Over the last 20 years, however, the X-rated world has moved out of the shadows and into the living room. VCRs, satellite dishes, cable connection and the Internet made such material readily available.
In 1997, Mark Wahlberg, Julianne Moore and Heather Graham starred in a movie based on the life of porn star, John "Johnny Wad" Holmes who had a 14-inch gift. Boogie Nights attempted to open the public’s eyes to "The life of a dreamer, the days of a business, and the nights in between," according to one of its famous taglines.
The message then was: "Sex was safe. Pleasure was a business. And business was booming."
The industry has become a multi-billion dollar trade. But the road to the mainstream has been intertwined with crime. And the movie that best depicts one of the most shocking crimes in the adult industry is Wonderland.
According to legend, he slept with more than 14,000 women and starred in more than 2,500 adult films in his lifetime. When he died of AIDS in 1988, his obituary was published in the New York Times and in other major news publications, making him the only male stud ever to be so honored.
Beyond the sleazy characters and sexual innuendoes, however, Wonderland tackles a very serious problem: What happens after the magic, when the movies are over and all that remain are the drugs and the addictions?
The circumstances would lead Holmes to a crime scene at Wonderland Avenue in Hollywood Hills on July 1, 1981.
Movies usually intrigue you with the trailer and entertain you in the theater. Rare are flicks that have the power to bother your senses and haunt you long after the end credits break off.
Wonderland makes you think of the lives of people who find themselves caught in an industry where nobody cared about its stars and its fans.
And then there was the innocent-looking blonde with virginal appeal and a bubbly and playful approach to life. Megan Leigh shocked the porn community six years after Grant was found dead. On June 16, 1990, her body was discovered lifeless, with a gunshot wound inflicted to the head.
They say bad luck comes in threes. And so the suicide saga in the adult industry went on to claim the life of one of its most celebrated stars. Savanah was the third major porn queen to kill herself with a gunshot to the temple on July 11, 1994.
"They sold their souls to create a business. And we (porn) are now a billion dollar industry," affirmed Bill Margold, self-made pornographer and journalist. According to him, these porn stars do it not for money "because it’s not much;" not for sex "because it’s mechanical;" but for the glory. Somehow, these adult entertainers plunge into pornography looking for self-validation.
"This is a very interesting business of lonely people in the crowd," he was quick to add.
Critics concluded that Grant’s death was the culmination of years of insecurities, disastrous relationships and severe cocaine abuse. Leigh left behind a suicide note saying that she could no longer cope with her long-running problems. And such was the case of Savanah who was troubled with a car accident, broken nose, rejection by Hustler magazine and debts to the IRS. They saw no other escape but death.
One is enough. Two is too much. Three is too many. Death gave birth to Protecting Adult Welfare.
As defined in its official website, www.pawfoundation.org, the foundation is a "charitable outreach organization" that aims to improve the quality of life for the workers in the adult entertainment industry. It was founded in 1994, after Savanah’s demise opened the eyes of the porn community to a growing major concern.
People in the adult entertainment industry encounter a lot of emotional distress. According to Margold, they will do anything for recognition; and some of them actually achieve fame in this field. But the nature of the business has room for only so much of that. The artists end up being so vulnerable. They find that they have no one to run to and ask for help when problems arise. They don’t know who to trust. And at rare times that they do, they end up getting betrayed.
With the foundation, porn artists who find themselves friendless can be assured of help when they need it. Financial aid comes in the form of mortgage, loans and grants to those who are hard up on cash. It also provides support by hooking up artists with possible projects. It assists those who need to undergo periodic tests for AIDS and other sexually-transmitted disease. And the most precious thing that the foundation offers to porn stars is care, a listening ear.
Over the last nine years, it has been providing these lonely souls with something that they need most: friendship. Its biggest project so far, is the PAW Helpline. It’s a 24-hour number that anybody in the industry can call whenever they need counseling.
Although the foundation hasn’t totally eradicated deaths by suicide among porn stars, it has made a difference in the lives of those who seek help. The cases are confidential but the organization gets a lot of "thank you" notes from stars who have been extended assistance. Berman noted one artist who asked for a small amount of loan a few years back. When she eventually made it big, she donated a significant amount to the foundation.
For its 10th anniversary next year, there will be no celebration.
"You don’t celebrate something that deals with misery," said Margold.
There will be fund-raising events, however. There are plans to put up a circus for the summer.
The foundation is struggling to raise funds to build the PAW House. The plan is to make it a "sanctuary, retreat, crash pad, or perhaps a laughing place. . . a drug-and-alcohol free communal styled facility wherein all adult industry workers in need will be given a sexual-pressureless place to stay (for as long as they want)," as explained in the PAW brochure.
"It’s weakness supporting mutual weakness," simplified Margold.