Porn, and the adult entertainment industry. Facts, figures and opinions.

Yeah… that got your attention.

It’s the topic I want to talk about today. I’m aware that my blog is “TravelChild95”, but since I’m not travelling at the moment, I may as well put my time to good use.

So. The Adult Entertainment Industry. An industry that is so scrutinized by people on a day to day basis. That it is shameful and god forbid you should know someone who works in the industry or be someone who works in it yourself. That’s just not okay . 😒

I’d like to run some statistics by you. Now first off I’d like you to know I’m all for doing whatever you want, if you want to work in the adult entertainment industry, good for you, I hope you do well.

But when doing my research for this post, it shocked me.

Stats..

• Most of the industry is privately owned so it is hard to gauge just HOW big it is. “According to the Free Speech Coalition, ‘Various gross income totals for the industry have been estimated by a variety of mainstream news sources, but exact, reliable figures are simply not available.’ Tom Rhinelander, a Forrester research director, says their researchers have given up trying to put a price on the adult industry.”
• “In 2006, the sex related entertainment business estimated revenues were just under $13billion in the US, according to Paul Fishbein, president of the Adult Video News Media Network.” This includes video, internet, cable, phone sex, exotic dance clubs, magazines and novelty stores.

So, way back in 2006, 14 years ago, the scientists had sort of an estimate, but the industry has grown so much since then it’s impossible to put a size and price on it, which in itself, is outrageous.

• However, in 2007, global revenues were estimated to be $20billion, with half that in the US. There is a lot of free pornography available online and the Free Speech Coalition estimated revenues have reduced by 50% between 2007–2011.
• A survey of data published in the Journal of Internet Law, in 2005 pornography accounted for 69% (that’s ironic) of total pay-per-view internet content. It actually outpaced news, sports and video games.
• Between 2001–2007 internet porn went from being a $1billion a year industry to a $3billion a year industry in the US.
• Shockingly, in 2008, the company Hitwise cataloged 40,634 websites that distributed pornography.
• Of the one million most trafficked sites in the world, 42,337 are sex related sites.

Raise your hand if you’ve ever seen porn? 🙋🏽

• The Media Research Center examined the most popular YouTube searches in 2009 for the word “porn” and yielded 330,000 results. A whopping 2/3 of these videos advertised themselves as actual porn. Many featured clips from porn movies, interviews with porn stars, adverts for porn sites, and phone sex lines.
• In 2008, Shelley Lubben, founder of the pink cross foundation said, 1) only 17% of performers use condoms in heterosexual films, 2) in 2004 only two out of 200 adult film companies required the use of condoms 3) Dr Sharon Mitchell confirms the STD prevalence “66% of porn performers have herpes, 12–18% have STD’s, 7% have HIV.” 4) Porn performer Erin admitted “we hinged on Ecstasy, Cocaine, Marijuana, Xanax, Valium, Vicodin and Alcohol.”

Okay, it shocks me, that the first statistic we see in that final quote above is about condoms, and not because its about condoms, that I was expecting, but because its the percentage of how many heterosexual performers use them. Just 17%, that is an insanely low number, I expected it to be a lot higher.

The second statistic, which again, surprises me, is that in 2004, I know sixteen years ago, only 2 out of 200 adult film companies required the use of condoms, I haven’t been able to find any more accurate information on this, if you know, let me know!

Finally, to really emphasize how important condoms are, “66% of porn performers have herpes, 12–18% have STD’s, 7% have HIV”. I don’t know about you, but 1% is too big of a number for me to risk, for any kind of STI, let alone 66%.

• A survey of 177 porn actresses demonstrated that porn stars are more likely to have a) first had sex at an earlier age (average age 15), b) had more sexual partners (average of 74), c) were concerned about STD’s ( 8% were concerned), d) Have used Marijuana (79%) e) Have used Hallocinogens (39%), f) Have used Ecstasy (50%), g) Have used cocaine (44%), h) Have used Methanphetamine (27%), I) Have used Tranquilizers (26%), J) Have used Heroin (10%).

All stats above I gathered directly from www.covenantyes.com — The Business Of Pornography.

Is it shocking then, that with so much porn around, that children as young as 11/12 are looking at magazines? Maybe they asked an older sibling to buy them one. Maybe they’ve already had the talk with mom or dad and they got them a “topless magazine”. Is it surprising that now, more than ever we are having to have the talk with our kids at a younger and younger age about the birds and the bees, and even now having to elaborate about what is and isn’t realistic to expect within a relationship or sexual intercourse?

This has all got me to thinking though. When did we start making adult films? And to my surprise it was pretty much as soon as television was invented, or not long thereafter. What’s the first thing that comes to a humans mind after we created one of the most widely used forms of entertainment across the globe? “I know, lets film people having sex and charge the public to watch it”.

Okay, so perhaps it didn’t happen quite like that, but, more or less, that was what happened.

So, in this world of the internet and where almost every child in a first world country had their own iPad/ laptop/ desktop whatever; I urge you, talk to your kids. Dads do it for your boys and moms do it for your girls. And then swap. When I have kids, regardless of whether it’s a boy or a girl, I cannot be afraid to tell them, “it’s okay to watch porn, it’s a normal part of growing up” . I cannot be afraid to tell my 12 year old son “it’s okay to masturbate, you are not the only one that does it and it is completely normal”.

Of course, not everyone will see eye to eye with me. But I feel like it’s important now more than ever to protect our children but also to value them and to not tell them that something is wrong if it isn’t. Okay so I think I’ve said my piece! I’d love love love to hear your comments on the adult entertainment industry.