Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Porn: The Business of Pleasure

Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Forgive me, CNBC, for stealing the title of your documentary for the title of this blog entry!

My introduction to the world of pornography came at a startlingly young age -- sixteen to be exact. I was in New York City over winter vacation, visiting a friend of mine who'd worked as an adult film star for several years before retiring.

Yes, I know how improbable that sounds -- but I assure you, it's the truth. As I've said before, I was never all that interested in socializing with kids my own age. The "adult world" was infinitely more fascinating, and I learned more outside the classroom than I ever did in it.

So, back to Julian and the former porn star in New York City. We were having dinner at a restaurant on the Upper West Side when a friend of hers arrived. He looked normal enough, wearing a handsome black coat and an even nicer suit beneath it. As I reached out my hand to introduce myself, he took a moment to look me over from head-to-toe.

"I need to go to the bathroom," my friend said. "Be back in a minute..."

After that, it was just me and the man. He ordered himself a martini as I sipped on my Coke, wondering if he'd notice that I was clearly underage. Much to my surprise, he didn't. I know this because the next thing that came out of his mouth was an offer to fly to LA and "audition" for his company.

"What company would that be?" I said.

He named the company and immediately I knew it was porn. After feeling my face blush, I calmly told him that I was only sixteen, and the last thing I wanted to see was him end up in jail. He laughed, thinking I was joking, until I took out my wallet and showed him my school ID.

I watched his face go white in horror before he began to apologize profusely over his actions. I did my best to assure him that it was an honest mistake -- one that people had made time and time again over the years. No worries.

My friend came back to the table, though I didn't tell her what happened -- at least not then. After we finished our meal and the excellent chocolate cake we shared for dessert, my friend and I hailed a cab back to the hotel I was staying at with my parents.

"I had a great night," I said, and kissed her on the cheek. "Thanks again."

"Don't mention it. Enjoy the rest of your vacation."

When I finally did tell my friend about the offer, she was livid. Though she's not ashamed of her career in porn, it's a field she didn't want me entering under any circumstances. To this day, she doesn't know I'm an escort. And while I may regret saying this later, I can't help but wonder if meeting someone who worked in the sex industry influenced my later on.

Because of this relationship, I knew that not all sex workers were drug-addicted losers or in need of psychological care. Like I said, I learned more outside the classroom than I ever did inside of it...


 
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