1. The internet has killed the porn star. Actors and actresses are getting paid scraps compared to the Peak Porn Era. I wondered about this after several stories in the media about porn stars committing suicide or killing people. Also, there’s no mass movement – no porn version of Lars Ulrich – to protect the intellectual property rights of porn. I believe this is true because porn, unlike music, is used begrudgingly. It is a stand in for something (real sex) whereas music is consumed for its own sake.
2. NYC’s life expectancy, even in the Bronx, has increased dramatically. A big jump occurred in the late 1990s which was about the time that New York City *really* made the leap towards becoming a very wealthy city. The researchers and commenters don’t give much credence to the decrease in crime or traffic accidents, but taken in conjunction with the decrease in HIV/AIDS, the case can be made that NYC had a greater life expectancy gap that seems to have been addressed over the past decade. The NYC life expectancy was held down by problems that could be fixed through immediate public policy (both 1. and 2., h/t Marginal Revolution).
3. Federally backed crop insurance schemes induce farmers to plant crops on land that they otherwise wouldn’t plant on.
4. Students at New York’s Stuyvesant High participated in “Slutty Wednesday” yesterday to protest school dress codes. I recall some sort of minor backlash against dress codes at my high school. I stress minor because they never gained traction and certainly never made the New York Times (or our local equivalent). Though that was before Facebook and Twitter existed and before everything became Occupied for the sake of social justice.
5. Conor Friedersdorf on runaway unions in California.
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The music comparison is apt, as a lot of big name musicians rely on concerts — whether at arenas or concerts at parties thrown by sheiks or dictators — for much of their fortune. It seems many porn starlets likewise supplement their income with personal bookings, in what is really very thinly-veiled high-end prostitution. (One argument is that it is not hooking, as you are paying four figures solely for their time, and anything that happens between consenting adults during that time is perfectly legal. Also, presumably, quite predictable if they want the four-figure bookings to continue.)
How long until the fems/progressives try and push through a bill to make porn stars pay equal to regular movie stars because it’s hurting the women and it isn’t fair.
It is pretty common sense that internet has killed saturated the industry. Looking around at it, it almost feels like there is so much porn (not complaining) that it has to be a ridiculous number of women have made a video… like 1 in 5 are on the internet bouncing around. It must help fulfill a “look at me!” mentality certainly. Occupy Porn! We are the DIRTY percent!
Weirdest thing about the rise of feminism is the attack on porn because of its ‘violence’ against women in the ’70s compared to the silence today when scenes are laced with far more violence and aggression. Porn today is more widspread and has greater impact on people’s sex lives than in 1975, yet not a peep from the feminists.
Chuck,
Whorefinder accused you blogging about things you don’t believe in. So what is this blog’s social/political beliefs?
Chuck,
Whorefinder accused you blogging about things you don’t believe in over at OneSTDV. So what is this blog’s social/political beliefs?
I don’t see any reason to lament porn stars making less money — Opening your legs isn’t something special, so with the taboo against pornography gone women’s base value drops. Maybe that’ll help some of them realize their vaginas aren’t made of gold.