Traci, I Love You (1987 Video)
5/10
There's STILL something about Traci, as her porn career ends
7 May 2007
There's something about Traci Lords.

Traci's abilities took her to Cannes, France for "Traci, I Love You", she arrived and got the attention of French photographers. Her body transformed from her illegal years. She's the favorite nude model of Jean-Paul (Gabriel Pontello). He's obsessed with her after the night in the Arena of Pleasure. Traci bones casting agent Mr. Alisair. (Alban Ceray). She ends up as a topless dancer, and Jean-Paul secretly watches in the audience. He sends her a necklace and Traci remembers the night in the Arena of Pleasure being bathed by Diana and Leanna. She ends up in an audience with Monique (Marilyn Jess). Monique calls a group of men who exchange pleasures with Traci. The audience now active because of Traci. Monique and Traci all over each other before other male strangers got involved. Traci remembers all this before meeting Jean Paul in his car. Viewers get a panty-less crotch shot.

The infamous scandal brought Traci Lords mainstream fame when porn wasn't common. Traci Elizabeth Lords is an ex-porn star, former porn queen or porn princess... "ex-child prostitute" if she wants. Whatever it should be called, her past is why most people care. Could be 20 movies, 87, 91, 100 or however much she made. Highest paid or not, she sold "Traci, I Love You" to Caballero for a reported $100,000. Contrary to what she believes, she has benefited from porn. The enduring controversy of her porn life made her autobiography a bestseller. Jim Wynorski saw free publicity in giving her the lead in "Not of this earth". John Waters felt compassion, casting her in "Cry-Baby" and "Serial Mom". Roseanne Barr felt the same, inviting her on a few "Roseanne" episodes. Many of Traci's roles play on her sex-pot image, like those in "Fast Food", "Married with Children" and "Melrose Place". Even the creators of Sci-Fi's First Wave" series, knew the attention her presence on the show would generate. Most former porn performers don't attempt mainstream acting, if they did, they're going to get plenty of doors slammed in their faces by "self-righteous casting agents" in Hollywood. Ginger Lynn also had an abusive parent and boyfriend. She had similar troubles getting non-porn roles that didn't require nudity. But Traci Lords has been the most successful. She remains uncommon. Lords was angered by "Dateline" for interviewing World Modeling Talent Agency founder, Jim South ("Tim North"), in its story about her. It isn't "lousy journalism" to get the other viewpoint. Nobody rides for free. Traci claimed that South provided cocaine and champagne to loosen her up for a nude photo session. Christy Canyon disputes Traci's charge and defends Jim South. "Something bigger has to happen for people to forget that part of my life" she said. Porn made Traci Lords famous, and literally gave her a name. Her real name is the stage name from "THAT industry" she loathes. Making it her legal name gave more ammunition to her critics, even if she honestly meant to face her past.

Traci reluctantly accepts fans and pretends to not care why they like her. "What people think of me, and what they put on me, that's their stuff. And who am I to tell people what to think?" Or "But why people relate to me is really up to them. I appreciate the fans- where they come from, and what they like about me is their business." Traci Lords asks, "Was it impossible to change public opinion?" Looks like she concluded "yes". She made a new life putting down the porn industry and the pornographers who didn't know her real age. The ones who didn't know she was really angry in those movies, a "sexual terrorist" acting out. Traci's ultimate role—Kristie Elizabeth Nussman. Her squealing hiccuped moans weren't really pleasure, as she claims, but venting "complete and total rage". Her famously vocal scenes, whether as Jody, John Leslie's Lolita-wannabe student in "Breaking It". Or tempting Jamie Gillis with her Catholic school girl ways in Alex Derenzy's"Wild Things". Being the naively endearing mermaid in "Talk Dirty to Me, Part 3", with Leslie again. Even as Tom Byron's seductive sister, Vicky Jennings in "Sister Dearest". She was the dumb valley girl-talking Debbie in "Black Throat". She was undercover cop Michelle Leon in "Beverly Hills Copulator". Out to take down a drug lord who's involved in the sexual exploitation of young women (dramatic music) including her sister Rachel. No Lorraine, but there's Grace. Her partner Grace Fischer is played by Kristara Barrington (Kim Morgan). Some claims that Morgan also started porn when underage.

Traci believes the pornographers could have at least apologized about exploiting a young girl after finding out her true age. How comes no one presses them on that? Traci asked. This industry has hardly gotten free passes. With a closer look, porn's bad parts can be seen. Tragic porn stories attract the "Hard Copy" and "A Current Affair" crowd. John Holmes dying of AIDS. He did drugs and stole to serve his habit. Don't forget Wonderland. Savannah shot and kills herself in 1994. Shauna Grant did the same thing a decade before. Nina Hartley was right. Traci came to them, they didn't go to her. Lords said porn wasn't about sex but being part of a community. She was an angry young girl dressing a certain way, using sex to act out, and sex was a tool. She did reek of sex. So people who worked with her in porn are not just "pushing an agenda" when they described her as the wild cat she was. John Waters said she was good at being a porn star.

Already a Fallen Angel before porn, Traci Lords was exploited as much as anyone who gets hired for filmed sex. Like anyone who gets paid once, and their scenes recycled. She demonstrated she was a capable business woman and performer. Traci Lords had Control.
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