Porn Valley- James Bartholet, a Hollywood man about town who’s thrown a few events in his time, is pretty outspoken about how some of the porn parties are being run. In making his comments, Bartholet addressed a couple of events, specifically, those which were held over the Erotica LA weekend.

Bartholet calls the one run by The Three Amigos- Eddie Lopez, Louis DePaz and Gus – a “disaster”.

[Roman Sanchez is sometimes the Fourth Amigo.]

“These three guys are such rip off artists,” says Bartholet. “They seem to be doing this for one sole purpose- getting laid by porn stars and to impress their little buddies. They put a picture on MySpace and go look at the bitch I’m fucking. That’s bullshit. None of the girls want to be with these guys, and they’re all acting like they’re tough guys.”

“They seemed like nice guys when I first me them,” Bartholet continues. “I wished them well but it’s the straw that’s broken the camel’s back. They publicize that all these girls are going to be at these events and the girls don’t show up. The girls are just getting wise to this.”

According to Bartholet, the latest scam is asking a girl to pay for the privilege of landing on a photo wall.

“Why would a chick do that? They should be paying the girls. They should not be asking the girls, oh, give me $500 for the photo wall.”

“And half the time the club owners don’t even know that adult stars are going to be there, and that they’re supposed to have a VIP table,” says Bartholet.

Bartholet says bullshit, the scam and the bait-and-switch seem to be common tactics among party promoters.

And this isn’t the first time Lopez and company have been called on the carpet. When I was hosting a KSEX show, a Lopez disaster and post party commentary was a weekly event.

“Taylor Wane had a party – it was held at Forbidden City,” reviews Bartholet.

“If I did not know the owner and the GM, I think we probably would have had a disaster and not get in. We were standing outside. They said the guest list was closed at 11pm. The Erotica LA events got over at 11- what are you going to do, magically transport yourself to this venue?

“There was some gal working the door for the promoter. She said he can’t be bothered right now. And he’s grab-assing just a few feet away with some gal on the media wall. I go, look, we’re on a guest list and it’s confirmed.”

“On top of that, they wanted $30 to get into the club,” says Bartholet. “I go that’s not going to happen. He came over and made a big deal, huffing and puffing. Okay I guess I can let you in. They’re all trying to make a buck. It’s Gus, Louis and Eddie.

“Here’s the thing,” says Bartholet. “I was really pissed off. They were trying to charge Amber Peach and Belladonna’s brother Jason- they’re trying to charge these people and there were a lot of porn stars who walked away. I said they’re on a guest list and you’re trying to charge us? He said the guest list closed. This is the typical thing with these new promoters.”

Bartholet has himself been a promoter and a partner/owner of several niteclubs in Southern California. They used to call him King of the Night Life.

“I know the scene and I’ve seen how greedy these fucking promoters are,” says Bartholet.

“They want to have the porn stars down there to get the civilians and the mainstream celebrities down there. Then, when the celebrity gets down there, they don’t honor the guest list. They promise them the bottle- sometimes they provide it, sometimes they don’t. And if they do provide it, they provide it with some cheap ass liquor and champagne they bought at the 99 Cent Store.

“A perfect example- Friday night I had a party for Alexis Amore down at Tattoo,” continues Bartholet. “These guys were supposed to pay Alexis and did end up paying her. So that was good. But we had a big hassle getting in there and waiting in line. These girls don’t want to wait. They show up there, they want to get right in. It was a big hassle to sit down.

“Then we got into a VIP area that should have been just for Alexis and her people. Well they had their buddies up there- hey do you mind posing with this guy and that guy? And the guy’s rubbing up on the girl trying to pose with her. We don’t need that kind of shit. It was wrong.”

“Then the alcohol came out and it was crap,” Bartholet continues. “Alexis is going to Olivia O’Lovely, let’s get some drinks from the bar because it was some Korean Vodka, 10 proof. And you know us, we know our liquor. Then they had a champagne that was swill. I could get more of a buzz off from mouth wash. It was not that great.”

“And I heard about the Sexopolis party,” Bartholet adds. “That closed early. They didn’t allow half the media. That was a flopper, The Penthouse party was a flopper, also. The problem with Sexopolis is they were charging fans $75 and saying that would get you in there.”

At one party Bartholet says a sausage factory broke out.

“A porn star walks up and they’re like, oh yeah, baby, and the guy at the door is telling her hit the back of the line. She goes I’m an adult film actress. I’m supposed to be here. He told her, too bad, you got to pay to get in. She goes, fuck that and she left.”

I tell Bartholet this is one of the reasons I don’t attend industry parties any more, that I saw this shit 20 years ago and it’s still the same.

Bartholet concedes that there are promoters who know how to throw a party.

“Jeff Mullen and Scott David do good parties, and it’s the way it should be done,” he says. “Brad Thomas is another. He’s been a good friend and a good friend to people in the adult film industry. He does good parties and when he says he’s going to do something, he does it right.”

“We have these parties now because we want to get the public to buy the DVD’s and we want the girls to plug their websites,” states Bartholet, noting that August is going to have a party next month to celebrate her being on the cover of Stiletto magazine.

“I’m putting together a huge party for that. And I’m going to do a party in the month of August for Alexis Amore.”

Another problem with all the parties says Bartholet is the fact that the younger porn stars get sauced and are a wreck on the set the next day.

“In the old days Aaron Spelling would tell all the cast members from 90210-he sent out a memo telling them they can’t go out to parties any more.

“That’s when I used to go out with Shannen Doherty,” says Bartholet. “We would go to these parties and she’d get three sheets to the wind. She’d start fights and the paparazzi would be standing out there on Yucca and Cohenga waiting for it. Shannen would be fighting some chick who she said looked at her the wrong way. I’d tell her to mellow out and she’d go, don’t fuck with me, I’m Shannen Doherty! I go whatever, get in the car. Spelling said the P.R. spin was too negative and the actors just had to stop going out.”

Bartholet concedes that while a lot of porn performers are responsible he wonders if it’s worth it, running with the civilians.