Popularizing Pornography

Two young twenty-something guys write an entertainment editorial in our local newspaper. A couple of weeks ago, their column happily trumpeted the headline “Porn Star Ball Makes Stop At City Club.”

Excitedly, they noted how the music industry has embraced porn with the same enthusiasm as the drug culture. Snoop Dogg, Metallica, Kid Rock, and Blink 182 are all listed as having links with porn performers and/or activities.

The article also points out that porn stars are appearing in almost any media venue available. Take entrepreneur Jenna Jameson. She’s been on NBC’s prime time Mister Sterling, her voice lends sensual sophistication to the infamously violent video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, she’s debated Bill O’Reilly on the Fox News Network, and even flogged sneakers for Pony in their ad campaigns.

Now that’s over exposure!

But the real goal of the newspaper piece (aside from the possibility these guys might get free tickets for saying something nice) was to welcome porn actress Sunrise Adams to one of the bars in our fair city.

A 20-year-old Texan whose heart is buried under what I suspect is copious amounts of silicone, Ms. Adams happily announces porn is fast becoming “mainstream.” She backs up her claim by citing her own appearance in the summer skateboarding movie Grind.

Now it’s no news to me that “mainstream” waters are becoming more polluted. However, as I’m not one accustomed to following the who’s who of porn celebs, I was caught by surprise with these recent observations that indicate a moral environmental disaster of great magnitude.

Running shoes… video games… skateboarding movies… what do all these things have in common?

Adolescents!

It was bad enough when porn festered into a huge disease in the dark streets of downtown business districts. Then it spread into pay-per-view options on cable. Next it was carried into our homes on Betamax and VHS tapes. Over the last few years, the epidemic surfed into our lives on the crest of cyberwaves. Now it’s breaking out in kids’ clothing and sports!

What next? A new breakfast cereal called Porn Pops?

This supposed acceptance of everything skin has received a great deal of media attention—and it could be argued that such news coverage is providing the adult entertainment industry priceless amounts of free advertising.

Steve Hirsch president of Vivid Entertainment (the production company that provided Sunrise Adams with her chance to bask in the daylight) has been declared the new “king of porn” by commentators like Neil Cavuto of Fox News.

On the June 25, 2003 edition of Your World with Neil Cavuto, Hirsch eagerly acknowledged his success and confirmed the Internet is the top supplier of new audiences for his many media products. Then, like a quarterback in a halftime interview, he went on to outline his marketing plan.

“It’s important for us to stay ahead of the game,” attests Hirsch, “to focus on future technology, to continue to exploit and expand our brand…”

Read: No matter what new communications gadgets are around the corner, fresh porn will be hot and ready to serve. And Hollywood heavies aren’t about to sit on the sidelines and miss out on the profits.

With more adult performers working their way into the meat and potatoes products of the entertainment industry, keeping sensual and even explicit images out of your family’s viewing diet is going to become increasingly difficult. Parents will want to closely monitor whom their children choose as their latest role models.

More details about the movies mentioned in this post…