Am I fit to be around school children? I have no criminal record, am currently enrolled in college, and I take care of my quadriplegic brother and three school-age nephews. I also happen to be an adult actress, a “pornstar,” and after 10 years of performing, yes, I have earned that title. But being an adult actress would not make me unfit to be a mother when the time comes, nor am I now unfit to take my nephews to their school basketball games.

I am a kind, caring individual, and my worst crime as far as children go is smashing spiders with my nephew’s “I Can Read” book (and then secretly slipping it back into his pile of books unnoticed). I wake up with my nephews when they have nightmares, stay up all night when they have a flu, wake up to see them off to school, and help them with homework in the evenings. So, while I am an adult actress, I am having a difficult time grasping why that would matter when I am off set. I don’t bring my work home with me. There is no trace of my very adult job in my home or anywhere outside the venues appropriate to the entertainment I make. I am a fairly typical performer that way among those of us with families.

Recently, Sasha Grey threw caution to the wind by participating in a Read Across America program at Emerson Elementary School in Los Angeles. The school claims claimed she was only listed as an actress from the HBO series Entourage, and they had no idea she was a former adult actress. I stress former. Sasha Grey has quit the adult business.

I don’t see how being an ex-pornstar is relevant to how she leads her life now. No crime was committed; her career was all perfectly legal adult entertainment that neither she nor anyone else ever intended for minors. There is nothing out there that makes her a threat to children.  Perhaps parents are afraid that Grey’s mere presence will taint their children and encourage them to seek out similar careers (don’t worry, being an adult actress isn’t contagious). Grey is, in fact, a better role model than half of the drug-addled young Hollywood crowd that haven’t taken their clothes off for a camera. Sasha Grey entered the adult industry with a set of objectives. She was a girl with a kinky dream, and she chased down her goals leaving the adult industry while she was still a rising star; she has since pursued bigger and better things. She was the first pornstar ever to grace the cover of Playboy, and her crossover into mainstream success was a result of brains, talent, and hard work. She has made history in my industry. And that is what porn is to her: a part of her past, that shouldn’t count against her.

Yet in another example, Fox News recently made a crusade out of exposing Kevin Hogan, who was the head of the English department for the Mystic Valley Regional Charter School near Boston. Mr. Hogan did a few adult movies. The school suspended him. Why? We do not have poor moral character, or at least we are hardly out of the mainstream—especially if you consider how many people buy porn movies. We are a reflection of and entertainment for the average person. There are many people out there who participate in all sorts of eccentric activities (S&M, odd political groups, or strange spiritual organizations) who, because they did not get compensation for these activities nor were they filmed, go unquestioned. How many other teachers dress up in leather with a ball gag and bend over a wooden horse waiting to get whipped at their favorite fetish club every weekend? Do you care? Because I bet there are more than you think.

I have always understood that by choosing to be an adult actress, I have kissed goodbye to any dreams I may have ever had of working with children in the future, long after this career is over. I didn’t understand that in my first few years performing, but later, as more people began to recognize me, a stigma grew. Somehow being an adult actress morphed me into everything I’ve never been from a liar, to a thief, to a menace to society. I am judged, I think, because I go forward with a blunt honesty about what I do—a concept so foreign that the world must assume there are darker, more sinister things I am hiding.

People hold my films against me like a black mark on my character. It’s not like being a pornstar is the same as being a child molester; being an adult actress is about making an adult choice to be filmed having consensual sex with another adult for other adults’ viewing pleasures and then, only if they so choose. So am I fit to be around school age children? Yes, I am.

My colorful choices do not indicate any irresponsibility associated with how I handle children. One day I will have children of my own, and perhaps they will see a clearer vision of the past. What they will see is a strong-willed woman who carved out a place in the world in an unconventional way.

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Sasha Grey is known as a "thinking man's porn star," due in part to her passion for obscure independent film and music. Writing in the New York Times, film critic A.O. Scott remarked that her porn career was "distinguished both by the extremity of what she is willing to do and an unusual degree of intellectual seriousness about doing it."

Recently, Grey has transitioned to independent and mainstream entertainment, including a starring role in Steven Soderbergh's The Girlfriend Experience, and a recurring part on the seventh season of HBO's Entourage. Grey is also featured in director Mark Pellington's I Melt With You, which was released this December. It's the story of four college friends and their chaotic, drug-fueled reunion in Big Sur, starring Jeremy Piven, Rob Lowe, and Thomas Jane. Last week, Davy Rothbart spoke with Grey about the film, the ups and downs of the audition process, and her childhood fantasies.

Even when a scene in a movie involves drugs or alcohol, there's usually nothing of the sort on the set. But one scene in I Melt With You includes such an insane frenzy of booze, pills, and powder, I had to wonder: Were you guys actually getting wasted?

Believe it or not, no. The whiskey was apple juice. The pills were placebos. There's times when you'd think, "Wow, this would be a lot more fun if we were really drinking," but in reality, even for a scene that only runs 45 seconds to a minute on-screen, it still takes from 7 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. to film it. Actually drinking alcohol for 12 hours straight would probably not be as much fun as it sounds.

The movie deals with four friends who are 44 years old and find themselves disillusioned. All the things they had wanted to accomplish by that age have not panned out. What are your hopes and dreams for the future, and how do you handle disappointment?

My goals are to continue acting, and also to produce some independent films in the next few years. Music is a passion of mine, so I also want to continue along that path, creating with my friends.

When I run into disappointment — say, for example, not getting a role I'd hoped for — I just try not to take it personally. Often, the director and the casting directors have an exact type they're looking for. Sometimes as soon as you walk into the room, they know if you're what they're looking for or not. Rejection just motivates me to keep trying and to try to do better. Danny DeVito went on something like 111 auditions before he landed a role. He just never gave up. You can never fail if you never give up.

The same philosophy is true with relationships. Persistence and determination are incredibly important. But sometimes you need to analyze the situation and understand when you're wrong. You need to be able to cop to being wrong, learn to change, and continue to grow as a human being.

You're known as an enthusiast for independent film. What's the latest movie that really impressed you?

I just saw this great film called Afterschool. It stars Ezra Miller as this teenager who goes to a private boarding school, and while he's working on a video project for one of his classes, he accidentally captures the deaths of these two rich girls in his class. The emotions he's grappling with are really captivating. He also has a fascination with Internet porn — the more extreme stuff — and you see the way he tries to implement all of it into his life as a virgin. The movie's tempered with cliché "rich kid" problems, but it's all handled tastefully. It stayed with me.

What are a couple of your all-time favorite flicks? Ones you'll watch again and again?

John Carpenter's The Thing is definitely a favorite. What a classic! It's like a "Ten Little Indians" type of story — putting all these people together and testing them. It's serious but has its funny moments, and a certain je ne sais quoi that's missing from a lot of films today.

Last night, I picked up a Blu-ray copy of Back to the Future. I just couldn't resist when I saw it on the shelf! You've got Christopher Lloyd at his best, and the whole movie is so endearing, funny, and wonderfully bizarre. I always had all of these childhood fantasies about wanting to invent things, like a spaceship or a time machine. And everyone's imagined what it would be like to go back in time and change things, to see what would happen if you had a different life. Back to the Future fulfills all of those daydreams. It's the perfect movie.

If you could jump into Marty McFly's DeLorean, crank it up to 88 miles per hour, and go back in time to change one thing that's happened in your life, what would it be?

You know, I commit to most things I do in life, so I don't really have any serious regrets. But I'll say this: There are plenty of people that I wish I could un-meet. It's kind of an L.A. syndrome. You're always gonna meet people that you end up not being friends with, and that's fine, but there are a lot of vampires here.

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Sasha Grey is proud of how she used to make her living and she is talking openly about it. Her job – at least until a few years ago – was this of an actress in pornographic movies.  Later, the Greek-American girl had a few opportunities to start acting in mainstream movies, and she did. A few days ago media started firing at her for one more time when she wrote on her twitter account that she had volunteered to read for elementary school kids.

But who is Sasha and how did she transform from Porn Star to a mainstream actress?
Her real name according to wikipedia is Marina Ann Hantzis and she was born on March 14, 1988. After quitting porn and getting her mainstream feature film debut as the lead in Steven Soderbergh’s The Girlfriend Experience, she shifted her focus to acting, starring in the black comedy/horror film Smash Cut as April Carson, as well as having a supporting role in season 7 of HBO’s Entourage. She has also appeared in independent films Quit, The Girl from the Naked Eye, and Mark Pellington’s I Melt With You.

And everything was going great for the young Sasha until she decided to volunteer for a school reading. She read a book to a group of underprivileged first graders at Emerson Elementary School in Los Angeles. The image of a former porn star walking in a school was spreading like fire on the internet and most rushed to criticize her community service. Outlets used Grey’s former profession in their headlines almost if she was going to read to students with the identity of a porn star. Here we need to note that school children could not know what was her former profession.

In regards to the incident, Grey said, “I believe in the future of our children, and I will remain an active supporter and participant in education-focused initiatives.”Supposedly we live in a tolerant society, and someone’s sexual past should not be a factor when he or she does community service. In this case we should either ban porn consumers from community service too, or let Sasha participate as well. Below you can see a clip from the View with Sasha responding to questions about the incident.

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COMPTON—The Compton Unified School District acknowledged on Friday, Nov. 19, that the administration played no part in the invitation offered to former adult film star Sasha Grey to participate in the Emerson Elementary School Guest Reader Program.

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Retired porn star Sasha Grey ruffled a lot of feathers when she led story time at an elementary school in Compton, CA, earlier this month. Her Nov. 16 interview on The View explored the disturbing book-reading.

Emerson Elementary parents felt blind-sighted. They were not informed about Sasha's story time with their first and third graders, according to co-host Sherri Shepherd on The View.

Co-host Barbera Walters asked Sasha Grey, "What if the parents had said, 'I object?'" Sasha answered, "Well then, I wouldn't have done it." She felt that the school should have pre-warned the parents about her visit. But then she clarified: Schools should tell parents about any guest speaker—no matter his or her occupation or background.

Sherri Shepherd responded with a personal experience: She appreciates knowing about guest speakers at her 6-year-old son's school, because she takes the time to talk about the visitor's background with her child. For example, if the visitor is a firefighter, she'll explain more about the fire-fighting occupation. But... a porn star? Here is where the conflict arises for many parents.

Retired porn star Sasha Grey has acted in about 200 hard-core adult films. She rose in popularity after playing a starring role in Steven Soderbergh's The Girlfriend Experience (2009), which depicts her as a "high-end escort who provides not just sex but conversation, canoodling over late-night wine, and morning-after chitchat—the illusion of intimacy," according to Entertainment Weekly.

"Illusion" is an interesting word to describe this kind of intimacy, and perhaps it is the frustration many feel toward the adult film industry. This word itself conveys a sense of light-hearted fantasy. And it is most often this fantasy which baits men and women into the adult entertainment world.

But the "illusion" conceals the fact that this kind of lustful adult "play" lacks an emotional connection. There is nothing deeper to the physical acts themselves—no connection of the souls.

Because of this void, the fantasy becomes a false-front of shallowness, often concealing a downward slope of self-indulgence, addiction, and broken relationships—similar to the theme in The Girlfriend Experience. Sasha's character is an "ambitious teasing blankness, [occupying] the center of a crumbling mosaic of money, status, deception, and manipulated lust," as quoted by Entertainment Weekly.

Yet porn star Sasha Grey doesn't see it that way. When Barbera Walters asked her why she chose this profession, Sasha explained: As a kid, she was always ashamed of her sexuality. But through "research" and "opening her mind," she changed her perspective and saw her sexuality in a positive way. And by entering the adult film industry, her goal was to redefine the negative "stigma" that often goes along with the adult film industry. (One might wonder if she accomplished her goal?)

But, backing up: Why did Sasha want to read to the children? Reading was very important to her as a kid, she explained. She described her childhood reading experiences as very inspirational—in fact, "It's what made me who I am today," she said on The View. But her statement raises eyebrows. Barbera Walters stated: "Being a porn star is not something you hope your children will aspire to."

"I've always gone after what I've want. And I will continue to do that," says porn star Sasha Grey.
This self-absorbed mantra likely runs throughout the adult film industry, ranging from the producer to the consumer. And it's this kind of egoism that keeps the porn industry attached to the "negative stigma"—keeping parents leery.

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A porn star walks into a school... it sounds like the beginning to a bad off color joke. But, according to recent news it isn't a joke. It's a true story that has become a media firestorm. Most of us have read, watched or at least stood around the water cooler discussing the latest negativity hype about former porn star Sasha Grey reading to a group of school children. The first question I asked myself when I first heard about this was "Why is this news?" The second question I asked myself was "Why is she being persecuted for doing something admirable?" Shouldn't the headline have read something like "woman takes time out of her day to do a charitable act?" But, no one cares about that, right?

Unless the children that were enjoying a storybook are avid fans of pornography, I fail to see how they would even be aware of what she used to do for work. If those children were aware then there are bigger issues at play. With that said, if she was reading Dr. Seuss topless or doing a slideshow version of the Kama Sutra during show and tell -- I could see the problem. If she was dressed inappropriately, showed up drunk or used profanity -- I could also see a problem. None of those things happened. She read a book to excited children eager to hear a story. But, that isn't what made the news. What made the news was the fact that she used to do porn. It seems to me she should have been praised for helping children to understand the importance of literacy and the joy of reading. What does it matter to a group of school children what someone does or used to do for work? Was she breaking the law when she was in front of the camera? No. She was acting as a consenting adult and has since even changed career paths. I'm appalled that this was even made an issue. If the children didn't know what porn is -- they certainly do now!

If we are to hold every educator or volunteer at such a strict standard then we need to ensure that every person who comes into contact with a child has never watched a pornographic film, been to a Gentlemen's Club and certainly never had sex outside of marriage. That is ridiculous. If someone chooses to take the time to do a charitable act they should be praised. Period. The people responsible for bringing this "news story" to light should really utilize the time spent slandering this poor woman more wisely. All that has been accomplished here is making sure these children now know what a "porn star" is and guaranteeing that the already small number of volunteers becomes even smaller.

If this is the logic we are to use then we are basically stating that anyone who has ever had a job within the adult industry is not fit to be around children. That sounds a lot like discrimination to me. I have known hundreds of women that have used the adult entertainment industry to put themselves through college. They paid for their schooling entirely on their own. Does that make them less intelligent and should they now be in the same category as a sex offender? I wonder what would happen if it is found that a teacher who is revered for her students top notch testing scores, wins awards for her excellence in education, and participates in community charities put herself through school as an adult entertainer. I assume, with stories like this one about Sasha Grey that she would be stripped of her teaching job and crucified for choices she made before becoming an educator. That is one less admirable and much needed educator to help in the already distressed school system. Also, we now have one more person to add to the growing list of unemployed Americans and yet another life ruined for no viable reason. It isn't a secret that good educators and people willing to donate time to a charitable cause are few and far between.

To be honest, I would rather see a former porn star reading to children than most of the public figures or celebrities currently in the limelight today. Would it have been news if a cast member of Jersey Shore was reading to the class? What a frightening thought. Society has now made it okay for the poorest of role models to gain notoriety and made media circuses out of honest people trying to make a difference. Shows like Teen Mom and The Real World are more damaging to children than any one adult entertainer could ever do.

It really comes down to this; the world we have created leaves very few people that a child can look up to. Judgment on merit alone is slowly becoming a thing of the past and that saddens me. Every one of us has a past, each one of us could easily be looked down upon for things we have done. Those statements are facts. But, those facts do not mean we are not worthy of contributing to much needed causes such as advocacy for children's literacy. Let's start praising each other more and criticizing each other less. If you choose not to contribute to the greater good, that's a personal choice. But, stop ostracizing those who do.

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Former porn star Sasha Grey defended her visit to a Compton elementary school as officials tried to explain how the actress was chosen to read to a classroom full of children.

"I believe education is a universal right. I committed to this program with the understanding that people would have their own opinions about what I have done, who I am and what I represent," Grey said in a statement obtained by the Ministry of Gossip. "I am an actor. I am an artist. I am a daughter. I am a sister. I am a partner. I have a past that some people may not agree with, but it does not define who I am. I will not live in fear of it."

Some parents in Compton have complained about her visit to the school last week. "They could not find a fireman or a police officer?" asked parent Dudley Wheaton. "They had to get a porn star?"

Grey, who recently landed a part in the HBO show "Entourage," visited Emerson Elementary School as part of its guest reader program. The visit was arranged by an outside talent coordinator, the Compton Unified School District said in a statement.

"The outside talent coordinator listed the actress as a mainstream actress from the HBO show 'Entourage,' " said the statement, which refrained from mentioning Gray by her name.  "Although we have worked with this talent coordinator for several years, we will meet to review the participant selection process."The district also said that, contrary to media reports, the reading program was not part of the Reading Across America program.

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Read her lips. Sasha Grey will not stop her work in educational programs. The former porn star caused a mainstream media frenzy last weekend after news broke that she was reading to grade school children in a Compton, Los Angeles classroom as part of the Read Across American national elementary school volunteer program.

News of the former porn star’s action that originally broke on TMZ, appeared in the Los Angeles Times, CBS News, KTLA News, US Weekly, the Chicago Sun-Times, YouTube and more. And despite outrage from school parents, Grey’s gesture was seen more as a socially responsible act than a ploy to grab publicity.
In fact, some reports blasted school officials for either being oblivious to having a porn star involved with young children and their flat out denial that she ever was in the classroom despite photos to the contrary.
What started as negative buzz and another lame attempt at blaming porn for society's ills, actually moved the needle of adult mainstream acceptance just a bit more into the positive because of Grey's commitment to kids.

Grey said in a TMZ statement, "I'm committed to this program with the understanding that people would have their own opinions about what I have done, who I am and what I represent. I am an actor. I am an artist. I am a daughter. I am a sister. I am a partner. I have a past that some people may not agree with, but it does not define who I am."

In fact, although the Chicago Sun-Times reported the new exposure may be part of her plan to make it big in Hollywood, citing her current involvement with Oscar winner Adrien Brody, it quoted a big studio exec as saying, “Considering it was a sex tape that put both Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton on the map — this could work too. The world has changed.”

Grey further said, "I believe in the future of our children, and I will remain an active supporter and participant in education-focused initiatives."So impressed was he with her civic-minded move, and no doubt seeing the upside for adult, Vivid co-founder Steven Hirsch fired off a letter to the school's principal, Ms. Sydney Ritchey-Burnett lauding her for having the courage to invite Grey, along with volunteering Vivid stars Chyna and Allie Haze to do the same.

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Sasha Grey said she was just trying to help the children, but she's wound up waist deep in drama with a bunch of grown-ups. Grey, a former adult-film star who more recently had a role on "Entourage," was participating in the Read Across America volunteer program, traveling to Emerson Elementary School in Compton this month to read to first and third graders.

But when parents learned of Grey's appearance, complaints started rolling in, nodding to her former work for a much more mature audience. Award-winning work, mind you, albeit hard-core. But instead of finessing the concerned parents, the school district made the bizarre move of denying she'd been on campus.

Officials first said Grey was never present, according to TMZ, the outlet that posted photos of Sasha. At Emerson Elementary. Reading to the kids. "I committed to this program with the understanding that people would have their own opinions about what I have done, who I am and what I represent," Grey said in a statement, adding that her porn past does not define who she is.

One opinion from a parent, courtesy of KTLA-TV: "They could not find a fireman or a police officer? They had to get a porn star?"

Grey, however, has no plan to walk away from programs aimed at helping kids, saying she'll "remain an active supporter and participant in education-focused initiatives."

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Grey -- who retired from porn earlier this year and has performed in mainstream fare such as "Entourage" -- generated a wave of outrage by partaking in the National Education Assn.'s Read Across America program at Emerson Elementary School in Compton, Calif. on Nov. 2. But the actress has fired back at the naysayers, vowing to continue her efforts to promote literacy. Also read: 'Entourage' Sets a Date With Porn Star Sasha Grey.

According to TMZ, a number of parents weren't thrilled to find out that their tots were spending quality time with the star of "Butt Sex Bonanza" and "Deep Throat This 44." Some of them complained to the PTA, who then grilled the school's principal. A spokesperson for the school went so far as to deny that she had been there, telling TMZ, "We have several celebrities who read to our students each year. The actress you have indicated [Sasha] was not present."

Also read: XXX Star Sasha Grey Returns to Mainstream Movies in 'Melt' Well, Grey isn't denying it -- and she took to her Twitter account to inform the world that she has no intention of abandoning the nation's schoolchildren.

"I am proud to have participated in the 'Read Across America' program at Emerson Elementary School in Compton, CA. I read 'Dog Breath' by Dav Pilkey to the sweetest 1st and 3rd grade children," Grey wrote.

"Promoting education is an effort that is close to my heart. Illiteracy contributes to poverty; encouraging children to pick up a book is fundamental. I believe education is a universal right," Grey added. " I believe in the future of our children, and I will remain an active supporter and participant in education-focused initiatives."Way to do it for the kids, Sasha -- even if some people might have a difficult time, uh, swallowing it.

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