For the past month or so, there's been some scuttlebutt on the web and in the local media that Arizona could become a refuge for adult filmmakers eager to flee the recent law passed by L.A. requiring condom use in hardcore video shot within the city limits.
This speculative exodus of porn producers to Arizona is still very much up in the air, local adult film star Taryn Thomas says it's a definite possibility. Especially since there's been plenty of porn being made behind closed doors across the Valley, as New Times documented in the 2009 cover story on Thomas and Phoenix's burgeoning blue movie industry.
We spoke with Thomas recently about the likelihood of our town becoming the next epicenter of X-rated videos, as well as what she'll be doing at this weekend's Arizona Porn Star Ball in Tempe (which will also function as an adult film convention of sorts) and what it takes to be a "true" adult film star.
What's your take on the speculation that more porn companies will be moving to Arizona in the wake of the L.A. condom law.
There's a lot speculation, but Arizona is obviously being looked at. I mean, we're having our first porn convention this weekend. It's a big deal. But the fact of the matter is that people have been shooting porno in Arizona for quite some time now. Right now, there are already some big companies here already. And they're some major players. Pink Visual has their headquarters is in Tucson and that is one of the larger adult film companies in the business right. And then you have Lightspeed Media, which is one of the larger web companies for web stuff.
Have any major-name porn companies definitively stated they're coming to Arizona?
Companies are definitely looking at Arizona. The Arizona Porn Star Ball is definitely gonna bring a lot of people here and it's a very big sign of things to come. It's a sign that hello, what do you thinks coming here next, like bigger companies. So this is could be the next porn valley, we don't know yet.
But it isn't like the adult industry doesn't have some big plan. They're not going to paint a huge target on themselves by announcing they're moving to any state. Just say they're going there and that's that. Wherever companies choose to go - be it Miami, Las Vegas, Arizona, New York - its just going to happen. You also have to take in considerations that the [condom] law is only for L.A. County only. They may also go off grid and shoot outside of L.A.
How big is the porn industry in Phoenix and the whole state?
It's already like a mini-Porn Valley. There's a lot of web-only content that's shot here. We breed so many porn stars in Arizona it's not funny. There's a lot of it going on but does anybody even know we're shooting here? Probably not. I mean, really, we've been shooting porno here for quite some time and all the holy rollers want to think that we're gonna turn every area into the slums of south Phoenix. Scottsdale hasn't turned into skid row. And hell is not going to fly outta the sky when and if we were to shoot more porno here.
Have you encountered any negative reaction to the Porn Star Ball?
Not yet, but it seems like some Arizonans are super-conservatives have their heads up their asses about porn sometimes. Arizona hasn't seen anything like this before. And it [will be] a big sign of how big the porn industry is here. Sort of a way of fully coming out of the closet and saying, "Hey, we've been shooting here and that it could possibly get even bigger."
How is this year's Porn Star Ball different from the rest?
This year, the Porn Star Ball is also a porn convention that's open to the public during the day. Anyone can come out to the event. There's going to be lots of well-known porn stars there talking to people. Girls from all different companies and all different levels of performing status.
Are they going to be giving advice to anyone wanting to get into porn?
Yeah. It's a great time for people to come out and try and get into porn. Girls, guys, everyone can talk to us about getting into the business. Really, this convention is opening more doors than ever before.
Do you consider people who shoot stuff on webcams to be porn stars?
Absolutely not. Porn cannot just be shot with a webcam. You'd think it was just two people setting up a camera and fucking. Well, no. There's a lot more that goes into it. It's more like shooting a real movie. We go to a set, we have our call times, we have to go through hair and makeup, there's a stylist who picks out what we wear, and we have dialogue to learn. Even just a gonzo movie, that takes hours to shoot. And then if you're shooting a feature film which actually has lines and is like a real movie, there's craft services, the big truck that comes with the lighting. And those movies take three to 12 days to shoot.
Real porn is not just something you can throw together. Yeah, there's lots of amateur porn out there and webcame girls, but there's a difference between being a porn star and a web girl. I'm sorry, there just is.
Is it harder to sell your stuff in the age of rampant free porn online?
There are all those free porn tubes, but it's just like the music industry in a way. If the music industry is surviving with all the downloading and pirating, so can we. Porn's never going to go away. People will always need to see that erotic stuff. I don't care how many holy rollers say were gonna bring down society. We're here and we're not going anywhere. It's a real business.
On average, how many movies do you shoot in a month?
Well, I've been on a hiatus from other companies for at least the last five years. When I was working all the time and for companies other than my own [Taryn It Up Entertainment] it was at least five movies a week. I don't know if I'll be able to shoot 200-plus movies in a year again though. Some girls could shoot three movies a day if they wanted, but they're in danger of being burnt out.
Is it more socially acceptable to like porn these days than ever before?
I think it is more acceptable. Everyone I know watches porn. It's getting more and more commonplace to enjoy it. Of course you're always going to run into someone who's all like, "I'm more conservative," and yet they go on the computer and they have 20 pornos downloaded for free from the net. There are a lot of closet porn fans.
Is it a career goal to win an AVN award someday?
I've been nominated a bunch of times and, for me, being nominated to me is just as good as wining. AVN's are like the Oscars or Grammies of porn. I'm sure I'll win one someday. I did win the first-ever "Dirtiest Girl in Porn" award from F.A.M.E., which is the most important award in my entire career and is as big as any AVN award could ever be. The reason being is because the fans gave me that award. All award are equal to me and I think that every award is great.
So what was it like playing Snooki in that Jersey Shore XXX porn parody?
I had to get liposuction after doing that, because I had to gain so much weight to play her, like 20 pounds. I was a fan of Jersey
Since you're originally from New Jersey, was it hard to act like Snooki?
No, not at all. It was quite easy. I enjoyed it a lot. I was a fan or Jersey Shore so I had her down. The mainstream media coverage we got was phenomenal. I mean, I was in [Esquite] for that movie. I don't think there's many porn stars who can say that.
Right now, there are a slew of porno parodying pop cultural staples like Star Trek and Batman. Any plans to do any more parodies?
Absolutely. I'm launching a girl/girl-only production company soon and I don't know how many parodies we'll be able to actually do, but I'd like to do one for Sucker Punch. It would be a great parody.
Any other celebrities, television shows, or movies you'd like to parody?
I played Sandra Bullock in a Jesse James parody [that covered the couple's cheating scandal] and that was fun. But I'd like to do another Jersey Shore XXX and make it a series. I have to get back to performing and then see where it goes from here.
Will you be stripping or dancing during the ball?
I will be appearing there. I don't think I'll be fighting anybody in the cage [during the stripper cage matches] and I don't know if I'll be getting on stage dancing. But I may on Sunday if I'm drunk enough. Just kidding. I may, I haven't decided yet if I'll be dancing or performing. Definitely will be there signing stuff.
The Arizona Porn Star Ball takes place on Saturday and Sunday at 910 Live, 910 North McClintock Drive in Tempe. Tickets are $25 pre-sale, $50 for VIP access. Click here for more info.
