Pornography •

o 5.2 3D pornography
6 Production and distribution by region
• 7 Legal status
Pornography or porn is the portrayal of explicit sexual subject matter for the • 8 Effect on sexual crime
purposes of sexual excitement and erotic satisfaction. • 9 Statistics
• 10 Anti-pornography movement
Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, o 10.1 Feminist objections
postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, o 10.2 Legal objections
video, or video game. However, when sexual acts are performed for a live audience, o 10.3 Religious objections
by definition, it is not pornography, as the term applies to the depiction of the act, • 11 See also
rather than the act itself. Thus, portrayals such as sex shows and striptease are not
• 12 Further reading
classified as pornography.
o 12.1 Advocacy
o 12.2 Opposition
A pornographic model poses for pornographic photographs. A pornographic actor,
• 13 References
also called porn star, acts in pornographic films. In cases where few actor skills are
required a performer in pornographic films is also called a pornographic model.
• 14 External links
Pornography has often been subject to censorship and legal restraints on publication
on grounds of obscenity. Such grounds and the very definition of what is or is not Etymology
pornography have differed in different historical, cultural and national contexts.[1]
The word derives from the Greek πορνογραφία (pornographia), which derives from
Over the past few decades, an immense industry for the production and consumption the Greek words πόρνη (pornē, "prostitute" and pornea, "prostitution"), and γράφω
of pornography has grown, with the increasing use of home video and the Internet, as (graphō, "I write or record," derived meaning "illustration," cf. "graph"), and the
well as the emergence of social attitudes more tolerant of sexual portrayals. Amateur suffix -ία (-ia, meaning "state of," "property of," or "place of"), thus meaning "a
pornography has become widely popular and generally distributed via the Internet for written description or illustration of prostitutes or prostitution."
free.

History
Contents
Depictions of a sexual nature are as old as civilization (and possibly older, in the form
[hide] of venus figurines and rock art),[2] but the concept of pornography as understood today
did not exist until the Victorian era. Nineteenth century legislation outlawed the
• 1 Etymology publication, retail and trafficking of certain writings and images, regarded as
• 2 History pornographic, and would order the destruction of shop and warehouse stock, meant
• 3 Sub-genres for sale. However, the private possession of and viewing of (some forms of)
• 4 Economics pornography was not made an offence until recent times.[3]
o 4.1 Non-commercial pornography
• 5 Technology When large scale excavations of Pompeii were undertaken in the 1860s, much of the
o 5.1 Computer-generated images and manipulations erotic art of the Romans came to light, shocking the Victorians who saw themselves
as the intellectual heirs of the Roman Empire. They did not know what to do with the

1
frank depictions of sexuality, and endeavored to hide them away from everyone but where it was sold "under the counter" or (sometimes) shown in "members only"
upper class scholars. The moveable objects were locked away in the Secret Museum cinema clubs.[12]
in Naples and what could not be removed was covered and cordoned off as to not
corrupt the sensibilities of women, children and the working class.
Sub-genres
Fanny Hill is considered "the first original English prose pornography, and the first
pornography to use the form of the novel." [4] It is an erotic novel by John Cleland first In general, softcore refers to pornography that does not depict penetration (usually
published in England in 1748.[5][6] It is one of the most prosecuted and banned books genitals are not shown on camera), and hardcore refers to pornography that explicitly
in history.[7] The authors were charged with "corrupting the King's subjects." depicts penetration.

The world's first law criminalizing pornography was the United Kingdom Obscene Pornography is classified according to the physical characteristics of the participants,
Publications Act 1857 enacted at the urging of the Society for the Suppression of fetish, sexual orientation, etc, as well as the types of sexual activity featured. Reality
Vice. The Act, which applied to the United Kingdom and Ireland, made the sale of and voyeur pornography, animated videos, and legally prohibited acts also influence
obscene material a statutory offence, giving the courts power to seize and destroy the classification of pornography. The genres of pornography are based on the type of
offending material. The Act did not apply to Scotland, where the common law activity featured and the category of participants, such as:
continued to apply. However, the Act did not define "obscene", leaving this for the
courts to determine. Prior to this Act, the publication of obscene material was treated • Alt porn
as a common law misdemeanour[8] and effectively prosecuting authors and publishers • Amateur pornography
was difficult even in cases where the material was clearly intended as pornography. • Fetish pornography
• Orientation-based pornography (heterosexual pornography; gay
The Victorian attitude that pornography was for a select few can be seen in the pornography; lesbian pornography; bisexual pornography)
wording of the Hicklin test stemming from a court case in 1868 where it asks, • Orgy pornography
"whether the tendency of the matter charged as obscenity is to deprave and corrupt • Race-oriented pornography (e.g. Asian, black, Latino, interracial)
those whose minds are open to such immoral influences." Despite the fact of their • Reality pornography
suppression, depictions of erotic imagery were common throughout history.[9] • Soft pornography
• Voyeurism, involving, for example, use of hidden camera or "upskirt"
Pornographic film production commenced almost immediately after the invention of photography.
the motion picture in 1895. Two of the earliest pioneers were Eugène Pirou and
Albert Kirchner. Kirchner directed the earliest surviving pornographic film for Pirou
under the trade name "Léar". The 1896 film, Le Coucher de la Marie showed Louise Economics
Willy performing a striptease. Pirou's film inspired a genre of risqué French films
showing women disrobing and other filmmakers realised profits could be made from Main article: Sex industry
such films.[10][11]
Revenues of the adult industry in the United States is difficult to determine. In 1970, a
Sexually explicit films were soon characterised as obscene and rendered illegal. Those Federal study estimated that the total retail value of hardcore pornography in the
that were produced were produced underground by amateurs starting in the 1940s. United States was no more than $10 million.[14]
Processing the film by commercial means was risky as was their distribution.
Distribution was strictly private.[12][13] The Netherlands was the first country to legalize In 1998, Forrester Research published a report on the online "adult content" industry
pornography in 1969, which led to an explosion of commercially produced estimating $750 million to $1 billion in annual revenue. As an unsourced aside, the
pornography. It continued to be banned in other countries, and had to be smuggled in, Forrester study speculated on an industry-wide aggregate figure of $8–10 billion,

2
which was repeated out of context in many news stories,[15] after being published in
Eric Schlosser's book on the American underground economy.[16] Studies in 2001 put
the total (including video, pay-per-view, Internet and magazines) between $2.6 billion
and $3.9 billion.[17]
A significant amount of pornographic video is shot in the San Fernando Valley, which
has been a pioneering region for producing adult films since the 1970s, and has since
become home for various models, actors/actresses, production companies, and other
assorted businesses involved in the production and distribution of pornography.
The pornography industry has been considered influential in deciding format wars in
media, including being a factor in the VHS vs. Betamax format war (the videotape
format war)[18][19] and in the Blu-ray vs. HD DVD format war (the high-def format
war).[18][19][20]
Non-commercial pornography
As well as the porn industry, there is a large amount of non-commercial pornography.
This should be distinguished from commercial pornography falsely marketed as
featuring "amateurs." The Alt Sex Stories Text Repository focuses on prose stories
collected from Usenet. Various Usenet groups are focused on non-commercial
pornographic photographs.
Technology
Mass-distributed pornography is as old as the printing press. Almost as soon as
photography was invented, it was being used to produce pornographic images. Some
claim[who?] that pornography has been a driving force in the development of
technologies from the printing press, through photography (still and motion), to
satellite TV, other forms of video, and the Internet. With the invention of tiny cameras
and wireless equipments voyeur pornography is gaining ground. Mobile cameras are
used to capture pornographic photos or videos, and forwarded as MMS.
Computer-generated images and manipulations
Digital manipulation requires the use of source photographs, but some pornography is
produced without human actors at all. The idea of completely computer-generated
pornography was conceived very early as one of the most obvious areas of application
for computer graphics and 3D rendering.
3
Until the late 1990s, digitally manipulated pornography could not be produced cost-
effectively. In the early 2000s, it became a growing segment, as the modelling and
animation software matured and the rendering capabilities of computers improved. As
of 2004, computer-generated pornography depicting situations involving children and
sex with fictional characters, such as Lara Croft, is already produced on a limited
scale. The October 2004 issue of Playboy featured topless pictures of the title
character from the BloodRayne video game.[21]
3D pornography
Due to the popularity of 3D blockbusters in theaters such as Avatar and How to Train
Your Dragon, companies are now looking to shoot pornography movies in 3D. The
first case of this occurred in Hong Kong in 2010, when a group of filmmakers filmed
3D Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstacy due for release May 2011.[22]
Production and distribution by region
Main article: Pornography by region
The production and distribution of pornography are economic activities of some
importance. The exact size of the economy of pornography and the influence that it
has in political circles are matters of controversy.
In the United States, the sex film industry is centered in the San Fernando Valley of
Los Angeles. In Europe, Budapest is regarded as the industry center.[23][24][25]
Legal status
The legal status of pornography varies widely from country to country. Most
countries allow at least some form of pornography. In some countries, softcore
pornography is considered tame enough to be sold in general stores or to be shown on
TV. Hardcore pornography, on the other hand, is usually regulated. The production
and sale, and to a slightly lesser degree the possession, of child pornography is illegal
in almost all countries, and some countries have restrictions on pornography depicting
violence (see e.g. rape pornography) and/or pornography depicting sex of a human
with an animal.
Most countries attempt to restrict minors' access to hardcore materials, limiting
availability to adult bookstores, mail-order, and television channels that parents can
restrict, among other means. There is usually an age minimum for entrance to
pornographic stores, or the materials are displayed partly covered or not displayed at
all. More generally, disseminating pornography to a minor is often illegal. Many of
these efforts have been rendered practically irrelevant by widely available Internet
pornography. A failed US law would have made these same restrictions apply to the
internet.
Main article: Social effects of pornography
Research concerning the effects of pornography is inconclusive. Some studies support
the contention that the viewing of pornographic material may increase rates of sexual
crimes, while others have shown no effects, or a decrease in the rates of such crimes.
Moreover, all these studies focus on various correlations, but correlation does not
imply causation.

In the United States, a person receiving unwanted commercial mail he or she deems
pornographic (or otherwise offensive) may obtain a Prohibitory Order, either against
all mail from a particular sender, or against all sexually explicit mail, by applying to
the United States Postal Service.
Statistics
According to a British newspaper, two thirds of women have watched porn. [27] More
than 70% of men from 18 to 34 visit a pornographic site in a typical month.[28]

There are recurring urban legends of snuff movies, in which murders are filmed for Anti-pornography movement
pornographic purposes. Despite extensive work to ascertain the truth of these rumors,
law enforcement officials have been unable to find any such works.

The Internet has also caused problems with the enforcement of age limits regarding
performers and subjects. In most countries, males and females under the age of 18 are
not allowed to appear in porn films, but in several European countries the age limit is
16, and in Denmark it is legal for women as young as 16 to appear topless in
mainstream newspapers and magazines.[citation needed] This material often ends up on the
Internet and can be viewed by people in countries where it constitutes child
pornography, creating challenges for lawmakers wishing to restrict access to such
material.

Some people, including pornography producer Larry Flynt and the writer Salman
Rushdie,[26] have argued that pornography is vital to freedom and that a free and
civilized society should be judged by its willingness to accept pornography.

The UK Government has criminalised possession of what it terms "extreme

pornography" following the highly publicised murder of Jane Longhurst.

Child pornography is illegal in most countries, with a person most commonly being a
child until the age of 18 (though the age does vary). In those countries, any film or
photo with a child subject in a sexual act is considered pornography and illegal.
Effect on sexual crime
A French caricature on "the great epidemic of pornography."
Main article: Anti-pornography movement
Opposition to pornography comes generally, though not exclusively, from several
sources: law, religion and feminism.

4
Feminist objections See also: Legal objections to pornography in the United States

Main article: Feminist views on pornography Religious objections

Feminist critics of pornography, such as Andrea Dworkin and Catharine MacKinnon,
generally consider it demeaning to women. They believe that most pornography
eroticizes the domination, humiliation, and coercion of women, reinforces sexual and
cultural attitudes that are complicit in rape and sexual harassment, and contributes to
the androcentric objectification of women.
Legal objections
Main article: Religious views on pornography
Some religious groups discourage members from viewing pornography, and support
legislation restricting its publication. These positions derive from broader religious
beliefs about human sexuality. They believe that God created human beings and
created sexual intercourse for them in the context of marriage. Thus, sex-oriented
entertainment, as well as lack of modesty, are considered to cheapen human sexuality
and be a misuse of it.[29]

18+ pornography is legal to distribute and to produce; however there are often
Pornography by region restrictions placed upon it. It`s very important to know that in many cases
pornography means not something else than only prostitution and for this it `s an
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia unclear policy of the states who consider prostitution illegal,but pornography is.
Jump to: navigation, search
Contents
[hide]

• 1 Americas
o 1.1 Canada
o 1.2 Latin America
o 1.3 United States
World map of pornography (18+) laws Pornography legal Pornography legal under  1.3.1 Restriction
some restrictions Pornography illegal Data unavailable  1.3.2 Child pornography
• 2 Europe
The production and distribution of pornographic movies are economic activities of o 2.1 Austria
some importance. The exact size of the economy of pornography and the influence o 2.2 Belarus
that it plays in political circles are matters of controversy. In many countries 18+ o 2.3 Bulgaria
pornography is legal to distribute and to produce; however there are often restrictions o 2.4 Croatia
placed upon it. The production and distribution of pornographic movies are economic o 2.5 Denmark
activities of some importance. The exact size of the economy of pornography and the o 2.6 Finland
influence that it plays in political circles are matters of controversy. In many countries
o 2.7 France

5
 o 2.8 Germany • 5 Oceania
o 2.9 Greece o 5.1 Australia
o 2.10 Hungary o 5.2 New Zealand
o 2.11 Iceland o 5.3 Papua New Guinea
o 2.12 Ireland • 6 Africa
o 2.13 Italy o 6.1 Botswana
o 2.14 Latvia o 6.2 South Africa
o 2.15 Lithuania • 7 Greater Middle East
o 2.16 Malta o 7.1 Azerbaijan
o 2.17 Netherlands o 7.2 Israel
o 2.18 Norway o 7.3 Iran
o 2.19 Poland o 7.4 Lebanon
o 2.20 Portugal • 8 See also
o 2.21 Romania
o 2.22 Russia • 9 References
o 2.23 Spain
o 2.24 Sweden
o 2.25 Turkey [edit] Americas
o 2.26 Ukraine
o 2.27 United Kingdom [edit] Canada
• 3 East Asia
o 3.1 Brunei Main article: Pornography in Canada
o 3.2 People's Republic of China
o 3.3 Hong Kong Hardcore material is legal in Canada to anyone over the age of majority (18 or 19,
o 3.4 Japan depending on the province). Sales to persons under 18 (or 19) is prohibited, though
o 3.5 Indonesia persons of this age may own or possess porn. Most materials are sold in adult stores
o 3.6 Malaysia or on adult websites.
o 3.7 Philippines
o 3.8 Singapore [edit] Latin America
o 3.9 Republic of China (Taiwan)
o 3.10 Thailand Main article: Pornography in Latin America
o 3.11 Vietnam
• 4 South Asia In Latin America, the pornography industry is somewhat limited. However,
o 4.1 Bangladesh pornography is abundant, especially pirate DVDs from the USA and Europe, which
o 4.2 India are present on the streets of most capitals in Latin America.
 4.2.1 Child pornography
o 4.3 Pakistan In Brazil, all actors in pornographic films must be 18 or older; regular pornography
o 4.4 Sri Lanka (not involving bestiality/snuff) is legal when sold in public places (depictions of sex
with animals and snuff are legal[1]); magazine and DVD covers that depict genitalia

6
must be hidden from public view; and pornography can only be sold to people 18 or
older (though enforcement of this law is generally lax).
[edit] United States
Main article: Pornography in the United States
In the United States, pornography is a large industry that involves major
entertainment companies such as Time Warner, which profits from pornography
through its cable channels and in-room movies in hotels. Pornography distribution
changed radically during the 1980s, with VHS and cable television largely displacing
X-rated theaters. VHS distribution, in turn, is in the process of being replaced by
DVD and Internet distribution for niche markets.
Pornography generates billions of dollars in sales in the United States alone, and
economists have suggested that it has now reached the point where the outlawing of
the industry, which has been tried on occasion, could have a major negative economic
impact. An outright ban, it is feared, might spark a rise in organized crime similar to
that during Prohibition.[citation needed]
An estimated 211 new pornographic films are made every week in the United States.[2]
[edit] Restriction
Publication of hardcore material is only illegal at the federal (national) level if it
meets the Miller test of obscenity, which is rare. Bestiality, simulated rape, urination
and defecation are deemed "obscene", and pornography depicting such acts is not
legal or available legally in the United States, however such publications are widely
available in the United States on the internet. Pornographic materials may not be
made available to minors. Some attempts at restricting pornography on the Internet
have been made, but most have been struck down by the courts.
Prosecution for and tolerance of pornography distribution varies widely from state to
state and city to city.
[edit] Child pornography
Producing child pornography involving minors engaged in sex acts, or posing in an
obscene manner, is a crime on the federal level punishable by a minimum of 5 years
7
and a maximum of 40 years; this makes U.S. law on child porn some of the harshest
in the world.
While child pornography is illegal, photographs of nudist children are not, creating
some confusion as to where the legal line is drawn.[3]
Recently, the porn industry has also begun using software to de-age porn actors,
allowing films to seem as if they have younger performers while still adhering to strict
child pornography laws.[citation needed] The law prohibiting simulated child pornography
was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2002 in the case Ashcroft v. Free Speech
Coalition; however, this opinion seems to have been superseded by the adoption of
the PROTECT Act of 2003.
[edit] Europe
Main article: European pornography
European hardcore pornography is dominated by a few pan-European producers and
distributors, the most notable of which is the Private Media Group. Most European
countries also have local pornography producers, from Portugal (Naturalvideo) to
Romania (Floyd-Agency), all of which compete with larger, international
organizations with varying levels of success.
The once popular style of Euro-chic pornography created by directors Lasse Braun,
Joe d'Amato, and Michel Gentil has lost ground and the Pierre Woodman style of
video porn now attracts a larger audience. A few directors like Luca Damiano, Mario
Salieri, and Alain Payet have continued with the "older" cinematographic and
dramatic styles that often distinguish European pornography from that of other
cultures.
Throughout Europe, ostensibly private "stolen" videos, featuring celebrities having
sex, are very popular on the Internet and in the black market. It is unclear whether
these videos were truly released without their participants' permission, or whether
they constitute a type of publicity stunt planned by the principals themselves, most of
whom are TV and music stars. In recent years, starting with the Severina Vučković
"incident" in 2004, the country of Croatia has seen an explosion of these videos,
causing a imitation by teenagers.
Many U.S.-based pornography websites distribute primarily European pornography,
or porn which features actresses from primarily Eastern European countries. These
actresses (often advertised as "Eurobabes"[4]) may conform more to a look usually
seen in U.S. actresses than European ones, although they may still be considered to
look "more natural" (European pornography typically de-emphasizes breast implants,
among other aesthetic factors).
[edit] Austria
In Austria "youth-imperiling" materials or those which violate human dignity may not
be displayed or sold to people under 16 years of age. Nudity does not fall under this
restriction.
[edit] Belarus
Pornography is illegal in Belarus. Production, distribution, promotion, exposition as
well as possession with intent of distribution or promotion of pornographic materials
or objects of pornographic nature is punished by Belorussian criminal law and results
in compulsory community service, fine or up to 4 years of imprisonment.[5]
[edit] Bulgaria
Authorities tolerate illegal distribution of hardcore porn in designated shops, and on
TV after 11 pm. Softcore material is rarely censored. Magazines and pornographic
papers have become increasingly available since the fall of communism in 1989, and
local editions of many international porn magazines are published. Society is often
exposed to sexual content in commercials and ads. However, porn production and
distribution is illegal in Bulgaria. Before 2007 law was unclear about what is
pornography. All porn movie shootings including cams and online sex are illegal.
There are no Bulgarian porn production companies. The penalty for porn production
or distribution is up to one year imprisonment (or up to two years if criminal was used
Internet) and a fine of 1000 BGN to 3000 BGN. The penalty for distribution or
possession of child pornography is up to one year imprisonment or a fine of up to
2000 BGN.
[edit] Croatia
Pornography is legal in Croatia. Hardcore pornographic material may not be sold to
persons under the age of 18. Distribution or possession of child pornography or
8
pornography involving minors (under 18) is illegal and punishable by a maximum of
10 years imprisonment.
[edit] Denmark
Main article: Pornography in Denmark
A ban on pornographic literature was lifted in 1967. In 1969, Denmark became the
first country in the world to legalize pornography.[6] People in Denmark have free
access to pornography; it is sold in most convenience stores, and is available for
purchase or rental in practically every video store, including Blockbuster.
[edit] Finland
In Finland, child, violent, and bestial pornography is banned.[7] It is legal to sell
pornography in any store, but magazines may not be sold to buyers under 15 years of
age, and hardcore is restricted to buyers 18 years or older.
Prior to 1 January 1999, all indecent publishing, including the import and export
thereof, was banned.[8]
[edit] France
In France extremely violent or graphic pornography is considered X-rated, and so
may be shown only in specific theaters, and may not be displayed to minors. Some
pornography has a special VAT: a 33% tax is levied on X-rated movies, and a 50%
excise is placed on pornographic online services. The ratings system has caused
controversy; e.g., in 2000 the sexually explicit and violent Baise-moi was initially
rated only as "restricted" by the French government. This classification was
overturned by a Conseil d'État ruling in a lawsuit brought by associations supporting
Christian and family values.
[edit] Germany
German law is very strict about hardcore pornography, especially when compared to
very liberal laws about softcore pornography, prostitution, and sex shops. Providing
hardcore pornography to a person under 18 is illegal, and shops selling it must keep
people under the age of 18 from entering their premises. If only a part of the shop is
dedicated to pornography, it must be completely closed off from the rest of the
premises. Alternatively, shops may choose not to display their goods or advertise that
they sell them, in which case minors may be admitted. Websites hosting pornographic
material within Germany must comply with very strict rules about verifying that
viewers are over 18.[9]
Germany has a very broad definition of child pornography, which includes images of
all real or fictional people who either are under the age of 18 or who appear to be
below 18 to an "average viewer". Distribution of such material is prohibited, although
possession is only banned if the material shows a real person below 18. Pornography
involving violence or bestiality may not be produced or distributed, but is legal to
possess.
[edit] Greece
In Greece softcore magazines, calendars, and decks of cards are sold openly at
roadside kiosks and tourist shops. Extreme or graphic pornography is also freely
distributed in convenient stores. Some years ago hardcore pornography DVDs were
given as a gift with major newspapers. While the law states that hardcore pornography
is to be supplied only to adults, it is rarely enforced. There are no other restrictions to
pornography distribution and possession.
[edit] Hungary
Main article: Pornography in Hungary
In Hungary pornography is illegal if sold or shown to children under 18 years of age.
However, displaying the genitals openly, as on the cover of a magazine, is not
prohibited.
[edit] Iceland
Publication of pornography is illegal in Iceland,[10] and is punishable by a fine or
imprisonment for up to 6 months. Publication of child pornography is punishable by a
fine or imprisonment for up to 2 years.
[edit] Ireland
Ireland has censorship boards with the power to ban the importation, sale, or
distribution of individual publications and films. At one time, the official list of
9
banned books ran into the thousands, though in recent years, and particularly since the
mid 1990s, almost no publications or films have been banned, and those that were
previously banned are now permitted. Pornograpic movies are restricted to viewers 18
and over.
Other than regulations regarding pornographic movies, no laws against pornography,
other than child pornography (a child is defined as someone under 18), exist.
[edit] Italy
Main article: Pornography in Italy
In Italy, it is illegal to distribute pictoral or video pornography to persons under the
age of 18. Hardcore and softcore movies and magazines are available not only
through sex shops, but also in normal video stores, newsstands, and even some gas
stations.
[edit] Latvia
In Latvia, the distribution of pornographic material is allowed under very similar legal
conditions as in Poland.[11] Pornographic or erotic material is rarely to never sold in
places accessible to general public.
[edit] Lithuania
In Lithuania, commercial distribution of pornographic material is prohibited by the
Article 309 of the country's Penal Code which states that "Anyone who produced,
purchased with intension to distribute or distributed pornographic material is
punishable by public works, a fine, a confinement or an imprisonment up to 1 year".
Erotic material, however, does not fall into this category and is widely accessible in
shops and supermarkets.
[edit] Malta
Despite not being widely available or distributed, the possession, distribution, and
viewing of pornographic material of both the softcore and hardcore variety is legal on
the Maltese Islands. Magazines, photographs, and DVDs may be legally distributed to
persons aged 18 and older. Common magazines with a healthy distribution pattern
include Hustler and Whitehouse. Erotic material, such as the Playboy magazine, has a
longer history in the country, and is therefore more widely available in shops and at
newsagents.
The sale, production, possession, and/or distribution of child pornography or bestiality
is strictly forbidden. It carries a prison sentence, as does providing pornographic
material to persons under the age of universal suffrage (18). It is worth noting that
there is currently no ban on the possession and/or distribution of violent pornography,
although such items may be, in practice, impossible to acquire.
Research has shown that the Internet remains the Islands' main revenue for
pornography. Pornography, or even films with questionable sexual content, is not
shown on any of the nation's broadcasting networks.
With the exception of a handful of recent films featuring mostly foreign actors, and
some films produced in the 70s and 80s, the nation does not generally produce or
publish pornography of any sort.
[edit] Netherlands
In the Netherlands, a photograph or film of a sexual act involving or seemingly
involving a minor (someone under age 18), or a human and an animal, is illegal.
Otherwise, Dutch law is permissive, and magazines and other print copy are sold
openly at newsstands. Access to theaters showing softcore porn is restricted to those
16 and older; to theaters that show hardcore, one must be 18 to enter.
[edit] Norway
In Norway, hardcore material was illegal for years de jure to produce, distribute, or
sell, but legal to possess. One could acquire it abroad, on the Internet, or via satellite
TV. Illegal porn shops also existed, especially in larger cities. To satisfy legal
requirements, editors of erotic magazines, domestic TV channels, and cable TV
obscured sexual organs in activity using black rectangles and the like. However, after
the Norwegian Supreme Court unanimously acquitted a former magazine editor on 7
December 2005 for publishing unobscured hardcore pornography in 2002, it became
understood that printed hardcore pornography was no longer illegal. Pornographic
magazines and movies were introduced in general stores in 2006. Regular and cable
TV tend to abide by the old standards, and is not yet clear if the Supreme Court
decision will affect television.
10
The depiction of illegal sexual activities, including those involving children, animals,
necrophilia, rape, violence, or the use of force, remains illegal.[12][13][14]
[edit] Poland
In Poland, as of September 1998, Section 202 of the national Penal Code makes
pornography legal except for the production or possession of pornographic materials
containing minors, bestiality (zoophilia), and “scenes of violence/rape”. Also illegal is
presenting or showing pornographic materials to people who do not want to have any
contact with them, and to persons under 18 years of age. Pornographic magazines and
movies are sold in transparent plastic bags openly in kiosks, gas stations, etc.
[edit] Portugal
In Portugal hardcore pornographic movies can only be shown in adult cinemas.
Videos and magazines are openly sold in newsstands but according to the law they are
forbidden to be supplied to minors of 18 years. In addition, hardcore pornographic
movies are banned from open-channel TV and can only be broadcast on pay-per-view
adult channels. Child pornography is illegal.
[edit] Romania
Pornography is legal in Romania. Magazines must be enclosed in plastic bags (or
something equivalent) with a small red square printed on the enclosing material.
Pornographic TV channels offered by cable operators must be encrypted.
Pornographic materials cannot be sold to minors under 18. Also, porn actors and
actresses must be at least 18 years of age.
[edit] Russia
See also: Russian pornography and erotica
The legal status of pornography in Russia is uncertain. The law criminalizes only the
'illegal' production and selling of pornography (which implies that it sometimes can
be legal), but two circumstances make enforcement of the law difficult: (1) the lack of
a legal definition of pornography, and (2) no law defining when production or selling
is legal.
In the Stalinist period, the importation of pornography to the USSR was a capital
offense.[citation needed]
Production, distribution, or public demonstration of child pornography (i.e., of
children below 18 years of age) is a crime punishable by imprisonment. Possession of
child porn is not a crime, if there is no intent to distribute or exhibit it.
[edit] Spain
Pornography in Spain is legal, and enforcement of obscenity laws is lax. It is illegal to
display pornographic material at newsstands, but the great majority do so. In many
city centers sex shops may be found. E-commerce merchants from all around the
world use I.P.S.P. (Internet clearing services) from Spanish banks. The headquarters
of Private Media Group, Europe's biggest pornographic company, are in Barcelona.
Pornography is forbidden in all forms to those under 18 years old.
[edit] Sweden
Sweden has no age laws for the possession or viewing of pornography. Some shops
follow a voluntary limit and do not sell to minors. Material that involves animals is de
facto legal, though it is subject to animal-welfare laws. BDSM is classified as an
"illegal depiction of violence," but the law is rarely enforced.
It is illegal for people below the age of 18 to act in porn films or pose for obscene
photography. Videos and pictures are illegal if they feature persons under 18, even if
the material was legal in the originating country.
[edit] Turkey
Main article: Pornography in Turkey
Turkey, which is a secular state with a Muslim majority, was the first country to
legally produce pornographic materials in the Muslim world. After a long period of
producing Italian-inspired softcore comedies in the 1970s, the hardcore film Öyle Bir
Kadın Ki was distributed in 1979. But one year later, in 1980, porn became illegal.
[edit] Ukraine
11
As of 30 June 2009, distribution and possession of pornography in Ukraine will result
in a fine or a three year jail sentence. Porn that is only for medical purposes is
allowed.[15]
[edit] United Kingdom
In England and Wales, the main legislation on pornographic materials is the Obscene
Publications Act 1959, the Obscene Publications Act 1964, and the Indecent Displays
(Control) Act 1981. Video-oriented depictions of hardcore material (with certain
exceptions for works considered primarily 'artistic' rather than pornographic) were
illegal until 1999, when the removal of trade barriers with other European Union
member states allowed for the relatively free movement of such goods for personal
use. R18-rated videos are only available in licensed sex shops, but hardcore
pornographic magazines are available in shops selling newspapers and magazines. In
2008, the Crown Prosecution Service prosecuted a man under the Obscene
Publications Act for a textual story on a pornography website involving Girls Aloud.
[16]
Also that year, the Home Office introduced legislation to criminalize possession of
what it has labelled extreme pornography; these laws are now contained in sections 63
to 68 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008.[17]
Child pornography is illegal ("child" is defined as a person under 18) to possess,
produce (in terms of electronic copies), or to distribute, and is punishable by up to 10
years' imprisonment. In England and Wales, the law on this type of material is strictly
defined by the Protection of Children Act 1978, Section 160 of the Criminal Justice
Act 1988, further amended by the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 to
include pseudo-photographs, and the Sexual Offences Act 2003 which raised the age
for appearing in pornographic material from 16 to 18 (while the age of consent in the
UK remains 16). Sales of pornography is restricted to adults. In Scotland, similar
provisions are to be found in sections 52 and 52A of the Civic Government (Scotland)
Act 1982, which was also amended by the 1994 Act and by the Protection of Children
and Prevention of Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2005.
[edit] East Asia
The three main producers of pornography in Asia are Japan, Hong Kong, and
Thailand.[citation needed] Japan has a large pornography industry (see Pornography in
Japan) which features more natural looking women, usually wearing little makeup,
often servicing multiple men who tend to be anonymous. In Japan, fetish pornography
has a panoply of variations, ranging from well-known bukkake to tamakeri. Hong
Kong and Thailand produce much print pornography, but less video. The men in Thai
pornography tend to be younger than in Japanese or American porn.
[edit] Brunei
Due to the high number of expatriates in this country, pornography from various
regions such as the Americas, Africa and Europe are easily available in retail shops
known as 'kedai runcit'. However, it is illegal to sell to minors, and it is illegal to
produce pornography unless for personal use.
[edit] People's Republic of China
Internet pornography was outlawed in the People's Republic of China effective 2002,
when state censors issued guidelines requiring all websites remove any pornographic
material.[18] Enforcement is strict and the laws are inflexible, with the government
stance being hard-line opposition to pornography. The government started a
crackdown in 2004, which included the jailing of a woman.[19]
Since 2008, the production of pornographic movies has been banned by state censors,
the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television's prohibition on pornography
has been complete, and the government has shown no signs of changing course.
Directors, producers, and actors involved in pornographic movies have been barred
from competing in any film competitions. Any movie studio found in violation may
have its license revoked.[20] As a result of this regulation and censorship, adult films
and media can only obtained through the Internet and on the black market. Possession
of pornography is punishable by up to 3 years in prison, a fine of 20,000 yuan, or even
execution for large underground distributors.
[edit] Hong Kong
In Hong Kong, pornography is illegal if sold or shown to children under 18 years of
age, if it is publicly displayed (except within the confines of and only visible from
inside a "bona fide art gallery or museum"), or if it is sold without being wrapped
completely with an "easily noticeable" warning stating that the material may be
offensive and may not be distributed to minors.[21]
[edit] Japan
Main article: Pornography in Japan
12
As in Europe, photographs of nudes are not uncommon in the mainstream media. In
the 1970s and 1980s, the strongest prohibition was against showing pubic hair or adult
genitalia. Imported magazines would have the pubic hair scratched out, and even the
most explicit videos could not portray it. Starting around 1991, photobook publishers
began challenging this ban to the point where pubic hair is now fairly well accepted.
Close-ups of genitalia remain proscribed. In 1999, the government enacted a law
banning photos and videos of naked children, which were a fairly common sight in
mainstream media before that time. Manga and anime remain largely unregulated,
although large publishers tend to self-censor (which is rare if compared to the United
States, as nudity is more accepted in Japan) or specify that characters are at least 18
years of age.
The 1960s, in Japanese pornography, was the era of the independent Pink film. In the
years since the end of World War II, eroticism had been gradually making its way into
Japanese cinema. The first kiss to be seen in Japanese film—discreetly half-hidden by
an umbrella—caused a national sensation in 1946.[22] Nevertheless, until the early
1960s, graphic depictions of nudity and sex in Japanese film could only be seen in
single-reel "stag films," made illegally by underground film producers such as those
depicted in Imamura's film The Pornographers (1966).[23] Nudity and sex would
officially enter the Japanese cinema with the independent, low-budget softcore
pornographic films which would come to dominate domestically-produced films in
the 1960s and 1970s.[24] These films were called eroductions during the early 1960s,
but are now more commonly referred to as pink films.[25] The first true pink film, and
the first Japanese movie with nude scenes, was Satoru Kobayashi's controversial and
popular independent production, Flesh Market (Nikutai no Ichiba, 1962), starring
Tamaki Katori.[26] Katori would go on to star in over 600 pink films throughout the
1960s, earning the nickname the "Pink Princess". [27] In 1964 Tetsuji Takechi made the
first big-budget, mainstream pink film, Daydream. Takechi would remake Daydream
as Japan's first theatrical hardcore) film in 1981, starring Kyoko Aizome.[28]
Future "Nikkatsu Queens" Kazuko Shirakawa and Naomi Tani both made their debuts
in 1967. Both actresses would appear in many pink films in the 1960s before
beginning their work with Nikkatsu in the 1970s, for which they best known today.[29]
By the end of the 1960s, Naomi Tani was already known as the "Queen of Pink."[30]
The 1970s was the era of big-studio softcore pornography in Japan. Facing
bankruptcy, Japan's major studios took over the pink film market. In 1971 Toei
entered the sexploitation market with its "Pinky Violence" series, [31] and Nikkatsu,
Japan's oldest major film studio, started its Roman Porno line of pink films. As the
popular star of Toei's sukeban (delinquent girl boss) series,[32] Reiko Ike became one
of the "icons of Pinky Violence."[33] With its high production values, professional
acting talent and talented directors like Tatsumi Kumashiro, Noboru Tanaka, Masaru
Konuma and Koyu Ohara, Nikkatsu produced nothing but these often critically-
acclaimed and award-winning softcore pornographic films for the next 17 years. [34]
This introduction of pornography into mainstream Japanese movie theaters has been
credited with saving Nikkatsu from collapse at that time.[35] Nikkatsu created a
"Queen" ranking for its leading Roman Porno actresses. Kazuko Shirakawa, Junko
Miyashita, and Naomi Tani were the leading Nikkatsu queens of the 1970s.[36]
The 1980s were a period of transition in adult entertainment in Japan. With the
widespread private ownership of VCRs, theatrical pornographic films had a new
competitor for adult audiences in the form of the Adult Video (AV). By 1982 the AVs
had already attained an approximately equal share of the adult entertainment market
with theatrical erotic films.[37] Early AV performers were often struggling actresses
who could not find work in the theatrical Roman Porno films and girls from the
soaplands.[38] By the late 1980s, prominent AV actresses like Hitomi Kobayashi and
Kaoru Kuroki were becoming multi-media stars, and creating a mainstream image for
AVs and pornographic actresses.[39] Though traditionally not partial to large breasts, in
the mid-1980s busty models suddenly become popular in Japan.[40] In 1989, the "Big
Bust Boom" (巨乳ブーム - "Kyonyu Buumu") was set "on fire" with the AV debut of
Kimiko Matsuzaka,[41] leading to a "Big Bust" genre in Japanese adult entertainment.
[edit] Indonesia
Pornographic material is prohibited by law from the KUHP, the law controlling
pornography concerns over the potential danger of criminal offence by pornography
as well as preventing under age citizens exposed to pornography. Suggestive materials
in Indonesian media are rare. Current laws prohibits the selling and buying of
pornographic materials. There were "Undang-Undang anti-pornografi" (The law of
anti-pornography), but this is controversial since it focus on the woman's body as the
object, and it can affect the local culture including some traditional art [citation needed].
What was concerned in that RUU such as child abuse is already recognized in KUHP
(Kitab Undang-undang Hukum Pidana)[citation needed]
It can be concluded that pornography in Indonesia is prohibited in terms of creating,
distribution, selling, and rental of explicit materials. On October 30, 2008, the
People's Representative Council passed a different bill on pornography which is aim
to prevent pornography on widespread Indonesian media though this is not directly
stated. A controversial material from the bill was a definition of pornography.[citation
needed]
13
[edit] Malaysia
In Malaysia, it is illegal to sell or possess [42] pornography. Possessing pornographic
material does subject to prosecution with fine up to RM10,000. Internet pornography
however, are not censored. There are numerous pornographic websites aim to cater
for Malay audiences. The materials depicted in the websites are normally the home
videos made by amateurs. Among the popular websites are mykakis and sabul.
Among the popular porn actors are Wan Nor Azlin and Baby Rina. Popular titles
include Dramatis Terlampau, Pramugara Terlampau and Awek Tudung.
Condom shops selling sex toys and many sex-related products are legal in Malaysia.
These shops are rare, and can only be found in major towns and cities such as Kuala
Lumpur, Penang, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu.
[edit] Philippines
Any kind of pornography is illegal in the Philippines. This is due to the influence of
very conservative political parties, such as the MTRCB, and Christian groups and
churches, such as The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, more
commonly the Roman Catholic Church and many more and others.[43] However, the
current law does not specifically outlaw webcam sex sites, which are often based in
the Philippines. Plus enforcement is lax, and pornography is available often through
black markets and the Internet. .[44]
One such example was in July 2008 when a congressman, then Manila Representative
Bienvenido Abante, and 11 Baptist pastors of the Baptist organization Bible Mode,
sued the publishers of the magazines FHM (For Him Magazine), Maxim, Playboy
Philippines, Playhouse, and the tabloids Sagad, Hataw, Baliktaran, and Toro, for
'pornographic content'.[45] The complaint said that they showed "obscene and erotic
pictures/poses that show, depict or describe nude or semi-nude bodies, sexual acts,
sexual intercourse [and] private parts, with no educational, artistic value, intended to
draw lust and arouse prurient interest".[45]
[edit] Singapore
Visiting pornographic websites and viewing their content is not an offence in
Singapore, although it is deemed illegal to provide and/or supply any form of
pornography from within the country.[46] It is also an offence to be in possession of
pornographic material.[47]
[edit] Republic of China (Taiwan)
The sale or display of pornographic material to children under 18 years of age is
illegal in the Republic of China. The display of genitals on the cover of magazines is
prohibited unless obscured.
[edit] Thailand
Pornography laws in Thailand prohibit all types of pornography. Production,
distribution and possession with an intention to show to the public are criminalized.
However, possession for personal use is not illegal. The law enforcement is relatively
lax. Other forms of pornography such as yaoi and hentai are illegal but common over
the internet.
[edit] Vietnam
Pornography is illegal in Vietnam and enforcement against it is strict. According to
legislatures, pornography harms Vietnamese standard values.[48]
[edit] South Asia
[edit] Bangladesh
Pornography is illegal in Bangladesh, however there has been an increase in the
numbers of pornographic movies known as 'blue movies'. In March 2002, authorities
planned a drive against the pornography business. There are severe punishments given
to those caught selling pornography.[49] Concern over the rise of pornography has
hinted at actions by the government. The then Home Secretary Altaf Hossain
Choudhury said, "We have never really had this problem in the country before, but
now it appears that one or two people or agencies are selling pornography all over
Bangladesh." Pornography is particularly popular in the capital Dhaka, where many
pornographic movies are available in shopping plazas. Reports from the press have
also suggested that people have used digital cameras to film sex scenes and sell copies
in the black market, which many have been convicted of. The issue concerns most of
the population of Bangladesh.[50]
[edit] India
14
Main article: Pornography in India
In India, pornography is illegal and attracts several penal provisions. However,
enforcement is extremely lax and pornographic materials are easily available in public
places. Softcore pornography and hardcore pornography movies or pictures are easily
accessible in the form of magazines, films, or Internet. The law also states that
production and watching pornographic materials is legal but distribution of
pornography is prohibited. Pornographic films in India are referred to as Blue Films
and are available virtually anywhere; especially in areas where pirated material is
already being sold. Despite the illegality, stores selling X-rated material are abundant
in major cities, advertising openly and rarely are the laws enforced in this case.[51][52]
[edit] Child pornography
Section 67 of the "Information Technology Act" deals with "publishing obscene
information in electronic form". This law has been interpreted to criminalize posting
of pornographic content online. However, accessing of "obscene" content within one's
privacy is not illegal. The IT Act was amended by the Parliament on 2008, and
Section 67B was inserted which criminalizes browsing, downloading, creation,
publishing child porn. Therefore while it is legal to watch adult porn, it has been made
illegal to watch child porn. Child anime porn has not been explicitly criminalized.[53]
[edit] Pakistan
Pornography is illegal. However, it is easily accessible in most parts of the country,
particularly in privately owned video shops and through the Internet. Pornographic
movies are commonly referred to as Blue Print movies or Tripple (derived from
Triple X).
[edit] Sri Lanka
The laws against pornography in Sri Lanka are vague. Under the Explicit Literature
Ordinance, sale or possession of pornographic material can be classified as illegal.
However, due to this being a very old law, the punishments are very lenient.
However, child pornography is considered to be illegal under the National Child
Protection act and the punishments are very severe. This act covers the rights of
children, but not pornography per se. Therefore, the same act cannot be used as an
anti-pornograhic law.
There is a plethora of pornographic material available throughout the country, in
paper and electronic formats. Usually, these are sold undercover. There are also a
number of locally produced amateur videos, which are available freely on the Internet.
Due to the severity of punishments for child pornograhy (i.e. involving persons under
the age of 18), it is uncommon to see material of that nature in Sri Lanka.
[edit] Oceania
[edit] Australia
Main article: Censorship in Australia
Technically it is illegal to sell or rent X-rated material in all states of Australia, but it
is not illegal to possess X-rated material, and the sale or rental of X-rated material is
legal in the Northern Territory and ACT. As the Australian constitution prohibits
states from regulating interstate commerce, it is legal to purchase pornography from
stores in either territory and bring it interstate. This law means the majority of
Australian mail order operations for adult material operate from the ACT. Despite the
illegality, stores selling X-rated material are abundant in major cities, advertising
openly and rarely are the laws enforced in this case.
Ratings for the X18+ category were tightened in 2000 to ban material featuring some
fetishes or which appeared to include minors. In 2007 the Howard Government made
the possession of X18+ pornography illegal in some Aboriginal communities.
[edit] New Zealand
Illegal for sale under 18 years of age, however rarely enforced. Generally liberal,
although the most extreme forms of pornography (pedophilia, rape, bestiality, etc.) are
classified as objectionable material by the law. Cyber units of the NZ Police actively
target online child pornography rings.[54] New Zealand law is permissive, and
magazines and other print copy are sold openly at newsstands.
[edit] Papua New Guinea
The possession, import, export, and sale of pornography is illegal. Control is strict.
[edit] Africa
15
[edit] Botswana
The possession of "Indecent and obscene material such as pornographic books,
magazines, films, videos, DVDs and software" is prohibited in Botswana.[55]
[edit] South Africa
Pornography rated X18 is legal if sold to persons over the age of 18 in registered
stores. It is illegal to host a pornographic web site in South Africa because of the
difficulty of age-verification and the requirement that pornography only be distributed
from designated, licensed physical premises. Child pornography is completely illegal
(rated XX) in any form, including the written word. It is illegal to visually represent
bestiality (also rated XX), but not illegal in text descriptions. Violent pornography is
illegal in any form. It is legal to produce pornography that would be legal to consume.
Distribution of pornography is regulated by the Films and Publications Act of 1996
[1] which is enforced by the Films and Publications Board [2].
[edit] Greater Middle East
Main article: Pornography in the Middle East
[edit] Azerbaijan
In Azerbaijan in accordance with article 3 of the Media Act of December 7, 1999, the
"pornographic materials" are defined as works of art, photographic reproductions of
paintings, information and other materials the main content of which is the crude and
undignified depiction of the anatomical and physiological aspects of sexual relations.
Pornography in Azerbaijan is easily and cheaply obtainable in Baku, although not in
most other places. Pornographic images, either printed or recorded may cause
problems when crossing the border. Taking the soft-core materials should have no
problems, but Azeri borders guards can require a few extra euros.[56] Meanwhile the
legal activity to combat child pornography is governed by 1998 Rights of the Child
Act, 1999 Media Act, the Plan of Measures to Solve the Problem of Homeless and
Street Children and the National Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons.[57]
[edit] Israel
In Israel, pornographic films began to be produced in the 1990s, but most of the films
were shot in the 2000s.
[edit] Iran
In Iran, the possession of any type of pornography is illegal and is charged with a fine.
Iranian made pornography is very limited but is existent. Due to the widespread
Internet access and introduction of worldwide satellites, porn is easily accessible in
Iran.[58]
[edit] Lebanon
In Lebanon, pornographic films started to pop up with the introduction of Arabic pop
music and the beginning of secularism. It is illegal to produce or advertise any sort of
pornographic film, though the law is lax to the extent that many Arabs from other
parts of the Middle East come to purchase porn films and magazines (which are often
packed in opaque bags) starring Lebanese and other Arab porn stars. Porn is also
easily accessed from satellite television.

By MATT HABER
Taking Pornography Low Tech
Published: October 1, 2010

“HOLD it.” Jonathan Leder was standing behind a tripod on the porch of a musty,
wood-shingle house in West Kill, N.Y., pointing his camera at a 19-year-old model,
Britney Nola, who was wearing nothing but an unbuttoned pink shirt from American
Apparel and a pair of slouchy blue socks.

Jacques magazine, a quarterly photographed and edited by Jonathan and Danielle

Leder tries to be true to its Williamsburg roots.

Ms. Nola, who bears a passing resemblance to a young Brigitte Bardot, stood frozen
by a screen door. Behind her, the bedroom evoked the faded glamour of this Borscht
Belt region — wood paneling, wood-grain television console and unironic deer heads.

“Come closer,” Mr. Leder instructed Ms. Nola, as the two tried different angles. “Tilt.
Head this way.” With the exception of Mr. Leder’s 2-year-old son, Jack, who would
occasionally stumble into the frame, the house was surprisingly quiet for a photo
shoot, especially a pornographic one. There were no photo assistants, no special
lighting, no bunny suit in sight.

Mr. Leder continued snapping Ms. Nola — raising her head, facing the sun, lifting a
leg — until his camera suddenly stopped clicking. He looked at his 1965 Canon Pellix
and spotted the problem. “I’ve got to get some film,” he said.
Robert Wright for The New York Times
Film?
Jonathan Leder uses a 1965 film camera to take photos for Jacques, his magazine.

16
Mr. Leder is no ordinary pornographer. Along with his wife and editor, Danielle, the Advertisers have included Lips Jeans and American Apparel, a company whose racy
bearded, flannel-wearing Mr. Leder is the creator of Jacques, an upstart adult aesthetic blends seamlessly with the magazine’s. Marsha Brady, American Apparel’s
magazine in Brooklyn that reinterprets vintage Playboy in the age of 3-D porn and creative director, calls the magazine “naturally sexy” and praises its “direct, honest
GPS hookups. point of view on sexuality.”

Joined by a small but influential roster of new pinup magazines — published in places Jacques isn’t alone in its attempts to revive printed pornography at a time when the
like Amsterdam and the Lower East Side — Jacques is offering a self-conscious rest of industry is expanding on the Web. Indie magazines like Richardson, Butt and S
throwback to the magazines of the late 1960s and early 1970s, before the days of Magazine are unabashed in their approaches to erotica, yet remain artsy enough to be
silicone implants, Photoshop and streaming HD video. left on the coffee table.

Begun in May 2009, Jacques dishes out nudity with a knowing wink that speaks to the Richardson, which returned this year after an eight-year hiatus, is the glossy pet
kind of man who prefers his meat grass fed and his denim raw. The models are bigger, project of the British stylist Andrew Richardson and features porn stars like Jenna
curvier and silicone free. The settings evoke a wistful vision of middle-class America Jameson and Sasha Grey alongside avant-garde artists like Carolee Schneemann and
— a playground in Chicago, a swimming pool in Villanova, Pa. The resulting images Valie Export. S Magazine, as thick as a small city’s telephone book, is loaded with
look more like vacation snapshots than studio portraits. racy photos of models of both sexes. Butt, printed on pink paper, has a scrappy,
intentionally amateurish feel, and features hirsute men in come-hither poses.
It’s a highly stylized aesthetic that evokes a bygone age of Polaroids and Kodak
Instamatics. Mr. Leder shoots on 35-millimeter film, uses only existing light and Enlarge This Image
never retouches or digitally manipulates a photo — blemishes and body fat be
damned. “A lot of quote-unquote porn is just simply disgusting,” Mr. Leder said,
offering his view of the adult entertainment industry. “It’s so cheap and so vulgar, it
just turns everybody off.”

His cultural influences are mid-period Hugh Hefner and Norman Rockwell. “We’re
trying to do something kind of wholesome, kind of family,” he said. That’s if you can
call a young woman in an unbuttoned jersey, swinging a wooden bat, wholesome. The
pages of Jacques reveal a softer take on sexuality than is offered by most
contemporary porn.

“It’s definitely supposed to be provocative for sure,” he said. “I don’t think it needs to
be spread leg to be provocative, personally.”

The magazine, published quarterly in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, seems to have struck a

chord. Its first issues had a print run of 1,000, distributed by hand to stores like St.
Mark’s Bookshop in the East Village and the Freemans Sporting Club on Bleecker
Street, a hunter-chic men’s boutique, where it’s sold alongside $330 vintage-style
umbrellas. Its latest issue had a print run of 14,000, and was sold nationwide at Barnes
& Noble, Borders and Books-A-Million, as well as overseas.
Tony Cenicola/The New York Times
Its print run is now 14,000.
According to Jeremy Leslie, a curator of Colophon, an independent magazine
symposium, these artsy porn magazines blend nostalgia for print with a fashion-
forward sensibility. “All these titles are part of a broader trend of claiming back

17
traditional areas of publishing from the glossy, overcommercial mire of mass-
produced look-alike magazines,” Mr. Leslie said.
He cites other experimental projects like Apartamento, a shelter journal from Milan,
and Fire & Knives, a food quarterly from London, as “examples of titles re-examining
longstanding genres with combinations of old and new approaches.”
Butt’s pink paper and Jacques’s oversize 9-by 12-inch format are no accident. While
most publishers are tweaking their periodicals to be more digital, these titles are
proudly analog. They are also priced more like hardcover books: Richardson sells for
$28 and S is $19.95. Jacques, by comparison, is a modest $9.
“As magazines become more-premium objects, they use the paper and the physical
experience as part of the narrative,” said Andrew Losowsky, editor of the Magtastic
Blogsplosion, a blog that chronicles the global magazine industry.
Then again, when it comes to Jacques, that narrative is not exactly complex. Instead
of bodacious blondes dressed up as flirty nurses or librarians, Jacques offers a fantasy
of the art-school girl next door — perhaps a fetching student on the L train who
replies to “missed connections” posts on Craigslist.
The Summer 2010 issue, for example, featured an 18-year-old student, Audrey, who
goes to Parsons the New School for Design, and lists free trade, gay rights and
women’s rights among the issues she feels strongly about. Her perfect date? “Vegan
dinner, vegan dessert and a concert.”
The Leders live and work in a converted warehouse two blocks from the Bedford
Avenue station in Williamsburg. The building has an ancient freight elevator and
industrial concrete hallways, though their loft-like apartment has a comfortable lived-
in feel. The book-filled home office may lack the Playboy Mansion’s aviary and
grotto, but it does have a bunny, Nova, an angora rabbit that resides in a cage beside
their work space.
On a recent Monday, as their son played on the floor, the Leders explained how the
financial crisis of 2008 inspired them to start Jacques. “I said, ‘This is the perfect time
to start something,’ ” Mr. Leder recalled.
“You said that?” Ms. Leder interjected. “I said that.”
18
While Mr. Leder, 37, may be the creative force behind Jacques, his wife retains the
title of editor in chief. At 6-foot-1 and strikingly attractive, Ms. Leder, 24, cuts an
imposing figure. She is five months pregnant, and it’s easy to see how she was a
model who posed for photographers like Bruce Weber and Terry Richardson just a
few years ago.
The idea to showcase “curvier girls,” instead of anorexic models with surgical
implants who “starve themselves,” she said, was based on personal experience.
“Everybody told me I was too big,” Ms. Leder said, despite appearing in editorial
spreads in French Vogue and other high-fashion magazines. “They were like, ‘Your
hips are too big.’ ”
In addition to picking models, Ms. Leder assigns and edits the articles, which she
conceded are one of the magazine’s weaknesses. The first four issues lacked an
editorial focus, with articles about the history of marijuana and the dangers of Wi-Fi
that read like Wikipedia entries. There were also the occasional forays into fiction,
recipes and stunt journalism, including a first-person account of sex parties in New
York City written under a pen name.
Theme issues have brought more clarity. The Summer 2010 issue had a sports focus,
and featured a four-page “charticle” on athletes’ sex scandals, and an interview with
Jim Graham, a participant in the Baja 1,000 off-road auto race. The Fall 2010 issue,
which will reach newsstands this week, has an Asian theme and includes articles
about massage parlors and martial arts films.
Future themes might include what Mr. Leder calls “Silicone Valley,” in which his
edict against models with plastic surgery will be flagrantly broken. Another issue,
dedicated to voyeurism, might contain the photos he took of Ms. Nola in the Catskills.
Back at the shoot, camera finally loaded, Mr. Leder took several shots of Ms. Nola,
who seemed to gain confidence as the day went on. Her posture seemed more self-
assured, her gaze more direct. The photos were coming together, but Mr. Leder found
his eye drawn to an unfortunate side effect of the summer heat. Ms. Nola’s nipples
seemed to be wilting.
“Ginger, would you grab some ice?” Mr. Leder asked Ginger Ralph, a hairstylist, who
returned from the kitchen moments later with a bowlful.
“It’s always the small details, you know?” Mr. Leder said.
 D. H. Lawrence’s 1928 novel “Lady Chatterley’s Lover,” which had long been
The Day Obscenity Became Art banned for its graphic sex scenes.

By FRED KAPLAN Most lawyers of the time would have advised Mr. Rosset that he had a weak case.
Published: July 20, 2009 Back in 1873, Anthony Comstock, the former postal inspector who founded the New
York Society for the Suppression of Vice, had persuaded Congress to pass a law
outlawing obscenity, which state and federal courts came to define over the decades
TODAY is the 50th anniversary of the court ruling that overturned America’s as works that “community standards” would regard as “lustful,” “lewd,” “lascivious”
obscenity laws, setting off an explosion of free speech — and also, in retrospect, or “prurient.”
splashing cold water on the idea, much discussed during Sonia Sotomayor’s Supreme
Court confirmation hearings, that judges are “umpires” rather than agents of social
change. As recently as 1957, the Supreme Court had ruled in Roth v. United States — a case
involving a bookseller who sent erotic literature through the mail — that the First
Amendment’s guarantees of free speech did not apply to obscenity. The case against
Skip to next paragraph “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” seemed cut and dry; whatever the book’s literary merits, it
Enlarge This Image met the legal definition of obscenity.

However, Mr. Rosset hired a lawyer named Charles Rembar, whom he’d met playing
tennis in the Hamptons. Rembar had never argued a case in court but was an adviser
to several writers, including his cousin Norman Mailer. (When Mailer wrote “The
Naked and the Dead,” his career-sparking World War II novel, Rembar advised him
to avoid legal controversy by spelling his characters’ most common utterance “fug.”
The trick worked.)

Looking over the Roth decision, Rembar spotted a loophole. The opinion, written by
Justice William J. Brennan, noted that the First Amendment’s purpose was “to assure
unfettered interchange of ideas” and that “all ideas having even the slightest
redeeming social importance — unorthodox ideas, controversial ideas, even ideas
hateful to the prevailing climate of opinion — have the full protection of the
guarantees.” But, Brennan went on, “implicit in the history of the First Amendment is
the rejection of obscenity as utterly without redeeming social importance.”

Tucker Nichols Rembar mulled over a question that Brennan apparently hadn’t considered: What if a
book met the standards of obscenity yet also presented ideas of “redeeming social
The historic case began on May 15, 1959, when Barney Rosset, the publisher of importance”? By Brennan’s logic, wouldn’t it qualify for the First Amendment’s
Grove Press, sued the Post Office for confiscating copies of the uncensored version of protection after all?

19
On a sheet of paper, Rembar drew two slightly overlapping circles. He labeled one
circle “Material appealing to prurient interests.” He labeled the other “Material utterly
without social importance.” By Brennan’s reasoning, only material that fell inside
both circles — that was both prurient and worthless — should be denied the privileges
of free speech.
This was the argument that Rembar made before Judge Frederick van Pelt Bryan of
the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. With the
assistance of several literary critics’ testimony, he presented “Lady Chatterley” as a
novel of ideas that inveighed against sex without love, the mechanization of industrial
life and morbid hypocrisy.
The United States attorney representing the Post Office, S. Hazard Gillespie Jr.,
thought Rembar had misread the law, and he recited a clause of the Roth ruling that
Rembar had omitted. Justice Brennan had written that controversial ideas “have the
full protection” of the First Amendment — “unless,” Gillespie underlined, these ideas
were “excludable because they encroach upon the limited area of more important
interests.” One of those interests, surely, was keeping obscenity under wraps. Hence
Rembar’s argument was irrelevant.
This was, however, just the rebuttal Rembar was hoping for. He pointed out a
footnote in which Brennan elaborated on what kind of “more important interests”
were “excludable.” All of them involved actions — peddling, picketing, parading
without a license, playing loud music from a truck. The First Amendment didn’t
protect any of that. But none of Brennan’s examples involved writing — expression
unattached to conduct. Pure expression could be forbidden, Rembar argued, only if it
was “utterly without social importance.”
On July 21, 1959, Judge Bryan ruled in favor of Grove Press and ordered the Post
Office to lift all restrictions on sending copies of “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” through
the mail. This, in effect, marked the end of the Post Office’s authority — which, until
then, it held absolutely — to declare a work of literature “obscene” or to impound
copies of those works or prosecute their publishers. This wasn’t exactly the end of
A Win for Free Speech Online
20
obscenity as a criminal category. Into the mid-1960s, Barney Rosset would wage
battles in various state courts over William Burroughs’s “Naked Lunch” and Henry
Miller’s “Tropic of Cancer,” other Grove novels now widely regarded as classics. But
the “Chatterley” case established the principle that allowed free speech its total
victory.
The Post Office did appeal Judge Bryan’s verdict; a panel of three judges upheld it
unanimously. The government’s lawyers decided not to appeal further to the Supreme
Court. They knew that they would lose — that the justices who, just two years earlier,
had excluded this sort of literature from constitutional protection would now change
their minds. They knew that Rembar’s creative view of Justice Brennan’s opinion —
a view that Brennan had not explicitly considered when he wrote it — was logically
unassailable.
The case also made clear that laws are more complex than strike zones or foul lines,
which is why the analogy between judges and umpires is so misleading.
The distinction is sharpened by another argument Rembar made during the “Lady
Chatterley” trial. “A novel, no matter how much devoted to the act of sex,” he said,
“can hardly add to the constant sexual prodding with which our environment assails
us.” In the mass media of the day, with its appeals to a booming youth market, movies
and advertisements were often “calculated to produce sexual thoughts and reactions,”
to the point where “we live in a sea of sexual provocation.”
In short, “community standards” were radically changing. The proof was that, after
the ban on “Lady Chatterley” was lifted, the book reached the No. 2 slot on The New
York Times best-seller list (topped only by Leon Uris’s “Exodus”) and, within a year,
sold two million copies.
For many decades, the courts upheld racial segregation; then, suddenly, they didn’t.
For many decades, the courts let the Post Office decide which books people could
read; then, suddenly, they didn’t. In both cases, and many others that could be cited,
the laws hadn’t changed; society did. And the courts responded accordingly.
A 10-year campaign to censor the Internet ended last week when the Supreme Court
refused to step in and save the Child Online Protection Act. Everyone can agree on
the need to protect children from sexually explicit online material, but this misguided
law tried to do it in ways that infringed on too much constitutionally protected free But the courts quickly blocked the law from taking effect, and it has been the subject
speech. of legal battles ever since. In July, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third
Circuit, in Philadelphia, struck down the act, which it found to violate the First
Skip to next paragraph Amendment in a number of ways. Among other things, the court ruled that the law’s
purpose could be better achieved, with less damage to free expression, if parents used
filtering software to keep objectionable material away from children.
The Board Blog
The Bush administration appealed that ruling, arguing that if it were allowed to stand,
millions of children would be exposed to online pornography. But the American Civil
Liberties Union, which had brought the original challenge, insisted that the act
unconstitutionally stifled the free speech rights of adult Internet users — because it
would cover more than just pornography that children may be seeing. The A.C.L.U.
also has said that the act was ineffective since it did not regulate foreign Web sites,
which are the source of much of the indecent material available to American Internet
users.
Additional commentary, background information and other items by
Times editorial writers. In its ruling last week, the Supreme Court turned down the appeal of the federal
appellate court’s decision without comment. Without the Bush administration pushing
Go to The Board » for more restrictions on online pornography, even some supporters of greater
regulation believe their cause may be lost for the foreseeable future.
Related
Society has a legitimate interest in keeping sexually explicit material away from
minors. But as the courts have repeatedly emphasized, it cannot be done through a
Times Topics: Freedom of Speech and Expression sweeping censorship regime. It is not likely that Congress will rush to take up online
indecency again. If it does, it needs to follow the courts’ guidance and rely on
Congress passed the Child Online Protection Act in 1998 after the Supreme Court had methods — like filtering software — that keep indecent material away from children
struck down an even broader law regulating online indecency. The 1998 act imposed without infringing on the free expression rights of everyone else.
civil and criminal penalties, including up to six months in prison, for offering
commercial material online that was “harmful to minors.”

Skip to next paragraph

Library Walks Fine Line on Web
Pornography In the Region

Long Island, Westchester, Connecticut and New Jersey

By JULI S. CHARKES Go to Complete Coverage »
Published: January 27, 2008

MAHOPAC

21
MOST of the dozen computer terminals on the spacious second level of the Mahopac
Public Library were in use late one morning last week. This was typical for the high
volume of users who frequent the area, said Patricia Kaufman, the library’s director.
She estimated that the computer area receives up to 5,000 visitors a month.
One terminal was missing, however, having been removed by the police after the
arrest of a 53-year-old man from Brewster who the police said was caught
downloading images of child pornography while at the library.
Alice Walsh, the board president, said it was the second of two incidents this month
involving computers that had the library staff scrambling to put measures in place that
will help mitigate further incidents, while putting the public’s mind at ease that
intellectual freedom — “the right to seek information” as protected under the First
Amendment — remains a cornerstone of library use.
In the most recent case, the Brewster man was arrested on Jan. 12 after a plainclothes
detective, having been tipped off days earlier by another library user, observed the
man’s actions. The man was charged with two felonies: possessing a sexual
performance by a child and an obscene sexual performance by a child, said Lt. Brian
Karst of the Town of Carmel Police Department.
That incident followed one a day earlier in which an 18-year-old Mount Kisco man
was arrested after the police said he tried to persuade a 14-year-old girl to join him at
a motel. The girl made contact and continued correspondence with the man — up to
several times a week beginning in December — via chat rooms she gained access to
while using computer terminals at the Mahopac Library, the police said.
In response to the arrests, the library has formed a task force, which is scheduled to
meet this week, and is upgrading its Internet-use policy, possibly to include the use of
filters to help prevent access to pornography sites, Ms. Walsh said.
The Yonkers Public Library upgraded its filter system a year ago in response to
several incidents of misuse at computer terminals, said Stephen E. Force, the library
director. “We’ve found it to be extremely helpful,” he said.
22
But filters are not foolproof, said Joan Irvine, executive director of the Association of
Sites Advocating Child Protection, and will not typically address images and
information obtained via popular methods of communication, particularly among a
younger generation.
“A lot of times the noncommercial porn activity takes place via peer-to-peer groups,
networks, chat rooms and instant messaging,” she said.
Filters can also inadvertently curb access to areas of legitimate research that are
protected under the First Amendment, said Bennett L. Gershman, professor of law at
Pace University.
Child pornography is not protected under any law, nor is material deemed obscene,
according to the 1973 Supreme Court case Miller v. California. But the definition of
obscenity must meet several criteria and does not necessarily apply to sexually
explicit material that may come about via the normal course of research, Professor
Gershman said.
“Can adults go into a library and view sexual depictions of adults?” he asked. “The
answer is yes.”
The use of filters was at the center of a 2003 Supreme Court case in which the court
upheld a law, challenged in a lawsuit by the American Library Association, that
required the use of filters in libraries receiving federal funds. The Mahopac Library
receives some federal money for telephone use, but has not applied for funding
earmarked for Internet use, Ms. Kaufman said.
Grappling with what constitutes the rights of citizens in their pursuit of knowledge
versus the protection of those same citizens from the use of obscenity is “a delicate
balance,” Ms. Walsh said.
“This is something we never thought we’d have to address in library school,” she said.
Professor Gershman said: “Filters can remove a certain amount of information from
the larger realm of knowledge that adults may want access to and that is protected
under the First Amendment. How far do you go? It’s a fine line.”
It Isn’t a Real Sex Scene? I Still Need a
Cigarette

Everett Collection

SEX THEN Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire in the 1934 film “The Gay Divorcee.”

A FEW years ago, Michelle Borth went topless for a movie, and she thought: “That’s
it. That’s my last topless scene.”

Then she read the script for the new HBO show “Tell Me You Love Me.” The show
required frontal nudity and such explicit sex scenes that the first question asked at a
John P. Johnson/HBO press conference with television critics last July was:

SEX NOW Michelle Borth and Luke Farrell Kirby in “Tell Me You “Did anybody actually do it?”
Love Me,” a new series on HBO with explicit sex scenes.
The answer was no, but Ms. Borth, who plays Jamie in “Tell Me,” is not faulting
By MIREYA NAVARRO anyone for wondering.
Published: September 30, 2007
“It’s not supposed to be like any show,” Ms. Borth, 29, said. “To keep it tame doesn’t
LOS ANGELES do justice to what we’re doing, which is an unfiltered, candid look at relationships,
and that includes sex.”
Skip to next paragraph
Enlarge This Image Certainly, real sex in acting is rare, but recent offerings in television and film are
pushing the boundaries. Some critics have called “Tell Me” nothing more than soft
porn, and even people in the entertainment industry question just how much

23
explicitness is necessary. Just how graphic, they ask, must sex scenes be to make a
dramatic point?
In the last few years, two American filmmakers, Vincent Gallo and John Cameron
Mitchell, have depicted actual sex in their films — and have not been shy about
admitting it. Recently, the Oscar-winning director Ang Lee earned an NC-17 rating
for his “Lust, Caution.”
These films and “Tell Me” fall under “hard-core art,” said Linda Williams, a
professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and author of books on both
pornography and cinema. They escalate the explicitness, trying to step beyond the
conventional but not veer into pornography.
“We’re stuck in this dichotomy of pornography’s un-nuanced pleasure and simulated
sex, which does not allow certain kinds of representations,” she said. The new
productions, she added, are redefining “just what might be an American adult film or
television show.”
Cynthia Mort, the creator of “Tell Me,” said the point was not to make the depiction
indistinguishable from real sex. “The goal is to make it moving and emotional and
intimate and, yes, uncomfortable at times, because not everyone is comfortable with
sex,” she said. “You’re trying to capture that.”
IN the fourth episode of “Tell Me,” Ms. Borth’s character has a fling after breaking
up with her fiancé. Rodrigo García, the director, said the scene needed explicitness,
including nudity and frantic motion, to contrast with the aftermath — her
disappointment and loneliness.
Otherwise, he said: “I’d have couples huffing and puffing under bedsheets. I don’t
think a wife covers her breasts with bedsheets after sex. That’s an insufferable cliché
in movies.”
Adam Scott, who plays the architect Palek on “Tell Me,” said he and his wife initially
had reservations about the intimacy involved, but were won over by the script, which
follows three couples as they work out relationship issues.
On the show, Mr. Scott is shown nude and engages in laborious sexual play as his
character tries to get his wife, played by Sonya Walger, pregnant. He said the scenes
needed to match the emotions portrayed in other aspects of the characters’
relationship, which frays under the strain of not being able to conceive.
24
“I feel the audience would be cheated if we say we’re doing a show about intimacy,
and it’s not intimate,” Mr. Scott said.
But judging from comments on the show’s Web site, viewers are split. While some
appreciate the scenes (“The scenes really get you to a true place,” one viewer wrote),
others find them distracting and unnecessary.
Another viewer wrote: “I can understand having examples of problems for people to
deal with, but you don’t need to show a full sex scene between two people. It’s like a
second generation Playboy channel.”
Some film historians question whether audiences really lose out if there is more
modesty.
“I’m not sure the general audience cares as much as filmmakers do in terms of how
graphically it’s shot,” said Patricia King Hanson, editor of the American Film
Institute’s catalog of feature films. “If you have kissing and partial nudity, is that less
effective than if you showed them copulating on screen?”
Some actors agree that some territory shouldn’t be explored for the sake of a film or a
show.
Ashley Jones, 30, an actress on the soap opera “The Bold and the Beautiful,” often
acts in scenes requiring vigorous pretending, but she said she balked at anything racier
in her acting career. “To me, you can get the same message across and leave
something to the imagination,” she said. “When you get out there suddenly you feel
too exposed, and you think, ‘This doesn’t feel like I’m an actor. This feels like I’m
doing it.’”
What then, of the actors who are willing to go all the way? While real sex in film
dates back to the 1970s and is a mainstay of European directors like Catherine Breillat
of France, Lisa Ades, a director of “Indie Sex,” a documentary series on sex in cinema
shown last month on IFC, said American directors have only recently ventured into it,
with Mr. Gallo’s 2003 movie “The Brown Bunny” and last year’s “Shortbus,” written
and directed by Mr. Mitchell.
Mr. Gallo declined a request for an interview and Mr. Mitchell was in Europe and
unavailable. But one of the leads in “Shortbus,” Paul Dawson, 37, compared his
experience with the sex scenes to shedding tears.
“A crying scene and a sex scene are very intimate and require an actor to find
something inside that makes him cry or makes him aroused,” he said. Mr. Dawson
said he did “Shortbus” because he saw value in creating something that viewers might
not have seen on screen but that many would identify with.
Even so, a lot of people in the industry don’t buy the idea that some films require
actors to engage in the real thing. Scott Winant, a director of the Showtime series
“Californication,” which also uses sex as a narrative device, said that what makes the
scene is the emotions conveyed in the acting, not the act. Real sex, he said, “doesn’t
necessarily communicate the emotion of the sexual moment. It’s more effective to
work with great actors who can identify with a sexual moment through the acting.”
To viewers, these distinctions may be hard to grasp. Even Marci Hirsch, a vice
president at Vivid Entertainment, an adult film company, said “Tell Me” often looked
like the soft version of her films. “I said, ‘Did I just see that?’” she said. “I didn’t
think the sex scenes were bad at all.”

Seems Somebody Is Clicking on

That Spam
By ALEX MINDLIN
Published: July 3, 2006

Spam messages promoting pornography are 280 times as effective in getting

recipients to click on them as messages advertising pharmacy drugs, which are the
next most effective type of spam.

The New York Times

The third most successful variety is spam advertising Rolex watches, 0.0075 percent
of which get clicked on, according to an analysis by CipherTrust, a large
manufacturer of devices that protect networks from spam and viruses.

25
"Successful spam is about impulse purchases," said Francis deSouza, a vice president If spam is effective with porn, why bother selling anything else? Mr. deSouza pointed
at Symantec, which makes antivirus software. "Things like home mortgages have a out that many spammers work on contract for other people's businesses. "If you're
lower success rate than things you'd buy on impulse. Things like Viagra, porn." contracted by a company that sells watches or drugs, you might be perfectly happy
spamming about watches or drugs," he said. ALEX MINDLIN
Paul Q. Judge, chief technology officer of Ciphertrust, was philosophical. "If you look
at some of the oldest and most successful forms of business on earth, they revolve
around sex," he said.

Nude Awakening
By ALEX KUCZYNSKI
Published: September 16, 2007

The first time I saw an International Male catalog was at the all-girls Virginia
boarding school I attended in the 1980s. The cool girls — the ones who owned their
own horses and got BMWs for their 16th birthdays, with car-size bows on top — got
the catalog in their mailboxes, along with subscriptions to GQ. The uncool girls, if we
were lucky, got to peer over their shoulders at pictures of male models in thong
bikinis. I found the presentation of male genitalia, packaged and posed and seemingly
aroused, totally terrifying. Were they really that long and tuber-like? And were men
supposed to stare at you in such a brooding, animal way, their eyes glowering at siesta
level, their mouths puckered in baby-doll O’s?

Skip to next paragraph Illustration by Jo Ratcliffe

Enlarge This Image
One day in the smoking lounge, the coolest girl of all pulled the latest International
Male catalog from her monogrammed L. L. Bean Boat and Tote bag and pointed at
the practically nude lower half of a model, his abdomen rippled in reptilian plates, his
prodigious reproductive organs — or well-placed tube socks — barely restrained by
purple Lycra. There is a dim memory of a zipper.

“Imagine coming face to face with that,” I asked the mentholated air. The coolest girl
of all, exhaling smoke from a Merit Light, arched an eyebrow at us. Deep silence
descended.

We were shocked out of our minds but, in the manner of teenagers, pretended to be
indifferent. The whole episode so freaked me out that I’ve been waiting to have sex
until my 40th birthday.

26
International Male is often called Victoria’s Secret for guys. For straight or gay
adolescents, it was the easiest way to procure soft-core porn. But just as Vicky has
become a retail powerhouse that also sells flannel pajamas and face cream,
International Male has evolved from a mail-order outlet for banana hammocks to a
catalog that also sells Etonian-inspired suits, huarache sandals and something called
the Warhol Shirt. (It’s patterned with Op Art circles.) In the 1970s, Gene Burkard, a
former advertising copywriter at the Milwaukee Journal, decided to market a tight
pair of men’s underpants through the mail called the Jock Sock. In 1986, Burkard sold
out to Hanover Direct, a company that also, disturbingly, owns the Company Store,
CompanyKids and Silhouettes, a catalog for plus-size women, among other brands.
Last year, International Male started showing up in my mail again — it must have
been the Ladybug Hooded Towel I ordered from the CompanyKids catalog — and I
couldn’t tear myself away. I asked my husband if he’d like a pair of Unico boxers
(“bold and bright stripes keep the focus right up front”). My friend Gray told me had
spent his entire 20s fascinated by the Fleece Snuggler, a sleeping-bag-like garment
designed for lounging. (Strangely enough, it resembles the Ladybug Hooded Towel.)
Suddenly, everybody’s got a subscription. Robert Verdi, the celebrity stylist and
occasional television host, had a copy on his desk the moment I called: his producer
had flagged the page with the padded underwear. (The catalog offers a thong that pads
the front, as well as a brief that pads and lifts the rear.) “When you were a kid, this
was actually erotica,” Verdi said. “A lot of guys of my generation looked at it for that
reason. Now there are still a few pages of really tight stomachs and bad underwear,
but they also have some full-on fashion. It’s kind of pimpy, sleazy, Eurotrash-guys-in-
Vegas fashion, but it’s fashion.”
Good Girls Go Bad, For a Day
By STEPHANIE ROSENBLOOM
Published: October 19, 2006
IN her thigh-highs and ruby miniskirt, Little Red Riding Hood does not appear to be
en route to her grandmother's house. And Goldilocks, in a snug bodice and platform
heels, gives the impression she has been sleeping in everyone's bed. There is a witch
27
International Male, whether intentional or not, is always entertaining. Taking its
inspiration (seemingly) from prison, pornography, Chinese Communist Army garb,
firefighters, the priesthood, the Old West, surf culture, Mahatma Gandhi (although not
the diaper look), construction workers, even Edwardian women, it decks its models
out in everything from pirate gear to “Miami Vice” suits.
Beyond that, there is the amusing discomfort of seeing men objectified like women
often are, snuggled up like man-size babies in their Step-In onesies, or trying to look
foreboding in pseudo-military gear: the male equivalent of a French maid’s outfit and
feather duster.
“It’s funny in the same way a blow-up doll is funny,” said Simon Doonan, the
creative director at Barneys New York. “Objectified men are always hilarious,
because it’s so outside the norm of society.” He also points out that International Male
serves a valuable function in the hierarchy of men’s fashion. “All the things that are
supergroovy and acceptable, like Hedi Slimane and Prada and Balenciaga, can’t really
exist without things like International Male as a point of reference.”
An exception, perhaps, is the Palm Beach Bomber, a white leather jacket that sells in
the catalog for a mere $159. Robert Verdi has a $4,740 Dior Homme version of it. He
believes he could probably get away with the International Male one. He says, “It’s all
how you wear it.”
I think I’ll have to see that first.
wearing little more than a Laker Girl uniform, a fairy who appears to shop at
Victoria's Secret and a cowgirl with a skirt the size of a tea towel.
Anyone who has watched the evolution of women's Halloween costumes in the last
several years will not be surprised that these images -- culled from the Web sites of
some of the largest Halloween costume retailers -- are more strip club than storybook.
Or that these and other costumes of questionable taste will be barely covering
thousands of women who consider them escapist, harmless fun on Halloween.
''It's a night when even a nice girl can dress like a dominatrix and still hold her head
up the next morning,'' said Linda M. Scott, the author of ''Fresh Lipstick: Redressing
Fashion and Feminism'' (Palgrave Macmillan) and a professor of marketing at the
University of Oxford in England.
The trend is so pervasive it has been written about by college students in campus
newspapers, and Carlos Mencia, the comedian, jokes that Halloween should now be
called Dress-Like-a-Whore Day.
But the abundance of risqu?ostumes that will be shrink-wrapped around legions of
women come Oct. 31 prompts a larger question: Why have so many girls grown up to
trade in Wonder Woman costumes for little more than Wonderbras?
''Decades after the second wave of the women's movement, you would expect more of
a gender-neutral range of costumes,'' said Adie Nelson, the author of ''The Pink
Dragon Is Female: Halloween Costumes and Gender Markers,'' an analysis of 469
children's costumes and how they reinforce traditional gender messages that was
published in The Psychology of Women Quarterly in 2000.
Dr. Nelson, a professor of sociology at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, said the
trend toward overtly sexualized costumes actually begins with little girls. ''Heroic
figures for women or considered icons of femininity are very much anchored in the
femme fatale imagery,'' she said, adding that those include an assortment of Disney
heroines, witches, cocktail waitresses, French maids and an ''interchangeable variety
of beauty queens.''
While researching ''Pink Dragon,'' Dr. Nelson found that even costumes for little girls
were gendered. Boys got to be computers while the girls were cupcakes. Today, there
are bride costumes for little girls but one is hard pressed to find groom costumes for
little boys. Additionally, Dr. Nelson said, the girls' costumes are designed in ways that
create the semblance of a bust where there is none. ''Once they're older women it's just
a continuation of that same gender trend,'' she said.
Men's costumes are generally goofy or grotesque ensembles with ''Animal House''-
inspired names like Atomic Wedgie and Chug-A-Lug Beer Can. And when they dress
up as police officers, firefighters and soldiers, they actually look like people in those
professions. The same costumes for women are so tight and low-cut they are better
suited for popping out of a cake than outlasting an emergency.
Obviously, however, many women see nothing wrong with making Halloween less
about Snickers bars and SweeTarts and more about eye candy.
28
Rebecca Colby, 28, a library clerk in Milwaukee, said the appeal of sexy costumes
lies in escaping the workaday, ho-hum dress code.
''I'm not normally going to wear a corset to go out,'' said Ms. Colby, who has
masqueraded as a Gothic witch with a low-cut bodice, a minidress-wearing
bumblebee, a flapper and, this year, most likely, a ''vixen pirate.''
''Even though you're in a costume when you go out to a party in a bar or something,
you still want to look cute and sexy and feminine,'' she said.
Indeed, many women think that showing off their bodies ''is a mark of independence
and security and confidence,'' said Pat Gill, the interim director of the Institute of
Communications Research and a professor of gender and women's studies at the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
It is a wonder gyms do not have ''get in shape for Halloween'' specials.
In her book ''Dilemmas of Desire: Teenage Girls Talk About Sexuality'' (Harvard
University Press), Deborah Tolman, the director of the Center for Research on Gender
and Sexuality at San Francisco State University and a professor of human sexuality
studies there, found that some 30 teenage girls she studied understood being sexy as
''being sexy for someone else, not for themselves,'' she said.
When the girls were asked what makes them feel sexy, they had difficulty answering,
Dr. Tolman said, adding that they heard the question as ''What makes you look sexy?''
Many women's costumes, with their frilly baby-doll dresses and high-heeled Mary
Janes, also evoke male Lolita fantasies and reinforce the larger cultural message that
younger is hotter.
''It's not a good long-term strategy for women,'' Dr. Tolman said.
But does that mean women should not use Halloween as an excuse to shed a few
inhibitions?
''I think it depends on the spirit in which you're doing it,'' Dr. Tolman said. ''I'm not
going to go and say this is bad for all women.''
Perhaps, say some scholars, it could even be good. Donning one of the many girlish
costumes that sexualize classic characters from books, including ''Alice's Adventures
in Wonderland,'' ''Cinderella'' and ''The Wizard of Oz,'' can be campy, female sartorial
humor, said Professor Gill. It can be a way to embrace the fictional characters women
loved as children while simultaneously taking a swipe at them, she said. ''The humor
gives you a sense of power and confidence that just being sexy doesn't,'' she said.
Dr. Tolman added that it is possible some women are using Halloween as a ''safe
space,'' a time to play with sexuality. By taking it over the top, she said, they ''make
fun of this bill of goods that's being sold to them.''
''Hey, if we can claim Halloween as a safe space to question these images being sold
to us, I think that's a great idea,'' Dr. Tolman said.
But it may be only an idea. Or, more fittingly in this case, a fantasy.
''I love to imagine that there's some real social message, that it's sort of the female
equivalent of doing drag,'' Dr. Nelson said. ''But I don't think it's necessarily so well
thought out.''
Tanda Word, 26, a graduate student at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, who wrote
a satirical article about the trend for The Daily Toreador, agreed. ''I think it's
damaging because it's not just one night a year,'' she said. ''If it's all the costume
manufacturers make, I think it says something bigger about the culture as a whole.''
Salacious costumes -- the most visible reminder that Halloween is no longer the sole
domain of children -- have been around longer than plastic Grim Reaper scythes. But
there has been an emergence of ''ultrasexy'' costumes in the last couple of years,
according to Christa Getz, the purchasing director for BuyCostumes.com, which sells
outfits with names like Little Bo ''Peep Show'' and Miss Foul Play.
''Probably over 90 to 95 percent of our female costumes have a flirty edge to them,''
Ms. Getz said, adding that sexy costumes are so popular the company had to break its
''sexy'' category into three subdivisions this year.
Heather Siegel, the vice presidentof HalloweenMart.com, said her company's sexy
category is among its most popular. (The two best-selling women's costumes are a
29
low-cut skin-tight referee uniform and a pinup-girl-inspired prisoner outfit called Jail
Bait.)
''Almost everybody gets dressed up really, really sexy for it,'' said Carrie Jean Bodner,
a senior at Cornell University in Ithaca who wrote about the abundance of skimpy
Halloween garb for The Cornell Daily Sun last year. ''Even the girls who wouldn't
dream of going to class without their pearls and pullovers.''
Last year Ms. Bodner, 21, dressed up as a sexy pinch-hitter for an imaginary baseball
team. This year she and her friends are considering being va-voom Girl Scouts.
Ms. Getz of BuyCostumes.com said far more women are buying revealing costumes
than firing off indignant e-mail messages asking, ''Why are all of your costumes so
sexy?'' (though some do).
Still, women may be buying racy outfits because that is all that is available. Ms. Getz
said she wished there were more sexy men's costumes on the market and that the lack
of them is but further evidence of the gender double standard. ''It's just not as socially
acceptable,'' she said, adding that men feel comfortable expressing themselves with
Halloween costumes that are ''either crude or outrageous or obnoxious.''
Ms. Siegel of HalloweenMart.com said the costume industry is merely mirroring the
fashion industry, where women have more variety in their wardrobes. Besides, she
said, men are less interested in accessorizing. ''They're happy grabbing a mask and a
robe and being done,'' she said.
At least they get a robe. Ms. Bodner of Cornell estimated that it will be about 30
degrees in Ithaca on Oct. 31.
''We're not just risking our dignity here,'' she said. ''We're risking frostbite.''
Photos: POST-POST-POST-FEMINISM? Halloween is a day to flaunt your inner
vixen. (pg. G1); TRICKS -- Seemingly innocuous characters have a sexy edge in
costumes, which evoke male fantasies and reinforce a larger cultural message:
younger is hotter. (pg. G2)

THE WORLD: Naughty Little Red
Book; The People's Republic of Sex
Kittens and Metrosexuals
By DAVID BARBOZA
Published: March 4, 2007
WHEN Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue hit the newsstands last week in China for
the first time, with the sexy singer Beyonc?n the cover, the competition was fierce.
Readers here had already seen the February issue of For Him Magazine, which
features a Chinese singer named A Duo on its cover wearing a white V-neck leotard
that reveals every other inch of her rather substantial figure.
Inside, A Duo poses like a dominatrix, clutching her breasts, wrapping her naked
body in celluloid and bending, sweat-drenched, over a submissive man.
The racy For Him Magazine also offers tips on ''how to do it in five minutes'' (because
a ''sex break is the same as a coffee break'') and features stories with titles like ''The
Dangerous Sex Journey of QiQi.''
The images and text would hardly be shocking to American or European readers. And
the magazine's photographs are tame compared with what appears in magazines in
Japan and other parts of Asia.
But in China, where sex is still a taboo subject and pornography is outlawed by the
ruling Communist Party, the images are not only highly provocative but perhaps the
latest sign that sex and sexuality are infiltrating the mainstream media.
And this powerful burst of sexual energy seems both a symbol of how rapidly China's
transformation is unfolding and, to some, a harbinger of the troubles ahead for a
nation that will inevitably struggle to absorb its newfound freedoms. ''There is a fine
line between the open mind and sexual indulgence,'' said Xie Xialing, a professor of
sociology at Fudan University in Shanghai.
30
Even five years ago, Chinese books and magazines were censored or banned from
showing pictures of scantily clad models or publishing content that was deemed
offensive or morally corrupt. The only sexual content to be found was in sex
education pamphlets or books of nude Chinese women sold as ''art works'' at big city
airports.
Today, however, with China's economy booming and the government loosening its
hold on the personal lives of everyday citizens, magazines are beginning to publish
soft-core pornographic photographs, sexual fantasies, even clues about where to pick
up call girls.
Popular Chinese Web sites are going further, posting erotic videos and creating
forums for women eager to market their sex appeal and post their photographs on the
Internet: images of traveling with friends, undressing at home, even striking erotic
poses.
''This is a kind of grass-roots sexual revolution,'' said Annie Wang, author of ''The
People's Republic of Desire,'' a satirical novel about the country's mad race to
modernization.
The government announces periodic crackdowns on pornography and often censors
sexual content in magazines and on the Web. But since about 2000, the censors have
started to look the other way. Political activism is still a no-no in New China.
Entertainment is a different matter. Even the Web site of Xinhua, the state-run news
agency, offers slide shows of the ''10 Hottest Babes of 2006'' and ''Rarely Seen Photos
of Sexy Men.''
Many say the trend is being driven by the market, and by entrepreneurs eager to cash
in on the country's freer lifestyles.
''The market is the No. 1 driving force behind the boom of such magazines,'' said Pan
Suiming, a professor of sociology at Renmin University in Beijing.Western luxury
brands entering the Chinese market want to advertise in popular magazines and on
Web sites that draw consumers. And in China right now, pictures of sex kittens draw.
For Him Magazine is one of the success stories of this genre, with a circulation of
about 480,000. (It probably helps that the magazine is published by a government
agency, the National Tourism Administration, an indication of official interest in
investing in the phenomenon.) Jacky Jin, the editor in chief, says he wanted to affirm
a new kind of lifestyle for readers that he calls China's new metrosexuals, guys who
love cars, gadgets and girls.
''We're opening a new window for Chinese men,'' he says, noting that he's been
criticized by government censors on several occasions.
A decade ago, the private lives of people in China were still quite restricted. Whom
you married, where you lived and what was considered permissible were tightly
controlled or closely monitored by the government, employers and parental
authorities.
But urbanization, greater mobility and the power of the World Wide Web have
challenged all that.
Now, experts say, China is going through a period of enormous personal and sexual
freedom. Young people -- most of whom grew up without siblings under the country's
one-child policy -- are wearing more hip and provocative clothing. And they're
growing addicted to entertainment online, where they can also search for love and
indulge their lust.
Professor Pan said he thought one reason for the cultural change was a change in
women's attitudes.
''Today's women, especially young women in the cities, no longer think it's a bad
thing to expose their bodies,'' he said. ''Five or six years ago, when some women
started to wear clothes that exposed their midriff, most people couldn't understand
why belly buttons should be regarded as beautiful and deserve public exposure.
Today, young women think it is natural to bare their midriff.''
Zha Jianying, a Beijing writer and author of ''China Pop,'' says the growing openness
is actually a good thing.
The Graying of Naughty
Axel Koester for The New York Times
31
''This trend of being more open about sex is definitely healthy, coming after all those
years of puritanism and Maoist suppression,'' Ms. Zha says. ''Now, maybe we're
seeing the pendulum swing in the other direction.''
But Professor Xie at Fudan University says things have gone too far.
''In certain periods in history, such as the decadent Ming Dynasty, sex was not a taboo
and even intellectuals would talk about their sex skills casually over tea,'' he said.
''Today's society is still better than that. But I do find that people care less about
dignity.''
He went on to call for limits on how much skin can be shown publicly, and said:
''Human beings should have a sense of shame.'' Other critics say the new freedoms
have brought degeneracy, a boom in prostitution, and what Ms. Wang, the author,
called ''the concubine mentality.'' Hard-core pornography, of course, is under assault
by the government, which can exact heavy fines on trespassers. One pornography
kingpin was recently sentenced to life in prison.
And censors are wary of influences from the West, like ''Sex and the City,'' which has
a huge following here, mostly on pirated DVDs. Even ''The Vagina Monologues''
show was canceled here recently, apparently because of the title.
But in a country that also happens to be the largest manufacturer of sex toys, being
naughty is catching on.
In November a man here in Shanghai was selling condoms in packages bearing the
likeness of Chairman Mao.
His shop was closed, of course, for selling condoms in ''inappropriate packages.''
Photo: Party Girls -- A photo layout in the Chinese edition of Esquire goes light on
ideology, lighter on clothing.
De’Bella with Urbano Martin, producer, director and cameraman.
By SHARON WAXMAN
Published: December 31, 2006
LOS ANGELES
Skip to next paragraph
Enlarge This Image
Axel Koester for The New York Times
De’Bella, 50, ready for her close-ups as a new old sex-film star.
DE’BELLA — or Debbie, as everybody calls her — decided late in life to become a
porn star. This year she turned 50, time, she knew, to chase her dream.
“I love sex,” she explained, biting into a Burger King special before embarking on her
scene for the day at a rented house in the San Fernando Valley. She was wearing a
bright pink satin and black chiffon nightie with a matching thong and heavy makeup.
“I decided I wanted to do something different,” she said. “I’d been working behind
the scenes, and my friends said: ‘Why not do movies? Have some fun, and get paid
for it?’ ”
So she has. Since May, De’Bella (she did not want her real name published) has used
days off from her job as an administrative assistant at a sex-related entertainment
company, Platinum X, to shoot about 30 scenes, with men mostly 19 and 20 year old.
32
And while she is sort of a novelty — appearing on “The Howard Stern Show” to talk
about her new career — it is no longer unusual (hey, Hollywood, pay attention) to see
women, and men, of a certain age performing in sex movies.
“There has been a greater openness to older performers than there once was,” said
Mark Kernes, a senior editor at Adult Video News, or AVN, the industry’s main trade
paper. “Typically, once you got to 35, your possibilities were pretty much shot.”
Not anymore. The pornography industry, that multibillion-dollar-a-year symbol of
airbrushed American carnality, is aging. The advent of Viagra, the maturing of
sexually aware baby boomers and overall improved health and beauty are all
contributing to the graying of naughty.
The biggest change is in the sexual desirability of women old enough to be the
viewer’s mother. It has been fueled in part by pop culture’s embrace of the sexy 40-
something women of “Desperate Housewives” and “Stacy’s Mom,” the 2003 hit song
about a teenager’s mother who “has got it going on.”
The mature-woman genre represents one of the fastest growing areas of video
pornography, say leading distributors and retailers, and next month it will be
inaugurated as a category at the AVN Awards, the Oscars of the skin trade.
Most of the movies are like the one De’Bella is shooting on this particular day in the
Valley, a gonzo shoot — meaning it is more or less plot-free sex for 40 minutes or so.
De’Bella’s dark hair is up in a chignon, pinned with a couple of rhinestone clips.
When her performing partner, Rod Fontana, 54, shows up — he’s tall and gangly with
a shaved head — she smiles sweetly and shakes his hand. They have never met
before.
“What’s the premise on this one?” he asks. “Pizza boy?”
Whatever. Within a few unscripted minutes they’re mostly unclothed, panting and
moaning for the camera, engaged in sexual contortions and obviously unbothered by
visiting onlookers.
The director, Urbano Martin, points his camera strategically, scarcely disguising his
boredom. “I shoot specialty films,” he explains during a break in filming, adding that
he has been in the business for 17 years. “Fat women, old women, hairy girls — all
kinds. We feed the niche.”
The market for beautiful, airbrushed young women “is oversaturated,” he says. “This
is more normal people, more meat on the bone, like what you have at home.”
De’Bella is not one of those otherworldly California creatures untouched by time. She
looks like what she is, an attractive 50-year-old, with eyelids and cheeks that have
succumbed to gravity and concentric circles of rippled skin on her belly from
childbirth, three decades ago, and from dropping 38 pounds this year.
Still married to the same man after 28 years, De’Bella comes from a small town in
Colorado and never imagined that she might become involved in pornography. “I was
married and had a baby at 19,” she says. “I don’t know if I could have done it then.”
That baby grew up and moved to California to become a sex-film performer under the
name Jewel De’Nyle, which started her mother down the same path.
De’Bella’s husband, Larry Schwarz, is fully supportive. “She’s doing it for the right
reasons,” he said.
Other mature stars are retired pornography performers who have been lured back into
the limelight, like a 40-something former star known as Lisa Ann, and 35-year-old
Tiffany Mynx or the performer turned director Devinn Lane, who has started a Web
site to recruit women for her hardcore short films.
Vicky Vette, 41, blond and buxom — who could pass for 10 years younger — jumped
in a couple of years ago, explaining on her Web site that after a career as an
accountant and housing contractor with her husband, she won an amateur photo
contest in Hustler magazine and began making sex videos. (She declined an interview,
perhaps because her husband committed suicide in June and in a letter discovered
posthumously accused her of being a white supremacist. She has denied this.)
Skip to next paragraph
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Dave Cummings, 66 (on the set with Emilianna, 27), calls himself the oldest porn star
working.
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WHO watches this stuff? By far the most avid consumers of older-woman
pornography, producers say, are young men fulfilling boyhood fantasies of teacher
lust or yearning for the attractive mothers of their friends. Some, it has been
suggested, may be tired of what one producer, Oren Cohen, has called, in a recent
AVN article, “the young, helpless teen thing.”
David Joseph, 38, De’Bella’s boss and the president of Platinum X, said: “It’s totally
an erotic thing people are attracted to. There’s a huge market out there for older
women. I’m trying to understand it myself.”
But the older-woman fantasy is nothing new, even if the video pornography industry
is scarcely more than three decades old. It may be that the revival of young men’s
teenage fantasies, along with the sexual confidence of older women, is fueling the
supply side as well as the demand.
The genre has been credited as the idea of Bonnie Kail, 48, the national sales manager
of Wicked Pictures. A few years ago Ms. Kail was working for a small company,
Heatwave Entertainment, which specialized in fetish sex, including so-called granny
porn, which feature old women. She thought there was room for less freakish fantasy.
“I had said from my personal experience that, being divorced, I’m lucky if I can meet
someone my age,” Ms. Kail recalled. “Most guys who want to date me are in their late
20s. So I thought, let’s get some hot-looking, 40-ish women and make that the
theme.”
Her boss at the time, Gabor Szabo, was the first to package mature-women movies as
a distinct genre, and nearly every other sex-movie company has followed with its own
line. Popular titles include “Hot 50+” and “Housewives Unleashed.”
Still, the trend has taken a lot of the pornography world by surprise, including Mr.
Joseph of Platinum X. When De’Bella asked him for permission to pursue a sex-film
career in her spare time, he was mystified.
“It was weird to me,” he said. “She could be my mom. At first I thought it would
blow over and that maybe no one would hire her. But then people started hiring her,
and then they wanted her for magazines. It’s crazy. This is supposed to be an industry
with the youngest, newest, most beautiful girls in the world. Isn’t youth what
everyone wants?”
Apparently not. And if women performers traditionally last just a handful of years
before losing their sizzle, there are male performers who have been stars for as long as
there has been a thriving sex-film business in the Valley, ever since the shotgun
marriage of video and sexual liberation in the 1970s.
Ron Jeremy, perhaps the industry’s best-known male star, is 53 and still appears in
sex movies. Randy Spears, 45, has been performing in them for 20 years and is still
going strong.
At 66, Dave Cummings bills himself as the oldest pornographic-film star working,
though he is a relative newcomer to the business. Married for 22 years until his wife
left him, as he put it, “for someone with hair,” Mr. Cummings has four grandchildren
and a thriving film career.
“My daughter’s feeling is: ‘Dad, I love you. It doesn’t make any difference,’ ” he said
by phone from San Diego, where he began swinging with couples after his divorce in
the 1990s, which led to his sex-films gig. “My son thinks of me as his hero,” he
added. “When he’s out chasing girls, he says, ‘Ever hear of Dave Cummings?’ My
son is getting action because of me.”
34
The dirty little not-so-secret weapons of aging male performers are erectile aids like
Viagra and Cialis. Mr. Cummings said he prefers Viagra, but uses it rarely, for
instance when he is scheduled for back-to-back sex scenes or “when I’m working for
a producer who’s very demanding.” De’Bella’s recent partner, Mr. Fontana, said he
used only herbal stimulants.
Like a lot of experienced actors in the business, Mr. Cummings directs as well as acts
in his movies (don’t ask: mirrors are involved), and they frequently play on dirty old
man fantasies, with titles like “It’s a Daddy Thing,” “Sugar Daddy” and one just three
months ago featuring a 19-year-old woman and a group of older sex-film stars. Mr.
Cummings is on the cover of the DVD, leaning on a walker.
He intends to stay in the game as long as he can. “I’m not looking to get married,” he
said. “I’m too old for that. I don’t know that there’s anyone out there I could easily
find who could understand that the reason I’m not having sexual climax this morning
isn’t because I don’t love her. It’s because I have to go to work.”