Friday, March 3, 2000
Club Love Health Complaints On SmokingGun.com
From SmokingGun.com: The pornographers at Seattle's Internet Entertainment Group (best known for distributing the Pamela Anderson/Tommy Lee home movies) recently ran into trouble trying to implement a technological breakthrough in the online smut industry. Seems that IEG's ingenious "dildocam" raised health concerns with some female performers and Washington's Department of Labor and Industries (whose inspectors usually handle more mundane workplace hazards). The tale of this communal contraption is told in the following documents (and photo!), which were obtained by TSG via a Freedom of Information request filed with Washington safety regulators. Since our parents won't let us go to XXX sites, we don't know if IEG has cleared things up and got that cam up and running. Here's what we're packing: Page 1: Online performers get a heads-up. Page 2: IEG manager files health complaint. Page 3: Safety inspectors issue violations. Page 4: Health questionnaire distributed by state. Page 5: The dildocam, unveiled.
Hal Guthu
Veteran softcore porn talent agent Hal Guthu died Sunday in his CHN office on Santa Monica Blvd's 7400 block. The coroner has ruled the death a suicide but many of us suspect that it was a contract hit.
Much speculation revolves around the fate of Hal's Macaw parrot Max. One source says that the coroner has pictures of Max dead. That Hal supposedly killed Max before killing himself.
Guthu supposedly suffered from inoperable spinal cancer.
Nick writes: "I recieved a call yesterday morning from Detective Lusk. At this time they are declaring Hal's death a suicide. They said there is overwhelming evidence to the this decision, first they found the gun with the shell casing. Second there was a suicide note inside his car which matched his handwriting. According to Detective Lusk they still do not know of an address for Hal and that is a big mystery. They have contacted Carol and she will be making arrangements for a memorial service, and said she would post it on Luke F-rd Website. As to Max, his fate is still unknown. Hal's safe was cleaned out and they beleive he destroyed it before Sunday. I have recieved many phone calls from concerned talent and all say the same thing, this is not that easy there is more than just a suicide. I cannot tell either only Hal knows the answer. Last year my young cousin also a photographer, committed suicide, leaving many unanswered questions. The only thing we can do is remember Hal by his good work, by his willingness to help most people and his great spirit and soul. God bless you Hal."
I've been corresponding about Guthu's demise with Nicky Milo, who is not the "N" in CHN. That Nick faded away in 1965. Nicky writes: "I am from NYC where I started my carrer with Penthouse as a photographer in 1976. I moved to florida shortly after that and worked in Plam Beach and shot freelance for Hustler and Chic. Three years ago I return to the United States after working out of Hong Kong. I primarily work in Adult but also still work for Elle Japan and Hong Kong."
On early Monday morning, Nick wrote to me: "I am a photographer been working in adult for almost 25 years on the east coast, live in LA now, publish under Nickey Milo, work for Gent, Chic, asian Fever, you know the drill, spoke to him on wednesday or thursday, send models to him and shot his models, i went their last night at 7 pm and it was obvious they didn't have id on the body so I gave them a good description , it was confirmed it was him, looks like a homocide , they are inbvestigating it as one. unusual he was there on a sunday.he was a very nice man."
I talked Thursday afternoon with Carole Hargraves, the C in CHN. CHN stood for "Carol, Hal & Nick," the three founding partners of Hal's talent agency. Nick dropped out six months after its inception. Carole left in 1970 but remained friendly with Hal. She last spoke to him two weeks ago. She did not detect depression nor any desire on his part for suicide.
Carole: "We started in 1966 on San Vicente and Beverly. Then Hal moved it to Santa Monica Blvd.
"A couple of weeks ago, we talked on the phone quite a bit. And one of the perplexing things to me is that he and I had made arrangements that anytime something were to happen to him, I was to take Max. And we have not been able to find Max yet. I do not believe it was a suicide. As I think anybody who has known him for any length of time find it hard to believe. It's not impossible that he would or could commit suicide, but the method, and Max and the car."
Luke: "What's up with parking a few blocks away?"
Carole: "That was so out of character for him. He would park in the back, religiously. Hal was very consistent. He was habitual in everything he did. In his clothing and in his eating habits. That he was incredibly protective of his private life.
"I read... bulls--- about two kids in England. They were step-children, not biological children. It was a short term marriage that ended 40 years ago. The assumption...that he [Guthu] would gather up everything and leave it to his kids is such nonsense. I know for a fact that Hal had no children. He didn't like children.
"I have a daughter and a son and they had as much of a relationship with Hal as anybody did. In fact my son was supposed to come see Hal on Monday. Hal was going to work with him on lighting because my son is a photographer."
Luke: "Why do the police want to call it a suicide? Because it makes their job easier?"
Carole: "I don't think so. Because the suicide note is a key element... And part of the way the death went down was in keeping with who he was. They're calling it a suicide at this point but they're not closing the investigation.
"I think a lot of people, because Hal worked hard, had the impression that he had more money than he had."
Luke: "Did Hal seem suicidal when you last talked to him?"
Carole: "Not at all. I knew he wasn't feeling well. Honestly, he would not admit that to me. Though he knew that I'd have supported him in whatever he wanted to do."
Luke: "That was a strange way to go, to try to burn down the block?"
Carole: "Yeah, but he was a funny guy. Sometimes he'd say 'f--- it.' But I am staying on top of this, making sure that no stone is left unturned.
"Everybody's talking about his mysterious collection but the value of it has been overblown. I know that David's speculation was that it was a business deal gone bad. Or that somebody broke in there to get his collection. But I don't believe that. If someone wanted the business, why would they destroy what they wanted? They wanted the girls phone numbers and then ended up burning everything up.
Carole says she did not know if Nick, the original partner, was still alive and that she did not know the address where Guthu lived.
Hargraves writes: "All photos, anything of value was burned in the fire and as to the business, I will keep you posted."
Carole is (artybroad@aol.com) working with Hal's sister in Oregon on the arrangements for Hal's cremation and any memorial service.
Carole: "Hal was a very moral, just person who lived a clean private life. He had respect for his models and the industry he worked in for over 50 years.
"He taught me about the desert. He taught me about myself as a photographer. As a friend. I miss him terribly."
Luke: "How much were you involved in CHN?"
Carole: "Quite a bit for a good five years ['65-'70]. But I didn't do any of the bookings. He was always in control of that. I did a lot of headshots and learning how to be a photographer.
"Hal and I would get in the car and go up to San Francisco or San Diego. And go prop shopping. We did that for years."
Luke: "Hal bought you out in 1970?"
Carole: "I don't want to go in to all that.
"Hal was like a father figure to me. He was 22 years my senior. He took over that role on an unofficial casual way... He gave me my moral structure and being on time and being neat and clean. And returning phone calls. And all the things he was characterized for."
Luke: I talked to many sources and I give them pseudonyms.
James: "I talked to a friend of Hal's for twenty years. He was not aware that Hal was either sick or depressed. There's no motive for him to kill himself. It may well have been a homocide made to look like a suicide. If it was a suicide, where was the weapon when the investigators showed up on the scene? And why try to burn down the whole block? Though Hal, at times, would get that 'f--- it' attitude."
Jim: "I want to bring a psychic in. Generally, in cases of traumatic death, places wind up being haunted. And if there is a soul that is to be released to the great beyond, it should happen or otherwise it is just a tormented soul that stays in limbo. Hal was a very sweet man. The last person we'd expect to be killed, or to kill himself.
"Funerals are for the living. You go and you say goodbye. Even more so if you believe the soul is trapped in limbo, how do you say goodbye?
"We drove by shortly after it happened. We saw the fire trucks and the carnage. We then thought we should check your site...
"Who would want Hal dead? Maybe it was a land grab. Or the Russian Mafia, which is throughout that area."
Jane: "Hal would tell me disturbing things about Paris House, a strip joint across the street. They've treated the girls badly. Hal warned me about the place. 'Stear clear, bad things happen there.' And the place has a horrible energy coming from it."
XXX: "Was the fire set before or after the shot? If he was whacked, the fire was set afterward. If he committed suicide, the fire was set before the shot.
"The sergeant gave me your website. I know that you're probably more in contact with the models...
"Perhaps it was one of the models who killed him. You know the lowlifes who hang around that area. Perhaps a model got a bit of information and thought that Hal had more than he had."
Hal normally parked behind his office but last Sunday, he parked two blocks away. Normally, Hal did not go in to work on Sunday.
XXX: "We've found a psychic who's willing to get involved if the cops are willing to work with him. The psychic has serious doubts that this was a suicide. Sargeant Lusk is willing to work with the psychic so long as that is kept out of the press and he's not subjected to ridicule."
Luke: "I talked to Carole for an hour. She's also suspicious that it was a suicide."
XXX: "She's getting everything. If it is a homocide, she's a prime suspect. So, even she says she doubts it is a suicide...
"They have to verify that he had spinal cancer. Just because a few people said that he had it...that is not enough. Everyone you talk to doubts that it was a suicide. But it has all the earmarkings of a hit.
"Hal said that Nick, the partner he had a falling out with, was not around anymore.
XXX: "Hal's body was found lying down. People don't usually shoot themselves lying down... The use of accelerant [to accelerate the fire] around the front of the shop is the hallmark of a hit. There are far more motives for homocide than for suicide. There is only one motive for suicide. Supposedly this spinal cancer. But there are at least five motives that I can come up with for homocide.
"One reason that the cops are not closing the book is that they fear there might be copycats. Who's next? Jim South or somebody? And what if they got names and phone numbers of the models?
"Supposedly the pictures have been dealt with, either torched or sold off.
"How come nobody heard the shot [that killed Guthu]? The office is within a one block proximity of residences... Did that bullet come out of a silencer?
XXX: "If the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department is going to drop this, close the books, and call it a suicide, I will hire a Private Investigator. I try to be positive but I know the bureaucracy in this city. They've probably got more than 100 homocide cases right now. And if homocide calls Guthu's death a suicide, they are going to get pulled off the case. It looks like it is going to get swept under the rug. Unless they uncover something they've overlooked or the psychic brings something to the table. If this was a hit, and they're covering up, they've covered all the bases.
"Max is important to us. I can't believe that Hal would've taken himself and us. For Hal to kill Max amounts to murder because Max wasn't sick.
"There's not going to be an internment for Hal if they're still holding on to the body.
XXX: "Was the fire set first? Then it's obviously a suicide. But if second, then it was a homocide. There was accelerent poured all over the front of the office but they found the body in the back of the office. That doesn't make sense.
"The coroner's report becomes public once Guthu's property goes into probate. Put it on your site and let people read the findings, gruesome as they might be."
Dru Berrymore Update
Our man in London, Peter Hayes, writes: Luke, German hardcore porn actress Dru Berrymore has jumped to the other side of the camera and has been writing/directing/producing in Berlin. The blonde Drew Barrymore lookalike/soundalike has been working with her boyfriend, Rafe, on a new sex video entitled "Wildest Heart."
She told a college that she had quit the American scene because she had "become over exposed" after working constantly for over two years in the Valley. She has been with her American boyfriend Rafe for three years and he performs sex with Berrymore in their new video. They are hoping to get married in the Summer - "although no date has been set."
Her new video has an appearance with local actresses such as Sybille Rauch - a large bosomed german who became famous, locally, for having sex with her real life sister in "Sisters in Love." Rauch is a fan of the Berrymore in her new directors role - "she is very easy to work with," she told the local erotic media. The video was completed in three days and contains seven sex scenes, including some light S&M - which seems to have become a bit of a speciality of hers just recently.
On other things German, Terresa Orlowski has shut her VTO studios outside of Hannover and her only involvement in the sex industry is in telephone sex. Producers have been saying that the German market is becoming overcrowded with cheap non professional products. I'll try and find out more for next time...
Neville Chambers - You'll Go Blind If You Don't Stop
Our man in London, Peter Hayes, writes: Luke, Been hearing that my countryman, and on-the-street porn director, Neville Chambers is having problems with an eye disease. Does anybody know anything about it? Last time I heard anything about him he was living in New York.
The director is well known in the media scene here in England as he was road manager with sixties groups such as Jimi Hendrix and Cream. I don't know where he came from, but he always sounded southern and pretty middle class. He never made any bones about being a voyeur, although I have no idea how he got started in the porno biz. One of his most popular films was called The Streets of New York that has sold in 16 countries, according to dope provided by the man himself. I recall that he said he had been involved in over 2,000 productions and that he was bored with normal sex and normal porno.
He has never been arrested (to the best of my knowledge), but it has been a close call several times. Once the NY police saw him directing sex on the street, but they were caught up in traffic and they made a quick exit. His speciality is filming sex in front of famous buildings and monuments. Infragranti filmed some porno at the local Love Parade (a big rave in Berlin) last year, but the police broke it up. They might have got away with it better if they weren't attracting such a large crowd! They didn't arrest anybody though, they just gave them a warning. A group from the Kit-Kat Club hired a float and did some mild S&M scenes that they spliced in to the more normal hardcore material. The Kit-Kat is a bit heavy, dark and bi-sexual for most tastes - so US tourists beware.
Neville Chambers writes: NEVILLE CHAMBERS IS ALIVE AND WELL LIVING IN NEW YORK CITY. ROUMORS ABOUT HIS BLINDNESS ARE GREATLY EXAGGERATED AND THE TRUTH IS HE/I SUFFERED A DETACHED RETINA JULY 1999 IN L.A. I AM STILL HERE IN NEW YORK CITY.
I HAVE BEEN IN THE ADULT BIZ FOR ALMOST 10 YEARS NOW AND HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN APROXIMATLY 3,000 ADULT MOVIES.
I SPECIALIZE IN PUBLIC SEX AS SEEN IN SERIES LIKE STREETS OF NEW YORK . MY CURRENT SERIES RELEASED THROUGH PLEASURE PRODUCTIONS IS CALLED NEW YORK TAXI TALES AND IS THE STORY ABOUT A NEW YORK CITY YELLOW CAB THAT THE FARES HAVE SEX IN THE CAB WHILE DRIVING AROUND THE CITY.
I ALSO HAVE ANOTHER SERIES CALLED N Y P P BLUE WHERE I TAKE GIRLS AROUND THE CITY PEEING OFF OF WELL KNOWN BUILDINGS AND IN PUBLIC PLACES. I ALSO HAVE DOZENS OF PHOTOGRAPHS OF NAKED GIRLS ON POLICE CARS SHOT ON REAL CARS ALL OVER THE CITY.
FANtastic Radio
Most times I do a radio interview, I think that I could do a far better job than the host with creating a fast paced, controversial and intelligent show. So I'm thinking about buying an hour or two a week on Los Angeles radio to show what I can do. I spent four years at KAHI/KHYL radio in Sacramento. Email Luke any suggestions for appropriate stations and show formats. I think a successful show would be a terrific lurching pad for my run for Congress. Email Luke any suggestions for a political platform (aside from low marginal tax rates). Together we can make America great.
Rumdar writes: Luke...............I have an idea for your show. It will be something like that recently discredited "Marry a Millionaire." Your show would be "Marry a Jewish Princess." As you know Jewish guys are wising up. Tired of poor sex, no sex, mediocre sex they are marrying shiksas in ever alarming numbers. Particularly Asian shiksas. You can help out and do a service to your adopted tribe. You may even have Nice Jewish Girl as your sidekick...a Jewish Vanna White. There must be some shlubs out there willing to marry Jewish chicks. Are you not one of them?. As for the Jewish women...faced with spinsterism or marriage I am sure Yasser Arafat wouldn't be out of the question (wait he's gay)..Let's iron out the wrinkles. I think it will fly.
Chaim Amalek writes: I think that this is a fantastic (uh, wrong word) idea for you to follow up on. Among the obvious topics are:
1. Porn
2. Porn and
3. Judaism. And its role in promulgating porn. Talk about stuff that the other people on the radio do not touch. Just comb the archives of your own web site and you will find lots of potential topics for discussion.
But here is one that comes to mind that has not been discussed. Are the clergy of religions that deny their priesthood any outlet for heterosexual sex becoming the play-club of homosexuals and pederasts? No, do not do this - way, way, way, way, way too f---ing inflamatory. Only a catholic can touch this one.
So, how about the role of jews in Hollywood? Invite some arabs, a negro or two and perhaps a white supremacist to debate the issue with some small jew with a high-pitched voice from the ACLU or ADA.
Or - is inbreeding bad for the jews and, conversely, is exogamy healthy for jews?
This one cannot miss - how to start your own porno web site with less than $1,000. (Your next book!)
A panel discussion of current and former porn performers (ain't no "stars" among them) re anal v. vaginal sex, money shots, sex with black people, pet care tips etc. And find a rabbi to utter a prayer at the start of the show just to get the mainstream press all riled up to the point where they shower you with free PR.
Are Mexicans replacing African Americans in the economic structure of California?
Why are there so few black faces on "hispanic" television? I mean, it isn't as though the average hispanic was of Icelandic descent.
Closeted Jews (e.g., Ralph Lifs---s) - good for the jews?
"So you want to be a pornstar/porn mogul/fluffer" type shows.
Weird sex cults (if there are any, let me know).
Porno Intervention! You out some 18 year old pornet to her family back in Iowa, and the family shows up to "intervene" in her life. Seriously, any of these shows would be dynamite for the Luke F-rd Hour(s). No reason why you cannot be the Oprah for us regular american joes in the new millenium. -Luke F-rd
Marc Putative writes: luke--are you familiar with michael medved? as a precocious kid, i practically memorized his book, "the golden turkey awards," which chronicled the worst b-movies of all time in assorted categories ... including plenty of skin flicks. a decade later, he was tearing apart the entire system he had been snickering at in the book "hollywood vs. america," only his tone was much more embittered. but the guy is a ba'al teshuva and does his own daily radio show--which i can't pick up 'round these parts, even though he's also filled in for r. limbaugh. when it comes to radio, you've got the best of both worlds: the jewish moralistic side (works for medved, prager, dr. laura) and the australian accent that screams sleaze (i.e. steve dunleavy and gordon elliott--did you know the latter used to fill-in for casey kasem?) you could pull this off on canadian radio, no problem. and then chaim amalek would be able to appreciate this country beyond just sctv ... p.s. personally, i'd like to hear you and j.d. considine do a rock 'n' roll news show, where you'd rail against the moral turpitude of the music industry. myself, i've always wanted to score a gig as a right wing rock critic, where i could expose the hypocricy in that business.
Luke: I love Michael Medved, Dennis Prager and Dr. Laura.
Marc: luke--since i'd just went through this horror story last shabbes, i was initially compelled to tell you the tale of two young girls who, after being granted the mitzvah of a place to stay while they wandered the streets, proceeded to abuse every good grace that was given them. but i'll plead the 5th (or whatever number commandment lashon hara [evil speech] is), no matter how much fun it is to write the term "crack whores".
it does bring to mind are two recurring themes on your site: (a) what you should be doing with your life and (b) how do young women get mixed up in a lifestyle where their addictions takes precedence over everything, especially basic courtesy ... no matter how much their parents might have exposed them to positive cultural and religious influences (especially judaism, non-repressive as it's meant to be). if not a radio show, all your notoriety can certainly be applied to writing a second book that analyzes this phenomenon through the prism of the pornography business. and if you're a suave character spreading the hard truth about what happens to wayward teens--whether they end up in porn or not--with the cold, hard facts about the degenerate side of society before you (rather than the abstract sense of amorality wielded by hypocritical flynt-hater dr. laura), it'd certainly influence the course of parenting for the future. it might not be enough to trade in prager-esque homilies. (granted, i've never heard the man, but i've read one of his books.) you've been there, done that ... now it's time to get away, and undo the damage. plus, you'd be doing a mitzvah (almost) as profound as having children of your own.
Luke: How do we eroticize goodness? Most of the stuff that makes my dick hard is decidedly not good, such as rape scenes or Never Say Never To Rocco Siffredi where a dozens of guys shoot on a woman's face. If degradation is inherent to erotic attraction, how do we use porno to morally educate people?
I listened to an interview Friday morning of Rabbi Joseph Telushkin (click here for a collection of his columns on ethics) by his friend Dennis Prager on KABC radio. The rabbi has just written the book that I was thinking of writing six years ago, when I decided instead to write a history of hardcore. Here is an excerpt from the rabbi's new book that I've taken from Amazon.com.
The Book of Jewish Values: A Day-By-Day Guide to Ethical Living
By Rabbi Joseph Telushkin
On Hearing a Siren
What is your reaction when you are talking with a friend and your conversation is suddenly interrupted by the piercing wail of an ambulance siren? Is it pure sympathy for the person inside -- or about to be picked up by -- the ambulance, or do you feel some measure of annoyance? Similarly, how do you react when you are awakened from a deep sleep by a series of clanging fire trucks or the wail of a police car?
I am embarrassed to admit that, along with many others, my initial reaction to such noises is often impatience and annoyance rather than empathy. My friend Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, known throughout the Jewish world as "Reb Zalman," suggests that whenever we hear the sound of a passing ambulance we offer a prayer that the ambulance arrive in time. Similarly, whenever our sense of calm is interrupted by fire trucks, we should pray to God that the trucks arrive in time to save the endangered people and home. We should also pray that no firefighter be injured. And when we hear police sirens, we should implore God that the police respond in time to the emergency.
Reb Zalman's suggestion is profound. By accustoming ourselves to uttering a prayer at the very moment we feel unjustly annoyed, we become better, more loving people. The very act of praying motivates us to empathize with those who are suffering and in need of our prayers. Furthermore, imagine how encouraging it would be for those being rushed to a hospital to know that hundreds of people who hear the ambulance sirens are praying for their recovery.
Speaking to a Jewish group once in Baltimore, I shared Reb Zalman's suggestion. After my talk, several people commented on how moved they were by this idea, but one woman seemed particularly emotional when she spoke of this suggestion. When she was ten, she told me, she had been awakened from a deep sleep by passing fire trucks. It was almost one in the morning, and now, twenty-five years later, she still remembered her first response: it was so unfair that her sleep had been ruined.
The next morning she learned that her closest friend, a girl who lived only a few blocks away, had died in the fire. Ever since, she told me, whenever she hears fire trucks go by, she prays that they arrive at their destination in time.
Loving one's neighbor is usually carried out through tangible acts, by giving money or food to those in need, by stepping in and offering assistance to a neighbor who is ill, or by bringing guests into one's home. But sometimes loving is expressed through a prayer that connects us to our neighbor, even when we have no way of knowing just who our neighbor is.
Week 1, Day 3 Tuesday
The Purchase That Is Always Forbidden
One may not buy wool, milk, or kids from shepherds. Nor may one buy wood or fruit from the watchmen of orchards. . . . [Even in instances where it is permitted to buy something], in all cases in which the seller asks that the goods be hidden, it is forbidden [to make such a purchase]. . . . -- Mishna, Bava Kamma 10:9
Common sense lies behind this ancient ruling. There is no way you can know for certain that the shepherds or watchmen have stolen the items from their employers, but common sense suggests that if they are offering for sale precisely those items they are paid to guard, they have probably acquired them illegally.
In modern terms, imagine that the checkout man at your local supermarket meets you on the street and tells you he can deliver dairy goods to your house at half the price you pay at the supermarket that employs him. You can't be certain that he is acquiring the products illegally, but nonetheless, Jewish law says that in such a case you should regard the person as guilty until proven innocent, and refuse to purchase food from him.
Similarly, one sees on the streets of many American cities people selling videos of recently released movies for a fraction of what they cost in stores. Since reason suggests that such films have been "pirated" (illegally copied) or stolen -- how else can one account for the cheap price at which they are being sold? -- Jewish law would prohibit purchasing them.
As a rule, otherwise honest people who buy stolen merchandise continue to regard themselves as honest, and certainly see themselves as being on a higher moral rung than the people from whom they have purchased their goods. Maimonides makes it clear that Jewish law does not share this view: "It is prohibited to buy from a thief any property he has stolen, such buying being a great sin, since it encourages criminals and causes the thief to steal other property. For if a thief finds no buyer, he will not steal" (Mishneh Torah, "The Laws of Theft" 5:1).
An actual, if less obvious, instance of dealing in stolen goods, the insider stock-trading scandal, occurred in the late 1980s in the New York financial markets; in that case, a financier paid employees of law firms and financial institutions to inform him when companies with which they dealt were going to be bought out. Knowing that the stock prices in those companies would rise substantially, the man bought shares and, over a number of years, made tens of millions of dollars in profit. When his scheme eventually was exposed, he, along with the people who supplied him with the information, was sent to prison.
From my understanding of Judaism's perspective, purchasing information that the seller has no right to market is yet another way in which a person traffics in stolen goods. Very simply, if someone is trying to sell you something that is not his to sell -- whether goods or information -- you have no right to buy. As it is written in Proverbs (29:24), "He who shares with a thief is the enemy of his own soul."
Luke: Rabbi Telushkin writes a regular column on Beliefnet.com. Here's an excerpt from his latest column on prostitution and the Marry A Millionaire Fox TV show:
Although the show appealed to the lowest form of human greed, I don't automatically condemn it as immoral, probably for the same reason that your friends don't. The women who appeared on the program knew exactly why they were going on (to marry a rich man), and the man knew exactly why they wanted to marry him (because he was rich). Such behavior is greedy, even loathsome, but it's not, in my view, immoral.
Is prostitution immoral? In my view, it's not--in theory, anyway. (In practice, prostitution is very often immoral because it involves young women being abused by pimps; many of these women come from emotionally, physically, and sexually abusive homes, so the choices they make to become prostitutes are often not really free-will decisions.) I believe that prostitution is debasing to the human spirit and that it's unholy, because it transforms the act of loving into a business transaction. But if a woman freely chooses (that is, she could earn money doing other types of work) to accept money from a man in exchange for sex, I don't see the act in and of itself as immoral.
I realize that many people, particularly those on the religious right and feminists on the left, would disagree with me. I'm somewhat puzzled by the feminist objections, since feminists are committed to the belief that a woman should have the right to do what she wants with her body. Does that mean that a woman should have the right to do what she wants with her body only when she wants to abort a fetus but not when she wants to sell her body for sex? Again, I'm not advocating prostitution; it's about as unholy an act as I can imagine. I'm only arguing that if the relationship is entered into freely, it's not clear to me why this should be condemned as immoral.
The X-Rated Videotape Guide VIII
Patrick Stewart in Atlanta, Georgia, writes on Amazon.com about Patrick Riley's new book, The X-Rated Videotape Guide VIII, from Prometheus:
The problem with this book is precisely the glaring, intensely personal standards Mr. Riley employs to evaluate the quality of the movies and formulate his reviews: first and foremost, how good-looking (or usually not good-looking) are the female stars? This is by far the most striking characteristic of this book, in addition to Mr. Riley's redundant listing of which sex acts are performed in each video(who cares?).
As Mr. Riley unabashedly states in his introduction, each movie actress should have world class looks, otherwise, why make any movie at all! As a frequent consumer of adult videos, however, I personally think feminine beauty and type of sex acts is a very personalized and one-dimensional format for evaluating the overall quality of a given film.
As I read his reviews, I found myself continually thinking that what Mr. Riley actually presents here in criticizing the female form--and he criticizes it in the harshest terms in virtually every review-- most closely resembles womanspeak, that is, the characteristically hypercritical outlook of females when either evaluating their own bodies or the bodies of female competitors. I did not find this sort of criticism helpful, as Mr. Riley's reviewing system naively presumes there is in fact some ideal standard of feminine beauty, namely his own! I did not find any parallel between Mr. Riley's unique "fetishes" and my own, that is, when it comes to appreciation of female anatomy and his odd penchant for clinically dissecting each actress into her respective body parts.
Presenting my own counterpoint as a male consumer of adult videos, I believe differing actresses' body types hold differing erotic appeals, depending on how closely they resemble women I actually know and fantasize about, not just a fixation on some idealized body type or parts as Mr. Riley insists. I select my videos based on whether they will be a useful vehicle for fantasizing about the women I know, not women who look good to Mr. Riley!
Riley also maintains that he holds each video to the direction and production standards of a Steven Spielberg movie--I do not believe anyone else has such an absurdly high standard for adult movies. In fact, I believe this was just an excuse Mr. Riley used to consistently trash most of these movies in the name of professional criticism! Such negativity was characteristic and pervasive, and as a true fan of the movies, I did not find such overwhelmingly negative reviews helpful or informative. In fact, I resented it!
I was surprised that Mr. Riley does not offer a stars rating system...1 star... 4 stars, etc. Instead, he offers a short criticism of each movie, a brief listing of the type of sex acts performed in each film, something about the plot(if any), and any obvious editing and plot anomalies.
Fully 50% of the movies in the guide are not reviewed at all, the only details given were director/producer, year produced, actors/actresses, and type of sex acts... Mr. Riley straighforwardly admits that he uses his own personal arousal levels as the final standard for each film. However, I did not find this helpful in making my own judgments about whether the film was worthy of my time/money.
As a frequent consumer of adult videos, I would have preferred a different rating system, for example, one that states whether or not the box cover presents a fair view of the contents(usually they are just a come-on), budget dollars invested in the production of each film(probably a good indication of quality and production standards), some evaluation of acting ability(there is none), whether or not there is a sustained and developed movie plot, and even whether there is any humor in the movie(which I personally believe makes for more enjoyable viewing of adult films).
Luke: The X-Rated Star Index III got this review: "Buy this book for one purpose alone - to serve as a comprehensive reference tool. If you're a serious fan of X-rated movies, particularly a collector, this is just the book you need. Whenever you want to know exactly how many films a starlet made, and exactly what the titles are, you just flip this open and there's all the relevant info, indexed by the actress (or actor, but why you'd want that is beyond me)."
Lysa Stone from Astral Ocean says: You can put my 2 cents in in calling Riley's X-Rated Guide mysoginistic drivel. It may be comprehensive, but this insecure pig sees fit to exalt women who are 20 lbs underweight, have awful fake tits and the acting skills of a coffee table. About 1/2 % of the women in America fit his bill and they aren't fit to walk nevertheless act. Here's hoping Riley has a wife and she hates his guts.
Patrick Riley responds: Jeez, I guess Lysa is a tad overweight. She could of course try exercising using my Guides as weights and while taking an occasional breather she might notice that in addition to fatsos I generally dislike women with fake tits, awful or not. As to their acting skills, if any porno movies had plot lines or characterizations worth watching the performers' thespian qualities might be an issue. I won't quibble about 1/2%; it might even be less. In my naivete I thought that, just as the Olympics gather (say) the best gymnasts, porn should gather the prettiest, most attractive, sexiest girls to appear in its movies.
Luke: Lysa works out 6 times a week! With weights a lot heavier than that book! All the better to kick his ass.
PornGossip.com
From Bo (John Kenney's) LGI site www.porngossip.com: Ford Vasiloff Controversy
Posted by Staff Kvetsh: "This reporter wonders whether the Craig Vasiloff - Luke F-rd dispute over links was just a sham to drum up traffic. Of course none of us actually involved, even slightly, in the porn biz, can ignore the power of hype. Even negative publicity can drive traffic to the site or customers to the video store. Not when traffic or sales can mean the difference between making it this competitive market or not.
"We all know that Luke F-rd definitely likes the hype, good or bad. He likes it to the point that he will post negative publicity from others on his own site. However Craig Vasiloff has trouble taking what he has dished out to others. Perhaps he feels insecure because of some real or imagined personal defect. Maybe it's the old Freudian stuff, a small dick or a missing testicle? Well I don't know, I've never seen his "package" myself. [Any pictures of Craig Vasiloff's "package" can be sent care of the site's Webmaster.] Is all this just so Craig Vasiloff can sell more Triple X Generation magazines?
"Rumors have been floating around for months that he may not be able to keep the mag afloat, due to money issues. I find it hard to believe that Luke F-rd's editorial content hasn't been affected by Craig Vasiloff "patronage". So, Luke any comment as to whether you will be staying with FANtasticonline? Or will you admit it was a ploy for publicity?"
Luke: "Yes, I enjoy publicity and attention but my fight with Vasiloff Tuesday night was no fake. Ask the people who were with me in PST at the time. Or who saw my site blocked. I'm highly sensitive to control of my site. I resigned Tuesday night but after Craig calmed me down, I withdrew that. And I am staying with FANtastic. If I were to lose editorial control over my site, I would go ballistic and leave. Is Vasiloff thin skinned? Well, almost everyone I know is more sensitive to criticism than me. That's why I get a kick out of this site, porngossip.com, and Craig can't stand it. I've never seen Craig's package either and have no desire to. As to money problems, CV is up to date paying me and everyone else I know of."
Luke F-rd For Congress
From porngossip.com: Plans were revealed today for a Luke F-rd/Craig Vasiloff bid for Congress. Sources on the inside report that, apparently the plan is to use whatever money Vasiloff raises from his magazine "XXX Generation" to buy the election and elect his mouthpiece Luke F-rd as California's newest congressman. After his seat on Capital Hill is secured the devious duo will then fight to shut down the porn industry in California, keeping with Vasiloff's plan to move the production of virtually all adult films to Canada, where he will then secure his stranglehold on the business. Though it has been reported that Vasiloff's heart is no longer in the plan after his losing bid to secure the object of his affection Kendra Jade. Others just doubt that any amount of money could buy Luke F-rd a place in the Government. A close personal friend of Ford's, Jim DiGiorgio, was quoted as saying "They'll never pull it off. The Government may be corrupt, but it aint that corrupt." DiGiorgio then added "If those two idiots actually pull this off I'll get down on my knees and suck both them off!"
Luke: You guys basically have this right. Vasiloff will be funding my run for Congress and I do plan to shut down the California porn industry.
VCA Gossip
I hear that two of VCA's leading females, Jane Hamilton (VCA producer and director) and Stephanie Ross (VCA's head of production), want Greg Zeboray banned from Russ Hampshire's company. The reason - Greg's outspoken criticism of AIM (818-981-5681), which is run by Jane and Stephanie's friend Sharon Mitchell.
Zeboray owns PC Cast and Crew (a billing and shoot insurance company) with VCA head Russ Hampshire.
Zeboray supports the Family Medical Clinic 818-487-1987. Rob Spallone says FMC got 60 more industry customers this past month.
Greg writes Luke: "Boy, I'm getting a lot of emails and phone calls over the Stephanie / Jane story! I've actually known about it since yesterday: one of Stephanie's fellow employees (and confidant) has been running around town telling people, so the word got out pretty fast."
Los Angeles Porn
Pat Riley writes on RAME why most porn is shot in LA: Where's the equivalent of (say) Jim South in (say) MI? Without him and the others like Senter, Spallone, etc. where would the porn industry fill its voracious maw with new girls. Only in LA do you have the companies to print the box covers and duplicate the tapes. Where else is the blood lady (Sharon Mitchell) to do the HIV testing?
Sure, you could get around the agent question by doing your own advertising like Rodney Moore in Seattle or by trolling the nudie bars like Jim Gunn but this is a far less efficient way of securing talent. And for the talent too. After all, once a Seattle girl has appeared in a couple of Rodney Moore movies where else can she find work? Answer: in LA.
And you could strong arm the local printer into doing a box but you're going to pay through the nose and you're going to find plenty that won't touch the work. Back when I used to have nude girls in the tiny photo insert in my book, Prometheus had lots of difficulty persuading their normal printers to print the book. They eventually ended up at a printer in CA who did other soft core stuff.
I'm sure you can find plenty of labs nationwide to do HIV testing but how many are geared up to give you a certificate of HIV-free? At one stage the gays were very opposed to the idea of such certificates because of the potential for discrimination so you'll probably still get resistance in places like NY. Because of the production line factor, LA is also allegedly the cheapest (common sense).
Taliesin writes: There are two main factors why porn is shot in California. One is for the same reason that mainstream Hollywood movies are shot there. And that's the good weather all year long and the variety of locations within easy reach. The second reason why porn is specifically shot in the SanFernando Valley is that the laws there are favorable to porn production. No one has ever accused the business people in porn of being stupid. This is the safest place in the US that porn production companies can be. There is porn shot in New York city and other places, and porn is legal everywhere in the US. It is more restricted in some areas of the country but it is still legal. But it is safer to not shoot a production in West Bumfuk, Idaho or whatever small town where the local authorities may not be open minded. Even though porn is legal the authorities in a small town or even a big conservative city might try to make things difficult for the producers. So most porn is shot in California.
Photos
Karl: Hey Lukey, What's AJA's story ? I thought she like retired 10 years ago. Enjoyed the pics of the now blonde stunner. Is she doing anal or taking facials these days ? Always thought she was particularly hot but she was a CUM DODGER.
Luke: She took Tyce's spray like a champ Tuesday.
Nahum Leib writes: Some time on your website, Rob Spallone was quoted as saying that he would "cunt" somebody. What excatly does the word cunt, when used in a verbal context, mean? When I was in high school, my friends and I used to say that we would go "hunting for cunt". However, we shortened this expression to just "cunting", a combination of the words cunt and hunting. Is this the same form of "cunting" Rob Spallone is referring to? If so, why would Craig Vassiloff be his object of cunting? Anyway Luke, Shabbat Shalom.
Who Punched Rog?
Roger Pipe writes on RAME: All right, the speculation and rumor have gone on long enough. This is taken from my CES Report, so read it if you want. In no particular order.
·Max Hardcore- Wanted to show Rog just how high a 'demented midget cowboy' can jump.
·Houston- Finally got sick of being accused of using her Sr. Citizen's discount for the Vegas buffets.
·Mrs. Rog- Got tired of waiting to be picked up for dinner.
·Cherry Mirage- Got sick of Rog dropping his pen and picking it up while looking up her skirt and slit his forehead with her heel.
·Nameless Porn Man/Woman- Mistook Rog for Luke F-rd and went nuts.
·Thomas Zupko- Apparently still had some anti-something angst that didn't get worked out in 'Anal Ball.'
·Jill Kelly- Was said to have screamed 'If you're going to say I look like a man, I'll beat your ass like one.'
·Rob Black- Rumored to have mumbled. 'That's two years overdue, f---er.'
·Luke F-rd- Apparently didn't like that one out of ten thousand women polled dared say Rog was better looking.
·Kahn Tusion- Since he's beating everyone else up, why not a critic?
·Delaney Daniels- Allegedly stood over Rog and shouted 'Call me Tori Spelling again bitch.'
·Asia Carrera- Just because she really hates Rog.
]·An Adoring Fan- Because a lock of Rog's hair would be valuable on Ebay.
·An Unidentified Nikki Dial Fan- Who ran off shouting 'Death to the non believers.'
·Trinity- Big hugs from tall women who are visibly excited can be dangerous. (Besides, it was cold in that place.)
·Serenity- She gets pissed when you fondle her pussy for too long.
·Felecia- Meow, that's why.
·Kendra Jade- Who said 'What, did you think I just forgot that trailer park skank comment?'
·Neve Campbell or someone working for her- And if they hear one more thing about that tape from ANYONE, they'll finish the job. ·Rog T Pipe- Hey, if Morton Downey can do it….. But who REALLY did it? You didn't think I was going to give that away did you? You can read the answer at http://rogreviews.com/News/CES2000.htm
Luke Gets Mail
Joey writes: One topic I haven't seen yet, is the pee scenes in the videos. I know you don't do reviews, but how about some info as to whether there are any peeing scenes in some of the vids you write about. I buy porn only if the video contains one or more scenes of the porn girls pissing. Not the amateur stuff, either, but the main stream pro porn girls. Also, on the photos that you post, I haven't looked at all of them, but do you have any on your site showing any of the porn stars pissing? Those are my favorites, and I collecy any and all pix I can of pissing porn pussy.
Dunn: A friend of mine went to the Learning Annex for a course the other day and she says its a f---ing sham. Some guy shilling his product the whole time. I thought this was supposed to be a place to learn how to succeed in porn. Sounds like a f---ing joke to me.
Disney Links To Bestiality
Peter Hayes writes from London: I had a hot tip from a mate that a cyber-speculator was using the name Geri Halliwell (ex of the Spice Girls) as a come-on to a site dedicated to the bestiality! Naturally I was straight on the case and at first he is kinda right - if you go through the new Go (part of Disney) search engine "Go Search Express" (www.go.com/webdir) using the key words "sexy , girls" an unofficial Geri site (under the name www.gerihalliwell.co.uk) comes up with this description: "a bestiality animal sex site, containing pictures of girls with animals such as dogs, horses, monkeys, goats, cats, pigs, snakes and more. 5,000 pictures in total." However this look very much like an error on the part of Disney - the description being the same as another site above it. Further research shows that site itself makes no reference to animals and contains just a picture and a coming soon message. The speculator goes by the name of Paul Abraham and he lives in Wrose in West Yorkshire, England. He also owns other Geri extensions. The official Geri site is on www.geri-halliwell.com.
Tom Byron Ruining Porn
Lakeqi writes on RAME: Tom Byron one of my all time favorites has got to go. Why does he always do his anal scenes laying on his side- theres no friction and therefore theres no heat. Same thing with his reverse anal cowgirl scenes- why does he always have to be the one doing the f---ing while the girl just passively receives.Tom, sit in a chair and let her bounce on it like taren steel did in buttwoman, or like kim kyle did in gang banged jizz queens, or if you are in a bed let her put her feet on the bed and rock it. If youre doing anal and the girls tits arent flying all over the place tom, then assume that the viewer is being bored. Tom byron is becoming like ed powers- I dont want to watch your sex life, i want a super human physical performance designed to pound the womans arse into next week and designed to get me off.If you cant f--- hard then just retire.
TC writes: I am in Canada and we get Euro porn here - even before the USA. I prefer it to most USA porn (with a few US exceptionms (VCA, Caballero etc). The reason is I was in Europe in the 1970's and appreciated the quality of productions like Private and a little known Swedish magazine SELECTA.
While the US was emerging from 8 mm loops in the 70's these outfits were setting the new standards. Some US stars I could appreciate on real film. Actresses such as Veronica Hart and Annette Haven were real pros. Over here, we can get Magma and other Euro lines. By the way they are in the original language - French, German, Swedish etc.... I don't mind buying them - some Americans might - unless dubbed into English. English dubbing wrecks many of these films.IMHO - By the way I have over 1,500 vids in my collection.
Personally I prefer the older Magma productions. Since I compare non sex production qualities to mainstream films - I find much of the new stuff aims at being more and more bizarre, to the suffering of other production values. My favourite French Line is "Video Marc Dorcel". He uses beautiful women, lush locations, clever story lines, even composed scores in some films. His films can be truly comic (nothing more fun than a comic porn film). in "La Parfum de Mathilde" he made a masterpiece and won a Euro porn award for it. He produced a successful take off on Citizen Kane called "Citizen Shane". I believe he introduced the beautiful Draghixa Laurent to the business. She starred in both films.
Ricaud was my favorite Dorcel director. Sadly he was killed in an accident while filming (in either the Seychelles or Mauritius) My favorite Danish / German line is Private -- enough said there. My favorite Italian line is COLMAX. They produce films along the lines of Dorcel and Private. In a 2 film set entitled Viva Roma 1 and 2, they actually had a story set in WW2 and had included historical newsreel footage in the film ---- and a SCRIPT Heaven forbid - (why do most Americans seem to shun these, in porn?)
As I said, the Magma stuff seems somewhat strange these days, but I really liked some of their earlier films better. As to Actresses - I Like Draghixa, Olinka, T Cash ( better before boob job), Angelica Bella, Zara Whites etc. In the way of acrtors, I find Roberto Malone of Italy actually is a pretty fgood actor as well. I find Christof Clark seems to have a bit of an attitude (as does rocco S at times) Malone seems more natural. I think that that is the key in Euro films "Natural" is the key attribute. Natural breasts - pretty women - good acting - outdoor sex lush villas and other sets- ,. They all set Euro porn apart. This may be a biased view - but to me if porn and mainstream are to merge - it will be by this route and NOT via the Max Hardcore route.
Does Matt Drudge Have Sex With Eggs?
It seems that MattDrudge.com is following in my footsteps. Here's a posting from his (Matt's frequently believed to be gay) site: "MSNBC reporter Jeanette Walls is telling associates that she has obtained information linking Matt Drudge with a sexual preference for eggs. "He likes to have sex with eggs," Walls told an insider. "He likes them smeared all over naked male bodies." Yet another MSNBC exclusive. Walls is also reporting to MSNBC associates that Drudge likes to "have sex, with his clothes on, in the shower." Do you have any other Drudge sex stories? Walls can be reached at jeannette.walls@msnbc.com, or 201-583-5614."
Walls writes: "Drudge is upset because in my profile of him, I quote several gay former friends, including one named David Cohen who says he used to date Drudge. I’m not out to hurt or embarrass Matt Drudge. I’m certainly not passing judgment on him. I do, however, find it hypocritical that a man who has become a spokesman of the far right has led a lifestyle at odds with the ultra-conservative values he supposedly embraces. Moreover, I find it ironic that a man whose entire career has been based on revealing the sexual behavior of others has a sexual history of his own that he now seems at pains to hide."
Luke: My gaydar says Matt's as queer as a three dollar bill.