In a world where rock stars have been replaced by beige pop puppets, people yearn for counter-culture figures who represent something edgier. Step forward the porn industry.
Porn is now a place where global stars bang on camera before being projected to hordes of baying viewers across the world.
XXX stars are the new joie de vivre of youth culture, with BDSM having a huge recent impact in the literary world and Instaporn spreading the industry’s influence onto social media.
These 10 names are long-shagging proof of porn’s crossover.
10
Kim Kardashian West
Smash and grab
Eh? Yes, really. Of all the names on this list, Kardashian West is the only one to have made the jump from the star of a hardcore porn tape to mainstream celebrity. And she only had to shag on camera once to do it. Her fame kicked off in 2007 when footage of her and ex-boyfriend Ray J doing the business was leaked online. Rumour has it Kanye was a big fan of the footage before he bagged the real deal.
9
Janine
Parental advisory
Although Janine’s name only really has notoriety within the porn industry, she’s probably had more of an impact of adolescent lads than any by featuring on the cover of Blink-182’s album Enema Of The State. As well as starring in the video for Blink’s What’s My Age Again, Janine was made famous by her part in a leaked sex tape with Motley Crue singer Vince Neil.
8
Lisa Ann
Mother I’d Like To F…
At the height of her career she was dubbed ‘The most famous MILF on the planet’, but what Lisa Ann is most famous for is her porn parody of Sarah Palin in Hustler’s 2008 film Who’s Nailin’ Palin? The role was so successful that she went on to play Palin in five more films: Obama Is Nailin’ Palin, Letterman’s Nailin’ Palin, You’re Nailin’ Palin, Hollywood’s Nailin’ Palin, and Who’s Nailin’ Palin? 2. Nailing Republican candidates is clearly a big market in the States. We can’t imagine You’re Humpin’ Trump would have quite the same legs.
As well as being one of the world’s most recognisable cougars, Lisa Ann went on to direct alongside being a talent agent. Unfortunately, for those more inclined to the mature end of the market, she officially retired from porn in 2014. She also revealed herself in a new way this month after her autobiography The Life was published.
7
Ron Jeremy
Record breaker
Synonymous with porn, Jeremy is listed in the Guinness Book Of World Records for Most Appearances In Adult Films, with the IADB (IMDB for XXX) listing him as a star of more than 2,000 films. Nicknamed The Hedgehog because of his hairiness, 62-year-old Jeremy is not fully retired from porn, still cast in a number of non-sex roles.
6
Stoya
Pop porn
Dubbed “America’s sweetheart of smut” by Village Voice in 2013, Stoya – real name Jessica Stojadinović – is perhaps the biggest household name currently working. She has become known as the intellectuals’ porn star, writing columns for a number of publications. Stoya also briefly dated Marilyn Manson in 2009.
Stoya describes herself as ‘Incendiary. Quixotic. Sassy’ on her Instagram page, and is slowly crossing over into the mainstream. It hasn’t all been plain sailing, though. Stoya hit headlines when she accused her ex-boyfriend and male porn star James Deen of rape in a series of tweets. A number of other performers, including Joanna Angel, Tori Lux, Ashley Fires, Amber Rayne, Kora Peters, Nicki Blue and Lily LaBeau, have since gone public to say Deen assaulted them too. His career has been crumbling since, with several porn companies severing ties with him as well as a sex toy bearing his likeness being pulled from production.
5
Mia Khalifa
Hijab porn star
Perhaps better known as ‘The hijab porn star’, Khalifa hit the headlines in 2014 when she infamously humped on camera wearing the traditional Muslim garb. The BangBros film initially sparked outrage in her home country of Lebanon with haters claiming she had brought disgrace to the nation and insulted Islam. Khalifa stated in an interview with Loaded that she felt she is being made a scapegoat for internet censorship in her native land, and many others there have since demonstrated against the government, showing support for the American porn star. They claim that although she may have sex, ‘She is still more decent than they are’.
Whatever side of the fence you sit, the headlines proved to be great publicity, with Khalifa continuing to be a top search on PornHub, as well as striking up deals to promote Uber and Papa John’s.
4
John Holmes
A-lister
The original bad boy of porn and biggest XXX male star of the 70s and 80s appeared in more than 2000 films. He had a number of Hollywood hits – including Boogie Nights and Wonderland – made about his life. Dubbed Long John Holmes, his main asset was his massive weapon, which when erect was either 10in or 13.5in long, depending on who is telling the story. But he fell spectacularly, getting hooked on cocaine, being tried for murder and dying from Aids in 1988 aged 43.
3
Sasha Grey
Award-winner
Dubbed the “Dirtiest girl in the world”, Sasha Grey bills herself as the thinking person’s porn queen. She reckons she brought feminism into the world of hardcore. Unlike Jenna Jameson, Grey was up for anything and everything. She officially retired from porn in 2011 to carve out a mainstream acting career. She’s starred in Steven Soderbergh’s The Girlfriend Experience and last year in Open Windows alongside Elijah Wood.
2
Houston
Queen of gang bangs
She’s known as ‘The Gang Bang Queen’ and looks like a cross between Dolly Parton and Angelina Jolie. The 46-year-old made her name by accommodating 620 guys in her movie The World’s Biggest GangBang 3: The Houston 620. In 2008 she was diagnosed with skin cancer, and was convinced her drug abuse gave her the disease. Now cancer-free, she lives in Las Vegas with her daughter and in 2012 released her autobiography Pretty Enough.
1
Jenna Jameson
HRH Jameson
Without a doubt the world’s most famous X-rated actress, Jameson began her hardcore career in 1994. In 2008, she stunned the industry by announcing she was retiring. A year later she became a mother to twin boys with UFC star Tito Ortiz. But her family life fell apart and she split with Ortiz amid allegations of domestic abuse. Now 41, Jameson has written erotic novel Sugar, worked as a web cam model since 2013 and also starred in Celebrity Big Brother this year.