> Jason Sechrest who hosts tonight’s Porn Star Karaoke at Sardos reports that FOX Television’s new reality show “My Bare Lady,” about turning porn stars into mainstream actresses, will be scouting for talent at PSK tonight. “Porn stars need to email me by 7:00 pm to let me know if they want to be put on the VIP guest list, [email protected],” he says.

>The Grand Wazoo calls me Tuesday morning. “Apparently there’s a letter being sent around the industry by Kenny Gaurino. It’s basically notifying everyone that two of his stores burnt down and that they weren’t covered by insurance. Then Guarino thanks everyone in advance for crediting Metro with the write off for product that was lost in the fire. Now this is for goods that Metro owes money on. The bigger question is what are you doing without insurance on those stores?”

> Kami Andrews posts on www.pornstarperformance.com: dick nasty has a new agency called “Absolute modeling” maybe he changed the name to avoid being legally bound to pay nasty modelings debts? I don’t know that for a fact the only fact I know is he booked me for friends (nic cramer) that didnt pay me and he shouldnt be able to have trust under a new name. Talent beware you will not get your money.

> Stoney Curtis posts on www.pornstarperformance.com: Jessica Sweet gets sent home because she hates sex and is a lame fuck. First of all, it was hard to even find a guy in this business that would do a scene with her, because nobody wanted to work with her, not because of her looks, but because she is psycho. She showed up on set, acused the male talent of giving her an STD a month or two prior. An STD that the male talents tests show he has never had. She would’t get into the sex, in fact if you ask her she will tell you she doesn’t like it, that she only does it for the money. She was spraying herself with fake tanning stuff that was getting all over the white couch they were shooting on, and she wasn’t taking direction. Finally just sent her home and booked a replacemet (Melody Peters w/Red Rose) who did a good scene.

>dogdays posts on ADT: Vivid has drawn some criticism for the lack of racial diversity among their performers. Nearly all of the male actors in their sex scenes are white; in contrast, many other porn companies (or at least, those that do not “specialize” in one ethnicity) frequently use, at a minimum, both black and white male actors. Vivid has produced some scenes featuring a black woman having sex with a white woman or a black woman having sex with a white man, and even fewer with a black man having sex with a white woman. In a surprising turnaround in 2005, Vivid reversed its interracial policy by releasing a groundbreaking scene with superstar Janine Lindemulder and two black men in Janine’s Been Black Maled. This trend will continue in 2006 and beyond with additional episodes in the continuing series such as Savanna’s Been Black Maled, Cassidey’s Been Black Maled, Monique’s Been Black Maled, Stefani’s Been Black Maled and Lacey’s Been Black Maled.

>derek 117 writes on ADT:I’ve closely followed Vivid’s changing corporate policies over the last year, and as suggested by some other posts their motivation is most likely money-driven.

BTW, Vivid released their Janine IR sexvid only-after Janine had performed in an IR scene for Digital Playground (which was many months after Janine had done her Vivid IR work, which was sitting on the shelf). Some people question if Vivid would have ever released their Janine IR video if it wasn’t for the pressure to beat DP with the “first” Janine IR sex scenes. In fact, Janine claims in interviews that she “demanded” that Vivid film an IR scene with her and black men, because she thought it would add to her sex appeal. She says they were very reluctant.

Since both the Digital Playground and Vivid Janine IR product sold very well, Vivid began (late last summer) re-negotiating all of their Vivid Girl contracts to stipulate IR work. Maybe because of this change in policy (which also included condoms-optional, anal scenes and “harder” b/g sex) there was an “exodus” of Vivid Girls beginning in the summer of 2005. Of the departed Vivid Girls those publicly citing Vivid’s changing policies as reasons for not re-signing are (Nina) Mercedez and Lexie Marie. Sunrise Adams, Tawny Roberts and Kira Kener also left about this same time, but didn’t cite Vivid’s harder-sex and IR policies as reasons.

The Vivid Girl “hold-overs” are: Briana Banks, Savanna Samson, and Monique Alexander, all of whom will do anal and IR scenes. Also all of the new, Class of 2006, Vivid Girls will do anal/IR.

In addition to the above, Vivid is also introducing a new product line, “Vivid Alt,” to allow them to take advantage of even harder sex markets…with non-Vivid Girl performers.

Yep…it’s about the money!

>darkside762000 posts on ADT: I find it kind of odd that people complain about the lack of black male performers in Vivid product, but not the lack of caucasian male performers in the output of Black Ice or WCP (for example).

I know interracial is a big market (I run a site, IR Lodge , that is 100% dedicated to it), but I don’t feel put out if Vivid or Wicked decide that white males/couples is the main audience they want to shoot for. There’s a big market for white-on-white stuff (or ‘vanilla porn’ as some folk choose to derogatorily refer to it) too, just as there is a big market for interracial. I’m not about to label Vivid racist any more than I’m about to level the same accusation at Black Ice.

I think it’s great that Janine wanted to do an IR scene, but if Steve Hirsch had turned around and said to her ‘Well, that’s not the market we’re catering to, so I don’t want to shoot it’, I wouldn’t be protesting too loudly. I guess the long and short of it is that I don’t feel any company has any sort of ‘social responsibility’ to shoot any type of porn to make up the numbers. Affirmative action has never been anything but straight bullshit, whichever industry it’s been in.

> derek 117 adds: While I hear what you’re saying, my point is to always let the girl choose who she wants to work with–in hope that she’ll give a better performance if she’s “interested” in the guy, and becomes more engaged in her work.

What bothers me about what Vivid “seems” to be doing is, first dictating “no” black males, then “you must work with black males”–in both cases because it serves their economic benefit.

IMO, porn has become so mechanical in the last few years precisely because the production companies cater to what they “think” the audience wants–not what the performers want. And, (again my opinion) what the audience wants to see a hot performance…which I believe is more likely to happen if the performers have more control over who they work with, and the action they perform.

Bottom line for me: Vivid is forcing (or at least attempting to force) their girls to work or NOT work with certain people. (And, I could also bring up Vivid pushing their girls to work with Rocco Siffredi, which sometimes produced disasterous results–but that’s another thread.)

Peace.

> Dr. Nasty writes on ADT: There is a slight difference there though. If you take a look at Black Ice website and compare it to Third Degree Films website, you’ll notice that they both have the same layout. Which leads me to believe that like RLD & PXP they are one major company split into two smaller ones or vice versa. The only difference is 3DF is more of a mixture of all races but mainly white, spanish, european. Where as Black Ice hence the name “Black” Ice is geared towards black sex stuff. They also have quite a few Interracial titles there, though not many with white men.

The difference with Vivid is they don’t have 2 subsidiary companies(1 for all sex and 1 for IR sex) under one main company. They are just Vivid. And for them to be one of the biggest most talked about companies in this industry, you would think they would try to cater to the wants of the fans and their employees. Also for the most part they work with nothing but contract stars. If a girl wants to do IR and Vivid says no then they are stuck with no IR, because they are under contract. However if they were not under contract and Vivid said no then they could just go elsewhere and do it. That’s the differnce. Forcing company beliefs and policies on the girls. Now I in know way shape or form actually know what the true agenda is for Vivid or the full story. But to say that IR is almost non exsistent in that company is an understatement.

>juha writes: Terms like “dictating” or “forcing” are totally out of place. Vivid makes the girls an offer for a contract. And the girls are free to sign or not. There isn’t an IR clause hidden in a long contract nobody with a degree in law understands. Vivid is totally open about its new IR policy. And of course its all about their economic benefit. Just like at any company.

> Dr. Nasty responds: It DOES seem like “dictating” and “forcing” to me, when Vivid puts these NEW conditions of employment in their new contracts–and won’t re-sign the girl unless she agrees.

As I stated, both Lexie Marie and Mercedez cited these new contract conditions as the reasons why they are NOT Vivid Girls any longer. If it wasn’t being “dictated” and “forced” on the girls, Lexie and Mercedez could have just rejected these clauses and signed their contracts. That, apparently, wasn’t an option. And all of the Vivid Girls who re-upped, agreed to do anal and IR scenes.

And, as we all know there are few companies that pay as well as Vivid. Sure Lexie and Mercedez can still make their six-figure yearly income–but now they have to work much harder and longer than the six or eight sexvids per year that Vivid required. And, again, Vivid is well aware of this fact, too: which adds to the “pressure” they put on the girls to sign.

Again, my real point is that female porn performers must be allowed to decide for themselves “who” they will work with, and “what” acts they will perform. Otherwise, porn has become something akin to slavery. Remember: video porn got it’s start in the 1970s, in part, as a result of the Women’s Liberation and Sexual Freedom movements (centered around the San Francisco Bay Area in California).

I’d hate to see the industry become exactly what these early pioneers (Marilyn Chambers, Gail Palmer, Nina Hartley, the Mitchell Brothers) were against.