The adult-film industry is concentrated in the San Fernando Valley—“the Valley” to Angelenos—on the northern edge of Los Angeles, so the slump in porn is yet another factor depressing the local economy. Pornography had been immune to previous recessions, so the current downturn has come as a shock.

Most of the industry consists of small private production companies whose numbers are secret, but Mark Kernes, an editor at Adult Video News, a trade magazine, estimates that the American industry had some $6 billion in revenues in 2007, before the recession, mostly in DVD sales and rentals and some in internet subscriptions. Diane Duke, the director of the Free Speech Coalition, the adult industry’s trade group, thinks that revenues have fallen 30-50% during the past year. “One producer told me his revenue was down 80%,” she says.

If the Valley used to make 5,000-6,000 films a year, says Mr Kernes, it now makes perhaps 3,000-4,000. Some firms have shut down, others are consolidating or scraping by. For the 1,200 active performers in the Valley this means less action and more hardship. A young woman without Ms Hartley’s name-recognition might have charged $1,000 for a straight scene before the crisis, but gets $800 or less now. Men are worse hit. If they averaged $500 for a straight scene in 2007, they are now lucky to get $300. For every performer there are several people in support, from sound-tech to catering and (yes) wardrobe, says Ms Duke, so the overall effect on the Valley economy is large.

The recession, moreover, has exacerbated a previous crisis. Piracy is the main problem. And the internet, with its copious free clips, is an increasingly viable alternative to the paid stuff. Pornography in general has become “like potato chips, everywhere and cheap, to be consumed and tossed,” says Ms Hartley. It’s not the same as in the golden age when she joined. “The industry will shrink and stay shrunken,” she reckons.

More ...

Porn Business May Do Well During Recession

New Kerala, Melbourne, 11/20/08 -  The whole world might be drowning in recession, but there's one sector of the economy which is expecting boom in the bad times: the porn industry. According to Australia's newest political party, recession would stimulate demand for sex toys and porn films.

As global economic crisis forces people to cut back on discretionary spending, more and more individuals will come to adult shops, says the Australian Sex Party.

"Some adult shops are saying business has never been better," the Daily Telegraph quoted party convenor Fiona Patten, as saying.

"Some retailers are saying when people start to worry about their finances, and they're worrying about the economy, they go and buy a vibrator or an adult film.

"While they're cutting out going to dinner and going to the movies, they're popping into an adult shop.

"We're a cheap luxury that can make you feel good," Fiona added.

The party convenor added that with economists expecting the unemployment rate to rise, the federal government's proposed internet filter to block up to 10,000 unwanted sites could cost 16,000 adult industry jobs.

"If they go ahead with what they propose, we'll wipe out the adult industry in the next five years. The Australian Sex Party would probably be filtered out because we have sex and party in the name," she added.

See also ...
Australia's Sexpo
Australia Porn Filter Will Slow Internet
Porn Scandal Exposed in Australia

This page contains copyrighted material and is made available to better understand pornography, e.g., its effect on society. It is distributed without profit to those who have an interest in receiving the information for research and educational purposes.