Kind of a weird question, though with the AVN convention coming up I can't help but ask to anybody who wishes to respond: What are your thoughts on groping at porn conventions? They have been called "groping fests." I was watching an interview with a performer at the AVN convention last year where the interviewer asked if he could feel her breasts, she said "yes," and he grabbed them right on camera and this is now on YouTube. Yes, he did ask first, though does just asking put pressure on performers to allow this whether they wish to or not? Is there an unwritten rule that performers should allow this at porn conventions? Is there unsaid pressure to say "yes?" Can they get a negative reaction if they say "no?" What have you observed?
Also, I realize some performers may touch fans too in certain places, assuming they're into it since they are fans and these are porn conventions.
I doubt people would even think to behave this way at other types of conventions. Like, if this were a nursing convention, would an interviewer even ask to feel a nurse's breast and then post this on YouTube? I imagine even asking this can get people kicked out of other types of professional conventions. Should it be different with porn conventions?
I never grope at these things. Don't even ask to. I know people do and I know some of the girls say it's okay but I would rather not bother them about that.
Too busy asking them questions and trying to get them to do an anal scene with me lol
good point\topic. i have thought about this too over the years. never been to one. seems like a huge grey area that could one day lead to trouble or allegations. in 2024 its hard to imagine groping being allowed in any public place whether the girls are cool or not. i am far from politically collect\woke but the whole atmosphere of these things seems a bit murky and creepy.
This already has led to trouble or allegations with Ron Jeremy. Groping was one of the things he was charged with and he's on camera doing this at porn conventions (not sure if it was consenual). While not excusing his behavior, a porn performer expressed sympathy for him saying that he didn't seem to enjoy doing this, but was just behaving how he was expected to. There was another situation involving Tasha Reign and Mr. Marcus at some porn convention. Tasha said Mr. Marcus sexually harrassed her, though he may have just thought he was being friendly upon seeing her again. He was apparantly blackballed from AVN as a result and security stopped Sean Michaels while walking down the red carpet before an AVN awards show. They told him to leave thinking he was Mr. Marcus, even though they don't resemble each other much physically other than both being bald Black men. Mr. Marcus is shorter (5'8) and stalkier while Sean Michaels is taller (6'3), leaner, and darker.
There are porn actresses that I've seen saying "this is my work, I'm just selling you a fantasy" and they can make very clear if they don't like that. But there could be also women who don't have a problem with being touched. Maybe a minority? I don't know, I can't be in the head of other people and say that all women who go around saying things like "I'm a huge slut" are all acting and lying, even if obviously there are also those who do that.
I could be wrong, but I feel that the important thing is consent, instead of saying that a behaviour is just bad in every case. The "me too" thing, while it had certainly many good reasons, has produced also a lot of excesses and I think it's better if a person can decide for herself. Than of course if someone goes and starts touching a performer without even asking anything, which was the case of Ron Jeremy mentioned, that's not ok.
I have attended in Vegas four times. Once past the "original shock of feeling I was the most normal fan in attendance - LOL", I was pleasantly surprised as to how very nice and sincere the girls that I chatted with were. Last attended in 2018. I have had lengthy, pleasant conversations with Ariana Marie, Allie Haze and Cadence Lux. Ariana marie was actually having lunch with a fellow performer when she recognized me from our earlier visit and asked me to join them. Of course this was 100% innocent as I was close to 60 at the time. She was most definitely very polite and kind. I was suyrprised as well to see how diminutive many of the girls were in person. All in all, I would reccomend visiting Vegas for this annual event,
^Read the article and not sure I'd call it a hustle. Some people might not know it's customary to tip and it may feel awkward to flat out tell them. Also, people might not otherwise think about the expenses performers spend to send themselves to conventions and all the work involved. Their input can be helpful not only for viewers, but also for performers considering participating in conventions. I wouldn't have just automatically known what to do.
If performers have their own booths, it's understandable that they pay their way. However, if they're signing at a company's both and marketing the company, I imagine the company pays their way, such as travel, lodging, etc. and pays them for their time on top of that? Not sure how that works, though.
I've only attended AVN a few times and was never representing a company and never had my own booth. I also don't ask for pictures or autographs. However, last year, Jada Kai said she liked my bag, which said "Are There Vegan Options?" as I was walking by. I thanked her and asked if she was vegan. She said she was and called me over, gave me a picture, and wrote on it, "Eat pussy, not animals." It was a cool experience since I don't go to performers on my own unless I know them. I didn't know who she was, yet I'm now a fan even though I haven't watched her scenes lol.
The AVN Expo starts tomorrow (Jan. 24) and I won't attend this year. Not because of the convention, just other obligations.
Of course nobody would ask to grope someone at another convention. But you would ask at a comic con convention if you can dress up like Spider-Man and pretend for a day to be Peter Parker. So at a porn convention yes you may ask to touch the butt of Violet Myers whom you have admired from afar for a very long time and might have told her on social media plenty of times before and got likes and/or replies back from her in return.
So I would say its not weird but just be respectful bc not all performers are ok with that. Definitely TIP the performer to show support as well. You shouldnt always have that mindset. Ive always wanted to go to AVN convention or an expo with the mind to just meet some of my fav performers in real life. Its one thing to interact with them and show them support from afar on social media and on their platforms like OF but its another thing to show them support in real life too. Ive heard of fans bringing them snacks and other things that they have asked for. But again groping shouldnt be solely on someone's mind to do. It should be respectfully asked to enhance the experience and again TIP the performer.
Right, I'm calling a spade a spade too and my statement stands also. It can just be about perspective and I'm not changing mine just because some people may disagree. They have every right to disagree like I have every right to disagree with them.
My better judgment is to not weigh in here, but I feel compelled to do so to support Tessa. These young women are working at these events and deserved to be unmolested and paid. I mean no disrespect and can't convey sentiment, but these women are selling fantasy and these venues are a way to promote themselves. This is a job. They deserve respect. When I bill a client, it isn't a hustle, it's my job. I just have a more conventional job.
Thank you for the reply and your input. Just some thoughts. What about look, but don't touch? Is Violet Myers okay with being asked that? What people could do instead is like what's discussed in the article linked to, let the performer give options and then the fan can decide what they wish to do within the options provided. People don't have to grope in order to meet performers, chat with them, get autographs, take pictures with them, etc. I realize this is treading on murky waters being a porn convention, so it isn't just like any others. Having watched the performers have sex and jerked off to them, people may feel more of an intimate connection with them than at other conventions such as real estate expos.
^ Again it varies for every performer. Some performers are ok if you ask them to grope. Some performers dont want every fan to do it but maybe some. Some performers will actually go out of their way to want you to grope them but again its all in a respectful manner. At these conventions just as shy as some of the fans are to finally meet their fav performer, the performer is shy as well or have anxiety but push through for the fans. We have to read the room and respect it. Its just basic manners which I assume we all have and use. Some people are just natural jerks and dont care so they will cross the line. Some cross the line because they just dont know in the moment. But if you dont know just ask. These conventions are supposed to be an great experience for the fans but they also should be a great experience for the performers. The last thing anyone should want is for the performer to have a bad experience which will lead her to never doing another convention again.
I just wanted to clarify what I had posted a couple days ago. My post was simply intended to be complimentary of the girls that I had spoken with for 15 minutes or so. I found those three, Ariana Marie, Cadence Lux, and Allie Haze to be exceptionally polite and kind. With those favorable experiences, I was suggesting that AVN week was a good experience.
I did not intend to create chaos, simply passing along an excellent experience.
^ I don't read this thread as you having caused chaos. You simply state that had the opportunity arisen (no pun intended) that you would have taken it. Any male alive would do the same! I think the additional discussion, though it's been respectful, was around describing what stars do at these events as a "hustle."
BTW - your line about feeling like the "most normal fan in attendance" gave me a chuckle. I've never been to one of these shows, and I don't ever plan to attend, but I think I know exactly what you're getting at.
^ Maybe Toronto, if that ever happened, but I suspect that it hasn't and won't. Montreal might work better for a Canadian show since Montreal has a bit of an openness to adult stuff.
I can imagine plenty groping goes on. Some girls would welcome it, while others would hate it. Personally, I wouldn't want to get involved with 'handling the goods' at one of these conventions. Sure, it'd be nice to squeeze a porn star's boobs or something, but it's like getting a taste of something you can't have.
Ill also add that if you are going to grope at these conventions please have good hygiene. Its to prevent sickness which we are already seeing girls getting sick which happens every year in AVN week. So for their sake and yours have good hygiene. Smile good, look good, be polite and respectful, TIP and if they are ok for you to grope then I dont think its weird. I think it will enhance the experience and make for great memories.
Last year, the AVN expo was spread out in about 4 different rooms. There was also the spacious concourse and hallway in between. It was centrally located right upstairs from the main casino area in a high traffic section of the hotel. However, this year I heard it's in a tent outside of the same hotel and more cramped in. What are your thoughts for anybody there this year? This isn't specifically about groping, except if people are in closer quarters, that can facilitate it or make it easier to accidentally brush into people. The few times I've been to AVN, it wasn't in a tent. Is this a first?
Came across this video on YouTube and though it's not specifically about groping, it connects with another topic that came up of this thread- which is performers charging fans for pictures or videos at porn fans' expos. Rickey, a content creator on YouTube and TikTok, was speaking with Sarah Jay and pretending that he wants to get into the porn industry and saying creepy things to her, such as that if he were a woman, he'd probably have A cup breasts because he has a small d*ck (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_W_RP5kDdc&t=364s) . She appears at around 6:30 in the video, is polite, and says it's $20 for the video. He doesn't give it to her right there and her security guy yells at him. The video is wrongfully titled "She Robbed Me!" considering that she's not shown taking anything from him. Seems like click bait.
Reading the comments section of this video and others, he gets lots of sympathy and she gets vilified. He presents himself as the nice one, yet he seems to be mocking her by flat out saying these awkward things and later saying in an interview that he wasn't really considering getting into porn. He told her he didn't have the money to pay her because he spent it on her Only Fans page, and then later said he never joined Only Fans. Being experienced, Sara caught onto this. She seems like a smart woman who can spot when people are "full of it." I sensed that too.
Though people posted comments vilifying Sara Jay for asking for $20 and then her security guy sending him away, I'm going to defend Sara- yet her security guy yelling at him was over the top. He could have just calmly led him away. Not sure if Sara always asks for money when people are video taping or interviewing her at expos, though she could have said this because he was commenting on "dick size" and pretending he was considering entering porn, which can be perceived as inappropriate even at porn expos when you've just met somebody. Why not talk to them like an actual person. She could have sensed he was mocking her.
Here are some other things that stand out in this video:
-Earlier parts of the video show him with Brandon Buckingham, another YouTube content creator, who interviewed Abella Danger at the AVN expo in 2023 ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mVOFsJDypg&t=69ss ). Abella took issue with the questions brandon was asking and made it known. I also expressed support for Abella. Being a sex worker, I can empathize with how sex workers may get tired of being asked the same shallow, cliche questions- some of which come across more as judgemental statements than actual questions no matter the intent. Rickey's video was at XXXotica Chicago, which I think was slightly after AVN in 2023. Thus, I don't think it's any coincidence that Rickey is on video asking around where Abella Danger is and she was polite when he finally found her. Though in Brandon's video at AVN, she was portrayed as the "mean" porn star and was vilified in the comments section. In Rickey's video, Abella was portrayed as the nice one and Sara and the "mean" one.
Posted Brandon's video in another thread and some comments were that he seemed like an edgelord or somebody who puts on a veneer of politeness to get people to sympathize with him, and they both seem like this.The type that acts nice on the surface while trying to mock sex workers. My way of dealing with this is to just make fun of myself lol. In terms of asking for money for photos or videos, some performers may feel awkward flat out saying this and the the way Sara was portrayed can add to this. Thus, it can be a good idea to have a sign up where it's very visible like some do. Not sure if Sara did or if she regularly does, or if she charged him because he was taking up her time to say sexually explicit stuff.
Novelty - review by Captain Jack
Posted - Jan 20 2024 : 1:46PM
