LOS ANGELES — The era of the porn superstar is gone and may never come back, according to the results of a new research poll conducted by adult entertainment industry media organization XBIZ.
The majority of industry insiders suggest that achieving superstardom is no longer realistic as a result of the proliferation of porn on the Internet. The results are based on responses from members of XBIZ.net, the adult entertainment industry’s leading social network.
XBIZ asked industry members, “What does the future hold for porn stars? Will there be another Jenna Jameson?” Their responses indicate that becoming a household name like Jameson or her male counterpart Ron Jeremy is unlikely for current adult film performers.
XBIZ found that 46% of the respondents say that, “Yes, there will be other porn superstars; it’s only a matter of time.” But another 27% say, “No, the days of the porn superstar are over as a result of the Internet,” with the remaining 27% saying that, “There will be many porn performers who will be able to achieve only moderate success.”
Top porn studio executives share differing opinions on the current star-making potential of the adult entertainment industry. Steven Hirsch, CEO and co-chairman of Vivid Entertainment whose stable of exclusive Vivid Girls included Jameson, Ginger Lynn and numerous other bona fide stars, feels strongly that someone will emerge.
“There absolutely will be another superstar as big as Jenna,” Hirsch tells XBIZ. “How she gets there remains to be seen but it certainly will happen."
Joone, who co-founded Digital Playground, the company that fueled the careers of well-known stars such as Jesse Jane and before her, Tera Patrick, agrees.
“It’s a good question. I think there will always be porn superstars,” Joone says. “The fans are always looking for that next "It" girl. It’s all about the right girl with the right company behind her to let the world know.”
However, Hustler founder Larry Flynt offers a more sobering take on the current power of the adult film star-making machine.
“The days of the porn star will return when the quality of the movies being produced are improved,” Flynt tells XBIZ. “Because of the slow economy many producers have been slashing budgets to save money and in return paying less for talent and getting a less quality product. This will change only when the industry gets its act together.”
Award-winning star Kayden Kross, an exclusive performer for Digital Playground who has enjoyed a high profile within the adult entertainment industry and attained mainstream crossover success, says it’s harder for an up-and-coming adult film performer to establish a big name in this day and age.
“I think when Jenna Jameson became Jenna Jameson, no one had become Jenna Jameson yet,” Kross tells XBIZ. “It was still very taboo to be a porn star and she really made that a more mainstream thing. Then there were others that came up, not to her level, but came up around that time.
“And now, it’s just like anyone can be a porn star. It’s oversaturated.”
Ron Jeremy, who has a New York Times-bestselling autobiography, his own brand of rum and has appeared in countless music videos, says, “There’s so many things that I did that are almost impossible to follow.”
“The work I’ve done outside of porn has dwarfed what I’ve done in porn,” Jeremy tells XBIZ. “There are other people who have done good work in the same arenas, but keep in mind it gets tougher and tougher as so many medias get involved, between computers and cell phones and DVDs and pay-per-view and video-on-demand.”
Jeremy concludes, “There will not be another Jenna Jameson any time soon. It could happen, but I wouldn’t stake my life on it.”
