JimmyD brought up a good point. Piracy is a huge problem for all of us. But did we bring it on ourselves? For years now we have dumped product on the market, we have whored ourselves to the point that we are little more than five dollar crack whore street walkers.

The entry into this business required about as much talent and about as much capital. We started emphasizing quantity over quality and we made no efforts to control our output. We completely ignored the first rule of success in entertainment, “leave them wanting more”

We inundated the market with the cheapest product we could shit out, comps, sell throughs, catalog content, then we repackaged all the same content and sold it over and over. And I’m not talking just companies that specialized in bargain basement porn, I’m talking companies that wanted to be known for their quality.

We let anyone who could hold a camera proclain him/herself a “director” and we assumed that just because some chick who dropped out of high school could suck cock then she could be a director.

And for ten years we dumped this shit on the market at the rate of ONE THOUSAND releases a MONTH. That’s 250 porn videos a WEEK.

Now many of those companies have come and gone and video companies struggle to survive in a market where predatory distributors will take as long as possible to pay you, hoping to starve you out so that they don’t have to pay at all.

All of this leaves a LOT of porn with no owner and no one with any money to protect the copyright.

Is it a big surprise to find it all over the net? Is it a surprise to find everyone elses product mixed in with it?

So now we are trying to plug the dam after it burst, not by lowering the lake level until we can rebuild and fix the dam, but instead by trying to patch it while the water is flooding out. It won’t work.

I don’t care who the studio is: Evil Angel, Digital Playground, Jules Jordan, Wicked, Vivid etc. When you release a DVD today, tonight I can go online and get that DVD, in a full quality identical copy of the DVD menus and all and I can get it faster for free online than I can go to the local video store and rent it.

But it isn’t just us, Hollywood is suffering the same fate but to a lesser degree. People know it’s wrong to download Hollywood movies for free but don’t consider porn to have the same value. Why? because we don’t put any value into the product and we don’t value ourselves, our performers or our business.

So what do we do? We file lawsuits. We attempt to use the legal system to enforce our rights in a world court. (many of these sites are in other countries) Tube sites, torrent sites look out we are going to sue you and even though you made millions of dollars you are now going to face a 200,000 dollar fine for enabling piracy (reference the current case against thepiratebay.com) and this is suppossed to deter you and others from doing what piratebay did.

Now here’s the cold hard truth, these guys are just the scavengers pulling the last bits of flesh off of the carnage we brought on ourselves. Eventually there won’t be anything left and there won’t be enough output from the industry to keep these sites afloat and we will again be in a position to prosper, but it’s going to be a long hard ride to ride out that storm.

And speaking of scavengers heres comes our old buzzard friend the Free Speech Coalition, they see some scraps they might pick up by posturing and making noise but not doing anything substantive, same as they have always done. Maybe gopher is a better term for them,,,go for this, go for that…Like a pornchick who always says she is going to get her GED and of course never puts any effort into it.

I guess she can always become a director…..And so it goes.

Hehhee… i cut all my hair off just day before yesterday. I look like your basic, middle-aged, insurance salesman. (Except when I’m riding my Harley… then, I look like a middle-aged, insurance salesman on a Harley.) Also, as a result, I’m probably no longer funny.

In case you haven’t noticed, this business now sucks beyond belief! Making a decent living from it, especially for many production people and others, is more difficult than ever. Yah, some companies and the people who make their content for them will survive. Some will even thrive. But for most, it’s Judgement Day.

Why would any jerk-off pay for porn to jerk off to? It’s all free on the net! I see lots of sites with 100s of 20 and 30 minute clips for free–you don’t even have to register. The clips are high quality, their screen size is big, and they stream almost instantly. The only way I can see any of them making money is they have ads for adult dating sites and such. There’s that much money in that shit?  Do these sites pay for the clips? I don’t know. I don’t care. It is what it is. Much of the industry is being brought, financially, to its knees. Anyone who says that ain’t so is either a liar or delusional. Why worry about obscenity prosecutions or 2257?  Free content is Porn Enemy #1. Here’s another way to look at it: We’ve seen the enemy and it is us.

Those who figure out how to make money from “free” are the ones who might make some money. Unfortunately, I’m a production guy and  I can’t figure out how to offer my production services  for free  (i.e., shooting stills or video) and still make money from doing so. Advertiser-supported production people? You think someone’s gonna pay me to shoot while I’m wearing a sandwich sign advertising their company or products? I don’t think so. If you know how I can get paid by working for free, please let me know.

Retailers must be hurting too. Many of them, I hear, are converting to soft-core-ish stores: Remodeling, carrying lots of toys and lingerie, appealing to couples and chicks.  The raincoaters never had it so good! They simply get their fix on the net… for free… and they don’t even have to don the raincoat!

I heard the show was a joke. They gave away booths for free just so it didn’t look like a ghost town. Everyone said the crowds seemed smaller. Maybe. Or maybe the aisle space was so wide (with such fewer booths) it just seemed like the crowd was smaller. I didn’t go. Didn’t go last year either. Why would I go? There’s no business to book there. I can speak to anyone who might book me while I’m right here, in LA, without spending the dough to go to Vegas. I also got tired of  risking my health from some god-awful colds or flus that almost everyone is guaranteed to come home with. Going to the show ceased being fun years ago. These days, going to the show is practically a textbook case of masochism.

Sorry to rant.

j

JimmyD You can rant anytime dude, the porn blog scene misses ya man.

See, Jesse does eat, and here are the pics to prove it, so shut the fuck up ya Hillbilly lol She’s as sweet as ever and never looked better IMHO, which matters a helluva lot more than some of these so-called experts who email you

Well in all likelihood the Republican nominee for President will be decided today in Florida’s Republican Primary.

It’s a neck and neck race between John McCain and  Mitt Romney.  Whoever does win goes into next weeks “Super Tuesday” in a strong position and will likely emerge as the Republican Candidate.

On the Democratic side Obama took a commanding victory in a southern state leaving Hillary to rethink her position.

In my opinion it’s going to be Obama and McCain, which is interesting, because McCain is the most liberal minded of the Republican frontrunners, his nomination would mark a real change in the party in terms of it’s ties to the religious right, in other words it marks something of a move away from them.

Obama on the other hand is looking more and more confident and is presenting himself as educated and articulate, even as Hillary is appearing desperate  and mudslinging.

Expect Guiliani to drop out after Florida where he will be lucky to come in third.  He ignored the early primaries concentrating on FL, a state with a lot of delegates where he was polling well.  His plan backfired though because now he has to win FL to stay viable and simply put, he won’t.

Ron Paul will remain a dark horse but should he choose to run as a Libertarian or Independent he is certainly going to be a thorn in the side of both parties. But he says he won’t and he generally is a man of his word.  Too bad really, I liked most things about Dr Paul, including the fact that he is the only candidate that has come on the record about our industry and our right to exist.

I’ve been noting recently the guys in porn complaining about the girls in porn that use drugs. Inevitably these are the same guys using steroids and Viagra.

Kinda sounds idiotic doesn’t it.

Forgive the sparse updates of late. I have had company visiting and just haven’t felt as much like pontificating as I generally do. But cruising the adult boards and what not hasn’t turned up anything interesting lately. I hear lots of porners have porn flu….the usual case that happens every year after Vegas.

Other than that it appears back to normal in porn valley.

Salutations Mike,
I learned a hard lesson in 2000. After years of supporting third party canidates, I felt ashamed of myself for helping propel into office one of the most incompetent leaders the United States has had in over 100 years.Michael Moore had helped me make the awful decision. His endorsement of

Ralph Nader was the final argument that led to my vote for a third party candidate. In hindsight, the folly is obvious. In 2004, I sat in the AVN offices after five, watching every debate with eager, hungry eyes. Co-workers could not understand why I was so serious that Kerry had to win the election. The lesson I learned is that in selecting a leader, I’m not making a statement, I’m choosing a future. That future doesn’t come from wild promises (by golly how many wild promises we see in this industry, our boss at SLLAB was full of them). The future comes from a group of people that honestly believe in a stable, solid future, with honest and sincere commitment. Comparing the last eight years of Bush, and the last eight years of Clinton, I believe our future lies with the Democrats.

Had Kerry won, we would have honestly fair trade with China, a withdrawal from Iraq, diplomatic reconstruction in the Middle East, and a recovery of our military strength to deal with real strategic threats. It would have appeared to be a mediocre time of uneventful progress. However, our president is not our nation’s glory. Our people’s progress and achievements are.

The race of dark horses is amazing, we have Huckabee, Ron Paul, Kucinch. Those betting on these dark horses are even more amazing to watch. Makes me nostalgic for the days my friends volunteered to work the Perot campaigns. Folly can be such an amusing thing. My vote is going to the Democrats. I don’t care who, I don’t care why.

Personally, I like Clinton, Obama, and Edwards, heck, even Kucinch seems ok. Ron Paul even seems like he’d make a nice Democrat. These folks will be the blank canvas we paint the picture of our nation’s future on, not the rotted tatters on the gilded frame the Republicans have given us. I have learned from my many follies and am serious of making things right.
My best wishes always to you.
Sincerely,
Jay

Of course I respect and understand Jay’s opinion but I also disagree, I can’t vote for a candidate simply because of party affiliation, I vote for the one who earns my vote regardless who he or she is. I voted Libertarian in the last several elections and I don’t regret that vote and I don’t think I helped put the current idiot in the White House. Don’t blame me I didn’t vote for the asshole.

I don’t like the Republicans or the Democrats quite honestly, both advocate a nanny state, neither is on record as supporting mmy right to make a living in adult. On the one hand I don’t think the economy of this country can support and war on something intangibile but it can’t support nationalized healthcare either, think about it…Name two things that the government does well.  Now do you REALLY want to entrust your healthcare to the same people that run the post office? the drivers license bureau, social security, the educational system, the FBI, The IRS, the FDA….the list goes on.

I hate the democrats hands in my pockets and I hate the republicans nose in my fucking personal life.

 I think we need to develop our own natural resources….drill in ANWAR for Gods sake, the fucking Caribbou will cope. We need to build some refineries and bring nuclear power up to date and back on line.

We need to stop sending money to governments who hate us and we need to stop borrowing money from governments who hate us. 

All of these are strongly conservative viewpoints, but on the other hand if you come into this country and work and pay taxes and become good law abiding citizens we should welcome you, we should not subsidize you or help you or feed you and your kids, but we shouldn’t do that anyway, that is the role of a charity not a government.

Healthcare should be affordable, there is no reason why I should be able to get health insurance through an employer for 1/8 what it would cost me to get identical insurance as an individual. Healthcare should NOT be nationalized but it MUST be reformed and the place to start is with insurance companies. 

What adults do in the privacy of their own home should be between them, ditto what a woman does with her body. Abortion is an issue between a woman and her God, not between her and the federal government.

So in the end what am I to do?  I feel strongly about some republican points and I feel strongly about some Democratic points.  Now if you read this and said right on South….look at the Libertarian Party because THAT is who probably best represents you.

 Sara Jay’s Blog

I’m so glad that the AVN convention is over!!! YIIIIPPPPIIIIIEEEEE!!!!
This year was such a disappointing year there. The convention was quite a bit smaller with big names like Playboy, Jenna Jameson, Score, and quite a few smaller companies not present. It was obvious in the disappointing attendance that the fans had been notified that many of there faves would not be attending. The lack of fans could have also been in part to the increase in entrance fee. It was also apparent that AVN was attempting to fill a very empty convention floor with 2 booths that sold bed linens, 2 booths that did teeth whitening, and 1 that sold cheap knock-off purses!! It was an embarrassment to the entire industry. There was tons of space between booths too. What happened? I can only assume that companies are doing poorly enough that they are cutting corners. Getting a booth at AVN can be as expensive as buying a car, as it keeps going up every year!
The award show was even more disappointing than the convention. The show started at 9:30pm, so we arrived around 8 to walk down the traditional red carpet. I went with Jeff and Raven from Trashy Ent. As we entered the Mandalay Bay fans mobbed us, with no security in sight. They were pulling on us and trying to get our pictures. We kept walking toward the events center and when we finally reached a security guard he asked for our “Red Carpet Badges”. Huh?? No one I knew had them. We never needed anything like that before. Even nominees didn’t get the correct badge to be photographed by the press! Even some of the press didn’t get them!!!! I was sitting next to one photographer who has been in the industry as long as there has been an industry and he even had his camera taken away!!! I couldn’t believe it. Once we got in the place was crawling with cops standing around. When I say a lot of cops I mean like 50 or so!! None of which were controlling the crowd outside the events center, where they were needed. All of LVPD’s finest standing around with their thumb up their butts looking at the pornstars. I’m sure that there were several meth labs in Vegas that went undisturbed that night. We found our seats in the bleachers. Yes, I said bleachers. This is the second year that the AVN has had the awards at the Mandalay Bay. Last year there was quite an uproar when many stars were seated in the stadium seating. This year was the same, to complete the cheap baseball game feel was a concession of nachos, beer and hot dogs. Classy. The show used to be at the Venetian prior to 07 where we were served pretty good catered food – hors d’overs, prime rib, vegetables, rolls, etc…
I realize they have grown and expanded the awards show to seat many many more people, but are nachos and hot dogs really appropriate? I’d rather they not serve any food. The first clip that was shown as the show began was a skit of a producer saying he doesn’t advertise enough in AVN to get an award. How was that funny? It seemed sad to me, especially considering it is true. Then the comedian came out and made a reference to the “amateurs in the bleachers”. One of the first awards was given out for best interactive DVD. Won by Hustler and Tera Patrick. Larry Flint came out and made the announcement that “DVD sales have dropped 70% and 50% of production companies will go out of business” Wow!! I knew this, but was this the right time to be bringing that up? I always have felt that AVN was a time to celebrate a good years work and look forward to new and exciting products and productions for the up coming year. His comment, while true, was morbid. That is when I decided to spare myself the agony of sitting through any more of the show and I went to enjoy a nice big grown-up dinner in the company of my positive friends/colleges. 2008 WILL be GREAT with or without AVN.

Another thing I noted in the January AVN was Mark Kernes screed on how people in the adult biz should vote.

The same Mark Kernes who refuses to vote Libertarian because its a “wasted vote” is urging people to vote for Dennis Kucinch….Ummm right……

He also takes my personal friend Neal Boortz to task because Boortz made the proclamation that Bill Clinton had been convicted of perjury. Now while Bill Clinton was not technically convicted of perjury he was disbarred and impeached for it, a fine line I know.

Kernes goes on to call Boortz a “conservative” and “right wing” talk show host.  Anyone who has listened to Neal knows that he is a right leaning Libertarian, and has been the keynote speaker at the Libertarian national convention for two of the last three conventions.  Neal has probably done more for Libertarian causes than anyone.

What Kernes fails to point out is that Neal is a first amendment absolutist who has repeatedly defended the adult industry, inculding controverial decisions by the courts on virtual child pornography, 2257 and COPA, to name a few.

Neal has had me as a guest on the show on many occasions  and has referenced me on too many to count, even once stating that I was one of the two most charismatic people he had ever met (the other was Bill Clinton)

Kernes further excoriates Boortz for his criticism on McCain Feingold which would require privately owned radio stations to balance their programming with both conservative and liberal programming.  What Mr Kernes doesn’t bother to tell you is that he wants the free market of radio to become socialized and placed under government control.  you see Liberal talk radio has been tried many times and every time it is a dismal failure, most recently “Air America” comes to mind.  The people who listen to talk radio simply aren’t interested in hearing the likes of Al Franken, they voted with their wallets, and it’s that simple.  Why would you advocate forcing someone who owns a radio station to have to offer programming that loses money? That isn’t American, it’s socialist.

While I personally think Sean Hannity is a right wing sycophant and essentially a bully, I don’t advocate that if you own a radio station and you air Hannity that you should be forced to lose money for the same amount of time by airing Al Franken.

To sum it up Kernes would be better served by actually knowing what he writes about before writing about it. Boortz is not right about everything, but he is much more a friend to this industry than Dennis Kucinich and he is much more well spoken when speaking about this industry than Mark Kernes.

I used to read AVN Magazine cover to cover but in recent years I have stopped opting only for the things that interest me.  I got the Jan issue, generally the largest of the year and decided to pay it a bit more attention.

The first thing that grabbed my eye was its about half the size that it was in Jan a couple years ago, no doubt due to declining revenues in the video side

The second thing I noticed is the wholesale proliferation of internet content flooding even the biggest video companies, content that has been out on the net for several years is finding new viability in the DVD market further diluting the already stressed video companies.

If anyone doubts that internet delivery is the near future of this biz they need look no further than the likes of DVD companies putting out what is essentially comps of internet product as new material.