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Friday, Mar 29, 2024

Secret? What Dirty Little Economic Secret?

No part of my job causes more smirks or raised eyebrows than writing about the adult entertainment industry. This tends to happen when I meet people who don’t understand the San Fernando Valley’s position as the center of the adult entertainment universe and who think my job involves interviewing giggly porn starlets with fake body parts to go with their fake names. I have yet to interview a porn performer, giggly or otherwise, because as with the mainstream entertainment industry I have less interest in the celebrity personalities than in the people making the business and economic decisions. An industry bringing in revenues of $12 billion and employing upward of 6,000 people needs to be taken seriously. Vivid Entertainment Group, Wicked Pictures and Red Light District are just a few of the major production companies that generate legitimate hard news just the relevant as the Valley’s tech, aerospace and manufacturing sectors. Scattered across the Valley from Glendale to Calabasas these companies deal with the same real business risks facing mainstream entertainment and media companies product piracy, competition from new media and amateur content. Additionally, they put up with federal regulators and the industry-specific specter of outbreaks of sexually transmitted diseases. Recognition of what the industry brings to the Los Angeles region economy led to a panel discussion sponsored by the Z & #243;calo “Public Square” Lecture Series on Nov. 28 about adult entertainment that drew some 200 people. You know this was meant to be serious because it took place in Westwood and had Daily News columnist Mariel Garza as the moderator. What I find strange is the wording Z & #243;calo used to promote this event that porn is the “dirty little economic secret” of Los Angeles. Say what you will about this industry but one thing it’s not is a secret. Vivid Entertainment’s sign, complete with the star logo on the side of their office building, is visible to anyone traveling through the Cahuenga Pass. Come June, billboards will appear promoting the annual Erotica LA trade show at the convention center. Topco Industries, a major manufacturer and distributors of adult toys and other products, has a noticeable building in Chatsworth. The 10th anniversary of the release of “Boogie Nights” was marked this summer with a screening in Reseda. Spirit Airlines recently took some flack for using the term “MILF” in ads for cheap fares to the Caribbean. Famed porn performer Ron Jeremy’s face peers down on passersby in Hollywood on a billboard promoting a cable network. And if you go to the Rainbow on the Sunset Strip chances are you’ll see the guy in person. For the news media the easiest story in the world to do on adult entertainment is the “mainstreaming” of porn. The second easiest is that more young women are watching and buying adult products. And for Los Angeles media the third easiest is to do yet another story about Porn Star Karaoke night at Sardo’s in Burbank. As producer/director/performer Ira Levine pointed out during the Z & #243;calo forum, mainstream media shuns the adult industry until sweeps week. “Then they are all over the Valley,” Levine said. “They will use sex to sell anything, but won’t sell sex for sex,” followed performer/author/Levine’s wife Nina Hartley. Levine’s criticism was leveled more at broadcast media, which uses sweeps week to determine advertising rates. The print media, while less image driven, uses references to the industry to catch eyeballs. The day after the Z & #243;calo event, the news broke from Kansas about missing college student Emily Sander. Not an exciting story is it? But put in the headline that Sander led a double life as a “porn star” named Zoey Zane and that guarantees catching a reader’s eye, clicks on a website and a whole lot of searches for Zoey Zane pics on the Internet. Never mind that calling Sander a “porn star” is a bit of a stretch as she only had nude photos on the Web. Every story I saw on this case at the L.A. Times website played up the porn star angle. Online industry publication Xbiz, on the other hand, described Sander as an “amateur adult star.” What this case illustrates is a comment made by Hartley that mainstream acceptance of adult content results in fewer barriers to entry and less chance for a new performer to reflect on whether a career in adult films is right for them. In her case, Hartley said she was ready to perform on camera at age 18 but waited a few years before actually doing so and then found that entry into the industry took effort. Nowadays anyone with a digital camera, a computer and bandwidth can launch a career. While the new generation of performers still flock to Los Angeles and the Valley even that isn’t necessary anymore. Secret the industry is not. Nor is it endangered. The Z & #243;calo program bore the title “Should the Porn Industry Be Saved,” which led Levine to comment that it suggested the industry was in danger of going away. While struggling with piracy, health and regulatory issues, a correction is taking place internally and the industry is learning to live with distribution through new media. “We are here to stay,” Levine said. Studio for Sale The 20,000-square foot film studio in Canoga Park belonging to LFP has gone on the market for a reported $3.8 million. The company is consolidating its photography and video production into offices in Beverly Hills. LFP used the studios for its in-house production since 1994 and shot many Hustler Video productions there. Award Nominations Vivid Entertainment received 168 nominations in the 2008 AVN Awards competition taking place Jan. 12 in Las Vegas. “Layout” a big budget film released in April received 20 nominations, including best actress for Vivid contract performer Briana Banks, and best director for Paul Thomas. “Debbie Does Dallas Again” and “Janine Loves Jenna” both received 16 nominations. The AVN Awards are hosted by Vivid Girl Tera Patrick. Tera Does Europe Tera Patrick’s production company has expanded overseas with Teravision Europe. Following a deal with Media Entertainment Establishment, the new branch of Patrick’s company debuted in October at the Venus Berlin Expo. The deal calls for Teravision Europe to carry the entire catalogue of Studio City-based Teravision. The first release under the new agreement is “China Blue” starring Charmane Star. Staff Reporter Mark Madler can be reached at (818) 316-3126 or by e-mail at [email protected] .

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