CHATSWORTH, Calif.—Smash Pictures has announced plans to jump aboard the Fifty Shades of Grey bandwagon and will hold auditions next Wednesday, May 16, for the smash literary series' (pun intended) principal characters, Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey.

In an interesting twist, however, Smash is leaping directly to the series' second installment, Fifty Shades Darker, for its take on the franchise, so as not to to produce a competing release with Adult Source Media's already-announced project for its Intimate Encounters line based on the first novel.

"Instead of jumping on the same script, we're diving headfirst into shooting volume two," Smash president Stuart Wall said. "This will be our biggest feature film to date. We'll be shooting at the end of June, and we've already received phone calls from Businessweek and other mainstream news media pertaining to our XXX romance adaptation of this book."

For the part of Steele, Smash is seeking a "20-year-old college girl, fresh newbie to the business, submissive to play the young virgin part." For Grey, the studio wants a male "25-35 age range, with acting abilities."

The audition takes place from 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday at the Smash Pictures office, with Wall and director Jim Powers judging the hopefuls, who will be asked to read passages from the book. For more information, talent and agents may email stuart@smashpictures.com.

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OAK CREEK, Wisc.—A local ABC News affiliate has reported that charges have been filed against an unnamed Oak Creek man for giving his son pornographic DVDs over the course of several years, beginning when the boy was in the fifth or sixth grade.

"The child told police that he was given five to 10 pornographic videos on DVD each week, and that his father would then want to discuss the videos with him," reported wisn.com. "The child told investigators that he 'watched about 100 movies' during the period outlined in the complaint."

The father is charged with exposing a minor to "harmful material," a felony that carries a maximum sentence of up to three years and six months in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

The article does not indicate how authorities learned of the porn watching, where the boy's mom is, the types of movies the kid was given or whether there was any alleged damage to the boy caused by watching the movies. The man said he was trying to be a good dad, but also reportedly told investigators that he also knew letting his son watch the movies was wrong.

The details of this case may warrant charges, but they could also indicate intrusion by the state into the private activity between a father and his son. Assuming the former would be a big mistake.

Indeed, what are the exact rules for parents that would give them some assurance that the government will not intercede in their education of their own children and throw them in jail for "exposing" them to "harmful material."

Where is that list of "harmful material" again? It seems to have gone missing.

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Posted May 10th, 2012 07:32 AM

CHATSWORTH, Calif.—The success of Earthly Body’s WaterSlide personal lubricant is no secret. As a top seller at Hustler Hollywood, this all-natural lube is free of parabens, silicones, sticky glycerins and preservatives. With the popularity of this lubricant, Earthly Body now introduces WaterSlide in a conveniently sized 1-ounce travel bottle. This discreet new size makes Earthly Body lube a must-have item for your next weekend getaway trip.

What sets this water-based lube apart is its all-natural ingredient list featuring natural carrageenan.  Extracted from red algae seaweed, carrageenan is naturally high in moisture rich minerals. Carrageenan extract combined with purified water and ingredients derived from corn create a silky moisturizing lubricant formulated specifically with women in mind. 

It’s clear the public has taken notice of the natural benefits of Earthly Body Waterslide.  Hustler Hollywood Corporate buyer Briana Honz remarked that, “Earthly Body WaterSlide is Hustler Hollywood’s third best selling personal lubricant, across the board, company wide.”

Try WaterSlide for yourself, and experience the moisturizing benefits of all natural lubrication.

WaterSlide is available online and in select stores in your area. For a closer look at this lubricant and other Earthly Body products, visit EarthlyBody.com.

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Posted May 09th, 2012 06:28 PM

LOS ANGELES— Andrea Weiss Jeffries, an attorney representing ICM in Manwin v. ICM Registry, an antitrust lawsuit brought last year by Manwin and Digital Playground against ICM and ICANN, has filed a response to Manwin's First Amended Complaint of Feb. 17. The filing was on May 8, the last day given by the court for the response.

"Exclusionary or anticompetitive conduct is an indispensable element of any Sherman Act claim," states Jeffries in the culmination of her 25-page rebuttal. "Having failed to make this showing with respect to either ICM or ICANN, Plaintiffs should not be permitted to proceed with this case."

The plaintiffs now have 30 days, up to and including June 8, to file an opposition to this response to the First Amended Complaint, and then ICM and ICANN will have until June 29 to file replies in support of their motions. The court will hear oral arguments on the motions on July 30 at 1:30 p.m., the court has ordered.

The reply to the Amended Complaint is here.

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RALEIGH, N.C.—Back in 1956, North Carolina voters passed their first constitutional amendment, which according to the Associated Press would "guarantee[] that no child in the state will be required to attend an integrated school against its will. ... It would allow the citizens of local school administrative units to vote to close their schools if integration moves caused 'intolerable' situations. It also would allow the use of state and local funds to pay private tuition for children whose parents objected to their attending an integrated public school."

Boy, those were the good old days, weren't they?

Well, don't worry; North Carolina voters are apparently just as ignorant and bigoted as they were 56 years ago, only this time the boogeypersons are gays and lesbians.

As The New York Times pointed out in an editorial last month, North Carolina already has a law prohibiting men from marrying men and women from marrying women—and it's unclear if anyone down there has ever even heard of transsexuals—but sticklers as they are for details, the state's legislature (mostly Republican, natch!) decided that just passing a law was not enough. For the second time in history, they had to change the state's Constitution as well! After all, look how well it worked out for them the first time they did it! (Indeed; that first change wasn't revoked until 1971.)

As The Times also pointed out, the amendment isn't even phrased very well, in that it also eliminates all legal recognition for civil unions and domestic partnerships, which even hetero couples enter into—and that's a Bad Thing because it "could harm all unmarried couples, imperiling some children’s health insurance benefits, along with child custody arrangements and safeguards against domestic violence."

The fight for marriage equality continues to be an uphill battle, especially with some political leaders coming late to the battle, and the latest poll from Pew Research shows that 43 percent of the public still opposes that obvious right—"nor shall any State ... deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws," remember?—but that's down from the 57 percent that opposed it a decade ago.

And if North Carolinians aren't familiar with their country's Constitution, couldn't they at least have looked at who was supporting the measure, and why?

For instance, take the wife of the measure's sponsor, Sen. Peter Brunstetter. His wife Jodie was overheard telling someone that, "The reason my husband wrote Amendment 1 was because the Caucasian race is diminishing and we need to uh, reproduce."

See? It's not about discriminating against gays; it's about the "fact" that, apparently, most gays are white and the "fact" that gays don't reproduce, so if the state doesn't allow gays to marry each other, all those gay white men will marry white women, have kids, and Jodie Brunstetter will be safe from all the "coloreds."

But as Jodie told reporter Chad Nance, "If I did [say that], it wasn’t anything race-related." Good to know!

And then there was Pastor Sean Harris of Fayetteville's Berean Baptist Church, who gave his flock a "special dispensation" to do violence to their children:

"When your little son starts acting a little girlish when he's four years old, and squashing that like a cockroach, and say, 'Man up, son. Get that dress off you and get outside and dig a ditch because that's what boys do'... Dads, the second you see your son dropping the limp wrist, you walk over there and crack that wrist. Man up! Give him a good punch, okay? 'You're not gonna act like that. You were made by God to be a male and you're gonna be a male.' And when your daughter starts acting too butch, you rein her in and you say, 'Oh, no; oh, no, sweetheart. You can play sports; play 'em; play 'em to the glory of God, but sometimes you're gonna act like a girl and walk like a girl and talk like a girl and smell like a girl and that means you're gonna be beautiful, you're gonna be attractive and you're gonna dress yourself up.'"

After that, senile old Rev. Billy Graham sounded, well, senile when he exhorted voters that, "I believe the home and marriage is the foundation of our society and must be protected. The Bible is clear: God’s definition of marriage is between a man and a woman. I want to urge my fellow North Carolinians to vote for the marriage amendment."

Even Albert Mohler Jr., president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary just across the border in Louisville, Kentucky, had a few choice words in his critique of The New York Times' editorial.

"The effort to limit marriage to the union of a man and a woman is described as 'obvious discrimination,'" Mohler wrote. "That is meant to insinuate that the effort is therefore wrong, and even immoral. But that is just not intellectually honest. Discrimination—even 'obvious discrimination'—is not necessarily wrong at all. Indeed, any sane society discriminates at virtually every turn, as do individuals. ... Often, we discriminate on moral terms. No sane person would ask a convicted child molester to be a baby sitter. No sane society would elect a known embezzler as state treasurer. These acts of discrimination are necessary and morally right."

Yeah! 'Cause, y'know, gays and lesbians are every bit as immoral as child molesters and embezzlers—just ask Al!

What isn't too well known, though, is who spent the big bucks to fund the "Yes on Amendment One" campaign. Would it surprise anyone to know that the Christian Action League dropped over $300,000 into the "Yes" coffers, and that the National Organization for Marriage ante'd up about the same? That the North Carolina Values Coalition and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh each kicked $50,000; the American Family Association and Bayleaf Baptist Church were good for about $20,000 each, and conservative radio station and bookstore owner Phil Drake thought the issue was worth donating a cool quarter of a million to?

But, of course, North Carolina businesses were four-square in favor of marriage equality, right?

<crickets chirping>

"Corporations have been silent," reported BusinessWeek's Emery Dalesio. "North Carolina's chamber of commerce hasn't heard much from its members on the amendment and is staying neutral, CEO Lew Ebert said. ... Business leaders who support the amendment have stayed silent for fear of becoming targets of boycotts and public attacks."

Wow! I guess all those Republicans who've been saying that businesses will all do The Right Thing if we give them all those tax breaks were absolutely right!

Well, at least one group is trying to make North Carolina pay for its bigotry. GayMarriageUSA is petitioning the Democratic National Convention Committee to move its convention, which will take place in Charlotte in September, "to a state that upholds values of equality & liberty, and which treats ALL citizens equally."

Admittedly, it's a bit late to make such a change, but in the current Near-Depression, surely there are dozens of cities that would move (if you'll pardon the expression) heaven and earth to make room for all the people (and their wallets) who will flock to such a gathering—and after just one day, their petition already has over 14,000 signatures.

Won't you add yours by clicking here?

Image above from the website Every1against1.com.

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CYBERSPACE—Village Voice Media is in a pickle. The pressure to no longer take lucrative prostitution and escort ads on Backpage.com increases with every day, but so does the amount of traffic coming into the adult services sections, and perhaps more significantly, so does the ad revenue.  

According to AIM Group, the acknowledged "bible" of data and analysis of the classified advertising industry, Backpage is the leader by a wide margin in revenue generated from online prostitution ads. In fact, according to recent analysis by AIM, "Traffic to U.S. websites that publish escort and body-rub ads hit a record in March, while five of those sites sold at least $3.2 million in online prostitution ads during the month," and Backpage.com accounted for a large majority of that revenue.

"Backpage.com, the general classified-advertising site owned by Village Voice Media, generated at least $2.6 million in online prostitution ad revenue during March–81 percent of the total–and had nearly 3.4 million unique visits," the analysis concluded. "Revenue was 2.7 percent higher than February, and 33.4 percent higher than March 2011. Unique visits to Backpage.com were up 8.1 percent from the previous month and 11.6 percent from March 2011."

In case there was any doubt about Backpage's standing, the report stated, "Backpage is the leading U.S. site for prostitution advertising, a position it assumed in 2010 when Craigslist stopped publishing ads for adult services such as escorts and body rubs."

It was during that same time period that the full focus of state attorneys general around the country started to call attention to Backpage.com in an attempt to replicate the same result they had with Craigslist. But the Village Voice, which has steadfastly maintained that it takes child protection very seriously and works closely with multiple law enforcement agencies to identify, track and locate child abusers who use their sites, has proven to be a far more determined adversary.

In recent months, pressure from people like New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof has increased, as has efforts by politicians calling for the voluntary closure of the sex ads pages. Just Monday, in fact, freshman Congressman Robert Turner (R-N.Y.) introduced a resolution that calls on Village Voice Media to shutter the adult entertainment section.

Turner's resolution, H.Res. 646, outlines the recent wave of public pressure against Village Voice to terminate its adult-themed classified ads. It also lists eight specific examples of people who were arrested for sex trafficking, all of whom used Backpage.com to advertise.

According to The Hill, "After six full pages of findings, the resolution concludes that the House 'calls on Village Voice Media Holdings LLC to act as a responsible global citizen and immediately eliminate the 'adult entertainment' section of the classified advertising website Backpage.com to terminate the website's rampant facilitation of online sex trafficking.'"

To support its position, the Rep's resolution contains findings contained in the same March analysis by AIM, which, while it does provide clear data indicating the popularity of Backpage.com, addresses in general the issue of underage ads on sites like Backpage.com but does not provide any data regarding the alleged number of underage ads on the site or the amount of traffic or revenue associated with underage ads.

It does mention, however, changes made by Backpage to its adult section, as well as a law in Washington state that requires "websites that operate within the state to obtain documentation that advertised escorts are at least 18 years old," and also mentions the fact that the ongoing controversy forced "two private equity firms, GS Capital Partners III (run by Goldman Sachs) and Trimaran Capital Partners, [decided] to sell their interests in Village Voice Media back to VVM."

The report also mentions, however, that "The U.S. Communications Decency Act protects publishers of online advertising posted directly by advertisers if the ads have not been reviewed before they appear online—even if they promote prostitution or include illegal references to discrimination in housing, for example."

Of equal interest, the AIM report analyzed revenue derived from prostitution ads in 23 American cities, and studied 24 websites that either "sell listings or prostitution in other ways."

According to the collected data, "Of those 24, we are able to compute revenue based on the number of listings and published advertising rates for six—Backpage.com, Eros.com, CityVible.com, MyRedbook.com, Escorts.com (which closed June 1, 2011) and AdultSearch.com.

"We can also count listings on three additional sites—NaughtyReviews.com, Eccie.com, and A1List.net (which stopped publishing ads in July).

"For the remaining 15, we track only unique visitors because the other data is not publicly available or because the sites have so little traffic that their revenues or listings would be insignificant. Those sites are TheEroticReview.com, Sipsap.com, Preferred411.com, SexyEscortAds.com, BigDoggie.net, LocalEscortPages.com, HotLocalEscorts.com, MyProviderGuide.com, TNABoard.com, FindHotEscorts.com, EscortGuide.com, EroticServicesGuide.com, EpicDreams.com, Escortme.com, and BarebackEscorts.com."

The numbers provide a fascinating glimpse into the not-so-netherworld of online prostitution and escort ads, and highlight the prominence of Backpage.com in the pecking order.

For instance, of the top ten most-visited sites in March, Backpage.com dominated with 3,364,762 unique visitors (an 8.1 percent increase from the previous month), with the second place finisher, AdultSearch.com, claiming 746,300 uniques, for a 20 percent increase. The third place finisher, The Erotic Review.com, had only 296,902 unique visitors in March, an increase of 8.2 percent, and the numbers decrease thereafter until the 10th place finisher, TNABoard.com, which had only 88,356 visitors in March, but could claim an increase of 38.6 percent over the previous month.

The report also provides monthly revenue estimates derived from prostitution ads from April 2011 for the top six earning sites, with Backpage.com once again leading the pack.

Of course, despite the fact that Backpage.com is regularly accused of being the leading destination for sex-trafficked minors in the country, the service insists that the vast majority of ads are placed legally by adults, and it continues to contend that closing the adult services sections will hamper the ability of law enforcement to identify and prosecute criminals who abuse minors in this manner. The incessant calls for VVM to close the sections, however, will no doubt continue to increase in number and volume.

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Posted May 08th, 2012 06:37 PM

LOS ANGELES—Director Nica Noelle and leading VOD site AEBN have announced plans to expand their adult studios with the addition of new TS-themed line, TransRomantic Films. The innovative new line will feature transsexual performers in starring roles, and reflect the "real sex" approach of the duo's existing studios Girl Candy Films and Hard Candy Films.

Rising TS starlet Amy Daly stars in the studio's first release, Forbidden Lovers, along with male performer Christian X, and character actors Ian Whitcomb and Erica Lauren.

"The scene Nica directed with Christian and I was trans-positive, romantic, and extremely sexy," Daly said. "The whole experience reminded me why I love my job. I'm very excited to be a part of this new direction in TS films."

Forbidden Lovers also stars Sarina Valentina, Brittany St. Jordan, Spencer Fox and Robert Axel in emotionally rich, complex vignettes.

"This studio is very special to me," said creator Noelle. "It's long been a dream of mine to work with beautiful TS performers, and the fan response has been overwhelming. The TS adult community has been so welcoming, and I want to make them proud."

"My philosophy as a pornographer is pretty simple: humans get turned on by watching other humans have sex, and the more real and passionate the sex, the more arousing for the viewer," she added. "If that's true for straight and lesbian porn fans, why wouldn't it be true for fans of TS porn?"

"There has been a void in the market for well-written romantic TS movies," AEBN VP Jerry Anders said. "I wanted to see what Nica could do in this genre and of course so far it has been brilliant."

"Anyone who's looking for transsexual films with better writing and more seduction is going to love TransRomantic Films," said Daly.

TransRomantic Films debut release Forbidden Lovers will premiere exclusively on AEBN.net in May.

Pictured: A scene from Forbidden Lovers

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LOS ANGELES—The Taser, which is marketed as a non-lethal device widely used by law enforcement agencies throughout the world in place of more lethal techniques, has long been associated with the death of individuals despite the fact that over 99 percent of people who are subjected to it are not seriously injured as a direct result. Still, since Tasers were approved for use by police officers in 1999, 277 people have died after receiving the shock, according to an ABC News article published in 2007. Since then, more have died, and now, the first scientific, peer-reviewed study has been published that finds evidence Tasers can cause cardiac arrest and death.

The study, which was published by the American Heart Association, was conducted because the safety of electronic control devices (ECD) has been questioned, and was designed to "analyze in detail cases of loss of consciousness associated with ECD deployment."

According to the study abstract, "Eight cases of TASER X26 ECD-induced loss of consciousness were studied. In each instance, when available, police, medical and emergency response records, ECD dataport interrogation, automated external defibrillator (AED) information, ECG strips, depositions, and autopsy results were analyzed. ... This report offers evidence regarding the mechanism by which an ECD can produce transthoracic stimulation resulting in cardiac electrical capture and ventricular arrhythmias leading to cardiac arrest."

The study concludes definitely, "ECD stimulation can cause cardiac electrical capture and provoke cardiac arrest due to ventricular tachycardia (rapid heartbeat)/ventricular fibrillation (severely abnormal heart rhythm). After prolonged ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation without resuscitation, asystole (flatlining) develops."

As noted in an article on the study published by the International Business Times, Tasers have thus far been linked to three deaths in 2012, including that of adult performer Marland Anderson, aka Sledge Hammer, who died April 8 after being removed from life support by his mother following an altercation with police officers five days earlier, during which he was reportedly Tasered twice.

An autopsy conducted by the Los Angeles Coroner was inconclusive, and a cause of death has not yet been entered as the coroner awaits the results of toxicology tests. Now, with the release of this study, there is the possibility that there will be renewed attention given to the role of the Taser in Anderson's death, especially in light of the fact that the Department of Justice, which continues to defend the use of Tasers, publicly stated in a May 2011 report that the death of people shot with a Taser was often due to improper use of the device by officers.

"A review of deaths following [Taser] exposure found that many are associated with continuous or repeated shocks," the report stated. "There may be circumstances in which repeated or continuous exposure is required, but law enforcement officers should be aware that the associated risks are unknown. Therefore, caution is urged in using multiple activations."

Despite its alarming conclusions, the study is not likely to impact the current use of Tasers, which previous research has determined are safe for use by the police, but it is also certain to reignite the charge that too many officers resort to the use of the device too quickly, and in circumstances that could be dealt with by other means.

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TOKYO—Some fans will simply not take no for an answer. A Japanese man spurned by Japanese actress Aoi Sora, who was apparently not interested in following the man on Twitter, has sued the star in court, according to The Tokyo Reporter, which reported that the unnamed man is "in his 40s, claiming to be a writer and critic of topics related to education."

As AVN has previously reported, Aoi, who commands a huge following in China, was an instant sensation in 2010 when she opened a Twitter account on March 30 of that year. In less than two weeks, she had 30,000 followers, and the number has kept climbing ever since. Today, she is reported to have 325,000 followers, but not her frustrated suitor, who, according to the article, "made demands on a daily basis."

“I am a fan of yours; please follow me,” he would tweet. “Please consider following,” “How’s work? Your English is getting better. Please follow me.”

Seeing no response, he sued.

That apparently got some fans of Aoi steamed, and people started looking into the fellow. “Through research, it was discovered that he had been making similar requests to Toru Hashimoto, Michiko Shimizu, and other celebrities, and was also being disregarded," the article stated.

Pressed, "the man then explained in vain that he made the requests in order to find out what actually happened regarding Aoi being singled out in a controversy that surfaced in China."

Following the spectacular embrace of certain celebrities by hordes of Chinese citizens, the "State Administration of Radio, Film and Television in April demanded that satellite television stations prohibit controversial personalities, including Aoi, from appearing in programming."

Then, according to the article, the performer's fans got ugly. "Online users, upset about the litigator’s demands, utilized the educator’s blog and Facebook page to expose his work background and residential address."

Seems the vile PornWikileaks mentality is not limited to Westerners. 

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ORLANDO, Fla.—The Men's Health magazine article about the smuttiest cities in America was published in the middle of April, but it seems to only now be percolating through the editorial desks of newsrooms here and abroad, and wouldn't you know it, the Daily Mail, Britain's reactionary tabloid, which is currently gnashing its teeth over porn on the internet and calling for a nationwide "opt-in" program that would filter all porn sites by default, has taken note of Orlando.

The article—Porn in the USA: Orlando is crowned America's Pornography Capital in list of top 100 smuttiest cities—is a fine example of ideological excess disguised as muckraking journalism, or vice versa.

"Home to kids' idols Mickey Mouse, Shamu the Whale and all their fairytale friends, Orlando is a mecca for fun... and fantasy," begins the article, lulling the reader into a false (if brief) sense of serenity. "But while tourists queue at the gates of attractions that include Disney World and Wet 'n Wild Water Park, it appears the locals prefer a rather more adult form of entertainment.

"Orlando, Florida, has been crowned America's most porn-addicted city," it declares, employing a level of editorial hyperbole that even the tabloids in the States would find excessive.

But they are not done relegating the Sunshine State to a cultural swamp. "Orlando," reports Mail scribe Matt Blake, "was not the only Florida city in the top 20. Nearby Tampa came in eighth and infamously debauched Miami in 12th."

It is not as if the British do not know a thing or two about debauchery, especially among the upper and royal classes, whose provocateurs all but paved the way for such a relative newcomer as Miami, not to mention Orlando.  

But in the end the point of the Daily Mail article is to once again hammer home the idea that the internet is an evil place because of all the porn.

"The internet is the biggest source of pornographic material, an industry that pulls in $4.9 billion per year worldwide, according to research conducted by the online Master of Business Administration," the article states conclusively, adding, "A recent study found that eight out of ten men looked at porn on the internet—compared to one-third of women, with men spending an average of two hours a week watching pornography on internet, compared with just 15 minutes for women."

In case you were wondering what "Master of Business Administration" is, it is the website onlinemba.com, whose sole purpose is to "provide you with comprehensive resources and up-to-date information on how to choose the best online MBA program to fit your needs. We also delve into how to succeed in your MBA program and how to determine what your MBA degree can do for you."

Where else would you go for your definitive porn stats, none of which, need it be stated, are actually the result of "research conducted by the online Master of Business Administration."

But who's quibbling when the future happiness of nations is at stake?

"Coincidentally," the article adds, "an earlier survey in Men's Health's November 2011 edition, found Orlando to be America's 19th unhappiest city. In fact, five of the 20 saddest American towns made the top 20 porn capitals, including Atlanta (14th), Las Vegas (10th), Miami (8th), Tampa (4th)."

Simply irrefutable.

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NEW DELHI, India—If AVN were doing a story on the most interesting life trajectories followed by porn stars, there's a good chance Sunny Leone would be at the top of the list. After all, she's hawked Vivid Vodka, starred in India's version of "Big Brother House," signed an endorsement deal with mobile phone handset manufacturer Chaze Mobile, will soon be on movie screens nationwide (in India, that is, but probably elsewhere as well) starring in Bollywood's first erotic 3D production Jism 2 (um, Indians do know what "jism" means, don't they?)—and now she's signed with Mankind Pharma to be the face of their Manforce line of condoms, which are available in several flavors.

"I want to promote safe sex among the youth in India," Sunny told the Times of India yesterday. "Condoms not only protect against STDs but also prevent unwanted pregnancy. Contrary to popular belief, instead of bold, my shots in the Manforce TV commercial are sensual; however, there is a bolder version of the same on Youtube that shall be uploaded shortly."

The commercial will feature Sunny in "exotic locales in Thailand... lost in the flavours of the condoms," which the company says are targeted at India's youths "in a bid to remove the misconception that condoms are a hindrance in pleasure."

Sadly, the commercial won't be available until next week, and her Chaze ad should follow soon after. Also, apparently someone is after the Indo-Canadian actress to do a "first item song"—a guest song and dance cameo—in yet another movie, but with the actress busy promoting her two current starring roles—the other is in the sequel to sexy horror thriller Ragini MMS—she's being close-mouthed about the rumor.

In other Sunny news, her beautiful form graces the cover of the May issue of FHM India, which also includes a tasteful (translation: you can't see much) topless photo spread that displays the actress beautifully filling out some lingerie.

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ATLANTA—The question on the minds of many Atlanta denizens this morning is—how? And why? And what will the future now bring after this? Good questions—with few answers.

But such is the state of Atlanta this morning in the aftermath of the revelation that 130 fifth graders were driven home on the return leg of a school field trip in a party bus that is normally used for adult functions! A preliminary investigation has indicated that the sleazy transportation was used when the company normally used to transport the school kids had no available buses, and another local bus company was called to help out. That's where the trouble began.

"They reached out to another company for help but did not mention the buses were for children," reported wsbtv.com, a local Channel 2 station whose crack reporters are getting to the bottom of the scandal with no name. "Channel 2's Amy Napier Viteri found the party buses were used to bring around 130 fifth-graders back to Morningside Elementary School after a field trip to a camp in Toccoa."

According to Mark Purdy, who works for the aptly named Premiere Party Bus, "There's a refrigerator on board. A little bit of a VIP section if you want to be separated from the rest of your group."

But that's not the only adult-oriented amenities the innocent students were forced to confront on what must have been a terrifying ride home after the field trip. "The 32-passenger limo style bus had leather seats, a dance pole and even a fog machine," reveled, er, revealed wsbtv.com.

Purdy insisted that the adult "bells and whistles" were off in the three buses he dispatched to pick up the children Friday, but that claim has yet to be corroborated and it doesn't mean that the kids were not influenced for life by the encounter on the bus. A local health professional indicated that children under the age of 12 are not emotionally ready to experience the supple and luxurious pleasure of leather seats, even if they're in the family automobile!

"The young brain is too susceptible and not yet self-aware enough to ward off the erotic subtext of fine leather and the feelings of intoxications and subtle sexual titillation that these addiction-causing seats create," said Dr. Mortimer Mandible of the Florida Association of Antique Restoration Professionals and Child Protection. "I've been warning for years that one day something like this would happen and now it has. I hope the parents of Atlanta will listen to me next time."

If there is a next time.

One mother said that the incident has left her in dire fear of the impending questions from her 10-year-old that she is "not prepared to answer at this point in my child's life."

And why should she be? No parent should ever be forced to explain the purpose behind a smooth metal pole or a machine that spews smoke. Indeed, these are subjects that many adults find too unseemly for proper conversation.

The school district is now looking into the incident, and has indicated that the bus company used that day to transport the children is now officially banned from doing so... until prom night, when all bets are off.

Image: Party bus

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Posted May 08th, 2012 10:18 AM

HOUSTON—Aneros, the company that brought hands-free, nonvibrating pleasure to the market, is proud to announce an evolution in Silicone Synergy, the Helix Syn.

The original Helix design has been intricately refined and upgraded for comfort and performance based on direct consumer feedback. The consumer experience has always been first priority at Aneros, with the very first model originally designed to alleviate prostate issues and eventually evolving into the phenomenon it is today.

Helix Syn features the finest Velvet Touch Silicone available over a rigid inner frame and

perfected perineum Comfort Tab which allows for unmatched prostate stimulation. Aneros has ramped up production of the Helix Syn to prepare for its anticipated demand.

It is available now for pre-order and will begin shipping May 15.

While the Helix Syn is an exciting new development at Aneros, the original product line is still available but will now be called the "Classic" line. The new MSRPs for the Classic line will be $49.95 for the MGX, SGX, Helix, Maximus, Eupho, and $59.95 for the Progasm models.

Since 1996, Aneros has developed the only medically researched and patented prostate stimulators, launching the creation of the adult market's Prostate category which is widely popular today.

For more information, go to Aneros.com/HelixSyn or email partners@aneros.com.

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Posted May 08th, 2012 09:07 AM

BERGEN COUNTY, N.J.—The revolutionary new dildo harness Heeldo, the first strap-on harness for your foot, is now available through Nalpac distribution, SexToy.com and The Stockroom bondage and fetish sex toy shop in Los Angeles, as well as their online storefronts TheStockroom.com and their gay male-focused website MaleStockroom.com.

"We're very excited to expand our network," said Joe Wilson, co-owner and director of marketing for Heeldo. "We've been speaking with many of the larger distributors but Nalpac was the first to truly embrace and realize the potential of Heeldo. They will be the first distributor to put Heeldo into the traditional brick-and-mortar stores. We could not be more thrilled to be distributed through Nalpac."

“I have seen harnesses for just about every body part so why not the heel," said Don Zerilli, senior buyer at Nalpac. "It is an innovative product that reaches all demographics and is the only harness that can be used in solo play for both male and female. Not to mention with their warehouse inYpsilanti,Mich., it gives Nalpac the opportunity to support a local company.”

Heeldo is also available at The Stockroom retail store in Los Angeles, recently named L.A.’s Best Fetish Store by Los Angeles Magazine, and through their online website.  

"Heeldo fits in perfectly with the line of products at the Stockroom," saidWilson. "They have been a leader in the fetish community for years and we're thrilled that they are carrying Heeldo."

Heeldo is the first strap-on dildo harness for your foot. When paired with a flared-base dildo or butt plug, Heeldo can be used for masturbation and couples play depending on how it is worn on the foot.  Nothing else exists in the adult toy market like it. Heeldo is not just for the straight or gay crowd but both; it transcends sexual preferences and can be used for female masturbation, male self-pegging, straight, gay and lesbian couple play, and anyone with a foot fetish.

For wholesale inquiries, contact sales@heeldo.com.

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Posted May 08th, 2012 08:18 AM

MILWAUKEE, Wis.—Necessity, they say, it the mother of invention. But having a sense of humor can really help too.

Todd Hannemann of Toddco Industries and the man behind the “Cum Cloth—For Those Moments After” admits it’s a long and winding story about how his simple towel came to be in the world of adult novelties.

“A few years ago, I was visiting an old girlfriend inFort Lauderdale,Fla.,” he said. “We were engaged back in 1982 but that never transpired. We maintained a very close friendship for 30 years. Between husbands, wives, boyfriends and girlfriends, we were able to connect in 2009.”

After a night of intimacy, Hannemann said, he blurted out, “I need a cum cloth.”

“ Being a parody song writer for radio stations, I liked the words—they flowed,” he told AVN. “Immediately, I went on Go Daddy and the domain was not taken. I registered it and completely forgot about it.”

Last June, he said, someone approached him about buying the domain. Then he learned “cum cloth” had its own entry in Urban Dictionar.

“A light bulb went off and I knew I had something big,” he said.

In a relatively short amount of time, Hannemann has begun producing the unisex 16-inch by 16-inch ultra plush microfiber towels emblazoned with the phrase “Cum Cloth—For Those Moments After.” He even offers personalized versions for a slight fee.

What started as a lark has become a mission for Hannemann: The girlfriend who helped inspire the product has since died, and Hannemann said he wants to keep the venture going in her memory.

For more information, visit CumCloth.com.

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This article originally ran in the May 2012 issue of AVN magazine.

LOS ANGELES—In a former restaurant-supplier warehouse in downtown Los Angeles, director Axel Braun is in the middle of what he is calling “Project 12X”—the simultaneous production of four hardcore parodies: Avengers XXX, Iron Man XXX, Thor XXX, and She-Hulk XXX for his Axel Braun Productions and Vivid Entertainment.

“We were pleased with the success of Star Wars XXX,” Braun says as wrestler-turned-performer Chyna walks by, wearing nothing but hair curlers and eye make-up in preparation for her full-body green paint job to play She-Hulk. “We thought it was going to be big, but it exceeded our expectations. In four days, the trailer got half a million hits on YouTube.”

The set is filled with industry veterans, including director of photography Eli Cross, production designer Kylie Ireland and behind-the-scenes cameraman David Lord.

Braun prefers to make original stories with his comic book characters instead of remaking entire movies. “I take some elements from the original but I’m not going to rip off the movie,” Braun says. “I’ll use some elements—for Spider-Man we took the upside-down kiss and made it an upside-down blowjob—but if you know the characters, you can do it.”

Much of the activity today is pickup shots for Iron Man XXX.

“I had to wait for the armor,” Braun says. “The important thing for the comic book movies is that the audience doesn’t feel cheated. The comic book geeks are a very powerful community, and I’m a part of it. I’m a fan myself, and I don’t want to see something that was thrown together at the last minute with Halloween costumes from Wal-Mart. I like to keep my storyline inside the comic-book reality. There will be gratuitous sex because we are shooting porn movies, but it will be justified by the history of the characters.”

More than once, Braun’s “legendary attention to detail” is mentioned. About 20 times more than once.

“It’s difficult to get the sets and costumes right because we don’t have Hollywood budgets,” Braun says. “Building sets is an ordeal, and we worked for two weeks on the LandSpeeder. It was beautiful. But when we tried to move it, it weighed 5,000 pounds. It’s on eBay now. It’s so heavy we don’t want to move it again. The proceeds will all go to charity—the Axel Braun Charity for Maintaining the RV,” he adds with a laugh, gesturing to the massive jet-black RV with a red and white ABP on the side.

The legendary attention to detail continues into post-production.

“There is a lot of trial and error, but we don’t rush things out to be in time for awards or to get our money back right away,” Braun says. “Star Wars was shot almost a year ago and it wasn’t ready for awards season this year. Special effects had to be tweaked. Everything had to be perfect. For Superman we had 37 VFX shots. It was expensive and time-consuming. For Star Wars, we had 512 of those. That’s what we had to deal with.

“But the fan base has responded positively because every line reflects something in the Star Wars universe. You can tell it was written by people who loved the material.”

Braun is not resting on his laurels after Project 12X wraps: his future plans include parodies of Fantastic Four (“She-Hulk is going to lead into that”), Daredevil, The Dark Knight, Captain America, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

At the craft table, Ireland expresses some irritation at The Empire Strikes Back: “Fuckin’ Ewoks.”

The first of Braun’s four productions to be released is Avengers XXX, which comes out on Vivid.com on May 1 and streets May 8 (coinciding with the May 4 release of the mainstream Avengers).

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NEW YORK—Serial litigant Perfect 10 is suing the photo blogging platform Tumblr, alleging the infringement of at least 200 of its images. The 10-page complaint was filed Friday in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York.

"This is an action by Perfect 10 for copyright infringement arising from the rampant and unremedied uploading, display and distribution of Perfect 10's copyrighted photographs on the photograph-sharing website Tumblr without Perfect 10's approval and over Perfect 10's repeated objections," the complaint reads.

The complaint continues, "During September, October and December 2011, Perfect 10 sent six (6) compliant DMCA Notices to Tumblr requesting that the infringing content be taken down. Tumblr has ignored its obligations under the DMCA. As of the date of this filing, Tumblr has failed to completely process anyof Perfect 10's DMCA notices, taking down at most only a handful of the over 200 infringing images identified by Perfect 10, many of which had Perfect 10 copyright notices or watermarks conspicuously placed on the images."

In addition to the allegations mentioned above, Perfect 10 also claims that "Tumblr employees have posted infringing content to Tumblr servers, to help start the business, including content which infringes upon Perfect 10's Copyrighted Works," and that "Tumblr turns a blind eye to the extensive copyright infringement taking place through its services."

The complaint claims that Tumblr has contained "over 200 infringing images identified by Perfect 10, many of which had Perfect 10 copyright notices or watermarks conspicuously placed on the images," and is seeking, in addition to attorneys' fees and costs, "an amount to be proven at trial, but not less than $5 million; or (b) in the alternative, statutory damages of up to $150,000 per Copyrighted Work infringed as provided by Section 504(c) of the Copyright Act for Tumblr's willful infringement."

The Perfect 10 complaint can be read here.

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CYBERSPACE—A few Colombian sex workers now know what it's like to be fucked by the Secret Service, and in more ways than one, but it may not be too long before we all know what it's like to have federal law enforcement living inside our asses, collectively and individually. It could get messy.

As CNET's Declan McCullagh reported Friday, "The FBI is asking Internet companies not to oppose a controversial proposal that would require firms, including Microsoft, Facebook, Yahoo, and Google, to build in backdoors for government surveillance."

The problem, says the Bureau, is that "the dramatic shift in communication from the telephone system to the Internet has made it far more difficult for agents to wiretap Americans suspected of illegal activities."

Can't have that! So the office of the FBI general counsel's "has drafted a proposed law that the bureau claims is the best solution: requiring that social-networking Web sites and providers of VoIP, instant messaging, and Web e-mail alter their code to ensure their products are wiretap-friendly."

From the following reaction by an industry rep who saw the draft legislation, it sounds as if the individual is not necessarily looking forward to bending over and spreading them for the feds: "If you create a service, product, or app that allows a user to communicate, you get the privilege of adding that extra coding," s/he said. A second industry rep told CNET that the requirements only apply to sites or networks that exceed a certain number of users.

According to McCullagh, the proposal expands upon an existing law called the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) that covers telecommunications but not the internet, and is being pushed hard by the Justice Department and other federal agencies in a bid to address a problematic trend identified by the FBI as "Going Dark," which refers to the alleged inability of law enforcement to keep track of people as technology advances.

In fact, the FBI reinforced its concerns about going dark Friday, stating in a comment to CNET, "[There are] significant challenges posed to the FBI in the accomplishment of our diverse mission. These include those that result from the advent of rapidly changing technology. A growing gap exists between the statutory authority of law enforcement to intercept electronic communications pursuant to court order and our practical ability to intercept those communications. The FBI believes that if this gap continues to grow, there is a very real risk of the government 'going dark,' resulting in an increased risk to national security and public safety."

But CNET reports that in addition to the DoJ, the federal Communications Department also is interested in tweaking CALEA to include "products that allow video or voice chat over the Internet—from Skype to Google Hangouts to Xbox Live."

Neither is the effort to expand CALEA new. The FBI has been concerned about this issue since 2006 and began its efforts to get litigation passed seven years ago, reported McCullagh, who added that the only thing keeping the already-written legislation from being considered by Congress is the unwillingness of the Obama Administration to send the bill to the Hill.

"A representative for Sen. Patrick Leahy, head of the Judiciary committee and original author of CALEA, said today that 'we have not seen any proposals from the administration,'" wrote McCullagh.

From the FBI's perspective, nothing in the proposed law expands current wiretapping law, which will continue to require a court order. The idea, they say, is to improve their technological ability to "provide results," meaning making access easier. Toward that end, Subsentio, a Colorado-based company that sells CALEA compliance products, told CNET that the proposed measure "provides a 'safe harbor' for internet companies as long as the interception techniques are 'good enough' solutions approved by the attorney general," or "if companies 'supply the government with proprietary information to decode information' obtained through a wiretap or other type of lawful interception, rather than 'provide a complex system for converting the information into an industry standard format.'"

Either way, the FBI is angling to have the presumably anonymous ability to keep tabs on virtually every form of person-to-person communications available, which is something that makes a lot of people uncomfortable. In addition to several critics of the law mentioned in the CNET article, including EFF, the Computer and Communications Industry Association and TechAmerica, a trade association that includes representatives of HP, eBay, IBM, Qualcomm, and other tech companies on its board of directors, Salon.com contributor Glenn Greenwald published a blistering denunciation of the effort Sunday in a piece called, "Surveillance State democracy."

"The procedure being used here by the FBI to obtain these powers is just as significant to me as the substance of the policy it wants," warns Greenwald.  "Notice how the FBI—in order to obtain these new powers—does not believe it needs to persuade the American citizenry to accept it. Instead, they’re meeting with the people who actually hold power over our laws—industry executives—in order to plead with them not to oppose this. FBI officials even planned a pilgrimage to Silicon Valley 'to meet with Internet companies’ CEOs and top lawyers' in the hope of obtaining their permission to proceed with this new scheme."

From secret surveillance by government of P2P communications to secret surveillance by ISPs of the content you are downloading, it would appear that the brave new world imagined by the internet could yet become a maze for rats.

The good news, according to Greenwald, is that it is still "possible for citizens to meaningfully oppose this relentless expansion of the Surveillance State." In light of his claim that "those who continue to expand the National Security and Surveillance State appear to have little fear of any meaningful citizen backlash," however, Greenwald is also saying that the time to "mobilize meaningful citizen opposition to growing government surveillance powers" is now.

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Posted May 07th, 2012 01:33 PM

LOS ANGELES—Tabloid queen Nadya "Octomom" Suleman has shot her first adult scene. After repeatedly turning down requests to perform in porn, Suleman recently shot a solo masturbation scene for Wicked Pictures.

Suleman's rep confirmed the shoot to E! News.

"My first shoot was amazing," Suleman told The Huffington Post. "Such a learning experience for me in so many ways. I don't think I could have asked for a better crew to work with. They were so patient and willing to teach me. I owe a lot to Wicked Pictures contract star Jessica Drake; she opened my eyes to a whole different world of self-pleasure that I could have never imagined. They made me look so glamorous, and for the first time in my life, I felt beautiful and sexy. I'm very excited for it to come out!"

According to the HuffPo, the video that Suleman's in, directed by Brad Armstrong, will be released in mid-June. It's unknown at this point if the scene is intended for Wicked.com, or if the company is shooting a movie around Suleman. AVN reached out to Drake, but the Wicked Pictures contract star said she was unable to comment.

During the shoot, Suleman also posed for photos covered in SpaghettiOs.

“For the pictures, we had her topless with a thick sparkly red choker with a big red heart in front and red and white polka dot panties ... like 1950s style," an insider told HuffPo. "SpaghettiOs were all over her body and she's even throwing the SpaghettiOs toward the camera. The label on the can was changed from SpaghettiOs to say 'Saucy Octos.'"

Octomom, whose brood stands at 14 kids and counting, has been in dire financial straights for a number of years. She filed bankruptcy last month and is faced with losing her house, which was scheduled to go up for auction today, but received a reprieve.

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LOS ANGELES—James Deen portrays his Hollywood namesake, alongside fellow X-rated performer Heather Vahn as Natalie Wood, in a video installation to be displayed as part of James Franco's upcoming "Rebel" exhibition at JF Chen gallery, being presented by the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA).

The video, directed by renowned artist Paul McCarthy and son Damon McCarthy, takes place at Bungalow Two of the Chateau Marmont hotel, and depicts incidents that were rumored to have occurred during the filming of the real James Dean's best known picture, Rebel Without a Cause—including some explicitly reenacted sexual rollicking between Dean and Wood.

"They shot a hardcore scene, but they shot it very music video-y," Deen told AVN. "I think what they're trying to do is shocking art."

What they may or may not be trying to do is ... well, hardly clarified at all by the following description from Paul McCarthy's own press release about the work (note that Franco and actress Elyse Poppers play Dean and Wood in all but the sex portion): "The characters in the piece are ultimately iconic, representing more than a singularity. Sex doubles for James Dean James Franco Natalie Wood Elyse Poppers, skilled professionals. ... They do what they do best. They play a role. They provide a service. These actions are played out, reinvented, extended all in the attempt to create a house, a theatrical home of drama and trauma."

Right. In any event, the McCarthy piece appears as part of their own larger exhibit at The Box May 11-July 7, as well as in the "Rebel" show May 15-June 23, which will also include Rebel Without a Cause-themed contributions by Harmony Korine, Terry Richardson, Douglas Gordon, Ed Ruscha and Aaron Young.

The Box is located at 805 Traction Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90013. JF Chen is located at 941 N. Highland Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90038.

Photos courtesy of JamesDeenBlog.com and Holodex.com/heather_vahn.

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Posted May 07th, 2012 12:00 PM

CHATSWORTH, Calif.—The pre-nomination process for the 2012 “O” Awards is officially open, and things have changed up a little this year.

The Fourth Annual “O” Awards will be held Tuesday, Sept. 11, during the AVN Novelty Expo. ANE, which has co-located with the International Lingerie Show, takes place Sept. 10-12 at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

The “O” Awards honor outstanding achievements in the pleasure products industry, including design, innovation, marketing, distribution and retailing.

To be considered for an “O” Award, products must be released between June 1, 2011, and July 15, 2012.

This year’s award categories are focused more on products and manufacturers than on retailers and distributors—a change largely made to address too much overlap between the “O” Awards and the annual AVN Awards.

“We had some categories—specifically overall excellence awards to distributor and retailer categories—that were in both the ‘O’ Awards and the AVN Awards,” explained Sherri L. Shaulis, senior editor of pleasure products for AVN. “We wanted companies to hold that honor of ‘best of the best’ for an entire year, so we decided to keep them solely in the AVN Awards in January. That afforded us the opportunity to expand on some of the existing ‘O’ Award categories as well as introduce a few new ones.”

There will be a total of 16 awards given this year, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, which is chosen by AVN staffers and reviewers before the event.

Additionally, five of the categories will be open to voting by registered attendees of ANE.

“We have always relied on industry insiders to help with the voting process in both the pre-nomination and final voting stages,” said Sara Harter, director of sales for AVN. “With attendees voting on specific categories, it gives the entire industry a chance to have their say in who deserves top honors.”

The following are the categories for the 2012 “O’ Awards:

Outstanding Product for Women: Any vibrator, dildo or other product designed specifically for women.

Outstanding Product for Men: Any cock ring, sleeve or other product designed specifically for men.

Outstanding Luxury Product: Any high-end product designed for men, women or couples.

Outstanding Dietary Supplement: Any pill, drink or other substance ingested for an increase in performance or pleasure.

Outstanding Enhancement Product: Any spray or cream applied externally for an increase in performance or pleasure.

Outstanding Innovation: Any product that provides a technological improvement to the pleasure products field.

Outstanding Lubricant: Any specific lubricating product.

Outstanding Body or Skin Care Line: Any line of products designed to cleanse, scent or pamper the skin.

Outstanding Non-Powered Product: Any product that requires no external power source.

Outstanding Powered Product: Any product that uses batteries or electrical current.

Outstanding Lingerie Collection: Any assortment of themed undergarments.

Outstanding Accessory Product or Line: Any product or line of products used for body adornment.

Outstanding Marketing Campaign: Any campaign specific to a company, line or product.

Outstanding Packaging: Packaging for any specific product or line of products.

Outstanding Debut Product: Any product that was launched between June 1, 2011, and July 15, 2012.

Lifetime Achievement: Awarded to an individual who has made significant contributions to the pleasure products industry.

To pre-nominate a product or line of products for any of the categories, email OPrenom@AVN.com with the category name in which the product is being nominated, the name of the product, the manufacturer of the product, and your name and email address for contact purposes if needed.

To register ANE, visit NoveltyExpo.com.

 For information on sponsorship opportunities, contact Sara Harter at sara.harter@avn.com or (818) 718-5788, ext. 109.

 The Rio Las Vegas is offering rooms from $89. To book your accommodations, visit TotalRewards.com/hotel-reservations.

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Posted May 07th, 2012 07:36 AM

CHATSWORTH, Calif.—Earthly Body introduces Love Button, an all-natural, stimulating sexual balm for him and her. This sensual blend provides tantalizing tingles wherever applied. Unlike creams or gels, Love Button’s unique formula and discrete packaging ensures the ideal amount of product is applied each time without unnecessary cleanup. 

Application is quick and easy and will not distract from “the moment”: Simply rub a finger over the surface of the balm and use where desired. While Love Button has many uses and can be applied anywhere, such as to the temples for headache relief, Earthly Body has two particular recommendations for a mind-blowing sexual experience:

Women: Apply directly to clitoral region to increase sexual desire and heighten intensity of climax by increasing blood flow to the area.

Men: Apply to frenulum (triangular tissue located under the head of the penis) for heightened sensitivity and prolonged erection.

Georgene Smith Goodin, national sales manager for Earthly Body, commented, “Time spent in the bedroom should be satisfying for everyone involved. Whether Love Button is used to ignite passion during foreplay, or to enhance the overall experience, this product is the answer to guilt-free sexual greediness.”  

Love Button is not compatible with latex. To avoid breakdown of condoms, Love Button should be removed before intercourse. Love Button is the newest addition to Earthly Body’s adult line, joining Edible 3-in-1 Massage Candles, Edible Massage Oils, Edible Glow Oil and their water-based personal lubricant, Water Slide.  

For more information, visit EarthlyBody.com.

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This article originally ran in the May 2012 issue of AVN magazine.

LOS ANGELES—It’s easy to see why Anthony Rosano, Evan Stone and James Bartholet became the leads in Will Ryder’s latest parody, Not the Three Stooges XXX. As Ryder explained to AVN, “I had a couple of other people audition, and they would have been great. But I feel I picked the best three actors, guys who literally could have played vaudeville if they were 60, 70, 80 years older.”

Of course, it’s not just the actors who make a good parody. It’s also the script.

“I tried to write the script and the relationships between the players as close to what the Three Stooges actually would have done,” Ryder said. “That’s the key: Not only do you have to get the characters right, but you have to get the relationships between the characters down perfect also.

“Consider, the Three Stooges had decades to hone their relationships,” Ryder continued. “We had a couple of practices and the day of the gig. And obviously, two of the Three Stooges were real brothers in real life, so they really knew each other. When you think that three guys who aren’t related that have never played the Three Stooges before can get in and do such a fantastic job, it’s a real testament to their talent.”

That talent was much in evidence in several of the “bits” we saw. In one, Chris Charming runs a hair salon that provides “full service” to its customers, and the three knuckleheads get to watch Chris fuck the hell out of cutie Mandy Armani in his stylist’s chair. But after he hires the trio, their first customer is cop Dick Chibbles—and when he unzips, it sends the guys out the back exit quickly.

In another bit, the Stooges have been hired by a cobbler to repair shoes. Once they’re seated at the work station, the usual assortment of slaps, punches and Moe trying to open Larry’s head with a small rotary saw will have viewers rolling on the floor.

The final test of authenticity, though, has to be those memorable Stooge sound effects.

“The beauty of what we’ve shot will come to life in the final edit with the sound effects,” Ryder assured. “That’s half the battle right there. It’s really amazing; you could do a whole history report on the evolution of the sound effects of the Three Stooges by watching the various generations of Stooge episodes. It’s quite spectacular how it evolved.”

But while the Stooges themselves were memorable, what young men in their formative years watching the Stooges’ antics were sure to notice were the women. Who doesn’t remember lusting after blonde beauty Christine McIntyre, who spent a decade as the Stooges’ never-requited love interest, or cuties like Beverly Warren and Virginia Hunter, who shared an episode or two with the guys but vanished into Hollywood limbo afterwards?

Fortunately, the current production has more than its share of cuties, including the aforementioned Mandy plus newcomers Britney Young, Callie Cyprus and Bailey Blue, as well as “veterans” Danica Dillon and last-minute replacement Cassandra Cruz, who wound up playing dual roles as the maid who seduces Anthony by offering to “do anything” if he’ll hire her to clean the Stooges’ apartment, and as the Columbia Pictures “Torch Girl” during the opening credits.

How Cassandra got hired for the movie is a story only Ryder can tell, but it involves another actress who flaked on the main shooting day, costing the production more than just a “make-up day” in the studio.

“The ironic thing about the movie is that an orgy caused me to have to shoot a new scene,” Ryder said. “What happened was, I originally had two sex scenes being shot simultaneously on the living room set. I had a guy and a girl on the couch on one side of the room, and [cameraman] Miles [Long] was going to shoot a guy and a girl on the chair, and we weren’t going to cross camera shots, so we could shoot them simultaneously. But what happened was—and I’ve never seen this before on a set—it was two o’clock in the morning, and the cast got so fucking horny, all of a sudden people started getting in on the orgy scene and taking off their clothes and fucking, so my two distinct, separate sex scenes turned into one ten-person orgy, which is great for the movie and the sex factor … but not good for the number of sex scenes I have to provide, so I had to shoot another sex scene. … So ironically, that orgy is costing me money!”

Sadly, we weren’t present for the orgy, but we did get to see cute Britney as an artist’s model being manhandled by Evan, who’s been promised a fat fee if he can keep fucking the young blonde while the art students draw them. Look for hot b.j. action, followed by reverse cowgirl, doggie and mish while the rest of the cast just sits there gaping with their mouths open.

We also got to check out Cassandra’s scene with Anthony, which despite its dingy location—the Stooges’ bedroom—saw plenty of hot action, with Ryder giving in to James’ begging to let him eat Cassandra’s pussy until Anthony throws him out of the room so he and Cassandra can get down to the bi-directional cowgirl rides, doggie and mish before he splooges on her face.

“The beauty of this movie from a distributor point of view and a retailer point of view is that what we look for as producers is not just something that we love but also something that has a big built-in audience,” Ryder noted. “Just look how many different generations of men were or are fans of the Stooges, and the majority of the audience, the ones who still buy movies, is older, so I think everyone’s going to have a good run with this movie. All they have to do is put it on the shelf and I guarantee it will sell.”

Only time will tell, but from what we’ve seen so far, and with Ryder’s track record, we have little doubt he’s right.

Not The Three Stooges XXX has been released by Will Ryder Productions and distributed by Pulse. Click here to read about Ryder's skirmishes with a copyright holder over the right to make his parody.

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BIZARRO WORLD, U.S.A.—In its never-ending mission to fill women's heads with nonsense, Cosmopolitan magazine cautions them in its current issue not to emulate the follicular stylings of 2012 AVN Best New Starlet contender Skin Diamond, suggesting instead that they shoot for those of the famous-for-being-famous Nicole Richie.

Funny pointer, given the droves of gals who've adopted Diamond's signature shaved-on-one-side look (including, to much positive response, 2010 AVN Best New Starlet Kagney Linn Karter). And what's more, it would seem from the snarky comment accompanying Diamond's photo that the magazine was more interested in trying to be "edgy" (by commenting on an adult star's fashion choices) than doling out any real beauty advice: "Leave it to a porn star to try a landing strip on her head."

Ouch. In the words of Jon Lovitz, "Jeaaaalous?"

But there's a bigger issue at hand here than an insult to the modishness of our lovely Ms. Diamond; namely, since when does Cosmo look to porn stars as style harbingers of any sort, good or bad? Is there an assumption at play that its readers know who Skin Diamond is? Let alone well enough to be thinking of copping her 'do? Moreover, is this some sort of subtle indicator of the extent to which porn has permeated not only the mainstream consciousness in general, but specifically that of the female populace?

Whatever the answers to these questions may be, Diamond herself is anything but peeved about the unexpected exposure. "I always knew if I was ever in one of those types of magazines, it would be as a 'don't,'" she told AVN with a laugh. "I don't care, there's no such thing as bad publicity."

Photo courtesy of Skin Diamond's Mobypicture account.

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CHATSWORTH, Calif.—One of the most revered love stories of all time is about to get retold in much more explicit detail courtesy of Smash Pictures and director Jim Powers.

The Notebook: A XXX Romance Parody, adapted from the 2004 Nick Cassavetes film (which was in turn adapted from the 1996 Nicholas Sparks novel), has up-and-coming starlet Presley Hart and 2012 AVN Best Male Newcomer nominee Richie confirmed to portray the lovestruck couple originally played by Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling.

Because keeping the story intact as a period piece would present too great a challenge given the resources available, Powers plans to update it to a more modern telling of the same basic tale.

"We're going to base it around when the [Twin] Towers were falling, and instead of him being a cotton farmer, the rich guy she marries will be more like a doctor, and she meets this other love intrest," Powers told AVN. "The story itself has been told a zillion times—poor white trash falls in love with rich girl who's too good for him. But what they did to make this thing such a classic is you have the Alzheimer's, and I am putting that into the movie.

"I'm gonna go for it," he continued. "We're hiring some old actors, and we're gonna go for it. Hopefully I can do it some justice. I don't want to be the guy who singlehandedly destroys romance."

The cast will also include Kimberly Kane, Lily LaBeau, Johnny Castle and Logan Pierce.

"We got all the girls that can act," Powers said. "Presley Hart, this is a girl who loves to act. And this is her favorite movie. She wants to do this movie, it's her thing. Richie is one of the best actors out there, he's great for this. I'm going to play this thing straight-up, it's going to be very romantic; we're going to try to be true to the story."

Smash has not yet announced a projected release date for The Notebook: A XXX Romance Parody.

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EUROPE—The whole idea behind the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA)—which late last year and earlier this year was signed (though not ratified) by a number of countries, including the US and EU members—was to bring the world together to address the global fight against digital piracy, such as it is. But, as with so many things political, it appears that the process behind ACTA as much as the provisions contained within it have all but doomed the law to the dustbin of history. At least that is what Neelie Kroes, the European Commissioner for the Digital Agenda, has said is the likely outcome.

"We have recently seen how many thousands of people are willing to protest against rules which they see as constraining the openness and innovation of the internet," Kroes said Friday during a conference in Berlin. “This is a strong new political voice. And as a force for openness, I welcome it, even if I do not always agree with everything it says on every subject.

“We are now likely to be in a world without SOPA and without ACTA.”

According to the Wall Street Journal, "Her spokesman agreed that while Ms. Kroes never said ACTA was dead, the 'political reality' is that it is."

The political reality, in other words, is that none of the countries that are signatories to ACTA have followed up with an official ratification of their provisional approvals because, Kroes is implying, they lack the political courage to act in defiance of public protests throughout Europe.

Of course, opposition to ACTA has emanated from the States, as well, with obvious peeps like the Electronic Frontier Foundation weighing in strongly against it, as well as less obvious critics like Forbes, which compared it quite unfavorably in an article titled, "If You Thought SOPA Was Bad, Just Wait Until You Meet ACTA."

In the five years since a handful of countries began negotiations on ACTA, there have been steady modifications to the law in response to valid concerns expressed by stakeholders. Despite those concessions, however, the negotiating process has steadfastly taken place behind closed doors, and without their participation.

According to Wikipedia, "The secret nature of negotiations has excluded civil society groups, developing countries and the general public from the agreement's negotiation process and it has been described as policy laundering by critics including the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the Entertainment Consumers Association."

Regarding the specifics of the law, one of the main complaints with ACTA, as with its American cousin, SOPA, according to PCWorld, is the provision that "would allow countries to force ISPs to hand over information about their customers' online activities if they are suspected of breaching copyright.

"In an effort to appease critics," the article continued, "the Commission, which negotiated the agreement on behalf of the E.U., has asked the European Court of Justice to rule on whether the deal is compatible with E.U. law. Trade Commissioner Karel de Gucht has urged the Parliament to delay voting on ACTA until after it has ruled. But, as observed by Kroes on Friday, that seems unlikely to happen."

In fact, in expressing that view, Kroes, who advocates for an open internet, may have made it a fait accompli.

"We need to wake up and smell the coffee," she said, adding, "But that is not the same as being a lawless wild west."

But a lawless wild west is precisely what we have been living with for several years, and the fallout has re-formed (though some might say deformed) whole industries so they no longer resemble the way they were before. This massive shape-shifting can certainly be seen in the music industry, but perhaps no industry has seen more of a revolution (though some might say devolution) of its reigning business models than has the adult entertainment industry, which is all but unrecognizable from what it was just four or five years ago.

Opportunities remain, of course, but only a few companies could say with a straight face that things are better now than they used to be before the massive global networks sustained by relentless infringement of copyrighted content became the norm.

In a world unable to proceed with any fix to the woefully inadequate Digital Millennium Copyright Act, the current situation is fated to continue, with progress only made through the relatively slow slog of the courts, such as the recent High Court ruling ordering the blocking of The Pirate Bay. A slog may indeed be far preferable to an overreaching law that stymies the free flow of ideas and content, but even there progress may come in fits and starts. The High Court ruling was met with protest, after all, and the usual complaint that any such blockade is not only wrong but doomed to fail.

In the few days since the ruling was handed down, those prognostications have been borne out, as virtual private networks have seen a burst of new users, as has The Pirate Bay, which on the first day of the court-ordered block saw an increase in visitors to the tune of 12 million people!

That may seem like a terrible defeat for copyright owners, but it's really just the latest twist in a long war that pits seemingly intractable opponents, each of whom seems to acknowledge only its own reality, against one another. Users of The Pirate Bay and VPNs may be determined to enjoy the taste of the fruits of the internet to their hearts content for free forevermore, but as AVN has reported on, Torrent users in the U.S. are about to learn what it's like having their ISP track their downloading activity, with a little help from the MPAA and RIAA.  

According to TorrentFreak, "Under the agreement a third-party company will collect the IP-addresses of alleged infringers on BitTorrent and other public file-sharing networks. The ISPs will then notify these offenders and tell them that their behavior is unacceptable. After six warnings the ISP may then take a variety of repressive measures, which includes the option to cut off the offender’s connection temporarily."

It's not foolproof by any means, and does not cover cyberlockers and other portals immune to third party searches, but it is a regime of enforcement that bypasses the government in favor of private enforcement, which may or may not turn out to be the preferable way forward.

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Posted May 04th, 2012 04:01 PM

CANOGA PARK, Calif.—Free Speech Coalition (FSC) Executive Director Diane Duke and FSC Board Chair Jeffrey Douglas met today with Los Angeles City Administrator Miguel Santana and his staff to discuss the recently enacted condom ordinance for adult industry productions.

Duke and Douglas listened to the City Administrator's thoughts on the ordinance in general and the complications inherent in its implementation and enforcement specifically. FSC discussed constitutional issues raised by the ordinance and voiced concern over the potential for government overreach in its enforcement.

According to Duke, the meeting was very successful.

"We appreciate the opportunity to meet with the City Administrator, to communicate the industry’s concerns, and to receive information and clarification about the City's options for moving forward," she said.

In January, the condom ordinance for adult industry productions was signed into law by L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and went into effect on March 5. The L.A. City Council directed the City Administrator's Office (CAO) to organize the Adult Film Industry Working Group as the entity responsible for creating an implementation structure for the condom ordinance. According to CAO staff, the next meeting of that working group will be Friday, May 11th.

In related news, Duke also has started a three-part series explaining the details of the mandatory condom regulations in California, the first of which focuses on the LA condom ordinance and can be viewed at the FSC Blog.

The Free Speech Coalition is the national trade organization to the adult entertainment industry. Its mission is to lead, protect and support the growth and well-being of the adult entertainment community.

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Posted May 04th, 2012 02:04 PM

FERNDALE, Mich.—Nalpac is ready to celebrate LGBT Pride Month with products that are perfect for everyone.

This month Nalpac will be featuring products from Icon Brands, the makers of Falcon and Raging Stallion products; Colt Gear from California Exotics; Wet For Her, made for women by women; WaterSlide Personal Lubricant from Earthly Body; Wet Personal Lubricants; and MSC Innovations, makers of StreemMaster products.  These along with offerings from such industry leaders as Topco, Pipedreams, Doc Johnson and many will help to make this a Pride month to remember.

Nalpac Director of Operations Glenn Leboeuf said, “Nalpac is committed to providing the very best selection of products to our customers. In celebration of LGBT Pride Month, we are pleased to highlight the largest selection of products in the industry that are geared toward the LGBT community.”

Customers will be pleased to find many options for their Pride Month celebrations. All of Nalpac’s May features and specials are available to view at Nalpac.com/may2012.

For more information, or to place an order, visit Nalpac.com or contact your Nalpac Account Representative toll free at (800) 837-5946 or email sales@nalpac.com.

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