This is the third consecutive year we've reflected upon the past twelve months in the adult industry, headquartered in the San Fernando Valley, and again the statistics speak for themselves -- we traveled thousands of miles for a whopping 26 set visits, four award shows, two conventions, two collegiate visits, a recording studio visit, a movie premiere, and one benefit.
2011: The Adult Industry in Photos, Part 1 (SFW)
XRCO Awards 2011: Red Carpet, Part 1
Last week, the X-Rated Critics Organization held its 27th annual XRCO Awards at Highlands in Hollywood.
Hosted by Tom Byron and Inari Vachs, the boozy gala awarded prizes in 28 categories and inducted RayVeness, Tricia Devereaux, Jessica Drake, Lynn LeMay, Juli Ashton, Aurora Snow, Dave Cummings, Manuel Ferrara, and Peter Van Aarle into their Hall of Fame.
XBIZ Awards 2011: Red Carpet, Part 1
Earlier this month, the local adult business publication XBIZ held its ninth annual XBIZ Awards at the Hollywood Palladium. Hosted by Jesse Jane and comedian Whitney Cummings, the show awarded 106 prizes in five categories (Movies & Production, Web & Tech, Pleasure Products, Retail & Distribution, and Special Recognitions).
2010: The Adult Industry in Photos (SFW)
Thousands of miles, 12 set visits, 4 award shows, 2 conventions, 2 colleges, and 1 benefit.
Those were the statistics for LAist last year in covering the adult industry, headquartered in the San Fernando Valley.
Free Speech Coalition's 'Freedom Party' @ The Whisky, 9/1/10
Earlier this month, the Free Speech Coalition -- the adult association responsible for the recent anti-piracy PSAs -- threw its second annual benefit in conjunction with Hustler Hollywood, titled "The Freedom Party" and hosted by Tony Batman and Heather Chadwell, at the Whisky a Go Go in West Hollywood.
Box Office Review: Expendables Not Expendable!
The Expendables has legs, albeit creaky and wobbly ones. The Sly Stallone actioner hauled in $16.5M ($64.8M) to hold off shitty newcomer Vampires Suck ($12.2M | $18.5M). In close succession after that it was the silly Eat Pray Love ($12M | $47.1M), the mediocre Lottery Ticket ($11.1M), the okay The Other Guys ($10.1M | $88.1M) and the nude-tastic Piranha 3D ($10M).
Weekend Movie Guide: Piranha 3D Looks Awesome!
Is anyone else as excited to see Piranha 3D as I am? I am both shocked and delighted at the great critical response this paean to 80s jiggle flicks is receiving. In a completely different vein, The Tillman Story provides a searing look into the phony stories that our government tried to tell us about the "heroic" death of Tillman at the hands of the enemy. No, he was negligently -- not accidentally -- killed by his own troops. Kids movies are usually terrible, which is why Nanny McPhee Returns is such a welcome film. Take your kids this weekend. Jennifer Aniston movies are also usually terrible, and the same seems to hold for The Switch. Why is Jason Bateman slumming? Real quick: see A Film Unfinished; don't see Vampires Suck; don't see Lottery Ticket; see Mao's Last Dancer; and don't see The Scenesters.
2009: The Adult Industry in Photos
With the ongoing recession and continued threat of piracy, 2009 may have been tough for the multi-billion dollar adult industry, but it was also Sasha Grey's most prominent thus far. With the leading role in Steven Soderbergh's labeled her "The Dirtiest Girl in the World" and Fleshbot included her in their Top Ten Crush Objects of 2009 (NSFW). So it's no surprise that she will be honored with The Jenna Jameson Crossover Star of the Year at the AVN Awards this Saturday at the Pearl Theater inside the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.
2010 AVN Awards Nominations Announced
Last Wednesday, the nominations for the AVN Awards, considered the Oscars of the adult industry, were announced. Hosted by Digital Playground's Kayden Kross and Wicked Pictures' Kirsten Price, the 2010 edition will take place on January 9th inside the Palms Casino Resort at the Pearl Theater in Las Vegas. As in previous years, it will be held the week of the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo, which will be on January 7th-10th at the Sands Expo and Convention Center.
Erotica LA & F.A.M.E. Awards Expected to Draw 40,000
You've probably seen the billboards and other advertising promoting this weekend's Erotica LA at the LA Convention Center. While smaller in scale than AVN's Adult Entertainment Expo, the 13th annual incarnation is still the city's largest yearly adult consumer exposition, with predictions of over 40,000 people in attendance, many of whom will be women and couples.
Dispatch: AVN Adult Movie Awards, 1/10/09 (2/3)
Joanna Angel, nominated for 14 AVN Adult Movie Awards, including Jenna Jameson Crossover Star of the Year, blogged (NSFW) about her experience:
Dispatch: AVN Adult Entertainment Expo, 1/8-1/11/09 (3/3)
So what's the Adult Entertainment Expo like? Scenester photographer Igor from Driven By Boredom explained that "This is just a huge room filled with booth after booth of sex related things. Mostly porn companies in the front, but towards the back there are booths for hookers, strippers, sex toys and a lot of ugly clothes that only the biggest manor of scum bag would wear. (Discounting the rad kids at the I <3 Vagina booth)... I met a bunch of people and saw a lot of friends." It should be noted that while Igor didn't mention the marketplace on the lower level, his description of the upper level is mainly accurate.
Dispatch: AVN Adult Entertainment Expo, 1/8/09
As mentioned last Friday, the adult industry has gathered this week for AVN's annual Adult Entertainment Expo and Adult Movie Awards in Las Vegas, with the convention running through Sunday at the Sands Expo and Convention Center, and the awards show on Saturday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. And while Thursday, the first day of the convention, was only open to members of the adult industry and press, it will be open to the public from today onward.
Digital Playground's 'Pirates II: Stagnetti's Revenge' Screening and Q&A @ UCLA, 12/3/08
NOTE: See LAist's coverage of world premiere and UC Irvine's Sociology 69: Sociology of Sexuality.

