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I have wanted to write this column entry for some time. But, a writer's grace is all about timing. Patience is not a virtue in the eyes of the world, never has been. But, again, it is the media's bread and butter. Kenna James. She is a woman who is without a shadow of a doubt, one of the best in the business. An A-list starlet beyond capital letters. I have NEVER met one person who has something bad to say about Kenna James, and that is rare in the beast known as XXX,, and Hollywood. Over the past year, I have gotten to know Kenna on a deeper level. Blossomed a friendship with her, that I honestly hope lasts a lifetime.
Now, I know what you are saying. Everyone wants to be best friends with a porn star, right? Well, not everyone. For one thing, porn stars at the end of the day are people. What they sell for a living is not the flesh, or their humanity. More so, a time, date, and journey to a place that is not of this earth, for an extended time period. XXX performers. They are also actors. They are performers! I put extreme emphasis on those two points, because it takes a hell of a lot of skill to sell a sex scene to a bunch of horny, hungry civilians. That is the truth. You do not just show up to set and start going at it like a couple of animals. Creating an adult scene, an adult film. It takes artistic talent, and discipline. It also takes talent, beyond anything the world gives you credit for. You must be able to become the character. Then, make the audience believe they are the fly on the wall during a sexual experience that does not come with a warning, because it is for adults, and adults should know better. But, do they?
Kenna James' true story is one that critics, outside of the porn industry, may think is a load of made-up bullshit. I assure you, it is not. Kenna James grew up being a woman who had to take care of herself. By the time she was a high school senior, she was already living in her own apartment, working a job since she was sixteen years old. Kenna was her own parent. She was her own guardian. A student with damn near perfect grades, she decided to head to Veterinary school, and was on her way to doing something that she loved. It was here that Kenna found herself in a place that many of us do as adults. She had to figure out a way to pay the bills, pay for school, help her family, and still have a life of her own. This is where she found the world of adult entertainment. A trip to a gentleman’s club to find out if she had what it took to make good, honest money, and lots of it. It ended up being an experience that would show her a calling. It also gave her a job, a lifestyle, and career that fit her like nothing else ever had in life. Which says a lot about a shy, nerdy girl from Missouri who will never let fear get the best of her. And, to this day, never has.
Again, I know what the porn critics are thinking. This woman had bad parents, had no boundaries. That is what led her to a world of sex and exploitation. Again, never judge a book by its cover. I am proud to say that Kenna James has been helping her parents to become bigger parts of her whole family ever since the day she became an exotic dancer.
Kenna James is also the opposite of every performer I have ever met. Which includes those in the wrestling world and music industry. Kenna is not a drinker, not a drug addict. If she is addicted to anything, it is to being the best damn actor and performer this industry has ever seen.
When she arrived in this industry, all that she knew, all she could do, was have sex better than most. Today, she is an award-winning actor who has shared screen time with one of Sylvester Stallone’s favorite opponents in the boxing ring, and so much more. Her look has evolved. Her time in the gym has become more vigorous and time-consuming. If you were to meet her at an adult convention, you will find her getting her grub on at the local Chipotle, not the local pub. That is Kenna James, that is simply who she is, and perhaps always has been.
This is what Miles Long and I looked to showcase when we reached out to her to be a part of our Solo Series project. Miles, he was the one who read an interview Kenna and I did together, and said, “hey, I have had the same type of conversation with her.” That made me think. Miles, he is my partner, and porn brother for many reasons. When it comes to production, it is because he does not play games. Comes to work every day, and looks to make each production the best that is out there. The man came up in the game, and was trained by some of the most legendary directors and photographers on the planet. It is what has led Miles to such accolades himself. Miles aims to work with models who want to work. Not people who are just looking to collect a paycheck. As do I for that matter. Neither one of us had ever had Kenna James in the studio, but we had been told by many friends, many sources, that this is the woman you want to book. This is the performer who will make the day feel like anything but work.
No matter the person, Kenna James can work with them. Just like any other job in the world, being a porn star leads you to meet all types of personalities. There is politics, just like any other line of work, and of course, hard work goes a long way.
.Kenna James is a person who has all of these characteristics, and trades mastered, and we saw that on set. One-thousand pictures later, Kenna was still ready to go. Still happy and anxious to make a quality production.
The woman was a machine, but one unlike any other in the business that Miles and I had ever seen. By the time you end most six hour shoots, models, and actors are cranky. Hell, who the fuck isn’t. Kenna James, she was still smiling.
Still talking about cars, guns, shooting ranges, and our love for our country, and what we would do to fix it. I won’t go into politics, but let’s just say, Kenna has a hell of a head on her shoulders, and one massive heart beating in that chest of hers. Our theme was entitled; “The American Badass” and that is because we looked to mimic Kid Rock’s music video from way-back-when. Also, we wanted to show the world what America had built. What is possible through the American way of life.
Porn, it is as American as apple pie. It is also something that allows a woman to make honest money, and lots of it, if she plays her cards right. Just like any other job, it can be a place where you fall flat on your face, especially if you choose to not be responsible. It seems like those are the only stories that the mainstream media decides to air about the XXX world. Well, Don Juan is here to show you another side of porn. One that was built on the bearings of Capitalism. One that allowed Kenna James to become a first time homeowner. Yes, you heard me right. There are porn stars who own their own real estate, and they did so because of free enterprise, and the wonders of free speech. This country talks far too often about all the darkness that comes with government programs. How we should all forsake the red, white and blue, because some people just can not get along, or see things through others eyes. If Kenna James’ story does not help you to see that those stories are all a load of bullshit. I do not know what will. Here lies before you, a success story that porn helped build. A human being who was educated through sexuality, and became a businesswoman with her beauty, brains and brawn. I have no doubt that 2022 will be “The Year of Kenna.” I make that call not because of my new friendship with this amazing woman. But because she has not stopped shooting, producing, and acting since we shot her all the way back in January. Kenna is still working at neck break speed, all while the rest of the world is moving at a snail's pace, trying to recuperate from this pandemic. That is not a shot at the people of this country, more so a tribute to a woman who should be placed upon a mantle, soap box, and lead stage. The digital age of porn will go down as many things. The biggest, this writer believes, will be an acceptance of the women for what they do. These are not broken human beings, scraping by, trying to live at the bottom of the barrel. These are not unproductive citizens, sucking at the government teat, trying to plan their next heist, oh no. If Kenna were here, she would say, there are far better looking tits to be sucking on than the ones the government has in place. That is because this woman used the American dream to make something of herself. To become one of the best at her profession. Being able to have something to show for it in the end. After all the bright lights have turned off.
If we are going to judge a porn star by what is on the surface. That we need to do so with all the citizens of this country, and what they do for a living. The weed dispensary shops. The banks, the bankers. Our healthcare field. For I guarantee, you will see the same problems and success stories that you see in porn. The only difference is, we do not give Kenna James the same exposure as Al Harrington in the weed business, or Craig Dahl, a CEO who lets everyone bank. That is a travesty. Especially when we are talking about an industry that is known and watched globally, and yes, Kenna James' story deserves to be told like others. To show the world that they know nothing about porn. Or any form of entertainment for that matter. Allowing the people of this planet to know that there are people that make something out of themselves in a world that sells sex, fantasy, and love. I was once told, “women in this business will never get respect because they sell themselves.” That is where the world always gets it wrong. You can not buy Kenna James’ humanity. There is no price tag on that. What she offers, is something that many others do as well, just in another form, with another name. Isn’t that what the American Dream once was? To be able to succeed, doing something that you love, without the fear of your fellow man’s judgment destroying what you offer? If Kenna were a man on Wall Street, she would be called a champion for being the kind of badass that she is. The woman who can work with anyone. Make every person shine. Then, still kind enough to tell you how much she appreciates your hard work, just as much as your good nature. That is why she is ,“The Porn Star That Capitalism built.”
Make sure to follow Kenna James across social media…
Twitter:@kennajames21
Instagram:realkennajames
You can also watch the full video interview on my YouTube channel. Shot, hosted, and directed by Miles Long. The Solo Series Interview, with Kenna James: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xpog14HQBW8