Jenna+Jameson

Taylour Cannon

__**Jenna Jameson**__

Jenna Jameson, born Jenna Marie Massoli on April 9, 1974 in Las Vegas, Nevada, is the "World's Most Famous Adult Star" (Grigoriadis, 2004). She is also a successful entrepreneur, author, actress, and activist.

__**Early Years**__ Jameson’s mother, Judy, was a showgirl, and her father, Larry, worked in television (Smith, 2004). When Jameson was three, her mother passed away from melanoma, triggering a series of events that ultimately changed Jameson’s life. The cost of cancer treatments left Jameson’s father bankrupt, and he joined the Las Vegas Sheriff’s Department, where he tried to single-handedly bring down the mob (Higginbotham, 2004). Consequently, the mob attempted to kidnap Jenna and her brother, Tony, and the two were placed under police protection. After a number of moves, her father ran out of money, forcing the Massolis to return to Las Vegas, where they moved in with Jameson’s grandmother. Her father was emotionally destroyed and distant, leaving Jameson and her brother on their own (Higginbotham, 2004).

__**Teen Years**__ In high school, Jameson began taking acid and cocaine with her brother, and their father joined in by the time she was 17 (Higginbotham, 2004). A year earlier, her father had moved the family to Fromberg, Montana, where Jameson was not very well received by the local girls because of her Las Vegas-style and well-developed physical features. As a result, she looked elsewhere for friends, one time hitchhiking a ride home from four boys after a high school football game. The boys proceeded to beat and gang rape Jameson, leaving her for dead (Higginbotham, 2004). Of the rape’s impact on her career choice, she has said: “Was I in this business because I was victimized or because I wanted to succeed at something? I examined it from every angle I could, and every time came to the same conclusion: that it didn't make a shred of difference. Whether it had happened or not, I still would have become a porn star” (Jameson & Strauss, 2004). She eventually began dating her first tattoo artist, Jack. During this time, Jameson was again raped, this time by her boyfriend’s biker uncle. She then decided to leave her family and move in with her boyfriend (Higginbotham, 2004).

__**Rise to Fame Not Without Obstacles**__ Jameson briefly worked as a showgirl, but after some encouragement from her boyfriend, she became a stripper at the Crazy Horse Too in Las Vegas. There, she was discovered by a pornographic photography scout, which eventually led to her appearing in her first sex-on-camera scene at the age of 19. The film was titled //Up and Cummers 11//, and Jenna immediately garnered attention in the then small porn industry. The following year, she left the Crazy Horse Too and got breast implants to increase her chances of success in the business (Higginbotham, 2004).  However, during this time, Jameson got hooked on speed and crystal meth (Grigoriadis, 2004). The addiction had devastating effects, as she not only stopped working, but also eating. Jack eventually left her, and at her lowest point, she weighed only 80 pounds. If not for one of her friends coming to her rescue and sending Jameson back to her father to detoxify, she would have likely died (Higginbotham, 2004).

__**The Jameson Brand**__  After fully recovering, Jameson moved to Los Angeles, where she pursued her porn career in an effort to retaliate against Jack for cheating on her (Milling, 2005). She signed a contract with Wicked Pictures and made sure that she had complete control over the number of films she made, as well as the types of sex acts she committed. This “would be the beginning of the branding of Jenna Jameson… [and] by 1998, she had become the biggest porn star in the world” (Higginbotham, 2004).  Over her career, Jameson appeared in over 100 adult movies, grossing millions of dollars. In 2000, she and former husband Jay Grdina created the adult-entertainment company Club Jenna Inc., which grossed around $30 million in 2005 before Jameson sold it to Playboy Enterprises Inc. in 2006 (Miller, 2005). Jameson officially retired from performing in porn in 2008 (Andrew, 2008).

__**Jameson and Sex in Mainstream Society**__ As one journalist puts it, “[Jameson] has transcended the sex trade to become a bona fide celebrity, hounded by the tabloids and fervid fans” (Miller, 2005). Through her success and widespread fame, Jameson has become a leading figure in the liberation of sexual communication, as her career has made sex not only fun, but it has also established sex as a way of life (Bond, 2011). She has openly stated her opinion on sex and society, stating, “I think more people out there need to have more sex” (Fussman, 2008). Moreover, Jameson has said that she does not understand the double standard set for men and women in today’s society, in which promiscuous women are deemed “sluts” or “whores,” while such men are called “playboys.” Of the topic, she says, “It makes no sense to me, and that's why I'm so outspoken about my sexuality” (Kugel, 2007). Jameson believes sex is “a beautiful thing… to see a woman's sexuality come to life on film--that's art” (Miller, 2005). <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; line-height: 200%;"> When it comes to promoting sex and sex techniques, Jameson does not shy away. She has said: “Women always ask me about the best way to give a blowjob. That's a big thing for women. And the next one is masturbation. I think it's a major epidemic in women, faking orgasms. So many women in this world feel like they are put on this planet to please men, that they have to fake, and they never worry about their own pleasure. Sooner or later I am going to come out with a sex tips book, because I am a wealth of knowledge” (Kugel, 2007).

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; line-height: 200%;">**__Jameson on Sexuality and Female Empowerment__** <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; line-height: 200%;"> Jameson “sees herself as a true feminist and an activist for women's liberation and sexual freedom” (Kugel, 2007). With regard to her own sexuality, Jameson has said, “I'm definitely bisexual, and there have been times in my life that I've been so bisexual it's sick. I love girls” (Grigoriadis, 2004). However, in a 2008 interview, Jameson said, “ I think one of the big misconceptions everyone — even my friends — have of me is that I’m gay, but I am really not. I’m totally hetero” (McKay, 2008). <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;">Jameson is an avid supporter of sexual expression and female empowerment. Says Jameson of the topic: “I think that women are entitled to sexual pleasure. I don't understand what is wrong with it. It's something that's good, and it makes you feel positive and happy and relieved. As long as people are talking and are questioning a woman's sexuality, then I feel like at least I'm raising that question in people” (Kugel, 2007).

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; line-height: 200%;">__**Jameson vs. Anti-Pornography Feminists**__ <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; line-height: 200%; margin-left: 15pt; text-indent: 21pt;">Seeing as “ Jameson's face - and body - have become synonymous with the image of the contemporary porn star” (Higginbotham, 2005), she must deal with not only the good that comes with her fame, but also the bad. Feminists such as Gloria Steinem have condemned pornography, claiming, “ … all pornography is an imitation of the male-female, conqueror-victim paradigm, and almost all of it actually portrays or implies enslaved women and master” (“Erotica and Pornography,” 1977). In 2007, Jameson responded to such criticisms from Steinman, saying: “Obviously everybody is entitled to their own opinion and I totally respect her position. She's fought for what she believes in, and I believe in a lot of things she says. The issue is that for centuries women have been put under the thumb of men in this society, and what she does is perpetuate that. Because a woman has a right to be the person that she wants to be. Relying on everybody else's judgment is what makes this society so sick. Having a woman going on TV and saying, ‘That woman's a whore and she's ruining society for women,’ … there's always two sides to the coin. I think that it's important to be well rounded and not to be so incredibly one-sided. It's just not healthy” (Kugel, 2007).

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; line-height: 200%;">__**Jameson’s Debate at Oxford**__ <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; line-height: 200%;"> In November 2001, the Oxford Union invited Jameson to argue against a proposal stating that porn is harmful. Jameson wound up winning 204 to 27 and had this to say about the experience: “The passion just poured out of me. I could see how many people in the audience were against me in the beginning. But as I got into my story and talked about all the things I’ve learned along the way, I could see the tide turning. I could see the women in the audience understanding that I’m just a normal girl, and slowly they started to relate to me. After a debate at Oxford, the audience can walk out of one of two doors -- one for pro, another for con. I stood there watching nearly everybody go through the pro door. It was beautiful” (Fussman, 2008).

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; line-height: 200%; text-indent: -20pt;">Andrew, S. (2008). Jenna confirms retirement at avn awards. Retrieved from http://www.xfanz.com/news/88784 <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; line-height: 200%; text-indent: -20pt;">Bond, B. (Director). (2011). Culture Student. //Communication 368//. Lecture <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; line-height: 200%; text-indent: -20pt;"> conducted from the University of Illinois, Champaign. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; line-height: 200%; text-indent: -20pt;">//Erotica and Pornography: A Clear and Present Difference//. Ms. Magazine. November 1978, pp. 53. & //Pornography--Not Sex but the Obscene Use of Power.// Ms. Magazine. August 1977, 43. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; line-height: 200%; text-indent: -20pt;">Grigoriadis, V. (2004). Jenna jameson: girl on top. Retrieved from http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/jenna-jameson-girl-on-top-546132.html <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; line-height: 200%; text-indent: -20pt;">Higginbotham, A. (2004). The porn broker. Retrieved from http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/10/07/1097089474673.html <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; line-height: 200%; text-indent: -20pt;">Higginbotham, A. (2004). The xxx factor. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/4730458/The-XXX-factor.html <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; line-height: 200%; text-indent: -20pt;">Jameson, J, & Strauss, N. (2004). //How to make love like a porn star: a cautionary tale.// New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishing Inc. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; line-height: 200%; text-indent: -20pt;">//Jenna Jameson//. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.askmen.com/celebs/women/models_250/262_jenna_jameson.html <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; line-height: 200%; text-indent: -20pt;">Kugel, A. (2007). Jenna jameson – portrait of a mainstream sex icon. Retrieved from http://www.pr.com/article/1066 <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; line-height: 200%; text-indent: -20pt;">McKay, H. (2008). Pop tarts: girls or guys? Jenna jameson sets the record straight on her sexuality. Retrieved from http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,359596,00.html <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; line-height: 200%; text-indent: -20pt;">Miller, E. (Photographer). (2007). Retrieved from http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/ITHJqWJaT1_/AVN+Awards+Mandalay+Bay+Arrivals/7h9-ignKHV7/Jenna+Jameson <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; line-height: 200%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Miller, M. (2005). The (Porn) Player. //Forbes//, 176(1), 124-128. Retrieved from EBSCO//host//.
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