I have to admit, I snickered when I saw the headline on the Yahoo front page.
No, I’m proud of it.
And yes, I think its sad and unfortunate.
Nope. I haven’t seen any coverage in PA at all. I didn’t know about this until I saw a link on fark.com.
That said, if it’s getting huge play in L.A., it’s because that’s where the porn industry is based.
Robin
Would this be covered under their workman’s comp coverage?
All in all, the Industry seems to be doing exactly the right thing. I am impressed. I wonder if other industries would act so quickly and openly in (some sort of unimaginable) similar situation
I’m reminded of the Reagan movie a few months ago, the one that had to be revamped because of the line
“Those that live in sin shall die in sin”
And the flood of denunciations from conservatives, how mean that was, how they’d never hold such a feeling in their hearts.
Well, pointing at the smirky snarks on FOX News.
The news casters who snickered were putzes and thoroughly unprofessional.
But I’m curious about the quote that refers to testing on ‘the industry?s 1,200 regular actors.’
First I find it hard to believe that there are only 1200 people making porn movies today. I wonder if that’s sort of like Equity were a certain number of actors have Equity cards but in any show there are actors appearing who don’t qualify for equity yet and are working on their points or who maybe qualify but haven’t got the paper work done. So maybe that 1200 number refers to the established stars but doesn’t count the amateurs and newcomers?
Second, and this applies to prostitutes as well, is it really worth trying to run AIDs tests on large groups of people? Even if those 1200 only had one or two partners off screen and they all remained strictly faithful suddenly the group’s numbering 3000 or so. And then add in any miscellaneous work related meetings outside of the 1200 and it get huge in a hurry. So, given that the most accurate AIDs test take a few weeks to work and given the size and unpredictability of the group - are those regular testings just giving a false sense of security?
Yes, and you join the police or the military and you get shot at, you drive a truck and you might have an accident, you become a firefighter and you might die in a blaze, you cross the street and you may be hit by a car, if you don’t cross the street you might get mugged and shot . . . . Asshole.
How do you feel about the so-called “Darwin Awards?”
It was on the front page of the Montreal Gazette today.
Well, at least fire fighters, police, and military are necessary jobs. I’ve never heard of porn stars coming (no pun intended) to anyone’s rescue or protecting the public.
Shouldn’t the title of this thread say, “Haw, Haw, Haw”?
Actually it is getting widespread media attention. I first read about as a front page headline on the BBCs website.
The California porn industry works like a smaller version of the regluar film industry. Are all movies made by major Hollywood studios and union crews? Well, no. By looking at the union rolls and guild memberships, you could get a good idea of the number of folks working in Hollywood today, but that wouldn’t necessarily account for a lot all the skilled workers or performers.
The porn industry does have its major players – well-known production companies that have a good reputation and well-established history. The article saying “1200 regular actors” is referring to he better-known performers who have achieved a certain status working in the industry with the major adult film production companies – there are talent agents for these performers, so they can be counted. The adult film industry has a trade group as well with dues-paying members.
But the numbers may not take into account the cottage industry of amateur filmmakers or fly-by-night operations.
Reputable adult entertainment companies, mostly for financial reasons, want to keep the industry as “clean” as possible, so there are initiatives created like the Adult Industry Medical HealthCare Foundation (AIM) that was established after some well-lknown actresses tested positive for HIV and sued in the late 90s. The reputable porn producers (the major producers) are the ones that have mandatory HIV testing (usually monthly). E.g./ Vivid Video Inc. and VCA Pictures require performers to wear condoms and bring recent HIV test results to set.
However, the industry is largely self-regulated so the safety practices are not standardized nor tightly monitored – this is the problem. No government agency or regulatory medical association is doing any real tracking. So a performer may only need to show up and sign a waivers that says: “I represent that I am in good health, with no known sexually communicable diseases. I understand fully that the benefits of the workmen’s compensation laws do not apply.”
This has lead to all sorts of debate along the lines of “why doesn’t California have the same requirements for the porn industry that they have with legalized prostitutes in Nevada?” where legal brothels are subjected to intense scrutiny by the state.
The stigma of the industry makes organizing a lobbying campaign quite difficult. What politician is going to go to bat for the porn stars? Public perception is not particularly generous towards the performers. Often there the “you got what you deserved” sentiment and are considered “expendable” and “worthless” as human beings.
I would like to highlight this quote. When someone is “expendable”, and “worthless”, it means that they are not even worth being treated as an object, a slave,. I wonder how many people who have posted echoes of this sentiment feel about relegating other human beings to a position below slavery.
So the porn industry is going to take a layoff until at least June 8.
Will this lead to a porn shortage?
I wouldn’t consider porn stars to be expendable or worthless. A lot of people may not like what they do, but no one is being forced to buy/watch it.
I don’t believe “they got what they deserved”, but they knew the risks, and, unfortunately for them, their worst nightmare has come true.
Here’s a question, would it be feasible for stars who are HIV positive to work together?
“Necessary” is a relative thing. I have no interest in watching sports and yet many guys I know pay good money to attend games. Firefighters provide a service like any other and many people would rather not pay their money towards having firefighters and spend it on something else.
People pay money for goods and services they want and porn is just one more thing they are willing to pay money for and one more thing people can do to make a living. Porn actors are doing work like any other. Like firefighters, truck drivers or stunt actors. When someone has an accident it is unfortunate even if it is a known risk.
If they have differet strains of HIV, this could lead to “superinfection” or an increased possibility of the virus mutating into a drug-resistant strain.
Looks like some people are trying to play the gay card in this:
The attitude towards porn industry and sex trade workers has alway been pretty lousy.
From LA Times January 2003:
*As David Gurley, staff attorney for the California Labor Commissioner’s office, says: “Porn stars–people think they’re not worth the time. The public sees these people as disposable.” Told of those remarks, and similar ones by other California officials, former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop said: “That’s ridiculous. That’s the same thing we heard about the gay community back in the early days of AIDS.” *
Whether the public really sees porn stars as having so little value is debatable, but it’s scary to think that the politicians believe this is the general public’s opinion. The article suggest that it would be political suicide for a politician to start crusading for the welfare of porn actors. You know, those depraved degenerates who have sex for money – real popular political cause.
I don’t know why it isn’t regulated like prostitution is in Nevada. Considering the billions it brings in to the California economy. The porn industry is pretty entrenched, so better to make it safe than just puff up in judgement.
The reporter in the OP sounds like a knit-wit who would giggle if he had to say “penis” on the air. “Porn.” giggle “Porn star!” giggle, giggle
Peter North could probably put out a fire with his “personal firehose”, if he was so inclined. Perhaps he could do that type of work during the hiatus.
To expand on what Otto said HIV, like most parasites and viruses, is very “possessive” of its host and becomes aggravated by other infections - especially similar ones. Dormant HIV can become active when exposed to another strain. Additional infections produce greater evolutionary pressure which can lead to a more potent strain emerging.
As for the main point of the OP it isn’t funny that this going on. To an extent those involved knew what they were getting into and were taking a calculated risk that bit them in the ass. This isn’t funny, just the way things worked out. Darwin Award level hour comes from when it isn’t even a calculated risk anymore but an outright suicidal action based on pure stupidity. The difference being mostly a matter of degree and less pretend moral high ground. Just because it was porn doesn’t mean that it is somehow more fitting that the individuals involved are suffering.