Trends (2007): Celeb Sex Tapes
In celebration of Adult Empire’s 20th anniversary, we look at some of the porn trends and genres that shaped the company’s history. In this edition: CELEB SEX TAPES.
The first camcorder was introduced on June 1, 1982. We’re guessing that the first sex tape probably existed by June 2! There’s an insatiable curiosity about how most any technology can be applied in the bedroom, and home-video tech has certainly been no exception. Just ask the seemingly never-ending gallery of celebs whose home-brew sex tapes have found their way into commercial release.
The movie that brought the “celebrity sex tape” concept to the masses was the Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson honeymoon video, which was first released on the web in 1998. Later, Paris Hilton’s notorious (if poorly lit) 1 Night in Paris movie powered the hotel heiress to the covers of magazines everywhere. And it’s impossible to forget Kim Kardashian’s 2007 sex tape, still the primary claim-to-fame for the tabloid favorite and reality star. The same fascination with celebrities that has fueled the circulation of a thousand gossip magazines continues to create an interest in naughty celeb videos.
Vivid has released the most notable sex tapes of the last several years, including vids featuring reality stars Farrah Abraham, Nadya Suleman (aka the Octomom), and Tila Tequila. The company also compiles a yearly wish list of celeb sex tapes they’d love to see (and release). (Royals topped the list each of the last two years: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2017 and Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2016.)
Authenticity has often been at the root of discussion about celeb sex tapes. How much of what we see is real, captured-in-the-moment sex, and how much of it is staged with an eye for eventual release? The “wedding dress” in the Tonya Harding/Jeff Gilooly wedding night tape is supposedly just a Halloween costume, for instance. And in the essay “Sex in the Suburban” from Porn Studies, author Minette Hillyer catalogs the various ways the Tommy/Pamela footage has been edited and tweaked to make the movie more porn-like. Nevertheless, there’s a sizzle to celeb sex tapes that normal porn can’t always quite match. Such is the allure of the mystical combination of fame, fortune, and, of course. . . sex.
Browse Celebrity porn >>
Feature (1997) | Shaved (1998) | Interactive DVD (1999) | Contract Girl Era (2000) | Compilations (2001) | Anal Obsession (2002) | Reality Porn (2003) | Gonzo (2004) | Cuckolding (2005) | Oiled (2006) | Celeb Sex Tapes (2007) | MILF (2008) | Parodies (2009) | Firsts/ Doubles (2010) | Rise of the All-Natural Girl (2011) | Family Roleplay (2012) | Threesomes (2013) | Interracial (2014) | BDSM (2015) | Star Showcase (2016) | High-End Erotica (2017)
Additional sources: "Secrets and Thighs" from Village Voice and "Sex Tapes You Didn't Want to See" from The Daily Beast
