Bret Easton Ellis

[elfismiles]

... has been mentioned in a few past threads here: Bret Easton Ellis

Mostly to do with the Theresa Duncan / Jeremy Blake story.

Now he's standing up for his friend who is being accused by a growing list of porn-stars.

WARNING: Undoubtedly triggering for rape victims

Bret Easton Ellis on James Deen Rape Claims: "A Ridiculous Witch Hunt" (Exclusive)

Bret Easton Ellis and James Deen / Getty Images
by Seth Abramovitch. 12/11/2015 6:00am PST

The outspoken author and podcast host says his friend Deen — who starred in Ellis' 2013 film 'The Canyons' — is the victim of a jealous and "unstable" ex-girlfriend.

They now number ten.

Ten women, all of whom make a living in the adult film industry, all of whom have come out against James Deen, whose wholesome good looks and feminist-friendly persona transformed him from a skinny Pasadena teen into an unlikely porn superstar. But a career that took a decade to build has been all but destroyed in a matter of weeks.
...
Deen resigned from the board of the Adult Performer Advocacy Committee, a porn workers' rights group, before they "could tell him to," according to its vice president. California's occupational safety agency is investigating his production company. Meanwhile, The Daily Beast reported Fires' story under a headline that dubbed Deen "the Bill Cosby of porn," a label picked up by Huffington Post.
...
Now someone else is breaking a silence to defend James Deen. Author and screenwriter Bret Easton Ellis is a good friend, having worked closely with Deen on The Canyons, the 2013 film that marked Deen's crossover debut. The two had met virtually on Twitter and later in person at Soho House in West Hollywood. At Ellis' insistence, director Paul Schrader later cast the porn actor opposite Lindsay Lohan in the part of Christian — a violent sociopath who enjoys degrading and raping women. (The part, in fact, had always been written with Deen in mind.)

But that is a movie. Speaking exclusively to The Hollywood Reporter, Ellis insists the person being portrayed in countless articles and blog posts written since Nov. 28 — James Deen the rapist, James Deen the misogynist, James Deen the narcissistic sociopath — is nothing like the person he has gotten to know over the years.
...
What do you make of the comparisons to Bill Cosby?

Clickbait. Nothing. I see that as part of the language of the Internet. Nothing more than that.

Do you see this Deen situation as a product of a current larger appetite for — I know you have strong opinions about this — "outrage culture?"

Of course it is! It’s, "Look at me, how do I feel? I’ve been victimized, I’m a victim too. Oh, she said she’s a victim? I’m also a victim." It’s a domino effect. And I don’t know where it will stop with James. Maybe it will be 80. Maybe 80 women in porn are going to start saying, "Well, looking back on it, that was pretty rough sex and he did go further than he probably should have in that Brazzers.com scene." It seems to me to be all a kind of joke.
...

THE REST HERE:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/b ... een-847935

SEE ALSO:

The Opinion Pages | Turning Points
Bret Easton Ellis on Living in the Cult of Likability
By BRET EASTON ELLISDEC. 8, 2015
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/08/opini ... ility.html

[Wombaticus Rex]

Having seen The Canyons, the headline of that article had me cracking up. That Bret, what a fucking character.

(The part, in fact, had always been written with Deen in mind.)

Anyways, for the sake of a reality check, almost none of the ten accusations were about on-set, on-camera stuff. So it's not about renegotiating consent for, you know, contractual work, which would be a much, much trickier case to build.

"Deen's production company" references were interesting. Isn't that Kink.com or is he running his own brand? If it's Kink, that'll go about as far as a Ray Velcoro investigation. Those folks have juice right now. And protect their asses more than most porn producers, too.

"The Jews know we're better than everyone else. That's all that matters... (Laughs) It's true. We're the Chosen People. (Laughs) It's a fact." - Bryan "James Deen" Sevilla

[Wombaticus Rex]

Anyways, for the sake of a reality check, almost none of the ten accusations were about on-set, on-camera stuff.

Actually, you fucking moron, a cursory re-examination of that material you scrolled through drunk a week back would indicate that about three of them were about on-camera incidents.

Amber Rayne recounted the time Deen had punched and injured her on set even though they became friends years later.

Kora Peters alleged that Deen violated her anally during a scene where it was not scripted and that the crew congratulated him afterwards.

Lily LaBeau told Vocativ that during a Kink shoot, Deen attempted to use a cattle prod that was on LaBeau's list of prohibited acts and eventually slapped her so hard her jaw locked. Derrick Pierce, a co-star, corroborated LaBeau's account. LaBeau continued to work with Deen after this shoot because she felt she had to for her career.

The real agenda behind these lies by omission is pretty obvious to everyone here at RI, and as a moderator, let me tell you, your days are numbered.

[MacCruiskeen]

as a moderator, let me tell you, your days are numbered.

"I'm schizophrenic. So am I."

[guruilla]

Anyways, for the sake of a reality check, almost none of the ten accusations were about on-set, on-camera stuff.

Actually, you fucking moron, a cursory re-examination of that material you scrolled through drunk a week back would indicate that about three of them were about on-camera incidents.

Infighting among the alters?

Lily LaBeau told Vocativ that during a Kink shoot, Deen attempted to use a cattle prod that was on LaBeau's list of prohibited acts and eventually slapped her so hard her jaw locked. Derrick Pierce, a co-star, corroborated LaBeau's account. LaBeau continued to work with Deen after this shoot because she felt she had to for her career.

The real agenda behind these lies by omission is pretty obvious to everyone here at RI, and as a moderator, let me tell you, your days are numbered.

Wombat, your humor, combined with an already densely codified hip-speak (maybe a bleed-through from rap?) means I for one am having a harder & harder time knowing when you are joking and when not, and what about. Just FYI.

Reading your posts = one of the few times I feel like I am slow on the uptake, and/or too uncool for school.

Regarding the OP, there's an interview between BEE & JD here, for those who want to get a "reading" on them.

I've listened to about half of BEE's total podcasts & even tried, halfheartedly, to get him on mine. I eventually lost interest, primarily because BEE, while focusing on some relevant issues (such as neo-liberal totalitarianism) is clearly an Empire (or "post-Empire," whatever, dude) advocate and apologist who never, ever, goes anywhere near the sexual abuse which underlies the culture he and his podcast are celebrating, or any kind of remotely parapolitical awareness.

Since BEE is I think a very savvy and insightful guy, my tentative deduction is he must be aware of, and hence complicit with (to whatever degree), the systems of abuse. So this is interesting to me as a possible pointer towards exactly that.

[Wombaticus Rex]

I am incapable of seeing what was unclear about my contributions so far, but then, I would say that.

To explicate perhaps too much: I am genuinely amused by the stance Ellis is taking here -- triple down on everything. That doesn't mean I agree, and definitely doesn't mean I care much either way.

What I mean about Kink.com having "juice" is the fact they're the Eyes Wide Shut theme party location of choice for the curiously flexible neo-puritans of Silicon Valley and the pre-existing NorCal military contracting power bloc. They throw VIP guest-only events in a facility that is entirely wired for sound and picture; Craig Spence would have come in his custom-tailored pants at the thought of operating on their scale.

What I mean about Kink.com protecting their asses more than most is the fact they specialize entirely in fetish sexuality and have a whole subdomain devoted to male on female rape, abduction & bondage fantasies. (Every vertical in their empire is bondage in some form or another, of course. And there's a separate woman-on-woman vertical, too.) Ergo, they keep meticulous records and even start out almost all of their productions with an extended interview where the models involved discuss their sexuality, desires, limits -- effectively a video affidavit negotiating consent right up front.

My exchange with myself wasn't intended as an alter joke and I do apologize for giving that impression, that's a bit more tasteless than the straightforward mockery of certain recent RI tropes I thought I was engaging in.

[guruilla]

No apology necessary, for me at least.

I think part of why I find your posts sometimes gnomic (besides what I am guessing is a different brain state) is your familiarity with certain material compared to my lack of familiarity with it. So I appreciate the clarification.

[Nordic]

I made the mistake of checking out kink.com after seeing a job listing for them that seemed to be something I could easily do (a job in the Bay Area! Must investigate!). Yeah, ugh, blech! And I like good porn.

[Belligerent Savant]

.

Love the Craig Spence shout out... surely he's been raised in this forum before?

WRex: I suggest floating Spence's story anonymously to Kink.com as an inspiration for their next, um, 'video release'.

Craig J. Spence (1941 – November 10, 1989) was a Republican lobbyist who was found dead in a Ritz-Carlton hotel room in 1989.
Spence was implicated in a gay call-boy ring scandal, that arranged after-hours visits to the White House, the Washington Times and other papers reported in June 1989. Afterward, Spence committed suicide in a Boston hotel.

Spence entered a downward spiral in the wake of the Washington Times exposé, increasingly involving himself with call boys and crack, and culminating in his July 31, 1989 arrest at the Barbizon Hotel on East 63rd St in Manhattan for criminal possession of a firearm and criminal possession of cocaine.

The Washington Times reported that "Mr. Spence hinted the tours were arranged by 'top level' persons", including Donald Gregg, national security adviser to Vice President George H. W. Bush at the time the tours were given.

On November 10, 1989 Spence was found dead in Room 429 of the Boston Ritz Carlton, the city's most expensive hotel. He was dressed in a tuxedo and had three dollars in his pocket. According to the police report, when found by hotel employees he was attired in the style he affected at his lavish dinner parties: "black Tux with white shirt, bow tie, white suspenders, black socks and shoes", with a telephone cradled in his ear and a Walkman headset containing a cassette tape of Mozart's "A Little Night Music". Prior to his death he spoke of possibly disappearing and that it may look like a suicide.

Found hidden in a false ceiling in the bathroom were seven small packets of Xanax, an anti-anxiety prescription drug, with one pill removed. In black felt-tip marker he had written on a mirror of his room:

Chief, consider this my resignation, effective immediately. As you always said, you can't ask others to make a sacrifice if you are not ready to do the same. Life is duty. God bless America.

As a postscript, he wrote, "To the Ritz, please forgive this inconvenience."

During a lengthy interview at a Manhattan apartment a few months before his death, Spence alluded to more intricate involvements. "All this stuff you've uncovered (involving call boys, bribery and the White House tours), to be honest with you, is insignificant compared to other things I've done. But I'm not going to tell you those things, and somehow the world will carry on."

[tapitsbo]

The real agenda behind these lies by omission is pretty obvious to everyone here at RI, and as a moderator, let me tell you, your days are numbered.

My obliviousness has allowed for no sudden rays of obviousness.

[Wombaticus Rex]

.

Love the Craig Spence shout out... surely he's been raised in this forum before?

Oh ho ho, yeah. Built a big one: viewtopic.php?p=469326

Anyways, it turns out despite our discussion of Kink, they are not the production company in question. However, they're also being reviewed by the same regulatory body -- although that's probably an annual ritual.

California’s main occupational health and safety agency is investigating adult film star James Deen’s eponymous company — James Deen Productions, also known as Third Rock Enterprises Inc. — a spokeswoman told BuzzFeed News Wednesday.
Prompted by a complaint from the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the state’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) information officer, Julia Bernstein, confirmed the investigation was opened on Tuesday for a complaint filed before that date. She said she was unable to comment further until the investigation is closed.

...

A spokesperson for AHF said on the conference call that the foundation initially filed its complaint against James Deen Productions for videos showing actors perform without condoms — which the group considers a workplace health and safety issue. AHF Public Health Consultant Adam Cohen said the group amended its complaint last week, asking Cal/OSHA to “address issues of possible workplace violence” based on the sexual assault allegations against Deen.

...

Michael Stabile, a spokesman for porn production at Kink.com, told BuzzFeed News that there’s a “low bar” for Cal/OSHA complaints
and that AHF periodically calls them in.

Kink.com, which has produced more than 250 shoots with Deen, is also under investigation by the agency for workplace safety violations.

...

“They’ve done everything possible but try to comply with the law,” Kenslea said. “Federal and state law requires condom use regardless of the advocacy AHF has been involved in.”

So, pre-existing investigation gets widened due to press coverage. An American Tale.

[Agent Orange Cooper]

No misogyny here, nope, none at all.

[identity]

"The Jews know we're better than everyone else. That's all that matters... (Laughs) It's true. We're the Chosen People. (Laughs) It's a fact." - Bryan "James Deen" Sevilla

Here's the original quote from Haaretz:

http://www.haaretz.com/jewish/features/the-jewish-porn-star-next-door-1.503137

Do you happen to have any Jewish role models or figures in the industry?

I don’t go into a place and think, “I’m Jewish. Who else is Jewish? I need to work with them.” Respect goes universally across all races, creeds, colors, religions, everything. The Jews know we’re better than everyone else. That’s all that matters.

That’s going to be the blow-up quote in the article.

(Laughs) It’s true. We’re the Chosen People. (Laughs) It’s a fact.

I find it somewhat strange that this is allowed to stand as is without commentary on the haaretz site, as if – while somewhat naughty to state so bluntly – it's nevertheless an open secret which every Jew knows in his heart is true and an attitude for which s/he need not apologize or seek to dissemble. Is that, in fact, typically the case? (Not that it would be very surprising if it were so; I mean, I'm sure my many Fundamentalist Granny neighbours all think they are the Elect and that unsaved people like me are going to roast for all eternity... oh, the things that deluded human beings can believe to fortify their apparent selves!)

[82_28]

I made the mistake of checking out kink.com after seeing a job listing for them that seemed to be something I could easily do (a job in the Bay Area! Must investigate!). Yeah, ugh, blech! And I like good porn.

If it helps, I am "famously" known for hating all forms of porn. There are always exceptions to every stereotype. I saw one old skool porn movie as a kid and then saw another one and said I've already seen this. I had one Playboy that I had hidden in the basement as a kid. My next Playboy was the one with Jenny McCarthy in it (because all the guys at work were talking about it). And that was it. Believe me, going to the Barnes & Noble I always went to to buy science, philosophy and science fiction on basically a daily basis, to switch it up with a Playboy was embarrassing when I went to the cashier. Yet somehow a lot of this can be construed in some strange and twisted fashion that I am misogynist since porn has now become "acceptable".

Also, I had too many good friends get raped, stalked, abused etc in which I was the one guy they turned to for help, protection and consoling. It'll still get you in trouble for being a man from some.

Which is stupid that it should even be an issue.

[82_28]

Oh, and no I'm not some "men's rights movement" apologist at all. And as cliche as it sounds I believe in unconditional love.