Page 46 - AVN July 2015

Expose Yourself
Nurturing the Newbie
(continued)
Meet Dr. Chauntelle, porn sociologist
Perhaps you’ve seen her byline in cyberspace, providing
intellectual ballast to the hysterically over-the-top
commentary that surrounds issues related to the adult
industry. Whether it’s describing the friendship between
Barrett Blade and Eric Masterson on Playboy.com or
critiquing the movie Hot Girls Wanted for
Uproxxx.com, Chauntelle Tibbals (or Dr. Chauntelle, as
she’s known) offers a point of view that’s bolstered both
by her bona fides as an academic sociologist—a master’s
degree at California State University Northridge and a
Ph.D. from the University of Texas—and her up-close
observation of the adult industry.
And this month, Tibbals (pictured here) has a new
book out. Titled Exposure: A Sociologist Explores Sex, Society,
and Adult Entertainment, it will be available July 7 in
paperback and Kindle formats.
In 20 succinct chapters, Tibbals traces her evolution
“Being the best director you can be requires having
a good relationship with those you are directing,” he
said. “I have a lot of genuine respect for [performers],
knowing that they’ve come through the door ready to
do what few people have the courage to do.”
Newer performers generally come to a Girlfriends
Films set per a request from veteran talent who shoot
with the company on a regular basis. As such, they’ve
already been vetted by members of the community.
O’Connell echoed Powell’s rationale regarding
pairing newer performers with more seasoned women.
“When we do bring in somebody who is new to the
business, I always pair them with a leader,” O’Connell
explained, “somebody who has shot for us a number
of times and can pace the scene so it goes down not
too fast or not too slow. The experienced girl can also
rescue the scene if the new girl turns out to be a poor
performer.”
as a scholar studying a reviled human pursuit, which in
itself is of interest. Tibbals writes about her trials with faculty advisers and tribulations at professional events
(for example, the chapter “Academic Snubbery”).
But what will fascinate those in the adult industry even more is the mirror she holds up to it. In “Being a
Guy in Porn Is (Not) Hard,” she writes sympathetically of a bad day in the life of a porn stud. And in “Working
the Booth,” her description of a day in the trenches at a fan event will have porn stars nodding their heads
”Even the most basic
stuff, from greeting them
in recognition. And in “The Thin Line Between Real and Fake,” she first considers breast implants and then
moves on to a deeper conversation about “authenticity” in porn:
kindly to offering food
and beverages, if done
Tibbals can provide clear-eyed feedback that can
”Because she’s an observer and not a participant,
gently and kindly and
help creators of both porn and pleasure products
with respect empowers
“I struggle with this attribution—natural. It’s extremely widespread, but what does it mean? In the
the talent.
contemporary porn lexicon “natural” is simply code for “no boob jobs,” but I just can’t get over the fact
that the lack of boob jobs is the only natural thing about the women performers in this film. From the
settings, the lighting, and the oil and water being misted or poured over various body parts, to the fact
that most of the women performers have tattoos, all of them have beautiful hair and makeup, and one
has had fairly significant cosmetic dental work, everything is contrived. These things are all well and
good, but they’re not natural.
“And why does natural just mean no boob jobs? Why stop there? Why not rule out altered noses or
lips, artificial nails, or tattoos? It really makes very little sense.”
Because she’s an observer and not a participant, Tibbals can provide clear-eyed feedback that can help both
porn producers and pleasure product manufacturers create goods that are appealing to a wider demographic.
Particularly helpful is the chapter “Stripper Dildo Lollipop Party,” a description of her disappointment at what
she found at an adult boutique when shopping for a bachelorette party. It’s a tough critique, but one that
retailers would be wise to heed. She writes:
“Putting it kindly, the store was definitely on the seedier end of the sex toy store spectrum. Less kindly,
the entire place was a disaster. It was dirty and disorganized. The walls were jam-packed with product,
but the store still felt empty because of the underutilized floor space in the middle. And in a particularly
genius move, higher-end products were adjacent to harder toys.”
Anyone in the industry who has yet to be introduced to Dr. Chauntelle will be happy to make her
acquaintance here. And those who are familiar with the good doctor will be impressed by the breadth of the
subjects covered in this collection.
For a more meaty sample from Exposure, read the chapter excerpted on page 48: a timely discussion—given
the topic of this month’s issue—on so-called “young-girl” porn.
—Iris Blocks
FEATURE
—Ryan Madison
In the end, it seems like the overall set environment
is essential to making new performers feel
comfortable. O’Connell says he does it, in part, by
keeping his sets small. “Truly, the most important
part of making talent feel comfortable and welcome
is the crew,” O’Connell explained. “I limit the crew
to the number of cameras that we operate, which is
three. So, my crew consists of just myself and my two
camera people, Sabrina and Miguel.”
Though every aspect of production is work, making
that work enjoyable is what makes working in porn
gratifying overall. O’Connell summed it up nicely,
explaining that he and his crew “share the various
other jobs on set, and all three of us have cheery
attitudes, positive outlooks, like to laugh, and treat
everyone with respect and admiration. If it wasn’t for
that, all the rest of what we do would be wasted.”
Questions and comments can be directed to
chauntelle.anne.tibbals@gmail.com or
via Twitter at @drchauntelle.
46 | AVN.com | 7.15