Belladonna On ABC Thursday Night
2003-01-21 08:35:31
I thought it fair and accurate (except for perpetuating
the myth that porn is a $10 billion a year industry, more like $4
billion).
AVN's Tod Hunter keeps warning porners that mainstream journalists
are not your friends. Well, take it from me - any journalist who claims
to be your friend is no journalist.
Yes, it is possible for a journalist to be your friend and to write
about you, but as long as he allows his friendship with you to effect
his reporting on you, he's no journalist.
The flip side of the constant AVN warning that mainstream journalists
are not your friends is this obvious point - Adult Video News journalists
are not journalists. AVN is not journalism. And none of the other
websites "reporting" on the adult industry are journalism either.
There is nothing morally superior about being a journalist versus
being a shill, which is what AVN and company do. But just remember
when you read AVN and company, you are not getting the truth. You
are getting as censored and manipulated view of porn as Russians got
under communism.
It was not AVN that broke the news on porn's HIV cases post 1997.
It was a few independent voices on the internet.
If you want to face the hard truth about porn, you can find it at
times on setgo.com and in the mainstream media. You wont get it on
the purported "porn news" sites (though the people running them are
often nice people and my friends).
{URL=http://www.pornoblography.com]Carly Milne repeats herself and
almost every other porner pundit here[/URL]: "But the one thing they
didn't point out throughout the entire piece is that women are here
of their own free will."
Guess what porners? Even if people consent to destroying themselves,
catching vicious diseases, ripping apart their own psyches and souls,
causing irreparable pain to their families, forever killing their
own chances for social standing, THAT STILL DOESN'T MAKE IT OK FOR
YOU TO PROFIT FROM. I know you don't understand this but most people
do. It's obvious to most people. Assisting someone committing suicide
is a crime and making pornography is a way of assisting suicide, in
the view of most people.
As the LA Times pointed out two weeks ago, legal experts say you can't
sign away your rights to sue if you catch some horrible disease on
the job.
And just because people consent to something doesn't morally absolve
you, or your industry.
According to the
ABCNews website: "How does a nice Mormon girl end up starring
in porno films? Primetime investigates the hugely profitable adult
film industry, and talks to some of the young men and women who are
drawn into the business by the
promise of quick cash."
Mike Paul writes on RAME: Ummm, I'd say "Pornography Chainsaw Massacre"
comes close. It appears that no matter what an actress says about
how much she enjoys the work, it's probably a lie. From Ona Zee through
Bella Donna, and probably beyond.
Who told Dr. Koop that the fans despise the actors?...
It will seem odd if/when OSHA mandates condoms for sex workers, when
the Justice Department wants nothing to do with the Industry about
discrimination or other job-related problems.
Edroogie writes on RAME: Some errors are blatant. Koop says the users
(us consumers) despise the talent/producers of porn....I have found
no evidence of that after 30 years of viewing. They (Koop & Sawyer)
state that there are no health benefits/insurance or unions. I defy
them to find any of those things on ANY independent film or video
poduction with a budget of 5-15 grand...it's unheard of. They speak
of residuals and
profit-sharing...most if not all "non-SAG" straight actors get their
"day rate" and that's it! As for "Bella" she may not like herself
at times (which brings her to tears in the piece) but is that not
in itself the exact psychological "turn-on" which submissives/masochists
seek? No matter what ABC tells us, she's totally into being ravaged/choked/gangbanged
by 12 dudes as well as being tied up and slapped/whipped...not to
mention her winning awards at AVN.
Lordish writes on RAME: This wasn't the hatchet job I was expecting.
What it did mostly was to confirm what was in the recent New York
Times article on the same subject. The porn industry is very hard
on the women and it's clearly
ready for major reform.
Now I was both impressed and saddened by Bella's story of her start
in the biz. It's sad that she feels trapped, but she DID get serious
recognition for her work and she's developed LEGIONS of loyal fans,
and that seemed to compensate for her difficulties. Even though she's
paid a price Bella impressed me as a very resilient young woman--she
fought back from her depression and kept soldiering on. Whether or
not the
extreme stress of the business gets to her like so many others remains
to be seen.
As for the drugs she's started it's everywhere in society and no
evidence was presented that showed that the porn industry was worse
than any other sector.
The one thing that really pissed me off was Sawyer's constant harping
that what was happening was disgusting. Clearly a very large percentage
of the video renting and buying public disagree. I'm one of them.
What has got to be done is to try to remove the stigma that punishes
ALL sex workers. Like I've been saying, the people in porn are people
and they deserve the dignity that their labor should give them. Dr.
Koop was right. I for one really apprieciate what the girls do. I
admire them. They surely should be compensated more than $1500 for
potentially
dangerous scenes like double anals. Prostitution should have been
legalized nationwide decades ago as it was in Europe Working in porn
should NOT turn the workers into social pariahs. Why has there been
no union organizing?
Some technical way has to be found to preserve an illusion of
unprotected sex. It was asserted that sales go down when male condoms
are involved in a scene. Are there any kind of alternative means?
Perhaps the female condom? I hear that they are difficult to use but
it may be worth the effort.
What is necessary is state health regulation of the business that
recognizes the economic truth of the business, and some kind of union
for the performers. There should be some kind of union person at offices
of the agents handling porm to fully inform new performers EXACTLY
what they are getting involved with.
I know that everyone who reads or posts to RAME knows that World
Modeling primarily handles people in porn. It is unconsionable that
the new girls find out ONLY after they've started their interviews.
World Modeling needs to put the fact on their advertising matter.
I note now that Bella has her own production company. God bless her
and good luck to her! No matter what, she's turned out to be BRILLIANT
at what she does.
PS Natcho Vidal is now on my thug list with TT Boy, Rocco Siffredi
and Max Hardcore. What he's been doing to Bella in their scenes together
is horrifying.
JMT writes on www.simplyjimmyd.com: If you professional porno people
made your stuff seem anywhere close to as depraved and filthy as this
Primetime Live thing depicts it, your sales would go way up. I'm eagerly
awaiting the next 30 minutes . . . .
The phrase "double-anal" is first uttered on American network TV.
Leonard Goldenson spins in his grave. And my local ABC affiliate mysteriously
loses its satellite feed ... hmmmm.
Undertaker writes on RAME: I felt bad for BellaDonna when she was
beaten up by the Spanish actor she had fallen for. She obviously thought
the guy liked her and she was smitten with him.
The voice over on the ABC show said that the beating the guy gave
BellaDonna was not in the script and it didn't make the final cut
in the video. Roughing her up that way was totally unnecessary. I
got the impression that she isn't going to remain in the industry
much longer.
DDD says: Damn, jim south is creepy. Johnathan morgan....drugs took
their toll...ugh jim south just went up on the creep-o-meter. wow./bellas
kiddie pics. damn.this abc show is creepy. again mr south gets creepy.
Steve Banan writes: "ABC spent almost two years with Bella and tonight
presented to the world a negative slant on the industry. The industry
was portrayed as monsters were horrible people exist, something like
a snake pit would come to mind
"It shed a horrible light on this industry and the people that make
it up. I am sure from the presentation by ABC this evening, that Middle
America, will get the idea that our industry is just waiting in the
shadows to grab these young girls and put them in to porn - slavery."
Fast Eddie writes: Well, the one thing I gained from the show was
the fact that Porn isn't going away... with the dollars it now generates,
and the corporate involvement, it's bigger than Disney! The one laugh
I got was the comparison to the NFL in terms of the amount of money
it generated... The ABC producers failed to take into account the
100 billion or so generated by gambling on pro football....
While I thought the show was fairly straight forward in what it was
about, it did focus on the "lowest common denominator" in the adult
industry, the nastiest of the gonzo product... but that's what gets
the ratings, I suppose... I mean, what kind of an "expose" would it
be if it concentrated on the Vivid's and Wicked Pictures's kind of
porn...
A couple of specific observations.... What was Jim South, Patrick
Collins and Jonathan Morgan thinking??? Are they of the opinion that
any publicity is good publicity? I don't care how mainstream porn
is becoming, isn't it common sense to keep as low a profile as possible?
Obviously they're not as smart as GM or Marriott.
Also, Randy West looked to be about 70 years old. Ona Zee is looking
her age as well.
I do agree that there should be better self-policing, but truthfully,
what industry left to self-examination has ever done so in a straight
forward and honest manner... The AMA? The Airline Industry? The drug
companies? It just doesn't happen... When the watchdogs are the same
people who hold the purse strings, what can you expect.
Unfortunately, most people see the porn industry the same way they
see escorts... They only know what they hear from the media, and the
media usually goes for sensationalism... so prostitutes are all seen
as drug addled women who hate men, hate themselves, and come from
a shattered home life... they see only the story of the street hooker,
and extrapolate that to include all working girls... I'd bet that
if you asked the average person, they'd say that escorts don't kiss.
And if you told them that some escorts are passionate, vocal and highly
skilled at making a man feel good, they'd think you were crazy.
The same can be said of the porn industry... when stories are told,
it's always a tragic tale like Shauna Grant's that get attention,
and it's always the extremes of the porn industry like Rob Black's
kind of videos that get the focus. It's easier for people to think
that all pornstars hate what they're doing and are exploited... But
for every Bella Donna out there, there are others who have used the
industry to create a lucrative feature dance career, or a profitable
website, etc. who knew exactly what they were doing and what they
were getting into... I'm not saying that the industry doesn't take
advantage of naive young women, but so does hollywood, madison ave.,
and virtually any business that uses sex to sell or enhance their
product.
.....................................
I hung out with Belladona on the set of Jill Kelly Productions "LatinaX"
shoot 1/23/03.
I walk in at 10:30AM. Lola sits on a couch ready to take on Julian
St Jox and Mark Ashley. Lola says she heard Alexis Amore has signed
with Jill Kelly Productions. Lola says she wants a contract.
Jason, behind the scenes camera guy, says many companies have been
competing for Alexis. He implies that companies are not competing
for Lola.
Lola says she hasn't been exercising and that she is out of shape
and overweight.
Bud Lee, an amiable grandfather figure, is today's director.
Lola says she was sexually active with other girls by the age of seven.
She lost her virginity to a guy at age 14.
Along with Jason the camera guy, I chat with Dee and find out she
split a year ago from her husband Rob. They had a porn company together
- Rob/Dee Enterprises. It's now owned by Rob. Dee took the house and
has her own company, Diva, distributed by Video Team. Her business
partner is Video Team director Vance Styles.
Rob does promotion for Oz Entertainment, which used to be the strip
club Bob's Classy Lady.
Dee says Jason's a boring interviewer. I think he generally asks good
questions but he's unable to fire up Dee.
Steve Chase is the production manager for Jill Kelly Productions,
earning $100,000 a year. He owns the Lee Network, a big agency booking
strippers, with Tony Endovino.
Steve says that Jason and his friend Scott Justice, Michael Raven's
businss partner, both need to stay away from the buffet.
Steve brought his wife Rebecca Bardoux into the business in 1992.
Steve had a long relationship with Lita Chase, now on the escorting
circuit. He's now married to porn star Sondra Hall, several months
pregnant and a PA on today's shoot.
I follow Jason to interview Belladonna. We've never met. She gives
me an enthusiastic greeting. She's read my stuff for years.
Belladonna broke up with her boyfriend Nacho Vidal at the recent AVN
Expo.
Bella: "We're both working and doing good. We're happy."
Bella is a stunning curvaceous woman covered with tattoos. She's just
moved back to Los Angeles.
Bella: "I was born in Biloxi, Mississippi. I went to Idaho, Germany,
California, Delaware, Utah. My Dad was a bishop in the Mormon Church.
My parents had eight kids.
"When I started in porn, I didn't care what they thought. They're
just people. After I started, I called them up and said, 'Guess what
I'm doing? I'm doing porno.' They asked, 'Are you happy"' I said,
'Yes I am. I have a lot of money.' They said ok."
Bella entered the industry three years ago when she was eighteen.
Jason: "Are you scared about the ABC show tonight? You know they're
going to chop it up to make you look bad."
Bella: "Yeah I'm scared. They've been following me around for two
years. I hope they don't chop me up. I'm really nervous. I made sure
every time I said something, that if something is bad in my life,
it's not because of porno. I've done my own things. You could ask
another girl and she could've had a totally different experience in
porno. You can't take my story and make it seem like everyone's story.
"I watched THE VIEW yesterday. Diane Sawyer was on there. She showed
part of my interview, where I was crying. She made me cry. She asked
me questions I didn't expect. I was already nervous because it was
her. I hadn't eaten all day. She was like, 'Why are you smiling while
you are saying all these things?'
"She was asking me questions about my life and how I had a lot of
depression problems in my life. I was just being honest."
Jason: "What questions did she ask that made you cry?"
Belladonna: "Why I was doing videos... I've stopped a couple of times.
I was like, I like the attention. I like a lot of attention. In my
family, we had eight children. I didn't get a lot of attention when
I was young. I was like, wow man, I'm getting a lot of attention and
I'm getting paid for it."
Jason: "Why were you smiling?"
Bella: "Diane would ask, what do you do? And I'd say, Oh, I do anal.
And I'd always smile. That's who I am. And she asked, why are you
smiling when you say these things? And it hit me off guard and it
made me think and I started tearing up. I want people to see me happy.
I don't want everyone to know my problems. I have a lot of drama."
Jason: "With a name like Belladonna, we'd expect nothing less than
a lot of drama."
Luke: "Did they get to see much of your drama?"
Bella: "I'm sure they did. They met me before I met Nacho. They saw
me meet Nacho and they saw me fighting with Nacho and they saw me
break up with Nacho. I have no patience. I like change. I'm always
changing. As I get older, I think I know what I want more.
"Over the past three years, I've done a lot of hard work and now I
want to rest."
Jason: "So what do you want?"
Bella: "I want to be done doing porn in six months. I want to go to
massage therapy college. I'm good with my hands. I love to massage
people. I'm so good at it. I heal people. I have magical hands. Underneath
your skull, I like massaging the bone structure and behind your ears."
Jason: "They do it my salon when I get my hair done, while they're
washing it, they massage through it."
Steve Chase: "They massage you while you have a mask and cucumbers
on your eyes and a wrap. And a pedicure too."
Jason: "Well, yeah, I crossdress."
Bella: "I had my legs waxed for the first time in Spain a month ago
and it hurt. I was crying. I hadn't shaved in a month. When I'm in
Spain, I don't shave. I was bushy. I love it. I think it is so sexy.
If a woman is sexy and she likes to be hairy, she can look good too.
But I didn't keep it for much longer because I care about other people."
Luke: "What did you fight with Nacho about at AVN Expo?"
Bella: "I wanted to not be with him. When I break up with someone,
I don't want to hang out with them and still be friends. If I'm away
from them, I'm not going to torture myself about being jealous of
every little thing.
"I wanted to be alone and he wanted us to be friends. Finally, I just
gave in but the whole time in my heart, I felt like I needed some
separation. It was me. Nacho is a great guy. I have a lot of issues
I have to deal with in my life."
Luke: "Did you feel better after crying with Diane Sawyer?"
Bella: "I got to spend a couple of hours with her in New York. I felt
better after crying but really I felt like it could've been done somewhere
else. It didn't have to be with Diane Sawyer. I could've called my
family and cried about those things.
"I didn't expect her to make it look like that. They had been telling
me, 'Oh, she's not going to make you look bad. She's not going to
bag on the industry.' But when you make someone cry..."
Jason: "That's her forte. It's not in hopes to make you look bad to
bring out the inner person."
Bella: "She was a great woman. She had a lot of nice things to say.
I gave my opinion on the industry and my experience of the industry.
Many people may not agree with me telling the truth. Every industry
in the world has similar problems [to porn]. I'm not the kind of person
to go on a show and lie because I want everything to look perfect.
"I was a f-----up person before I got into the industry. If they think
I'm f-----up because of the industry, they're stupid."
Jason: "I think most of the girls are a little bit f-----up on the
way in."
Bella: "If I was a happy person with a lot of self esteem and confidence
that I could get another job, I probably would never have done porn.
I could've done something else and had a lot more. Now people are
always going to think that this is the kind of person I am.
"When I am at home, I like to make passionate love. I'm a freak in
bed if you want me to be. I'm not always into rough sex. I adapt to
whatever my lover likes. I like to be whatever that person wants me
to be because that makes me horny.
"I was always sexual. At five years old, I was humping girls. I had
dreams about f---ing guys at age eight or nine. My parents were strict
Mormons. We weren't even supposed to masturbate. I wasn't supposed
to use tampons. I felt guilty. Now I feel free. You should never tell
anyone what they should be when they're young. They will always remember
that."
Belladonna won four awards at the AVN Awards earlier this month in
Las Vegas:
Best Oral Sex Scene - Film
The Fashionistas, Belladonna & Rocco Siffredi, Evil Angel
Best Supporting Actress - Film
Belladonna, The Fashionistas, Evil Angel
Best Tease Performance
Belladonna, The Fashionistas, Evil Angel
Best All-Girl Sex Scene - Film
The Fashionistas, Belladonna & Taylor St. Claire, Evil Angel
DUC asks Belladonna about her fight with Nacho Vidal at the AVN Awards.
Bella: "I was getting my awards and Nacho got pissed off at me because
this guy was talking to me and holding my hand the whole time."
Bella takes my hand in hers. She's sexual. I can't help getting excited
by this 21-year-old nymph.
Bella: "And I'm a nice person so I was just listening to what he had
to say but Nacho didn't like that. 'Why did you let him hold your
hand for that long?' Because I'm that kind of person. I'm not going
to do anything with him. We were fighting over something stupid like
that."
Luke: "How did you like getting your awards?"
Bella: "It was nice. I enjoyed doing that movie (Fashionistas for
Evil Angel) so much. It got a lot of attention and it deserved it.
I never enjoyed doing dialogue so much in my life. I like working
with John Stagliano. He's such a creative guy."
I chat privately with Belladonna about Australia and other topics
and then we go our separate ways.
Dee gives Jason a hard time about his lame question selection for
her.
Jason: "I don't like it when people give me a hard time about my questions."
Bella has to run off in two hours to do dialogue for Jenna Jameson's
movie I DREAM OF JENNA.
Bella: "I did a scene with her last night. It was great. I'd never
met her. I'd never wanted to cry after having an orgasm before. She
did me anally with a strap-on. It was a hard scene. Afterwards, we
were just holding each other. It was passionate. There were five other
girls (including Nakita Denise) and T.T. Boy f------. You could hear
screaming. TT did all the girls except Jenna and I.
"TT is Nacho's best friend so I could never work with him."
Billy Glide and Belladonna would like to own their own porn production
companies but they're not aggressive or skilled enough.
Billy: "If somebody got the ball rolling, I could keep it going."
Bella: "I think my ball got pushed with the Fashionistas. Now I don't
have to do many scenes any more because I have my series (for brand
new company Cineplex)."
Bella says she needs to smoke marijuana because she's so hyper. "I
have so much energy and I won't stop talking [without dope]. You can
get like a year's worth of content in one day."
Bella didn't start using drugs until she entered porn, as pointed
out by the ABC documentary.
Bella to Billy: "How many times did I come over to your house before
I fu---- you? Four or five times.
"He treats me like a goddess. He massages me. And he's such a handyman
around the house.
"I'm a freak. Maybe this is why we shouldn't smoke weed. Do you smoke?"
Luke: "No."
Bella has real breasts. "I have a bra on that makes them look bigger."
Mark Ashley: "How did you learn to arch?"
Bella: "My first boyfriend... I have a constant need for attention.
So even if I get f-----, I want to get f---- again right after. Again
and again. I'm begging for it. I'd be laying in bed and I wanted to
get him to look at me. I wanted his attention. So I'd keep my ass
arched as far up as possible, but still laying down. And I'd wear
the tightest shortest pair of shorts. And I'd stay like that for hours
so he'd notice me."
Luke: "That's funny."
Bella: "I know. So sad. But I learned to arch. That and gymnastics."
Thom Burr writes on RAME: Wow. They must have actually *worked* to
find a porn "starlet" as seedy and degraded as Bella. Tarnished Jenna
J. looks and sounds like a princess compared to Bella the Gap-Toothed
Gape Whore.
Why do I sense a vicious little hatchet-job coming down the pike?
I mean, if you're following _Bella_ around to get info on the porn
biz, just how unwonderful is porn going to oh-so-quickly look? Unless
one is very jaded, or determined to be naive, Bella is a poster girl
for the darker sides of porn...
Speedskater writes on RAME: "Lured by the promise of quick cash"?
Like they're offering candy to 5-year-olds. You know, the promise
of cash is the reason I went into the f---ing newspaper industry.
It's obviously going to be a slanted, preachy, distorted hatchet job,
but I'll watch, rooting for Bella to hold her own. Just be thankful
they didn't have the idea of profiling Bisexual Britni.
From the Salt
Lake Tribune:
The story is so familiar: Michelle Sinclair was an 18-year-old from
Magna who wanted to make it big as a model in Los Angeles.
Two years ago, she packed her bags and headed west with a portfolio
under her arm and an offer for work, except the job was not modeling
clothes -- it was posing in the nude. That led to photos in sex magazines
and, ultimately, lesbian porn movies.
Today at 20, Sinclair -- whose stage name is "Belladonna" -- is a
rising star in the adult entertainment industry, a far cry from the
outgoing schoolgirl attending church with her mother, father and six
siblings.
Sinclair's journey is the focus of a "Primetime Thursday" special
that looks at the growing pornography industry and the impact it has
on the people who perform in it. It airs at 9 p.m. on KTVX Channel
4.
Television news crews followed Sinclair for two years, tracking her
ups and downs in the business, which generates between $10 billion
and $12 billion a year, according to the report. The show's host,
Diane Sawyer, also interviews Sinclair's mother, 43-year-old Dianna
Hamilton.
Hamilton, who was unable to provide a working telephone number for
Sinclair, has felt helpless to stop her daughter from continuing in
the sex-film industry.
"I don't want her doing that. It will hurt her eventually," Hamilton
said Wednesday in an interview with The Salt Lake Tribune. "She told
me that they always use condoms, and they are always tested. She seemed
so professional about it, but at the same time, I know it has to hurt
her sometime."
Sinclair was born in Mississippi, the daughter of an Air Force personnel
officer who had to uproot his family many times, according to Hamilton.
Sinclair's father declined to be interviewed.
The family finally settled in Utah after friends said the job market
was good, and "we always wanted to live in the center of the Mormon
church," said Hamilton, who at the time was an active member of The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Sinclair was soon in trouble, dropping out of the ninth grade at Hunter
Junior High School in West Valley City and running away from home
to be with a boyfriend.
Hamilton was at a loss for ideas.
"By then, my marriage with [Michelle's father] was falling apart,"
said Hamilton, who has since remarried. "He was washing his hands
of her, and I was getting frustrated with her. It was a big mess and
a very frustrating time. It felt like there was nothing that would
work."
Sinclair met some Salt Lake City strippers and made $500 dancing in
the nude at a bachelor party.
"She thought this was easy money," her mother said. "She was all confused
inside."
While Sinclair was working in a Salt Lake City strip club, a local
photographer assembled a portfolio for her so she could head for Los
Angeles.
"She told me she was going to do lingerie modeling, but she actually
went to do lesbian porn with her friend," said Hamilton. "She showed
me some magazines that were disgusting. They were pictures of people
having sex. Then she admitted to doing some actual sex. It took me
a year to fully learn what she was doing."
.............
I hang out with publicist Jason Sechrest and porn star Shay Sights.
He says that Shay won't be doing a scene with her ex-boyfriend Nick
Manning tomorrow afternoon.
Jason: "It's ridiculous that anyone who is going through a breakup
should have to have sex with the person they are emotionally distraught
over."
Shay: "I don't think it was unprofessional for me not to want to do
that."
Jason: "Nick thought it was unprofessional for her to pull out of
the scene. You have to think about your soul and what's good for you
personally before you think about work."
Shay: "You have to take care of yourself. If you're not grounded and
stable and you don't take care of yourself first, then how do you
handle this industry?"
Luke: "What happened between Shay and Nick at the AVN Expo?"
Jason: "We are not going to comment on that at this time. I'm sure
Nick will have a lot to say."
Shay: "I have nothing but good things to say about Nick. I learned
a lot from him over two years. He's a great guy."
Jason: "You've rehearsed that so well."
Luke: "At the AVN Awards, was that all your real hair?"
Shay: "No."
Jason: "Yes."
Shay: "Yes."
Laughter.
DUC to Shay: "What's the biggest rumor about you?"
Shay: "That I was in a relationship for two years in which I had no
control. I was just sort of there and Nick bossed me around. I was
there out of choice and I don't regret it. I didn't live in a POW
camp."
DUC To Jason: "Is it true you have ties to organized crime?"
Jason laughs: "I wish. One big rumor about me, more in the gay industry,
is that I am really 30 years old. I'm 23. A lot of people don't believe
that I could've come so far and write what I write."
Shay: "You're an old soul."
Luke: "Who are the biggest Mafiosi in porn?"
Jason: "I know nothing about Mafia in porn. I don't associate with
VCA Pictures."
Shay: "VCA? I thought it was Metro."
Luke: "Jason, how come people don't hate you for your hard-hitting
gossip on jasoncurious.com?"
Jason: "Number one, as you said, is that I check my sources and I
make sure that everything is true before I publish. More than that,
I learned everything I know about writing gossip columns from Liz
Smith. I love to think of myself as the Liz Smith of the porn industry.
She will write something scandalous but she will put such a positive
spin on it. She will write something horrible that a Hollywood star
has done and then go, 'Oh, but who cares? Shouldn't we all just look
beyond that to the person who is inside?'
"I find a way to do it so that other people can't be angry. And I
link to everyone."
Luke: "Why did you say Paul Fishbein was your idol in your piece on
the cancelation of the GAYVNs?"
Jason: "It was another example of my way of what I just explained.
Doing a negative piece but putting a positive spin on it so they were
not angry at me for it."
Luke: "Are you related to DJ Ryan Sechrest of American Idol?"
Jason: "No. But my friend Sam Phillips went out with Ryan once and
he told her that he gets asked all the time if he's related to me."
I ask several porn studs, Mark Ashley, Julian St. Jox, Billy Glide
and company if the US should go to war with Iraq and they all say
no.
It seems more porners drive the SUV Cadillac Escalade than any other
car.
I hear Janine is marrying Jessie James, who does shows on the Discovery
Channel.
I interview Lola.
Lola: "Lola has been getting her sh-- back together again and she
is going to come back and possibly do A. I've never done anal before.
I think it is time I kick it up a notch. I want to get really nasty."
Luke: "What have you been doing to get your life back together?"
Lola: "Getting rid of the boyfriend [Mickey G]. We were called the
Ike and Tina [Turner] of the industry."
Luke: "Did he beat you?"
Lola: "No. I beat him. He deserved it. I gave him a couple of black
eyes and a fat lip.
"Mickey G is in his own world. I tried to fit in but it didn't happen.
I'm ok with that because I don't want to fit in to his world.
"Mickey and I never had rought sex. It was the opposite. It was delicate.
I was like a flower.
"For me to succeed at anything I do, I can't have anybody in my life."
Luke: "Is the industry a nurturing place for relationships?"
Lola: "Not at all. There's nothing nurturing to relationships in this
business. If anything, it destroys them. Only one couple I know has
survived all that - Kim Chambers and Scott Styles.
"I love men but because I've worked with so many men in movies, I'm
starting to like women more than ever before. I've had so much cock...
In some ways, I get jaded and want nothing to do with sex. Being in
front of the camera boosts my ego."
Luke: "What do you love about the industry?"
Lola: "Makeup. That's my favorite part. I love meeting new people."
Luke: "What do you hate the most about the industry?"
Lola: "The attitudes [of superiority]. But I realized when I took
a break that every industry has that.
"I want a contract. There's no company right now promoting a latin
star. I've been in the industry for a while and I've made a good name
for myself but nobody seems to be picking up on that."
I chat with photographer Larry Sultan. He's smart and takes great
photos that appear in New York Times Sunday magazine, Esquire, Details,
Detours, etc. He's working on a coffee table book of pictures from
porn sets.
Larry needs more photos of men for his book that comes out next spring.
The most photogenic men he finds are the Puerto Rican crew members
Sean and Spud.
Sean is a terribly forbidding looking guy with a tattoo that reads,
"Today I kill, Tomorrow I'm king."
I chat with Billy Glide. He remembers his early porn days in 1999
when he was passing out all the time on set from taking the drug GHB.
Jason, the behind the scenes cameraman, is quick on his feet and with
the camera. I ask him if he has a background in ballet. No. He was
a pulling tackle at CSUN. His fighting weight is 240.
I chat with Duke Hunter from www.thehardcoresource.com. He's been
a bounty hunter for 20 years. He arrests people who skip out on bail
and takes them to jail. Dangerous, exciting work.
Mark Ashley is from Vancouver, Canada. He started out in amateur videos
for The Firm, before moving to LA a year ago. He's done over 100 videos.
Mark: "I have a much higher style of living than I was used to."
Mark's porn star girlfriend is Petra.
Luke: "How do you have a relationship and work in porn?"
Mark: "You have to acknowledge that sometimes you get jealous and
if you have to deal with it. Acknowledge that you're better off in
a relationship. I deal with my job better, with stress better, when
I am in a relationship."
Mark's alienated from his family. "I was never close to my family.
Obviously, if I got into this business, my family was not an issue.
My brother hung up on me."
Luke: "What do you hate the most about the industry?"
Mark: "Doing gangbangs."
Belladonna Responds To ABC TV's Primetime
2003-01-24 14:26:13
Belladonna was embarrassed and ashamed of the
documentary and the way she came across.
AVN's Mark Kernes reacts with fury to the documentary here.
Mike Quasarman writes www.simplyjimmyd.com: "Anyone who gives this
girl a job in the future should be brutally beaten with a bag of hammers.
Her performance last night makes Alexandria Quinn's Hard Copy performance
of a decade earlier look like an infomerical by comparison. I shot
Bella twice and at no time did she indicate to me that her "smile"
was a facade. At no time did she mention that her deeply religious
mother was disappointed in her. It was indeed difficult to ascertain
her troubled history while she was yelling "f--- me harder you f---!!!!"
May Bella Donna be relegated to the only thing she is truly qualified
for; collecting public assistance."
What Mike and other porners don't get is that people are different
around different people. Belladonna the porn star is a different person
to the girl away from porn, be Michelle alone with her family or with
Diane Sawyer. People are complex even when they're porn stars and
they liked to get f---ed hard on camera.
I walk in to the Jill Kelly Productions set at 11AM. Bud Lee is shooting
another scene for the movie LatinX. It features Jezebel Bonde, as
white as they come, and a muscular Puerto Rican named Talon. Bond
has severe toothache and a swollen face. She and Talon do their scene
on bar stools.
"That's why they call it work," says director Bud Lee.
Jason, the behind-the-scenes camera guy, and I step outside with Belladonna.
Jason: "This is the day after we saw your program Primetime. They
chopped you up."
Bella: "Yeah, they chopped me up a lot. They didn't let me finish.
There were certain things I said and then afterwards I said something
else. Those parts weren't even shown.
"They made a lot of things up. I was never waiting for a contract
from anyone. There were so many things they added."
Luke: "Did you apply for a contract at VCA?"
Bella: "No. Never. The whole mailbox thing. I was checking my mail
one day and they were recording me. I wasn't waiting for a contract
in the mail. I never wanted a contract because I knew I could make
more money doing my own thing.
"This is embarrassing. There was so much cut-out."
Luke: "What about your mother wanting to be your personal assistant
on a series?"
Belladonna: "When I got my series, I told her that I wanted her to
come work for me. I'd love to be able to take care of my Mom. She's
a great worker. I brought her out here and I gave her $5000 cash and
appointed her my production manager. I was going to pay her $5000
every month.
"But the money I was promised at first to do my own series got changed.
Everything went wrong and she ended up going back [to Utah]."
Jason: "Did you actually send your sister to college?"
Bella: "I paid for most of her college. She's graduated. She was in
Washington [State]. She had two part-time jobs. She said she didn't
have enough money for school. So I was like, I will pay you to work
for me.
"She said, 'What do you want me to do?' I said, 'I don't know. Whatever
you want.' I sent her money every month. She was supposed to be working
for me. She went to tax classes so she could do my taxes for me.
"Now I've got her a job out here. She's office manager for Red Light
Video. She's the blonde girl. She's amazing. She's so talented. She
would never do porno. She's the opposite of me."
Dion's Red Light District Video, like many porn companies, is funded
by organized crime, in particular, by Dion's brother's gambling operation
out of Costa Rica.
Jason: "Don't you think they took the worst things. They were following
you for two years. Because you're young and you are new in the business,
you are not going to be very stable in what you want."
Bella: "Ohmigod, I still am not."
Doesn't it make you feel morally clean that pornography depends on
the consent of emotionally unstable girls who do not know what they
want? Terrific, we're all absolved because they consent.
Jason: "They took the most negative things about you and portrayed
them out of context..."
Luke: "As most journalists do..."
Bella: "She talked about those times when I thought about suicide
or depression... Those are things I've been dealing with since I was
a child, before I got into this industry. You're asking me a question
and I'm giving you the honest to God truth but you're not showing
the honest to God truth."
Belladonna was most anxious yesterday to say she hadn't said anything
bad about the industry to ABC and she's even more anxious today to
reiterate her point.
Bella: "It wasn't because of porno. Porno just happened to be a part
of that.
"Diane Sawyer didn't do anything. She did that one interview of me.
That was the only time I ever met her. So all her crew was doing all
her stuff. I just think it's embarrassing."
Luke: "Who's your friend who came out from Utah and you got her into
the porn industry?"
Belladonna: "Gia. She's gorgeous. [ABC blocked out her face] because
she didn't want to do porno and she didn't want her face used. She
didn't even want to be on camera. She was only in porn for two months.
"She came out here. She needed a job. The only thing I know out here
is porno. You don't have to do it. I would never ask you to do it.
That's the only help I can give you.
"At first I got her to do girl-girl stuff. Then she on her own decided
to do boy-girl and anal. She wanted money fast."
Jason: "That original 12-prisoner gangbang [for Anabolic], was that
disturbing for you?"
Bella: "Yeah. I didn't want to do it. I told my agent [Roy Garcia?]
at least four or five times, I didn't want to do it. Then I had the
owner of the company [Christopher Alexander aka Biff Malibu] begging
me to do it. Begging me. Begging me. I don't know how many times I
told him I didn't want to do it.
"I was on my period. I was leaving that night to go to Seattle to
visit my sister. And he just kept on. I'm the kind of person who has
the personality where I just give in. Ok, ok. I'm a people pleaser."
Jason: "Have you gone past that? Do you know not to give in to what
you don't want?"
Bella: "I'm still working on it. My problem is that I am a people
pleaser. I want to give everyone what they want."
Jason: "I need some pleasing. Could you help me out?"
Luke: "She is. She's giving you an interview."
Jason: "That's not what I'm talking about.
"You went to the wrong location this morning. What's up with that?"
Bella: "My mind is gone right now."
Jason: "Because of last night?"
Bella: "Yeah, that and I had 30 million messages on my answer machine."
Luke: "What have people been saying?"
Bella: "They were calling me before I even saw it because they saw
it on the East Coast. They said, 'Ohmigod, I love you. I thought it
was just great. I was so happy. I was crying.'
"I said, 'Well, I hope it looked good.' I don't know."
Luke: "It was heartbreaking."
Bella: "It was disappointing. It wasn't all the things that I felt
every day. It was just that one time [when she broke down]."
Jason: "What would you like to set straight?"
Bella: "I wish that you could see the whole story. My experience in
porno is my own experience and I never blamed anything on this industry.
I never wanted anyone to help me get out of this business."
Luke: "Suppose your mother would've come to LA, put you in handcuffs
and taken you home to Utah. How would you have reacted?"
Bella: "I probably would've fought her the whole way. Even if my Mom
would've come to try to stop me, I would've done this anyway. I'm
that kind of person. I have to find out things for myself."
Luke: "Did you hear from your Dad?"
Bella: "No. I don't really talk to him much. My Dad's always been
supportive. I don't know what my Mom was saying on that tape. Of course
he was probably embarrassed. My Dad has always been the first one
to come to me. 'Whatever you need. I love you. You're a great person.'
"I've done lots for my whole family. I'm the one who paid for Christmas
last year. I'm the one who brought my sister out to Christmas because
she couldn't afford it.
"Everyone was always like, 'You're never going to be smart. You will
never get a job.' Well, look who's supporting everyone now? The people
who were saying I would never have a good job don't have good jobs."
Jason: "You can only criticize the hand that feeds you so much. You're
bringing a better life to them."
Bella: "not only that, but I think I'm a pretty damn good person.
I think I treat people nicely. Porno has nothing to do with anyone's
personality."
Jason: "What do you see for yourself?"
Bella: "I see a bright future."
Jason: "How much more do you want to accomplish in this business?"
Bella: "In six months, I will be done. But I will always have my website
and my live webcam. I want people to see what my life is like."
Luke: "Are you in therapy?"
Bella: "I was in a hospital for a year straight when I was younger.
When I was twelve, fourteen... I've always had a lot of problems.
I had my first boyfriend when I was 15. He was 22. I've always liked
older men."
Jason: "Have you thought about regular therapy?"
Bella: "Yes, I'd love to have someone to talk to, at least once a
week. I'd love to get on a medication. It's not that I have huge problems
but I have low self esteem. I have manic depression. I'm bipolar.
I have ADHD. I was diagnosed with all these since I was a little girl."
Jason: "You have the money. Why don't you do it?"
Bella: "Sometimes you just get caught up in other things. I was dealing
with relationship problems. Now I'm definitely going to do something
about it."
Luke: "Did you cry while watching the show?"
Bella: "I didn't cry. I was laughing. Ohmigod. I was embarrassed.
I was hiding my face from my friends. It was so embarrassing. They'd
say one thing, like, Michelle has chlamydia. Who doesn't?"
DUC to Jason: "Do you have chlamydia?"
Jason: "I've never had an STD."
Luke: "Neither have I."
Bella: "If you haven't, it's probably because you've protected yourself.
A lot of people out there have probably had it more times than I have.
I never had an STD until I got into this business, when I was 19 years
old."
Jason: "I'd like to take a shot at getting one from her."
Bella: "It sucks man. You don't go out looking for this."
Luke: "Diane Sawyer made a good point that you always smile."
Bella: "I always do."
Jason: "A defense mechanism."
Bella smiles: "Constantly. You got me on that one."
Luke: "We need to ask the question like Diane Sawyer did."
Jason: "We're not going to make her cry."
Bella: "I really am a happy person. It's when I'm by myself and I
start to think about things I've done in my life, that's when I become
depressed. I didn't know what I wanted for my future. I need change
all the time. That's the whole ADD [Attention Deficit Disorder] thing.
"My goal for the year is to buy a house and be happy and that's it."
Luke: "What was that with Nacho slapping you?"
Bella: "That was for a movie. I liked that."
Luke: "You didn't look like you were enjoying it."
Bella: "I really was. I like the adrenalin rush. It's like role-playing
when I have sex [on camera]. That's not who I am. In porno I've done
everything. I need something to really make me go crazy. Nacho had
the power to make me go crazy."
Luke: "How did Chris Alexander [owner of Anabolic] treat you after
the gangbang?"
Bella: "I really was upset. I was balling. I was crying. I was downstairs
in the shower room [in the prison]. It was real [prison]. He comes
down. I'm in the shower crying. And he's [oblivious]. He didn't even
pay attention to the fact that I was crying. He walked out.
"I didn't really want him to say anything to me because why would
I want him to say anything to me? He basically fu--ing begged me to
do this."
Luke: "Is this the worst experience you had in the industry?"
Bella: "It's the only bad experience I've had in the industry. I've
had little things happen to me. That was the only time I cried."
Luke: "There was another time, when you went to Prague, that you got
all beat up."
Bella: "Oh no. That was my skin. Did you see it? I was all beat up.
My skin was really bad for a long time. They had the cameras on me
the whole time and none of the time I looked good. I looked beat up.
I had just had sex. I had five different loads on my face. I had pimples
everywhere."
Jason: "Like Lola did yesterday after her scene."
Belladonna runs off to do her scene.
I chat with Dylan, husband of Vivid girl Dascha. They plan to leave
porn in the next three months and move to the Czech Republic, where
Dascha is from.
Dylan: "My peepee is about to fall off. I need to give it a rest."
Jason: "Did you enjoy the AVN Awards this year?"
Dylan: "It was a joke. It was ridiculous. This year was awful. I think
guys who sit in an office and view tapes and have no clue what is
going on out there in the trenches [should not be deciding awards].
The directors and producers who put movies together know what is going
on. Most of the people who won this year were ridiculous.
"I'm not saying that I should've won. I was nominated for seven awards
and I think maybe I should've won one, if any. I'm upset that people
who should've won, didn't. Perfect example, Stephen St Croix, hands
down, Best Actor. No one even close.
"Lexington Steele. I love him to death. Male Performer again? No.
I'm sorry. I've acted with the guy."
Luke: "Do you think the AVN awards are political?"
Dylan: "Yeah, I think you have to suck a lot of ass. I don't care.
I'm not an ass kisser. I'm not here to please people. I work seven
days a week. I am one of the top-paid guys. Directors give me the
pat on the back, that's what matters to me. I don't care. A piece
of plastic on my mantel ain't gonna make no difference on my career.
"What's next for me? We're going to move on and have kids and I'm
going to become a slum lord in the Czech Republic. I'm going to take
the country over and make it my own province."
Dylan will work today with Belladonna. "Bella's cool. She's sweetheart.
She loves what she does. It's always a good scene with her."
Other porn girls on set today include Temptation, skinny little thing
with pumped-up breasts, Tyler Faith, a busty tall blonde, and Monica
Mayhem, a slender blonde from Australia.
Monica worked in financial services in London. She started stripping.
Then a part-owner in the Spearmint Rhino chain sent her to Los Angeles
two years ago to do porno movies.
From Los Angeles, Temptation has worked as a stripper for three years.
She's done porn for two months.
Her legs are all bruised from stripping. Normally she wears boots
to her knees but she didn't on her last outing and thus sustained
bruises.
DUC to Dylan: "You were going to do a series with your Dad. How many
scenes have you done together?"
Dylan: "We haven't done any together. I've been trying to put together
a line with Sin City with Scott Justice but I'm having a hard time
getting them to come through with their end."
Photographer Larry Sultan: "That's interesting."
Bella’s former agent Roy Garcia writes: www.belladonnaxxx.com has
risen to the top of the Alexa Rankings in a 24 hour period. On Thursday
her rank was 279,000… early sat morning it was @ 4,726. Folks, as
far as porn goes, I think that that is a record. If you can’t see
the writing on the wall here then you never will.
I would, however like to make some serious corrections on 12 of the
show’s GROSS inaccuracies:
1. In my 37 years on this planet, I have never met a more sexually
aggressive woman than Bella Donna.
2. During Bella’s first scene, (real sex video magazine) she was so
turned on, that SHE suggested to do anal!
3. Since I was the agent who discovered her, and paid for the BLUE
Top Ramen hair extensions to be removed from her head, paid for her
$200 dye job, and booked her first 50 scenes… you must know - she
was BLONDE in all of them.
4. The real reason that Bella left Los Angeles & went back to Utah
for almost a year: Vince Vouyer wanted her to stop doing porn because
he was in love with her… and Bella was in love with doing porn.
5. When Bella CALLED ME around Christmas time of 2000 – it was to
get back into Porn because she loved sex, especially porn sex, didn’t
feel guilty about it at all, and had an insatiable sexual appetite.
6. Bella’s biggest fan is Bella… she gets every movie she ever did
before it hits the streets, invites all of her friends to watch it,
and critiques it herself. A true professional perfectionist… I bet
that she’s reading all of these reviews.
7. Bella’s 12 guy gang bang for Anabolic was about her 100th scene
– not her second, and all her idea.
8. The only thing that bothered her about the gang bang was that Jeremy
Steele was in it.
9. Bella had BLACK HAIR IN THE GANG BANG – NOT f---ING BLONDE!!! HOW
COULD THIS BE HER SECOND SCENE IF HER HAIR WAS BLONDE FOR THE FIRST
3 MONTHS IN PORN????
10. The real reason for her tears on national TV was that she was,
still is, and always will be - TRAUMATIZED BY f---ING JEREMY STEELE!!!
11. The real reason that I am writing this is to publicly apologize
to Bella for booking her a scene with Jeremy Steele.
12. ABC followed Bella for 2 years? That’s funny… I never met them.
It was more like: One day last summer & 2 weeks later when she returned
from filming “Bella iz Buttwoman” abroad. She was only crying because
she missed her boyfriend Nacho Vidal & the Italian espresso roasted
coffee.
Roy Garcia, Owner/President, Sex Symbols Talent Management
Porn girl Angela writes from Vancouver: Today is a sad day in the
world of porn. Everyone and their dog is talking about the Prime Time
Special, and the snow ball affect is happening. Tonight after I turn
on the TV to find "another" porn special on Passionate Eye, Luke you
are on this one. It is older but hey the media is on a roll now, ratings
were probably great last night, so why stop there. So now they are
airing this special tonight, I had to leave the room or the TV was
going out the window. Why do they concentrate on the screwed up people
in this industry and the problems? There are level headed, healthy
people in it too, a good example would be Stephanie Swift. She's intelligent,
healthy minded, hard working and seams to stay out of the "limelight"
so to speak. I'm feeling very anxious and angry and purely disgusted
with the media's slam on porn and it all seems to be coming to a head.
First Seymour, then Max, then Sweet and now this s---. Please for
porn's sake, DO NOT agree to an interview if you do not represent
the majority. I lost respect for Belladonna greatly last night, she
made the industry look horrible. And now we will have to deal with
all this media crap for awhile. But I will continue to work hard to
break this stigma, as will alot of other girls in this industry.
Khunrum: Why do porn people give interviews to mainstream journalists
that often make them and porn look bad?
Helpful writes: "They are unable to distinguish between "celebrity"
and "infamy." If I was in that profession I would never go mainstream
for fear that someone who I love and respect would see how far I had
fallen."
Director Of Talent for Digital G, Robert Lombard writes: In regards
to the ABC PrimeTime Special.
We should read between the lines of this report. One type/genre of
pornography was dragged through the mud. This type/genre I must agree
is most degrading to females but "Freedom Of Speech" for those who
produce this type content allows them do so. However, I truly believe
the higher end Adult Content providers like Vivid, Wicked Pictures,
Digital Playground, VCA etc along with utilizing the likes of solid
directors like; Michael Raven, Brad Armstrong, Jane Hamilton, JimmyD,
Nic Cramer, etc. etc will also view this report as reaching out for
them in a 'round about way' to continue producing/directing couples
oriented Adult content.
The corporations that have a part in providing this content to the
consumer will continue to thrive and the non degrading side of pornography/sexuality
will win out. There are a lot of 'closet adult fans' that will come
out of the closet once it has become more acceptable. And it will!
It takes time!
So you say. Why did ABC PrimeTime drag the community through the mud?
Well for me it was ABC's right under "Freedom Of Speech" but again
I say 'read between the lines'...the Adult Content providers are being
challenged to clean up their acts.
Remember....the Executives at ABC today are laughing as they read
all the ranting that is being done. Further proving that some of us
are unable to communicate without further degrading Females, Male
Talent and The Business itself...This business will grow and acceptance
will never be 100% but the 'talented ones' in this business will win
out in the end. YOU all know who you are....just like the bad ones
know who they are.
And finally..... Let us take the AVN Awards....you want to reach out
to more of those 'closet fans'... Giving On stage Award presentations
for "Best Blow Job" etc. is not the way to reach out...there are a
lot of talented individuals in this business [I have mentioned a few
above]. Give out On stage awards for Art Work Design, Acting, Directing,
Screenwriters, Lighting, Marketing Campaigns, Editing, Special Effects
and to still have some spice "Best Performer Male and Female". NO
more "Best Sex Scene" or "Best Anal".
Fred writes: Diane Sawyer is better looking than Belladonna. Note
that Ms. Sawyer first made a name for herself by
winning a beauty contest--the more socially acceptable
form of exhibitionism. (Although I must admit I would
not look forward to an Anabolic video with her and Sam
Donaldson.)
I suspect that:
a) ABC was out to make porn look evil. Merely by way
of example, one rarely sees the sort of slapping that
ABC showed.
b) They edited the s--- out of everything to take
stuff out of context, etc.
c) Belladonna was not terribly innocent when she
entered porn, her Mormon upbringing notwithstanding.
d) I don't believe that she was uncomfortable and
disgusted by what she was being called upon to do.
e) She's probably a nice kid, but not very savvy in
the ways of TV interviewers out to do a hatchet job.
f) Why does Dr. Koop think that porn viewers hate the
performers? Where the hell does that come from?
Lebong writes on RAME: There are several things that bothered me in
the "Primetime" show on
porn:
1) Typically, it avoided the economic complexities of women who may
not be trained in skilled positions seeking money to pay for
themselves and their families. Bella/Michelle was paying for her
sister and eventually got a job (as personal manager?) for her mother.
With the knowledge that the father was divorced from the mother
implies to me that perhaps Bella is the best source of financial
security for some or all of the children. But I'm just drawing that
conclusion. This piece didn't go there and explain fully.
2)As usual, the network had disdain for the pixilated and titillating
porn scenes which they showed in copious amounts. The show could have
easily done without it. It's very presence was hypocritical. "Here's
the sick stuff you shouldn't see.", it was saying.
3)It wasn't about Bella and it wasn't about corporate greed. Once
they got Bella crying, they cut. She says she doesn't like herself
but let us believe it's the porn. She doesn't say, and if they asked
follow-up questions, we don't see it. The corporate culpability segment
was probably five minutes and was a series of no-comments which is
not investigative.
4) I didn't see anything positive said about people like Sharon
Mitchell, even though she was featured. I didn't even notice an
on-screen credit for her.
5) It assumed all porn was awful and evil, period. This is most
evident in Dr. Koop's assertion that even the viewers of porn hate
the performers. This is so wrong, that if he had said it about an
indididual, it would have been slanderous. But the good doctor, seated
in front of the library of medical volumes so as to let us know what
an authority he is, had his words go completely unchallenged.
So even though the piece was structured as if someone cared about
Bella/Michelle, it was the same sort of judgmental, hypocritical and
removed perspective we're so used to in mainstream media. Make no
mistake, I know first hand how sleazy the business is and how disposable
its performers are treated. But that point can be made without the
moralizing of the genre. But those at Primetime Live aren't capable
of doing that. No surprise.
ABCInsider writes l-keford.com: ABC Insider Writes: For the first
four months, I was one of the assistant producers on the Primetime
segment that aired last night. I have to tell you that it was not
always intended to be such a one-sided piece against the industry.
Originally, we just wanted to follow a couple girls as they got into
the business and show what happened to them in an objective fashion.
However, that all changed the day we followed Samantha to her first
shoot with a director named
(rhymes with "s---rock"). Actually, we didn't follow her to the shoot
(she was too nervous), but we caught up with her afterwards. One reason
she felt compelled to take a long, hot shower afterwards was that
she said Mr. Whitrock made her s--- for him. I don't know if this
is standard in your business, to have attractive young women defecate
on camera while someone furthers their humiliation by filming it from
the toilet's point of view. I doubt it is - but when Ms. Sawyer heard
about it, she blew up. She decided then and there that your industry
was evil and needed to be taken down. It's unfortunate that one bad
egg turned Ms. Sawyer against your entire industry.
Harvey writes: Diane Sawyer's muckraking has brought the ugliness
that is so prevalent in porn nnow innto the living rooms of middle
America. The power of that one broadcast is worth 1000 anti-porn rants
by NOW or other organizations that nobody pays attention to. And anyone
who disputes the basic truth of that piece is self servingly delusional.
That young, naive girls are taken horrible advantage of by much of
this industry is all too obvious. Brace yourself for a crackdown
folks.
Poon writes on RAME: The show mentioned she had picked up Chlamydia.
Even though most hired fornicators have some variety/cocktail of venereal
diseases, why would she
advertise this infomation? This info can't be good for future work..
yes, chlamydia can be treated, blah blah blah. Do the porn producers
just ignore these tidbits concerning venereal diseases when it happens
not to be HIV/AIDS? If I was next to work with her I would be sporting
the worry willy, of course that dude probably already has got some
form of dick rot.
Perhaps that's the badge of success in the jiz business: that certain
burning sensation at the loo.
NTfighter writes: I only saw a small bit of the interview the part
with Belladonna crying and another bit, a gangbang with men in prison
uniform. I'm a long time consumer of porn and I along with a few other
I've read on this group lament the passing of sex between adults who
are not degraded or injuried. The peice I veiwed of Belladonna being
gangbanged was disturbing to say the least, It was distrubing to see
some guys hand being forced into her mouth as if he was trying to
land a woman sized fish and another with a quick flash of a guy spitting
into her mouth. I am not comfortable supporting an industry which
consume and discards the most beutiful and youngest women it can trick
trap or cojole into sex that at the least is mentally and physically
damaging. Todays porn (B & D-lite) is not aimed at the arverage consumer
No doubt the many viewers of this glimpse into the world of porn got
an education that will bear fruit in time. Where did this extreme
trend start? among the consumers, I think not. There was never a letter
writing campaign to get pornster to make ever more gross and vile
f---'em till they throw up, beat' em till they bleed, how many dick
can she take up the ass movies, we get what we get. Competition between
companies and jaded movies makers have brought it to this low
state. One phrase I read a lot in this group is "I only like to see
it if the woman enjoys it." Well Belladonna give us the facts.
BT writes on RAME: This illustrates the double edged sword of porn,
especially for the girls. They get into the business, thinking they're
going to be stars. But it doesn't happen -- and won't. Yes, you'll
have a turnaround story like Traci
Lords, who has had some modicum of success moving beyond her past
and landing some mainstream work. But the more common story is that
of Ginger Lynn and Ashlyn Gere -- both stunningly beautiful women
in their prime, with mainstream, onscreen charisma. Yet they could
never successfully move beyond
their porn pasts. And now at the end of their careers, they're back
having sex on camera.
Jenna may have more luck, but the Jenna's of the world are very few
and very, very far between; Tera thinks she's going to change it,
but she's doomed to be forgotten in about ten minutes or to return
to the sex industry; likewise Alisha Klass, who unfortunately will
never cross over.
Porn is a brutal business -- the fact that you have to take two dicks
in your butt to make an extra $500 says it all. And it's great to
say that the girls should get more money, etc., but the fact is, the
economics just aren't there. Fans like those of us on RAME ain't gonna
pay $100 for a DVD, or $20 a night for a rental; for every girl who
says I want more, there are
dozens of new girls getting off the bus who will do it for even less;
and despite all the chatter about the glamour and big money in porn,
the fact is that only a few tapes sell more than a few thousand copies.
So, even the best intentioned producer couldn't pay more and still
make a buck.
MEC writes on RAME: My wife and I, who are both pro-porno and enjoy
watching it (the wife actually enjoys the fetishistic stuff, but hates
facials--go figure), sat in bed and watched the whole thing from start
to finish.
Firstly, one has to accept that this is tabloid journalism at it's
most base level; the show is running against late prime-time shows
in the time slot, and this has to draw in the ratings. What better
subject than the "evils" of pornography.
Now, to preface the entire situation, I don't doubt for one moment
that pornography is a business filled with social rejects, broken
home runaways and trustees of modern chemistry. Even Chloe has said
that porn is prostitution, pure and simple--normal people don't typically
enjoy doing this sort of thing, but normal people LOVE watching it.
For every girl who goes into the biz genuinely wanting to f--- for
cash, there are three who were sexually assaulted as youngsters, have
serious attention cravings, or are otherwise inept at doing anything
well other than have sex.
The idea that in this modern age when porno is literally at one's
fingertips online or on cable, that a girl figures a little nudity
or porn will launch her career as a mainstream actress is BULLs---.
True, Cindy Crawford, Kim Basinger, even Vanessa Williams gained a
great deal of notoriety for their nude pictorials resulting in an
enhancement of their careers, but it took Vanessa many years to crawl
out from under the stigma of her girl/girl pictorial in Penthouse--plus
the fact she is a phenomenal singing talent to begin with. Virtually
every mainstream actress of any weight in Hollywood has a
skeleton in her closet in the form of a nude pictorial or nude scene
in a B-type film. Some decide to push it away and attempt to make
it disappear like a bad dream, others like Sharon Stone make no bones
about disrobing for the camera.
And IMHO, actresses and actors are not normal people in the strictest
sense. These are attention-craving, egomaniacal 'artistes' who can't
get a real job and thus go to Hollywood to make their fame and fortune
the easy way, but don't think they have to eat crow to get where they
are, either. There are as many casting couches in mainstream films
as in porn, but they don't make it to your local video store. Plus,
who
in Hollywood DOESN'T come from a broken home, or a religiously strict
childhood or an abusive past? The lack of attention and love they
experienced is typically one of their primary impulses to pursue acting,
to become, in essence, someone other than the neglected child they
were long ago.
But back to Bella. Aside from her phenomenal body and amazing sexual
talents, she is not beautiful to look at. The hair does not go well
with the gap in her teeth, and she doesnt' carry herself well on camera
other than when she is being a f---beast. The Jenna Jamesons and Tera
Patrick's would never have to go the route she did because their looks
launched them to superstardom. Even though Tera did her share of hardcore
nastiness, she can easily put it all behind her to
go forward to the next level as Jenna has; Bella doesn't have that
option, imho. She went hardcore at a frantic pace from the start,
and that put her down a path to rapid burnout. If she is still in
the business for another year, I will be quite surprised, esp. after
this interview.
She didn't like what she was doing? She was ashamed of herself? She
was so ashamed of herself that in less than two years she became the
double anal queen, eh? Gawd. I would think that once you agree to
do a 5-guy DP gangbang that any notions of decency or personal pride
have long since flown the coop. Why didn't she walk off the set? No
one was holding a gun to her head. It all comes down to the issue
at hand: Money, plain and simple. The same force that drives all of
us to do the things we do. I applaud her for using her money to send
her sister to college--I'd be curious to know how many porno stars
use
their wealth to help their families.
Then they switched over to the 'helpful' arm of the porn business.
You have Sharon Mitchell talking about AIDS testing and safe sex and
risk, then you have Bill Margold talking about what a s---hole the
biz is, and how the women should be older. Nina Hartley and some of
the legends have been pushing for a starting age of 21 for almost
ten years, but the movie producers all know that the 18-20 range is
the golden corral of talent, and the amount of profit to be lost incalculable.
I do agree with Koop that if they could get unionized or some decent
healthcare, it may help, but could such a monumental
task ever work in the porno biz? They are still just figuring out
how to get names in the credits spelled correctly!
And another thing: isn't Jim South about 70 now? Does anyone
remember that rental flick "Fallen Angels" from the early 80s that
focused on young talents like Kristara Barrington, and (at the time)
fringe porno directors like Bruce Seven? Jim was looking old back
THEN. Lordy!
Regardless, you get a media whore like Diane Sawyer on the air, trying
her Baba Wawa routine of "let's get the interviewee to cry...come
on, lemme see some f---ing tears you wench!" Journalists seem to be
as adept as porno directors at getting their talent to give their
all. Then they give their update of Bella's mom becoming her manager,
and the whole thing devolves into a bad Springer episode.
Porno is not glamorous when viewed in the real world. It is a fantasy
pure and simple, and if anyone truly sat back and looked at the lives
of performers in the business, many fans would likely lose their love
of the tease quickly. It is a business at heart, and anyone will tell
you in corporate America people are disposable at all levels.
Here's an excerpt from the Biff
Malibu profile on www.l-keford.com:
Anabolic's Rough Sex Goes Too Far
Ridley99@aol.com writes on RAME: "Rough Sex 2 " and every-RAMERs responcibility
to speak out when they feel something has gone too far. The adult
movie bussiness must be held accountable to the product it sells.
Women should not be physically and emotional abused. The argument
that any Censorship is dangerous and if you don't like it don't buy
it, does not float here.
What is depicted in Rough Sex 2 is wrong, it is also irresponcible
and dangerous both to the porn industry and the actresses involved.
Self censorship is the only thing that works, or has the porn world
become a lawless entity where anything goes as long as nobody gets
hurt and people make f---in money.If the porn world can not police
its own house it is a certainty that its house will be policed for
it. 8 years under the administration of the " first Rain-coater" is
coming to an end. There will be no Oval office Blow Jobs in the Gore
whitehouse. And we all know Tipper Gore is a fierce reactionary. Movies
Like Rough Sex are an almost perfect weapon for anti-porn activists.
First of all its boxcover is a perfect bill board for Dworkin and
her she bitches to rally around. Also magazine shows like" 60 minutes"
or 20/20 can show women getting slapped in the face or choked, something
they couldn't do with videos in which penetration is the main selling
point. Do not assume the courts will leave the Porn Industry alone
forever,this is foolish and Naive. I will give you an example :
I live in New York. New York was once the world capital of sleaze.
If you wanted it , no matter what it was, it could be found on 42nd
street as well as the 8th ave district where Show World ( sigh ) held
court. Show World had it all : live sex acts, guys f---ing girls on
stage, women getting it on with each other, porn stars performing
dildo shows asnd getting freaky with the audience, etc,etc. Along
comes Mayor Rudy Guiliani, in his first term he broke 42nd street,
raising the rents so high the porn shops had to flee but it was in
his second term that he really went commando. He wrote laws that just
about out lawed any kind of sex scene in NYC. And it just about happened
overnight. Strip clubs were padlocked,stores that sold Porn tapes
shut down. Do you know what Show World is today? A f---in souverneir
shop that sells I love NY Tee- Shirts .Brothers, I am telling you
the courts can do anything they want. The courts could shut down the
sex Biz in one day, if they wanted too. And if you don't think the
LAPD would get their kicks shuting down porno sets ,then you just
are not aware.
Under the first" Rain-coater" things have been quiet, great, porn
is more diversified and bigger then ever, so why shouldn't we let
sleeping dogs lie and police are own house. Its not so much Rough
Sex 2 that scares me as much as the thought of Rough Sex 6, I mean
really where does Ananbolic go with this idea, Anabolic has chosen
the hard rough sex angle with all its videos and this is dangerous.
Other videos can sell product with a new pretty face such as Tara
Patrick or Anastasia Blue, Ananbolic is under different rules, it
can only sell videos by ever increasing the shock value of its product.
It started with DPs, then Gang Bangs, the Gangbangs become rougher,
ass-licking was added, spitting, hair-pulling, verbal Abuse and now
the ultimate: real slapping and choking. So where do they go from
here. Another problem is the Talent, sure right now they probably
have some sick girls who enjoy this type of treatment, but porn is
voracious, it demands new girls, sooner or later girls who do not
like this treatment will be " forced" into the part of punching bags.
It is wise for Ananabolic to cut this series now, since Anabolic only
cares about profit I feel it is up to every Ramer with a conscious
to let them know how they feel. I for one am an intelligent human
being and I do not enjoy seeing women Physically and emoptionally
abused.
Sin City star Linda Thoren writes on RAME: I agree. My x-boyfriend
Tomas Edberg interviewed Jewel Valmont last week in LA for the European
magazine Cats. On the question, if it was anything she regrets in
her carrier, she said that, doing this scene for Anabolic in Raw Sex
#1, is the only thing she would like to be undone. She was even forced
to do things she had clearly said she didn't want to do. (in Europe
we call these things rape...) I fear that Anabolic -- if they continue
doing these kind of scenes -- jeopardize the whole future of the Biz.
Brandy Alexandre writes: An interesting thing to think about would
be how porn legality was won. In the Freeman decision, the victory
centered around the performers being actors for whom the graphic depiction
of sex was an integral part of their role. Now that the industry has
turned predominantly to Gonzo--tapes that is nothing but a collection
of staged sexual encounters--I wonder if the utter lack of any attempt
at plot, story, and acting is going to shed a whole new light on what
is and is not prostitution vs a porn performance that was produced
during the Freeman era.
The prosecution was based on a definition of prostitution and pandering
that relied on the hiring of women for personal sexual gratification,
that was defended by the fact that porn hired men and women to "work"
with each other to produce a teleplay. But now toss into the mix these
little producers who are, themselves, paying women to perform sex
acts with them attempting to wedge themselves under the same protective
umbrella (I'm just playing devil's advocate) under the guise of producing
a teleplay that obviously isn't by the lack of any script, story,
plot or acting. Doesn't this, then, create a gentle breeze that will
tumble the house of cards the industry has built over the last couple
of years? All it's going to take is one tape that someone finally
says is seriously offensive obscene, that doesn't have the protective
elements from Freeman, and that will be end of that.
Some producers would be hard pressed to come up with stories that
repeatedly required the serious abuse of women who clearly didn't
know what they were getting into.
Chaim Amalek writes: Luke, Ridley is correct in his warning to porners.
And for that very reason, those who oppose commercial porn should
cheer on the Max Hardcores of the world as they spread gasoline all
over their industry. On the other hand, if you happen to like porn
and feel a need for it, then the coming changes do not auger well
for you.
First, a few basic facts. Most Americans, even most of those Americans
who, from time to time, view porn, do not care much for the industry
itself, and they specifically do not care for the men who have made
their fortunes on the gaping orifices and saliva and semen covered
faces of the young, fundamentally dumb women who are its backbone.
Moreover, they would care a whole lot less if it were brought to their
attention just what sort of pornography is being made these days.
That it is not generally known just how abusive some of this stuff
has become is due in part to the lack of a prominent politician with
the smarts to see just how much political hay could be made of this.
All that is needed is for someone of Giuliani's stature to take on
the California-based porn industry, targeting the most egregious of
its exponents for the initial attack, and you will see both conservatives
and liberal feminists joining forces as never before to "regulate",
if not entirely shut down, this industry.
Oh, I know what you social liberals are thinking. You expect the first
amendment to cover your behinds. Listen up - we live in an age in
which even basic political speech can be anathematized as "hate speech"
and, even worse, medicalized as indicia of insanity in need of psychiatric
treatment. (Just think about what has happened to John Rocker.) Do
you really think that you will be able to hide behind the first amendment
(the first and last refuge of all scoundrels in this country) forever?
Do you think that a smart national politician like a Senator Rudy
Giuliani would be incapable of drafting meaningful, hard-hitting legislative
attacks on the porn industry that it cannot evade? Consider his success
in shutting down most of the commercial sex industry in hyper-liberal
New York City, using nothing more elaborate than the zoning laws,
and think again.
Cultural liberal elites have benefited in recent years from having
as president a man who is a wannabe of theirs, and from the general
stupidity of republican politicians who might otherwise have used
this against him. As soon as a smart politician comes along who appreciates
just how revolting many porners are both as human beings and in what
they do to young women to make money, things will start to change
very, very quickly in this country. So, the bottom line is this. If
you hate the porn industry, support the "Max Hardcores" of the world
and help rub America's nose in their work.
PS If anyone wants to get the ball rolling, he should contact Don
Hewitt of 60 Minutes, Jerry Rivers (Rivera), or some younger, hungrier
journalist with some of the particulars. As Ridley has noted, the
story of the rise of blatently misogynistic porn would be a very,
very easy story to tell on television, and certainly would garner
very high ratings.
(And Luke, if you really were a journalist with ambitions beyond coveering
the world of masturbatorial video, you would be contacting big media
in New York yourself (LA's media are too whore-like and intellectually
weak for this purpose), and push them to run with this story.)
Al writes: Hey Luke! I love your site man ! I just came from the anabolic
web site ,and I saw that Gangbang girl #20 was no longer for sale.
Knowing full well that some porners would sell their own mothers ,
I have to ask. What gives? Do you know?
The director of Anabolic's controversial series "Kahn Tusion" writes
on the rec.arts.movies.erotica (RAME) newsgroup:
Until Linda Thoren’s post, I had refrained from entering the debate
concerning my video series, Rough Sex. However, after reading Thoren’s
thinly veiled accusation of rape, I feel it is incumbent upon me to
respond with the facts concerning Jewel Valmont and Rough Sex in general.
Please note, that both proponents and detractors of the line have
generally been wise enough to understand that all the participants
are consenting and engaging in consensual behavior. However, that
is half the story. The other half is this: I will not shoot anyone
that is merely consenting, they must demonstrate desire. That’s right,
I could shoot dozens of ladies that would do this series for the money.
That’s not good enough for me. They must want to engage in rough sex
and I must be convinced they will derive extreme pleasure from doing
so. On a rare occasion, I am fooled by a participant’s bonafides.
When that happens, I (usually not the participant) immediately halt
the scene, pay the appropriate kill fees and send everyone home. Under
no circumstances am I interested in engaging in any coeriscon to illicit
any type of behavior or sex act.
As far as the objectionable behavior in the Jewel Valmont scene (Rough
Sex 1), these are the facts: Jewel did indeed request that we do not
call her “s---hole”. She did agree to wear a “s---hole” collar and
eat from a “s---hole” bowl, but did not want to hear those words uttered
to her. Unfortunately, one of the performers felt that this was a
barrier that Jewel wanted to overcome. He demanded that she refer
to herself as a “s---hole” and she quickly responded. (After the scene,
I profusely apologized to Jewel and I additionally rewarded her two
fold; 1) for my indiscretion and 2) for an excellent scene. I continue
to apologize to Jewel about this incident whenever I see her) As an
interesting side note, following the “s---hole” incident, Jewel (by
her own admission) then experienced between 5 and 10 orgasms. We tried
to count, but it was difficult as they were coming (no pun intended)
fast and furious. Let’s call it a baker’s dozen!
Now, for all you RAMER’s to think that these women are choiceless
and engage in Rough Sex to support a drug habit, or additional dependents,
let me tell you about Jewel Valmont. She is drug and alcohol free,
does not support dependents, to my knowledge, and most importantly
she is one the most beautiful and desirable woman I know. She lives
in a neighborhood that would be recognized the world over as one of
the best neighborhoods in Southern California. She has an active social
life outside of the business, and as far as I am concerned, she could
choose any number of rewarding professions. She has chosen this one!
She did not have to do Rough Sex, she wanted to do it. She orgasmed
over it, and has discussed it with me on numerous occasions since
its shooting.
You need more? I am happy to say, because of the courage and vision
of Anabolic’s founder and president, Chris Alexander, I am inaugurating
a new line at Anabolic (release date, some time in February). Who
was the first person that I wanted to shoot? Jewel Valmont. She gave
me an excellent scene and, as always, was a great pleasure to work
with. I look forward to Linda Thoren’s appraisal of this coming series.
So my point is this, I have read with great interest all the hoopla
over Rough Sex, and I can recognize that both sides make meritorious
arguments. But, please try and refrain from slander. After all, even
us misogynist / human pieces of vomit have feelings too. Luckily,
Linda Thoren’s irresponsible charge immediately showed up on L-ke
Ford, thereby completely discounting it’s validity.
And lastly let me state, that unlike most people in this industry,
I don’t use a variety of Internet outlets to level threats of lawsuits
and demands of apologies. I just go on doing what I do. With that
said, I don’t harbor any ill feelings toward Linda Thoren, as a matter
of fact, I would love to shoot her in Rough Sex 3. To describe what
occurred, as rape is an egregious misrepresentation of the facts.
A more appropriate word that now applies might be “witch hunt.”
2/18/07
Belladonna's
brother in gay interracial video
Jack writes: "Jason Sinclair, Belladonna's brother, takes it...from
a black guy!"
One porner says Jason stole $9,000 from him last year.
STORY SLUG: YOUNG WOMEN, PORN AND PROFITS: CORPORATE AMERICA'S
SECRET AFFAIR
PRODUCER: ABC NEWS
INTERVIEWER: DIANE SAWYER/CHARLES GIBSON
INTERVIEWEES:
ALICIA SINCLAIR, ANGEL, BILL MARGOLD, C. EVERETT KOOP, DIANA HAMILTON,
DIANE SAWYER, DR. SHARON MITCHELL, FEMALE EIGHT, FEMALE ELEVEN, FEMALE
FIVE, FEMALE FOUR, FEMALE NINE, FEMALE ONE, FEMALE SEVEN, FEMALE SIX,
FEMALE TEN, FEMALE THIRTEEN, FEMALE THREE, FEMALE TWELVE, FEMALE TWO,
JENNIFER, JIM SOUTH, JOY KING, KEN DANISH, MALE FIVE, MALE FOUR, MALE
ONE, MALE SIX, MALE THREE, MALE TWO, MARK KRIELOF, MICHELLE SINCLAIR,
NACHO VIDAL, ONA ZEE, PATRICK HOLLANDS, RON JEREMY, STEVE ORENSTEIN
TAPES: (NUMBER 1) 1
DATE: 01/23/03
TRANSCRIPT DATE: JANUARY 27, 2003
[01]19:49:52 ANNOUNCER
This program is intended for mature audiences. Viewer discretion is
advised.
[GRAPHICS: VIEWER WARNING]
[01]19:50:02 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) Girls. The Hollywood dream. About to do something most of us
could never imagine.
[GRAPHICS: GIRLS]
[HOLLYWOOD DREAM]
[01]19:50:13 MALE ONE, INTERVIEWER [Johnathan Morgan]
The new, hot, fresh talent is, is always better than the old, used.
[01]19:50:21 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) Inside the new world of pornography.
[GRAPHICS: INSIDE THE NEW WORLD PORNOGRAPHY]
[01]19:50:25 MALE THREE, PHOTOGRAPHER [Morgan]
You've never done any sex on camera or any of that?
[01]19:50:27 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
No.
[01]19:50:29 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) Be there as an 18-year-old makes a decision she can never take
back.
[GRAPHICS: DECISION]
[NEVER TAKE BACK]
[01]19:50:34 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
I had to do a lot of things that I can't imagine anyone wanting
to do.
[01]19:50:38 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) Tonight, America's giant appetite for pornography, a $10
billion industry. And you'll be surprised who's cashing in.
Big names you know.
[GRAPHICS: 10 BILLION]
[01]19:50:48 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(OC) Is this an edict from General Motors not to talk?
[01]19:50:52 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(VO) Fortune 500 corporations reaping profits and looking the other
way as young women go further and further.
[01]19:51:00 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(OC) So why won't you protect yourself?
[01]19:51:02 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
The fans don't like to see condoms.
[01]19:51:06 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) What makes a girl do it? We follow a teen along the road, from
her first movie to the roughest side of raw, X-rated fame. Tonight,
an unprecedented two year look inside the business, porn, big money,
shattered lives.
[01]19:51:21 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(OC) But when you're telling me about things that really made
you suffer, you're still smiling.
[01]19:51:28 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
Now I'm going to cry.
[01]19:51:31 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(OC) And what's real? What's not hidden?
[GRAPHICS: PRIMETIME THURSDAY]
[01]19:51:36 ANNOUNCER
>From ABC News, this is "Primetime Thursday" with Diane
Sawyer and Charles Gibson. Tonight, "Young Women, Porn And Profit:
Corporate America's Secret Affair."
[GRAPHICS: ABC NEWS]
[PRIMETIME THURSDAY]
[YOUNG WOMEN, PORN & PROFITS: CORPORATE AMERICA'S SECRET AFFAIR]
[01]19:51:54 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(OC) Good evening. Charlie's off tonight and we welcome you to
this special "Primetime" hour. Tonight we are going to take
you into the parallel universe of pornography in America today. It's
now an estimated $10 billion business, which is bigger than the NFL,
NBA and Major League Baseball combined. More than all the tickets
spent at movie theaters. And as you're about to see, not only
is the appetite for porn apparently endless, some of the most respected
corporations in America are making millions from it while saying nothing
publicly at all. So with porn so mainstream, we set out on a journey.
Two years ago we went to LA, and some of the young women you're
about to meet will make a decision to enter the porn business. We
wanted to know why they did, and who are they? Some of them just 18
years old, about to have no health protection, and no slice of the
big profits. Just girls whose dreams are about to turn triple X rated.
[01]19:52:54 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(VO) Every week they come to Los Angeles by the dozens. So many of
them just teenagers taking the buses from Texas or Minnesota or Alabama.
Somebody's sister. Somebody's daughter. On one of those highways
of dreams.
[01]19:53:10 MALE ONE, INTERVIEWER [Johnathan Morgan]
Can you act?
[01]19:53:12 FEMALE ONE, INTERVIEWEE
I don't know.
[01]19:53:13 MALE ONE, INTERVIEWER
Can you at least memorize lines?
[01]19:53:14 FEMALE ONE, INTERVIEWEE
Yes.
[01]19:53:15 MALE TWO, INTERVIEWER
Have you been in a high school play?
[01]19:53:16 FEMALE ONE, INTERVIEWEE
Yes.
[01]19:53:17 MALE ONE, INTERVIEWER
Well, there you go.
[01]19:53:19 FEMALE ONE, INTERVIEWEE
That's me winning a little plaque for 4H.
[01]19:53:22 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) They just want to become stars, but how do you get there?
[01]19:53:26 JIM SOUTH, WORLD MODELING AGENCY
We have some R-rated movies, quite a few, really.
[01]19:53:30 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) This is Jim South,(SP?) who runs the World Modeling Agency recruiting
girls for photo shoots.
[01]19:53:36 JIM SOUTH, WORLD MODELING AGENCY
Now, you do understand that most of it is nude.
[01]19:53:39 FEMALE TWO, INTERVIEWEE
Uh huh.
[01]19:53:40 JIM SOUTH, WORLD MODELING AGENCY
Arch the fanny just a little bit. And then give me a little smile.
[01]19:53:44 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) Nearly every girl we meet says she's prepared to show a little
skin in a photo. In this day and age, they say it's kind of glamorous
and might lead to that big break.
[01]19:53:54 JIM SOUTH, WORLD MODELING AGENCY
We had a couple of people in "Indecent Proposal" with Robert
Redford and Demi Moore.
[01]19:53:59 FEMALE THREE, ACTRESS
I think it's an average of about 100 girls a day coming in from
all over the world to do this.
[01]19:54:05 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) And the money?
[01]19:54:07 JIM SOUTH, WORLD MODELING AGENCY
Now, if you're a bikini, it's $100. If you're topless,
it's $200. If it is centerfold, it's $5,000 and bingodidda-bong
we're off to Acapulco, right?
[01]19:54:19 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) This is Jennifer from New Jersey. A teacher of emotionally disturbed
children who says she really needs some extra cash.
[01]19:54:26 JIM SOUTH, WORLD MODELING AGENCY
Head down just a little bit. Smile. Okay.
[01]19:54:33 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) And this is Angel, who came to LA from the Midwest hoping to
be a regular movie star. Samantha wants to be a fashion model, but
the effort has beat her down. She asked us not to use her real voice
and told us a lot of people took pictures of her, but never called
back.
[01]19:54:52 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(VO) A photographer saw Samantha and suggested she go to see Jim South.
[01]19:55:00 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(VO) South, smooth, casual direct, introduces a new thought. How would
Samantha feel if instead of nude photographs she's in a film?
[01]19:55:09 JIM SOUTH, WORLD MODELING AGENCY
You make $15,000 to $20,000 in a month. And I'm not exaggerating.
Huh?
[01]19:55:14 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) It seems like a small distinction, but in fact, it's a giant
fork in the road. Right away, Jennifer starts pulling out altogether.
She says no.
[01]19:55:24 JENNIFER, INTERVIEWEE
Well, thank you very much.
[01]19:55:25 JIM SOUTH, WORLD MODELING AGENCY
Thank you.
[01]19:55:30 MALE ONE, INTERVIEWER
So, you're the new to the adult business?
[01]19:55:33 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) But so many girls tell us they imagine it will be something erotic,
like some of the scenes in feature films. And Samantha says, after
all, she's sure famous people have done work like that.
[01]19:55:45 MALE ONE, INTERVIEWER [Morgan]
You can put your clothes back on.
[01]19:55:49 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) And it's clear the directors put a premium on the new, the
young.
[01]19:55:53 MALE ONE, INTERVIEWER
The new, hot, fresh talent is, is always better than the old, used.
[01]19:56:03 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) So the same day Samantha meets Jim South, she agrees to get an
AIDS test.
[01]19:56:10 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(VO) And the next day she's in front of a camera having sex. And
then, the regret. She says afterwards she took a long, hot shower
thinking about what she'd done. Angel, the girl from the Midwest
who wanted to be a regular actress says she let herself get lured
in, and afterward, she's desperate to get out.
[01]19:56:34 ANGEL, TRIED BEING A PORN STAR
I don't want to do anymore sex.
[01]19:56:35 JIM SOUTH, WORLD MODELING AGENCY
Okay. That's fine. It's your life. The money, of course, is
excellent.
[01]19:56:41 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) Jim South agrees to cancel Angel's next shoot, but the director
makes it more difficult.
[01]19:56:48 JIM SOUTH, WORLD MODELING AGENCY
He's just disappointed. He's not mad. He wants to know if
you will do it for $1000 if he gets you out in two hours.
[01]19:56:56 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) Angel agrees to listen.
[01]19:56:58 MALE THREE, PHOTOGRAPHER
You really are cute.
[01]19:56:59 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
Thank you.
[01]19:57:00 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) What about this girl? 18-year-old Michelle Sinclair.
[01]19:57:03 MALE THREE, PHOTOGRAPHER
You've never done any sex on camera or any of that?
[01]19:57:06 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
No.
[01]19:57:07 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) Michelle is a former cheerleader, field hockey star, anyone's
kid next door growing up in a family of eight kids in Mormon Utah.
[01]19:57:16 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(OC) Happy?
[01]19:57:17 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
Happy. Very happy. I wanted to be a gymnast in the Olympics. A ballerina,
art teacher.
[01]19:57:25 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) In the course of this hour you will learn how the 18-year-old
daughter of a Bishop in the Mormon Church would become one of the
most talked about stars in one of the roughest parts of porn.
[01]19:57:36 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(OC) And you will also learn something else about pornography in America
today. How so many respectable Fortune 500 companies like General
Motors, Comcast, AOL-Time Warner and some of the leading hotel chains
are making money from the distribution of porn. But try to get some
answers from them about accountability or profits? Well.
[01]19:57:58 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(OC) Is this an edict from General Motors not to talk?
[01]19:58:01 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(VO) They don't want to talk about a business that places 18-year-old
kids at risk. Only a handful of porn production companies insist on
condoms to protect against AIDS and other diseases.
[01]19:58:12 MALE FOUR, PORN STAR
If you really want to work continuously as a male performer, you have
to, it's basically, you're riding bare back.
[01]19:58:20 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) Most offer no health plans, no benefits.
[01]19:58:24 DR. SHARON MITCHELL, ADULT INDUSTRY MEDICAL CLINIC
The person that packs the porn in a box in the warehouse is entitled
to hepatitis B vaccines. But someone that's having unprotected
anal sex, hmm. There is no standards.
[01]19:58:37 C. EVERETT KOOP, FORMER SURGEON GENERAL
They're not protected. They don't even have workman's
compensation.
[01]19:58:41 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) Former US Surgeon General C. Everett Koop says America's
big corporations are complicit in a public health hazard.
[01]19:58:49 C. EVERETT KOOP, FORMER SURGEON GENERAL
We have an industry that is making billions of dollars a year, is
spreading to cable television and to the Internet, and yet their employees
are considered to be throwaway people.
[01]19:59:01 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(OC) So you're saying that they want it both ways? They want to
be profiting from it, but they don't want to get involved?
[01]19:59:07 C. EVERETT KOOP, FORMER SURGEON GENERAL
They don't want to get involved, and people don't care whether
they get involved or not. You have to remember that even the people
who enjoy looking at pornography really despise the people they're
watching, and they have no sense of protection for them.
[01]19:59:24 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) And yet, to keep the revenues coming, the pressure on the performers
is always to go further, to do something new.
[01]19:59:32 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(VO) Like this film, recently, one woman having sex with hundreds
of men in only 48 hours.
[01]19:59:39 FEMALE FOUR, PORN STAR
I can't stand up.
[01]19:59:42 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) She's so physically bruised, she's treated with ice.
Contrast a porn set with a Hollywood feature film where . . .
[01]19:59:49 C. EVERETT KOOP, FORMER SURGEON GENERAL
You have the animal rights people taking better care of cockroaches
than they take care of people.
[01]19:59:54 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(OC) What about these individuals? Do they deserve it if they get
into it themselves?
[01]19:59:58 C. EVERETT KOOP, FORMER SURGEON GENERAL
I don't think anybody deserves the kind of things that happen
in the pornographic industry. Remember, these are kids, most of them.
These are ordinary people who have made bad decisions, all who have
been pushed into bad decisions.
[01]20:00:13 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) Back at Jim South's agency, Samantha discovers that after
her first time, she's suddenly a big property.
[01]20:00:20 JIM SOUTH, WORLD MODELING AGENCY
Legends wants to book you, Nick at Ultimate wants to book you. Do
you know who Peter North is?
[01]20:00:27 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) She tells us she's never had this much attention or money
in her life. So she suppresses her regret, saying, I'll just try
to close my eyes and imagine I'm somewhere else. But Angel who
also desperately wanted money and stardom decides she cannot do it.
[01]20:00:44 ANGEL, TRIED BEING A PORN STAR
There are people I don't want to find out about this. My family.
[01]20:00:48 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) She puts down the phone and decides to walk away.
[01]20:00:52 ANGEL, TRIED BEING A PORN STAR
Really I just, I can't.
[01]20:00:54 JIM SOUTH, WORLD MODELING AGENCY
If you can't, you can't.
[01]20:00:55 ANGEL, TRIED BEING A PORN STAR
I can't do it.
[01]20:01:00 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) But Michelle Sinclair, the girl from the Mormon family in Utah
will make a different decision.
[01]20:01:07 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
I wanted that attention. I wanted people to love me, love me. I don't
know why.
[01]20:01:12 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) Hers will be a searing odyssey of confusion, unimaginable choices
and a journey into a kind of hell.
[01]20:01:23 ANNOUNCER
For the very first time, Michelle make a movie and is asked to do
something she's never done before, but nothing could compare to
her next job.
[01]20:01:32 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
At first I said, no. No way. There's no way I'd ever do that.
That's sick.
[01]20:01:36 ANNOUNCER
"Young Women, Porn And Profits: Corporate America's Secret
Affair" will be back in a moment.
[GRAPHICS: PRIMETIME THURSDAY]
[YOUNG WOMEN, PORN & PROFITS: CORPORATE AMERICA'S SECRET AFFAIR]
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
[GRAPHICS: PRIMETIME THURSDAY]
[YOUNG WOMEN, PORN & PROFITS: CORPORATE AMERICA'S SECRET AFFAIR]
[01]20:03:53 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(OC) The porn industry claims that more than 30 percent of movies
bought or rented on the East and West coasts of America are sex movies.
And we're also told that in hotel rooms where porn is available,
half of the guests who rent movies rent adult movies. And something
else. Porn is no longer catering just to men who skulk into the seedy
part of town, it's a growth industry among women as well. And
you should know there are different kinds of porn. Some made in what
are called high-end studios. They often market their videos as hard-core
and then edit them for sale as soft core as well. And then there are
what are called gonzo productions, deliberately amateur looking and
the content going as far as it's possible to go. So as we continue,
a teenager has to make a decision. What is she going to do?
[01]20:04:43 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(VO) We begin again with Michelle Sinclair, who is just 18 years old.
A girl who just wants everyone to love her. Always surprising people
with presents and flowers. For months, she says, she refused to try
sex on film. Then one day, with no money and no prospects, she agreed.
[01]20:05:02 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(OC) And that night, when you're lying awake that night and thinking
about it?
[01]20:05:07 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
I think I was just so, like, wow, I'm going to be famous, and,
you know, people are going to want my autograph one day, and I had
all this money. I could go shopping and, you know, get whatever I
wanted.
[01]20:05:20 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) She dyed her hair coal black not long after the first time.
[01]20:05:24 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(OC) Do you think anything fundamental has been lost? Have you given
something important up?
[01]20:05:31 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
Of course. My sexual privacy is the most private, it was. But I'll
get over that.
[01]20:05:43 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) But would she really get over that first day? She said she showed
up expecting one regular sex scene.
[01]20:05:54 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(VO) But the director said he needed more. A different kind of sex.
[01]20:05:58 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
And I'm like, well, I've never even done anal sex in my entire
life. Never. Never even thought of it. It was painful. You know.
[01]20:06:06 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) She says afterwards she was shattered, but she just didn't
know how to refuse.
[01]20:06:11 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
Because I didn't know any better, you know. I didn't know
that I couldn't get work if I didn't do that.
[01]20:06:18 ONA ZEE, PORN STAR
They lie to you all the time.
[01]20:06:20 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) Ona Zee, who's been a performer for 15 years and is an advocate
for reform.
[01]20:06:25 ONA ZEE, PORN STAR
You show up expecting to do one thing, and then you do something else
and you're in, you're in a trap, because you've planned
on the money that you're going to make.
[01]20:06:31 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) Performers generally get a flat fee. $350 to $1,000 for a conventional
sex scene.
[01]20:06:41 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(VO) But some of the cassettes can ultimately bring in as much as
$1 million for those who are making and distributing them.
[01]20:06:48 STEVE ORENSTEIN, OWNER WICKED PICTURES
In our business, a movie doesn't die. It doesn't go away.
It doesn't end. I have my Jenna movies that are from seven years
ago that are still selling better than some people's new movies.
[01]20:07:01 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) Michelle's agent tells her he has another job that can bring
her some extra money and sends her to what turns out to be a real
prison, but with actors in prison outfits. 12 men.
[01]20:07:12 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
At first I said, no. No way. There's no way I would ever do that.
That's sick, you know?
[01]20:07:17 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) She says she tried to back out with a variety of excuses, but
the director was insistent. She was paid $4,000. A warning. This is
not easy to watch. The men come at her, man after man, for all kinds
of sex.
[01]20:07:32 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
It was really hard, because I felt really, really felt like a piece
of meat. Like you really took a piece of meat, threw it in a lion's
cage. 12 lions. I had to do a lot of things that I can't imagine
anyone wanting to do, and, you know, the guy who I shot it for saw
me and just didn't even say anything. Like, didn't even, are
you okay? You know, nothing. It was like, he got his movie, and he
got his box cover. So he was happy. But I wasn't very happy.
[01]20:08:06 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) She says afterwards she couldn't stop crying, and so Michelle
Sinclair packed up her bags and went back home to her Mormon family
in Utah. Again, she was just 18 years old. And all that happened was
perfectly legal in America today where pornography is enjoying a respectability
unimagined 30 years ago.
[01]20:08:31 FEMALE FIVE, SEX TOY DISTRIBUTOR
I'm the soccer mom.
[01]20:08:32 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) This woman says she has more than 3,000 distributors for her
sex toys. Many of them stay-at-home moms whose make up to six figures.
[01]20:08:40 FEMALE FIVE, SEX TOY DISTRIBUTOR
I am the woman next door. I am your best friend. That's who I
am. And, and I can answer your questions when it comes to sex, too.
[01]20:08:54 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) This is a couple. Parents of five children from Ohio who won
a contest to be on the set of a porn movie.
[01]20:09:06 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(VO) Joy King(SP?) who works for Wicked Pictures was even asked recently
to speak about pornography to a secret society at Yale University.
[01]20:09:14 JOY KING, WICKED PICTURES
All these Yale yuppies sitting there watching porn, eating fried chicken
and drinking beer. I went, wow, our market has changed. Hasn't
it?
[01]20:09:26 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) And porn stars openly woo college kids at spring break.
[01]20:09:36 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(VO) Hard to believe, but 30 years ago, pornographers operated in
fear of prosecution where the charge could be an obscene violation
of community standards. But today, prosecutors say how can you win
a pornography case when the standard has virtually disappeared.
[GRAPHICS: LARRY FLYNT PUBLISHER "HUSTLER" MAGAZINE]
[01]20:09:59 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) Today former porn star Veronica Hart directs her own movies for
a high end company, VCA. Another career girl and mother of two boys
trying to have it all.
[01]20:10:11 MALE FIVE, VERONICA HART'S SON
It's definitely been tough for me. Even though I'm 18, I don't
know if I'm comfortable meeting a stranger and telling them exactly
what my mom does. I mean, very few of my friends know, exactly.
[01]20:10:27 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) In higher end companies like VCA and Wicked and Digital Playground,
the girls are put under contract. Then they usually get to pick their
sex partners and condoms are required.
[01]20:10:44 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(VO) And they can sound like cheerleaders about the profession, insisting,
no drinking, no drugs.
[01]20:10:49 FEMALE SIX, PORN STAR
I've been very happy. It's been a very wonderful adventure.
[01]20:10:54 FEMALE SEVEN, PORN STAR
A lot of females, they look at me kind of as a role model. I've
had nothing but positive attention.
[01]20:10:59 FEMALE EIGHT, PORN STAR
I love reading. I'm a big "Harry Potter" fan. I mean,
I'm just a normal person.
[01]20:11:04 FEMALE NINE, PORN STAR
We're pretty much normal.
[01]20:11:05 FEMALE SIX, PORN STAR
I haven't changed as a person. I just have a very bizarre career.
[01]20:11:12 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) But remember, and once again, this is a warning, when they go
to work, it is this.
[01]20:11:20 ONA ZEE, PORN STAR
I don't think someone who thinks of themselves as priceless could
be a sex performer.
[01]20:11:26 ONA ZEE, PORN STAR (CONTINUED)
I think the women want to create an overall ambience that it's
all, it's easy, it's fun, it's great. We never get a yeast
infection. We're happy. You know, we don't have to worry about,
it never hurts.
[01]20:11:40 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) Veteran porn star and reformer Ona Zee says no one wants to wake
the public up to the reality.
[01]20:11:47 ONA ZEE, PORN STAR
I see it everyday. I mean, I see girls come, girls come to the set
drunk, not in their bodies.
[01]20:11:52 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) Ona Zee, who is still in the business, says it is ripe with drugs.
[01]20:11:58 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(VO) And for every vulnerable female, a vulnerable male. Viagra, they
say, is everywhere.
[01]20:12:04 MALE SIX, ASSOCIATE OF ONA ZEE [Jay Shanahan]
His equipment doesn't work at all.
[01]20:12:05 ONA ZEE, PORN STAR
He's old.
[01]20:12:06 MALE SIX, ASSOCIATE OF ONA ZEE [Jay]
The guys that are popping sometimes five and six of these a day. And
they raise your blood pressure. I mean, do you know what that stuff
does to you?
[01]20:12:13 ONA ZEE, PORN STAR
Lights, camera, Viagra.
[01]20:12:16 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) And it is probably not a surprise that many of these actors came
from troubled homes or a history of abuse.
[01]20:12:23 ONA ZEE, PORN STAR
When those things happen to us as people, it breaks down all of our
boundaries. And, and this, this is the person they're looking
for. A lot of these people in the business are looking for.
[01]20:12:35 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) Though it did surprise us how many of the performers said they
came from intense religious backgrounds. Like Michelle, from a Mormon
home so strict, she couldn't play with Barbie dolls because of
their voluptuous bodies.
[01]20:12:49 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
I was raised in a very strict family where we weren't allowed
to do anything. I wasn't allowed to watch "Roger Rabbit"
or "Simpsons" or "Dirty Dancing." I wasn't
allowed to watch that.
[01]20:12:59 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) Growing up, Michelle had a learning disability, trouble in school,
and, she says, a boyfriend left her for a stripper. She says, too,
there wasn't much money in the family, until her journey into
porn.
[01]20:13:12 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
I'm like the one that they thought that would never have the money,
and I'm the only one that has money in that whole family. My sister,
I pay for her college. You know? My older sister.
[01]20:13:22 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) Michelle's older sister Alicia.
[01]20:13:24 ALICIA SINCLAIR, MICHELLE'S SISTER
I can remember the day that, like, my mom called me and told me that
she moved out here and that's what she was doing. And I, like,
remember crying on the phone and thinking, like, what has her life
become, you know? And being really upset about it, you know, because
it's not like you exactly expect her to become a lawyer or anything.
So, I mean, but it's not exactly like you expect her to become
a porn star either.
[01]20:13:46 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) So, just one year after she left the business, the lure of the
money brings Michelle Sinclair back.
[01]20:13:52 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
I'm like, wow, this is going to be cool.
[01]20:13:55 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) She tries to get a contract with one of the high-end companies.
[01]20:13:59 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
I think that I will be a superstar one day. We'll see.
[01]20:14:03 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) She has a shot at the big time. A small part in a VCA movie,
the same company where Veronica Hart is a director. On the set, she's
star struck.
[01]20:14:12 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
He is a riot.
[01]20:14:15 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) There's Ron Jeremy, one of the biggest names in porn.
[01]20:14:18 RON JEREMY, PORN STAR
No bras. No panties.
[01]20:14:21 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) But she gets bad news. She doesn't get her contract.
[01]20:14:26 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
We're going to rock the world.
[01]20:14:29 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) So she takes another offer.
[01]20:14:37 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(VO) A trip to Prague to shoot her first starring role in a feature
film for a company called "Elegant Angel." And as you'll
see, it will be an experience that will totally turn her life around.
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
[GRAPHICS: PRIMETIME THURSDAY]
[YOUNG WOMEN, PORN & PROFITS]
[01]20:18:05 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(OC) Once again, here's how the business works. Every year an
estimated 11,000 hard core porn movies are released, and the people
who make the videos then market them to middle men, distributors who
feed them to the giant cable and satellite companies and hotels, or
they're sold over the Internet and in video stores. As we said,
the performers tend to get flat fees, just a tiny fraction of the
money a movie can make. And while some production companies encourage
condom use and offer health coverage, most do not. And we're told
every performer has a story. And often they're stories of troubled
childhood and abuse.
[01]20:18:44 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(VO) As we begin Michelle Sinclair made a few dozen videos. Her screen
name, Belladonna. Poison flower.
[01]20:18:52 DIANA HAMILTON, MICHELLE'S MOTHER
She said, when she first left for LA, she told me she was going to
model negligees.
[01]20:18:58 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) This is Michelle's mother, Diana Hamilton(SP?).
[01]20:19:01 DIANA HAMILTON, MICHELLE'S MOTHER
And then I ran into a couple of people who actually were fans of hers,
and people I work with. And that was a little, little strange, but.
[01]20:19:11 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(OC) Did you go through the what did I do? Did I do something wrong?
[01]20:19:15 DIANA HAMILTON, MICHELLE'S MOTHER
I have. I've wondered. What did I do wrong? Was it because I went
through a divorce? Was it because I raised her in the church? Or was
I not rich enough? Was I not humble enough? I don't know.
[01]20:19:28 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) Michelle's father is in fact a retired Air Force Captain,
and a former Bishop in the Mormon church.
[01]20:19:34 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(OC) What does her father really think about this? Do you know?
[01]20:19:38 DIANA HAMILTON, MICHELLE'S MOTHER
I think he's totally disgusted by it and embarrassed, and very,
very sad.
[01]20:19:45 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) And slowly, as we talk, Michelle's mother reveals that like
so many others in the business, when Michelle was 14, she was molested
by an older boy. Afterwards, she had a breakdown, attempting suicide.
[01]20:19:58 DIANA HAMILTON, MICHELLE'S MOTHER
She was, you know, what, 14? I could lock her away, I could protect
her. I could go visit her and take care of her. I can't do that
now.
[01]20:20:12 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) Back in Los Angeles, Michelle goes off to the Czech Republic
to begin shooting her first starring role.
[01]20:20:23 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(VO) The movie will be part reality based, part scripted.
[01]20:20:29 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(VO) Director Patrick Hollands(SP?) wants his star to roam Prague
with a handicam in search of sexual adventures. He starts thing off
at the LA airport.
[01]20:20:37 PATRICK HOLLANDS, DIRECTOR
I got $50 if you'll just undo the buttons on your blouse. We'll
make it $100. Cash.
[01]20:20:44 FEMALE TEN, AIRPORT SCREENER
That's $100.
[01]20:20:44 PATRICK HOLLANDS, DIRECTOR
That's $100. Okay, I want to see that, come up, a little bit .
. .
[01]20:20:57 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) Two flights and 15 hour, later, Belladonna looks less the porn
star and more the kid next door. In Prague, when Michelle is introduced
to one of her leading men a few days later, she falls for him, in
a childish infatuation.
[01]20:21:15 NACHO VIDAL, PORN STAR
Sometimes you find the woman.
[01]20:21:18 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
You're so beautiful.
[01]20:21:25 PATRICK HOLLANDS, DIRECTOR
That's Bella playing hard to get.
[01]20:21:30 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) Her new love, Nacho Vidal, a porn star from Spain who has been
paired with just about every starlet in the business, but Michelle
believes this is it for her.
[01]20:21:41 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
There's nothing bad about you.
[01]20:21:43 NACHO VIDAL, PORN STAR
No?
[01]20:21:43 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
No.
[01]20:21:44 NACHO VIDAL, PORN STAR
You don't know me very well.
[01]20:21:46 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
Don't say that.
[01]20:21:47 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR (CONTINUED)
The day we met, he said, you are going to be the mother of my children.
I love you. Like, you know, I mean, I'd never had that before.
Never had a guy be so in love with me.
[01]20:21:58 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) He is less sentimental about commitment.
[01]20:22:01 NACHO VIDAL, PORN STAR
I see already the way she feels. I cannot be with one girl. You know?
[01]20:22:07 PATRICK HOLLANDS, DIRECTOR
Action.
[01]20:22:10 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
Hi. My car broke down.
[01]20:22:12 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) And when the filming actually begins, the tone changes. None
of this was scripted or suggested by the director. It didn't even
appear in the final version of the film. And though Michelle seemed
shaken afterwards, she insisted she was okay.
[01]20:22:28 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
I look torn up, can you tell? I mean, I took a beating today, and
it was great.
[01]20:22:34 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) Another girl considered disposable by a business feeding a giant
appetite.
[01]20:22:38 KEN DANISH, PRESIDENT OF EROTIC NETWORK
The careers are, are pretty short.
[01]20:22:41 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) Ken Danish(SP?) is President of the Erotic Network whose parent
company, New Frontier, feeds cable companies like Time Warner and
Comcast.
[01]20:22:52 KEN DANISH, PRESIDENT OF EROTIC NETWORK
I don't think that we can take responsibility for what we're
doing to society. I think society is, is, is taking the entertainment
community where it wants to go.
[01]20:23:03 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) In just three years, Danish says, his Erotic Network has grown
from about a million and a half households . . .
[01]20:23:09 KEN DANISH, PRESIDENT OF EROTIC NETWORK
To last count, over 35 million.
[01]20:23:11 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) Danish used to sell country western and educational programs.
The CEO of New Frontier, Mark Krielof,(SP?) used to be a banker.
[01]20:23:20 MARK KRIELOF, CEO EROTIC NETWORK
It's a very inexpensive form of entertainment for a lot of Americans.
And they're willing to pay a big premium to get it discreetly,
to get it in the privacy of their own home.
[01]20:23:30 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) Krielof and Danish are two middle-class guys from the suburbs
of Colorado who recognize a growth industry.
[01]20:23:39 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(VO) And up next in the porn world, do it yourself porn, with interactive
technology, too.
[01]20:23:44 FEMALE ELEVEN, DISPLAYING INTERACTIVE PORN
It's all shot from point of view so you can imagine yourself as
the viewer, oop. You can see there? See, she's reacting. She didn't
like the way you touched her.
[01]20:23:53 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(VO) By now, Michelle Sinclair is no longer the new girl in the business.
She's made 200 to 300 movies with scores of sex partners and she
has to do ever riskier things to earn her money. Again, we warn you,
this information is not pleasant to hear, but it is true.
[01]20:24:10 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
For, like, DPs, which is, like, double penetration, $1500. And, you
know, if you do, like they even do double anal. Which is like $1500,
$1600 also.
[01]20:24:26 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(OC) One person in the industry called it sexual Olympics?
[01]20:24:30 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
It definitely is. You have to really prepare physically and mentally
for it. I mean, I go through a process from the night before. I stop
eating at 5:00. I do, you know, like two enemas. The next morning
I don't eat anything. It's so draining on your body.
[01]20:24:48 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) At every stage, the medical risk increases. Always the fear of
AIDS.
[01]20:24:53 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
It's something I always think about. Pray.
[01]20:25:00 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) Michelle has already contracted chlamydia, a venereal disease
which can make you sterile.
[01]20:25:08 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(OC) So why won't you protect yourself?
[01]20:25:11 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
The fans don't like to see condoms. If I would have said I want
to use condoms every time, I really wouldn't get any work.
[01]20:25:18 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(OC) Are you shocked it's not against the law?
[01]20:25:20 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
Yeah, because you're talking about your life. You know?
[01]20:25:25 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) Michelle's mother, Diana Hamilton told us, she had not watched
her daughter's tapes, but she did listen as Michelle told me the
graphic details.
[01]20:25:34 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(OC) But I can hear lots of parents out there saying, I would be on
the next train, plane, automobile, if I had to take handcuffs, I would
get them home and get them out of this.
[01]20:25:48 DIANA HAMILTON, MICHELLE'S MOTHER
I don't know. I mean, maybe if I had really felt the truth of
what was happening at the time. If I'd really felt or knew, you
know what I mean? But she's an adult. I can't chain her down,
I can't tie her down. She has to find out for herself.
[01]20:26:04 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
People have tried to tell me, you know, this is how it's going
to turn out, and I've never listened to anyone. Never.
[01]20:26:11 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) But the longer we talked to Michelle, the more unnerved I became
by something. No matter how ghastly the stories of what she had done,
no matter the pain she described, Michelle always smiled.
[01]20:26:23 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(OC) When you're telling me about things that really made you
suffer, you're still smiling.
[01]20:26:29 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
Because I like to hide. Everything. You know?
[01]20:26:37 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(OC) And what's real? What's not hidden?
[01]20:26:45 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
Now I'm going to cry.
[01]20:26:48 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(OC) Why?
[01]20:26:53 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
I don't know. I don't know. I just, I like to hide my real
emotions, because, I want everyone to see how happy I am inside, really,
and I'm not happy. I don't like myself at all.
[01]20:27:21 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(OC) We'll have more from Michelle in a moment, but a couple of
other notes. There are four female porn star whose have spoken out
publicly saying, they've contracted AIDS. And one of them is bringing
suit. And we also thought we'd tell you that brothels in Nevada
are legal and regulated, and the brothels require that the girls be
protected with condoms.
[01]20:27:44 ANNOUNCER
American porn. Hard-core profits for some. Throwaway lives for many.
Fortune 500 companies with an X-rated secret.
[01]20:27:53 DIANA HAMILTON, MICHELLE'S MOTHER
I hate them. Their kids get to go college and live in a big, beautiful
home and go on wonderful vacations, and my daughter had to, and will,
suffer for that.
[01]20:28:05 ANNOUNCER
"Primetime Thursday" will return in a moment.
[GRAPHICS: PRIMETIME THURSDAY]
[YOUNG WOMEN, PORN & PROFITS: CORPORATE AMERICA'S SECRET AFFAIR]
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
[01]20:30:31 ANNOUNCER
What's happened to a young girl's Hollywood dream? Now she's
a star in the roughest part of the hard-core world.
[01]20:30:38 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
Oh my God. I didn't know I had that many fans.
[01]20:30:40 ANNOUNCER
But what's the price of fame? Her mother has a question for all
the corporations cashing in.
[01]20:30:46 DIANA HAMILTON, MICHELLE'S MOTHER
Would you allow your daughter to work in this industry?
[01]20:30:49 ANNOUNCER
"Young Women, Porn & Profits: Corporate America's Secret
Affair" continues after this from our ABC stations.
[GRAPHICS: PRIMETIME THURSDAY]
[GRAPHICS: YOUNG WOMEN, PORN & PROFITS: CORPORATE AMERICA'S SECRET
AFFAIR]
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
[GRAPHICS: PRIMETIME THURSDAY]
[YOUNG WOMEN, PORN & PROFITS: CORPORATE AMERICA'S SECRET AFFAIR]
[01]20:32:55 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(OC) As we said, just a generation ago, pornographers lived in fear
of prosecution and videos tended to play in seedy neighborhoods. Well,
not so today. Some of the country's most glittering corporate
establishments have gotten into the profits. So we wondered, what
would they say? Do they approve of the legal age limit? 18-year-old
girls? What about the fact that condoms are not always required or
that performers are treated, in the words of Dr. Koop, like throwaway
people. So we started asking some questions and discovered that pornography,
profits and responsibility are a secret in the corporate attic.
[01]20:33:33 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(VO) Who are these companies? None other than General Motors which
owns Direct TV. Direct TV delivers soft and hard-core porn via satellite
into homes bringing in millions. Comcast, the giant communications
company, which supplies porn, including hard-core, to homes via pay
per view. And how about Time Warner? It owns a cable company which
offers erotic programs from "Playboy" and other outlets
including hard-core.
[01]20:34:01 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(OC) So, how many millions and millions of dollars do these Fortune
500 companies make from porn? Well, we can't tell you, because
they don't publicize it anywhere at all. We went through their
financial statements, and there's not one mention of money made
from the sex movie market. But one industry analyst we spoke with
estimated that the combination of cable and satellite outlets makes
about a billion dollars a year from the adult movie market.
[01]20:34:31 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(VO) And the hotel industry is also reaping the spoils. Major hotel
chains. Some 40 percent of all the hotel rooms in the country offer
adult movies, ranging from soft to hard-core. So it's a lot of
easy cash for hotels, in the millions. But, again, you'll never
find a mention on any financial statement. So I got on the phone to
try to find some answers from these companies. Direct TV, General
Motors. I tried the Chairmen. Finally, a PR spokesman said they were
not permitted to talk.
[01]20:35:03 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(OC) Is this an edict from General Motors not to talk?
[01]20:35:06 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(VO) Comcast would not comment on the record. And companies like Hilton
and Marriott, nothing on the record. In fact several companies wouldn't
even go on the record to say no comment. At the end of the day, no
executives at Time Warner Cable would talk either, but public relations
spokesman Mark Herad(SP?) said I could record his voice for broadcast.
[01]20:35:27 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(OC) Tell me about the nature of what you're offering. Where do
you draw the line?
[01]20:35:31 MARK HERAD, TIME WARNER CABLE
Time Warner Cable has traditionally offered what they've called
soft core programming. And . . .
[01]20:35:38 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(OC) But do you offer hard-core?
[01]20:35:39 MARK HERAD, TIME WARNER CABLE
In a couple of divisions they have increased the programming to the
next step up, if you will, which I think some people would understandably
call hard-core, and that decision has really been driven by consumers.
[01]20:35:55 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(OC) And no one expressed a willingness to take responsibility for
the young girls helping bring in the profits. Again, former Surgeon
General Dr. C. Everett Koop who says most companies do nothing to
insure health care or simple safety regulations for the performers
who are often still in their teens.
[01]20:36:13 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(OC) As you know, producers have said and distributors have said,
well, they're not really employees, so we don't have that
responsibility for them. They're, they're contract players,
in effect, independent ones.
[01]20:36:24 C. EVERETT KOOP, FORMER SURGEON GENERAL
That's just a cop-out, and these youngsters are not unionized.
They don't know how to do anything for themselves and they're
really stuck.
[01]20:36:33 DR. SHARON MITCHELL, ADULT INDUSTRY MEDICAL CLINIC
This is not a moral issue. It's an issue about disease, about
HIV, about chlamydia, gonorrhea, young men and women entering an industry
that they often don't know enough about.
[01]20:36:41 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) Dr. Sharon Mitchell(SP?), Head of the Adult Industry Medical
Clinic. Bill Margold is a veteran porn star himself who now counsels
others entering the business.
[01]20:36:51 BILL MARGOLD, COUNSELOR
I get 18, 19-year-old girls who just don't understand that once
you do this, you are sociologically damned forever. I do not think
that people are capable, at 18 years old, of making life-changing
decisions.
[01]20:37:06 C. EVERETT KOOP, FORMER SURGEON GENERAL
I think that what this needs is somebody in either the House or the
Senate to have some hearings on the regulation of this industry.
[01]20:37:15 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(OC) What about the mental health consequences to these kids?
[01]20:37:18 C. EVERETT KOOP, FORMER SURGEON GENERAL
What happens to youngsters who are used in the pornographic industry
is almost indescribable.
[01]20:37:25 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) Again, performer and porn executive Ona Zee says . . .
[01]20:37:29 ONA ZEE, PORN STAR
We don't think about the repercussions, the movies created on
the psyche of the girl that we used in the film. I mean, many times
I saw myself get up from my body, and I was having a scene outside
of my body. It's a severe form of splitting off.
[01]20:37:45 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
I call it the other half.
[01]20:37:50 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) We've noticed since we first met her, Michelle Sinclair has
changed dramatically. When we first met her, she told us she wouldn't
use drugs.
[01]20:37:57 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
Never, never.
[01]20:38:00 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) Now we learn, like so many others, she's been using drugs
during some of the scenes.
[01]20:38:06 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
And I'm like this when he's, he's like calls me back,
and he's like, is there something I did wrong or, or, you know,
were you not into it or something? I'm all, no. I think I was
really stoned.
[01]20:38:17 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) And we aren't the only ones who were stunned by the changes
in her. One of her old friends from home came to visit.
[01]20:38:23 FEMALE TWELVE, MICHELLE'S FRIEND
When I got off the plane, I went straight to one of her scenes. Like,
I had never seen anything like that before. I was shocked.
[01]20:38:30 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) Michelle says, at times, it has driven her to despair.
[01]20:38:34 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(OC) Recently, did you have a breakdown?
[01]20:38:36 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
Yes.
[01]20:38:38 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(OC) What was it?
[01]20:38:39 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
I just, I didn't want to be here anymore at all. I wanted to leave,
you know, this world.
[01]20:38:47 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(OC) Suicide?
[01]20:38:47 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
Of course. I mean, I don't want to do this anymore, at all. But
there's that part of me that's like, you'll have all that
money again.
[01]20:38:55 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(OC) And who's going to win?
[01]20:38:57 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
Me, this time, I, I really hope.
[01]20:39:01 BILL MARGOLD, COUNSELOR
There's a delusion that the X-rated industry is a stepping-stone
into the real world. The X-rated industry is a tombstone to the real
world.
[01]20:39:09 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(OC) Do you hate the big businesses that make so much money?
[01]20:39:13 DIANA HAMILTON, MICHELLE'S MOTHER
Yes, I do. I hate them. I hate them that their kids get to go to college,
and live in a big, beautiful home, and go on wonderful vacations,
and my daughter had to, and will, suffer for that.
[01]20:39:29 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(OC) If you could talk to the head of one of these corporations, making
countless millions on the industry, saying nothing publicly about
it, what would you say to him?
[01]20:39:39 DIANA HAMILTON, MICHELLE'S MOTHER
I think my first question would be, would you allow your daughter
to work in this industry?
[01]20:39:43 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(OC) There are a lot of people, I suppose, who'd like to think
that if we don't take responsibility for it, it will go away?
[01]20:39:49 C. EVERETT KOOP, FORMER SURGEON GENERAL
Oh no. It won't go, it'll never go away. It'll just get
worse. The appetite for pornography seems to be insatiable.
[01]20:40:00 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(OC) We know of one hotel chain, Omni, which decided to stop providing
sex movies in rooms, and the company says it's forfeiting millions
a year by doing so. But the CEO said he made the decision after asking
himself, what are we doing?
[01]20:40:16 ANNOUNCER
Two years in the world of porn.
[01]20:40:18 MALE THREE, PHOTOGRAPHER
You've never done any sex on camera or any of that?
[01]20:40:20 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
No.
[01]20:40:22 ANNOUNCER
What's happened to the young women who took the dare?
[01]20:40:25 MALE SEVEN, AWARD PRESENTER
And the winner of the AVN Award for best all-sex video is . . .
[01]20:40:31 ANNOUNCER
Will Michelle make it to the top? Or bow out? When "Primetime"
returns.
[GRAPHICS: PRIMETIME THURSDAY]
[YOUNG WOMEN, PORN & PROFIT: CORPORATE AMERICA'S SECRET AFFAIR]
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
[GRAPHICS: PRIMETIME THURSDAY]
[YOUNG WOMEN, PORN & PROFITS: CORPORATE AMERICA'S SECRET AFFAIR]
[01]20:44:14 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(OC) When we left Michelle Sinclair, she was at a crossroads. The
average career in hard-core pornography is brief, reportedly just
18 months. So we thought we'd tell you what happened to some of
the people you met here tonight.
[01]20:44:27 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(VO) We checked back in with Samantha, who became much sought after.
Her first porn scene, you'll remember, had been the day after
she walked in the agency. She told us after a few months, she'd
had enough. She didn't feel it was for her.
[01]20:44:46 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(VO) But after two years, Michelle has become a major name. Belladonna,
famous, celebrated for the kind of sex that once horrified and hurt
her.
[01]20:44:56 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
Oh, my God. I didn't know I had that many fans.
[01]20:45:00 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) She told us she's made more than $100,000 a year. At Michelle's
first Las Vegas Adult Video Awards Show, a kind of porn Oscars, her
movie, the one she shot in Prague, is nominated.
[GRAPHICS: ADULT VIDEO NEWS AWARDS]
[01]20:45:18 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) Veronica Hart, up for Best Director, does not win.
[01]20:45:25 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(VO) And Bella's now former boyfriend, Nacho, up for five awards.
[01]20:45:30 FEMALE THIRTEEN, AWARD PRESENTER
And the winner is . . .
[01]20:45:32 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) Loses out each time.
[01]20:45:33 FEMALE THIRTEEN, AWARD PRESENTER
Lexington Steel(SP?).
[01]20:45:43 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) But belladonna . . .
[01]20:45:44 MALE SEVEN, AWARD PRESENTER
And the winner of the AVN Award for best all-sex video is . . .
[01]20:45:51 FEMALE THIRTEEN, AWARD PRESENTER
Bella, "All Day Angel."
[01]20:46:01 MICHELLE SINCLAIR, PORN STAR
Roar. That's all I have to say. What's up? I worked hard for
this one.
[01]20:46:08 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) And even more awards as the months move on. For her biggest movie
yet, a disturbing marathon of anal sex and S&M. She is now 21, and
there have been other changes in her life. Her friend from Utah, who
was once so shocked by the business, decided the money was good, so
she'd try it, too.
[01]20:46:36 FEMALE TWELVE, MICHELLE'S FRIEND
My first time was horrible. Horrible. I was like almost in tears.
Like I hated it so bad.
[01]20:46:41 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(VO) She says it was Bella who convinced her to stick with it. And
what about Belladonna's mother, who was so worried about her daughter
in the porn industry? Her mother decided to become her personal assistant
on a new series Belladonna was going to direct and star in. But that
deal fell through. Her mother went back to Utah.
[01]20:47:05 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS (CONTINUED)
(OC) And you can find more on our report at abcnews.com. We'll
be right back.
[GRAPHICS: ABCNEWS.COM]
[GRAPHICS: PRIMETIME THURSDAY]
[YOUNG WOMEN, PORN & PROFITS: CORPORATE AMERICA'S SECRET AFFAIR]
[01]20:48:40 DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS
(OC) That's it for us tonight. Don't forget to join me tomorrow
morning for "Good Morning America." I'll see you then.
I'm Diane Sawyer and from all of us here at "Primetime Thursday,"
we hope you have a good night.
August 28, 2007
She
blogs:
*sigh* Well, my plan WAS to fill you all in on my past week
and a half of life. But, sometimes things change in an instant. I
CAN tell you that a few weeks back, I was as high on life. I felt
that there was nothing in the world that could bring me down. I was
given permission, by my husband, to have sex with other men. When
I was first told, I never thought for a second that I could actually
ever go through with it, so I just teased him by telling him stories
of me having sex with other men, and it was a lot of fun. I did mention
to him that if I were ever to do it, it had to be someone I was extremely
attracted to.
Well, that day came along. I found the perfect man to share this
experience with. I told this man that I wanted to have sex with
him and that I would pay for him to get tested so that we could
enjoy ourselves knowing that we were safe.
I had been around this guy in the past and Herpes was brought up,
but it was never a straight forward question, so my answer was that
99.9% of the porn industry has Herpes. I thought by saying that
it was pretty clear, but I should never have assumed.
I got the test results back from Aim Healthcare and his test was
negative for everything, so we set a time and a place for our rendezvous
and I went on about my merry way. I was in heaven, feeling like
I was thirteen year old again and having my first kiss at Skateworld.
I had so much desire for this man and didn't even know it until
my husband told me of his fantasy.
Well, I went to meet up with him and we shared some of the most
incredible sex I've ever had. We began to talk about how responsible
we felt for doing it this way and that people should do it like
this more often. Get tested, get permission and totally enjoy yourselves.
It didn't even take ANYTHING away from the excitement of it! In
fact, it may have made it even better! Then we started talking about
STDs and he brings up Herpes! He says, "You don't have that
do you?"
My heart almost hit the floor and my gut tightened up like a knot.
It's a little late in the game to be asking this now, don't you
think? It was as much his responsibility as it was mine, so I can't
really place any blame. I really thought he knew since we had talked
briefly about it before. NEVER ASSUME ANYTHING!!!!
I couldn't even tell him the truth at that moment because I was
so embarrassed. I just blurted out, "NO!" I kept thinking
how am I going to tell him. This is a man who doesn't work in the
adult industry, granted I don't know what he does in his personal
life, but I should have said something before it was too late. I
never said a word and left.
I called Aiden right away and told him what happened and immediately
after that I called "the other man" to tell him that I
lied. I explained everything and told him how I felt and he was
actually really calm and nice about it all.
I took him to Aim Healthcare the next day to talk about it and
told him I would pay to get him tested again and that I would take
care of it for him. I am just crossing my fingers that I did not
give him HSV-2 for life. Now you all know why I posted the Herpes
blog because I went through a lot emotionally and got very stressed
out over it all. I actually lost sleep and my appetite for awhile.
Now everything is calmed down and I feel a lot better. My husband's
fantasy is gone. And even it if it weren't I don't think I could
have sex with anyone else at this point. I am fine with having sex
with just my husband for the rest of my life. You don't have to
ask me twice.
Anyway, here's the kicker. I started shooting the Vivid feature,
The Devil in Miss Jones: Lost Paradise and everything was going
well. I've been working 13 hour days and it's been challenging because
I don't usually do these kinds of projects. I know that it's worth
it to me though, because when I get to sit down and watch the finished
product, I'll see all the hard work I put into it.
The night of the 23rd, after my shower, I was putting some lotion
on and felt what I thought was a rash on my upper butt cheek. I
was like, what the hell is this? and kept trying to think of how
I could have gotten it and from where, or was it a bug bite or something?
I could not seem to pin point it. I left it alone and thought, well,
it will be gone in a couple of days, no worries. But it has only
gotten worse.
I had to cancel my sex scenes for today and I went to the doctor,
only to find that he thinks it Herpes. I am not 100% sure yet because
the culture won't be back until Friday, but he loaded me up with
medication. The thing is, it's not a normal sized breakout. It happens
to be 2 inches in diameter and it's on my ass!!!!!!!!
This isn't the worst thing that could happen. I am totally aware
of that, but it is a big fucking deal to me considering the size
and the placement! He even said it could very well leave a scar
because of the size of it. I nearly cried! It's days like this that
make my job suck. If there were one thing that I could name that
would make me not want to have sex for a living it would be STDs!
And that is why I am telling you all of this today. I will no longer
be performing with other people. I'll still be doing solo scenes
for extras on my movies and also directing, dancing and signings.
This is really a big decision for me and it hurts me in some ways,
but the way I look at... it's time to let me body relax. I just
don't want to risk getting Herpes all over my body, or in my eyes,
or genital warts or even HIV Don't worry, I'm not leaving the business,
I'm just not going to be performing in front of the camera anymore.
I know that is why a lot of you are my fans, but I hope you continue
to be a fan of my work directing and behind the camera in the years
to come. I can't thank you all enough for supporting my career throughout
the years! And I'll still be here telling you all about my adventures
in life and all of the other really hot guys and girls I've been
shooting. So don't go anywhere yet, I have much more in store for
you.
Kurt
Lockwood writes Aug. 20: "My life includes trips to Vegas,
fucking Belladonna while co-starring with her in THE main VIVID feature
this year, THE DEVIL IN MISS JONES 2."
August 30, 2007
Click
here for the video.
Belladonna says: "I'm sitting here hoping for a miracle."
"I honestly don't know what happened. I don't know how this
came about. I could've been under a huge amount of stress and caused
it on my own."
How does one cause one's own STD?
Bella: "It could very well not even be herpes. I'm waiting until
Friday to find out for sure. I'm crossing my fingers that it will
not be something that will be there my entire life."
"This was something that was supposed to happen to open my eyes
to the bigger picture. In a way I'm glad it did happen. I've been
waiting for a time to leave and I think this is the best time."
"People keep saying goodbye to me but I'm not going anywhere
yet."
"I have had herpes for five years. I haven't had an outbreak
on my ass. I haven't had this kind of thing happen to my butt. I have
no idea what this is."
"I have had herpes for five years. No one ever asks me about
it. If you read my herpes blog, I'm honest about it, replying to comments.
It's just that nothing like this has happened to me."
"I don't go surfing the net and reading gossip sites about myself.
I know there are people out there who don't like me...and don't care
that I have a positive attitude about my life."
"It could be my own doing. I could've stretched out so much
that I broke out in she-molds or herpes. Please know that it is not
anyone's fault."
"I don't want to show people [the infection]. I can show people
that I have a bandage on. That's about it."
"If you want to see what happened uncensored, then you can visit
my website enterbelladonna.com. Real s---."
"People looked past my looks and my body because they really
liked to see my energy... I want to teach that to other people."
"Learn from me, OK? Practice safe sex or don't have sex at all."
Sept. 23, 2007
She writes on her
MySpace:
Aiden and I started shooting for our movies a couple of weeks ago.
As I was shooting, I couldn't get away from this feeling of sadness.
Watching two people together and not seeing myself as one of them
was going to be so hard for me. I didn't honestly think it would
be. I always thought it would be the easiest thing to just say,
"I'm done", and walk away. I was wrong once again. Then
came the feeling of disappointment in myself. I had made such a
huge deal out of all this. A part of me was saying, "You can't
go back on your word, that's not stable." Then, Aiden sat me
down and said, "Michelle, this is no one's life but yours and
if this is something that you want to do then you know what to do
about it." And he's completely right. This is my life and no
matter what you all might think of my decisions or the way I choose
to go about things, I am the one who I should think about first
and foremost just like each and every other person in this world!
I know a lot of people read my blogs and some of you are even in
the same industry. I'm positive that you'll all have your opinions
on what kind of person I am, but I know who I am and I know that
I'm a good person. I wear my heart on my sleeve like so many of
you say and I'm okay with that! I realize that I'm an open book
and I like to be like that because I have nothing to hide from anyone.
So judge me how you will, it's only human of you.
For those of you who'd joined me on the 20th for my Live show, I
would like to give you all a very sincere thank you! I had a lot
of fun showing off how to make a belladonna fist from scratch. Amazingly
enough, Aiden has already archived the live show for anyone who
missed it! I have to say that my Belladonna fist by Doc Johnson
is a wonderful toy to own and I highly recommend it to those of
you that would like to use a fist for whatever it is you choose,
but don't want the huge man fist that they currently sell. My line
of toys will be available in 2008, but that's all I know right now.
I'll post more on the releases as I get them from my contact at
Doc Johnson.
First off, I have received the itinerary for Sexpo in Melbourne,
Australia. You can view my signing days and times on my appearances
page! The convention will take place in Melbourne Australia, November
15th - 18th at the Melbourne Exhibition centre, 2 Clarendon St,
South Melbourne. I'll also be signing in New Zealand, November 9-11,
2007! And if that isn't enough, I have some VERY exciting news!
I will be signing at the FICEB show this year in Barcelona, Spain!
So, for all of you Spaniards out there who love me, come and get
a picture with me at the Milkyway booth, October 3-7, 2007! For
more information, check out the my website!
BlackSix
writes on ADT: "She has been saying she was leaving the business
since she was 19. Sheesh."
Kinkaid writes on ADT: "She must be one hell of a performer
to have so much support. I've only seen pictures of her and her looks
aren't that great as far as porn stars go."
Alfan writes:
Bella should just let her work stand and that we have a
lot to enjoy and remember her by. But, it is confusing and "drama
queenlike" to pull all these stunts.
I wonder if she has it all together. She has herpes and could spread
it to others and almost did! It just does not make my viewing of
her product....all that much of a fantasty to me. I like to just
view and enjoy the product and not all the drama of thinking......porn
is my escape.