In 1972, a movie made on a shoestring budget of $22,000 debuted in theaters and changed the entertainment industry forever. The movie was “Deep Throat” and it is the most successful independent movie to date, grossing over $600 million. It is without a doubt the most influential porn film ever made. The film was so well known that it became the code name for a secret informer during the Watergate scandal. Going to see a porno movie suddenly becamethe new Friday night date. Now in 2005, porn has become more main-stream than ever. The adult entertainment industry has long been considered a taboo topic of discussion. The American public viewed porn as immoral, saying it corrupted the youth of the country. Now, porn stars are almost as recognizable as legitimate film stars and no star is more recognizable than Jenna Jameson.
Jameson grew up on the sinful streets of Las Vegas. She gother start dancing at one of Vegasʼs most famous gentlemanʼs clubs, The Crazy Horse Too. Before the age of 20 Jameson was starring in adult films and her entrance into porn was unlike any other. Jameson was a star and everyone knewit. Howard Stern cast Jameson in his biopic “Private Parts.” Jameson has also starred in the CBS show “Nash Bridges” and on the short-lived NBC drama, “Mr. Sterling.” However, Jameson is not just interested in acting. She recently wrote her autobiography entitled “How to Make Love Like a Porn Star: A Cautionary Tale.”
The book details Jamesonʼs difficult climb to the top of the adult industry and the hardships she endured getting there. Now, Jameson is the CEO of her business, Club Jenna, which she owns and operates with her husband. If Jenna Jameson is the queen of porn, then Ron Jeremy is the eternal king. Ron Jeremy has been in the industry for more than 20 years and was named the top porn star of all time by Adult Video News. Jeremy started in 1978 when his picture appeared in Playgirl, under the heading “Boy Next Door.”
Since then he has appeared in more than 1,750 films. Despite his ever-growing waistline and less than hygienic personal appearance, Jeremy has slowly broken into legitimate entertainment. Jeremy was a consultant for the movies “9 Weeks” and “Boogie Nights.” Most people have probably seen Jeremy on the VH1 reality show “The Surreal Life,” and believe it or not, there is a documentary about Jeremy called, “Porn Star: The Legend of Ron Jeremy.” Both Ron and Jenna have never apologized for what they do; in fact it is just they opposite, they are proud. Once reserved for dark basement rooms and locked bedrooms, porn has changed its image from forbidden to acceptable.
The cable network Showtime knew it had a hit when it began showing “Family Business.” The series chronicles the daily life of filmmaker Seymour Butts, who owns and operates his porn company with the help of his mom and cousin. Hollywood has also jumped on the porn bandwagon with movies like “Boogie Nights” and the biopic, “Wonderland,” which told the life story of porn legend John Holmes.
Whether you like it or not, the adult entertainment industry is here to stay and is growing more popular with every passing day. Hopefully, the mainstreaming of pornography will create a more tolerant and sexually open society. In the end, porn has brought the entertainment world to its knees, (no pun intended) and has changed the way America views the world of sex and its biggest players.