Report by Gino Rossi, CA Chapter
While many Americans are feeling the crunch of the recession, adult film stars are being double teamed by the economy and foreign competition. In a time when entertainment dollars are scarce, US consumers are spending less on quality American pornography. This trend has forced smut producers to outsource, using foreign actors for jobs, hand and otherwise, formerly performed by domestic entertainers. Oftentimes, entire scenes and particular types of shots are filmed outside the US where actors make only two dollars an hour. Vinny Vinci of Elite Production explained, “We can film an orgy for less than a hundred bucks in Thailand or Bolivia, whereas the same scene may cost $25,000 here. With connoisseurs purchasing less porn lately, we have had to make hard choices to stay afloat.”
In response to the shafting american porn actors are receiving from their foreign counterparts, many adult entertainers are taking to the street to protest the outsourcing. Recently a group picketed outside a Los Angeles porn outlet to encourage patrons to choose only homegrown smut. Harry Longshank, an 18 year-old porn actor from Des Moines, Iowa has been evicted from his $400 per month studio apartment and forced to live out of his van because of the outsourcing. “I used to make over $3000 performing in 50-60 adult films each month,” reported Longshank, “now I’m back to [gratifying] members of boy bands in back alleys for 20 bucks and a ticket to the show.” Though most adult entertainers are put out, a few out-of-work actors are able to see the silver lining. Tiffany Sparkle, who is pictured here holding a sign indication that foreign porn is Unamerican, offered, “at least with Obama’s new health care plan, I’ll be able to get my AIDS meds for free.”
