“…women tend to be more “discerning” shoppers - they want to know where the content is coming from, do the producers/sellers care about them or are they just about a quick buck. As opposed to guys buying with their penises, I think more women shop with their head and heart.”
- Venus Vegas

As many of you may know, I love the website HotMoviesForHer.com! And fortunately I happen to know one of the amazing women running things over there! She is known as Venus Vegas (see her bio for more info on that moniker!) I enjoyed coming up with questions, and enjoyed even more reading her responses - she is such an intelligent and amazing woman! I particularly liked what she had to say about women’s taste in porn and how it impacts younger women and girls. As a mom of a young girl, that REALLY struck home with me, and I completely agree with her opinion. It’s a complex world we live in, and although I am absolutely liberal when it comes to sexuality and freedom of speech, I am also acutely aware of the affect the “world” has on the young and impressionable. I am all for free speech and expression - when it is exposed to the appropriate age. Perhaps I will write a post about that subject in the future. Anyway, I digress. I want to thank Venus Vegas for taking the time and effort to answer my questions! Without further ado, I give you the interview with Venus Vegas @ HotMoviesForHer.com:

O4Her: What is your “official” title at Hot Movies?

VV: I wear many hats! I started and run HotMoviesForHer.com, and I also manage webmaster affiliate and studio accounts for all of our VOD sites, as well as marketing and helping development of our affiliate program MovieDollars.com. I also attend almost every single trade show, which is pretty much a monthly task!

O4Her: How did you find your job at Hot Movies, or did it find you?

VV: LOL, this is a long back story [so] I will try to keep it as short as possible! Years ago I was going to school for fashion design and worked at a fetish boutique in West Hollywood, which definitely opened my mind to the risqué side of the world - I loved it. Fast forward a few years and some personal issues that set me back, I was working at a bakery when I learned I had Celiac disease (cannot eat gluten, ie: wheat, most common grains), and had to find a new job that would not make me sick. Since job hunting is oh so thrilling, I saw an entry level job listing at HotMovies.com, and I thought, “I think this is porn… this sounds like fun until I find a real job.” Well, 4 years later and some positions higher, I’m still here and I love it.

O4Her: How do you explain your job to strangers?

VV: Ha, depends who the stranger is! Usually I babble on about internet marketing and SEO (search engine optimization). Some people are quick [to] judge when you mention “adult” industry, either that you’re a complete perverted heathen, or that you’re a complete perverted nympho.

O4Her: Since launching Hot Movies For Her two years ago, what changes have you seen in regards to women looking for porn?

VV: I don’t think that much has changed in women searching for porn… over the past few years and as time goes on I think more women are seeking it out and also know a little more of what they’re looking for, and more acceptance from society definitely. When I started the site a couple years ago, I saw an opening in the “female” market that I felt we could serve - more video options, discrete online purchasing and viewing without monthly commitments. Overall there is much community in the adult web space, but I think it’s even closer in the side that markets to women, because it’s not just about money, it’s a personal investment as well. I think most female run adult businesses care about women in general.

O4Her: Have you learned anything surprising about women’s taste in porn?

VV: Honestly, after working for a fetish company, NOTHING surprises me about what turns people on… I think the most surprising is possibly the increasing amount of mainstream exposure in magazines and talk shows. They’ve always talked about sex - “10 New Hot Ways To Turn Your Man On!” every month, so you’d think it would be a natural progression into recommended porn, but at the same time I know I wasn’t the only pre-teen reading those same magazines, so it’s a little awkward at the same time. While I think sex and porn are great, I think the current trend of mainstream over-exposure can be damaging to young girls. When I was growing up, when people even kissed on TV you’d hear the audience “OOoooOOOhhh”… now every teen show is all about sordid sex scandals. I think it gives the wrong impression. Sure, people might say it’d be good for our business later, but I think the fact that it’s marketed to teenagers by non-adult companies is just wrong. Porn gets a lot of slack, but I think the mainstream companies are pushing way too many limits. Wow, sorry, I rambled off track there a bit… basically I think the mainstream exposure is helping in the acceptance of women that it’s OK to watch porn, but also that the exposure is starting at too young of an age, when girls shouldn’t have to not only worry about the pressures of sex, but the pressures of being overtly sexual. On the other hand, I think the recent show “The Secret Lives of Women” on WEtv, with their episode on porn stars, gave a good insight into the performer side. They also featured Buck Angel, who was born female but identifies as male, who I know touched a number of people who feel the same way. I think real life exposure like this is good. I think understanding your own sexuality and what turns you on comes first, and porn comes second in helping explore your fantasies and filling and complimenting any needs you may have.

O4Her: Why do you think there should be adult websites specifically for women?

VV: There’s debate pro and against this. I see the points from both sides, and working for a company that (until I came along!) marketed predominantly to men, I say there should be. If only for a couple main reasons. One, I’d say at least 95% of adult websites are geared towards men, and I’ll honestly say a lot of content being made is just not good. The sex isn’t real, it’s all about the “money shot” and the way it’s shot the performers aren’t in positions that are natural. That may appeal to some women, but “women’s” sites usually feature content that gets lost in that mix - real sex, more erotic foreplay, focus on the women’s pleasure (and the woman is truly pleasured!), not degrading to women in general. A lot of this content is made by women, and not as easily accessible from elsewhere.

Another reason, which is debatable (but I know I personally feel this way when I buy), is that women tend to be more “discerning” shoppers - they want to know where the content is coming from, do the producers/sellers care about them or are they just about a quick buck. As opposed to guys buying with their penises, I think more women shop with their head and heart. At least some of the time

O4Her: What are your predictions for the next two years regarding women and porn?

VV: I definitely think it will be even more acceptable than it is today. I do believe that there are some women who do like porn of any sort, however I think a lot of people who say they don’t like it just haven’t found good porn that turns them on. I know I can blow through a bunch of movies I think will be good until I find one that I actually find hot. The goal of sites for women, including [Hot Movies For Her], is to help find that hot porn.

I was actually talking to an old friend this weekend who I hadn’t seen in years who said she knows nothing about porn. I think this is common, and for some people, it won’t make any difference in their lives. On the flip side for others though, I think if you can find what turns you on it can do wonders not only for your sex life, but even in your own sexual fantasies.

O4Her: Do you think being a “sex-positive” woman is an advantage or a hindrance in the dating world?

VV: Ahh, you know I’d like to think it’s an advantage, but I think for me I tend to find the guys that start to get funny ideas in their head! Overall, I think it’s an advantage because it’s basically just self-confidence… I know what I like and I’m not afraid of it, so it helps not only in the sack, but in the dating world of sifting out the assholes (kind of).

O4Her: What advice can you give to a novice (a woman who has never viewed porn)?

VV: Basically, do you know what turns you on? I think subconsciously most people know, but it takes a bit to figure it out on a conscious level. I also think porn is a great way to explore fantasies that you don’t necessarily want to act out in real life. Movie reviews can help weed out good from bad, things that are portrayed that you want to see or don’t want to see. I also think written erotica is a good way to explore as well, words are much less in your face than video. Once you find something you like, start exploring from there - the director or studios other works, what other movies one of the stars was in, or even other movies in that niche.

O4Her: What is your favorite movie at Hot Movies For Her, and why?

VV: I have a number of favorites, but my ultimate favorite is “The Good Girl” by Erika Lust. She’s an independent filmmaker from Spain, and she captured just enough of the pre-sex build up and then a quality sex scene that stands out from much of the mass produced sex scenes that are made. A close second are the movies from Stella Films, by Estelle Joseph. She matches stars with chemistry that comes across very hot on video, and also uses music that isn’t tacky!

O4Her: I have been enjoying reading your blog on Hot Movies For Her! I’m going to guess you are a fan of music, so what are you listening to these days?

VV: Well, I can’t take credit for our Friday “Mixtape Rewinds”, where we feature random music picks. But all of us are music fans, with varied tastes! My personal tastes run the gamut - I did my first “Mixtape Rewind” and I featured a Russian singer that I heard in a recent cab ride. [editors note: see Venus’ blog for more info on the cab ride!]

O4Her: Do you have a favorite porn soundtrack?

VV: Currently no. But if I had my wish, there would be an excellent sex scene set to anything by Rob Zombie. Or the Cramps, their music is very sexy too.

O4Her: You go to a lot of adult trade shows, and I’m sure you’ve seen some interesting things. Can you share any highlights – stuff that has a “sexy-factor” or a “weird-factor”, or is otherwise juicy?

VV: You’d think I would! Most of the shows I attend are webmaster shows, so it’s business to business web people (with tons of naked girls around). I tell my friends stories that I think are mundane, and they’re like “Your job is like Mardi Gras!”. I guess I’m jaded? I think my favorite part is to meet the people behind the scenes, producers and performers, and hear their side of what they do and how they like it. I remember one time talking with Joanna Angel a couple years ago, telling her how I love her movies and how she always found hot guys, but I couldn’t take all of the gagging in the movies, to which she said how the girls want to do that. Even though I know a lot of women like sex in ways that other people might find “degrading”, it’s always good to hear that the performers are into it, regardless if you actually like to watch it. I think this spans across a lot (not necessarily all) content.

O4Her: Do you have any tips, “insider info”, or advice for users of HotMoviesForHer.com?

VV: I’d like to think everything is self explanatory, but I know it’s not LOL! I guess the biggest thing is that even though we are part of a much larger company, and we are a real team of women that run the site, right now there’s 4 of us. One thing I love about our company is that we’re honest and don’t scam our customers in any way.

O4Her.com: Can you give me a shameless plug for Hot Movies for Her? Maybe the benefits and advantages to using the site?

VV: I think our two biggest benefits are our blog and our video site. Our blog is free, fun and informative. We also don’t just write about Cosmo style sex, we touch on lesbian and gender identity topics and issues. Two of us are straight, and two of us are lesbian, including J.D. Bauchery, who is our resident “sexpert”. We write about everything from, “George Clooney is Single -He’s Mine Now!” to the latest in GLBT rights and sex scandals, as well as interviews with top stars and female producers. We also have industry guest columns from Nica Noelle, a seasoned lesbian performer and director/producer, and Audacia Ray, a former sex-worker/advocate/writer and award nominated director. I think one of the challenges of doing a women’s site on a whole is that so many women are completely different, and even if you are born with a vagina doesn’t mean you’ll fit the mold of what society thinks a typical “women” is, and we try to make everyone welcome and find things that will interest them. On a video side, we review different movies and have different “theaters” based on a number of different genres, but we don’t limit our selections - we know everyone has varied tastes and we’re not here to tell them they have to watch this video or that video. Our site is great because it’s not only discrete online viewing (no embarrassing video store trips or DVDs lying around), but there’s no monthly or recurring fees. All new users get 10 minutes free, and you have the option to purchase more in the future. You never get charged unless you make a purchase, and your unwatched minutes never expire. You don’t have that pressure to watch just because you paid for the month. We also have a lot of “for women” content that you can’t find at other sites with the same set up as ours. And finally, because the site exists because we love it. No one is forced to work on it (yes we get paid, but we chose to work on it) - the site was born out of personal beliefs, and fortunately has grown into something that I hope women (or anyone) can enjoy.