The Porning Report

Utah Sex Trade Tithe

Earlier this month, Utah house members approved a special 10 percent tax on nude dancing and escort services. House Bill 239 would generate an estimated $500,000 the first year and $1 million annually thereafter if imposed on certain sexually explicit businesses, according to legislative budget analysts. Most of the money would go for treatment programs for convicted sex offenders, with 15 percent reserved for the Attorney General's Office to investigate Internet child sex crimes.

Now, what is more surprising here: The fact that the state of Utah is making money of the sex trade or the fact that there's at least $10 million in sexually explicit business in Mormon-dominated Utah?

"We're not saying we want to shut these businesses down," sponsoring Rep. Duane Bourdeaux, D-Salt Lake City told Associated Press. "We're saying we want them to pay for" costs associated with treating sex offenders.

However, not all are so liberal about making money of the flesh trade.

"I think it's dirty money," said Rep. Greg Hughes, R-Draper.

"I do personally believe we're overstepping First Amendment rights," said Rep. Dave Ure, R-Kamas. "I think it will come back to haunt us and it will cost us some money."

Rep. Judy Buffmire, D-Millcreek, questioned why potential court battles were brought up in the sex-industry tax when the Republican majority didn't blink at constitutional concerns over legal expenses related to anti-abortion and anti-gay marriage bills.

Buffmire has it right. How exactly is taxing legal businesses overstepping First Amendment rights? Is a sex-industry tax any worse than tax on any other industry?

There is a certain hilarious irony though in making the strip clubs paying the equivalent of a tithe to treat and educate sex offenders though, I have to admit...

Stern Gets Stern Punishment For Indecency

Ladies and gentlemen, we are officially entering a new era of McCarthyism. Just as when Senator Joe McCarthy and his band of conservatives launched a witch hunt for communists within the entertainment industry via nationally televised hearings in the '50s, conservatives today are hunting for examples of indecency in the media and castrating and crucifying all who are branded inappropriate.

This has been bubbling under the surface since the inaguration (and some would say since the Starr Report), but has come to a boil in the aftermath of Boobgate, when Janet Jackson's breast baring infuriated conservatives and trigger hand wringing around the nation. The result was a FCC meeting last week where they verbally rapped the knuckles of Viacom president Mel Karmazin (one of the many men behind the broadcast).

Then the government proposed a $755,000 fine against Clear Channel Communications over a on-air bit by Florida shock jock Bubba the Love Sponge, which was the second-highest such fine ever proposed. Clear Channel, the multi-media monolith responsible for pulling all songs with lyrics about fire and war from the air in the wake of 9-11 (yes, that included James Taylor's "Fire and Rain," John Lennon's "Imagine," and Deep Purple's "Smoke On the Water") responded by firing Mr. Sponge this week, another knee jerk reaction to Republican government pressure.

So what got Bubba fired? It was an interview with the cast of the hit play "Puppetry of the Penis" where one of the actors exposed himself. Um... was the FCC aware this was RADIO?!

Now, under a new "zero tolerance" policy toward indecency, Clear Channel has pulled Howard Stern from all six of its markets that carry his nationally syndicated show. They cited his interview on Tuesday with Rick Salomon, the man behind (and in) the Paris Hilton sex tape (NSFW), during which Stern asked him if they engaged in anal sex and referred to the size of his penis. A caller then called in and asked Solomon if he had ever had sex with any famous black women... using the N-word in the process.

"If a DJ is found to be in violation of FCC rules, there will be no appeals and no intermediate steps," said Clear Channel Radio president John Hogan. "If they break the law by broadcasting indecent material, they will not work for Clear Channel.... We will not air Howard Stern until we are assured that his show will conform to acceptable standards of responsible broadcasting."

Racy, yes. Worse than anything else Stern has been saying on his show for over 20 years, hell no. But under FCC rules and federal law, radio stations and over-the-air television channels cannot air obscene material at any time, and cannot air indecent material between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. The FCC defines obscene material as describing sexual conduct "in a patently offensive way" and lacking "serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value." Indecent material is not as offensive, but still contains references to sex or excretions.

The question is, are the members of the FCC the best regulators for MY taste and yours? I think it's safe to say that what offends some over-50 Washington-beltway conservative appointee may not offend me, a 30-something male rock 'n' roll fan who enjoys porn and likes to laugh, yet has kids and doesn't want them to be exposed to adult materials and concepts. I got news for ya folks, if you don't want your kids to hear Stern or watch porn, pay attention to what they watch on your radio and TV! No one is forcing you to own these media transfer devices and certainly no one is forcing your kids to pay attention to them. If YOU can't control your kids' access, then get rid of the devices -- it's not impossible to live without them.

"They are so afraid of me and what this show represents," Stern said on the air this morning in a scathing rant against the FCC.

Blocking Stern, and even Stern wannabe Bubba the Love Sponge, from the airwaves does nothing for cleaning up the country's growing sex industry and the increase of sexual content in pop culture. What it does is rob the free-thinking citizens of one of the best broadcasters in the history of the business and push radio and network television even further towards bland, milquetoast entertainment.

FYI, today Congress takes up the issue of the growing crudeness of TV and radio programming before the House of Commerce subcommittee on telecommunications and the Internet. Prepare for the fallout, and stash your porn before they start requiring you to register it.

High Class Rebellion Onscreen in Japan

According to Japantoday.com, two daughters of high class, respectable Japanese families have admitted they've turned to porn as the ultimate act of rebellion and many folks are up in arms about it.

Last month, word got out that the daughter of a powerful Liberal Democratic Party Diet member had become a porn star. The news resulted in a panic within the political circles of her hometown, Nagata-cho.

"I became a porn star to escape from the control my father had over me," she said after describing the strict household he runs.

After her story broke, another gal -- the daughter of a political big wig -- announced she too had turned to porn.

"I wanted to show my dad that I can live by myself," she told reporters. "I was always called 'his daughter' and it weighed on me. This (being a porn star) is my resistance to his repressiveness. I really hated my dad's double personality. His eerie smile in front of supporters turned to abuse toward me and my mother. He destroyed our family life."

So why are these ladies turning to porn movies as a way to get back at their parents? Why not just move out or tell them off? Well, being a porn star in Japan isn't as taboo there as it can be elsewhere. Heck, in Japan, porn stars have gone on to become popular TV entertainers. Dabbling in adult entertainment might actually be a better way to rebel than crashing your dad's car or flunking out of college.

Tabloid Unearths Past of German Actress

Turkish born, German raised, 23-year-old actress Sibel Kekilli might have been celebrating her Golden Bear win the Berlinale 54th Berlin Film Festival for her role in the award-winning film "Head-On" without a care in the world, were it not for the fact that the 23-year-old actress is embroidered in a sex scandal centered around her porn-laced past.

It seems that German tabloid Bild recently published details about nine pornographic films Kekilli made before she went legit and became a critically acclaimed actress with her clothes on. The newspaper even printed photos from the films of Kekilli in action. These weren't movies a young, naive actress new to the biz did a decade ago -- she is only 23 -- these were as recent as autumn 2002.

"Yes, I did make these (porno) films. But that's the past. What counts is the Golden Bear," Kekilli told Bild. Her family and the media doesn't see it that way; both have condemned her publicly.

"Thanks to the media, she can't even go out of her home. She's totally besieged," Berlinale's director Dieter Kosslick said to Bild.

What's amazing here is that Kekilli was able to get as far as she did without her past coming up. No one involved in the film or the awards raised an eyebrow about her porn background -- and most admit they knew about it -- and she was critically acclaimed until the tabloids dug deep and outed her. In America, she wouldn't have gotten three feet into the casting director's office before someone recognized her, tipped off the casting agents and had her pulled from the picture.

In America, if we give porn stars screen time in mainstream films, it's only minor roles as strippers and, well, porn stars, in mainstream films (Traci Lords and Ron Jeremy being the exceptions). Kekilli woulda been run outta the picture long before she proved to the world that her past was just that and that she actually had genuine talent.

As German actor Mathieu Carriere pointed out, "The fact that Sibel Kekilli had starred in pornos is unimportant. Better to go from pornos to the "Oscar" than the other way round."

Hustler to Open Stores in Britain

Porn publisher Larry Flynt and his Hustler (NSFW) empire will soon be invading the U.K. via a chain of his Hustler sex stores.

Flynt has announced a deal with a group of British investors to launch a chain of "erotic superstores" selling his collections of lingerie, sex toys, and "leisure" wear. The first two stores will open in Birmingham and London this summer as part of the Hustler Hollywood chain of sex shops run by Flynt's daughter Theresa. Another three outlets are planned for next year in cities such as Manchester, Nottingham and Cardiff, with Hustler "gentlemen's clubs" to follow if all goes well.

Though Hustler Hollywood U.K. insists that hardcore magazines, "extreme" sex aids (NSFW) and all sex videos and DVDs will be banned from the U.K. stores, the play marks a significant move by the United States' sex industry to expand into Britain, following hot on the spiked heels of another recent thrust of American flesh into the U.K. market, the invasion of the Spearmint Rhino.

Spearmint Rhino is a growing chain of strip clubs that recently opened up in Britain amidst a firestorm of protest and controversy, including a series of legal clashes over licenses and resignation, the employment of an under-age dancer and allegations of drugs abuse.

What this really boils down to is every country's right to decide what is legal for adults to purchase. Can an adult buy a U.S. nudie mag in England? Generally, yes. How about a dildo? That depends on where and what kind. How about a porn movie? Yes, even in gas stations, but apparently not in a Hustler store. What about a lapdance? Well, that seems to be a bit of a sticking point...

"You have a right to buy whatever you want," Flynt recently told Wired.com. "You may not be able to afford a printing press to print it, but you have a right to buy it. That's not something that's often talked about in relation to the First Amendment. But civil liberties and individual rights are all we really have in this country."

True. But what about the civil liberties and individual rights of the Brits?

Will Mickey Get a Hickey?

You may have read the headlines last week about cable distribution conglomerate Comcast's bid to purchase Walt Disney Company. Big deal, right? Yet another corporate takeover in world full of 'em, eh?

Well, what you likely haven't read about is that Comcast is one of the nation's largest cable television distributors of porn movies, adult channels, and pay-per-view programming. According to reports, last year Comcast earned an estimated $50 million from porn.

Many porn industry insiders are wondering whether Disney's conservative investors and board of directors will get past Comcast's porn background to do business with them? And beyond the folks at Disney, what about all of the family advocacy groups who enjoy protesting indecency so much? Their heads must be exploding with protest-happy glee at this news!

Yep, they are.

"A lot of us have concerns about some of the things that Disney does, but they still produce a lot of positive family-values movies," the president of the National Coalition for the Protection of Children & Families told the Chicago Tribune.

"We don't believe Comcast is family-friendly," he continued. "The management of Comcast has shown no hesitation to distribute hardcore and softcore pornography. So what does that say about the product and environment of what Disney's going to produce in the years ahead?"

Indeed. What types of product will Disney be producing out after this merger? They've already lost their Pixar deal, which brought in most of their highest grossing animated films in recent history. They've already re-released most of their animated classics and milked their vaults for all their worth. So what's next? Maybe the Comcast crew will start making some creative suggestions: "Snow White and the Seven Giants"? "Two Ladies and a Tramp"? "Sex Toy Story"? I could go on...

Copping a Feel of the Pulse of Women

Women's groups often complain that television is an inherently sexist medium run by men, programmed for men by men. A quick flip through the channels might prove they are right, as the amount of female flesh and male-driven violence is quite staggering. But the Inpulse Digital TV Group plans on changing this, one boob at a time.

By boob do I mean breast, jerky male TV audience member, jerky male TV programmer or slang for TV itself? This time it's all of the above.

Last month on ABC's "The View", a daytime talk show geared towards women, America was introduced to Sandra Staggs and Shirley Rohn-Saito, the principals behind the Inpulse Digital TV Group, a new adult studio that creates adult entertainment for women. First project up is Inpulse TV, the adult entertainment channel geared towards women. They say all of the content is shot in the HDTV format and Inpulse TV will be available on cable, direct broadcast satellite, video-on-demand, telco and through streaming video via the Internet.

"Let's face it, I think women love sex just as much as men do," Staggs explained. Rohn-Saito added that women were just as visually oriented as men (oh really?), so it was logical that they would enjoy erotic videos just as much. The duo testified that many women enjoy adult videos too and backed it up by stating that one in four people who visit adult Websites are women, and 58 percent of merchandise bought at some well-known sex boutiques in Los Angeles are purchased by women.

Well, go friggin' figure. Here I was renting porn in secrecy and pretending to be a gentlemen when, according to these gals, chicks dig filth as much as I do. If that's the case, then why am I still hiding the Playboy under the couch when a girl comes over?

The hosts asked Rohn-Stain if it would be okay if, for instance, her granddaughter decided to perform in adult video. She held firm and said that their productions wouldn't be as degrading as some of the videos that were meant for a male audience. "Nothing weird, nothing bizarre."

Um... did they say productions? Things just got interesting! So, in other words, these gals are makin' porno movies... but because they are women, it's okay and they are being publicized -- nay, promoted -- by the hosts of "The View"?

So it's not taboo to make porn if you are a woman. Good to know.

Actually, it's not that big of a surprise that Rohn-Saito is involved, as she a track record of launching successful start-up networks such as ESPN, Adam & Eve and Spice. What's more surprising is that the hosts of "The View" did not demonize her like they do everyone else involved with the adult film industry they discuss or have on their show.

Music Biz Allows What Film Biz Eschews

French electronica band Air's racy new video for "Cherry Blossom Girl," directed by porn auteur Kris Kramski (Models, Klimaxx, An American Girl in Paris), is the latest in a string of music videos that have recruited directors from the adult film world.

It's not too surprising pop stars would turn to porn directors to helm their MTV clips, as these folks represent one of the only remaining arms of underground or alternative cinema that have not been absorbed by mainstream movie studios. Porn is hip, chic and cutting edge these days. But it is a little surprising that these filmmakers are so shunned by the mainstream movies industry, yet so accepted by the mainstream music industry, two businesses that usually go hand in hand. Record labels have no qualms about employing pornographers, yet movie studios ain't handing Michael Raven or Paul Thomas (NSFW) a deal any time soon (despite the fact that these two gents in particular could likely make a better flick than most Hollywood directors).

It will be interesting to se the reaction from Hollywood when lauded "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" creator/star John Cameron Mitchell unleashes his promised mainstream porn film (mainstream in that he's going to try to get it released theatrically, porn in that it will feature hardcore sex and penetration). Will he be heralded as a visionary, taking chances and breaking barriers, or will he be edited out of the business?

Don't Read This Item. We Mean It.

Recently, a mini-conference was held in Brussels by the European Parliament to discuss the global sex industry (subscription required if you're not in South Africa). The gathering grieved about the proliferation of sex on the Internet and via technology, lamenting over everything from porno movies in hotel rooms to mobile phones with sexy images to privacy-invading built-in cameras. The general complaint was that sex is becoming too mainstream.

One lawmaker called for a crackdown on the sex industry, including de-listing adult companies from stock exchanges, a prostitution ban, and tougher measures against obscene email, singling out international porn production company Private Media Group and German chain Beate Uhse. The lawmaker claimed 70 percent of Europe's estimated 450 million Internet users went to adult sites.

"Only a few years ago, if you wanted pornography and prostitution you really had to look for it; today we have to make an effort to avoid it," said Sweden's Marianne Eriksson, declaring the Net an outlet for pictures of rape, child molestation, bestiality and other such violent imagery. "We come across sex for sale in our emails, in our mobile phones and on television on a daily basis."

Private spokesman Alex Moore told the press that the fact that they are listed on stock exchanges means they're more accountable, and that regulators have more control over the company than in previous years. "Banning or trying to build barriers won't necessarily enable a greater control over the industry," Moore said. "There is an enhanced risk of pushing it underground."

And therein lies the conundrum. With porn more prevalent, it's exposed to people that might have previously had no idea this stuff was out there. The risk often raised is that kids will end up getting into entertainment meant strictly for adults and that it will affect their realtionships and proper development into responsible adults. Last thing we need is 13-year-olds wanting to be just like Jenna Jameson, right?

On the other hand, by forcing it underground and demonizing it, this can make it even more attractive to kids. C'mon, is there anything a kid wants more than whatever their parents tell them they can't have? Remember the PMRC hearings of 1985, when Tipper Gore and her brigade of Washington wives worked to get ratings stickers placed on rock records, going head to head with Frank Zappa (loud site), Jello Biafra, John Denver and Twisted Sister's Dee Snider? Well, no one had heard of obscure shock rock bands like The Mentors or W.A.S.P. until the PMRC told the nation their albums were the most vile, disgusting things on the marketplace. Suddenly, sales of these previously low-selling records soared as every teen in the U.S. NEEDED to hear what everyone was so up in arms about.

Sometimes sweeping things under the rug just means they're now in the center of the room...

Boob-Gate Fallout

As the fallout of Janet Jackson's Super Bowl half time breast baring begins to settle, let's assess the situation.

It is silly that a breast with a big ol' silver nipple ring covering up the areola is even thought to be shocking in this MTV era where boobs are used to sell everything from hip hop to shampoo to makeup? Yes, yes it is.

Is it just plain ridiculous that the Grammy Awards folks put so much negative pressure on Ms. Jackson over the event that she was forced to cancel out on her appearances as presenter? I guess her "sorry" wasn't good enough. Do you think they made Snoop say "sorry" for all the women he's pimped before he was allowed to present an award with Jason Alexander? Do you think they would not have not let 50 Cent accept an award (had he won one) because he used to peddle crack? Nope. Jackson is definitely getting the pointy end of the fairness stick here, even if her stunt was crude and displayed bad judgment.

But worse than all of the hypocrisy is the opportunism. The opportunism of the media in exploiting the image is expected and, quite frankly, predictable. We know they will sink to any low to get ratings. But it's the opportunism of one Tennessee bank worker Terri Carlin that truly takes the cake. This yahoo filed a class action lawsuit for a what could amount to billions in compensation for herself and the millions of viewers she feels were "injured" by Jackson's lewd behavior.

Carlin filed a proposed class-action lawsuit in federal court in Knoxville, Tenn., against Jackson, Justin Timberlake, broadcasters MTV and CBS and their parent company, Viacom, last week and is seeking financial rewards for her damages when she witnessed (on TV, mind you) Timberlake rip off part of Jackson's costume, exposing her breast. The suit fails to specify what injuries Carlin suffered, saying only that: "As a direct and proximate result of the broadcast of the acts, [Carlin] and millions of others saw the acts and were caused to suffer outrage, anger, embarrassment and serious injury."

This one takes the cake, folks. This is right up there with the Twinkie defense as the most ridiculous case in the history of mankind. So I can just sue the makers of crappy TV shows for offending me and millions others with good taste? Can I sue the makers of "America's Funniest Home Videos" for offending me by humiliating contestants for laughs? Can I sue "The Simple Life" because watching Paris Hilton makes me think of that pirated porn she starred in, which makes me have evil, sexual thoughts?

Though she withdrew the suit yesterday, opting instead to see if broadcasters and regulators can clean up television themselves (don't hold your breath, honey!), I think Ms. Carlin could stand to listen to the words of Mr. George Carlin, a freedom fighter of a different sort. He once told me, when discussing censorship in music, that "There are people who don't like that kind of language, and they should be told there's an on and an off switch, and you have another button there that changes the radio station, changes the TV station. Records are not being forced into your hands, you don't have to go buy them; leave them alone."

Yes, Ms Carlin. Leave us alone.