A pornographic actor/actress or a porn star (also spelled as pornstar) is somebody who appears in pornographic films or photographs, live sex shows or peep shows. Many actors and actresses may appear nude in films (usually filmed in explicit sexual genres). Most genres have specialists who achieve most of their recognition in a specific niche market such as bondage or strap-on sex. Pornography (from Greek πορνογραφια pornographia — literally writing about or drawings of harlots) is the representation of the human body or human sexual behaviour with the goal of sexual arousal, similar to, but (according to some) distinct from, erotica. ... Pornographic films are motion pictures that explicitly depict sexual intercourse and other sexual acts, typically for the purpose of sexual arousal in the viewer. ... A photograph (often just called a photo) is an image (or a representation of that on e. ... A sex show is a form of pornographic performance, where the customers pay to see live persons in the nude or perform sexual activity. ... A peep show or peepshow is an exhibition of pictures or objects viewed through a small hole or magnifying glass. ... For other uses, see Actor (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Actor (disambiguation). ... The word nude may refer to: The state of nudity. ... The following are common sub-genres of pornography. ... A model in bondage cuffs with a leg spreader In the context of BDSM, bondage involves people being tied up or otherwise restrained for pleasure. ... For other uses, see Pegging (disambiguation). ...

Some legal jurisdictions consider commercial pornography as a form of prostitution, though most commercial sex film performers do not regard themselves as prostitutes for various reasons. Most notably these performers are usually not paid directly by their sexual partners for the sex but through an agency and directly choose their partners themselves. Some sex film performers do not receive money at all for their inclusion in such films. In this instance, they do so for promotion of their other works such as artistry paintings and sculptures, or have no sex in the films such as repeat performers in the famous Girls Gone Wild film series. Porn redirects here. ... Whore redirects here. ... This article is about the franchise. ...

History

Many different performers had performed in various sex films since the beginning of photography. Many so called "penny arcades" of the early 1900s had early frame flicker hand cranked films and "rotoscope" (Holmes-style Stereoscope) glasses that featured "racy" pictures of women, mostly in bare breasted pictures, though a few actually showed women in full frontal nudity with fewer still showing them in actual sexual couplings. There have been many films and photographs that showed sexual acts including the World War II series of erotic German home movies known as the "Sachsenwald films", recorded secretly in Nazi Germany 1941.^[1] But most performers of these early photograph and film recordings usually chose to remain anonymous due to extreme social pressure and legal banning against open sexual actions. The generally acknowledged first porn star with specific (stage) name recognition was Linda Lovelace from the United States, who starred in the 1972 feature Deep Throat. The success of this movie, which grossed hundreds of millions of dollars worldwide, spawned a slew of other films and pornographic film stars such as Marilyn Chambers (Behind the Green Door), Gloria Leonard (The Opening of Misty Beethoven), Georgina Spelvin (The Devil in Miss Jones), and Bambi Woods (Debbie Does Dallas). Pocket stereoskop WILD 1985 Old Zeiss pocket stereoscope with original test image Stereo card of a stereoscope in use. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Linda Susan Boreman (January 10, 1949 - April 22, 2002), better known by her stage name Linda Lovelace, was a pornographic actress in the 1972 film Deep Throat, who went on to leave the pornography industry and became a spokeswoman for the anti-pornography movement. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Deep Throat is an American pornographic movie released in the summer of 1972, written and directed by Gerard Damiano and starring Linda Lovelace (the pseudonym of Linda Susan Boreman). ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Behind the Green Door (1972) was the first hardcore pornographic movie widely released in the United States. ... Gloria Leonard (jewish born August 28, 1940 in The Bronx, New York) is an American former pornographic actress who later became a magazine publisher. ... Constance Money in: The Opening of Misty Beethoven The Opening of Misty Beethoven is an American hardcore pornography film released in 1976, and widely considered one of the best pornographic films ever made. ... Georgina Spelvin (born January 3, 1936)is a former American pornographic film actress. ... The Devil in Miss Jones (1973) The Devil in Miss Jones is a 1973 Pornographic movie, written and directed by Gerard Damiano. ... Bambi Woods (believed to have been born c. ... Front cover of the 2006 Debbie Does Dallas Definitive Collectors Edition release from VCX. Debbie Does Dallas is a famous 1978 pornographic movie starring Bambi Woods and Christie Ford (appearing under the name of Misty Winter). ...

This era has been termed by some to be The Golden Age of Porn when porn films were being shown in public theaters and thus accepted for public consumption or at least tolerated for such.^[2] This time frame lasted until the late 1970s, with some saying the early 1980s, whereby these sex films had specific story-plots and promotional budgets and the performers became notable. Such legendary performers of this era include John Holmes, Ginger Lynn Allen, Veronica Hart, Nina Hartley, Seka, and Amber Lynn became well known in this era. The Golden Age of Porn refers to a brief modern period in the history of pornography, approximately from the late-sixties to the mid-1970s. ... John Curtis Holmes (August 8, 1944 – March 13, 1988) better known as John C. Holmes or Johnny Wadd (after the lead character in a series of related films), was one of the most famous male adult film stars of all time, appearing in about 2,500 adult loops, stag films... Ginger Lynn Ginger Lynn is the screen name of Ginger Lynn Allen (born December 14, 1962), an American actress best known for her work in pornographic films. ... Jane Esther Hamilton (born October 27, 1956 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA) was an American erotic actress and porn director who performed under the name Veronica Hart during the Golden Age of Porn in the 1980s. ... Nina Hartley (born Marie Louise Hartman on March 11, 1959 in Berkeley, California) is an American pornographic actress and sex educator. ... Seka is a legendary U.S. pornographic actress (or sex performer, as she prefers), born Dorothiea Hundley, on April 15, 1954 in Radford, Virginia, USA. She appeared in hundreds of XXX-rated films between 1974 and 1993 during the late 1970s and 1980s, and became one of the American porn... Amber Lynn (born Laura Allen on September 3, 1963, in Newport Beach, California, USA) is an American porn star and exotic dancer. ...

Attempts were made in the 1970s to outlaw pornography in the United States by prosecuting porn stars for prostitution. The courts in California were where the case was initially made, and stopped short of advancing the case to the United States Supreme Court for a final decision. It was this decision and acceptance to let stand whereby the California Court made a legal distinction in the case of People v. Freeman between someone who took part in a sexual relationship for money (prostitution) versus someone who takes on the act of merely portraying role where a sexual relationship was engaged in on-screen act as part of their acting performance. It is this specific legal distinction between pornography and prostitution in California law that has allowed California to become the porn center of the United States. The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... Whore redirects here. ... The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C. The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C., (large image) The Supreme Court of the United States, located in Washington, D.C., is the highest court (see supreme court) in the United States; that is, it has ultimate judicial authority within the United States... Holding California pandering statute did not criminalize the hiring of actors for nonobscene adult films. ...

At present, no other state in the United States has either implemented or accepted this legal distinction between commercial pornography performers versus prostitutes as shown in the Florida case where sex film maker Clinton Raymond McCowen, aka "Ray Guhn", was indicted on charges of "soliciting and engaging in prostitution" for his creation of pornography films which included "McCowen and his associates recruited up to 100 local men and women to participate in group sex scenes, the affidavit says."^[3] The distinction that California has in its legal determination in the Freeman decision is usually denied in most state's locale prostitution laws, which do NOT specifically exclude performers from such inclusion.

In some cases, some states have ratified their local state laws for inclusion to prevent California's Freeman decision to be applied to actors who are paid a fee for sexual actions within their state borders. One example is the state of Texas whose prostitution law specifically states: Official language(s) No official language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Largest metro area Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 km²)  - Width 773 miles (1,244 km)  - Length 790 miles (1,270 km)  - % water 2. ...

An offense is established under Subsection (a)(1) whether the actor is to receive or pay a fee. An offense is established under Subsection (a)(2) whether the actor solicits a person to hire him or offers to hire the person solicited.^[4]

The ability for people to view adult movies in the privacy of their own homes, owing to the popularity of the VCR (and now DVD) created a new adult market that has exceeded the scope of the previous theatre centric era. Additionally, the prevalence of the Internet has served as a catalyst for the increased sale of pornography. In the late 1990s, Jenna Jameson, Juli Ashton, Ashlyn Gere, Asia Carrera, Racquel Darrian, Tera Patrick, Briana Banks, Stacy Valentine, Jill Kelly, and Silvia Saint emerged as new wave of porn stars. The video cassette recorder (or VCR, less popularly video tape recorder) is a type of video tape recorder that uses removable cassettes containing magnetic tape to record audio and video from a television broadcast so it can be played back later. ... Size comparison: A 12 cm Sony DVD+RW and a 19 cm Dixon Ticonderoga pencil. ... For the band, see 1990s (band). ... Jenna Jameson (born Jenna Marie Massoli on April 9, 1974)[4] is an American pornographic actress and entrepreneur who has been called the worlds most famous porn star[5][2][6] and The Queen of Porn.[7] She started acting in erotic films in 1993 after having worked as... Juli Ashton (born on October 5, 1968 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA) is an American porn star and television host. ... Ashlyn Gere (born Kimberly Ashlyn McKamy on September 14, 1959 in Cherry Point, North Carolina) is a former American pornographic actress who performs in both straight and lesbian films. ... Asia Carrera (born Jessica Andrea Steinhauser on August 6, 1973 in New York City) is a former American pornographic actress. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Tera Patrick (born Linda Ann Hopkins[4] on July 25,[3] 1976 in Great Falls, Montana) is an American pornographic actress. ... Briana Banks (born Briana Bany[2] on May 21, 1978[3] in Munich, Germany) is a German-born American pornographic actress and model. ... Stacy Valentine (born Stacy Baker on August 9, 1970 in Tulsa, Oklahoma) is a American porn star, now retired from the pornographic business. ... Adrianne Diane Moore (born on February 1, 1971 in Pomona, California, USA), best known by her stage name Jill Kelly, is an American pornographic actress, TR director, and producer. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...

Some state that the production values of adult films have decidedly declined in the attempt to create a constant amount of new films to fulfill the ever increasing demand. Other argue that sex films are merely being more true to their source as some have stated that people only watch these films in order to see these performer have sex - paraphrased from (To which the only answer is "No, they watch her movies to see her fuck."^[5])

As a result of this, there are hundreds of adult film companies today, releasing tens of thousands of directly recorded-on-video with minimal set including so called web cam recordings annually, with thousands of people working on both sides of the camera to meet the demand for these films.

Male performers

While the primary focus of sex films are the women in these sex films, who are mostly selected for their on-screen appearance, there is a definite focus on the male performers who are able to fulfill the desires of the male watching audience as their on-screen proxies. Most male performers in heterosexual pornography are generally selected less for their looks than for their sexual prowess, namely their ability to do three things: achieve an erection while on a busy film set, maintain that erection while performing on camera and then to be able to achieve ejaculation on cue (and not prematurely). Erected penis This article discusses human physiological erection. ... Ejaculation is the ejecting of semen from the penis, and is usually accompanied by orgasm. ...

Rocco Siffredi, Ron Jeremy and Peter North are probably the most famous male performers. North is known for his ability to launch above-average amounts of semen at notable velocity from his penis on-screen which most other male performers can not do. Jeremy is known for his 9.75 inch penis and an appearance very unusual for a porn star (he is overweight with copious amounts of body hair). Adding to his fame, Ron Jeremy has been a staple in the industry since the 70's and has become something of a cultural icon. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Ron Jeremy (born Ron Jeremy Hyatt on March 12, 1953) is an American pornographic actor currently residing in Long Island, New York. ... Peter North (also known as Al Brown, Matt Ramsey) is a prolific Canadian male porn star, director and producer of the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. ... Horse semen being collected for breeding purposes. ...

Pay rates

According to some sources, most male performers in straight porn are paid less than their female counterparts. Ron Jeremy has commented on several times regarding the pay scale against the women and the men of the sex film industry: "The average guy gets $300 to $400 a scene, or $100 to $200 if he's new. A woman makes $100,000 to $250,000 at the end of the year."^[6] and "Girls can easily make 100K-250K per year, plus stuff on the side like strip shows and appearances. The average guy makes $40,000 a year."^[7]

Some state that gay male porn generally pays men much more than heterosexual porn, a number of male performers, including North, who has appeared in both heterosexual and gay pornography.^{[citation needed]} However North strenuously denies that he has ever actively performed in homosexual acts other than his earliest times. Ostensibly, men who perform in gay pornography but identify themselves as heterosexual are said to do gay-for-pay; that is, perform in gay movies only for the paycheck, not because of any personal attraction they have to other men. Gay-for-pay is the slang term accorded to male (and sometimes, but less frequently, female) actors, pornographic stars or prostitutes who identify as heterosexual but perform homosexual acts professionally. ...

According to notable producer Seymour Butts who runs his own sex film recruitment agency as well as produces sex film "depending on draw, female performers who perform in both straight and lesbian porn earn more than those who do normal sex (Boy/Girl) usually make about US$200-800 while those who only do oral sex (blow job) usually only make about US$100-300 for the scene.^[8] A gag name is a false name used to elicit humor through its simultaneous resemblance to a real name on the one hand, and to a term or phrase that is funny, strange, or vulgar on the other hand. ...

While some pornographic actors perform in a wide range of genres, most genres have specialists who achieve most of their recognition in a specific niche market such as bondage or strap-on sex. With over several thousand usually one hour long sex films produced each year from several countries, the most accessible usually made and released from within the United States, many performers will complete a film every one or two weeks. However, many of the highly regarded and thus highly paid performers, such as Jenna Jameson, only star in actual sex films a few times a year, due to the substantial pay rate they charge for their inclusion in film releases. The following are common sub-genres of pornography. ... A model in bondage cuffs with a leg spreader In the context of BDSM, bondage involves people being tied up or otherwise restrained for pleasure. ... A 2-strap harness with a multi-function dildo and an internal vibrating egg A strap-on dildo (also strap-on, dildo harness) is a dildo designed to be worn (usually in a harness) by one partner and used to penetrate another partner vaginally, anally or orally, used by both... Jenna Jameson (born Jenna Marie Massoli on April 9, 1974)[4] is an American pornographic actress and entrepreneur who has been called the worlds most famous porn star[5][2][6] and The Queen of Porn.[7] She started acting in erotic films in 1993 after having worked as...

Pornographic actors and STDs

Because of the nature of their work, usually involving sex without condoms, pornographic actors are particularly vulnerable to AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. A condom is a device, usually made of latex, or more recently polyurethane, that is used during sexual intercourse. ... For other uses, see AIDS (disambiguation). ... A sexually transmitted infection (STI) is an illness caused by an infectious pathogen that has a significant probability of transmission between humans by means of sexual contact, including vaginal intercourse, oral sex, and anal sex. ...

In the 1980s, an outbreak of AIDS led to a number of deaths of erotic actors and actresses, including John Holmes. This led to the creation of the Adult Industry Medical Health Care Foundation, which helped set up a system in the U.S. adult film industry where erotic actors are tested for HIV every 30 days. All sexual contact is logged, and positive test results lead to all sexual contacts for the last three to six months being contacted and re-tested. The 1980s refers to the years from 1980 to 1989. ... John Curtis Holmes (August 8, 1944 – March 13, 1988) better known as John C. Holmes or Johnny Wadd (after the lead character in a series of related films), was one of the most famous male adult film stars of all time, appearing in about 2,500 adult loops, stag films... The Adult Industry Medical Health Care Foundation is an organization which tests erotic actors for AIDS on a scheduled basis. ... Species Human immunodeficiency virus 1 Human immunodeficiency virus 2 Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS, a condition in humans in which the immune system begins to fail, leading to life-threatening opportunistic infections). ...

This resulted in low rates of HIV transmission, and hence low rates of infection among erotic actors: it has been reported that not a single HIV test was positive in the four year period prior to 2004^{[citation needed]}. Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In 2004, a male performer, Darren James, tested positive for HIV;^[9] it is believed that he contracted it during a film he made in Brazil.^[10] One fellow porn star, Lara Roxx, was identified and tested positive for HIV. While it was announced that the viral load tests showed that James was "Patient Zero",^[11], others in the industry have stated they feel that Lara Roxx is truly the source of the outbreak^[12] as she was previously working as a street prostitute in her native Montreal before coming to LA.^[13] Following the release of this information the heterosexual porn industry voluntarily reduced their workload for the next 30 days, as various contacts with both individuals, as well as others within the industry, re-evaluated and expanded upon their original programs dealing with this possibility. Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Darren James Darren James (born Darren Keith Edwards on February 25, 1964 in Detroit, Michigan) is an black ex-pornographic actor who sent shock waves throughout the adult entertainment industry and made worldwide headlines after testing positive for HIV. The six-year veteran performer tested positive on April 13, 2004... Lara Roxx is a Canadian porn actress who, in March 2004, became the first known individual in four years to contract HIV while making a US porn video. ... In general, the term Patient Zero refers to the central or initial patient in the population sample of an epidemiological investigation. ... Nickname: Motto: Concordia Salus (well-being through harmony) Coordinates: , Country Province Region Montréal Founded 1642 Established 1832 Government  - Mayor Gérald Tremblay Area [1][2][3]  - City 365. ...

However, accurate information about the extent of infection among those in the adult industry is unknown because no organization has ever done rigorous studies. The existing data suggest that pornographic actors have a much higher rate of STD's than the general American population^{[citation needed]}. The Adult Industry Medical Health Care Foundation administered voluntary tests to a group consisting primarily of adult film workers. Of 483 people tested between October 2001 and March 2002, about 40% had at least one disease. Nearly 17% tested positive for chlamydia, 13% for gonorrhea and 10% for hepatitis B and/or hepatitis C^{[citation needed]}. In addition, medical evidence on the occurrence of HPV and genital herpes among the general population (who comparatively have fewer sexual partners) suggests that it would be highly unlikely for any experienced pornographic actor to not have at least one of these two STDs^{[citation needed]}. 2001 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December Events: October 2 - Bankruptcy of Swissair. ... 2002 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December A timeline of events in the news for March, 2002. ... Chlamydia is a common term for infection with any bacterium belonging to the phylum Chlamydiae. ... Gonorrhea (gonorrhoea in British English) is amongst the most common sexually transmitted diseases in the world and is caused by Gram-negative bacterium Neisseria gonorrheae. ... Hepatitis B is an inflammation of the liver and is caused by the Hepatitis B virus (HBV), a member of the Hepadnavirus family[1] and one of hundreds of unrelated viral species which cause viral hepatitis. ... This page is for the disease. ... HPV is an initialism that can mean : Human Powered Vehicle Human papillomavirus a type of STD High Production Volume Chemicals Health Purchasing Victoria Hypoxic Pulmonary Vasoconstriction This page concerning a three-letter acronym or abbreviation is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share... The Herpes simplex virus infection (common names: herpes, cold sores) is a common, contagious, incurable, and in some cases sexually transmitted disease caused by a double-stranded DNA virus. ...

References

Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 43rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Guardian is a British newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 108th day of the year (109th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 108th day of the year (109th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 103rd day of the year (104th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... April 14 is the 104th day of the year (105th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 261 days remaining. ... The acronym AVN can stand for: the medical condition avascular necrosis the pornography industry trade paper Adult Video News This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 265th day of the year (266th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Miami Herald is a daily newspaper owned by Knight Ridder. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 120th day of the year (121st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 265th day of the year (266th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The acronym AVN can stand for: the medical condition avascular necrosis the pornography industry trade paper Adult Video News This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 265th day of the year (266th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 265th day of the year (266th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 265th day of the year (266th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Internet Adult Film Database (contains nudity)
• Adult Industry Medical Health Care Foundation: Frequently asked questions