pornochromatic

Alison Hart has been working in the adult industry in a dazzling variety of capacities (none of them naked) since 2003.

When not watching or writing about pornography, she enjoys margaritas on the rocks with salt.

Drop me a line at alison at pornochromatic dot com

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Here’s my interview with Ropeadope, my friend and one of the most experienced porn aficionados I’ve ever met:

Ropeadope: How does a nice, quiet girl from the industrious, hard-working town of Pittsburgh, land in California covering the porn industry?

Alison: I was working for an adult company in the Pittsburgh area and a great job opportunity came along in San Francisco and I was able to jump on it. I love Pittsburgh, but I was ready to see a little more of the world, I think.


R: Can you give us a brief synopsis of your work activities from the time you arrived in California up through the formation of this blog?

A: Sure. I worked for GameLink.com for about a year when I first arrived. I managed their editorial program, which was when I first started interacting with the porn stars and writing about them. In 2007, I was offered a marketing job at VideoBox.com and spent two great years there. Unfortunately, I was laid off in March of ‘09, but I still wanted to write about the thing I knew and loved best, so I decided to do it on my own…and pornochromatic was born.


R: Followers of your blog are universally impressed with your writings and interviews. What is your educational background? Do you have a degree in journalism?

A: That’s very kind of you to say. I actually have a much less practical degree in Sociology that may or may not have had an effect on my writing skills. What I know it did for sure was allow me to start writing and thinking critically about porn – my senior thesis was about the effects the anti-pornography wing of the feminist movement in the 80’s had on the industry.

R: When conducting face-to-face interviews, how would you characterize your relationship with the interview subject? Do you feel empathy? Pity? Envy? Do you sometimes wish you were in the opposite chair being interviewed?

A: It definitely depends on who I’m talking to. There have definitely been moments of empathy, pity and envy over the years. I’d say 80% of the interviews I’ve done have been at the AVN show where the girls are signing autographs, winning awards and getting to enjoy the small slice of celebrity that porn affords them. When you’re interviewing an A-list star like Belladonna, it’s hard not to get a little envious. But I generally end up talking to a few girls who remind me how hard life can be for someone in their position and it’s a good reality check.


R: Where do you see the adult industry five years from now? Ten? Twenty?

A: That’s a really tough question because I think the industry is going through a real shake-up at the moment and we’re all kind of waiting to see where we land. The industry is in decline and I think it will continue to do so for the forseeable future. In 5 years, there won’t be nearly as many studios making cookie cutter gonzo movies. We’ll see the smart companies taking advantage of technology to stay alive and stay profitable. In 20 years, we’ll all be replaced by sex robots.

R: Where do you see yourself in 5, 10, or 20 years?

A: Sitting under an umbrella by the ocean, sipping mai tais. No, seriously.

R: What are some of your interests outside of the adult industry? Didn’t you compete in Lacrosse or Rugby at school? Do you play any musical instruments? Do you enjoy reading? If so, what type of books do you enjoy most?

A: When I have time, I enjoy roller skating, photography, hiking, watching my Steelers and definitely reading. I tend to prefer non-fiction – authors like David Sedaris, Sarah Vowell, Hunter S. Thompson, Jon Krakauer and Michael Lewis. I do enjoy the occasional fiction book, though. I mostly read sci/fi or just about anything by Kurt Vonnegut or Tom Robbins.