HOME 

Why Is AVN's Tim Connelly In Bed With AIM?
2003-07-09 10:09:42

I hear the most important player in the Internet porn industry has gotten into a major fight with AVN and pulled all his advertising.

Gene Ross reports: "Clinic, clinic, who's got the clinic. A series of hurry-up meetings are being generated to round-up unconditional support for AIM, and, in essence, put the lid on any potential competition that's been getting backing by certain members of Free Speech. On the very subject, writes setgo recently: "None of the other gossip columnists so far want to do battle with the 800-pound gorilla that is AVN. Look what happened to Extreme Associates." Quiz: who said the following and to whom: "AVN will shut contributions to Free Speech off if you don't play ball with us.""

Sunday morning, July 13, I chat with Rob Spallone while he's playing in the Free Speech Coalition golf tournament fundraiser.

Rob: "Somebody told me that that at the Free Speech Coalition meeting on Friday, [attorney and former FSC director] Jeffrey Douglas got up and said that Rob Spallone owed AIM a lot of money and he went to Russ Hampshire [former owner of VCA] for a loan."

Luke: "Is that true?"

Rob: "No. Put on the website that I just heard that and I'm pissed. If Douglas has a problem, let him call me. How would I owe AIM money? I don't get an AIDS test."

A source tells setgo.com that prior to his current relationship of almost two years with a non-porn girl, Tim Connelly was in a sexual relationship verging on the romantic with Miss Sharon Mitchell, the former porn star now running the biggest porn testing organization, Adult Industry Medicine (AIM). Tim retains a most warm spot in his heart and loins for Sharon.

A source says: "I now understand why Tim is taking up for AIM. Tim and Sharon Mitchell were, at the very least, f-- buddies, until Tim met his current squeeze. Now everything makes sense."

Tim Connelly, who has the toughest and most powerful job in the porn industry, was also the one who called Video Team owner Christian Mann. Tim said Chris should bully his contract director David Aaron Clark into not making any statements in support of me.

Paul Fishbein, AVN president, and former editor and publisher of AVN, and recipient on numerous occasions of my poison pen, was rather laissez faire, live and let live, about it. So was Christian Mann until giving in to Connelly's vehemence on the matter of squashing the independent reporting of setgo.com. A longtime member and proponent of the Free Speech Coalition, Mann bullied his director David Clark into promising not to write to me.

Fishbein and Mann are not fans of product that degrades women, a la Max Hardcore, Extreme Associates style, and they do not mind when people who do that get exposed. Connelly likes his porn nastier. Fishbein and Mann don't actually care for porn. It's just a business for them. Connelly loves porn, the harder the better.

I emailed Christan Mann, on the genteel side of the industry, for comment. He did not reply. I called him. After waiting on hold for almost ten minutes, I hung up.

Mann, a realist, can't help himself from liking me and my column but because I've hurt so many of his friends, he sides with them, and he bans me from his sets. Mann tries to keep his employees from talking to me.

Unusual for pornographers, the longer people know Christian Mann, the more they like him.

I emailed Tim Connelly for comment. He did not reply.

Connelly is an old friend of David Aaron Clark but he evidently doesn't mind bullying his old bud to squelch independent reporting.

XXX Porner: "Tim Connelly is a big fan of Sharon Mitchell. Friday there's supposed to be a big meeting between AVN and FSC. There's no way Sharon Mitchell should be able to control where you go for a test. If you have a doctor and you want to go there for your test, you go there. If you went to AIM and did not like it, you should be able to go wherever you want. These companies that are not accepting tests unless they come from AIM, they're setting themselves up for a big lawsuit. It's against the law to tell somebody where to get a test. As far as her having the industry database, that's fine."

Sharon Mitchell took over as STD monitoring when porn was engulfed by an HIV crisis in 1998. She was devastated when her longtime friend Marc Wallice tested HIV positive in late April 1998.

After testing HIV positive, Wallice had sex with Mitchell.

Producer Rob Spallone has long been on the warpath against AIM and Mitchell.

I hear that Adult Video News demands that the Free Speech Coalition 100% endorse AIM or AVN will hold back funding from the Free Speech Coalition.

This is to build up AIM's credibility.

I hear Bill Margold is furious about this.

I hear the FSC does not want to get into bed with AIM.

None of the other gossip columnists so far want to do battle with the 800-pound gorilla that is AVN. Look at what happened to Extreme Associates.

Tim Connelly, AVN editor and publisher, is a good politician and a good hardball player and most industry players don't want to get on his bad side.

When Extreme Associates took its trips to Brazil, guess who came along with them? Their big fan Tim Connelly. Extreme advertised big in Adam Film World.

Why is AVN demanding that the industry only test with AIM?

Why does AVN care so much about AIM? Without any other explanation making better sense, I guess AVN believes it is genuinely for the good of the industry.

On what basis do we have to trust AVN about anything?

AVN has never been known for any kind of investigative journalism, so what's up with this new claim?

AVN claims it's done a special investigative report that shows new talent are not being tested properly outside of AVN. But AVN produces no evidence to back up its claim.

This is a typical AVN big claim backed up by no supporting evidence.

AVN may have evidence. I'm just not aware of them producing it yet.

A later Connelly - AVN article claims: "...improper testing by USAA Referrals and West Oaks Urgent Care..."

I chat with Adella, publicist at Digital Playground.

Luke: "Why is AVN suddenly on this crusade for AIM?"

Adella: "I don't think that's the case. I can't speak for AVN but more than anything, from the beginning, AVN has tried to unite the industry. It's a publication that tries to bring everyone together.

"As long as you have talent that bring their tests to the set, there's a chance that those tests can be forged. If you have all tests housed and cleared through the same place, then the directors can have them faxed from the source. AIM is the most prepared and realistic force out there to unite the industry's STD testing procedures.

"I don't know about AVN being "in bed with AIM" recently. AVN is looking out for the good of the industry as a whole, and I think AIM has a similar vision."

Luke: "Has Tim tried to pressure you to not allow me to come around?"

Adella: "Not once. There are people you know who say to me, 'Adella, why do you associate with [DUC]?' You know how I respond and how I feel. You know how I responded at the XRCO Awards when someone said, 'Hey, here's [DUC] if you want to beat him up.' I said, 'Hey [DUC], you can come sit with us.'

"If there has been pressure, I am not privy to it. Neither Tim [Connelly] or Paul [Fishbein] has ever pressured me about anything."

AVN.com writes: VAN NUYS - This morning the Free Speech Coalition (FSC) issued an action alert regarding testing done at USAA Referral Service and West Oaks Urgent Care,joining AVN, the Adult Industry Medical Health Care Clinic (AIM) and other members of the adult industry in condemning the testing conducted by those companies.

The FSC urged active members of the adult talent community who worked within the last four weeks to be re-tested immediately.

"FSC is deeply concerned about your health. Because this may be a serious health issue, we recommend that all talent who have worked within the past four weeks be tested immediately,” FSC executive director Bill Lyon wrote in the action alert.

..........................

AVN writes: "Mitchell takes home approximately $1650 per paycheck bi-monthly, a modest salary for someone with her educational background running a non-profit."

What educational background? Does Mitchell have her BS degree yet? She's not a medical doctor, or nurse, or licensed social worker or therapist.

I have no dog in this fight. I don't have any agenda either way with AIM and Sharon Mitchell. I'm just raising questions.

From avn.com, editor Tim Connelly writes:

LOS ANGELES - A recent investigative report by AVN in conjunction with AIM Healthcare has uncovered a recent exposure of new talent to inadequate testing at non-adult industry HIV testing facilities.

AIM Healthcare is calling to re-test the entire industry for HIV by PCR/DNA. At this time AIM will also conduct baseline testing for syphillis, which will be funded by the LA County Health Department. This screening will begin immediately at all AIM facilities and Draw Stations.

Also, at this time it is recommended by industry attorneys Paul Cambria and Jeffrey Douglas, AVN and most of the major adult movie companies that all adult movie producers, manufacturers and distributors utilize the AIM Healthcare Foundation and only the AIM Healthcare Foundation for all talent testing as records can be accessed and HIV and STD outbreaks can be diagnosed, tracked and treated and kept under control.

..........................................

Tim Connelly writes about his life in the editorial column of the July AVN:

During my time at Knight Publishing, I never stopped writing for magazines all over the world and also consulted for many of the top companies in the industry as well as continuing to play drums, raise a family and do charity work with at-risk kids from the inner city.
Sometimes I wonder myself how I did it all and how I continue to do it all, but it’s really because I love life and am very passionate about everything I do. Hey, this kid from the south side of Chicago came a long way from growing up Catholic, studying to be a priest (that’s another story) and dropping out of school to follow my heart and my soul while almost dying from Lupus when I was 19. I’m cured now and have been for 15 years and learned a lot about how to appreciate life and how to love.
Three porn star wives (that’s yet another story) and 19 years later, here I am at the place where some thought I always should have been while others are trying to figure out how and why I could have made this move.

...............................

DUC says: I have to laugh about this guy talking about learning how to love. My first-hand experience with Connelly is limited solely about his ability to hate. I remember him lying to me to get access to my raw manuscript of what became a book I later published. I remember him threatening to pursue me to the end of the earth to wreak his vengeance. And for what? Because I said Jeremy Stone equals Tim Connelly, which is what he writes in this editorial.

I remember two XRCO Awards where he invite disaffected members of the industry to beat me up.

I remember a time at the first AVN Expo in July of 1999 when I said hello to him and he immediately chewed me out, said I was the scum of the earth.

Connelly has lied to people about me consistently. He claims I put his home address on the Internet. A complete lie. All I did was say his name was Tim Connelly.

He does have one good reason for hating me - he learned from something I wrote on the net that his wife, porn star Christy Canyon, was divorcing him.

Tim Connelly belongs at AVN. These two deserve each other.

(Note: I applied for work at AVN several times and if they paid me well enough, I'd write for them today, fat chance of that happening though.)

It's funny that Tim used to write under a fake name while I wrote under my real name. Now Tim writes under his real name, and I write under a fake name.

It's interesting to see the transformation of Tim's writing style from his over-the-top porn stars bios for the annual Adam Film World guide to his present sober presentation of the facts.

.............................

Adultfan writes: I have become a new digital g fan/consumer and have been following their press and title releases...their ads in avn are some of the best I have seen and their product is within the top companies offering couples content....here is where i get confused....I know like in any other business
politics are a huge part of doing business.....so my questions are:

Since the new digital g release features the hot Jessica Drake
and the july issue of avn also shows her in this outstanding looking ad.

Why hasn't avn posted digital g's press release regarding this new release like they have done with their first three titles?

Is it politics involved becasue Jessica is now a Wicked contract girl?

Is this big player that concerned over a new start up company that is gaining so much press and momentum?

Well maybe they are as digital g's content is strong. I for one have become a digital g fan and my local video store has told me that the will have the digital g's new release available tomorrow or friday at the latest. So my porn dollars for the weekend are going to digital g and another hot weekend
with the lady friend is about to begin.

Their press and marketing is clever and consumer couple friendly and it seems that the guy who is involved as the head of digital g also has major ties with getting the porn girls into late night r rated stuff which I also watch with my lady friend. Even some of our friends who have seen these late
night shows have become digital g fans as they are curious to see some these girls and guys actually doing it after getting all excited watching the skinmax stuff.

Did Wicked pull power at avn because they are larger advertiser?

Or did avn just happen to loose digital g's release? As I have seen the new Jessica Drake announcement of the new title on all other adult news sites.

Pretty sad case of affairs if this is the Goliath syndrome trying to squash the little guy!

..............................

David Aaron Clark, evidently retired from his gadly commentator role on the gossip sites and RAME, still writes a regular column for www.avninsider.com. His work has become less personal and more automatic. He uses fewer big words. More porners probably prefer this new style, they can get it on the first read.

James DiGiorgio's Homosexual Rage At Michael Raven Knows No Limits
2003-07-09 16:00:11
Jimmy's jealous that Wicked Pictures placed a two-page ad in AVN touting their new director Michael Raven.

Nobody's placed any big ads featuring Jimmy in all his glory hamming for the camera and looking hot.

For years, I've stood by silently while James DiGiorgio has berated and badgered and belittled the upstanding director Michael Raven. Never again.

It's sad how jealousy can take over a man's whole being and poison his life.

DiGiorgio writes on www.simplyjimmyd.com: Who came up with this ad? What were they thinking?

C’mon guys, we’re selling sex here—straight heterosexual sex—does anyone really think you get any mileage out of putting up a director’s dramatically-posed, “look how intense I am,” photo? If so, I think someone needs a straight-porn reality check. Didn't it occur to anyone to pose Raven with a couple of hot, naked chics at his side? Was there not enough limelight for that? Wicked certainly has at least a couple of hotties under contract there. I would think one or two of them would have been willing to jump into that photo and make eyes at Raven like he's the grand, high, exalted, mystic ruler of all things porno.

Silent One writes: [DUC] have you sold out.... shame on you! I guess Raven has you in his pocket. [DUC] bought and paid for with chump change from Raven.

I'll be sure to tell everyone I see that you are now for sell, that's funny [DUC].

You are a suck ass Raven boy now {DUC], I guess you'll find out the hard way.

Cut and dry the story I gave is 100% true and verifiable if you would of done what you claim you do.

............................................

Luke: As soon as I saw the outrage DiGiorgio perpetrated on that kindly old goy, Michael Raven, I called Michael to get his reaction.

He laughed. "I think it is funny. You want my response? I'd much rather have a beautiful babe on either arm. I guess a lot of people would get pissed off but it's funny to me.

"I didn't laugh that hard until I had tilted down the screen and saw he'd pasted me between two gay guys."

Luke: "Are there any plans for you, Johnathan and Brad to hold hands?"

Michael: "It's his karma coming back to me. When I saw Brad for the first time at a show a couple of years ago, I teased him a little bit. Now I'm getting my dose of it."

Luke: "Who came up with this ad?"

Michael: "It's what their inhouse guy does [editor: I bet he's a flaming homo]. I was there for the picture."

Luke: "Were you consulted over it?"

Michael: "No."

Luke: "Did you recommend anything about it?"

Michael: "No."

Luke: "Do they do these type of ads for Brad and Johnathan?"

Michael: "Yes."

Why doesn't Jimmy poke fun at them?

Michael: "Brad and Johnathan have 40-foot posters that are part of the booth. I don't get a 40-foot banner.

"No, I wasn't consulted on the ad. I don't have a problem with the ad. I think it's a nice ad. It's just fodder for people like JimmyD to poke fun of."

Luke: "I'm sorry you are not offended."

Michael: "I wish they had put some girls in the ad. Aside from the gay audience, they could care less who the director is... They'll buy the movie of the worst director in the world if it's got his favorite chick in it."