Page 40 - AVN February 2016

Romantic
Porn:
It’s Here
to Stay
Couples genre
remains viable in 2016
FEATURE
by JAREDRUTTER
The “romance” genre has always been a part of porn. It’s what “couples porn”
morphed into when companies started labeling it as such. For at least five years
now it has maintained a strong presence in the adult DVD market, with just about
every major studio dabbling in it.
or is it still capable of generating steady sales? An informal survey of some high-
profile sellers indicates that its customer appeal has not diminished.
of Eddie Powell and Jacky St. James, but according to company owner Scott
Taylor, “We don’t make as many romance movies as we once did because the
consumption is a bit more limited. What we have seen is that the edgier content
of Hotwife-based themes or light bondage in the Emma Marx series have proven
even more successful.
T
But what about today? Has the romance boom gone bust, swamped by gonzo,
But there are some new wrinkles.
Romance really took off for New Sensations/Digital Sin with the early work
“We still make romance movies but the audience hasn’t grown in numbers to
support a constant stream of releases. It very well could be that our audience has
40 | AVN.com | 2.16
just graduated to something a bit wilder or we are picking up new customers that
enjoy those types of themes. It is my belief that there will always be an audience
for romance and our numbers continue to show that.”
For Wicked Pictures, RomPorn’s selling power has never been in doubt.
Domestic sales chief Bonnie Kail says flatly, “I have seen the adult industry go
through many genre changes over the past 33 years, but high-quality couples
product continues to thrive. Couples appreciate high-quality, story-driven movies,
and our sales continue to reflect that.
“Wicked continues to stay true to its mission of making quality movies geared
towards women and couples, as that audience is still very relevant in the adult
DVD market today. While most studios have scaled back on production we have
continued to make the products our customer base expects of us.”
She points toward the 2015 success of the big-budget features Starmaker,
Love Lust & Longing and the Adam & Eve co-production Wanted, as well as past
bestsellers like Fallen, Aftermath and Underworld, and Axel Braun’s ongoing high-
end parody line.