Some Thoughts On Porn Awards Pornwikileaks and Memory
 

Some Thoughts On Porn Awards ************* and Memory
By MikeSouth
December 7th, 2011

from
http://www.mikesouth.com

I remember getting my first AVN nomination, it was for my first video. I remember winning my first time as well, it felt good even though it was not at the main show but at a dinner get together the night before. It always felt good to hear my friends announced as winners too, it's a kind of validation that it's not all for the money, that if you do something, somewhat creatively or different then you can stand out from the crowd.

Unfortunately, creative and different began to mean violent and misogynistic and thus began the fall of the house that guys like Reuben Sturman and Russ Hampshire built. You had asshats like Rob Black, Mark Handel (Kahn Tusion) and the like getting all the recognition...as if violent acts were somehow creative.

Rob Black even goes on national television and dares the Attorney general to come after him, vowing that he would never take a plea. Well the Attorney General did come after him and Rob did take a plea and for all of this unnecessary scrutiny he brought to the industry with overtly violent and arguably obscene content we are rewarding him with the Freedon isn't Free Award and induction into the Hall of Fame.

It isn't just Rob Black, if you look at the inductions over the last few years of non performers it reads like a who is who of people who are directly responsible for the industry being in the sad shape it is in. And this year AVN has singled out yet another douchebag who has helped to ruin porn and created a special "Visionary Award" just for him. Well if your vision is to have AHF controlling things and the market for adult shrunk to one quarter what it was five years ago, then yes, Steven Hirsch is indeed a visionary.

But as a friend of mine points out this is just porn doing what porn is best at, eating itself from within, and awarding itself for doing so.

The single biggest battle fought in porn this year was *************. Nobody wanted to take on this battle, not AVN not XBiz not AIM and Not the FSC...Oh the FSC acted like they were in on it but in the end they accomplished NOTHING, NADA, Nil as always.

So a ragtag team of people including myself, Mark Speigler, Sean Tompkins, Michael Whiteacre, Mercedes Ashley and Monica Foster took on what nobody else would. We all suffered slander, insults, threats, we had our families names posted publicly along with phone numbers, kids photos, where the kids went to school, pictures of our houses and faked documents showing us to be HIV positive, criminals and all sorts of stuff. We paid a heavy price for everyone in the industry but in the end our persistence and our tireless efforts paid off and PWL was no more. I got a lot of email and phone calls thanking us for our efforts, many from people I have had long standing issues with, but they knew that everything else aside, this was more important. It cost all of us a lot of money too, yes we got a few donations here and there but compared to what we spent it wasn't much, although is WAS appreciated. but that wasn't why we were in the fight, we weren't mercenaries though we were helped by a few who were, most did it for free, because it was the right thing to do.

So when it comes time to award the the best of our industry does anyone remember what we sacrificed to win that battle for EVERYONE, all 15,000 performers who had personal information on that site? Nope.

Yes I feel slighted but honestly They could leave me out completely and just recognize the rest and I would be perfectly happy, I don't need the recognition, that isn't why I did it.

But it seems the industry forgot.

Yet at this very moment it has been brought to my attention by several performers that a copy of that site has been brought back online, and they are asking me again to please get it taken down, and in all honesty I am not in a position to fight that fight again, if the industry itself doesn't care why would anyone else?

Please retweet, email or republish this as you see fit...I want everyone in the industry to read it in the hope that they will remember.

A bump for Mike South.

no one cares any more.

You might not, but I do -- and anyone else who was unfortunate enough to be listed at PWL cares, too.

Too bad more people arent like you Billy....

Mike you should get a medal but you won't. That POS was really ruining people's lives and marriages, and posting children with racist comments and incitements to violence.

I'm not sure how you did it but you went and got the impossible done.

The public face of this business, such as it is, seems to share the view that it is somehow reprehensible, and therefore not worthy of defense. You seem to see it as an art. Know that many of us who "don't matter" are grateful.

Thanks Mike and everyone that helped you,

Lets remember that you guys were not the only ones that did what could be done to remove PWL *I will give credit where it is due and the site is down now.*

The FSC was not dragging its' feet, but quick and dirty can sometimes get the job done faster then dealing with legal red tape etc..

How do I know this.. because months ago I was sent a link to PWL and that same day came and posted here, that post lead to my taking on the legal bills for finding a legal way to remove the site and have those involved punished for their action. Those actions then lead to my dealing with the FSC and other organizations. In doing what I felt was right also landed me on the PWL hate list.. etc..

I'm not a company owner etc.. and stated right from the start that I wanted nothing from it, no PR nothing and did my best to keep my name out of everything and focus on the task at hand.

Lets keep in mind that the fight is not over,
Donny still has control over the site..
The site can go live at anytime again
Nobody was punished for it 'yet'.

But as I said thanks Mike and all that helped you.
A means to an end was needed, quick and dirty seems to have worked to keep the site offline for now. Where as legal action may (or may not) have meant for a more permanent removal and maybe some punishments handed out.

I'll stop here as this fight is still not 100% over..

Bump 4 Mike

Bump for Mike South

Thanks for the bumps guys.....

what this biz needs to remember is that the price of freedom is eternal vigilance.

what we need is more freedom and more vigilance

Mike, you deserve a salute alone on the fact that you love facials!
JLproductions here from the facialforum.

...and of course for all the work you did in regards to PWL.
I know it was a hefty cost but goddamn was your blog fun to read!

Some of us haven't forgotten. Thanks Mike for the efforts of you and your team.

tl;dr...

How are you fairing old warrior?

I heard you got laid up (not in the good way) by an over exuberant stripper. Fucking occupational hazards. :Oh crap :upsidedow

Get well and raise hell soon! :drinkup

ADG

Ya I have a broken tibia, compression fracture...really nasty one too. Im in a wheel chair till Feb when I can start physical therapy. Give you a new appreciation for your mobility lemme tell ya.

But I aint complaining we all have our shit in life we have to deal with this is just one of mine.

Long as I am back on my feet in time for fishing and diving I will be good ;)

Thanks man yer ever in atlanta hit me up

Definitely shoot me an email if you ever need to put together another group of vigilantes!:thumbsup

Bump for Mike

I'll make sure of it if I'm ever in the area! :)

Anyone else notice the cricket sounds from AVN, XBiz, etc on this one?

Personally I like Theo but this is an oversight that should be addressed so his feet get held to the fire same as anyone elses.

Another bump for ya Mike

They will get to you as soon as they are done with the Media Revenue investigation.

I wouldn't take the lack of an Award from Xbiz or AVN as a slight. I mean both of those really have focused on other aspects of the industry as you mentioned.

I personally would love to see the adult award events be more focused around positive movements for the adult industry and those people associated with them.

Best use of a new Technology
Best representation of the industry in a mainstream arena (corporate & performer)
Awards for passion of the industry
Awards for good causes (such as this one)

I know I would pay more attention to who wins if there were more awards like that and less around other stuff.

Or even a smaller private award show the night before for things like this...

Just my 2 cents.

How much traffic did you get from Gawker when all was exposed?

i think the producers and people nominated are the only ones who care about most of the awards.

i have no idea who won that last 100 awards and never cared.

Agree with this 100%.

I could care less who won an award for best new male in an anal scene with foreigners in public. And because the awards are generally such BS, often won by the same usual suspects over and over and over again (see advertisers), they hold no real weight in terms of honesty or quality.

Always excited when Mike puts out another post

I already told you I'd blow you... what else do you want from me?

These are great ideas. We will suggest them to the jurors for the 2012 YNOT awards...

LOL Yer Ill

Thanks man just callin em as I sees em.

Or as Archie Bunker once said "There's a little bit of me in all of you"