Money Shot: The Wild Nights and Lonely Days Inside the Black Porn Industry (Paperback)

by Lawrence C. Ross Jr. (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
In this intriguing account, Ross offers closeups on the lives and dreams of black porn actors. Combining interviews with personal observations and some theoretical gloss, Ross travels to the San Fernando Valley (center of the porn industry), an Adult Entertainment Expo in Vegas and a swinger's party in Oakland. The African-American niche commands about 10% of the multibillion-dollar porn market, and performers with names like Lexington Steele, Sinnamon Love and Sledge Hammer discuss their schemes to carve out a piece of it (as with the mainstream movie business, many actors hope to produce and direct). Ross gets good interviews and his straightforward prose suits the material: Just like hog butchers who use every part of the pig 'from the rooter to the tooter,' porn exploits every part of the body to make a profit. The most graphic and disturbing episode is that of a female performer who prides herself on not doing anal (I think I'm too cute for that) but then allows herself to be beaten and humiliated in a scene by white men. There are many subgenres, writes Ross, but white men overtly degrading black women are some of the most popular. (Oct.)
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From Booklist
Although pornography is pretty mainstream nowadays, there's been little serious popular inquiry into it generally, less into its subgenres. Enter Ross with this investigation of blacks in American porn that, he warns, isn't the "sanitized version" but doesn't aim to titillate, either. Aside from describing the hydraulics of what happens onscreen in pornographic movies featuring black performers, Ross considers the broader implications of race in this form of entertainment. Early on "there weren't a lot of black men doing interracial; interracial was a fetish," says one industry vet, who cites Sean Michaels as one of the first prolific black smut actors. And race cuts differently for porn actors than for porn actresses, as Ross notes and discusses. Vitally augmented for the benefit of neophytes by a handy and lengthy "Porn Dictionary" of such terms as the book's title and fluffer (one may never again casually mention fluffing a pillow), this is essential for thoroughgoing pop-culture collections. Tribby, Mike

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Running Press (October 25, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560259132
• ISBN-13: 978-1560259138
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #674,705 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Money Shot is shockingly real, November 17, 2007

By	LaToya T "AvenueTrue" (Las Vegas, NV) - See all my reviews

Money Shot, by Lawrence C. Ross Jr, is as raw as its title suggests. To put it simply, the book is about the world of Black porn or rather, the people that make up that industry. However, one doesn't get too far into the book to see that there's more to the story than lights, camera, action.
Ross, in pure journalistic form, allows his subjects to tell their own story. The book features interviews with such household names as Lexington Steele, Mr. Marcus, Vanessa Blue, and Sinnamon Love. With every turn of the page myths are shattered and stereotypes destroyed as Ross sheds an alarmingly real light on the industry.
Ross' writing style is shockingly graphic, but then so is porn. Even though the topic itself is enough to keep the reader thoroughly engaged Ross includes chapters on HIV, industry racism, porn and hip hop, and fan mentality. The reader definitely does not end the book with the same views about porn as they had when they started the book, a testament to Ross' incredible writing style. Though the book is extremely explicit it's a must read and one I would surely recommend

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Money Shot, May 20, 2008

By	Ms. 90 (Maryland) - See all my reviews

I found this lying on a shelf in the library while I was looking for Karinne Steffans' book, Video Vixen - guess I was looking for some "spice" in my reading material that day! I don't know much about pornography, so this book was a page-turner for me. Ross doesn't sugar coat in the presentation of the material - the language is raw and the descriptions are graphic. I laughed, I cringed, I felt sad for some of the actresses, I was mostly intrigued by it all. The porn dictionary at the back of the book was quite informative and I cringed even more as I read it. At the end, I felt that I came away with a decent knowledge of the Black porn industry and the Black men and women who work in this field. If you want to read about Black porn stars Lexington Steele, Mr. Marcus, Sinnamon Love and others, and if you want to know about the business of Black porn behind and in front of the camera, then give this a read. You'll find that the Black men and women in this industry do have goals and aspirations outside of porn and that, in the end, they are people making a living, albeit in a "non-traditional" profession.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Real Story, May 8, 2008

By	James Davis (Oak Grove, KY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I thought I knew some of the actors and actresses of the black porn industry, but this book opened my eyes. If I ever get the chance to go to the AVN convention I will try not to be the arrogant fan. I really am sorry about Lex and Vanessa, but you will always have each other. I for one will be looking for liquid camera from now on. I am glad someone finally humanized them so they are not seen as objects only. I am more turned on by people I know than strangers. I know that I am a minority in that aspect but it should be told just like this story had to be. I hope there will be a follow up book or even a ramdom reality show. Yes I am a bigger fan now because of this book. This is a must buy for every black porn connoisseur. If this were a movie including the sex scenes it would be a great series to shoot. "Hint Hint" This is a backstage pass to this aspect of the industry. Other idea would be, "how to get into this lifestlye" and "How to get AIM testing and an agent."