Mr. Estrin! I found this fantastic post in my SPAM folder, which I suppose is a risk one that one takes when one is writing about porn.
I personally don't get porn and don't think I ever will. Sex is not very interesting, unless it is happening to you, but the whole premise of porn is that it is sex that is not happening to you.
That said, this whole issue was FANTASTICALLY INTERESTING! I especially enjoyed the comparison of the trade show today vs. back in the day, and what has changed. I find it a little depressing. Nothing is dangerous anymore. The mainstream has eaten everything.
My favorite line, from our friend Jason: "Well, let me ask you this. Do you know that middlemen fuck everyone over?”
I write about startups IRL, and it is very interesting how often a startup will brag about how it cutting out the middleman when it is actually proposing itself as new middleman. Much like Jason.
This was awesome. Fiction will always be playing catch-up as long as fictional people and events have to make sense. If I invented a character like Oz, I'd have to busy myself with "Why is he like this?" and "What point am I trying to make by having him be like this?" Here, in the light of him somehow existing and surviving to adulthood, we can simply bask in his Oz-ness.
Woah, this is a whole world I didn’t know about. I mean, I could have guessed it existed, but never really thought about it. Thanks for this window into the world of porn! My favorite was the “make foreplay great again” T-shirt 😂😂😂
Epic piece and so many interesting things to discuss. Here are a few:
1. I actually just bought Not Safe for Work (great title) for Kindle and looking forward to diving in. To read more fiction this year I'm going to try more e-books. I know we discussed audiobooks but after rediscovering my love of music I don't want to give that up.
2. I like how Substack often refers to itself as Only Fans for writing. I think about that when I consider the questions: What's my niche? What's my differentiation? And what's my value prop? Unfortunately, as you well know, sex is a lot more profitable than words.
3. Re: VR porn, I'll point to Demolition Man, the most prescient of our dystopian movies. VR sex didn't work in San Angeles, and I doubt it'll ever work in Los Angeles.
4. Getting patents is actually pretty easy. I have a few myself that are totally useless. The real issue is how enforceable they are once the big guys decide you've infringed upon their IP (or decide to steal yours and claim they're the actual inventors). Generally that doesn't end well for the little guy.
I love your writing. I’m new to Substack, but I’ve lived in Vegas for 30 years and never attended the Porn convention. So I guess that says something right there. However, I am a small Business owner and I saw so many interesting parallels in your coverage to just “business “ in general these days. And best of all, you made me laugh, and more than once. I’ve already shared with 3 friends Keep up the great writing!
Fun read Michael. Your topics are all over the place / creative. Porn to me means living vicariously through others. Not sure why it is interesting to hear about what skydiving was like or in the last generation watch people's slides of THEIR trips.
"eliminating the middleman" after reading some comments is a fun place to settle on in your elevator speech and actually think you are original :) While they were still emerging as a real and complete disruption of the advertising biz, Ken Auletta wrote a great book "Googled". Probably 15 years old now! My favorite line was when the founders explained their plan to Madison Avenue, a big mover and shaker passed on acquiring a large percentage of Google. He concluded that all of the meals and cajoling were the business of selling advertising and the upstarts were f&$#ing with the magic.
Porn conventions are decadent and depraved (and also very mainstream)
Mr. Estrin! I found this fantastic post in my SPAM folder, which I suppose is a risk one that one takes when one is writing about porn.
I personally don't get porn and don't think I ever will. Sex is not very interesting, unless it is happening to you, but the whole premise of porn is that it is sex that is not happening to you.
That said, this whole issue was FANTASTICALLY INTERESTING! I especially enjoyed the comparison of the trade show today vs. back in the day, and what has changed. I find it a little depressing. Nothing is dangerous anymore. The mainstream has eaten everything.
My favorite line, from our friend Jason: "Well, let me ask you this. Do you know that middlemen fuck everyone over?”
I write about startups IRL, and it is very interesting how often a startup will brag about how it cutting out the middleman when it is actually proposing itself as new middleman. Much like Jason.
This was awesome. Fiction will always be playing catch-up as long as fictional people and events have to make sense. If I invented a character like Oz, I'd have to busy myself with "Why is he like this?" and "What point am I trying to make by having him be like this?" Here, in the light of him somehow existing and surviving to adulthood, we can simply bask in his Oz-ness.
Woah, this is a whole world I didn’t know about. I mean, I could have guessed it existed, but never really thought about it. Thanks for this window into the world of porn! My favorite was the “make foreplay great again” T-shirt 😂😂😂
Haven't read anything like this since DFW's Big Red Son. Good stuff.
Epic piece and so many interesting things to discuss. Here are a few:
1. I actually just bought Not Safe for Work (great title) for Kindle and looking forward to diving in. To read more fiction this year I'm going to try more e-books. I know we discussed audiobooks but after rediscovering my love of music I don't want to give that up.
2. I like how Substack often refers to itself as Only Fans for writing. I think about that when I consider the questions: What's my niche? What's my differentiation? And what's my value prop? Unfortunately, as you well know, sex is a lot more profitable than words.
3. Re: VR porn, I'll point to Demolition Man, the most prescient of our dystopian movies. VR sex didn't work in San Angeles, and I doubt it'll ever work in Los Angeles.
4. Getting patents is actually pretty easy. I have a few myself that are totally useless. The real issue is how enforceable they are once the big guys decide you've infringed upon their IP (or decide to steal yours and claim they're the actual inventors). Generally that doesn't end well for the little guy.
Looking forward to reading more Smutty!
Really enjoyed this - lol several times garnering lots of stares at the coffee shop.
The futuristic girls look like the twins from big brother (Liz Nolan). Nice article.
Great post- I felt like I was rambling around that show floor with you. That's what good journalism should do- and you have gained another subscriber.
Great post! It made me buy your book!
Blimey. I've heard of some weird (to me) fetishes, but burping? Well researched and reported. It reminded me of David Foster Wallace's Big Red Son.
I love your writing. I’m new to Substack, but I’ve lived in Vegas for 30 years and never attended the Porn convention. So I guess that says something right there. However, I am a small Business owner and I saw so many interesting parallels in your coverage to just “business “ in general these days. And best of all, you made me laugh, and more than once. I’ve already shared with 3 friends Keep up the great writing!
what do you think about NFT in adult industry?
I hope the heat was on.
Fun read Michael. Your topics are all over the place / creative. Porn to me means living vicariously through others. Not sure why it is interesting to hear about what skydiving was like or in the last generation watch people's slides of THEIR trips.
"eliminating the middleman" after reading some comments is a fun place to settle on in your elevator speech and actually think you are original :) While they were still emerging as a real and complete disruption of the advertising biz, Ken Auletta wrote a great book "Googled". Probably 15 years old now! My favorite line was when the founders explained their plan to Madison Avenue, a big mover and shaker passed on acquiring a large percentage of Google. He concluded that all of the meals and cajoling were the business of selling advertising and the upstarts were f&$#ing with the magic.
Now that you're home, has Christina changed her mind and set up a webcam to try to get that 12 grand a month?
You forgot Pat McGroin.