this letter serve as a reminder that the things you read about may someday show up at your door. Some things are ultimately worth fighting for. And in the end that’s what the adult industry is all about; fighting for what we believe in. In our case it’s freedom of expression and freedom of speech but please let’s not forget Freedom of Fair Business Practice. It is just as wrong to violate ‘Labor Laws’ as it is to violate ‘Freedom of Speech’ rights. Like the awareness of HIV we were forced to deal with a few years ago likewise it’s time to be aware of freedom of fair business practice. We need to stick together not suppress each other.
If anyone has a solution or an answer to this problem please let us all know. Sometimes it’s convenient to be in the adult industry and enjoy the freedoms that come with it. After all, if this was a mainstream setting he would have tons of reporters inquiring about his tactics and he would be forced to answer or avoid all the questions. That’s quite a nice freedom to enjoy which makes me wonder; when we fight for freedom whose freedom are we fighting for?
Concerned, Brett Rockman, President, CEO, Rockman Entertainment