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Tag Archives: B.Skow
AEE 2017: Kasey Warner
by Rich Moreland, February 2017
My thanks to Girlfriends Films for providing some of the photos in this post.
Talking with the stars of films I've reviewed is always a treat. At this year's Adult Entertainment Expo, Kasey Warner fell my way, an expected surprise.
A text and a meeting at the AVN booth led to an interview after her signing time.
I'm interested in Kasey's perspective on B Skow's Color Blind, a film that was nominated for Best Drama, Best Director, and Best Screenplay at this year's Awards Show.
She plays an unsighted girl who falls in love with a man of color.
To read my review of this socially significant film, click here.
I Can Hear Your Voice
I asked Kasey how she prepared for her role.
"B Skow sent me some clips of a girl on YouTube and said study her videos and pick up on her mannerisms so you can play a convincing blind girl," Kasey remembers.
At first, this adorable brunette realized that the YouTube girl wasn't doing the things that seemed "stereotypically blind," something she would have to take into consideration in her acting.
"At the beginning of filming I was trying to portray a blind person as blind people actually are, but then as it went on, [I started] doing the things that people do when they act blind."
She references her eyes shifting around, for example.
Skow picked up on her mannerisms, understandable because he directed Maddy O'Reilly in Daddy's Girls who also plays a girl without sight.
Kasey recalls his reminder, "'Don't look at people in the eyes, [because] you can't see.'"
It was a struggle at first and she remembers telling Skow, "I can hear your voice and I can center my ears to find your voice. So it's kind of hard trying to find a medium between a realistic blind girl and a girl that people could watch and say, 'Oh, she's blind.'"
But, she pulled it off!
Feeling it Out
The opening scene in the kitchen sets the tone for a powerful film. Were the scenes shot in lockstep with the screenplay?
"That actually was the first thing we filmed. I don't think every scene was filmed in chronological order, but I do think that the team tried to have it that way because for professional actors it is a little bit easier to go through the movie and kind of feel it out as you go," Kasey replies.
"By the second day I was is in the groove of a blind girl," Kasey notes with a smile.
And that was no mean feat.
"When you're shooting a porn movie you don't get as much time to practice," Kasey explains. "You don't have a table read, you don't have run-throughs. So I definitely felt like as it went on I got more into my role, so that was good."
No doubt, her performance is impressive.
Not Typical Gonzo
Kasey's sex scene with Isiah Maxwell is far from a gonzo shoot. There's a gentleness in it.
How did she balance being sightless and romantic at the same time?
"I was obviously already in the character and I love Isiah. He's the sweetest guy in the world so it's not hard to have him be my boyfriend and be all lovey-dovey with him."
Because of her character's circumstances, "each scene is a whole new experience" for the girl, Kasey says, and "I was able to use that to make it seem like it was new for me."
In other words, her scenes had authenticity.
I suggest that losing virginity in the real world is hardly a romantic experience.
Kasey concurs.
"I read one review where they didn't like the sex scene and I understand that because it's not your typical gonzo scene and it's not me riding like a crazy person. I am a blind girl from a sheltered racist family losing my virginity. It's supposed to be kind of scary, timid, and very emotional and romantic because that's what it is."
Fans should understand that portraying a certain character does not mean every sex scene is an Adriana Chechik scene, Kasey points out. (Adriana plays her sister in the film and was voted AVN's 2017 Female Performer of the Year).
She says fans often want gonzo "to be every scene" but her character's situation doesn't lend itself to that. "I'm not going to be on top, doing crazy stuff like 'choke me, Isiah!'" Kasey laughs.
Filming with Skow
"I love shooting with B Skow because he allows me to do scenes that aren't just, 'Be my Stepdad, Again!' It was really nice to be able to shoot a movie that really had some meaning behind it," Kasey says.
Picking up on Color Blind's theme, this East Coast girl remarks, "It was nice to do an interracial movie where the whole point is that we're all the same."
The idea is important to Kasey because she was on board with IR shoots as soon she entered the industry. It seemed natural to her, but she was in for a surprise.
"I didn't know that some girls hold out on that."
But no matter. Even if she had been aware of not doing everything right off the bat, Kasey wouldn't have changed her approach to her career when it came to IR.
"It's dumb to discriminate. The whole point of me being blind is I can't see color so I'm the girl who says, 'Why shouldn't I have sex with this guy, I love him. He's great.'"
At this point, Kasey interjects that too much of interracial porn is gonzo-centered, just another white girl banged by a black guy. "Usually it's like, 'Woo, you're my black babysitter!' I don't know, some dumb stuff [like that]."
Focusing on Emotion
I've reviewed enough B Skow films to understand his intensity and his endearing maverick status. I explore this idea with Kasey.
What makes Skow such a spirited and impassioned director?
"He refuses to adhere to what porn says he should do to make the most money. He's not going to shoot the most generic, asinine thing just because 'Big Butts 37' is going to sell more than a politically, racially-fueled movie with a message," Kasey says.
"He really cares and he doesn't care that some people might not like it. This is what is important to me. It's nice to shoot with directors who are passionate [about their work]," Kasey explains.
"That allows me to do a good scene because it's hard for me to care if the director doesn't."
My final question on the film concerns its shocking finale.
Because her theater experiences in her student days enables her to feel empathy for the characters she plays, Kasey is good at focusing on emotion and that showed up as the film closes.
But there is more. Kasey praises Steven St. Croix's portrayal of her racist father. His intensity created the energy she absorbed to enhance her performance.
Steven St. Croix.
Photo courtesy of AVN media
Were her tears spontaneous?
"Yeah. I was like it would be cool if I cried but I didn't mean to. But the emotion was building up, I let it happen.
"The PA had to leave the room because he was going to start crying. Because there was so much emotion, I garbled through the speech a little bit. I was glad they were able to get the crying and the speech through editing."
Sexology?
Kasey and I are from the same part of the country, just outside Washington, DC, a continent away from LA. This interview is like old home week for us so I inquire about her background.
What motivated her to go into porn?
The school she was attending had a stem program (science, technology, engineering, math), Kasey explains, but it was not for her.
"I'm not really into any of that. I just went there because they gave me a big scholarship."
She didn't much care for her classes.
"I wanted to pursue a culinary career or get a degree in sexology and study human sexuality professionally.
"So I'd be sitting in my room just watching porn—not masturbating or anything—thinking this is really good porn, you know, just appreciating the cinematography and the acting. It occurred to me, 'Hmmm, that's an actual job that people have. I'm eighteen, a young cute girl, I could do that.
"So I just packed up and moved to California and started working."
Aren't we glad she did.
Tagged as Adriana Chechik, Adult Entertainment Expo, B.Skow, Color Blind, Daddy's Girls, gonzo porn, IR porn, Isiah Maxwell, Kasey Warner, Maddy O'Reilly
February 7, 2017 · 5:06 pm
The 2017 AEE Extravaganza: Part Two
My thanks to AVN's Dan Miller, Brian Gross, and Jill Hagara for making my visit to the show enjoyable. Their hard work cannot be appreciated enough.
Also, special kudos is extended to my favorite PR company, StarFactory. Thank you Tanya and Alex!
Rarely do I get to attend all the seminars that pique my interest and this year's AEE was no exception. Nevertheless, I did make a few.
On the show's opening day, the seminar on money was super informative.
Tasha Reign, Alan Gelbard, Lee Roy Myers, Adam Grayson, Nate Glass
Hosted by sociologist Dr. Chauntelle Tibbals, the panel discussed turning a profit in a time of piracy. Attorney Alan Gelbard set the tone with a statement that at first seemed a capitulation but as the seminar went on, proved to be the most salient. Money can still be made in this age of tube sites and free porn, he said, and pointed out that "the music industry has figured out a way to let the piracy just be there."
Lee Roy Myers
Filmmaker Lee Roy Myers of the parody website WoodRocket got it right when he insisted that everyone should maintain ownership of their content and "choose to give it away." In reality, this seeming anomaly sells traffic to your site at a time when "less and less people are paying for porn in traditional ways."
Evil Angel's Adam Grayson's assertion that identifying niche markets can turn a profit for your content through a reliable customer base made sense when thinking of porn as subgenres that capture pieces of the larger adult universe.
On the practical side to the money equation, a company like Nate Glass's Takedown Piracy can be a great benefit to all producers in protecting their content.
Before the panel began, I spoke briefly with Nate Glass and met Chauntelle for the first time, a real treat.
Thursday afternoon offered up the seminar on the legal battles that may lie ahead with the incoming Trump administration.
After attorney Clyde DeWitt recounted the history of the Meese Commission's pursuit of pornographers in the 1980s, Reed Lee, First Amendment scholar from Chicago and a member of the Free Speech Coalition, calmed nerves somewhat when he asserted that "history is on our side" and the "clear march of social progress is in our favor."
Nevertheless, Free Speech Coalition's President Eric Leue emphasized that passivity can no longer be the watchword and that everyone has a dog in this fight. In other words, support FSC.
Clyde DeWitt, John Stagliano, Eric Leue, J Michael Murray , Reed Lee, and moderator Mark Kernes
Outside the hall, I had a moment to catch up with Colin Rowntree of Wasteland.com who plays both host and panelist when needed at these seminars. We talked about the possible political outcomes that face the industry.
Later that same day, another panel highlighted the increasingly independent role of women in adult.
Filmmaker Angela White said it best, "if you think porn is degrading, then you probably think sex is degrading." Her words stressed the message of this seminar aptly named R-E-S-P-E-C-T that focused on celebrating empowered people who are comfortable with their sexuality. Moderated by Chauntelle Tibbals, the panel also included filmmakers Kay Brandt and Bree Mills.
Interestingly, an audience question led to a brief sparring over the interpretation of words. At issue was the concept of "feminist porn" which may be giving way these days to the idea of "ethical porn."
Is the sun setting on "feminism" in the industry as some attendees seemed to hint?
AEE is a constant round of rockin' and rollin', but there is occasional downtime, or to be honest, the need to take a break. I found a few minutes in the press room where the always upbeat Jill Hagara took some time for a chat. We've know each other for a few years now and she is a delight.
More relaxation moments came at the small Dunkin' Donuts shop right off the casino where the convenient access for a quick coffee attracts industry people.
I talked with performer Daisy Layne after running into her earlier in the hallway.
Amber Jo
A statuesque beauty named Amber Jo sidled up next to me with her java and Boston cream doughnut in hand. She's networking, AJ said, and that began an informative chat.
Later Amber posed for my photographer and I offered to do a story on her. She's an exotic dancer from the Midwest who has thoughts of LA and the biz. Stay tuned to see what happens with this gorgeous girl. Maybe a new star will soon be on-screen!
Setting up interviews is never easy and once again this year I relied on the best PR people in the business, Star Factory, whose watchwords are dependability and reliability. Their clients do not flake on the press.
With the help of Steve Nelson, the editor of AINews.com, I usually nail down a couple of people for impromptu interviews. This year the highlights were the previously mentioned Emma Hix at Foxxx Modeling and Kasey Warner, the star of B Skow's Color Blind. Kasey and I are from the same part of the country which made our talk special.
Speaking of Skow, his productions are distributed by one of my favorite companies, Girlfriends Films. As mentioned in part one of this post, Moose, the company president, invited me to the GFFs suite for a morning coffee on Thursday, a great way to start the day.
Kudos to AVN
Eventually, a text helped me find AVN's senior editor, Dan Miller. I first met Dan's warm personality and infectious smile when he was with XBIZ.
We took a few minutes to discuss the passing of adult film historian Bill Margold (Dan did a wonderful obit for AVN online) and I mentioned that this year's show was well-organized, enriching everyone's experience from fan to media.
James Deen and Dan Miller
Photo courtesy of AVN
Helping to make this year's AEE enjoyable were some not so subtle changes in the "feel" of the show.
The club music in The Joint wasn't nearly the volume of the past which made conversation easier–a boon when one carries around a digital recorder–the lighting much improved, and best of all, the traffic flow was smoother among the various rooms. Thank you AVN!
After experiencing the breezy atmosphere of the Sands Center some years ago, I was doubtful AVN could pull everything off in a more broken up environment. And at first it was a challenge, but the bugs have been worked out.
On the downside, there was one thing distinctly different this year: the weather. The days were cloudy, very cool, with periods of rain, the same weather pattern I left back home. The only difference, it seemed, were the trees. I'm not used to seeing rain, mist, and palm trees!
Despite that, inside the Hard Rock the action was invigorating and informative.
I encourage everyone to visit next year, or to put it another way, attending AEE at least once in your adult life should be on your bucket list.
Tagged as Adam Grayson, Alan Glebard, Amber Jo, Angela White, AVN, B.Skow, Bill Margold, Bree Mills, Brian Gross, Clyde DeWitt, Color Blind, Daisy Layne, Dan Miller, Dick Chibbles, Dr. Chauntelle Tibbals, Emma Hix, Eric Leue, Foxxx Modeling, Free Speech Coalition, Girlfriends Films, J Michael Murray, Jill Hagara, Kasey Warner, Kay Brandt, Lee Roy Myers, Mark Kernes, Nate Glass, Reed Lee, Starfactory, TakeDownPiracy, Woodrocket
Color is only Color: A Review of B Skow's Color Blind
by Rich Moreland, October 2016
B Skow believes a little political incorrectness teaches all of us an important lesson. In Color Blind, he attacks racial stereotyping in broader society while offering support for diversity in the adult film business.
Every Single Day
Meal time in the family kitchen opens Color Blind. Along with daughters Noelle (Kasey Warner) and Shauna (Adriana Chechik), Mom (Reena Sky) and Dad (Steven St. Croix) are watching the evening news . . . sort of. Noelle is unsighted; her vision is hearing and touch.
A small television is positioned on the counter behind Noelle and for the family, especially Dad, watching it means looking past his daughter. It's an image that defines where this film is going.
The year is 1992 and rioting is devouring South Central Los Angeles as the African-American community protests the arrest of Rodney King. Clips of what we sadly see too much of today—looting, vandalism, and general mayhem—move front and center in the opening moments of Color Blind.
B Skow has set the mood. Dad and his daughters will ultimately clash like the chaos on the streets.
By the way, this is a working class family that doesn't live in LA. Shauna flippantly mentions her all-knowing father should move to California to straighten things out.
Steven St. Croix in another B Skow film, Proud Parents
Dad goes through a litany of stereotypes, suggesting the modern large screen TV is the black man's "forty acres and a mule," a reference to the expectations of freedmen immediately after the Civil War.
To set the record straight, they got sharecropping and an unrelenting cycle of poverty instead.
Relying on a history he interprets only in sound bites, Dad, an angry replay of Archie Bunker, offers one of his own. He calls the rioters, "dumb shits."
Later when racist language comes unexpectedly from a frustrated Noelle, he reacts with shock, wanting to know who "taught" her the nastiest of all words.
"You did, every single day without saying a word!" she screams.
Color Blind pokes fun at stereotyping by using stereotyping.
Fried chicken, corn on the cob, and iced tea, a favorite menu in the South, grace the family table. Dad reminds everyone that basketball and unprotected sex are cultural staples in the black community though, unbeknownst to everyone, he has an African-American stripper girlfriend (Layton Benton) on the side.
But in Dad's mind, that's okay. A little cheating never hurt anyone and don't black women crave sex anyway?
Incidentally, he does her bareback in the movie's third sex scene.
Fed-up with his tirades, Shauna sarcastically says she'll iron his KKK shirt because he'd "make a great wizard" in a statement that carries a double meaning: the racist Grand Wizard and the 19th century Populist vision of the Wizard of Oz, who is nothing more than political hot air (Donald Trump, anyone?).
Later Shauna mentions that her father caught her with her "pants down" using a dildo she affectionately calls "a big, black cock." We see her frolic with the satisfier in a well-shot scene.
By the way, there's more to come for Shauna when flirting with Tyson (Jovan Jordon) works to her advantage.
Skow takes one more shot at stereotypes when Dad speaks with Noelle. He mentions the word "special" and how God makes some people different from others, creating more than one interpretation of "special."
Of course, it's his way of telling Noelle that her blindness is her burden, making her "different" in a good way.
His attitude changes when she challenges him about the "different" people on TV. They are not special, he says, in so many words.
It's the height of hypocrisy.
What makes Color Blind a must-see film is its social statement. The groundwork is laid early when a pair of Bible sellers, Mathew (Isiah Thomas) and Tyson show up at the front door. They "are reaching out" to their neighbors, "extending the hand of friendship," they announce.
The African-American brothers are a bit uncomfortable peddling the "Good Book" in a neighborhood that is alien to them. To soothe the way, Mathew remarks that "love is blind, color is only color, skin is just skin."
Of course, Dad will have none of this and slams the door. But the girls are persuaded; the brothers have much to offer emotionally and physically (this is a porn film, after all) which is the narrative's remaining journey.
Speaking of sex scenes, all are solid and three are interracial which carries a stereotype of its own as I have heard in the industry.
Two stand out. First is Kasey Warner/Isiah Maxwell. . . . not the usual porn fare. Tender and warm, it's the sexual awakening of a girl for whom color is meaningless. Remember, touch is part of Noelle's vision that makes this sex scene unique.
On the other hand, for gonzo fans Skow includes an extended anal romp featuring Jovan Jordan and the raunchy interracial sweetheart of this film, Adriana Chechik.
Jovan Jordan
Not a Single Color
The final ten minutes is the movie's tour de force, but the resolution is traumatic and thought-provoking. Not surprisingly, the word "boy," another stereotype, makes an appearance.
In an overwhelming moment, Noelle shouts at her father, "I've never seen a single color in my entire life," deflating the central stereotype of Color Blind. What the eyes see is too often culturally programmed and not individually felt.
Simply put, everything is neutral until given meaning.
Accolades are extended to Steven St. Croix who holds the narrative together with superb acting. He captures the Archie Bunker persona perfectly. Also, Kasey Warner handled a difficult role beautifully, perhaps learning a thing or two from Maddy O'Reilly who plays a blind daughter in another Skow production, Daddy's Girls.
And let's not forget that Reena Sky delivers an entertaining scene with Steven St. Croix and Adriana Chechik is as fine a gonzo girl as can be found, plus she can act.
B Skow takes chances with Color Blind. In fact, he's courageous beyond any adult director I know. His work moves past the tepid political/social statements we usually see in porn while keeping the genre going with explosive sex scenes.
So where does this leave Color Blind?
Rodney King, whose arrest sparked the 1992 riots, said in retrospect, "Can't we all just get along?"
That is the question Skow presents in this dynamic film and for those in our society who can't, the consequences can be dire.
Color Blind is a product of B Skow for Girlfriends Films and can be ordered from the website.
Tagged as Adriana Chechik, B.Skow, Color Blind, Isiah Maxwell, Jovan Jordon, Kasey Warner, Layton Benton, Reena Sky, Steven St. Croix
March 7, 2016 · 9:12 am
The Meaning of Consent: Directors
The series of posts on consent in the adult industry begins with the directors.
Directors are the captains of the porn ship, so to speak. Everyone's job on set is smooth sailing when the weather is good. . . until a disgruntled performer stirs turbulent waves that can wash over everyone's day.
From a director perspective, coaxing anyone to go beyond their limits invites turmoil, such as speed dialing an agent to complain. If anyone walks, kill fees are offered to keep peace and the day is lost.
Though I've never seen this on any set I've visited, I've often observed models interacting with each other before their scenes. It's not idle conversation. They are taking care of business, clarifying what they are good to go with and what they are not. It calms the waters.
Though directors have different levels of flexibility, they review the scene with talent before shooting commences and often work a camera themselves.
I queried two award-winners, the legendary Dan O'Connell and B Skow of Girlfriends Films, and got responses corroborated by performers who have worked for them.
Here's Dan's view. He shoots only girl/girl scenes, by the way.
"[Consent] has never been an issue on my sets. Everyone arrives knowing what is expected of them. We talk about the sex scene beforehand and go over each girl's 'don'ts.' So nobody goes into the scene not knowing what to expect.
"I tell every girl that she can, should, and is encouraged to stop the scene if she wants to use the bathroom, consume water or discuss what's going on. Nobody has ever stopped a scene except for water, to use the bathroom or blow her nose."
Dan O'Connell discusses the scene with Jorden Kennedy and Aidra Fox
B Skow sends a similar message.
"I never shoot scenes that push limits like the type that Kink.com or James Deen shoot, but I can tell you if I felt either performer was uncomfortable, I would stop shooting and make sure everyone respected each other's boundaries and start shooting again if we all agreed."
B Skow
Skow does mostly boy/girl work, shooting gonzo and features. In Dan's case, his content is the vignette, a short story with a sexual theme. My reviews of their films, which are offered on DVD, can be found on this blog and my column at AINews.com.
The Feminist View
For a theater-oriented director like Jacky St. James, whose content is marketed by New Sensations/Digital Sin, her set is geared to bring out a performer's acting ability.
Jacky says, "I don't delve too deeply into what is required of a performer prior to a shoot unless I am tackling territory that might be challenging for them."
She mentions The Submission of Emma Marx, an award-winning three-feature series she wrote and directed, as an example of establishing limits. Jacky wanted to make sure the star, Penny Pax, "was comfortable with each of the BDSM activities we were going to film."
Jacky St. James
Overall, the feminist director emphasizes, "I would never ask talent to do something that made them uncomfortable. Basically I set the precedence that they must be prepared and work hard…and I'll help take care of the rest. I want to make their lives easy on set so that we can really focus on the most important components of the production, namely, nailing their characters."
Gonzo on the Internet
Internet sites, natural vehicles for gonzo or all-sex shoots, aim to satisfy the sexual tastes of their online members. How does this influence limits?
To explore that question, I chatted with Billy Watson who directs for the DogFart Network, an interracial conglomerate of over twenty sites. He runs his own studio in LA and has a variety of sets available for his scenes.
"Essentially, when someone walks into my studio, I always go over what's expected and what I want and what I need," Billy begins.
He uses licensed agents exclusively and relies on them to tell the girls what the shoot entails, "so they know what they are getting into when they come here." He mentions gang bang and cuckholding scenes as examples.
While the girls are in the make-up chair, a feature of Billy's studio complete with artist on hand, he reviews the scene coming up, everything from "the sex positions themselves to what names we can call them during the shoot."
Responses that vary from "Oh, you can call me anything, I don't care," to "Don't call me a bitch," and everything in between. The same with on-screen behavior. The native Arizonan gives the following example, "Pull my hair, choke me, but don't spit on me," or "You can spit on me, but just don't choke me. You can slap this part of my butt . . . whatever."
For the DogFart people, it seems language is a sticking point. Occasionally in a gang bang scene the girl will explicitly state she does not want to be called a bitch. "Invariably somebody will actually slip," Billy comments with a shrug.
Apologies immediately follow, "'Oh my God, I didn't mean to do that,'" and the shoot moves on.
A Tricky Thing
However, Billy runs into an issue most other directors don't encounter.
Billy Watson
"We show a lot of interracial porn and a lot of the members love it when the girls call the guys the n-word. This is a tricky thing because it goes both ways."
Some male performers don't mind. In fact it cranks up their engine. However others "won't accept that kind of language."
Has he had an incident that caused filming to stop?
"No, never. I've never had any kind of drama because we're really careful not to violate anybody's boundaries."
Billy checks member responses
There are times, however, when "my boss says the members are looking for a really crazy, over-the-top scene."
In those cases, Billy will book a girl with guys who are comfortable around the n-word. But that may not apply to all the male performers that day and the ones who don't want such language directed at them will make their boundaries known.
In this reversal of the norm, it's the men who feel violated.
Billy recalls a particular shoot that starred a model who was free with questionable language. It was a ten-man gang bang and getting all male talent on the same page had its issues.
"A couple of the black guys came up to me and said, 'that girl's not going to call me a n—' and she had to hold her tongue because I didn't want the black guys to get upset with her."
Performers have hinted to me in casual conversation that there are some directors who will look the other way when problems arise.
Bringing this up with Billy evokes an honest assessment.
"It depends on the producer and director and your crew. There's still some people in this business who think the girls are kind of like chattel. Bring them in [and do what you want] because we'll never shoot her again."
However . . .
"A lot of those guys seemed to have gone away," he remarks.
"The 2008 perfect storm killed a lot of those dudes. [That's when] Brazzers perfected the tube site, basically the fine art of piracy. They all started off as search engine guys in the early 2000s and have gone on to all the things they've done to ruin this business."
Or challenged it, for sure. But they may also have run off the worst of the lot when it comes to ignoring the performer.
Tagged as Aidra Fox, B.Skow, Billy Watson, consent in adult film, Dan O'Connell, Dogfart Network, Girlfriends Films, Jacky St. James, Jorden Kennedy, New Sensations/Digital Sin
Your Personality and the Passion
Here is the conclusion of a recent day on a B Skow shoot for Girlfriends Films. My overall impression is the same as I have on other shoots I've visited. With a strong sense of camaraderie, people in adult film work very hard to produce a quality product.
Getting everything together for the next scene
After the first sex scene is completed, everyone is breaking and moving equipment around for the next episode which will lead to Marie's trying out this whole whorehouse business.
Out of the corner of my eye I pick up a flash passing on my left and Iris Rose scoots in front of me (a remarkable feat considering in bustier and heels!) to follow it.
Chad White, her shooting partner, has arrived and they will get acquainted, or perhaps reacquainted.
B Skow returns to his computer to finish the day's final scene.
He reviews for me the schedule in getting this film made. There are four sex scenes. Two were shot yesterday with Iris also on set. The film is a two-day project though the boxcover and editing are still on the horizon.
I ask about editors and Skow mentions he uses four. Each has a different style or specialty and he selects the editor (or editors) based on what the film requires.
The Sex was very Nice
While waiting for the crew to set up, my assistant and I sit down with Marcus Bay. We're outside on the veranda of an adjoining building.
The athletic Russian started in porn in 2006; he just recently came to America.
"I lose my virginity at eighteen," Marcus says. Two months later he was into porn at the urging of a photographer friend. Not an easy step, by the way, because Marcus' grandmother was raising him and the thought of shooting adult film was not in his life plan.
But he showed up on the set, saw the girls, and the rest was easy.
"I was horny," the twenty-seven year old declares and immediately took to the business. A little help from legendary performer/director Rocco Siffredi and a move to the states happened.
Marcus talks attitude, mentioning that some performers are just in the business for the money, not the passion. Respect is also important to him. He is always accommodating to the girls as was evident in his scene today.
His secret to success is energy, Marcus says, which he gets from the people around him. That's important because "everyday you shoot for [a] different company." Each has its own style and expectations which requires extra zip for some scenes.
Good conversation with a rising male star on this side of the Atlantic
Today's shoot was oriented toward "romantic sex" and the girl, Karter, was shy, Marcus comments. At the beginning "I was very quiet, a gentleman, and she relax," he explains with a smile. Then Marcus repeats Rocco's tutelage. It's "all about your personality and the passion, how you talk." The real "man" is inside and Marcus wants this to come out to his co-stars.
By that he means he is not like many guys in porn who are buffed and tattooed with macho attitudes to match.
The handsome Russian wants to put everyone at ease. He describes what happened today.
Karter is new to the business and getting a handle on a comfort zone is not always easy. But everything worked out and she gave a good performance. "The sex was very nice," Marcus says.
Marcus giving Karter the gentle touch
Photo courtesy of Girlfriends Films
Finally, he adds what we noticed. There were a lot of people around the set which made the shoot challenging for Karter. But she overcame the hesitancy of the moment.
"It was a very good scene, nice girl . . . she will grow up so much in this business," the European star believes.
Marcus's assessment is on target. The scene did progress well. Lots of kissing with Skow softly reminding the couple "pretend I'm not here." A question of how to stage the pop shot arose and was quickly resolved to everyone satisfaction.
With an effective concluding touch, Skow has Marcus re-dress Karter, returning the final images to their beginning.
Next up is the conclusion for the day, the scene featuring Iris and Chad White. If Karter is quiet, Iris is an erotic thunderstorm!
This is Your Fetish
Chad has smiling eyes and a boyish charm that makes him the perfect partner for the eager Iris. He is on his back in bed and Iris, as Marie, enters with a shocked look (remember she is trying out this brothel thing).
The scene is playful and erotic.
Skow explains what he wants before they get started
Skow reminds them a water fetish is the shoot's focus and says politely, "no joking, this is your fetish and you need it . . . both of you will be clean" when the water is sprinkled and dripped around.
So the male veteran and the "fresh off the bus" starlet execute a perfect scene. There's lots of foreplay with a wash cloth and water before the hardcore banging gets under way.
Iris Rose is a sexual dynamo and Chad guides and caresses her performance.
The water fetish sets the atmosphere of the scene
To help make the shots bright and the action come alive, the crew moves the lighting around to catch the best angles.
While waiting for the crew to set up for the sex scene, Chad White relaxed with my assistant and me by the fireplace for a quick interview. Later when the day was complete and checks were written for services rendered, we continued on the patio.
It's all about Mood
Chad talks about male standards of attractiveness in the business and points out that a large manhood and great abs sell films. Unfortunately, a good-looking guy may not always be a girl's first choice in filming. Like Marcus earlier, Chad stresses the importance of attitude.
Before the shooting starts, it's Chad's habit to get to know the girl.
"I'll walk straight up to her and say 'hi,' and try to give her a hug."
This is a process the helps him "read body language to try to understand her mood."
"If the girl is into it, if she's sexual, if she tries to touch me a little bit," he remarks, "that's good."
In other words, he's looking for positive communication because his job is to get her primed for the sex. "I want to feel the emotional connection," Chad says.
During his almost four years in the industry, he has come to certain conclusions about the business and the girls in it.
About half of the newbies are here for the money, he observes, though he quickly adds that is not true of Iris.
"Today, she wanted to get fucked."
From this native Californian, that is praiseworthy of a potentially rising star. "That's your job," he adds, "the money should just come along with it."
From his experience, Chad White estimates that "nine out of ten" girls who make porn a career are here primarily for the sex. That is what moves this business forward.
What the average fan often misses is how important men are to a girl's success. Her popularity is a product of her attitude, of course, but the talented guys who work with her should never be dismissed out of hand.
Indeed. Watching Chad and Marcus Bay at work reveals how vital they are.
By late afternoon, the house is returning to its pre-shoot space. My lovely associate takes a few final pictures and gets our stuff together.
On our way back to LA, she mentions how impressed she is with everyone we met on this excursion into the north canyon country.
"Everybody is so nice," she exclaims, then mentions without comment from me something I learned years ago. People who don't know anything about the adult industry have such a biased judgmental view of it.
How true, but on this day at least, those within the orbit of commercialized adult film have enlightened one open-minded young woman.
Another shooting day completed
Tagged as adult film, B.Skow, Chad White, Girlfriends Films, Iris Rose, Karter Fox, Marcus Bay
I Should Have Been Here from Day One
This is the first of a two-part series on set with Girlfriends Films director B Skow. My thanks to the company for accommodating my visit.
Pulling into a private driveway north of Los Angeles, my trusty associate and I are unsure of our location. We'd already miscalculated once, ending up on a someone's back country lane.
Sometimes porn is shot in the most romantic places!
Everything is quiet except the heat which is reaching for 100 degrees. Then the giveaway, a shaded front yard with cars parked everywhere.
After adding ours to the group, we walk up to the home. Inside a set of open double doors I immediately notice a large painting which I had seen in a previous Girlfriends shoot.
Finally, the right place!
The first person we run into has the warmest smile imaginable. He's Alex a cameraman for B Skow, the director of the shoot we've finally located.
Next we greet Sabrina, today's PA. She and I had met previously a couple of years ago.
They show me the day's line-up. First scene is Karter Fox and Marcus Bay; the second, Iris Rose and Chad White.
A word about Sabrina before moving on. She's been with Girlfriends for a number of years and is a true "jack of all trades." Today she's doing audio, part of her repertoire of talents that includes lighting, set-up, and props. Simply put, her job is to "craft the scene," Sabrina tells us.
For my assistant and me, Sabrina is a touch of home. She' s a transplant from the Washington, DC area, Silver Spring on the Maryland side to be exact.
Alex and Sabrina explaining what's on the schedule for today
Go Until I Stop You
Costumed as a hooker, a smiling Iris Rose is wandering around killing time. She has two scenes on the agenda with the second a raucous whorehouse slamming by Chad White who is not scheduled to arrive for another three hours.
In fact, whorehouse is the theme of the film that revolves around "taking over a family business," Skow informs us.
He gives me a quick rundown of the story which centers on a daughter whose late mother owned the brothel that is the film's setting.
The virginal Marie is living with her stepfather who suggests she follow in her mother's footsteps as a businesswoman. So the girl takes up residence in the cat house to break through her prudery and find the joys of sexual licentiousness.
With that overview in mind, we follow everyone to a bedroom for the next scene.
Iris waits with her two little friends and the camera that will record her
Iris, who plays Marie, lolls on the bed as activity builds around her. Sabrina moves sound equipment; Alex readies his camera. Iris preps herself for the toys the scene demands. When the camera rolls, Skow's only direction is "just go until I stop you."
Sabrina has done her job, by the way. The set is filled with color, slightly tawdry in spots, characteristic of the brothel milieu. Everyone works efficiently, there is a subtle coordination among the crew in a very tight space.
Good natured as she waits, Iris yawns then smiles and feigns a little sleep.
We're underway. Well, almost.
A Tossed Hitachi
Continuing with his preliminaries, Skow banters with Iris about a hot guy she met recently in the airport. The blonde cutie laughs and relates the story.
Amused, Skow says, "Thanks for that BTS moment." (To those unfamiliar with "behind the scenes," it's an inside look at movie making that is often included in a DVD.)
With Alex ready on his left, Skow walks Iris through his expectations and gets her into character with the reminder that he doesn't want this to look like a solo scene typical of cam girls. She's got to come through with Marie's frustrations.
Getting the technical stuff ready for the shoot
Everything works beautifully. Skow encourages Iris to "talk dirty" because Marie is reluctant to seek her pleasures with the toy she lovingly calls "handsome."
The scene ends with the guilt-ridden daughter flinging her Hitachi (not a power tool, gang, this is porn) across the room.
"I'm sorry I can't do this," Marie says to her dearly departed mother. "I'm not like you!"
The vibrating satisfaction is too much for this gentle flower . . . at least until she encounters Chad White in a later scene.
Talking with Karter
Pink Teddy
During the break, I briefly meet Karter Fox whose sex scene is coming up shortly with Marcus Bay. The saucy exotic dancer is a Vegas import for this shoot, she tells me, and looks adorable in her pink teddy.
Waiting for the cue to see Marie
Before her scene with Marcus is shot however, Karter must play through an episode in which Marie tries to flee the whorehouse. There's lots of banging on doors to complement banging of another sort and Karter is tender in calming a distraught Marie, escorting her from the room.
The contrasts between the girls is fascinating considering both are porn newbies. Karter has a quiet demeanor, the opposite of Iris's buoyancy, and for this scene their pairing works well.
Karter's encounter with the troubled Marie is a solid acting moment for the dancer who comes across as the quiet girl in the back of the room. Understandable, the camera can be more intimidating than a live audience in a noisy club. It exposes the soul of a performer.
That's it for scene nine, Skow says. Break time again.
Skow going over the script to prepare for the hallway take
Movie Making Comeback
The kitchen is filled with goodies so the crew and performers (and welcomed journalists) hang out for a few minutes. This opens an opportunity to talk with Alex and a bit of a friendship builds during the next few hours.
Talking with Alex
The affable cinematographer has been working exclusively on B Skow shoots for a couple of years now. A Toronto native, he went to photography school and started in adult with magazine shots and American Art nudes.
Alex worked for a host of studios that included Vivid and Elegant Angel until 2007 when he dropped out of the industry. With the renewal of the feature, he returned in 2012, emphasizing that his personal artistic spark was ignited when "movie making came back."
The twenty-three year industry veteran and I have a common bond. I like the feature also, preferring a storyline over wall-to-wall sex in the movies I review.
The Next Customer
During their hallway scene, Karter suggests to an unsure Marie that she sneak a peek when Karter is with her next customer. It'll be a mood builder for Marie.
Chatting with Marcus before the scene
That leads to the sex scene between Karter and Marcus Bay, a recent Russian émigré who is no newcomer to porn. He shot in Eastern Europe for six years. In a talent recommendation of the highest order, the noted director Rocco Siffredi brought the twenty-seven year old to American soil.
Skow sets the mood by presenting Karter as doll-like. There's lots of foreplay which Marcus smoothly orchestrates and when the sex begins he gently opens her up for the best camera angles. In porn, that's a must.
Iris sneaks a peek!
As often happens, a veteran male is teamed with a girl just breaking in. It's a mentoring process familiar throughout the business.
Amusing moments are inserted into the action when Marie playfully steals glances through the curtains as Karter serves her customer.
Afterwards, I have a quick conversation with Iris Rose.
Just Came My Way
The effervescent blonde is building an impressive resume. Iris mentions she watched porn early on and "really liked it."
"I should have been here from day one," the eighteen year old says because she was "really comfortable" with her first shoot.
Iris as the sultry Marie
Iris reflects maturity beyond her years. Her charming giggles win over everyone while her serious attitude promotes taking direction well.
After high school, a move to California and signing with ATM/LA jump started her career.
Though porn "just came my way," Iris says, she has a plan that will keep her shooting for the next few years.
On her model page Iris lists the expected porn fare of scenes she will do, but that does not include checking off everything at once. She is holding back IR (interracial) and gangbangs, though both are on her agenda and she's eager to get to them someday.
Reflecting thinking that is right in line with the best industry advice, Iris says she is "not going to rush into what I'm down for because what am I going to have in a year or two years?"
In other words, she explains, by shooting everything now, "I got no more surprises for my fans."
Adult film is not a normal job, of course, and careers can be short. However, compared with something more mainstream available to girls her age, Iris admits, "I would not have as much money."
Not surprising for a hard worker who had her first job at fourteen to help out her family. Iris Rose is investing, paying her bills, and looking to the future.
Someone once said a porn shoot is waiting around and then waiting some more . . .
In part two we will take a look at the sex scenes and the male performers who are so vital to making adult film a positive experience for the girls.
Tagged as B.Skow, Chad White, Girlfriends Films, Iris Rose, Karter Fox, Marcus Bay, Rocco Seffredi
Daddy's Girl 95, Part Two: To Be a Good Girl Again
by Rich Moreland, September, 2015
With the Daddy's Girls series, B Skow employs his Progressive Porn framework to explore a well-scripted vision of irony and self-deception. By weaving the story around psychological dynamics, he examines a sexual fetish that is often quickly labeled without being well understood. Skow succeeds by focusing on the allure of the daddy complex that draws men into relationships with willing younger women. The results can disrupt and restructure families, changing the interactions of step relatives and opening up an array of sexual options that challenge our definition of what is acceptable.
Having said that, here's the summary of my interpretation of the Daddy's Girls saga as it stands now. This analysis is only one way to look at these intriguing films and I encourage you to watch them and reach your own conclusions.
The Illusion
Quincy is bedeviled by her identity and her own fetishes. Emotionally crippled by her daddy complex, she compensates by being a faux prostitute while denying such a label would ever describe her.
Before her sex scene with Marla, Quincy screams "Why?" in a self-indictment that begs her to be a "good girl again."
Quincy's conundrum shows up repeatedly. She loses her Goodneighbor51 customer when Samantha's father Dale passes away. With a dose of twisted irony, Skow tells us Dale was Quincy's real father who masturbated to his daughter's naked performances.
Later Quincy learns that Mr. Jefferies is also an online voyeur, another "daddy" customer, and offers him sex under the auspices of doing it for Bob. As we have seen, it becomes a threesome in which Marla, the true angel of the tale, quiets Quincy's demons by also giving herself to the boss.
And don't forget the unethical Tom, who uses his profession to "persuade" Quincy to act out her daddy desires with him. Just put his name on the list.
At no time until the final minutes of the film does Quincy actually stare down her internal torment, her longing for sex with Bob. Lost in a morass of daddies, the real perversion is Quincy's forced sex with her own father, Dale, in the first film. It's done through her own volition, a deliberately controlled moment in which Quincy bullies every metaphorical "father" who has left her fetish wanting.
In effect, Skow tells us Quincy's behavior is really self-loathing generated by her inability to control her demons.
Because Quincy refuses motel sex with Goodneighbor51 and the prostitute label that goes with it, she violates Samantha in response to his demand for a show. Captured on her cellphone, it's her own sister Quincy unknowingly ravages for her father's entertainment. It's Dale's family, not Bob's, that is plagued by the incestuous carnality of the narrative.
In the end, Quincy wears her own mask. How do we know? She pleads with herself "to be a good girl again."
The illusion of Daddy's Girls 2 collapses in that instance. Quincy, who has traded a Biblical "eye for an eye" with Samantha–the sadly misguided righteous angel at the end of the first film–finally seeks genuine redemption.
What confronts Quincy is a harpy in an orange prison jumpsuit, a blind girl incarcerated for her own evil deeds, that stands between her and peace. The irony? It's Quincy's own sibling that tortures her, a part of herself revealed in a creepy hand dawn picture in a bedroom that now seems so far away.
Siblings in better times.
Like school girls on a playground, Samantha taunts Quincy with a repeated chorus of "you fucked your father," the never to be forgiven sin.
The Real Daddy's Girls
So a story that began in contrast, ends with similarity. Quincy is partially blinded and Sam has no vision. The bright airy colors of the first film that stood for hope and happiness are gone in the second.
Are Sam and Quincy the real daddy's girls after all, sisters now devoid of a father?
Not quite, because Daddy's Girls 2 offers up a positive message.
The prostitutes Marla and Oralee, honest and caring, are the real Daddy's girls, metaphorical "sisters" and professional fuck buddies in their own right. To put it another way, whoredom holds no deception. It hasn't throughout history and it doesn't here. As mentioned earlier, Marla and Oralee serve as the Greek chorus, commenting through their actions and words on the truth behind the façade Bob structures to excuse his Lolita fascinations.
Quincy's redemption is to join them one day, at least in the spirit of their humanity.
Quincy becomes one with Marla and Oralee.
The Dance of Deception
The Daddy's Girls saga exists on several levels.
First we have the biological sisters of Samantha and Quincy, both fathered by Dale.
Marla and Oralee represent a second level. They are Bob's prostitutes, sympathetic figures in serving his perversions albeit for pay. Unlike Samantha and Quincy, they "see" the truth and aren't afraid to express it, as we have noted.
On a third level, Daddy's Girls is about younger women and older men, the May-December duality. Skow's comment on these arrangements is terse. Sometimes they are a forbidden test of faux incest that can be exciting if acted out in the manner Quincy seeks. At other times, the pay-as-you go arrangement Bob establishes with his hookers serves up the sexual menu.
And, don't forget to include Marla and Quincy in the mix. As step relations in a dysfunctional family, they lend some legitimacy to the combination of mother/daughter and as age contemporaries, a pairing of sisters. Are they the real daddy's girls, after all?
Closely related to the age play is simple lechery illustrated by two power players: Mr. Jeffries, the boss whose fantasies are fed via webcam and Tom the therapist jacking off before screwing his patient . Oh yes, remember Dale, DaddysGirl95 customer? He joins the group.
All things considered, B Skow leaves the viewer with a final level. Everything sexual is a fantasy. We conjure up whatever amuses our personal fetishes.
Simply put, deception dances everywhere and everyone wears a domino mask just like Carnival party goers centuries ago.
As I did with the first film, I have waited until the final installment of Daddy's Girls 2 to salute the performers who brought the script to life.
Riley Reid, Maddy O'Reilly, and Alec Knight reprised their roles as Quincy, Samantha, and Bob.
Capri Cavanni is marvelous as Marla as is Kassondra Raine as Oralee. They are the unsung performers in the film.
Anthony Rosano (Tom) and Ryan McLane (Mr. Jeffries) are widely recognized in adult entertainment for their acting acumen, reliability, and on-screen adaptability . . . true veterans in every sense.
A final nod goes to B Skow for elevating these films to art. Unfortunately the original Daddy's Girls made in 2013 was not recognized with industry awards. Here's hoping the sequel avoids that fate.
Tagged as Alec Knight, Anthony Rosano, B.Skow, Capri Cavanni, Daddy's Girls, Daddy's Girls 2, Kassondra Raine, Maddy O'Reilly, Riley Reid, Ryan McLane


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Post Broner Tirade, It Is Clear–Boxing Needs To Be Better At Setting Standards of Conduct
Post Broner Tirade, It Is Clear--Boxing Needs To Be Better At Setting Standards of Conduct
Jonathan Leir
If you're like me, you find the lack of boxing programming on a weekly basis more than just discouraging.
Despite the fan base arguably being the most rabid outside of soccer around the globe, that fandom has not translated to large scale coverage by the major sports news outlets stateside.
Aside from the big tent circus environment that an occasional Pay Per View fight may bring, most boxing news is buried both online and on television. No matter how great the fighters, the story behind them or the outcome of the tilt, boxing finds itself buried behind Brady, LeBron and eight months of Baseball.
Despite the attempts of stand-alone shows like "The Fight Game", "Max on Boxing" or "Inside the PBC" that seem to come and go- it's hard for casual fans to be exposed to the deeper storylines that make the sport so intriguing. For all intents and purposes, boxing both inside and outside of the ring operates outside the microscope of the mainstream sports media.
Sometimes this can be a blessing in disguise. To be frank, it can be downright exhausting listening to round the clock coverage given to the stories off the field, ring, ice, court etc. That's not to say that there is no interest in these public figures and thus a certain amount of coverage dedicated to all aspects of them. However, it can seem at times that the agenda turns from reporting outcomes and scores to showcasing faults and flaws in the personal lives of the athletes that we follow. While what happens off the field of play can affect what happens on it, there comes a time that the coverage of these stories can damage not only the athlete and their families. People make mistakes.
But gratuity and grace commonly don't beget ratings and purchases. So, the negatives are the narrative. Redemption and forgiveness often only comes after the preverbial dead horse has been beaten by the networks who cover the big 3 sports from all angles and perspectives.
No matter your political or religious stances and viewpoints, it's undeniable that American culture has made some large-scale shifts in recognizing, acknowledging and therefore (rightfully so) criticizing and condemning actions that long lived in silence and without ramification. Abuse. Racism. Homophobia. Sexual Harassment. Over the last 2 years, mainstream media has shown a light on injustices in a variety of professions and persons that in the past found themselves able to operate in the dark. The collective masses making a stand-in movements like #metoo and the forms of solidarity in their race, their beliefs, and their rights.
These shifts have led to many positive impacts on the world of sports. Over the past years, we have seen female referees and coaches become part of the NFL and NCAA. Racist fans and owners have been condemned and punished. The sexual harassment cases involving Michigan State gymnastics, Jerry Sandusky and Penn State football alongside a cavalcade of wrongs have had large scale attention and condemnation. And not just by the major sports networks but by national media outlets. This has led to the opportunity to heal, restore and teach on so many levels that one could never write down in one article. And while there is still much work to be done and many stories untold- eyes have been opened, ears are listening and justice is being served to many who have had their rights, religion, and beliefs threatened.
But it has to be stated that many also find coverage at times to be extreme. We live in a divided society across all spectrums with every side seeming to find it easier to dig in their heels as opposed to finding common grounds to stand on. So, when discussing topics of race, harassment, and homophobia, often we can find ourselves immediately finding ourselves on one of those sides, or simply not wanting the discussions to find their way into our sport. The thought being that boxing has operated outside of the spotlight, impervious to our current climate and we want to keep it that way. I may have found myself in that fan base to a certain extent.
Last week, a video clip of Adrien" The Problem" Broner made the rounds on social media. Speaking to his cellphone, spurned by allegations from a social media personality, he began a tirade against homosexuality.
"If any f*g, punk ass n**** come run up on me, trying to touch me on all that gay shit, I'm letting you know right now — if I ain't got my gun on me, I'm knocking you the fuck out." "If I got my gun on me, I'm shooting you in the fucking face, and that's on God and them. I'm not playing with none of these n****s. I don't like gay shit."
This clip was immediately condemned by a variety of activist and gay rights groups along with many expressing outright disgust and outrage towards his vitriol- demanding something be done about this "Boxer" and the horrible things that were voiced in the video. While this may have been his worst, this was definitely not his first.
Rare is the month that video clips can't be found of him in the strip club making it rain or voicing his opinion on his next opponent. For the majority of his career, Broner has been more successful with his promotions outside of the ring than his performances inside of it. His verbal jabs having a much higher output than any punches that Compubox has tallied. Adrien has become just as well known for his low blows and controversial if not outright inflammatory comments regarding the race or sexuality of his opponents.
In 2014, stating post fight he should be known as the "can man" and that "anyone can get it, Af-ri-cans, I beat the fuck out of a Mex-i-can."
In 2018, after a majority draw with Jessie Vargas, Broner was asked if he would like a rematch- to which he responded Yes- "But let's go to my town. I want to fight him where I'm from. There's hella Mexicans that are in here, they kept booing me and shit. They want rice and chicken. I want some motherfuckers that want Coney's around me." Adding- "Look at his face. It looks like I beat him with what they beat Martin Luther King with." "We ain't go at it. Going at it is gay."
And just this year in the lead up to his largest payday as a fighter against Manny Pacquiao, Broner addressing the Philippine Senator's fans in attendance- "I got a cat for you for dinner. I got some sautéed German Shepherd for you in the back."
One would think that any of these statements causing serious damage to his career. But this is the real "Problem" with Broner and Boxing. It has worked not only in his favor but for Showtime and the PBC. Despite his best victory coming against an aging Pauli Malignaggi and fighting in a weight class bursting with talent- Adrien's mouth has brought successful ratings and Pay Per View buys. His commentary leading to eyes on the events and butts in the seats with little to no condemnation by those profiting who stand to profit the most by his antics.
Remember, boxing on a whole has operated in a bubble and outside the bright lights that the NFL, MLB, and NBA have been subjected to. These comments were met with little to no attention outside of blogs and blurbs at the bottom of the bylines. And while that would disturb some, it only takes a short look back to see that boxing and its promoters have not only stayed silent to his racist and homophobic comments, but to his mentor as well.
The king of Pay Per View and the most financially successful boxer of the era, Floyd Mayweather, laid the foundation as the villain that fans would pay to hate. Whilst his skill set far more dominant than anyone in his weight class and vastly superior to someone the ilk of Broner, he found himself verbally in the same class. The same gutter. In 2012 leading up to a Pacquiao fight saying- "As soon as we come off vacation, we're going to cook that little yellow chump … Once I kick the midget ass, I don't want you all to jump on my dick. So you all better get on the bandwagon now … Once I stomp the midget, I'll make that mother fucker make me a sushi roll and cook me some rice … we're going to cook him with some cats and dogs." This was met with little blowback despite it being boxing's biggest star.
During a press conference before his fight with Connor McGregor in 2018, Mayweather referred to him as "a faggot". And while he said the comments were spurned by the racist comments of Connor, Mayweather apologized for crossing a line, the promotions continued and towards the second largest Pay Per View in history.
There is no telling how much of Adrien's comments came from a sense of bravado and comfort that has been afforded to him by the actions of his predecessors. It could be argued that there has been a steady decline towards the derogatory for decades, no step far worse than the one before. After all, we had seen some of the same homophobic and racist remarks and gestures from the same legends we glorify. Tyson and his homophobic confrontations with the press before fighting Lennox Lewis. And the press itself since the beginning of the 19th century defining boxers by the colors of their skin. The Brown Bomber. The Mahogany Mauler. The Boston Tar Baby. Boxing history is laden with stories steeped in bigotry, racism and the encouragement of abrasive behavior from both the fighters and those that promote the fights.
I just can't seem to find myself in a grouping of fans that want to remain impervious to the racism and homophobia that is being tolerated by those in power within our sport. It takes no imagination to see what the backlash would be if an athlete in a major sport in this country were to refer to an opposing player with homophobic slurs or racist taunts. The owner of the Clippers losing his team for similar toned remarks. And yet, no light is shown, no media scrutiny is put on the sport and so the promoters and networks continue to turn the same blind eye.
Even scarier still, the thought that boxing fans have come to accept this as part of the sport itself. That low blows and dirty tactics outside of the ring face no point deductions and are just par for the course. That even if there was more programming, the attention again would be on highlights and contracts over these low lights and controversies. Has boxing become the bastion for behavior that in any other major sport would lead to financial penalties or removal from the sport in its entirety?
Much of the conversation around boxing has been about the investments being made by the major networks into the sport, citing a renewal of attention and fandom and boasting that boxing is making its way back to the mainstream. If such is the case, I wonder if those in power are ready to face the reality that they have, to a certain extent, embraced aspects of operating outside of the limelight. And in turn, it has led to a toxic allowance of some of our societies ugliest underlings. A sport deeply intertwined with its countries history, continuing in its reluctance to make the progressive strides that the country has made.
Truth be told, I do not know what the ramifications should be for Adrien Broner. There is no precedent for punishment. Whether the PBC, Showtime or affiliated organizations should make a stand to not promote this behavior by not promoting future fights is something yet to be discussed. How that would even be enforced is an unknown, more because of unwillingness to address. Despite what seems to be a glaring problem from one of the sports larger draws, in a situation like this, it is unknown what steps could be taken by the powers that be.
The only step that I can advocate, is a step forward. One towards establishing fighters that show the power of their fists inside of the ring and utilize the power of their voices for the betterment of the sport and all of whom are involved outside of it. These steps will not come voluntarily by those who profit to stay in the bubble and away from upsetting the apple cart. For the sport of boxing, the people that pay the pugilists must make their voices heard. There will be no major sports media outlets that work to address homophobia or racism in a sport that does not acknowledge itself that there is a problem. The consumer needs to make a louder statement than the one Adrien Broner did- and the powers that be did not.
That the sport, while considered primal, has evolved.
That the fan base is international, dynamic and diverse.
And that the oldest and ugliest aspects of American history are not going to have an empowerment in the voice of its athletes or the blind eyes of those that refuse to punish their bigotry.
That would be something worth shining a light on.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


An agarose is a polysaccharide polymer material, generally extracted from seaweed. Agarose is a linear polymer made up of the repeating unit of agarobiose, which is a disaccharide made up of D-galactose and 3,6-anhydro-L-galactopyranose. Agarose is one of the two principal components of agar, and is purified from agar by removing agar's other component, agaropectin. Agarose is frequently used in molecular biology for the separation of large molecules, especially DNA, by electrophoresis. Slabs of agarose gels (usually 0.7 - 2%) for electrophoresis are readily prepared by pouring the warm, liquid solution into a mold. A wide range of different agaroses, of varying molecular weights and properties are commercially available for this purpose.


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Publication Number: Date: Spring 1996
Issue No: Vol. 59 No. 4
Conferences/Special Events Calendar
The Economic Importance of the National Highway System
by Thomas F. Keane
When transportation decision-makers at the federal, state, and local levels discuss possible investments in highway infrastructure and the impacts, they sometimes overlook one very important potential impact - the economic benefits to national productivity and employment.
The signing of the National Highway System Designation Act of 1995 by the president on Nov. 28, 1995, meant an additional influx of $5.4 billion into the federal-aid highway program targeted to the National Highway System (NHS).
NHS is a connected network of almost 260,000 kilometers of roadways that serve major population centers, international border crossings, ports, airports, public transportation facilities, and other intermodal transportation facilities and major transportation destinations; meet national defense requirements; and serve interstate and interregional travel.
NHS represents just 4 percent of America's 6.4 million kilometers of public roads, but NHS carries more than 40 percent of the nation's highway traffic and 70 percent of the truck freight traffic. NHS provides the vital links to efficiently move people and goods to the desired destinations.
Economic Benefits of NHS Investment
How does $5.4 billion in investment in NHS translate into improvements in economic productivity? A region's industrial and employment base is closely tied to the quality of the transportation system. Good, dependable transportation infrastructure allows businesses to receive inputs to production facilities and to transport finished goods to market in an efficient manner. An efficient transportation system allows companies to lower transportation costs, which lowers production costs and enhances productivity and profits.
Funds invested to upgrade or maintain the quality of NHS enable firms currently operating on the system to ship goods more cheaply (as trucks can reach destinations without major delays) and to improve service (as delivery schedules become more reliable). Subsequently, more timely and reliable deliveries allow firms located on or near NHS routes to minimize their stationary inventories, thereby saving inventory and storage costs and enhancing productivity. Collectively, this translates into higher productivity for the nation as a whole.
NHS accentuates the focus on key arterial highways serving interstate and international commerce. The competitiveness of the United States in the global marketplace relies upon expectations for improved intermodal linkages between the highway system and other transportation modes. Economic impacts arising from these linkages will yield significant effects on the overall U.S. economy, the standard of living of U.S. citizens, and the competitiveness of U.S. industry.
In addition, NHS investment may result in net positive impacts to employment levels within the nation, as public funds are diverted from less labor-intensive investment options to those supporting greater overall employment, such as highway construction and maintenance.
Research on Economic Benefits of Highway Investment
For the past several years, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has been involved in research on infrastructure investment and national productivity. The critical question is: "How do changes in highway investment translate to private productivity at the national level?"
This effort involves two very important and intertwined research areas. The first - macroeconometric analysis - investigates national and state-level linkages, using methodologies such as the production function to gain an overall understanding of the relationship between transportation and economic growth. The second approach - microeconomic industry analysis - explores the connection between individual industries and transportation infrastructure by examining in detail the impact of public highway investment on individual firms' behavior.
Macroeconometric Analysis
Initial estimates at the national and state levels suggested a positive relationship between all public infrastructure investment (especially transportation) and economic productivity gains. Estimates of the impact of all public investment on national output, using production function methodology, have ranged from the extremes of highly positive to marginally negative. Although the majority of studies have indicated a positive relationship, the specific magnitude of that relationship is heavily debated.
The high extreme suggests that a 10-percent increase in public investment will yield (roughly) a 4-percent increase in national output. Although the initial research was concentrated on the broad macroeconometric area, recent advancements in knowledge have led to more concentration on the microeconomic (industry-and firm-level) research.
Microeconomic Analysis
Industry case studies have attempted to determine the importance of reliable and timely transportation to specific sectors. FHWA has learned that a reliable and efficient transportation network allows firms to: (1) generate innovative new management and distribution systems; (2) save inventory costs by using just-in-time delivery techniques, which are based on minimizing inventory while maximizing the use of efficient and timely delivery; (3) pass savings on to customers as transportation and logistics costs are lowered; and (4) access larger input and labor markets, thereby providing a more creative, efficient, or higher quality product.
Specifically, results from the first set of industry case studies performed by FHWA indicate that, for the manufacturing sector, significant cost savings are achieved by using a reliable and efficient transportation network in the production process. (The magnitude of impacts differs over time and across industries.) Preliminary estimates indicate that recent highway investments yield significantly positive rates of return in the manufacturing sector as a whole.
FHWA research has also shown that transportation infrastructure is playing an important role in the growing service sector. Results indicate a positive and significant relationship between transportation infrastructure and the transportation services, communications, and public utilities industries, as well as the retail trade and services industries.
Traditionally, the impacts of investment on employment have been categorized as the direct, indirect, and induced employment impacts of highway investment.
Naturally, a $5.4 billion increase in highway capital investment targeted to NHS will generate a direct impact on employment in the highway construction industry as managers, specialists, and semiskilled and unskilled laborers are called upon to construct new roads, resurface existing ones, or perform various capital improvements that enhance highway service levels.
These investments will also generate jobs in many other industries - an indirect impact. For instance, companies that supply materials for highway construction will receive orders for more materials. The need for more materials will require firms in these "supplying" industries to hire more labor to process orders and deliver materials to construction sites. And manufacturing companies will have to produce more materials to meet the need.
Also, individuals who work in these industries subsequently spend and invest their earnings within the local, state, and national economies, thereby generating jobs across many industries and geographic areas - an induced impact.
FHWA, with contractor assistance, recently completed studies to estimate the direct, indirect, and induced employment impacts of federal-aid highway investment. The approaches used to estimate the direct versus the indirect and induced impacts differs somewhat, due primarily to internal data and technical constraints.
Direct Employment
To estimate the direct employment impacts from the federal-aid system, FHWA used specific labor and materials cost data on all federal-aid primary, urban, and interstate highway projects where total project costs exceed $1 million, as reported by highway contractors to FHWA for the period January 1989 to August 1993. The database contains complete information on 4,532 projects, including labor costs, hours of employment, total project costs, region, urban/rural status of project, improvement type, and other project-specific information. Data and results from multiple regression analysis are described in FHWA Direct Employment Impacts: A Quantitative Analysis, May 1995.
Using this data and making an assumption regarding the average number of hours worked per year per employee (1,600), it is possible to estimate the number of full-time equivalent jobs supported per $1 billion dollars of federal-aid highway investment.
Using FHWA highway program composition data from 1993 and the forecasts of highway construction costs based on the FHWA Highway Construction Price Index, it was estimated that $1 billion (in 1995 dollars) of federal-aid highway program spending in 1996 would support approximately 7,900 full-time, on-site, highway construction jobs nationally.
Results are in Table 1.
Table 1 -- Direct, Indirect, and Induced Employment Impacts of Federal-Aid
Type of Employment Jobs Supported
Per $1 Billion
Federal Spending Modeling Approach
Direct 7,900 FHWA HIGHWAY1 Model
Indirect 19,700 Dynamic I/O Model
Induced 14,500 Dynamic I/O Model
Total 42,100 ---
Indirect and Induced Employment
Attempting to estimate the employment supported by supplying industries and throughout the economy as a result of increased highway investment is more complicated than the direct employment estimation approach. This is due to the complex interactions that occur among many industrial sectors within an economy. It is well recognized that certain industries within a macroeconomy use the output of other industries as input into their own production processes. By establishing some basic assumptions about where federal-aid highway investment dollars are spent (e.g., new construction or maintenance), accepting the model structure as it relates to industrial interactions, and using FHWA data regarding materials usage in federal-aid projects, it is possible to estimate the impact of increased federal-aid highway investment on employment in highway construction, in supplying industries, and throughout the economy.
To derive the indirect and induced employment estimates for this study, FHWA researchers used input-output analysis. They assumed a $3 billion federal stimulus (in 1995 dollars) to federal-aid highway investment (specifically, new construction) over a period of three years (1996-1998), with 27 percent of funds invested in the first year, 46 percent invested in the second year, and 27 percent invested in the third year. Results indicate that each $1 billion of federal investment in federal-aid highways supports approximately 19,700 indirect jobs and 14,500 induced jobs.
While the above employment estimates were derived from studies that examined federal investment across the broader federal-aid highway system (which includes NHS), one can get a general idea of the total national employment impacts that would likely occur if $5.4 billion of federal funds are invested in NHS.
Cautionary Notes
A common misconception regarding job-generation estimates is that, in the absence of NHS investment (or general highway spending for that matter), workers in "generated" jobs would be unemployed. This is not usually the case. Job generation within this paper refers to gross job creation. That is, these jobs are directly attributable to the project, and employment impacts from alternative uses of the funds are not considered. Identification of alternative investment options are not considered here due to the difficulty of identifying specific alternative investment options at a broad federal level.
The potential for net employment gains within an economy as a whole from highway infrastructure investment is dependent upon the labor intensity of the highway construction and supply industries relative to that of industries associated with the alternative investment. In the case of highways, unpublished data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reveal that federally aided highway construction and maintenance work is the most labor-intensive of those construction activities examined by the BLS. Table 2 lists the estimated total direct and indirect jobs supported by each activity in 1982, per billion (1982) dollars.
Table 2 -- Relative Labor Intensity of Various Construction Activities
Private Multi-Family Housing 24,785
Private Single-Family Housing 21,801
General Hospitals 25,311
Elementary and Secondary Schools 23,815
Federally Aided Highways 26,295
Sewer-Line Work 23,580
Sewer-Plant Work 22,951
College Housing 23,427
Civil Work, Land 20,910
Civil Work, Dredging 22,764
Public Housing 24,415
Federal Office Buildings 24,628
Commercial Office Buildings 22,159
Although the direct employment impact analysis using internal FHWA project-level data was conducted at the national level for the purposes of this study, FHWA has developed a flexible, user-friendly PC model (HIGHWAY1 Model) that allows for direct employment impact analysis at the regional level. The user has the ability to set parameters, such as the total program funds appropriated to each region, the mix of federal-aid improvement projects undertaken within each region, and the urban-rural mix of projects.
The software queries the user to enter: (1) total federal funds, (2) year of proposed spending, (3) price deflator, and (4) whether or not state matching funds should be included in the analysis.
The user is given the option to directly input or select default values (based on the 1993 highway program) for: (1) the distribution total of spending across FHWA regions, (2) the composition of spending by improvement type (new construction, 3-R, bridge, etc.) within each region, and (3) the division of regional program expenditures between urban and rural projects.
The HIGHWAY1 Model does not reflect the temporal, or time-sensitive, relationship between project expenditures and direct employment generation. For instance, there is no lag effect incorporated into the obligation of federal-aid highway funds and their expenditure. When the dollar level of funding is specified in the model, it assumes that the funding is expended immediately (at one time point), not over a period of years, as would be typical of federal-aid dollars obligated to the states for highway projects.
Passage of the NHS meant an influx of $5.4 billion of federal funds targeted to the most important road network in the nation. While this influx of funds provides increased mobility and safety resulting from a higher quality highway system, it also provides economic benefits in the form of national productivity and employment growth.
The benefits of infrastructure should not be viewed only as a short-term stimulus, but rather the long-run benefits should be recognized.
Many crucial questions remain concerning the contribution of public capital, specifically highway infrastructure investment, to economic vitality and competitiveness. It is clear that, at the national level, the reliable movement of freight on the transportation network assists U.S. businesses to compete in the international market.
Further research will establish, measure, and articulate the linkages between transportation investment and broader economic objectives to provide a better understanding of the relationships between the transportation network and aspects of economic development and international competitiveness.
Research indicates that investment in the federal-aid program generates approximately 7,900 full-time equivalent jobs per $1 billion invested in highway construction. In addition, research shows that this same $1 billion investment supports approximately 19,700 full-time equivalent jobs in supplying sectors and 14,500 positions in the general economy. Therefore, total employment supported per $1 billion federal-aid highway investment is equal to approximately 42,100 jobs. These estimates refer to "gross" job creation, meaning that the employment impacts of alternative investments have not been considered in this broad level of analysis.
Applying these estimates to the $5.4 billion invested in NHS indicates that the employment impacts of NHS equal more than 225,000 full-time equivalent jobs.
Thomas P. Keane is an economist in FHWA's Office of Policy Development. He works both in research relating to the economic impacts of highway infrastructure investment and on the FHWA Congestion Pricing Team in the areas of variable tolling and parking pricing issues. He has been employed by FHWA since November 1990. He has a master's degree in applied economics from the University of Maryland.
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text:
Drivers face £130 fine if they don't stay out of key bus lanes 24/7
Ross Lydall
Bus Action Plan. Bus lanes, Stamford Hill, London (TfL/Eleanor Bentall)
Drivers will be required to stay out of key bus lanes 24/7 or face a £130 fine after Transport for London announced a round-the-clock trial is to be made permanent.
TfL said on Wednesday that the pilot scheme, which began in September last year and covered about 50 miles of bus lanes, had been successful in speeding up buses.
The aim was to prevent the return to car use – seen after the end of the first wave of the pandemic – causing buses to get stuck in increasing levels of traffic.
The decision to retain the extended operating hours of the bus lanes – which include more than 100 bus lanes on TfL's "red route" network in 20 boroughs – will also provide a boost to TfL's income.
Last year, TfL received between £1million and £2million a year from penalty tickets issued to drivers who strayed into bus lanes. It issued 15,451 bus lane PCNs in 2020/21, according to London Councils. Drivers who pay within a fortnight are charged £65.
Bus passenger numbers had returned to about 75 per cent of normal levels prior to the arrival of Omicron last month.
But with road traffic at 95 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, improvements in bus speeds and reliability have fallen away.
The average speed of a London bus is now 10.3mph, according to TfL's latest Travel in London report – up from 9.3mph last year but below speeds of 12mph seen in summer last year.
TfL said on Wednesday that the 24/7 bus lanes had resulted in improvements in bus journey times that were "particularly noticeable in central and inner London, especially in both the mornings and evenings and throughout Sundays" but did not provide precise figures.
Heidi Alexander, deputy mayor for transport, said: "It's vital that buses remain a reliable, attractive option for travelling around the capital to help prevent increased congestion and worsening air quality.
"The extension of bus lane hours to 24 hours on London's busiest roads received a lot of support, and these changes will reduce bus journey times and help service reliability, helping people get around the city easily and sustainably."
Louise Cheeseman, director of bus operations at TfL, said: "We closely monitored the trial of extended bus lane hours and listened carefully to feedback, and it is clear that the trial has been a success in delivering reduced journey times on buses."
TfL said retaining 24/7 bus lanes would also benefit cyclists as they can use the lanes in the knowledge there will be less traffic.
But Conservative critics such as Tony Devenish, the London Assembly member, said Mayor Sadiq Khan was seeking to "make life harder for London motorists".
The number of daily bus journeys fell from six million in 2019 to 3.2 million in 2020.
The Travel in London report, which was published last week, said: "Apart from the obvious delays and discomfort that it causes to individuals caught in traffic, congestion can be very detrimental to bus speeds (where there are no segregated bus lanes)."
Arthur Leathley, chair of London TravelWatch, the passenger watchdog, said "No one likes sitting in a traffic jam on London's congested roads and people travelling in the capital need a reliable bus service to get to work, school or see their families.
"We've recently published research showing that if roads are cleared for buses on London's roads, by doing things like introducing more 24-hour bus lanes and increasing parking enforcement on bus routes, TfL would be able to run fewer vehicles and potentially save between £100-200m as journey times will get shorter, and more people will use them.
"Making the bus lanes trial permanent is a good first step and we hope that TfL and the boroughs will be able to go even further with measures to free the bus in 2022."
French politicians worry about surge in pre-election violence
French ruling party lawmaker Pascal Bois was at home asleep a few days after Christmas when firefighters banged on his front door to tell him his garage was in flames.
'Bridgerton' season 2 releases new photos - but fans are still devastated the Duke has gone
The Netflix period drama's second series is highly anticipated.
Motion is filed requesting the return of the AR-15 style rifle to the 19-year-old so that it can be destroyed
Labour: Government has 'badly let down' British Council workers in Afghanistan
The Government said it is working with the international community to help relocate people.
Former child soldiers remember Sierra Leone's brutal civil war 20 years on
20 years after the end of the brutal civil war that ravaged Sierra Leone (1991-2002), two former child soldiers that were abducted by rebel forces and forced to fight, reflect on their experiences during the war and their lives since.


This journalism maxim usually holds: A story is only as good as its characters.
One of the year's biggest stories has a compelling protagonist: Edward Snowden. He is a hero or a villain, and the government is his adversary. The NSA documents Snowden leaked to The Guardian—showing that the government agency is collecting cell phone and email data from millions of Americans—is an important story that, with Snowden's self-outing and his run from the authorities, has become an exciting tale.
But in a blockbuster news week of the ongoing international spy chase, historic Supreme Court decisions, and George Zimmerman's trial for the murder of Trayvon Martin, the media's focus on the individuals at the heart of these stories has too often obscured why these stories are important. The protagonists have overshadowed the issues.
Klein and Soltas note that The Guardian, The Washington Post and McClatchy have continued to publish new stories on the surveillance programs. But much of the coverage in the mainstream press–including from The New York Times, NPR, NBC, ABC, and CBS—have largely stuck to the story of The Chase for Snowden. It started out as a story about privacy, surveillance and security. Now, it's a manhunt.
A similar trend has occurred in the coverage of the Zimmerman court proceedings. Many stories by these same national news organizations have focused on the day-in, day-out of the trial.
And in one way, that's fine—as a daily news reporter, I would do the same thing, especially when there remains a deep public interest in the outcome of the case, and when the counsel arguments and the testimonies are so riveting. But there was a time when Trayvon Martin's murder was about more than George Zimmerman's guilt or innocence. In the aftermath of Martin's murder, the case incited a thoughtful public discussion about the credibility (or injustice) of "Stand Your Ground" laws, and about what it meant to be a young black man in today's America. Every website and newspaper does not need a repetitive daily think piece about these issues. But it seems a long year away from the days when the media's reflective mood gave a sense that attitudes and laws might change.
Thankfully, many reporters have taken a wider view about some of the other biggest stories of the week—the Supreme Court's decisions on Voting Rights Act, DOMA and Proposition 8. At The Root, Corey Dade lists the number of voter ID laws that are set to be enacted in the immediate aftermath of the decision, and in both the Times and the Post, columnists have sounded concerns about the effects of both decisions.
Unfortunately, the same wide concern has not been granted to the Snowden and Zimmerman stories. While it's easy to see the appeal of following the human drama inherent to the stories, each is in danger of becoming mere thrillers and character studies. The media and the nation would do well to more forcefully and relentlessly ask deeper questions: Why is the government collecting this data? What is the NSA doing with the records it collects? Are Stand Your Ground laws still on the books? How can police departments and security officials combat the profiling of young black men in America? In following and covering Snowden and Zimmerman, as journalists and consumers of news, we would do well to keep in mind what made these stories important in the first place.


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Charles Mention, né le  à Paris (Seine) et décédé le  à Douai (Nord) est un homme politique français.

Biographie
Avocat à Douai, il est un opposant au Second Empire. Sous-préfet de Douai le 5 septembre 1870, il est révoqué après le 24 mai 1873. Conseiller général du Nord, il est député de la 2e circonscription de Douai de 1876 à 1881, siégeant au centre-gauche. Il est l'un des 363 qui refusent la confiance au gouvernement de Broglie, le 16 mai 1877. Il est maire de Douai de 1888 à 1891. Il meurt le 27 décembre 1902 à Douai et est enterré le 30 au cimetière du Père-Lachaise ( division).

Sources

Notes et références

Naissance en janvier 1828
Naissance à Paris
Décès en décembre 1902
Décès à Douai
Député du Nord (Troisième République)
Député de la première législature de la Troisième République
Député de la deuxième législature de la Troisième République
Maire de Douai
Conseiller général du Nord
Personnalité inhumée au cimetière du Père-Lachaise (division 20)
Décès à 74 ans

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia