Over here, there is a youTube video of pornstar Belladonna's infamous Primetime interview...
Belladonna herself was none too pleased with that piece...
From various other interviews....
SC: However good or bad, there's a lot of press involved in getting network news attention. After experiencing what you did with ABC's PrimeTime, and seeing the footage, and seeing how creatively they edited, would you ever let Diane Sawyer interview you again, or any network news program for that matter?
Belladonna: Umm, I would have to say yes, but I would be very aware of what's happening, and then I, you know, would take that to heart before I even said anything because they like to screw around with you. I would be very careful if I did it again. I mean, I was clueless, I really was. I had no idea, and I'm a very good-hearted person, so I ...sometimes that's mistaken for stupidity, you know?
from Foundry Music
Eros Zine: You know, your career has always been controversial and I know you're probably sick of the whole line of questioning about the Diane Sawyer/Primetime program that helped make you that way. Do you see the same thing happening to Sasha Grey right now, with the LA Magazine article and appearance on the Tyra Banks Show?
Belladonna: Yeah, actually. I said that to Aiden. Every so often, you see a girl who goes into this big media, crazy attention, and it can be good or bad. I haven't actually seen anything that Sasha's been on because I don't have TV, but I said, "Wow. It happened so fast for her..." Even faster than it did for me.
Eros Zine: She seems to have the same style as you -- on the extreme side and really willing to go there...
Belladonna: Really pushing the limits. I just don't see her as an eighteen-year old. I look back and see myself at eighteen and I was nothing like what she is. She is so mature. We've spent time off-camera, hanging out and talking about things. How smart she is about her career; I just really look up to her in that way.
Eros Zine: A lot of people would say that you handled your career very well...
Belladonna: I guess I give myself more of a hard time because it's me. When I really sit down and look at it, I really have come so far. And I'm glad that I went through all those down times because I wouldn't appreciate as much. I don't know; I just wasn't as mature (as Sasha). I was partying and you know... but you're young (smiling and laughing with a lilt in her voice)...
Eros Zine: I was on your old MySpace page and it seems like you're really a homebody.
Belladonna: I'm so the exact opposite of what people think I am. I guess that happened after I got married and became a mother. My priorities changed in my personal life and I really enjoy being at home and being with my family and I want to give my daughter the best that I can because that's important.
Eros Zine: Is this hard for you to reconcile what you do for a living with being a mom?
Belladonna: There's times… there's times when I'm like, "Wow, it might be a little harder when she's older..." But then, I want to raise her to be a liberal person who's open-minded but yet can have an opinion, if she doesn't like it. I understand that that might happen and I'm happy to explain to her. This is something that I love to do and I'm okay with it.
Eros Zine: The way you were portrayed on the Nightline special was as a wide-eyed innocent -- did you have any idea what your capabilities were at that point?
Belladonna: I had no idea. Also, I think at that point in my life, I was being taken advantage of - and it was no one's fault but mine, but I was a little naïveand I really didn't know how to stand up for myself. I think it took for someone to stand by my side and say, "Listen -- you are worth more and you need to look at yourself in a different way." So, I had to learn it, you know?
from Eros Zine
A sanctuary for supporters of sexual free expression and the adult sexual media.
The "Primetime Live" special was pretty slanted, and the selective editing of Belladonna's interview to support that point was particularly shameful.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what it is about ABC News, but from what I've seen, they cover porn and sex-work as an issue quite a bit, and inevitably with a strong anti-porn/anti-prostitution agenda. They recently did an interview with "prostitution expert" Melissa Farley after the DC escort scandle, and as far as I know, they didn't present the views of any sex worker advocates for balance.
They outdo even Fox News in pushing an anti-vice agenda. Hell, even Fox had a friendly interview with Joanna Angel on their late night news program.
It really sucks that they selectively edited. But I don't think that she should blame herself for getting taken advantage of because she was once naive, because naivete isn't really a character flaw. I think taking advantage of naivete indicates some character flaws tho. Also if she was getting a lot of criticism from within the adult industry for the segment there was probably a lot of pressure on her to take back what she said. I bet the piece probably did embarrass her and it probably was edited badly but the things she's said since should probably be taken in the context of her getting a lot of pressure and criticism.
ReplyDeleteBut, if she's happy now and happy with her job and no longer being taken advantage of, then more power to her and I'm glad she did learn to stick up for herself, because it's an important thing to be able to do.
About Sasha Grey:
ReplyDeleteSasha Grey is actually very dangerous! This is because she looks good, she is articulate and she earn much money (and she is also publicly well known even outside the porn industry), all that have made her to a role model for others. That means her actions and superficial success will lure other young girls into the destructive lifestyle of the porn industry.
If someone doesn´t know what she is actually doing in her films I can tell you just a couple of examples (maybe they are a bit graphic but for everyone to really understand what this girl is doing as a “job” I just have to be explicit): She swallows the sperm from 15 men at the same time, she drinks her own urine(!), she lets men put their penises in her mouth so she gags and throws up, she drinks semen out of another girls anus (which one of the male “actors” put there after an anal intercourse some minute earlier). That is just some of the gross things this girl does.
It´s very strange that some people consider these degrading things as some kind of sexual liberation or fulfilment of sexual desires. That just shows how ignorant many are about the harsh realities in the dehumanized world of porn.
Sasha Grey always states that she doesnt hurt anyone. Unfortunately it is just what she is doing (even if it´s unintentionally), she hurts those young people who tries to follow in her footsteps, she hurts their parents and relatives. she also, after what I understand also hurt her own mother by her descision. And also she is everyday at risk to cath a veneral disease and infect other with it, and that is also to hurt people.
One can address issues about health in this case: statistics show a clear overrepresentation of STD´s among people working in the sex industry. Also HIV are overrepresented. And of top of that there is drugs and suicide, also these are more common (by percent) than in the normal population.
This means that Sacha Grey, and other people in the porn industry, are risking their life and health, and not only their own, also other peoples life and health are at stake because of the risk that the STD:s will spread.
I think one day, when she is ill (maybe in AIDS), on drugs and suffering from emotional and mental problems, noone will anymore se here as some kind of symbol for freedom and sexual liberation.
And to those who advocate young girls right to do what they want, what would they think if it was their own daughters, or sisters, who was out there, destroying themselves by doing utterly disgusting and degrading things for everyone to see on film? Would they be so liberal towards the sex industry then?