The Pornographer – A True Story

There have been two heroes in my life, anthropologist Margret Mead and Doctor Shah Rukh Kahn, the King of Bollywood. Margaret said “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed individuals can better the world.”  Doctor Kahn said, “Have faith in yourself, never be afraid to use your imagination, every great thing ever achieved begins in someone’s imagination.” 

So as a child, I imagined traveling the world to see what I could learn and along the way I met the most amazing people. Many of us exchanged business cards with a promise that after ten years we would meet again at the Chili Pepper Theater in Ajijic on Calle Los Charales.

 When I reached Los Charales,  Max Rosen opened the gate, “Welcome. We’ve been expecting you.  Follow the road to the café, order whatever you wish. It’s our treat.”

“Okee-doke, I’ll be on my way.”

When I entered the café, Sophie, Harry, Catherine and Joe—I won’t name them all, but there was a large number of us already there. After drinks we went to the theater as a group.  Although it looked like the smallest theater in the world, the inside was charming, with lovely beams, a balcony and royal blue curtains and a diamond-shaped ceiling. Each seat had a good view of the stage.

A floodlight illuminated the dais. Max’s resonating voice echoed through the room, “Welcome, welcome, welcome. Please turn off your cell phones. As most of you know, since the beginning of time humans have communicated by telling stories, which shape, strengthen and challenge our opinions and beliefs. When I call your name come on stage and tell your story.”

I took a nervous breath. “Don’t worry, Sydney, storytelling is as easy as eating a delicious piece of pie. Rose Hetzel will start us off.”

“Luck of the Irish, I am a news reporter from New York City and I’m longing to get something off my chest.” The audience clapped loudly. “Please, no applause for what hangs heavy on my heart. I begin with the death of Robert G. Solomon, who passed away Friday, August 20th. He committed suicide, leaving behind three ex-wives, two teenage daughters and a nine-year-old son. Solomon owned Dream Pets, Toys and Games for Children, licensed from Walt Disney and manufactured in China. In addition, he owned Applause Entertainment which earned billions of dollars by selling hardcore pornography to every country in the world. 

“I met Mr. Solomon in a rather strange way. I was living in a low-rent apartment in Hell’s Kitchen, a dangerous New York neighborhood.  Late at night I heard men yelling, women screaming and glass bottles crashing on the street below my window. Unable to sleep one evening, I listened to NPR’s radio news. John Gensel, the pastor at Saint Peter’s church said, ‘New York City is a hub for sex-traffic, children are being kidnapped and sold for sex; the police show no ability to stop the problem.’ 

“At ten o’clock the next morning, I took a cross-town bus to the United Nations on the east side of town. Catty-corner to the United Nations was the Applause Entertainment building. Invitations to attend a lecture by Robert Solomon at Saint Peter’s church in the Citicorp Bank building were offered to passersby, so I took one and arrived early to get a good seat.

“Citicorp is an interesting place. Their building is nine hundred feet tall,  Saint Peter’s Evangelical church is located inside the building, and during weekdays the church becomes  a conference hall. People interested to hear Mr. Solomon speak filled the room and when he approached the pulpit, when he began speaking, every word penetrated like a sword.

“He said, ‘I am here to explain the pornography film business. This is my work. This is what I do. It is a completely legal business, the profit margins are high. I make millions of dollars every year. My videos are sold all over the world. Any questions?’

“I raised my hand, ‘Mr. Solomon, don’t you know pornography and violence are related? Do you ever feel guilty for doing this?’

“He looked me square in the eyes. ‘I have no guilt about what I do. I give people what they want. Do you have another question?’                 

“I told myself to stay calm, learn what you can, investigate this man! After the meeting I made an appointment with Rabbi Hillman who gave me a copy of a Jewish Quarterly Magazine article – The History of Pornography by Nathan Abrams.’

“I am Jewish and, believe me, I didn’t know the Quarterly would publish such an article. I wrote down some of what it said. Hold on to your hats, this is what Nathan Abrams, a professor of Film Studies at Bangor University, wrote: Jewish activity in the porn industry divides into two groups: pornographers and performers. In the postwar era, Reuben Sturman was known as the Walt Disney of Porn. According to the Department of Justice, Sturman controlled most of the pornography circulating in the country. His contemporary, 43-year-old Steven Hirsch, has been described as today’s King of Porn. Hirsch is CEO of the Vivid Entertainment Group, the Microsoft of the porn world.

“After reading Abrams’s article, I went to the Israel Society to double check his information and, sure enough, they corroborated, ‘It’s not just a Jewish thing. Jews involved in the porn industry do it for the same reasons people of any other religion become involved.’

“As a news reporter, I never stop digging for facts. I wanted to know the side effects of pornography on society.  I contacted the World Health Organization; they have an office at the United Nations. What they told me is much more information than any you in this room probably want to hear, but I am going to say it anyway.

“WHO has mental health statistics on people addicted to pornography. Currently 500 million children worldwide, ages 12 to 24, are being treated for serious genital infections due to forced sex, rape and incest. Worse yet, not one doctor in the world has found a permanent cure for these infections. Twenty per cent of the entire U.S. population, approximately one in five people, are suffering from genital diseases, the annual cost of medical treatment approximates $16 billion a year.

“After getting as much information as I could find, I contacted Bob Solomon at his Applause office. ‘Mr. Solomon,’ I said, ‘you are an interesting man. I’d like to write a story about you.’ He replied, ‘How much time will you need for the interview?’ I asked for one hour. He said, ‘No problem. Come this afternoon, one of my video stars, Cherry Lee, will join us. She is a great girl, you will like her. Cherry, take the phone, say hello to Sydney.’

“Hello, Sydney, what can I do for you?’

“I said, ‘Miss Lee, when the three of us meet I am sure we will have an interesting conversation. But right now, could you tell me in a brief sentence or two, why do you do what you do?’ She laughed into the phone. ‘I made the choice, no one forced me. The job pays well, so I accept the consequences.’ “

“Ladies and gentlemen, since 1981 I have interviewed doctors, patients and organizations who say aside from syphilis, gonorrhea, AIDS and HIV, there are thirty-four new strains of sexual bacteria passed from one person to the next, one generation to the next. These bacteria move slowly through the bloodstream with no obvious symptoms until those little buggers enter the brain and damage internal organs. I do not know how this story will end, but what I do know is that government leaders and cartels from every country are involved.

“I conclude with a personal opinion. The growing popularity of gender reassignment surgery does not eliminate physical and mental problems. Statistically dramatic alteration of the human body seems to create more problems than it cures. Be that as it may, sex reassignment is a growing industry valued at $13 billion a year. From an anthropological-biological set of facts, after the age of six years hormones begin to fluctuate, shift and change, stress causes females to produce testosterone, vice versa, stressed men produced estrogen. Look it up on the Web; the information is there. We are constantly adapting to fluctuating hormone levels which push women to feel more masculine and men to feel more feminine. Jesus Christ tried to explain this in the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 19, Verse 11: Let those with eyes to see and ears to hear, for to them it has been given.

“So, if all this is true, why not just accept the diversity of human nature without mutating, labeling and debasing ourselves? As for humanity’s pervasive interest in pornography, I have yet to figure this out.” 

The audience remained silent.  Max returned to the stage. “Thank you, Rose. I am Jewish, too. I know it took courage for you to tell that story.”