Weinstein is less than pleased with Yaroslavsky. The AIDS activist says the supervisor "hasn't done anything, he hasn't said a word, and I don't think he should get away with it." Weinstein also says that Yaroslavsky's push for a state law is "just another way of passing the buck."
When asked about Weinstein's comments, Yaroslavsky says, "I feel Michael's passion. He's a very effective advocate. Michael wants to make a statement, and he wants to make an example of somebody."
Michael Weinstein, left, hopes the courts will force the industry to change.
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Nor does the on-camera porn talent seem grateful. Porn star Evan Stone, who's been in the business for 10 years, says, "This is how communism starts. They first get into your bedroom. Where will it stop?"
Mark Kulkis, president of Kick Ass Pictures, a top L.A. porn studio, charges that Weinstein is "out for headlines for himself," adding that condom regulations would drive porn filmmakers "underground" and "out of state."
Porn with condoms "just doesn't sell," says Kulkis, a 14-year veteran of the industry. "You can't argue with the economics of the situation."
Vivid Entertainment founder Hirsch says that when his studio went "condom-only," between 1998 and 2006, it saw a 10 to 20 percent drop in revenues. "It's been proven your sales will decline if you shoot films with condoms," he says. Hirsch adds that Vivid switched to "condom-optional" in 2006, when testing for sexually transmitted diseases improved and performers came to him saying they no longer wanted to use condoms.
And female porn star Noname Jane, who has also been working in the industry for 10 years, argues that condoms cause health problems for women whom "outsiders" like Weinstein don't fully understand.
"Condoms are good if you're doing a nice, romantic sex scene because [viewers] don't see" the condom, explains Jane. "But most porn that's shot is 'gonzo porn,' when the guy really pounds away. When you're getting pounded like that, no amount of lube stops the friction burn. And you tend to get more infections when your vagina is damaged."
Porn star Stone also says he experiences friction burn and condoms rolling down or breaking. Stone and Jane say they feel safe under the porn industry's current policy that mandates performers be tested by the Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation every 30 days for sexually transmitted diseases. Without a clean bill of health, actors and actresses can't work. But AIM has been criticized by state and county health officials for not cooperating with their investigations.
Weinstein remains unpersuaded and plans to move forward with an appeal of AIDS Healthcare Foundation's failed lawsuit against the county as soon as the legal paperwork is in order.
"Self-regulation hasn't worked well for banks or any U.S. industry," Weinstein contends.
Hirsch, who founded Vivid 25 years ago, insists Weinstein's plan is unfair to California studios. "If the entire world mandated condoms, it would be a level playing field."
**Correction: The original version of this story repeated the L.A. Times information that 16 cases of AIDS had been linked to adult-film performers. However, county officials later said they could not verify such a link.
Contact Patrick Range McDonald at pmcdonald@laweekly.com.
