Yes, Natalie's deflowering has been sold to an American man for one million dollars. Yes, it seems like a lot to us, too, but hey: props to Natalie for scoring so much cash. Also in the works? A book deal and a biopic. Man, if we'd known auctioning off our ladyflower could be that much of a get rich quick scheme, we never would have pursued this whole writing scam.

· Girl Selling Virginity To End Auction In The Next Few Days (scandalist.thefablife.com)

All kidding aside, the special was actually worth watching. Though it was—predictably—full of a great deal of sensationalism, it also took the time to interview sex workers and sex worker advocates, filling the the hour with sound bites from women like Veronica Monet and Elizabeth Bernstein. TV actually providing a well-rounded, honest look at prostitution? Amazing!

Most surprising moment of the night? Amid all the shock and awe, he special actually took the time to touch on serious issues, such as decriminalization, even taking the time to interview Carol Leigh, aka Scarlot Harlot, a noted sex worker's rights activist:

We're not sure if this special is a sign of things to come, or just a blip on the radar—but if more networks follow CNBC's lead, that can only be a good thing.

· "Dirty Money: The Business Of High End Prostitution (cnbc.com)

Take the website "Seattle Art Suppliers," for example, which used to be "St. Louis Auto Specialists"—and which is actually a forum where escorts and their customers can "discuss everything from gardening to philosophy to how they prefer one another's pubic hair to be groomed". (Or at least it was until an article about it appeared in the local alt weekly.) It seems that some discussions on the interweb still need to be kept under wraps after all. The more things change ...

· "OldestProfession2.0: A new generation of local 'providers' and 'hobbyists' create a virtual red-light district" (riverfronttimes.com, via Valleywag)
· Seattle Art Suppliers (stlasp.com; memberships closed)

A little clueless herself when she first started out in the sex game, Amanda figured out that with a little business sense and the right precautions, you can make a successful living as an escort-for-hire. More than just good advice, the book takes a look at sex and money and it's a reminder of how the "online revolution" (we totally just made that up) has changed the very nature of prostitution. Setting up your own corner of the internet is a heck of a lot safer than standing on a street corner (safer for the johns, too) and when done right, it can also make the life easier and more lucrative. Plus, when you're online you can talk like those adorable lolcats. Everyone loves them!

· The Internet Escort's Handbook (theinternetescortshandbook.com)
· "An Ex-Escort's Guide to Online Savvy and Safety" (villagevoice.com)
· Image via real-uk-escorts.co.uk

Supporters point out that Fremont, hurting for cash to the point that it has limited its court hours, has better things to do than punishing prosties, but sex worker advocate Carol Leigh takes it a step further: "Starchild, like most San Franciscans, would have little cause or desire to go to Fremont," she said. "I don't meant to put down Fremont, especially in light of the city's financial woes, but Fremont?"

· Bay Area Sex Worker Advocacy Network (bayswan.org)

We did the smallest amount of muckraking and immediately regretted it. More after the gap.

- - -

A spokesman for the paper quickly confirmed that no, the performer using the name Hillary Scott is not actually the prostitute using the name Tiffany. Bill Margold, a fixture at the X Press for 14 years, defended the move by saying, "once you sign a release and that image is sold, it can be used for anything all over the United States."

Margold has also appeared in multiple porn films, so he knows who's who.

"But you know that Hillary Scott is not Tiffany, right?"

"That's a chance anyone takes in the adult industry who signs a photo release," he said.

Well maybe Hillary Scott is up the creek for signing a photo release, but what does "Tiffany" look like? I am choosy about where my full releases come from.

A press release from Scott's handlers (quoting everyone involved in her career but Scott herself), didn't deny that Scott might work as an escort; it just said she wasn't Tiffany, and that the X Press "usually puts a recognizable adult movie star on the cover to grab attention however, this time they goofed. Or maybe they didn't goof and wanted the publicity."

Conclusion: Porn is a filthy business.

· Hillary Scott (myspace.com)

Previously: Porn Valley Dispatch Archive

Depending on when you're reading this, you either have a few hours to set your TiVo to catch self-proclaimed "Queen of the Porn Star Escorts" Brittany Andrews get raked over the coals have a fair, balanced, and civil chat with talk show titaness Tyra Banks this afternoon—or find someone who recorded it to see for yourself whether words like "foot fetish", "strap-on", or "$1000 an hour" were part of the discussion. According to Brittany, though, her appearance seems to have been nothing if not about female empowerment: "I was really pleased to be a part of Tyra's show. I love the fact that she focuses significantly on current issues facing women, and being a female entrepreneur with a network of websites that have been highly successful over the last 8 years, they felt I could bring a great deal of flavor to this topic." And maybe we're being a little hard on Tyra when it comes to her attitudes toward people who work in the sex industry—after all, as long as you're not stealing her identity, who's to say that she's not totally cool with how you choose to make your living?*

· Brittany Andrews (brittanyandrews.com)
· Meet Brittany (rates and info @ meetbrittany.com)
· The Tyra Banks Show (tyrashow.warnerbros.com)

*Update We're just now noticing that the theme of the show is "Cyber Girls and Angry Wives". Guess that answers that question.

Previously: Porn Valley Dispatch: Casey Parker, Frat Porn, and Tyra Banks, Tyra Banxxx in "America's Next Top Porn Model", Darklady's Sexposé: Strap-on Sex and Foot Jobs