J. Randall Kaplan: "Dear Gene, I have a few nitpicks about your otherwise superb coverage of the Marylin Star story -- you remain the nonpareil journalist of the adult entertainment world.
"First, whether or not he's your best source, you need to pin Mark Medoff to the wall. When it comes to this story, he's obviously not a journalist, or the man who runs the soi-disant "Adult News Service" --he's part of the story. He can't be both, and you, as a real journalist, shouldn't let him try to be. Aside from admittedly nebulous 'journalistic ethics,' why does it matter? Because you're printing stuff he says that is self-serving, or Marylin Star-serving, that a journalist otherwise wouldn't print. Here's two examples:
1) You refer to a "sweeping FBI manhunt in western Canada." Now, for all I know, Marylin Star may be Bill Clinton's favorite porn star; she may be Janet Reno's, too. But I don't see either of them making wholesale changes in this country's foreign policy for her sake, and I don't see the government of Canada going along, either. In short, over the Canadian border, the FBI are just tourists. I guarantee you that there is no sweeping FBI manhunt going on in western Canada. Not even the CIA, either.
2) You mention "the heavily-armed gunmen seeking her capture." Are these the FBI guys? The Royal Canadian Mounted Police? Mysterious hired gunmen? Or just ordinary cops on the beat, carrying the same guns they always do? Should they disarm because Marylin is 4'11" and a measurable percentage of her less-than-100 pounds is silicone? Everyone in this country is innocent until proven guilty, including Marylin, but her 'fugitive' status doesn't encourage sympathy. These clumsy attempts to portray her as a victim of overzealous law enforcers (or outlaw enforcers, come to that) are fairly pathetic.
"Is it silly of me to suggest that when the adult industry is under constant legal fire that we should perhaps be more temperate in portraying law enforcement in the fashion that the subject of a civil indictment wishes to portray them in order to gain personal advantage, even if it makes for a good story. Or at least, should we question the 'facts' as presented by less-than-disinterested parties like Mr. Medoff? Like, why would the FBI be pursuing someone under civil but not criminal indictment? Randy"
Gene sez: "Randy, you're obviously not aware of the famous 'Wall Street Made Me Do It' defense, or some of your questions would already have been answered. As for the heavily-armed gunmen and sweeping manhunt allusions, that's pretty much how this story has been dramatized by some media groups. Personally, not having been in Vancouver to vouch for their authenticity, I'm kinda going with the flow, bearing in mind that gangbangs are like stakeouts, you have to be there to vouch for the numbers. And, J. Randall, I must nitpick one of your nitpicks about Marc Medoff, journalistic ethics and a reporter being a part of the story. Did you see Dustin Hoffman in Mad City or Kirk Douglas in The Big Carnival? Screen journalists do this all the time."
