LOS ANGELES — Sssh.com will present a panel discussion for its Mindbrowse series at XBIZ 2017.
“Taboo by Context: Mainstream Sex and Violence, Adult Entertainment and the Social Consequences of Selective Production Standards” will be broadcast live from the Andaz Hotel in West Hollywood on Wednesday, Jan. 11, at 1 p.m. (PST).
The discussion will compare the amount of violent depictions in adult entertainment versus mainstream entertainment. Angie Rowntree, founder of Sssh.com and producer of Mindbrowse events, said that violence is much more prevalent in the latter.
“Whether it’s an HBO program, an art house film or a Hollywood blockbuster, mainstream 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 said. “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.”
The panel will be moderated by sociologist and author Dr. Chauntelle Tibbals, and panelists will include Penthouse CEO Kelly Holland; Severe Sex Films’ co-owner Dee Severe, Mobius Payments CEO Mia Zhu, attorney Karen Tynan and Crave Magazine film critic William Bibbiani.
“You see it in ‘Game of Thrones’: sexual themes that would never be explored in erotica,” Tibbals said. “You see it in ‘The Walking Dead’: violence that would extra-never be showcased in porn. And yet, somehow, it’s adult entertainment that’s censored, corralled and generally stigmatized.”
Tibbals said, “Like any sort of double-standard, selective production standards have a very real impact on both the production community and the viewing public. I’m excited to explore this highly important issue and the ways in which it impacts distribution, processing, traffic and more.”
XBIZ 2017 attendees are invited to attend the discussion in person, and those unable to attend can watch it free of charge at Mindbrowse.com.