Las Vegas Weekly

The relationship between porn stars and fans goes both ways

Jesse Jane on the red carpet of the 2010 AVN Awards at the Pearl inside the Palms on Jan. 9, 2010.

Photo: Scott Harrison/Retna/www.harrisonphotos.com

Celebrities need their fans. After all, if nobody recognizes you and cares what you're doing, then you aren't a celebrity at all. You're just a person doing something. This much is true of anybody in the public eye — professional athletes, mainstream actors, runway supermodels or reality TV personalities.

Yet, not all celebrities are created equal.

"I don't want to say that anybody is stuck up," says established porn star Jesse Jane, "but porn stars have a different kind of relationship with their fans. You don't see most (mainstream) actresses naked. Our fans have seen us, and they feel like they really know you because they've gotten that intimate look."

That perceived closeness means fans often disclose a lot of personal details to stars, including what they do to themselves while watching videos. You have to be prepared for that and appreciate it for what it is, says Jane. "They're harmless," she says, "and it means they feel close to you."

With that in mind, many fans have come to expect more from their favorite porn stars than other celebrities, and typically porn stars are happy to oblige them with autographs, conversations and photographs. They have to in order to succeed in the industry, because whereas a mainstream actress might be able to rely on the movie's overall production or plot quality, most porn actresses don't have that luxury. Bigger-budget, higher-production quality adult films (like 2005's Pirates with its reported $1 million budget, or the upcoming Top Guns, whose trailer premiered this year at the Adult Entertainment Expo) aren't the industry norm. The desire to see a specific porn star naked and doing naughty deeds still is the biggest draw for most films. So keeping fans is crucial.

"It is so important for a company to be here at AEE and to do signings," explains Katy Zvolerin, public relations representative for Adam & Eve. "Those contract girls are the brand of the company. They're everything. Just having a booth and handing out the catalog wouldn't get you anything."

Jane agrees. She has a contract with Digital Playground and spent many hours at AEE signing autographs and taking photographs at DP's booth. "You have to show them you care and that you appreciate them," she says. "You have to keep the fans you have so they'll love you and keep buying your DVDs and products."

That admittance of need on the part of porn stars goes a long way with fans.

"A lot of celebrities feel entitled to their fans," says Jessica Montgomery, an Orange County resident who has traveled with her husband to AEE each January for the past four years. "Here they appreciate their fans a lot more. You can tell."

If you couldn't tell, it is unlikely AEE would have the following it does. Organizers estimate this year's attendance at 30,000 — most of those being fans. Some of those fans are putting down a pretty penny to attend. A one-day pass cost $80 and hotel room rates don't come cheap this week. Daily rates in the triple digits are reported at usually cheap hotels such as Hooters ($222!), the cost brought up dramatically because of the Consumer Electronics Show, which shares its show dates with AEE.

"It can be a lot of money to attend, especially that hotel room," concedes Jessica's husband, Jeff, "but it's something we enjoy doing."

Adds Jessica, "It's kind of like a treat we give ourselves at the beginning of the year, because we always have to work during the holidays. People might look at is as weird or whatever, but there are so many worse things we could be doing. We're not doing drugs or doing anything illegal."

Jeff agrees. "It's our hobby. Plus, considering all the people here and what you get for what you pay for, we think it's worth it. You get a good bang for your buck."

No pun intended.