You may know Courtney as the founder of indie porn site NoFauxxx.com; she's also one of the fine minds behind Good Releasing's Reel Queer Productions. And now, her thoughts on how the adult industry has evolved through out the '00s.

At left: Courtney Trouble.

Adult entertainment in 2009 looks a whole lot different than it did in 1999. In your opinion, what's been the single biggest change this decade?
I'm young, so the past ten years of porn have really been all I've truly experienced, but I've got to say that in the past ten years, I have seen so many independent porn ventures rise and fall on the internet. A good few of them, including my site NoFauxxx.Com, have really succeeded in creating a long-term brand and legacy, while others came and go like night clubs. With this whole do-it-yourself dot.com take on pornography, I think many subcultures have been able to create, sell, and experience pornography, which I could be wrong but I don't think that was happening in the 80s or 90s. Porn has really moved away from something that lives, breaths, and does payroll in "Porn Valley" and become somethign that anybody can do, and making a living from, all over the world. I think the single biggest change has been not just the internet, but the internet's ability to let subcultures and independant pornographers reach worldwide audiences, making limitless room for creative pornography projects. The big companies can complain all they want about how the internet has killed their profits, but the plus side is that people like me have a chance to do our work and gain visibility.

At left: Baron, shot for NoFauxxx in 2002.

You launched NoFauxxx in 2002. What was the industry like back in those days? What motivated you to start your own site?
I dind't have much part in the "Industry" until much more recently. Back in 2002, I was 19, living in Olympia as a tiny Riot Grrrl nugget, and rebellious against not only mainstream porn but alt porn that wasn't inclusive of people of larger sizes, varied genders, or racially diverse. SG lived in Portland and was still considered the most empowering porn out there, and it still didn't feel like enough - and that was really the motivation behind starting the site. The term "Queer Porn" didn't exists what-so-ever, even though a few things like Ssspread.Com and SIR Productions were making what I would consider "queer porn" back in the day. But nobody called it that until No Fauxxx hit the scene. So, for me, I was creating images for fun, not realising that what I was doing was creating a genre for my work and others to follow.

At left: Tom and Huck, shot for NoFauxxx in 2003.

How has NoFauxxx changed over the years?
It started out as such a tiny site, with just me and a few of my brave friends from Olympia. I was a phone sex operator and was really obsessed with having a balance of "fantasy" and "reality" in my work, so No Fauxxx became an outlet for me to make erotic art that showed the "reality" of the sexuality in my community. The photos were DIY digital on a bulky Nikon CoolPix, couldn't get them much larger than 600 pixels, and didn't even own a light set, studio props, or a video camera. I shot people's "realness," asked them to be themselves, and shot in very natural, intimate places. The goal of realness is still a factor these days, but there's a lot more tools of the trade and high-concept storyline on my set these days. I still really love shooting someone masturbating with no makeup on, that will never change - but I've evolved to use better tools to get that done.

At left: Trouble, shot for NoFauxxx in 2004.

Has it become easier or harder to be an indie pornographer since the beginning of the decade?
In my case, easier. People have really caught on to the indie and queer porn movements, and I feel like investors/producers are more open to picking up DIY film makers to make porn for them because they've realise that, "Hey, these Porn Valley DVDs aren't selling like they used to, but this tiny little company's movies are flying off the shelves." I don't disrespect the work that L.A. performers and directors do, but I do think that the "market" is looking more now towards the kinds of porn that I make - indie, chemistry-driven, fun, creative... The generic stuff just isn't catching the consumer's eye anymore. As far as self-promotion and marketing go, at the beginning of the decade, being active on message boards, link exchanges with other sites, and buying web and/or print ads were really crucial to the success of a small porn site, but now with all the social networks like Twitter and Facebook, just being there, being personal, and being generous with freebies has been enough to keep new visitors coming to my site all the time.

At left: NoFauxxx in 2005.

How has the SF porn scene evolved over the past decade?
Ten years ago, SIR Productions was making films and Good Vibrations had a few titles. SIR even won an AVN Award for Best All-Girl Feature. There really wasn't much going on here aside from that, and hadn't been since the "Golden Era" of SF porn production with the Mitchell Brothers and all that stuff. I musn't forget to mention that GAY porn has ALWAYS been in SF and I don't know much about that industry or how it's changed in the past decade, except with their self-imposed mandatory condoms (wish I could say that about LA) and of course, evolving with the internet just like the rest of us.

Now, you've got all sorts of things going on. To break it down there are 3 main directors; Myself, Shine Louise Houston, and Madison Young; and then the production company Trannywood Pictures, and of course, Good Vibration's Good Releasing launch just this year. (I am the headlining director for the Reel Queer Production line under GR) Now we are seeing porn media from LA and New York take interest in our movies and our stars. A year ago we were breaking into parties at AVN, handing off our burned copies to people like Fleshbot and XBiz. Now they come to us, and this year, nobody's gonna kick anybody off the red carpet at AVN for being a dyke. Just in this past year we've really made it happen, and I think more and more people are looking to SF for great porn of all kinds.

At left: Madison Young, shot for NoFauxxx in 2006.

Has Porn Valley become any more accepting of different body types/genders/etc? If so, what's been the motivating factor?
Kind of. Belladonna cas cast SF queers like Syd Blakovich and Jiz Lee, and hot fatties like April Flores just recently, and some other production companies have accepted them with open arms as well - sought them out even. Vivid has a Vivid Alt division run by artist & pornographer Eon McKai and that has brought more subculture flavor, diversity in the types of women you see in porn, into the spotlight. I don't think you saw many brunette tattooed hipsters in Vivid movies in the 90's. Our subcultures have become porn genres, and again I think it has a lot to do with growing presence of independent adult work and art on the internet.

At left: Avarice, shot for NoFauxxx in 2007.

The internet has obviously had a huge impact on the adult industry. What's been the best change the internet has brought to the adult marketplace? The worst?
The two biggest changes I think have been of course, peer-to-peer file sharing, and social networks. A big company might say that tube sites, torrents, or P2P will be the death of them, and it sucks for the performers to have their scenes blasted for free all over the internet, but I don't think that the tube sites are really hurting the smaller companies at all. It's kind of like when Napster came out and everybody was getting free music, it was almost a socialist thing - the big companies were loosing money, and the small companies and independent artists were getting more exposure, more fans, and more people buying their records and concert tickets. It all really depends on how you look at it, or where you are on that spectrum. And as I said before, having social networks around allows us to market ourselves for free and with a truly personal voice, and that's something I'm sure seemed absolutely impossible 10 years ago.

At left: NoFauxxx in 2008.

Any thoughts on what the industry will look like at the end of the next decade?
I'm seeing events like the Feminist Porn Awards, and the Berlin Porn Film Festival, become more prevalent. I think we could be headed into another "Golden Era" like the 70's when porn was revolutionary, shown in theaters, talked about in colleges, and not taken so much for granted. There are brilliant artists making films and independent companies coming out from their "underdog" status. I think at least for the next few years, porn will be seen more as Art than trash. I can't say it will last another ten years, but I am happy to be a part of it for the long haul.

At left: NoFauxxx in 2009.

In addition to serving her Fleshbot consituents, Joanna's been running groundbreaking altporn site Burning Angel since she founded it with a few friends in 2002. We checked in with Joanna to see how the alt genre—and industry at large—have changed since she first stripped off for the web.

At left: A young(er), less tattooed, and introspective Joanna Angel.

Fleshbot: Adult entertainment in 2009 looks a whole lot different than it did in 1999. In your opinion, what's been the single biggest change this decade?
Joanna Angel: I wasn't in porn in 1999—I was in my first year of college and I knew nothing about the industry at the time. However, just in the years I have been in porn I have seen a lot of changes. There were probably more changes in porn this decade than there ever have been. I would say the biggest change is the image of the porn star. If you look at the porn stars who were popular in the 90's, and the ones who are popular now... it's a complete difference in looks, and personality. If you look at the more popular girls today—like Jenna Haze, Sasha Gray, Belladonna, Alexis Texas—they are all natural. They could walk down the street and blend in with the other hot girls on the street—they don't look like a different species of people who belong on a separate island. Not to say there aren't unnatural boobs in porn anymore—however, the image of the porn star has changed too. Porn stars in the 90's were completely untouchable. No one knew what their personalities were like at all.... it was almost like.... no one was supposed to. Now people really get to know the porn stars they look at through MySpace and Facebook and Twitter—even in the movies themselves, people include more interviews and behind the scenes than every before. In the 90's, the image of the porn star was a very mysterious thing—like they were trained to just look hot and fuck.

At left: "Burning Angel: The Movie," Burning Angel's first movie.

You started Burning Angel in 2002 with a couple of friends from college. How has the site changed since the early beginnings?
Jeeze. It has changed a lot! We went from being one website with about 5 photosets that were updated every 2 months or so (along with band interviews—those were always there)—to a network of 6 websites that get updated with photos daily, and videos weekly, along with message boards, blogs, and an entire community. It basically went from a weird hobby to a career. We're not just a porn site right now—we're a porn company. As much as we have changed though, the theme of the website has stayed the same and you can tell that I am still the same person that I always was....I'm just a little smarter now.

At left: "The Re-Penetrator," released in 2005.

Burning Angel is seen as one of the foremost examples of "altporn." Has the altporn scene evolved/changed much since it first began? What's been the biggest change?
I think altporn is still growing and it hasn't hit its peak, and it will still go through more evolving and changing. When BurningAngel first started, we just had photos on there. It wasn't until a few years later where we started adding video and became a hardcore porn company. The idea of altporn used to only be associated with pinup style photography with alternative models.... now I think "altporn" has actually... well.. become porn.

At left: "Porny Monster," released in 2006.

You're a prominent female director and business owner. Have things gotten easier for women in power in the adult industry? Harder? Or are they about the same?
I think that aspect has stayed the same. I honestly don't notice the hardships of being a woman business owner that often, because I just don't let it be a problem. I think girls have a lot of power in this industry and they always have, it's just up to them whether they chose to use this power to do anything constructive or not. In the recent times, more women have taken more control over their careers.... I think porn attracts less lazy people these days than it did before. In general, I just think people now treat this more as a business and less like a party—I think there was just too much money in porn in the 90's and no one ever had to think of a plan B. I don't think the girls had any idea that that money would ever disappear. These days people don't have that delusion anymore, and it has made everyone (girls included) work harder and smarter.

At left: Joanna Angel, hard at work.

The internet has obviously had a huge impact on the adult industry. What's been the best change the internet has brought to the adult marketplace? The worst?
Well, I am a product of the positive things the internet has done. If it wasn't for the internet, I wouldn't have been here at all. I was in college when I started my website. My roommate and I met in our school dining hall and brainstormed how to do this. We didn't even think about going to Los Angeles and trying to set up a meeting with Hustler or something. That was completely unfathomable. In the old days, the only way to make it into porn was if you found a way to team up with one of the big companies. The internet has made it possible for perverts across the world to make their own movies and have an easy way to get it out there. You don't need a fancy distribution deal anymore to call yourself a "pornographer". The downside is [that] it has become almost a little too easy to make a porn.... so everyone is making porn, and as a result, the market is saturated and there is just way too much of it out there. And of course.... dun dun dun (put some creepy music on)—the worst thing the internet has given way to is tube sites and torrent sites that just have endless amounts of free porn. I mean, that's cool for your average Joe out there looking to jerk off—but it's not great for the people trying to make a living off this. However, music and mainstream Hollywood has suffered from the same problem and I am sure it will be fixed one day soon.

At left: "Cum On My Tattoo 2," released in 2006.

Has anything changed about the performers who work in the industry? Is a different kind of talent attracted nowadays?
As I mentioned earlier, there are a lot more natural beauties in porn now than there ever were before. I also think that performance is a lot more important now than it ever was. The girls in the movies now really fuck their brains out... and I feel like some of the older pornos it looks like the girls are just lying there. I feel like the only qualification to do porn in the 90's was to be really really hot—and if you weren't hot, well you should go to your local plastic surgeon and fix whatever is slightly imperfect about yourself. These days, you need to be dirty and actually love having sex.... if you don't.... you will get less work. You can't really just survive on looks alone anymore.

At left: "POV Punx 2," released in 2008.

Has public perception about the adult industry changed much since 2000? Is adult entertainment more accepted, less accepted, or about the same?
I honestly think it's about the same. There is a lot more porn now—which has created more porn fans.... as well as more haters. I don't think there will every be a point in time where you can sit at a dinner table and have someone say "I'm a receptionist" and someone else say "I'm a porn star" and everyone will just act completely normal and act as if the two are equal. Porn will always be a little taboo and shocking.... if it wasn't... well it just wouldn't be any fun anymore now would it?

At left: "LA Pink," released in 2009.

Any thoughts on what the industry will look like at the end of the next decade?
That is a scary thing to think about but—hopefully—all the free porn on the internet will be regulated somehow and we can all get out of this hole that we're in. I have faith in my industry and I think everyone by the end of this decade will find a solution to the problem. I think everything will be a lot more community based, and while I don't think DVD's will completely die, I do think that there will not be nearly as many of them coming out. I think companies will start putting all their content online, and save their best stuff for DVD, so it's more of a collectors' item than anything else.

At left: Joanna Angel...hard at work.

We spoke with Joone, Digital Playground's founder, and Adella, Digital Playground's Director of Marketing and Sales, who gave us their take on how the industry's evolved over the '00s.

At left: Rocki Roads, Digital Playground's first contract star, and Raven Alexis, one of their newest. Images courtesy of Digital Playground (digitalplayground.com)

Fleshbot: Adult entertainment in 2009 looks a whole lot different than it did in 1999. In your opinion, what's been the single biggest change this decade?

Joone: 1999 was the rise of internet pay sites and the rise of DVD sales. Now 2009 is the fall of DVD sales and pay sites.

Adella: The porn "stereotype" is less obvious today. Porn is no longer taboo and you can't fit it in a neat little box, so it's rarely what you expect. The days of bleach blonde hair, spray on tans, inflated implants, bad scripts, amateur camera men and pizza delivery boys are out. Today's best porn celebrates unique content. Top models show a range of beauty and sex appeal, from natural, brainy and pale, to muscular, athletic and sculpted. The best scripts are thought out, fact checked, and contain elements of comedy, drama or horror. Directors work with top of the line production equipment. Studios employ wardrobe consultants, location scouts and post production staff straight out of Hollywood. There is a definite blending of the entertainment industries; mainstream films show more sex and porn films show more action and storyline.

At left: "Virtual Sex with Jenna," released in 1999—and one of the top selling adult DVDs of all time. Image courtesy of Digital Playground (digitalplayground.com)

Has anything changed about the type of content that Digital Playground shoots? Are there new genres or formats that you've broken into?

Joone: In 1999 we were only producing DVDs, CD-Rom and VHS. Today in 2009 we are producing DVDs, Blu-ray Discs, Mobile content, VOD, Internet, TV, and Toys. We have also increased our budget and production values in 2009 to fit the demands of the consumer.

Adella: In 1999, we had only produced a couple of DVDs, most of our original content was interactive, originally produced for CD-Rom. We released Virtual Sex with Jenna Jameson and Rocki Roads Wet Dreams on DVD in 1999. Our main revenue stream came from licensing digital content from adult studios afraid to invest in the digital medium after both CD-rom and laser disc formats had crashed. Early in 2000, we produced Island Fever and Forbidden Tales, but even then we released on VHS and DVD—VHS sales were still significantly stronger.

At left: "Jesse Jane: Erotique," released in 2003. Image courtesy of Digital Playground (digitalplayground.com)

The internet has obviously had a huge impact on the adult industry. What's been the best change the internet has brought to the adult marketplace? The worst?

Joone: The best change is getting closer to the fans, while the worst is free porn and piracy.

Adella: Autonomy. Piracy.

At left: "Island Fever 3," the first HD pornographic film, released in 2004. Image courtesy of Digital Playground (digitalplayground.com)

Has anything changed about the performers who work in the industry? Is a different kind of talent attracted nowadays?

Joone: Most talent now are just looking at doing gonzo shoots. Getting in and get out. They are not looking at doing features and becoming a star.

Adella: I think brains are the current sexy.

At left: "Babysitters," released in 2007. Image courtesy of Digital Playground (digitalplayground.com)

Has public perception about the adult industry changed much since 2000? Is adult entertainment more accepted, less accepted, or about the same?

Joone: The line between adult entertainment and mainstream entertainment is blurring, and adult is more acceptable now than 10 years ago.

Adella: I think the public perception of porn is changing towards acceptance. Church loses power, while sex gains power—evolution.

At left: "Cheerleaders," released in 2008. Image courtesy of Digital Playground (digitalplayground.com)

Any thoughts on what the industry will look like at the end of the next decade?

Joone: Less producers / studios and better movies.

Adella: Porn will be regulated, centralized and easy to obtain anonymously in any format, on demand. It will lose some of its power and mystique as it becomes more accepted. There will more crossover between sex and non-sex films in every regard.

At left: "Pirates 2," released in 2008—and, to date, the most expensive adult film ever produced. Image courtesy of Digital Playground (digitalplayground.com)

The situation is not quite so dire as some reports have suggested: the short version is simply that, in the course of its work, Zivity managed to spawn two creations—the TopFans website and "War of the Roses" MySpace application—that were seen as, well, more immediately profitable than Zivity (we can't imagine why). Rather than watch Zivity wither away as its resources were diverted to other projects within the company, the powers that be decided to split the company in two, allowing Zivity to wither away grow at its own pace all on its own.

Porn Valley has long looked to Zivity for clues to mainstreaming: after all, if Zivity was able to managed to secure venture capital, shouldn't the rest of Porn Valley (arguably a more profitable enterprise) manage to interest mainstream money? Alas, it's not that simple: Zivity got the funds because it was a not very risque not-porn site started by Silicon Valley insiders. Very risque enterprises, started by Silicon Valley outsiders (or hey, even insiders) just have too many strikes against them to attract the VCs. But hey—given the fate of Zivity, maybe that's not so bad.

· Zivity (zivity.com)
· Amicable Split for Zivity and VC Investors (dailyfinance.com)

Which creates a bit of a problem—at least if you're the type of person who sees value in professionally produced porn (like our friends at Digital Playground, who care so much about their work that they've actually trademarked the phrase "Porn worth paying for" and use it as their slogan). If porn companies have no income coming in, it becomes increasingly difficult to fund output going out; and though we doubt that Porn Valley will ever be completely stopped in its tracks, it seems likely that some sort of massive culling of porn companies may soon be upon us.

And so porn companies are finding themselves at a crossroads: if they plan on staying in business, they need to figure out what the future holds for porn—and, more specifically, what future (and current) consumers will be willing to pay for. Being the curious souls that we are, we, too, would like to know what kind of porn you see as spendworthy.

The strategies we've seen seem to break down as follows:

Super feature-packed DVDs: The switch to Blu-Ray is one of the most current incarnations of this strategy, but it's a trend that's been going on for awhile. In order to get consumers to pay for porn DVDs, companies attempt to give them more bang for their buck, as it were: extended BTS, cum shot compilations, the ability to select by position, and so on. The much ballyhooed 3D porn seems to be the next big thing—but will it actually make you pay? [Image courtesy of UndressJess.com]

High-quality feature porn films. The feature itself is hardly a new thing, but some companies are betting that it's the best bet at staying afloat—particularly if it's, say, a parody of a popular sitcom that's sure to get loads of mainstream attention. With its big budget and even bigger marketing campaign, Digital Playground's "Pirates 2" is the most prominent example of this, but smaller features like "Scrubs - A XXX Parody" are still included under the umbrella. [Image from "Pirates 2" courtesy of Digital Playground]

VOD and pay-per-scene. If you had to buy an entire cow every time you wanted a glass of milk, you'd probably become much less interested in ingesting dairy. Some companies are betting that that's how quite a few consumers see porn: why buy a four hour compilation when all you want is that one twenty minute scene? VOD and pay-per-scene offer the ability to buy just the bits you want—without having to pay for the filler. [Image via Big Boobs In Your Face]

Niche content. Pink and White Productions—the geniuses behind the Crash Pad Series and "Champion"—isn't one of Porn Valley's top five studios, but it is a sustainable, profitable company. Ditto Burning Angel, our Supreme Commandress Joanna Angel's hot punk porn company. Providing small, specific groups with something they desperately want—and can't find anywhere else—could be a good way to stay afloat in these troubling times.

Community. Cliche though it may sound, there are in fact people who've joined SuicideGirls, not for the naked pictures, but for the close knit community. Providing an environment in which members can interact with their crush objects (as well as ogling them naked) might just be the extra incentive to get them to pay.

So which of the above—if any—are enough to tug at your wallet strings? Inquiring minds are dying to know! (And if there's something we've forgotten, feel free to tell us in the comments.)

Their first release, The Fuck Junkie, will release domestically this summer. In addition to being Grey Art's inaugural production, it's also Sasha's directorial debut (and given that Sasha is, ahem, America's Favorite Fuck Junkie, we can only imagine that she'll be the film's star as well).

We're thrilled to see Sasha expanding her influence to other aspects of adult production. It goes without saying that we've loved seeing what she can do on camera—we can't wait to see how she reinvents and reshapes adult entertainment from behind the camera, as well.

· The Fuck Junkie (thefuckjunkie.com)
· Thumbnail: photo by Richard Kern (newnudecash.com)

Elexis Monroe has just been signed as Sweetheart's first ever contract girl, and will represent the company through 2009, working on projects like "Elexis Loves Girls" and a series of educational pornos. We're only just getting to know Elexis now, but from what we've seen of her—and Sweetheart Video—we have a feeling that this is going to be a match made in girlyporn heaven.

· Elexis Monroe Signs With Sweetheart! (hotmoviesforher.com)
· Sweetheart Video (sweetheartvideo.com)
· Thumbnail via Danni.com (danni.com, via Ask Jolene)

The adult industry veteran (and the power behind Jenna Jameson's throne) "hopes to bring hope and salvation to the countries growing unemployed and laid-off workers"—all for the low, low price of just $69.69. And that's not just for the book: you'll also get four bonus gifts, including "top secret email" and "private tele-course"!

How could you possibly refuse this once in a lifetime offer?

· Get Into Porn (getintoporn.com)

First, the bad (well, worst) news: of the thirteen layoffs, several were concentrated in the Production department—including two webmasters who were sent packing. Though we're not surprised to hear this—production is expensive!—we're still saddened by the news. Kink.com's high quality, in house production has always been one of its most appealing features (well, aside from the extreme kink), and we're crossing our fingers that these layoffs don't lead to a reduction in quality.

Which brings us to our second point: what led to the layoffs to begin with? Why, the same story we've heard over and over again, from mainstream companies across the country: during boom times, Kink.com expanded—so much so that when their revenues began to slow down, their profits disappeared.

And what about this idea of recession-proof porn? Are porn layoffs a sign that the economy is, well, that fucked?

We're going to go with a no... kinda. Yes, the economy is clearly in dire straits, but it's not solely the economy that's to blame for the porn industry's troubles.

The idea that porn is "recession-proof" is one that's oft misunderstood. The porn industry itself isn't what's recession-proof, it's the desire for porn that withstands economic woe. But with Pornhub and Redtube providing ample access to free hardcore content, high quality, studio-produced content can more easily be written off as a luxury—one that can fall by the wayside during tough times.

Recently laid off Kinkster Thomas Roche offered us another opinion:

I think the key to porn seeming recession-proof is that for years it was tied to organized crime, which has pretty shady ways of doing business. In the time that the vast majority of the porn industry has been above-board, both the economy and the tech sector have been growing at a rapid pace. In any given 3-5-year period, there have been new offerings and new products, and new developments in terms of what porn decides it can get away with, so there's always something new being offered. The economy pretty much couldn't compete with that until now. All recessions since porn became "legit" or semi-legit (in fact, back to the '30s) are a blip on the radar compared to this one. There is no period to compare this to.

The times, they are a-changin'.

· Greetings from the downsized (thomasroche.com)
· Thumbnail: Like Madison Young, Kink.com is now hogtied by the economy (hogtied.com)

Given the little we know about the layoffs, it's difficult to say what effect this will have on Kink's production. We can only hope that the surrenders will still be ultimate, the machines will keep on fucking, the pussy will still be wired, and that the piss will keep on flowing... and, of course, if anyone knows any details about the layoffs, please keep us informed!

· Kink.com Lays Off 15% of its Staff (sfist.com)
· Thumbnail: We hope Kink.com fairs better than Annie Cruz (ultimatesurrender.com)

Our anonymous tipster reports:

Two weeks ago, Jason P., one of the assistant producers who was in charge of NA's gay division, Suite 703, until it folded, was laid off with only two weeks severance pay.

I also just received an email earlier today from someone who worked in both the affiliates and marketing departments at NA:
"So yeah... I got canned the end of last week- along with a few others. There are also more layoffs to come soon..."

· Thumbnail star Priya Rai during boom times (naughtyamerica.com)

*****

Previously: Rumored Layoffs At Naughty America

But wait, there's hope! AVN has a few ideas about how to stay in business... while giving content away for free. It's revolutionary! It's amazing! And you know what? It might actually work—especially since the main gist for the suggestions seems to be "give the people something worth paying for."

· The Free Content Boom (avn.com)
· Thumbnail star Diana keeps business booming (anilos.com, via Ask Jolene)

· PornBailout.com Offering Up to $60 Per Trial on Select Sites (xbiz.com)
· Thumbnail: Business expert Dominno provides all the stimulus we need (incrediblecontent.com)

Caffeine? Definite stimulant. Probably a necessity for most of us. But caffeine and BOOBS? There's not a more eye-opening, mouth-watering combination, in our opinion.

. . .

Image courtesy of Delilah Day (delilahday.com)

An anonymous tip just received by the Fleshbot staff indicates that things might not be so rosy—at least not for one company:

I just got off the phone with [a Naughty America staff member], who was telling me the story of how the entire Los Angeles production crew was laid off yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon. As they were wrapping up their final shoot of the day, all of the employees who were at the studio—roughly 15 of them—were asked to sit down for a conference. Out of nowhere, Laura D. (executive producer) and Michelle (head of HR) appeared and informed everyone that they were going to be laid off. They were offered two options: two weeks severance pay in addition to the two weeks of vacation pay they were about to get paid—apparently the production crew were all about to go on a two-week paid hiatus, OR, two weeks paid vacation after which they would return to assist in the tear-down of the studio, which would probably take two weeks, and two weeks severance pay. Basically, four weeks of pay or six weeks of pay. It sounds like everyone was stunned and a lot of tears were shed, including many from Laura D.

Also from the phone conversation I learned that NA is sitting on about three weeks worth of unedited footage that will hold them afloat for roughly a few more months, but there isn't any word what the company is going to do after that. I would imagine that those employees working in NA's San Diego office who haven't yet been laid off are wondering what kind of job security they have at this point. I've heard of at least three layoffs from within the San Diego office over the past two months. The economy is truly affecting us all.

If this is true, we're both shocked and saddened—Naughty America has long been a Fleshbot fave, and to see them taken down by economic woes would be truly tragic. We hope this email isn't a sign of things to come across the entire industry—it's so much better when people are getting laid, rather than laid off.

· Thumbnail illustrates happier times at the Naughty Office (naughtyofficegallery.com, via Ask Jolene)