14B -The Michigan Daily Weekend Magazine
- Thursday, March 20, 1997
.0
The Michigan Daily WeekendMai
, ... *. . .a............. I C om
A weekly list of who's
where, what's happening and
why you need to be there ...
Some may arg
pornography
can.
Today's special
these contoversial
paper should.
Sex is everywhe
thing to market.
It comes into ou
that play with the
that does anything
peers out from bel
thursday
CAMPUS CINEMA
Under The Domim Tree (1995) This film, in
Hebrew with English subtitles, tells the engag-
ing and optimistic coming-of-age story of
Israel's famed female star Gila Almagor. Mich.
7 p.m.
The Graduate (1967) For its 30th
Anniversary, Mike Nichols' classic suburban
satire gets a special commemorative print,
which does not include any digitally enhanced
Mrs. Robinson sequences. Mich. 9:15. p.m.
..MUSIC
Big Dave and the Ultrasonics Jump-blues orig-
inals. Rick's. 9:30 p.m.
Vic Chesnutt With the Scud Mountain Boys.
7th House in Pontiac. 7 p.m. Call (810) 645-
6666.
De La Soul With guest Pour Man's Orchestra.
St. Andrew's Hall. 8 p.m. Call 961-MELT.
drivetrain Acoustic ensemble plays with
Poignant Plecostomus. Blind Pig. 9:30 p.m.
Folk Spotlight Series Dan Shere, Tom Vesbit,
Eric Steve and company. Michigan League
Underground. 8-11 p.m. Free.
Kate and Anna McGarrigle Singer/songwrit-
ers who have worked with The Chieftains. The
Ark. 8 p.m. $15.
Princess Superstar Catch the white-trash, yet
very cool female rapper of the '90s. The
Shelter. 7:30 p.m. Call 961-MELT.
ALTERNATIVES
Fiction Reading Novelist David Foster
Wallace reads from "InfiniteJest" and "A
Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again."
Borders. 7:30 p.m. Free.
Book Signing University Law Prof. William Ian
Miller signs copies of "The Anatomy of
Disgust." Shaman Drum. 4 p.m. Free.
friday
CAMPUS CINEMA
12 Monkeys (1995) Bruce Willis stars, along
with a skeptic Madeleine Stowe and a frantic
Brad Pitt, in Terry Gilliam's futuristic mystery
concerning the search for a cure for a devas-
tating virus. Nat Sci. 7 & 9:30 p.m. $2 at the
door.
The Graduate See Thursday. Mich. 7 & 9:15
p.m.
Evening At The Dream Bar (1992) Two cou-
ples try to save their marriages with the help
of a bartender who is trying to ignore her own
divorce crisis. In Mandarin with English subti-
tles. Angell Aud A. 8 p.m. Free.
MUSIC
R. L. Burnside Hear some blues from the hills
of Mississippi. Blind Pig. 9:30 p.m. $8 in
advance, $10 at door.
Cranes Appearing with Rasputina, who play
cellos while wearing corsets. Intriguing. St.
Andrew's Hall. 6:30 p.m. Call 961-MELT.
Lapdogs Horns, funk and soul. Rick's. 9:30
p.m.
Del McCoury Band Bluegrass heroes perform
with RFD Boys. The Ark. 8 p.m. $13.50.
Duncan Sheik Start barely breathing with
Sheik and guest Jill Sobule. 7th House in
Pontiac. 8 p.m. Call (810) 645-6666.
Shubertiade IV See Shubertiade IlIl on
Thursday. 8pm.
University of Michigan Concert Band A musi-
cal program that features the work of Ives,
Copland and more. Hill. Free. 8 p.m.
THEATER
Jesus Christ Superstar MUSKET presents
Theater God Andrew Lloyd Webber's popera
illustrating the final week in the life of Christ,
with a few stylistic exaggerations. Power
Center. $7 for students. 8 p.m. 764-0450.
At Home With ...
Poking More Fun See Thursday. 8 p.m.
ALTERNATIVES
Fiction Reading Crime novelist Minette
Walters reads from her latest novel, "The
Echo." Borders. 7:30 p.m. Free.
saturdaVy
CAMPUS CINEMA
Zero For Conduct (1933) A new teacher at a
repressive boys' school provokes a rebellion
of the hidden secrets of the school. By French
film genus Jean Vigo, and in French with
English subtitles. Nat Sci. 7 p.m.
Le Corbeau (1943) Based on a pre-World War
II true story, this suspense thriller examines
the ferocities of war, including the mass-hys-
teria and public chaos that developed. In
French with English subtitles. Nat Sci. 8 p.m.
Les Diaboliques (1955) The original version
of the Sharon Stone thriller in which a wife
and a mistress join forces to murder the man
they share. French with English subtitles. Nat
Sci. 9:30 p.m.
MUSIC
See Thursday 7 & 11 p.m.
By Brian Gnatt * Daily Arts Editor
Cake
Babe
Go the distance with Cake and guest
the Blue Ox. Majestic. 9 p.m. Call (810)
n a typical warm Southern California day, a 20-year-
old blonde bombshell named Lexus is enjoying her day
off the same way millions of other working stiffs do
- by hanging around the house. All she wants is a lit-
tle rest and relaxation after many arduous days of jug-
gling classes at the local college and shooting scenes for her latest
film, "Debbie Does Dallas - A New Beginning."
While the busty coed would fit in perfectly running along the
beaches of Los Angeles rescuing drowning children alongside David
Hasselhoff, Lexus's productions are a bit too steamy for the likes of
"Baywatch," TV and even the neighbor-
hood movie theater. Lexus is a porn star,
and having sex on-camera, she says, is a
great way to pay the bills.
Forget work-study programs, selling
trendy clothes at the mall or serving
chicken-a-la-king in the dorm cafeteria.
Working your way through school can
be a bit rough,. but some people find
more orgasmic ways to pay tuition than
serving' greasy meat and sioppy joes to "
hungry humans. Lexus may only be a
few years out of high school, but top-
contracted adult video actresses like her-
self are raking in six-figure incomes
from a segment of the entertainment
industry that traditionally remains hush-
hush and behind closed doors.
According to Adult Video News, the
major trade publication for the adult
video industry, adult video rentalsand
sales last year reached $3.9 billion -
and that figure doesn't even include
videos sold through mail-order. Add in
sales from phone-sex outlets, strip clubs, The only male porn star w
adult books, magazines, clothing, toys,
CD-ROMs, peep shows and on and on. and that $3.9 billion isn't
even half of the the estimated sales figure Americans are pouring
into the adult entertainment industry each year.
While porno flicks may only seem prevalent in red-light districts
and in restricted areas of mainstream video stores, the American pub-
lic isn't shying away from pornography in the least. Adult video sales
and rentals for last year were up 25 percent from 1995, while the num-
ber of hardcore titles released to the market was up 40 percent from
1995, for a total.of nearly 8,000 video releases in 1996 alone.
Even though many people may see pornography as immoral, disgust-
ing, degrading and detrimental to society, the adult entertainment indus-
try is going strong - possibly at its most successful point in history.
For porn actresses like Lexus, the success of the adult video indus-
try means better opportunities and bigger paychecks. Lexus's studio,
Vivid Video, has adopted the Hollywood moviemaking mentality,
and leads the adult video industry with its well-produced movies,
contract performers and directors and high salaries. Also following
in Hollywood's footsteps, Vivid has moved to shooting the majority
of its straight releases on film, as opposed to the more traditional and
cheaper-looking releases shot on video.
WGeke1N
M AG A ZIN E
Along with the film improvements comes what Vivid calls "big-
budget films," which frequently cost the company $200,000 a pop,
like the studio's award-winning "Bobby Sox" and "Borderline" -
far cries from the majority of low-budget adult videos on the market.
Big budgets also bring the big names, and Vivid is one of a few adult
video companies that has contracts with its stars. The "Vivid Girls,"
Vivid's crop of female starlets, are made up of some of the industry's
leading ladies like Nikki Tyler, Janine and Christy Canyon.
Lexus makes her starring debut as a Vivid Girl later this year in the
upcoming "Debbie Does Dallas - A New Beginning," a new chapter
in porn's most famous film, "Debbie
Does Dallas." Lexus stars as Debbie in a
whole new twisted story of cheerleaders,
moms and wacky high school adventures.
While Lexus began modeling nude
when she was 18 and was featured as the
May 1996 Penthouse centerfold, she
said climbing into the porn industry
wasn't some kind of lifelong dream.
"Some people have dreams of being a
porno star, but it kind of fell into my hands
in a way" Lexus said in an interview with
The Michigan Daily. "What made me
decide was using the money factor to my
benefit as far as my education goes"
Finding work in the industry wasn't
much of a challenge for Lexus at first,
while filming her first movie presented
her with lots of new challenges.
"That was a little strange she said. "
didn't know what to expect. I worked with
a guy named T.T. Boy who is very good,
he's a very nice guy. I met him before-
hand, and we talked and got to know each
h a contract, Jon Dough. other and he made me feel comfortable so
it was easier for me."
Another challenge Lexus faced when she entered the industry was
dealing with the responses from her friends and family when they
found out she was acting in adult films.
"I did catch a lot of grief" she said. "But I found that my friends stuck
beside me, and the people who really had a problem with it, really had
problems with themselves. It's not their business anyway, it's my life.'
After briefly leaving the porn industry for a boyfriend who wasn't
happy with her occupation, Lexus decided to return to adult videos
to support herself while enrolled in Southern California's Ventura
College and while taking real estate courses. The adult entertainment
industry has a lot to offer a beautiful, young woman who is willing
to perform; women are paid high salaries and treated like the royal-
ty of the business, unlike the men, who are seen as disposable pieces
of meat and as mere "accessories."
"Women have a lot more jobs than men," Lexus said. "The women
are the centerpiece and the men are accessories."
Jon Dough knows what it's like to be a man in the porn industry.
Starring with Lexus in the new "Debbie" film in the role of "Dallas,"
he's been performing in adult films for 10 years. Most of his career was
spent doing freelance work, living movie-by-movie like the other actors
Nt
645-6666.
Shubertiade Ill Shubert's masterworks per-
formed by a roster of international artists and
directed by Hermann Prey. Rackham
Auditorium. $20-$32. 8 p.m. 764-2538.
THEATER
At Home With ... Three one-act plays by
Tennessee Williams, Shel Silverstein and
Christopher Durang are presented using the
same set. Arena Theater. 7 p.m. Free
Admission. 764-6800.
Poking More Fun All-female comedy group
Sensible Footwear, who are self-described as
"comedic feminist terrorists," present their
newest show. Performance Network, 408 W.
Washington. $9 for students. 663-7367.
Shall We Dance Chrysalis Chamber Players
present a night of ballroom dance music and
performances, with special guests from Ann
Arbor Dance Classics. Kerrytown Concert
House. $5 for students. 8 p.m. 769-2999.
Martin Hayes Irish fiddler Hayes is joined by
'uitarist Dennis Cahill. The Ark. 8 p.m.
13.50.
moe See the tour for the interestingly-titled
"No Doy" album. Blind Pig. 9:30 p.m. $8 at
door.
The Presidents of the United States of
America Get happy with wacky tunes from
PUSA. With guest Redd Kross. St. Andrew's
Hall. 8 p.m. Call 961-MELT.
Twistin Tarantulas Get down and boogie at
the 7th House in Pontiac. 9 p.m. Call (810)
645-6666.
Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra Program con-
sists of Vaughn Williams, Sarasate, Bond, and
Stravinsky. Michigan Theater. $15-$25 for stu-
dents. 8 p.m. 994-4801.
Dancing Lights Folk Festival A night of folk
music is showcased by Richard Lawrence, the
Celtic group Nutshell and other University stu-
dents, including guitarist Blake Chen, Russian
folksinger Maria Mikheyenko, stepdancer John
Donahue and others. U-Club in the Union. $5
for students. 7 p.m. 763-3281.
Lexus is a 20-year-o
in the industry, with(
signed a contract to
him the only male p
"It's good once y(
year-old Dough sai
hate my guts."
Getting started it
After making some
work his magic. Dot
star: "a big schlong.
tant, but when your
(For an audition) yo
of the entertainme
endowed you are, y(
Once in, perform
contracted stars anc
stantial paychecks,x
home the bacon. W
from $200 to $500
Weekendi Magazine Editors: Brian A. Gnatt, Greg Park
Weekend Magazine Photo Editor: Margaret Myers.
Writers: Dean Bakopoulos, Eugene Bowen, Brian A. Gnatt, Jennifer Petlinsk
and Julia Shih.
Photographers: Margaret Myers, Jeannie Servaas and Warren Zinn.
Cover photograph: Vivid Girt Janine stars in, the film "Heavenly."
Cover design: Brian A. Gnatt and Greg Parker
Graphics Editor: Tracey Harris.
Arts Editors; rian A. Gnatt and Jennifer Petlinski,.