LOS ANGELES — Mindbrowse has announced plans to host a special panel at the upcoming XBIZ 2017, presented by premier cam network Camgasm.
The executive session, “Taboo by Context — Mainstream Sex and Violence, Adult Entertainment and the Social Consequences of Selective Production Standards,” will consider the impact of selectively enforced mainstream and erotic production standards.
The event and live broadcast on Mindbrowse.com will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 11, at 1 p.m. (PST).
Between self-determined production codes and extra-industry standards, hardcore erotic content cannot touch on certain themes seen in mainstream programming. This impacts both the adult industry, as well as wider society. Panelists will explore the effects of selective production standards — from distribution and billing to implications regarding free speech, creative expression and interpersonal social connections.
Mindbrowse live-panel discussion events are directed and produced by Sssh.com founder Angie Rowntree, a pioneering producer and director of porn for women. The events are moderated by sociologist and author Dr. Chauntelle Tibbals, who serves as the Mindbrowse series’ collaborative organizer.
“You see it in ‘Game of Thrones’ — sexual themes that would never be explored in porn. You see it in ‘The Walking Dead’ — violence that would never be showcased in porn,” Tibbals explains. “And yet somehow, it’s adult entertainment that’s censored, corralled and generally stigmatized.
“Like any sort of double standard, selective production standards have a very real impact on both the production community and the viewing public,” she says.
Tibbals says that she is excited to explore this highly important topic, from the deleterious impact that comes from creating “bad” media to the vast array of social ails that come directly from our culture’s love/hate relationship with porn.
“I’m especially excited to uncover the more ‘unseen’ spaces and impacts of discrimination, [including] distribution, processing, traffic and more,” Tibbals adds. “Though to an untrained individual these dimensions might not seem sexy or significant, these dimensions are actually some of the pillars shoring up the pen that delineates porn from everything else.”
Rowntree says there are countless ways that people perceive the same theme and even the exact same manner of depiction, completely differently in the context of porn than they do if they see it in a mainstream production.
“Whether it’s an HBO program, an arthouse film or a Hollywood blockbuster, these works are in many ways given leeway to explore darker and more difficult sexual territory, even in a sexually-explicit fashion, so long as the end result isn’t considered ‘hardcore porn,’” Rowntree says. “As a director of adult films, it’s a double standard I find troubling from a creative standpoint, as it hampers my range and limits my options when I’m crafting storylines and developing characters.”
Among the session’s speakers are Penthouse’s Kelly Holland, attorney Karen Tynan, director/producer Dee Severe, NETbilling’s Wendy Nelson, and leading mainstream film critic William Bibbiani.
XBIZ 2017 returns to West Hollywood’s luxurious Andaz hotel from Jan. 9-13 for four full days of unparalleled business opportunities, including executive networking, learning and social events, in an entirely exclusive setting.
The annual conference unites all segments of the adult industry to deliver the most comprehensive view of its future, as well as its myriad other opportunities arising from the evolution of content creation and delivery technologies.
The event series peaks on Thurs., Jan. 12, with the star-studded XBIZ Awards show, an annual red-carpet extravaganza that honors best of the best from the business of sex.
Offering a multitrack educational program, NETbilling-sponsored seminars and workshops will reveal the latest trends in just about every market segment with an emphasis on the cutting-edge of interactive entertainment, digital media delivery, mobile tech and more, and a forward-looking view that provides attendees with the knowledge and power to stay ahead of the curve.
Affiliates, adult talent and content producers qualify for free admission, while XBIZ.net members receive discounted show registration.
For more information, including speaking and sponsorship opportunities, visit XBIZShow.com.
