Random TV Encounters--Porn Again

Earlier this year when I was staying at the Galt Hotel in Louisville during the Humana Festival of New Plays, I was relaxing in my room in between shows. I flipped through the channels which I love to do when I'm in cities I've never been--you get to see all the local news and how low-rent it usually is. I landed on MTV and the program was a reality thing called I'm Addicted to Porn. It was part of a whole series of I'm Addicted to.... They profiled a series of real people whose lives were seriously affected by their involvement with pornography. There was a guy whose wife left him because he couldn't stop watching it on his computer. They went to therapy. The usual story.

But the most interesting segment involved this young porn star. She was in Vegas for a porn convention and she was nominated for the industry equivalent of the Oscar for most promising newcomer or something. The awards were to be presented at the climax--pardon the pun--of the convention. She was shown surrounded by male fans on the convention floor, all clammering for her picture and autograph. She later said to the camera, "Wow, I feel really great, like I'm worth something." Then she received a visit from this group called the Pink Cross whose mission is to get people out of porn. The rescue workers were three women, looked in their 40s, all of whom were very attractive, but you could tell they'd had work done and when they were younger were probably stunning. Each wore an armband with a pink cross. Our girl listened to their spiel and wasn't buying it. They said "You're so smart and pretty, you don't need this. You are worth so much more than this." She thanked them and they left saying "Well, if you ever change your mind, give us a call." The actress turned to camera and said she was happy in her work.

Later just before the awards, she confessed that she wanted to win badly because maybe then her parents wouldn't be ashamed of her. One limo ride later, she loses the big award. Back in her suite with champagne, money, and a life of sex and adoration by horny pathetic guys, she's in tears.

Earlier in the week, I'd seen a play called Slasher about a young girl who gets cast in a sleazy horror film and she's in control and not exploited because she set the terms of the contract. There were eerie echoes of the play in this reality TV show.