3.94

4

Mar 12, 2016

THIS REVIEW IS GOING TO BE LONG. IT ALSO CONTAINS SEXUAL CONTENT. TRIGGER WARNINGS: RAPE, GANGRAPE, DRUGS, ANOREXIA NERVOSA, SUICIDE

First, let's talk about porn. Then, we'll get to the book.

I've never seen Jenna Jameson in porn, I don't watch porn.

I'm not anti-porn, I know some feminists are, but I can't hate on people for wanting to watch sex and masturbate. That's perfectly understandable. I always knock on a Boyfriend's door and wait for permission before entering the room.

You're a sexual THIS REVIEW IS GOING TO BE LONG. IT ALSO CONTAINS SEXUAL CONTENT. TRIGGER WARNINGS: RAPE, GANGRAPE, DRUGS, ANOREXIA NERVOSA, SUICIDE

First, let's talk about porn. Then, we'll get to the book.

I've never seen Jenna Jameson in porn, I don't watch porn.

I'm not anti-porn, I know some feminists are, but I can't hate on people for wanting to watch sex and masturbate. That's perfectly understandable. I always knock on a Boyfriend's door and wait for permission before entering the room.

You're a sexual person. Why don't you watch porn?

I find it either sad/traumatizing, or boring. A lot of porn is really degrading to women and it makes me sad to watch. On the rare occasion that there is a porn film that is NOT degrading to women, it is just very boring. I need a plot; I need a man I can swoon over (none of this random-stranger shit); I need some sort of story and emotional connection. Porn just isn't made this way; it doesn't cater to women at all. What women need is a romantic movie - with good, intense falling in love - with added sex scenes. Unfortunately for us, romantic movies are rated PG-13 and released in theaters so we never get to the good stuff. I need the long, romantic story/tension AND the sex, or it's not working for me.

This is why women read erotica and romance novels. They are perfect for women.

ALSO, and this is a huge problem, the sex that is in porn is simply not enjoyable for women. It focuses on blowjobs, and it avoids anything that feels good for a woman. This is because clitoral stimulation is important for women. And stimulating a woman covers up her vulva, and a woman's vulva is money for porn. Because a woman's vulva has to be on display at all times, she can't be properly fingered, eaten out, or fucked by a man. Porn stars deliberately fuck in the most strange poses so that they are always showcasing the star's vulva. It makes me SO ANGRY AND FRUSTRATED, especially when I see these women (with very long, manicured nails) trying to rub their own clitoris in order to feel good. I'm like, "You shouldn't have to do that, the man should take care of that shit for you." It makes me very sad, and long, manicured nails are very difficult to masturbate with, so they're probably not even helping themselves that much. As a result, I feel sad, angry, and frustrated at men from watching porn, instead of turned-on.

Does anyone care? No. That's because porn is not about pleasure. It's about helping men masturbate.

You can always tell when you've gotten a man who has learned how to have sex by watching porn. You have to be very gentle and firm and completely rework his thinking. It's annoying and sometimes impossible. What looks good on screen does NOT feel good for a woman in real life. It's very difficult for men to understand this, sometimes, but I find gentle redirection and encouragement can rectify a man's poor technique learned from porn films.

OKAY, ON TO THE BOOK.

I was mentally bracing myself for this book. I knew it would be very brutal because of what Jameson went through in life, and it was even worse than I thought. She is raped two times (that is, if you go by her definition of rape. She doesn't "count" it as rape all the times she woke up after being drunk/drugged/blotto to find some guy on top of her) PLUS the time when she was gangraped and left for dead. These rapes are very difficult to read about. I have a very, very hard time reading about rape, and I felt very sick during my whole read of this novel, to the point that my food intake was cut in half. It's brutal. She loses her virginity to a rapist and wakes up in a puddle of blood, it's very hard to read.

Interspersed with Jameson's stories - which are almost all horrifying, men either raping her, drugging her, stealing from her, treating her like shit - are huge, porn photos of her stripping and in bikinis or naked. I don't know what this means. My personal theory is that this book is catering to two completely different sets of people: men who buy this book to masturbate and look at pictures of Jameson and perhaps read some of her detailed sexual accounts in here (the few that are positive; mostly with other women) and those who are actually interested in reading a book. In trying to please both audiences you get some pretty bizarre results. It's jarring to have a rape scene laid out in detail opposite of a topless Jameson with her tongue out, winking.

However, I was able to pretty much just read the book and ignore the pictures. I'm sure some readers do the opposite.


FRUSTRATED

Of course I was frustrated with Jameson while reading this book. Not because I had any anger about her getting into stripping and porn (understandable) and her rapes (people who blame women for rapes are the lowest form of scum) but because she always ends up dating/marrying these shitheel men. Total assholes who not only verbally abuse her and disrespect her, but steal from her and make money off her. And she always goes on to another guy. It's hard for me not to get frustrated with her when she merrily plunges off a cliff with the next boyfriend, who is a complete waste of space - which is obvious to everyone BUT her.

If I were her, I would stop dating men. I would just swear off men altogether. And she would have it easier than me, because she is bisexual. I would be celibate if there were no men, she could keep on with women (who in the book are the only loving, kind and respectful partners she has), have a steady girlfriend, and just tell men to fuck off.

BISEXUAL
Jameson says female strippers and porn stars being bisexual is part of the industry. She says it's more likely for a stripper or a porn star to be bisexual than someone who never works in porn.

I was always celebrating when she met a woman and started a relationship with her, because women were the only ones who were kind to her, listened to her, respected her, and supported her. The only people she had good romantic relationships with were women.

Every single man she dated was a disrespectful piece of trash. Even the man she ends up 'loving' and marrying in her 'happy ending' is someone I would have shown the door on about Day Two of dating him. She has such a huge tolerance; I have no tolerance for men who are disrespectful pieces of trash. She also seems to like dominant men, and men she calls "real men" who seem to be bossy and in control and have tempers. All real turn-offs for me. So, we are in basic disagreement here.

And in reading her entire sexual history in this book (basically) it's clear to see how fucked up she is about men. Not like I can blame her. But she sees every man as a complete asshole, disrespectful, user, cheater, liar. She can't ever shake this viewpoint. Even in sexual scenarios or relationships in which she seems to be describing a man who is exhibiting good behavior, she always has "what is he really after?" in the back of her mind. She describes even the most patient men as creepers and pervs. Any man who wants to have sex with her is a creeper and a perv, full stop.

This is because she has never been in a good, kind, respectful, loving relationship with a man. And it's doubly hard because her job makes men think that they can treat her any way they want to. She doesn't matter, she's not a person - she's a porn star. And therefore she's a slut and a whore who has no morals and no need for love or soft words. Which is, of course, completely untrue. So her choice of profession has messed up her opportunities to meet a more kind of "everyday" guy who might treat her right. She deserves to have a man who laughs at her jokes, listens to her opinion and respects it, and one who is kind and merciful to her. Instead, we have a parade of losers who treat her like shit and verbally abuse her, steal from her and cheat on her. And they don't think she "deserves" any better because she works in porn.

It's very sad.

Add on top of this all the rape and abuse, and it's an incredibly depressing book. There's a reason it's on my will-put-you-off-men shelf.

If you ever need to resist an ex-boyfriend who is calling you or take a cold shower to calm down and stop being so attracted to whatever man in your life is bad for you, I highly recommend this book and others on my shelf will-put-you-off-men. These books will very soon have you convinced that all men are scum and will actually even make you physically ill when you think about men. It's excellent for self-control. I was retching every time I even thought about kissing a man this week, and for me that is very strange.


FUNNY

Despite all the shit she's been through, I was surprised and pleased to find Jameson is a genuinely funny person. I was laughing a lot reading this book. She tends to insert a "funny chapter" after every three or so "serious chapters" where she's getting abused, hurt, or raped. These funny chapters were actually hilarious, usually focusing on the porn industry. She can even make rather "sad" topics funny, like the chapter in which she describes how damaged and injured strippers' bodies are after years of stripping.

Her chapter on fielding the questions she always gets day in and day out, comparing how she answers them depending on if her mood is good or bad, was HILARIOUS. I was literally laughing out loud.

She also has a really funny part where she (trying to seduce a guy) gets on the floor and masturbates until she comes like a freight train. It's really funny, the man's reactions are even funnier, oh, gosh.

And I don't know who does the artwork for her in the book or if she does it herself, but often she tells her "funny chapters" by way of graphic novel.


DRUGS

Jameson has done a lot of drugs, A LOT, ever since she was about 12 or 11. So... make of that what you will. She, her father, and her brother did drugs. "As a family." Coke, acid, pot, etc. etc. She talks very honestly and openly about all the years she was on meth and how bad meth messed her up (a boyfriend got her hooked on that one). She doesn't hide the fact that she and a lot of her friends were junkies.


ANOREXIA
Jameson is very sensitive about how she appears on film, and either because she feels like shit about herself or because of a boyfriend calling her fat all the time, she does practice anorexia on and off during the book. Sometimes for long periods of time. Sometimes combined with meth use. It's amazing she's still alive, honestly. At one point she's down to 80 pounds and marveling that anyone is paying to see her dance. If you're someone who has an eating disorder, this book isn't especially triggering, as anorexia isn't the main focus. Jameson usually avoids talking about weight and diet (out of a respect for triggers? Because it's not the point of the book?) and the only detail that people might find triggering is her tryst with the diet she puts herself on of "lettuce and a power bar." She really is respectful and honest when discussing her anorexia, I found it refreshing. Combined with the drugs, oh gosh. I'm amazed she's still breathing.


SUICIDE
She only briefly mentions considering suicide once in this book, but doesn't end up attempting it.


HOW TO MAKE IT IN PORN

I found the chapters about how porn is made and what working in the porn industry is like to be truly fascinating. In one chapter, Jameson completely breaks it down about how to be a woman and get into the business. She tells you what will be expected of you, what not to tolerate, and what it will really be like to have sex with strangers on camera.

Even better is when she has an (anonymous) male porn star come on and tell everything about being a male porn star. She warns, "If you are a man who has ever fantasized about starring in porn, DO NOT READ THIS CHAPTER." The truth is, of course, unglamorous and rather disgusting. The male porn star talks about how you have to be extremely in control of your penis, get hard on command, come on command, have to train yourself to get it up for any female - even females you'd never, ever be attracted to in real life. He says he practices getting hard all the time, while talking to the gas company on the phone, while doing everyday "unsexy" activities. He describes trying to have sex while on camera and with a dozen people in the room watching and filming. It doesn't sound like a fun job.

He also discusses how male porn stars are "like lepers" and can never get a girlfriend. They are doomed to lonely lives, he tells us.


SHE PULLS HERSELF UP

One thing to admire about Jameson is her real go-get-it-ness and her ability to pull herself up by the bootstraps out of the gutter time after time after time. She is so brave and she keeps getting back up after falling down. I can't imagine how she stays so positive and ambitious after all she's been through. I would have fallen apart, she just dusts herself off after every tragedy and keeps going. It's admirable.


GOOD MALE PORN STARS

Another really interesting thing are the male porn stars she chooses to praise. Two really come to mind, Peter North and T.T. Boy, both of whom she said fucked her within an inch of her life. She really went into detail describing how T.T. turned her out. She has so many negative things to say about male porn stars: they're too aggressive, too clingy, too rough, unhygienic, unprofessional,... and it was really surprising when she would (only twice) have positive things to say about one. And her praise is rare and sincere. She seems honestly surprised any time she meets a male porn star whom she can actually enjoy having sex on camera with.

She never loses her sense of humor, though, her (crazy, thorough, long) scene with T.T. is punctuated with hilarious asides and her unique sense of what's funny.

He raced through the foreplay - a little kissing, a little [going down on me] - and then all hell broke loose. He slammed me so fast and hard that it took every ounce of control I had to stay focused and in the moment. Trying to maintain eye contact with him was like trying to read Dostoevsky on a roller-coaster.

LOL LOL LOL Reading Dostoevsky on a roller coaster. Too funny. She gets even funnier, it's a hilarious scene.


NAME DROPPING

Celebrities can't resist name dropping in their books, and Jameson is no exception. Everyone is in here: Sly Stallone, Bruce Willis, tons of rock stars (I'm not familiar with them, so I'm not going to bother to list them), Jack Nicholson, Wesley Snipes, Cindy Crawford, etc. etc.

However, I'm impressed she didn't take it further. It could have been much, much worse. Name-dropping bores me to tears, I'm just not interested in celebrity gossip, and I actually felt like Jameson was keeping it to a rather reasonable minimum here. I've read memoirs that are much worse.


IMPLANTS

She's also very honest about (both) her implant surgeries and how regretful she is that she didn't keep her real breasts.



Tl;dr - I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Perhaps 'enjoyed' is the wrong word, it's so difficult for me to read books about rape and this one is very heavy on the abuse and rape side of things. However, it's easier for me to read books that are non-fiction when it comes to rape (I usually DNF fiction books with rape) because I believe in listening to rape survivors and their experiences.

My friend, while reading this, asked me jokingly if I was "learning anything." I said I was learning that men are pieces of shit who should be avoided at all costs. She laughed, but that is the true message of this book. I'm amazed Jameson ends up married to a man at the end of this after so much heartache. I think people see you reading this and think it is like a "dirty" book in the vein of erotica or romance, like you are going to be getting some kind of sexual thrill from reading it, but that is the farthest thing from the truth. I found nothing "sexy" in this book at all. Not a damn thing. Basically because I find kind men to be sexy and there's not any of those in here. Even the ones who start out seeming like they are decent quickly show their true colors to Jameson. She can't win.

Do you recommend this book?

Well. I mean, either you have an interest in this sort of thing or not. I, a person who can't pick Jameson out of a lineup and doesn't watch [visual] porn, actually ended up thinking this was a great read. I can't really predict how anyone else will react though. I've tried to let you know the gist of it in my review. I definitely wouldn't push this on anyone who doesn't have an interest/curiosity at the onset - it's not THAT good. It's not so good I'd be pushing it on everyone, insisting they'll love it (like I would do with, say, Reamde or Have You Found Her). So... read at your own risk. ...more

4

Sep 07, 2008

Here is one weird thing about this book: It's about six hundred pages long, but about a third of that is pictures.

Here's another thing about this book: during intense passages about things like rape, there will be pictures of porny-ass ol' Jenna with a gallon of lipstick on showing up her butt, or something. Which could totally work in two ways: either as total, 'you are reading this for the porniness' exploitive cash-in, or in a meta, 'here is the reality, looks how different it is from the Here is one weird thing about this book: It's about six hundred pages long, but about a third of that is pictures.

Here's another thing about this book: during intense passages about things like rape, there will be pictures of porny-ass ol' Jenna with a gallon of lipstick on showing up her butt, or something. Which could totally work in two ways: either as total, 'you are reading this for the porniness' exploitive cash-in, or in a meta, 'here is the reality, looks how different it is from the way it's portrayed' kind of commentary way. But instead I honestly couldn't figure out which it was supposed to be, and ultimately, I kinda feel like it was just to make Jenna's autobiography an Event Tome instead of, y'know, a porn star memoir. Which works- it is huge and cinderblocky.

Another weird thing is how ghost-written it feels. Alex said that Jenna Jameson is hella smart and articulate and all the things we say when we mean 'the assumption that comes with her background is that she's stupid, but the reality is that she's not,' and I totally believe her. But that doesn't always translate to writing, right? I know absolute conversational intelligent geniuses whose e-mails and letters are strings of cliches and stiff phrases. So I've got nothing against Neil Strauss as her, uh, co-author. It's just weird how, like, the prose slightly has character and slightly doesn't. Not to resort to one of the hackneyedest metaphors about writing in the world, but it's like potato soup where the only spice is a little bit of salt. I wish that her voice had come through more, because the sentences themselves read like they could have been written by literally anybody in the world, if they were co-writing a book with a professional paragraph-churner.

Pretentious.

I guess the only other weird thing I want to mention is how, like, if you take out the specifics- the fame, the porn, that kinda stuff- her life is just pretty much everybody else's life. Like, a few fucked up relationships, a little overboard on the substances, the amount of money she has is none and then a lot and then not much and then ultimately enough. Which I'm sure, also, is the point- it's just weird to get to the end of six hundred pages and read that somebody in their, what, late twenties? Is at the same point emotionally that I am in my late twenties. What am I supposed to do with that, if I already knew that sex workers were real people with real lives? I just felt like I didn't take much away from it.

Um, so whatever. It was fine. It's probably not worth thirty bucks though. Is it in paperback? I'd wait for the paperback, if it's not. ...more

3

Jul 30, 2007

I think this is a story of survival. (Why do people always look at me funny when I admit to having read this?) Being the queen of her business that she is, I read it wanting to know what made her tick. "Sex" is the popular answer to that. But that's really not the truth. She admits to loving sex, but she dispels the myth that porn stars are sex addicts who want to get paid for their source of pleasure. She's very honest about admitting how bad the sex industry can be. The fact that she survived I think this is a story of survival. (Why do people always look at me funny when I admit to having read this?) Being the queen of her business that she is, I read it wanting to know what made her tick. "Sex" is the popular answer to that. But that's really not the truth. She admits to loving sex, but she dispels the myth that porn stars are sex addicts who want to get paid for their source of pleasure. She's very honest about admitting how bad the sex industry can be. The fact that she survived brutal rape (more than once), addiction, and bad abusive boyfriend after bad abusive boyfriend, says that she's tough. She's also a very smart business lady. She deserves all that she has, if it's what makes her happy. When in doubt, if you were to ask yourself, "what would Jenna do?" it would be as valid as asking "what would Jesus do?" or "what would Janis do?" Jenna would say to move on and make the best of the situation. She knew how to separate emotion and work. In the end, she's just another girl who had a string of bad boyfriends and wanted to be successful at her job. Really, it's a just another story of a gal trying to make it on her own. This isn't a story about sex or about porn. It's a story of survival.

I didn't give it any more than three stars only because she didn't write it all by herself. ...more

3

Mar 27, 2016

I don’t read memoir or autobiography. The closet thing I've read, prior to this - that could pass of autobiography, is ‘The Story of My Experiments with Truth’ which we all know autobiography of the great and beloved Indian leader MK Gandhi. Though, I enjoyed it while reading, whole experience was not quite as I expected it would be and that’s the reason I stayed clear of autobiographies.

So, when I found this one, I though why not try again? To Jenna’s credit, because she was in showbiz, her I don’t read memoir or autobiography. The closet thing I've read, prior to this - that could pass of autobiography, is ‘The Story of My Experiments with Truth’ which we all know autobiography of the great and beloved Indian leader MK Gandhi. Though, I enjoyed it while reading, whole experience was not quite as I expected it would be and that’s the reason I stayed clear of autobiographies.

So, when I found this one, I though why not try again? To Jenna’s credit, because she was in showbiz, her autobiography turned out to be anything but boring.



While reading this book, I constantly resisted looking her up on Wikipedia. As the book is published in 2003, she though she has her happy ending with Jay, but it isn't true and I am guessing, she will have this book updated in next few years, who knows?



I've taken following from Wikipedia –


The book covers her early career from her beginning in show business living with her tattoo artist boyfriend, through receiving the Pornographic Hot d'Or award at Cannes, and wedding pictures from her second marriage. It does not omit sordid details, describing her two rapes, drug addictions, an unhappy first marriage, and numerous affairs with men and women. The first-person narrative is broken up by personal photos, childhood diary entries, family interviews, movie scripts, and comic panels.


The point was that though it has all triggers (TRIGGER WARNINGS: RAPE, GANGRAPE, DRUGS, ANOREXIA NERVOSA, and SUICIDE), they are all handled in such a way, you are not completely grossed out and it turned out to be quite enjoyable reading experience.



What amazed me the most is that how many times Jenna lost everything and also found herself in life threatening situations, but she pulled herself together and keeps moving forward. I’d like to quote from book itself –


There are people who have suffered terrible abuse and grown up to be lawyers and doctors with stable families. Others suffered some small indignation and turned into violent sociopaths. Ultimately, what really matters is not just the experiences you have at a young age, but whether or not you are equipped – by your parents, by your genetics, by your education- to survive and deal with them.




So, do I know the life of a porn star? Yes.

Did I watch any of her movies? No.
And I’m not going to because it doesn't matter. Adios!


...more

5

June 11, 2013

I read this in my high school library oddly enough in 04, it's still a great shocking, interesting read though. Sadly I think her and her husband divorced but she has twin boys now! #ImpressionableTeenager

5

Feb 10, 2016

Quite possibly the least sexy book ever written, How to Make Love Like a Porn Star: A Cautionary Tale by Jenna Jameson and Neil Strauss gives an unflinching look at woman born without roots, a woman who made it to the top of a very, very dark world.

I picked this book up because I wanted to analyze Neil Strauss and his work, and in particular how he makes ghostwriting / non-fiction / biography so darn fun. I am still in the middle of figuring that out, but I'll say this one is compelling, but not Quite possibly the least sexy book ever written, How to Make Love Like a Porn Star: A Cautionary Tale by Jenna Jameson and Neil Strauss gives an unflinching look at woman born without roots, a woman who made it to the top of a very, very dark world.

I picked this book up because I wanted to analyze Neil Strauss and his work, and in particular how he makes ghostwriting / non-fiction / biography so darn fun. I am still in the middle of figuring that out, but I'll say this one is compelling, but not fun. There is so much brutal truth on every page that by the time you get to the sex scenes, you've lost whatever appetite for such things you may have had in the first place.

Putting a positive spin on things - this tale makes me want to be a better person to others, and makes me want to think twice before judging another person. Jenna Jameson ostensibly chose a life in pornography, but she didn't really choose it. She had absolutely no guidance growing up, and when life presented her with a set of bad decisions, she had absolutely no one to prod her in the right direction.

Take-home lesson? Be kind to others, and when you see someone who has a lifestyle you might not approve of - especially if it is a self-defeating but otherwise-victimless lifestyle like Jameson's - think twice before thumbing your nose at them.

As far as Neil Strauss - yeah I still can't figure out why he's so good, but he is, and I look forward to exploring this question further. ...more

2

Jun 08, 2011

***WARNING...SOME MAY FIND THIS REVIEW OFFENSIVE***

Jenna Jameson attempts to write. Where do I begin? First of all, there is a difference between an interesting story and a well-executed story. When both elements are there, you have a great story. Her life story is definitely not boring, but her life in story-form is delivered very poorly, not to mention it's about 300 pages too long.

I must add that I knew, kind of, what I was getting into: I knew she didn't have a writing background (or an ***WARNING...SOME MAY FIND THIS REVIEW OFFENSIVE***

Jenna Jameson attempts to write. Where do I begin? First of all, there is a difference between an interesting story and a well-executed story. When both elements are there, you have a great story. Her life story is definitely not boring, but her life in story-form is delivered very poorly, not to mention it's about 300 pages too long.

I must add that I knew, kind of, what I was getting into: I knew she didn't have a writing background (or an education for that matter); that she had to lean on co-writer Neil Strauss more than your average autobiographer; that my expectations shouldn't demand the same from her as say, my expectations from a Hemingway or Fitzgerald story. I don't mean to imply that she is dumb. On the contrary, she appears to be very intelligent, ambitious, and innovative. It is that mix of elements that makes her story so interesting, especially given her grassroots attempt at success in the male-dominated sex industry. This gal is not stupid. But she is not good with a pen.

One oddity that left me baffled was her choice of words. Even though profanity runs rampant and explicit sexual prose drapes nearly every page (and it makes sense in this kind of story), she makes frequent use of the words "pee-pee" and "ding-dong" for, you know...and "friggin." (Come on Jenna, you're a porn star...act like it...it's PUSSY!)

Another annoying aspect of this book was it's all-in-one deal. This book contains Jenna comics, cartoons, interviews, diary entries (and not of the same caliber as Virginia Woolf...more like, "Dear Diary, I kissed a boy today, and then he touched my pee-pee."), Jenna's ten commandments, and pictures galore! I do understand, however, why this book would be heavier in pictures, but all of these superfluous additions account for approximately 1/3 of the book, hence it could have been much shorter.

One strength Jenna possesses is candidness. At times, however, I felt like she was summoning the spirit of Judy Blume. Consider this entry:

"My first period brought with it a whole new set of problems. One was that I still had my hymen. It was a thin, flat layer of flesh completely blocking my opening, making it impossible to use tampons."

Bless her heart. This is but one of many tragedies Jenna faced and conquered, and no detail is left to the imagination.

So far I have been really harsh, but there were some good things about the book. For one, she's funny. I found myself laughing at multiple points throughout the story. Her sense of humor is a great balance to the lurid subject matter ("All I did was contribute to Kleenex sales"). She also doesn't hold back. In a story such as this, that's crucial. She also throws in some "how-tos" for the blossoming wannabe porn star.

So...if you're easily offended by profanity or explicit sexual content, this book is not for you. It's also not the kind of book to read on the morning commute, as explicit pictures abound throughout. But if you can accept her story for what it is, then this is an interesting, if not enjoyable read. It's not everyday we get to read the life story of a famous porn star. Strangely, it makes for an interesting book club choice (depending on the degree of open-mindedness of its members). Consider yourself warned! ...more

3

Jun 26, 2008

This book is nearly 600 pages, and yet I read it in only a couple of days. Clearly I enjoyed it if I read it so quickly while having as busy of a life as I do. And yet at the same time, I would also offer up a few rather critical comments. The first is that it's the most self-indulgent autobiography I've ever read. If Benjamin Franklin's autobiography can clock in at under 150 pages, anyone's can. The author(s) leave no stone unturned. EVERYTHING is crammed in this book. Diary entries, pictures This book is nearly 600 pages, and yet I read it in only a couple of days. Clearly I enjoyed it if I read it so quickly while having as busy of a life as I do. And yet at the same time, I would also offer up a few rather critical comments. The first is that it's the most self-indulgent autobiography I've ever read. If Benjamin Franklin's autobiography can clock in at under 150 pages, anyone's can. The author(s) leave no stone unturned. EVERYTHING is crammed in this book. Diary entries, pictures (but not too many - only about half a million or so), interviews, even transcripts of her movies (this may or may not come as a surprise, but a word for word transcript of a porn is incredibly dull and obnoxious to read). All that's lacking is a detailed schedule of her bowel movements. In an age where everyone seems to have a blog and uses it to record the various angles of their navel-gazing, this book fits in perfectly in its information excess.

It was definitely the first non-fiction work I've read that I would classify as pulp non-fiction. Still, I won't be a snob and pretend I didn't like it. I did. It was a good read with some interesting insights here and there on everything from the industry in which she works to drug use to family. But as the saying goes: this ain't shakespeare. ...more

4

Apr 19, 2012

The Good: I was really sort of impressed with Jenna Jameson after reading this autobiography. She's been through so much to get where she is, and she puts it all out there. The book didn't come off as though it had an agenda as some of these tend to. There was no feeling of attention seeking, excuses or seeking redemption - just the uncut story of her life. I, of course, loved the more scandalous aspects of the book - the celebrity tell-all stuff. I also loved how the book showed that not The Good: I was really sort of impressed with Jenna Jameson after reading this autobiography. She's been through so much to get where she is, and she puts it all out there. The book didn't come off as though it had an agenda as some of these tend to. There was no feeling of attention seeking, excuses or seeking redemption - just the uncut story of her life. I, of course, loved the more scandalous aspects of the book - the celebrity tell-all stuff. I also loved how the book showed that not everything about celebrity life it glittery, as much as not all porn is degrading to women.

The Bad: Some aspects of Jenna's early life made me rather uncomfortable. While it was all part of her story and needed to be told, I question why she's chose to share these things. As much as I was impressed by Jenna after reading the novel, it didn't make me love her. It never struck the chord you get in autobiographies where you feel connected to the author. It felt more E! True Hollywood Story than anything else. It wasn't sympathetic which just kind of hit me as strange. ...more

5

Feb 25, 2010

I didn't have high expectations for this book, considering it was written by a porn star with little education. But I came out realizing that Jenna Jameson has a firm grasp of who she is, where she's been, and how to market herself better than any porn star on the planet. She's witty and introspective; making the traumatic times in her life seem like a mere stepping stone. She's been through so much: the death of her mother, drug addiction, the porn industry, yet she managed to come out of the I didn't have high expectations for this book, considering it was written by a porn star with little education. But I came out realizing that Jenna Jameson has a firm grasp of who she is, where she's been, and how to market herself better than any porn star on the planet. She's witty and introspective; making the traumatic times in her life seem like a mere stepping stone. She's been through so much: the death of her mother, drug addiction, the porn industry, yet she managed to come out of the other side a successful woman who didn't let pain get the best of her. I loved this book! And the pictures throughout aren't bad either! ...more

4

Jul 16, 2008

Dont let the 600 page length of this book fool you, a lot of it is pictures, photocopy journal entries, and fluent but childish writing style. Still, story wise this is indeed interesting as hell in my opinion, but I'm in to this kind of thing. If you care not for stripper/porn star stories you should obviously not read this, but that's what's right up my alley so I take it for what it is. It was suggested to me that everything she says in this book is a lie but I have no idea, I take it at face Dont let the 600 page length of this book fool you, a lot of it is pictures, photocopy journal entries, and fluent but childish writing style. Still, story wise this is indeed interesting as hell in my opinion, but I'm in to this kind of thing. If you care not for stripper/porn star stories you should obviously not read this, but that's what's right up my alley so I take it for what it is. It was suggested to me that everything she says in this book is a lie but I have no idea, I take it at face value because that's what is presented.

There are parts that are sad, and parts that are hilarious. But this is not in fact a guide on making love like a porn star, though she does give blow job instructions in one chapter. ...more

4

Sep 13, 2015

http://angelerin.blogspot.com/2016/02...

For anyone who doesn't know (I think most of us do though) Jenna Jameson is a very famous porn star. How to...Make Love Like A Porn Star is her autobiography filled with tales from her childhood that was filled with rape, abuse, and more. The book is also about her transformation from an awkward teenager to being a beautiful woman and porn star. If all of this makes you uncomfortable then feel free to not read the rest of this review.

So I actually bought http://angelerin.blogspot.com/2016/02...

For anyone who doesn't know (I think most of us do though) Jenna Jameson is a very famous porn star. How to...Make Love Like A Porn Star is her autobiography filled with tales from her childhood that was filled with rape, abuse, and more. The book is also about her transformation from an awkward teenager to being a beautiful woman and porn star. If all of this makes you uncomfortable then feel free to not read the rest of this review.

So I actually bought this book for my friend last Christmas and after she read it she let me borrow it. Yey for book friends! I needed a read for the autobiography genre in the Insane Genre Challenge, so I thought why not? This book was definitely interesting to say the least.

Okay, let's be adults here. I've watched porn. I'm well over 18 years old, I've watched porn, I've watched porn with Jenna Jameson in it, and I don't have anything against porn. If you do, then this may not be the book for you since we get all sorts of details about the porn industry. DETAILS.

When I say details, I mean details. Some parts are very graphic in nature and extremely descriptive. Just to warn you! Also there are some triggers to keep in mind in case you are sensitive to those: rape, abuse, and addiction being a few.

Other than the interesting tidbits we get about porn behind the scenes we get a lot of Jenna Jameson's life story. It was really fascinating to read about all the things that Jenna went through in her childhood, teen years, and young adulthood. Let me just say, Jenna has been through a lot of shit. There are a lot of shocking things in the book and there are some very interesting parts about people she has dated/slept with. Including some celebrities! The part with Marilyn Manson was quite hilarious I might add.

Overall How to...Make Love Like A Porn Star is a pretty good read. A little bit raunchy of course, but there is a lot more to it than that and it's all incredibly fascinating. After reading the book I really believe that Jenna Jameson is not only a beautiful and intriguing person, but also a fighter who never gave up on what she wanted to achieve. Kudos to her!

I recommend this book to anyone who loves autobiographies and to anyone interested in what goes on behind the scenes in the porn industry.



...more

2

Sep 15, 2011

The book had some predictable content but far less than you would imagine. The narrative is candid (sometimes too much so) and a light, quick read. There are some excerpts from Jenna's diary which looked so genuine that I would be very surprised if they forged it. It's also amazing to see how her dad took to the news of her becoming a porn star - very well in fact, although she came from a reasonably "normal" family. Her relationship with her brother is also pretty special.

Some parts of it The book had some predictable content but far less than you would imagine. The narrative is candid (sometimes too much so) and a light, quick read. There are some excerpts from Jenna's diary which looked so genuine that I would be very surprised if they forged it. It's also amazing to see how her dad took to the news of her becoming a porn star - very well in fact, although she came from a reasonably "normal" family. Her relationship with her brother is also pretty special.

Some parts of it really surprised me, like how she has included an actual contract to act in a porn movie, tips for aspiring porn stars, etc. Although it was probably very conservative of me to think this, most porn stars make a choice to be where they are. The money is quick, they only work about 20 days a year, and if you make it big, there's no looking back, much like any other career choice.

There are conversations between Jenna, her brother and her dad that's recorded verbatim. They were interesting in the beginning but soon started to drag and get boring.

Wouldn't really recommend this unless you are very curious about how someone would go about becoming a porn star or Jenna's life in particular (it's very detailed that way). The ending is a happy one - she gets married. The book is pretty huge and I gave up after going halfway or so and then skimmed the rest of the pages.

Note: there are some graphic pictures in the book so not something you want to leave lying around the house. ...more

2

Dec 14, 2009

This was a strange book.

I had sat down to read a few pages of this book, and before I knew it I was 300 pages deep. This book was undeniably addicting at first, and was certainly a page-turner, but it soon took a turn for the worse.

To begin with, Jenna is clearly lacking in her writing skills, which wasn't surprising. On top of that, this book is filled with unnecessary things. A good chunk of this book is made-up of dialogue between her, her father, and her brother. It was enjoyable at first, This was a strange book.

I had sat down to read a few pages of this book, and before I knew it I was 300 pages deep. This book was undeniably addicting at first, and was certainly a page-turner, but it soon took a turn for the worse.

To begin with, Jenna is clearly lacking in her writing skills, which wasn't surprising. On top of that, this book is filled with unnecessary things. A good chunk of this book is made-up of dialogue between her, her father, and her brother. It was enjoyable at first, but quickly became repetitive and incredibly boring. There are also diary entry's from when Jenna was a child, which at first were endearing and somewhat insightful. Those too, however, soon became incredibly obnoxious and unnecessary. One other thing that annoyed me was that Jenna referred to penises as "pee-pee's" and vagina's as "ding-dongs." Not only are you a porn star, Jenna, but you're also a grown woman. Not appropriate.

I was not sure how I felt about the book while I was reading it, and after finishing it I am still not sure. I think that I went in to reading this book hoping for something much more than what I was getting. Overall I feel as though there is nothing profound or incredible about Jenna's life or her book. The book was enjoyable at times, but overall was just ok. ...more

2

May 21, 2008

Okay. Well. It was interesting. What else can I say about this book? I found myself frustrated because it felt like it was written by, well, someone who never quite took school as a priority and started stripping and having sex on film for money. Which makes Jenna Jameson sound worse than I think she actually is, but... that's how the book reads.

The story of her life is a bit predictable with the standard troubled childhood and life of trials and hardships, but to Jenna's credit, she does admit Okay. Well. It was interesting. What else can I say about this book? I found myself frustrated because it felt like it was written by, well, someone who never quite took school as a priority and started stripping and having sex on film for money. Which makes Jenna Jameson sound worse than I think she actually is, but... that's how the book reads.

The story of her life is a bit predictable with the standard troubled childhood and life of trials and hardships, but to Jenna's credit, she does admit in the book that she realizes that as much as she doesn't want her story to be THAT story - that maybe she would have ended up on the same path without the things she went through and that other people have been through the same drama and wound up as doctors so really, her past is inconsequential.

It's an interesting read, but I wish I hadn't shelled out the money it cost me for the hardcover copy. I can't even read it in public because of all the nekkid pictures!


...more

3

Mar 09, 2012

I think that like most other readers of this book, I was looking for and expecting a fun, light read,and a personal take on the porn industry from the inside--some juicy details and "secret behind the scene" recollections. There seems to be such a fascination with this industry, with many people wondering "how could they do that", while curiosity gets the best of us. What I got was a much more raw, honest, and personal story of what many consider to be the "Queen of Mainstream Pornography". This I think that like most other readers of this book, I was looking for and expecting a fun, light read,and a personal take on the porn industry from the inside--some juicy details and "secret behind the scene" recollections. There seems to be such a fascination with this industry, with many people wondering "how could they do that", while curiosity gets the best of us. What I got was a much more raw, honest, and personal story of what many consider to be the "Queen of Mainstream Pornography". This book is much more about Jenna Jameson, her life growing up, and the effects it had on her, than the "behind the scenes" commentary I was expecting. It seemed to be an attempt to figure out who she is and make sense of her past and current life. Of course, she is no longer married to Jay (as the book ends off), and depending on which sources you believe, she is either separated from Tito Ortiz, or happily in bliss. Her craving for motherhood is made clear throughout the book with her early first sexual experiences and yearning to have a true "parent" figure in her life. She takes you through her drug addictions, some photo shoots, the making of her movies, many of her sexual trysts--straight or otherwise, her career, her family drama, and her past. The book is rather long; filled with glossy photos and many black and white pictures from her childhood to present day. I would like to see her write a followup to she where she is in her 'head space' now. Her constant searching for approval, belonging, acceptance, and love is clear throughout, and manifests itself in many different ways (sex, drugs, attention seeking behavior, codependent relationships). I hope she has been able to find a bit of closure now that she has a family and has settled down and found some peace. This was definitely a fun book to read--very easy to read and surprisingly a fast read as well. The pictures are explicit (as a warning to those who are not comfortable with overt nudity but definitely add to the book. The book is punctuated by several diary entrees throughout her life, which if real, is a neat way to see the chronic issues and insecurities that have plagued her from childhood and sadly followed her to adulthood. This book is not for everyone, but it is definitely interesting! ...more

5

Apr 20, 2008

Like other reviewers, I have often been given a wary eye when admitting I've read this book. I loved it, though, and am always singing its praises. While you may not approve of her industry, it's hard not to appreciate that she is a star because she made herself one. She didn't do anything she didn't sign up for, and she worked hard through her own ambition (not anyone else's) to get to where she is today. These days her story is still changing, and it would be interesting to see a book from her Like other reviewers, I have often been given a wary eye when admitting I've read this book. I loved it, though, and am always singing its praises. While you may not approve of her industry, it's hard not to appreciate that she is a star because she made herself one. She didn't do anything she didn't sign up for, and she worked hard through her own ambition (not anyone else's) to get to where she is today. These days her story is still changing, and it would be interesting to see a book from her when she's older. I think Jenna Jameson is simply fascinating, and her story is both funny and heartbreaking at times, yet still always a good read. ...more

5

Dec 25, 2016

Tough to carry this book open around openly, but was surprisingly a decent read, given the author. Very intimate and graphic in places, but brutally honest and from the heart. Don't judge the author. Judge the book.

3

Jul 22, 2015

Sex work is such a fascinating cultural phenomenon! Which is why I’ll warn you now that this may be a relatively lengthy and tangential rant-slash-book review. I’ll also warn you, in case it wasn’t 100% obvious from the title and topic of How to Make Love Like a Porn Star, this book is quite pornographic in nature and should be purchased with caution by those of more delicate sensibilities.

Sex work is frequently identified as the oldest profession in the world, and society has gone through a Sex work is such a fascinating cultural phenomenon! Which is why I’ll warn you now that this may be a relatively lengthy and tangential rant-slash-book review. I’ll also warn you, in case it wasn’t 100% obvious from the title and topic of How to Make Love Like a Porn Star, this book is quite pornographic in nature and should be purchased with caution by those of more delicate sensibilities.

Sex work is frequently identified as the oldest profession in the world, and society has gone through a whole host of views about those who participate in, create, and consume it. Today, the negative stigma associated with sex work is overwhelming and, I think, detrimental to all involved.

If I could stand on my soap box for a moment (or several)…

In case you didn’t know, sex is a natural, fundamental part of the human experience. But in the United States we’ve adopted this strange and dysfunctional hypersexual-meets-sex-phobic culture which exposes us to constant images of sex (particularly from a harmful patriarchal standpoint which objectifies both men and women) while simultaneously shaming us for our human impulses and desires.

Unfortunately, this plays out in our beliefs about sex-work, in addition to our own sexual identities. Despite the near universal need for sexual stimulation and interaction, pornography and prostitution are consistently demonized and pathologized to an extreme degree. This has led to and exacerbated the emergence of unhealthy and unacceptable trends within the adult entertainment industry (and within society in general) such as coercion, abuse, sex trafficking, shaming, etc.

Without condoning or dismissing these concerning developments, I am of the belief that it doesn’t have to be this way, nor has it always been. Courtesans, for instance, were consenting adult women who provided both sexual and social companionship in exchange for money and other types of compensation (similar to today’s escorts). These were educated, highly respected women who independently chose and enjoyed their line of work.

Today, however, we have engrained within our belief system a number of stereotypes and misunderstandings about sex work including 1) any person who chooses sex work must be fundamentally flawed, broken by former traumas, or coerced into such a situation, 2) sex work is inherently degrading to women, and 3) sex work is destroying the morals and healthy functioning of the world for all time and eternity.

First, while it is true that there are people in sex work that have experienced trauma, there are a bazillion people NOT in sex work that have been exposed to similar trauma. There are also plenty of people who choose sex work voluntarily who have no such history. This stereotype is a sweeping generalization that benefits no one. Further, many of the traumas experienced by men and women while they are working in the industry itself could be prevented by de-criminalization and regulation of sex-work. Maybe if we focused less on prosecuting sex work and more on prosecuting rape and sexual assault we might get somewhere. Food for thought.

Secondly, women, like men, are sexual creatures. (Crazy, right?!?) Despite all the messages we’re sent in our society, women can and should own their sexuality, engage in and enjoy sexual activity as an individual, and, if so desired, choose to participate in or consume on-camera/on-stage adult entertainment. Reveling in one’s sexuality does not equal loss of self-respect. In fact, freeing people (particularly women) to start exploring and reclaiming their sexuality in a healthy and genuine way is a fundamentally feminist concept.

And finally, your church may tell you that XXX is the enemy of morality and health, but that’s really kind of a load of crap if you ask me. And it’s also not the first thing religion has gotten wrong about the human experience! As mentioned above, there are undeniably unhealthy components that should absolutely be eliminated from the industry, but let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater. As a sex-positive therapist and human being, I can tell you that porn can save and enliven marriages in a number of ways, strip clubs can be a whole lot of fun and often fund important endeavors (college, parenting, etc.), and regulated prostitution can prevent rape, decrease rates of STDs, and help folks learn about their own sexuality.

And if you’re concerned about THE CHILDREN WATCHING PORN (*dun dun dun*), how about we work on improving sex-education in schools, eliminating abusive practices in porn (and elsewhere!), shifting away from a sex-negative/patriarchal culture, and empowering kiddos with the knowledge they need to identify their own sexual selves in a safe, healthy way.

I’m by no means saying that sex work, or the consumption of said work, is for everyone, nor am I arguing that the way in which sex work has evolved is healthy or okay. I AM saying that we have the power to de-stigmatize, re-make, and re-define it into a healthy, fun, and empowering form of entertainment. In fact, there are some killer people out there that are already starting to do so!

And, if you still aren’t into it when all is said and done, don’t engage! No one is forcing you to download porn or hang out in a strip club, just like no one is forcing you to take up knitting or drink alcohol. Chillax!

Okay. Now that that’s out of the way… The book.

How to Make Love Like a Porn Star is Jenna Jameson’s autobiography. If you’re not familiar, she’s arguably the most famous porn star of all time and has spent most of her life establishing herself in the field of adult entertainment. Since the 1990′s, she has climbed the ladder from stripper to porn star to director/producer and owner of her own adult entertainment company. All the while setting her own boundaries, maintaining and continually building a sense of self, and bringing a feminist, sex-positive attitude to the world.

Has she had hard times? Yes. Has she made mistakes? Absolutely. Lots of them, by her own admission. But who hasn’t? It’s pretty damn hard to argue that she’s not a successful, empowered lady in the grand scheme of things. Especially considering the obstacles she’s overcome to get where she is today.

With the help of Neil Strauss (also ghost writer for that super awesome Motley Crue book I just read), Jenna shares her life story; childhood, family relationships, romance, drugs, porn… All is exposed– literally and figuratively!

Okay, I’m done now. Go read a book. :) ...more

3

Jun 17, 2014

This book contains adult material....duh

This book is enjoyable but it really depends on what you are hoping to get out of it.

Going into this I knew absolutely nothing about Jenna Jameson and quite frankly, I don't know if I would have been able to pick her out of a line-up. (This has now changed since this book has approximately 3,000 billion pictures of Jenna in various stages of undress.)

No, I'm not a fan, the reason I picked this up was because I had recently watched the Lovelace bio-pic This book contains adult material....duh

This book is enjoyable but it really depends on what you are hoping to get out of it.

Going into this I knew absolutely nothing about Jenna Jameson and quite frankly, I don't know if I would have been able to pick her out of a line-up. (This has now changed since this book has approximately 3,000 billion pictures of Jenna in various stages of undress.)

No, I'm not a fan, the reason I picked this up was because I had recently watched the Lovelace bio-pic starring Amanda Seyfried and I really loved it. Before that I watched The Notorious Bettie Page and was enthralled so I thought this book would be right up my alley, and at first it was.

I would say that the first half of this book was very interesting as it chronicled her childhood and life as a teen-aged stripper. However, once she becomes established in the adult film industry everything begins to feel very repetitive....I dated this loser and cheated on him with this person and was drunk and did drugs and slept around....again and again. There are a few interesting anecdotes and celebrity cameos: Bruce Willis is an arrogant perv, Tommy Lee is needy and clingy, Marilyn Manson is actually pretty weird, and Howard Stern is nice, well sort of. It had it's moments but overall once you pass the 300 page mark everything kind of runs together and you are so desensitized that nothing is really shocking anymore.

As I said before there are a ton of pictures but very few have captions and none of them are chronological. It would have been nice if the pictures related to what was happening in the book at that time. For example, how about not having a topless photo sandwiched between diary entries from when you were 10 years old. Not only are the pictures shown with no years or dates attached but she rarely references dates or years in her writing which can make it very difficult to follow.

However, if I take a step back I think that the real reason I only 'liked' this over 'really liked' is due to my expectations. Both Lovelace and Betty Page went through some terrible, terrible things but when it came down to it they were just innocent girls that got caught up in a corrupt industry. Both of these ladies turned away from the 'p' word and made good. Jenna's story does not take this direction. This poor girl experienced terrible abuse and was raped several times throughout her life but doesn't ever seek justice or make a stand against rape. In fact there are a few times when she is raped and then makes the monster her boyfriend. All these years later and I don't see a ton of reflection. It's more like oh well, boys will be boys, it all worked out in the end. WTF?! At one point Jenna insists that she still would have joined the adult movie biz even if she hadn't been abused and I find it hard to believe since she herself says at the end that if so and so hadn't raped me I would have never met this person or made this career jump. She actually comes across as accepting of rape and treats it like it isn't as big of a deal as it actually is and that really bothered me. She constantly let's men take advantage of her, in fact a man calls her a whore threatens to kill her dog and she marries him, and that's supposed to be a happy ending?

I guess I was looking for a tale of redemption or empowerment and that's my problem since this book is not obligated to be inspiring.

Overall, her story was interesting but not reflective or thoughtful. I felt like most of the pictures and some of the writing was just fan service. The book is long but she does try to break it up by including diary entries, comic panels, lists, interviews, and pictures...lots and lots of pictures. The first 300 pages are really entertaining and the rest of the book is just a slow decline. Do not read if you are looking for an inspiring story featuring a strong woman.

...more

2

Jan 06, 2009

Ding ding.

Look here, Jameson. I am a phone strumpet. I have, in my time, heard hundreds of euphemisms for sex organs. And never. ever. ever. have I heard anyone refer to a vagina as a goddamn ding ding.

YOU ARE AN ADULT FILM STAR. I HOLD YOU TO A HIGHER STANDARD THAN THE PERVERTS OF THE WORLD WHO CALL MY VAGINA A HONEY BUN AND OTHER VARIOUS AND SUNDRY. WHY ON THIS WHOLE GREEN EARTH WOULD YOU CALL IT A FUCKING DING DING.

Seriously, I would get really really really into a chapter, she'd say the Ding ding.

Look here, Jameson. I am a phone strumpet. I have, in my time, heard hundreds of euphemisms for sex organs. And never. ever. ever. have I heard anyone refer to a vagina as a goddamn ding ding.

YOU ARE AN ADULT FILM STAR. I HOLD YOU TO A HIGHER STANDARD THAN THE PERVERTS OF THE WORLD WHO CALL MY VAGINA A HONEY BUN AND OTHER VARIOUS AND SUNDRY. WHY ON THIS WHOLE GREEN EARTH WOULD YOU CALL IT A FUCKING DING DING.

Seriously, I would get really really really into a chapter, she'd say the word ding ding, and I would need to take a moment.

Neil Strauss is an excellent co author. I've read a few books now that he's worked on with celebrities, and he does an excellent job of keeping the story moving all while maintaining the celebrity's voice.

It's not easy to read this book (Ding Ding aside). She is very open and blunt about her life experiences, from some serious traumatic incidents in her younger years to the drugs and violence that dominated her life once she started in the adult industry.

And for the most part, I respect her for it. She clawed her way up the ladder and stepped on everyone she needed to. Sex workers get less respect than almost anyone in this world. Porn stars are above maybe strippers and street walking prostitutes, but below high end escorts. It's a ridiculous world.

But there is plenty not to like about her. I know that this book was written 10+ years ago, and she's since divorced her husband Jay, but how do you root for a relationship that is so clearly abusive and unhealthy? I realized I was coming to the end of the book, and that this was the happy ending, but goddamn, it is not. And since the release, she became involved with a UFC fighter (I believe) and had the children she so craved, and it appears that relationship was even less healthy.

Jenna owns up to the fact that she was a diva cunt on set, which I will give her credit for. She acknowledges that her bad life choices led to bad behavior professionally, basically laying it all out there for the detractors who would pick apart the book and give stories of how she is a horrible person. Have to love that.

I had a lot of issues with this book. But I do have respect for Jenna Jameson. I can't list five adult film actors off the top of my head (though I would possibly know their faces), but I know her name. And so do millions of other people. Major props. ...more

2

Nov 16, 2012

How am I going to describe this book? For starters, I'm a porn fan, but not of Jenna Jameson. In porn, she is plastic, superficial and pathetic. This did not dampen my curiosity, however. I am an avid reader of the writings of the porn star Stoya; the difference is that Stoya has an extremely sharp intellect.

Jenna Jameson's autobiography is well-written. It is also frustratingly laid out, much like her life. It is filled with photographs; broken up with interviews; punctuated with comic strips; How am I going to describe this book? For starters, I'm a porn fan, but not of Jenna Jameson. In porn, she is plastic, superficial and pathetic. This did not dampen my curiosity, however. I am an avid reader of the writings of the porn star Stoya; the difference is that Stoya has an extremely sharp intellect.

Jenna Jameson's autobiography is well-written. It is also frustratingly laid out, much like her life. It is filled with photographs; broken up with interviews; punctuated with comic strips; scattered with sketches. She must have had an outstanding editor, because it hangs together very, very well.

Essentially, Jenna Jameson = porn because: revenge. Which, while being possibility the most un-self-reflective thing someone could write into an autobiography (perhaps the point), is also predictable as fuck. The story of Jenna's life is also what you would expect: total white trash, lots of drugs and bad decisions.

She gives sex work a really bad name. I was hoping to see "I got into porn because I love to fuck". But really she has very little self-respect, and a confidence borne only of an arrogance resulting from diva-dom.

The most interesting parts of this book were those in which Jameson attempts to make sense of her life through writing; the poignant parts of her life are exactly that: poignant. And while I am well aware that abused women tend not to make a lot of sense of their lives and the choices that they make, the fact that she made the SAME mistake, over and over and over again, made me wonder what the hell was wrong with her.

In any case, I pushed through this book to the end. The writing was good, the structure was good, the story was meh, and I skipped a huge amount (really, who reads a split-column biography that interrupts a story for god's sake?), but I still finished it.

And I finished it because of curiosity. So, regardless of all of the utter failings of Jenna Jameson personally (which, let's be honest, is the only reason I couldn't put up with more of her life), this book was pretty good. I'm sure that if I had far lower standards, I would have really enjoyed this book.

Essentially, though, Jameson's personality is as superficial and plastic as her body. That in itself should be an allegory.
...more

3

Jul 12, 2010

This was a book club read and I have to say that I was a little scared to pick it up. Not only because I'm totally unfamiliar with the world she lives in, but also because there are like 1000 naked pictures of her in the book and you can't possibly read this anywhere out in public.

Overall I thought it was interesting. She certainly doesn't hold back and there were a couple of things that totally grossed me out. In fact there were a lot of things that totally grossed me out, but a few that I This was a book club read and I have to say that I was a little scared to pick it up. Not only because I'm totally unfamiliar with the world she lives in, but also because there are like 1000 naked pictures of her in the book and you can't possibly read this anywhere out in public.

Overall I thought it was interesting. She certainly doesn't hold back and there were a couple of things that totally grossed me out. In fact there were a lot of things that totally grossed me out, but a few that I totally could have gone on living happily without ever having read.

Even though I never would have read this book on my own I was intrigued when it came up in my book club. You can't help but wonder what would cause someone to go into this business not only with the hope of making some money, but with the ambition to be the most famous porn star in the business and to think of it as your life's calling. I personally didn't think that anything from her childhood was so outrageous to have pushed her into this sort of thing. Yes, there were things that happened to her growing up that are really unfortunate and difficult for someone to recover from, but those things unfortunately happen to a lot of people and it doesn't necessarily push them into having sex with people on camera for a living. I learned that her and her family are just REALLY CRAY CRAY.

Ultimately I came to the conclusion that Jenna Jameson is just one train wreck after another. It seems like she was about as smart as you can be when it comes to handling herself in the porn industry, but the girl made one bad decision after another.

What was probably the saddest of all is the fact that the book concludes with her fairy tale ending where she FINALLY finds the guy she can trust and she knows she'll be with forever. So they get married and everyone says "awwww that's nice, good for her", and then you realize that "oh wait, she's married to someone completely different now and has been for a while and it's only been 6 years since the book was written." So in conclusion what we've really learned from Jenna is that her life is still just one big train wreck and that the porn industry took away her chance at every having the stable family life that she always wanted. ...more

4

Jul 13, 2013

This is not an instructional book. This is a coming of age story about a young outcast who grew up to be one the most famous models in entertainment. I have read other books that Rolling Stone’s Neil Strauss had help write and publish such as Motley Crue’s The Dirt, Marilyn Manson’s Long Hard Road Out of Hell, and Dave Navarro’s Don’t Try this at Home. However, I will say this one was very intelligently crafted, and Jameson’s journal entries show it was her hand that had crafted most of this This is not an instructional book. This is a coming of age story about a young outcast who grew up to be one the most famous models in entertainment. I have read other books that Rolling Stone’s Neil Strauss had help write and publish such as Motley Crue’s The Dirt, Marilyn Manson’s Long Hard Road Out of Hell, and Dave Navarro’s Don’t Try this at Home. However, I will say this one was very intelligently crafted, and Jameson’s journal entries show it was her hand that had crafted most of this story. Also, although many people may scoff at this, but unlike Neil Strauss’s other books, this book actually didn’t objectify women. This book starts off as a story about a teen girl who wanted to be a pretty thing exploited by her man to becoming a story about a woman who took control of her own destiny. Although sometimes these choices were self-destructive, it was her self-management and self-promotion that gave her the wealth, company ownership, and celebrity status. This isn’t a literary achievement but I suggest not passing her story up. ...more

4

Jun 05, 2008

I actually really enjoyed this book. It was an eye opening (and occasionally a jaw dropping) look into a world whose reality I could not even dream of. I came out of the book with a great deal of respect for her, which I would never have guessed going into it.