If you have been keeping score, you know I was a long time fan of porn until 1998. And I worked in an adult bookstore for nearly two years. So I think I speak from experience.
The first two references I made are actual scenes from actual movies produced by one Rob Black; the former an Evil Angel release called "Gang Bang Angels", the latter an Extreme Associates release mentioned in depth in a recent episode of Frontline.
A cursory look at charts for adult video sales and rentals show a repeated and consistent presence from Evil Angel.
The third? Pick up a current S/M vid and you will see what I am talking about.
And do not even get me started with Max Hardcore.
Okay, you've obviously have familiarity with the subject and possibly a story to share and tweaked my curiosity. Why did you cease to be fan?
No, I didn't know your history. Based on your experience, would you agree that, much like mainstream film, porn has several distinct genres--SM/BD being only one of them? I would postulate further that the casual consumer rarely frequents adult video stores. I don't doubt that you've seen your share of freaky weirdos, as well as some normal looking people. But I can't say with any certainty that your experience as an adult bookstore employee is representative. I would also be interested in your honest evaluation of the people renting or buying hardcore S/M stuff vs. the people who got regular, run-of-the-mill XXX vids vs. the people who bought an adult toy or two and then went home, never to be seen again. You probably had regulars and one-time customers, and I'll bet there was a distinct difference in the two.
I'll see if I can draw another parallel. Let's say that you wanted to investigate passenger conditions on airlines. So you went to the airport and asked randome passengers at baggage claim as to whether or not their flight was crowded. Even if your sample was perfectly random, you would draw the erroneous conclusion that more planes are crowded than not. Why? Because of faulty data. People on crowded planes are by definition going to be over-represented in the sample, skewing the results. It's not the data, it's the methodology, which is why annecdotal evidence is often unreliable.
In other words, your adult bookstore patrons were self-selected and not necessarily an even cross-section of porn users. Hardcore porn, and especially SM/BD, is a particular taste. Even on the 'Net you have to go looking for it. You'll see pop-up windows, a few boobs and maybe a BJ or two, but you're going to have to take action to get to the main pages. The really fringe stuff will require time and effort to find. Most casual users will download some pics, or maybe just subscribe to Penthouse and be done with it. I don't know of too many well-adjusted people who make weekly trips to the adult video store. I do know some weird people, including a few who sell porn, and from everything I've gathered, the "Frequent Flogger" cards are reserved for a limited minority.
Your experience may vary, but even stipulating that, you cannot lay claim to a full slice of the American public.
Sure the Evil Angel productions can make an appearance in the Adult Video Top 40 Countdown, but porn goes beyond vids alone. Earl and Martha Branscombe, living in a small town 40 miles north of Omaha, might have a worn copy of the Sept 1983 issue of Playboy, but I doubt they subscribe to the Max Hardcore flick of the week program.
Most people gather in small groups, and after a couple of glasses of wine shyly admit in hushed tones that, "Yes, Bob and I rented an adult video together for the first time last week." It was "interesting" and they are "glad they did it," but they "probably won't be doing it again anytime soon."