The Decline of Porn

Stephen Green reports:

Something similar has happened to the traditional porn publishing industry. DVD sales — a staple of porn profits for a decade — have bit the big one in recent years. And careful research performed by yours truly has found a wealth of amateur porn on the web, much of it free. Like newspapers unable to compete with Craig’s List, high-priced adult stars are getting shafted by willing amateurs.

Printed porn is virtually extinct already, or at least on its way out the door. Playboy’s circulation has dropped from millions in its ‘70s heyday to barely half a million today. Penthouse, a mainstay for more than 30 years, went bankrupt and switched over to an all-virtual format. All this happened back in 2003, making (now-former) publisher Bob Guccione a virtual pioneer in the land soon to be inhabited by news publishing titans like Tribune Company and the Sulzberger family. The troubles created by the internet will only be accelerated by the recession.

An interesting article.