What does it mean to be “honest” about porn and the nature of the porn industry? Is it true that, over the history of porn production, some terrible things have happened on porn sets? There’s no question in my mind this is true, although not nearly as widespread and commonplace...

NASHVILLE – For the second time in recent months, Tennessee State Sen. Mae Beavers has proposed a joint resolution to “recognize pornography as a public health hazard leading to a broad spectrum of individual and public health impacts and societal harms.” As you might expect, the...

LAS VEGAS – As is always the case following a transition of Presidential power in Washington, here at the dawn of 2017 the adult industry finds itself wondering what the years ahead might bring in terms of increased obscenity prosecution, new regulations, or yet another revision...

SAN FRANCISCO – One of the great frustrations of someone who writes about the adult industry from within it comes in reading articles about the same subjects written by people on the outside looking in. Among other things, I’m consistently mystified by the credulity of...

COLORADO SPRINGS – The first time I heard the voice of James Hetfield, it was growl-shouting the words “Lashing out the action, returning the reaction / Weak are ripped and torn away / Hypnotizing power, crushing all that cower / Battery is here to stay!” Soon, evidently, I’ll be...

PHOENIX – In June 2013, Phoenix police raided what they called a “self-serve porn studio” near Sky Harbor Airport, charging William James Hartwell and six women with various prostitution-related crimes. Now, three and one-half years later, Hartwell’s trial is finally is poised to...

SAN FRANCISCO – When I first heard about Kink.com acquiring the Mission District Armory in San Francisco some years ago, I thought of the moment as a potential watershed for the progress of the American adult entertainment industry. A porn studio poised to operate (openly!) in a...

BISMARCK, N.D. – For many years, I believed former attorney Jack Thompson, the man who once prosecuted 2 Live Crew for obscenity, spent years concocting and promoting flawed legislation that sought to regulate video games like pornography and was later disbarred for a variety of...

LONDON, Ontario – One of the reasons the scientific method has been so successful over the centuries is its reliance upon the ability of researchers to reproduce outcomes as a way to confirm prior experimental results. Repeatability and confirmability are crucial elements of any...

LOS ANGELES – On the Twitter account for pornstar-turned-politician Ela Darling, just above where her official @ElaDarling handle is displayed, are the words “Stoned Adulterer.” It’s a cute handle, sure, and certainly won’t shock Darling’s legion of devoted fans or voters who...