NEW JERSEY—We’re not quite sure how to react to the apparent hostility directed by Tanning Mom, aka Tan Mom, aka Patricia Krentcil, toward porn queen Jenna Jameson at this weekend’s Exxxotica Expo in New Jersey. In a sense, the incident is simply too bizarre for us to imagine. In fact, we can’t even picture the two of them together in our mind’s eye; the brain simply will not compute. That Tanning Mom had her table right next to Jameson’s further boggles us, just as we imagine it did for unwary fans strolling down the aisle who somehow had to mentally accept the fact that these two famous people from totally different public spheres were thrown together as neighbors at a porn trade show. Who said American innovation is dead?
But layering a scoop of reality show-style drama onto the already twisted vision of reality, sex tape and bona fide porn star wattage thrown together at Exxxotica adds something very special to the proceedings, like an episode of Celebrity Big Brother from Hell (if such a show existed). Normally, we would simply assume that it was all scripted, but in this case we think it was scripted in the sense that someone like Tan Mom is always the lead in the movie of her life, no matter where she is.
We kind of feel the same way about Sydney Leathers, Anthony Weiner’s notorious sexting partner who went on to middling porn fame of her own. Leathers and Tanning Mom share the same GR Media management agency, and were also trade show neighbors after Krentcil’s issues with Jameson caused her to move tables or get kicked out, per nj.com. That’s right, she was almost ejected.
“The incident occurred Friday night at the expo inside the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center in Edison,” reported the news site.
According to a rep with GR Media, “Patricia and Jenna had booths right next to each other at the convention and Jenna had a long line of men waiting to get autographs and pictures with her.” The rep said Patricia was “equally upset that some of Jameson’s promotional materials were on her table.”
In a press release issued after the incident, GR Media added, “Patricia became aggravated with Jenna, which resulted in calling her a ‘whore’ to Jenna’s face,” to which Jameson’s reportedly responded, “What did she call me?”
GR Media further explained, “Tan Mom was not aware who Jenna Jameson was and had never heard of her.”
Now we’re of a mind that Krentcil got upset because she feared that another extremely tanned person was trying to steal her tan thunder! That at least is understandable from a C-list celebrity point of view. After having earned a Tanning Mom moniker, who wouldn’t feel protective of the brand? Jenna, for her part, was reported to have wisely ignored TM's comment after her initial reaction to it.
Anyway, that’s the extent of the Tanning Mom/Jenna Jameson feud, such as it was. After being told by security that if she “acted up” again, she would be removed, TM was moved to a table near Leathers by security, according to GR Media.
But there’s even some discrepancy with that account. NJ.com reports that Exxxotica refutes GR’s story, saying that Krentcil was never threatened with removal and moved tables on her own. They also said she was unable to attract any attention and left the show earlier than planned.
“She was supposed to be there for three hours on Friday, but she had such a poor turnout that she left early on her own anyway,” said the organizer. “There was no one there to see her and she asked if she could leave early. We said ‘Go ahead.’”
At least she got some press out of it.
Image: Patricia "Tanning Mom" Krentcil, left, and Jenna Jameson
