Many industries have been hit hard by the recession, none more than the porn industry. But why? The lesson in that is something our President should be paying attention to.
The recession in the country is becoming a Depression in the porn industry. Some horror stories were included in an article in the LA Times:
For (Savannah) Stern, 23, the rapid decline of job opportunities in the porn business over the last year has been dramatic. She has gone from working four or five days a week to one and now has employers pressuring her to do male-female sex scenes for $700, a 30% discount from the $1,000 fee that used to be the industry standard.
Less than two years ago, Stern earned close to $150,000 annually, sometimes turned down work and drove a Mercedes-Benz CLK 350. Now she’s aggressively reaching out for jobs and making closer to $50,000 a year.
As for that Mercedes? She’s replacing it with a used Chevy Trailblazer — from her parents.
“The opportunities in this industry really are disappearing,” Stern said. “It’s extremely stressful.”
The poor thing.
But why? Is it because morality has made an unexpected comeback and Americans have turned their backs on porn. Nope. In fact, porn, sadly, has never been bigger. The answer is simple:
“It’s the free stuff that’s killing us, and that’s not going away,” said Dion Jurasso, owner of porn production company Combat Zone, which has seen its business fall about 50% in the last three years…
It seems that many of the biggest websites on the internet are porn based and offer their product for free. It’s hurting the porn stars and its even affecting the new technologies from being born.
The adult entertainment business, which was previously in the vanguard of home video, satellite and cable television and digital distribution, now finds itself leading the rest of the entertainment industry in losses from them.
“The death of the DVD business has been more accelerated in the adult business than mainstream,” said Bill Asher, co-chairman of adult industry giant Vivid Entertainment, who estimates that his company’s revenue is down more than 20% this year.
“We always said that once the Internet took off, we’d be OK,” he added. “It never crossed our minds that we’d be competing with people who just give it away for free.”
So let’s just get this straight. If an entity is giving away something for free, companies that actually charge for similar services will be hurt terribly, hurting it’s employees, and stifling new technology in that industry.
Hmmmm. President Obama are you listening?
When President Obama promises that if you like your plan you can keep your plan he’s leaving out the fact that there likely won’t be a plan offered to you anymore. It would be just as ridiculous for the President to say if you like your porn you can keep your porn. It’s just not in his control. And the truth is that as long as some amateur on the internet is giving it away for free, who’s gonna’ pay?
Once the government offers healthcare for “free,” private insurers will be hurt and likely run out of business. You can’t compete with free. Just ask any porn star.
Just as some idiot on the internet who, when given a choice to pay for porn or just download it for free, what company executive in their right mind is going to pay to provide healthcare insurance to its employees when it’s already paying to support the public option in taxes?
So President Obama, listen to the porn stars. They have something to teach us all.
August 12, 2009 at 4:21 am
Matt, couple of things. I love that I knew this was one of your posts before I was even half way through.
Second, I love that this is an argument I could totally make to my even most Liberal of friends. Cause, well, you know.
Third, come on man! Way to completely bait me with a post I'd love to make fun of but would probably get censored. Geez!
August 12, 2009 at 4:28 am
Sorry to stifle your creativity 😉
August 12, 2009 at 1:31 pm
Obama has no interest in preserving private health insurance.
One angle on this issue that I never hear anyone discuss is the fact that once a government plan becomes available, companies will probably ditch offering health insurance benefits. It costs them a lot of money- why do it if people don't really need it any more?
August 12, 2009 at 1:52 pm
Brilliant comparison. It never would have occurred to me, but it's perfect.
August 12, 2009 at 2:45 pm
#1 Maybe the porn industry needs a bail out… everyone else keeps putting their hands out. Oh that's right, some of the porn art is getting part of the stimulus… what was I thinking?!
#2 Or perhaps the government should take over the porn industry… seems appropriate that the Obama admin should become a pimp.
August 12, 2009 at 2:53 pm
Maureen,
Option #2 is a horrible idea! Do you really want Barney Frank on a panel deciding what porn someone is able to make/watch? (On second thought, if Frank becomes the decision-maker, porn consumption in this country would probably tank.
August 12, 2009 at 4:02 pm
Fun and apropos analogy 🙂
On a related note, during bailout mania a few months back, I heard a report on NPR about the dying adult entertainment industry (meaning movie/video producers, actors etc.) They interviewed a guy who was basically a lobbyist for a porn "trade association" of some sort (kid you not) who tried to make the case that his "industry" needed a bailout too!
When the interviewer raised the issue that many people would think that the demise of any segment of the porn business would be good news (even though obviously it's been replaced by something bigger and more insideous online), the guy said that families depend on the wages of the porn workers!
And yes, the whole notion does conjur up all kinds of inappropriate references to stimulus packages and whatnot.
You can't make this stuff up.
August 12, 2009 at 4:11 pm
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August 12, 2009 at 4:11 pm
A serious comment. The Public Option is not free. IIRC, it's subsidized based on your income. If your income is below the poverty line, you're covered by Medicaid or Medicare, depending on your age.
August 12, 2009 at 4:13 pm
How about comparing it to the public school system? It's free for those who want it. Those who prefer private education can get it own their own with their dime.
August 12, 2009 at 6:35 pm
And look how *wonderfully* our public school system works….
August 12, 2009 at 10:16 pm
Don't get me started about the public school system. God Almighty, help this country.
August 20, 2009 at 6:49 am
You're a moron. That analogy is about as logical as saying that God is unconditional love, but if you don't believe it (your condition) God then burns you in hell forever.
Hope you find your brain somewhere.
August 21, 2009 at 3:38 pm
so you think that should take the public school option away? and have only private schools??? would that be better? oh wait that is how things where once apon a time……only they called it the dark ages. boy ive heard society great back then! back when the rich had all the power. great logic guys keep it up, obama should listen to you guys for sure!
August 21, 2009 at 3:49 pm
Dude, even public school isn't dumb enough to call it "The Dark Ages" anymore, mostly because idiots and ideologues kept assuming that "dark" meant "bad," not "unknown." The common description now is "Early Middle Ages."