Notice: This is a review of an adult oriented magazine. If you are easily offended by adult films, pornography or sexual content, please do not read this review.


Living in Southern California has its perks – great weather, lots of events, Legoland and a hop, skip and jump away from the porn mecca of the United States. Actually, there are several popular porn hot spots – Northridge and Chatsworth in the San Fernando Valley might be the most well known locations but there are literally thousands of places where adult films and features are being shot – maybe even next door to you. I started reading AVN several years ago when someone started talking about an advertisement that someone placed looking for a house to rent. The producers of the film would pay the owner $500.00 per day to shoot inside and outside providing that the area was completely enclosed. Clerk X [whom I‘ve mentioned in my adult film reviews] was the person that turned me on to the magazine and was gracious enough to hand over several duplicate copies that the video store receives so I could see if it was worth it to subscribe or not. At $7.95 an issue – it’s a pretty big investment for the average consumer but trust me on this, you do get a lot of “bang for your buck”.

What Is ANV?

AVN is Adult Video News, one of the premiere magazines that caters to the adult film world. While Penthouse, Playboy and Hustler have clusters of movie reviews and industry topics, AVN is one of the few that report on all the facets of the adult world. VHS and DVD reviews, interviews, star profiles, legal issues, advertisements from vendors and product reviews are just a few of the topics you’ll find on the pages of this large, thick publication. You might be thinking that this is pure smut, filth and porn – I won’t lie – there are photos and graphic language used in the magazine but it’s not exactly what I’d consider “spank material”. A bulk of the magazine deals with keeping you up to date on the latest films, stars, awards, legal news, listings of the hottest DVD rentals and sales and of course pages and pages of advertisements of new titles.

You might wonder why someone who isn’t in the industry would want to subscribe to a magazine like AVN, the answer is pretty simple – I like to know what’s going on in the adult film world, keep track of my favorite production companies and read about the awards and events that take place across the United States. Think of it as taking all the adult related magazines and combining them into one huge publication – then taking out about 75% of the smut but leaving all the articles, reports and statistics and you have AVN. Don’t get me wrong, you will get to see topless girls, naked men and a plethora of adult sex toys – but you won’t get centerfold beaver shots, dream girl profiles, pages of phone sex advertisements or air brushed babes bending over or in ridiculous and completely improbable poses.

Content

Since this is a magazine that deals with the adult film industry, it makes sense that a bulk of the information contained in it revolves around the actors and actresses, producers, film companies and new releases. Outside of the porn realm, you will also find a lot of information about sexually transmitted diseases, AIM Healthcare foundation updates [one of the chosen HIV testing organizations], corporate information about production companies that are switching their formats [no condom / bareback, condom only, condom optional etc] and which stars have tested positive. These topics are vital to the adult film industry but also show that the times are indeed changing. Consumers spoke up and wanted more films that show condoms being used and producers either added lines their retail releases or created specialty films for the crowd that wants smut but wants to play it safe at the same time.

AVN is one of the best places to get your industry news and they take a great deal of pride in publishing only the best articles from seasoned writers. You might expect the magazine to be filled with terms like “pork sword” and “boobies” but in reality, the only place you will find that type of street slang is in the independent reviews of products. The articles regarding adult titles and stars are well written and informative and do have some colorful language – but for the most part they are well above what you read in other similar magazines. The advertisements range from adult toys to lubrications, vendors packs of magazines to film production studios. There are some retail spots for consumers to check out but a majority of what is printed toward the back of the magazine is geared towards store owners and managers looking to increase store traffic and sales.

Some of the sections that appear in each and every issue include “Fresh Off The Bus” for new talent or newly signed stars, adult star interviews, “Legal News” – a great section to read about stores that are cited, attacked or closed, “Charts” to keep up on the titles that are the hottest sellers with a special section for reports on hot rentals. Since this is a magazine about adult films, you will also find specialized sections like gay, bisexual, gonzo, independent, amateur, fetish and alternative. You’ll also be able to read articles about film to DVD transfers, DVD perks, promotions and street dates of new releases. When it comes to video reviews you have a lot of one paragraph reviews that cram a hell of a lot of content into the section – if they wrote huge reviews of the titles they wouldn’t be able to cover as much ground. All of this is summed up towards the end of the magazine where you can find an alphabetical listing of all the films that are reviewed in the issue – a real time saver when you need to find something quick.

Subscriptions

If you are a video store owner, media vendor or in the adult retail business, you can contact AVN to receive a complimentary subscription. Now, before you submit the request card and create some fake name to try and get a free magazine subscription, you do have to provide a little bit of proof – company letter head, a business card or some other piece of identification that states you are the owner or manager of an adult business. If you want to subscribe and save a few dollars off the cover price, you can do so by filling out one of the subscription cards or contacting AVN through the customer service address or phone numbers below. You can also sign up for a free subscription online at the AVN website but you will have to printout the form and fax it in with a copy of your corporate letterhead.

The newsstand price for this will set you back anywhere from $7.95 to $9.95 depending on where you purchase it. You can pick up a yearly subscription for about $78.00 which includes 12 monthly issues and several supplements that are packaged with the main magazine. These include boosters like award events and the ever-popular gAyVN [the sister publication that caters to alternative lifestyles, gay porn stars and titles]. Magazines are shipped in a plastic wrap to protect the pages as well as to prevent anyone under the age of 18 from reading it before it arrives at your doorstep.

Customer Service

AVN Publications
9419 Eton Avenue
Chatsworth, CA 91311

[818] 718-5788
[818] 718-5799 - fax

Adult Content

This is an adult oriented magazine that contains nude photos, articles about adult film stars, DVD and VHS title reviews and sexual content. It is not for sale to anyone under the age of 18. All vendors and producers are required to provide information [regarding age] about the stars of their films before they are listed in the magazine. AVN does not endorse any type of pornography or content that involves anyone under the age of 18 nor do they accept advertising from any organization that is involved with any type of illegal pornographic activity.

The Bottom Line

If you are thinking about picking up a copy of AVN, you might want to checkout the online site first. You’ll be able to see what’s contained in an issue and if it is something that you would be interested in reading about. Most of the guys I know hear the title “Adult Video News” and automatically assume that it is like Hustler Video Review and are a little disappointed when they drop their cash for a copy of it. Yes, there are naked photos – but a vast majority of them are taken from box covers of DVD and VHS titles and are so small that you can’t really see any detail. The breasts are bountiful and there are some full frontal shots of men – but other than that – it’s full page movie adverts and articles. Consider this a porn mag with some porn … but if it’s explicit spreads, buxom babes and well blessed men you are after – stick with the mainstream retail giants like Playboy, Playgirl and Penthouse.

As always … thanks for the visit!

^V^ Freak ^V^

© 2003 Freak369



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Thanks to Gracef for adding this to the database!





Recommended: Yes

Primary Reason for Buying: News/Current Events