Page 14 - AVN March 2017

EDITORS DESK
EXPO-SITIONS
Overheard at the 2017 AVN Show
2017 MARKS THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY of Women’s History Month, celebrated during
March in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. The month of
March also coincides with AVN’s annual wrap-up issue covering the AVN Show,
held in January at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas.
If you think an adult industry trade show is an unlikely place to find fodder
suitable for marking Women’s History Month, you haven’t been to the AVN Expo
recently. With the rise of the cam industry and technological advances that have
made it easier for performers to shoot their own content, women in adult have the
potential to control their own careers more than ever before.
One place at the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo that offered ample evidence
of the many insightful, articulate woman who are thriving in the industry was in
the room where the trade seminars were held. Of particular relevance was the
discussion titled “R-E-S-P-E-C-T,” moderated by Dr. Chauntelle Tibbals. Here are
just a few comments, addressing the hot topic of whether porn exploits women:
Kay Brandt, director of the AVN Award-winning Babysitting the Baumgartners and
its upcoming sequel, as well as the innovative YouTube series Forked, now out on
DVD (and all from Adam & Eve Pictures): “Being a woman in this industry carries
a certain level of responsibility, and that responsibility to me is making women
look as wonderful as they can possibly look. And I’m not just talking about putting
on makeup, but showing every kind of talent that they have. I look for girls who
have acting talent and aren’t afraid to be actresses in front of the camera as well as
really strong sex performers. I also make sure that they know they are the goddess
in the scene, and it’s their body that should be respected and treasured and that
they’re always well taken care of on my sets.”
Angela White, director of the AVN Award-winning Angela Loves Gonzo as well
as the new Angela Loves Threesomes 2 (AGW Entertainment/Girlfriends Films): “I
think our industry is shrouded in myths and a lot of those myths focus on female
sexuality. People aren’t worried about whether men are exploited in pornography.
Everybody’s worried about women being exploited, everybody’s worried about
women being degraded, women forced into the industry and women being abused.
It’s a situation where women are really seen to not have agency. They’re not seen
to be empowered being able to make their own decisions. Men, women—we’re
sexual beings. So I think that if you believe pornography exploits people, then you
probably believe that sexuality exploits people. I mean if you don’t find having
sex degrading, then why is it degrading when it’s filmed? What is it about the
documentation of sexuality that makes it degrading? I think it has to do with the
fact that we have so much sexual shame in our society still. I think we are moving
forward and being a little more accepting of women expressing their sexuality and
doing so publicly and doing so proudly, but I think we still have a long way to go.”
Bree Mills, Girlsway head of production and co-director of the AVN Award-
winning Missing: A Lesbian Crime Story and this year’s The Faces of Alice (Girlsway/
Girlfriends Films): “Let’s be real: In any entertainment industry—be it fashion, be
it dance, be it mainstream Hollywood—there are good people and there are not
good people. ... I try to make a very conscious point in never hiding what I do ...
to be as open and transparent about what I do as possible just to not add further
stigma. So sometimes that means I’m either the most popular person at the dinner
party or I’m the one that gets the most awkward looks. ... There are probably
more women in positions of leadership within the industry than there have been,
and the more that we can be out and proud and showcasing what we do and help
support each other, the more we are going to be able to break down barriers.”
Kristel Penn, marketing and editorial director for Grooby Productions,
distributor of the AVN Award-winning Real Fucking Girls: “For me personally,
because I work in trans porn, any time you’re doing porn that features a
marginalized group there’s an extra responsibility. It’s a very tricky intersection. …
I think porn CAN exploit, but I think that as a concept, where it’s consensual and
everybody’s on board, I think it strips away the power to conform.”
To read more about this seminar and other stories about the 2017 AVN Show,
see AVN.com. And dates are set for the 2018 show—so mark your calendars now!
Internext Expo—January 20-23
AVN Adult Entertainment Expo—January 24-27
AVN Novelty Expo—January 24-27
AVN Awards Show—January 27
EDITOR’S DESK | By Sharan Street
14 | AVN.com | 3.17