LOS ANGELES—Vivid Entertainment head of sales Howard Levine has begun a regular blog on XCritic.com, the popular site specializing in reviews, news, interviews, columns, podcasts and a forum.
"We're excited to have Howard Levine blogging for us. Howard has a unique perspective on the adult industry that could only come from deep, long-term experience. He knows this biz inside and out and we can't wait to see what he blogs about," said Chris Thorne, editor of XCritic.com.
The first blog by the veteran sales executive takes readers back to 1985, the first year he began selling adult movies. "Things were a little different back then," he writes. "Ronald Reagan took the oath of office for his second term. He did not like porn.
The cost of a stamp was 20 cents and the median household income was $28k. Porn wasn't free on the Internet because the internet was just getting started…People who ripped off people in the porn business usually paid, quickly. It was a simpler time. You owe, you pay."
Levine also recalls that "The gay market was shaken up by the death of Rock Hudson, the first big star to die of AIDS. There were no condoms used back then, and frankly no one really cared. We were selling a fantasy. The numbers were good and people bought big time."
He recalls that the stars of 25 years ago included "Jamie Gillis who crossed over into mainstream movies; Jerry Butler who married Lisa Lorring, a sales person at Caballero who played Wednesday Addams on the 'Addams Family'; John Holmes; Christy Canyon; Amber Lynn; Ginger Lynn; Bridgette Monet; Honey Wilder….and a young girl named Traci Lords. It would be a year before anyone would discover how young Traci actually was. She made 164 or so movies in a very short time, and everyone stocked them. In 1986, everyone would pay dearly."
In introducing Levine to its readers, XCritic.com notes that in addition to his role as "lead sales guy at Vivid Entertainment" he is an avid motorcyclist.
