Duke porn star Belle Knox says she wants to help sex workers after bankrolling law degree with sex

[big_dog]

An 18-year-old Duke University student, suddenly the most popular freshman on campus, is looking for a little more financial aid under the sheets. “I want to be a women’s rights or civil rights lawyer. Maybe start a foundation for sex workers,” she said.


Belle Knox, with a dozen skin-flicks under her belt, was back in Los Angeles on Wednesday preparing for another porn casting call. The budding porn star — featured in films like “Lick My Lips” and “How Do You Like It?” — hopes to screw her way all the way to graduation.
“I really enjoy sex, and I’ve always loved watching porn, so it just seemed like I could pay my way through college doing something I really love doing,” Knox, a women’s studies and sociology major, told the Daily News.

Tuition at the North Carolina school runs about $47,000 a year. The petite brunette said her family was supposed to pay for school. When that didn’t work out, she considered taking out loans, but she didn’t want to strap her family with debt. She says she wasn’t eligible for government loans and typical student jobs just didn’t pay enough.
“I didn’t feel like I had a lot of options,” she said.


http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/duke-porn-star-belle-knox-sex-workers-article-1.1712359

[Blue_Tires]

1. I have never, ever seen a student/part-time sex worker

get so much ink...Even the BBC picked up on it...

Is there some huge angle to the story that I'm missing??

[upaloopa]

4. Isn't this a continuance of the DU porn wars?

[sibelian]

19. I tire of the Wagnerian Porn Cycle.

Let's have some actual Wagner instead:

[lapfog_1]

22. I always preferred this version

[sibelian]

26. "Spear and Magic HELLLLLMEEEEEETTT"

"What did you expect? A HAPPY ending?"

[Warren DeMontague]

46. I see what YOU did there.

[Warren DeMontague]

31. Probably.

[FSogol]

5. First ever evidence of a Duke Student having sex?

Ok, I'm just kidding. Look at my avatar.

[Blue_Tires]

9. Oh, this Virginian is with you on that..

All Dukies and Heels are subhuman scum to be anchored to the bottom of the ocean, regardless of how they finance their tuition outside of campus...

[Fawke Em]

6. She's not all that good-looking either.

Usually, the media falls all over themselves for a really good-looking person - male or female - and that's why they get the ink. This girl isn't ugly - there's NO ONE ugly at her age - but she's really just average.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

13. Is there an official scale for judging someone's looks?

What a shallow disgusting comment.

[architect359]

23. Official? No. Is there a "scale"? Yup.

Regardless if it is shallow or disgusting.

[geek tragedy]

32. as opposed to the industry she's promoting, which values women based on their intelligence

and character

yes, it is shallow and disgusting, but that's monetized objectification for you

[JI7]

41. not official but it's reality, she gets attention now because of the "college student does porn"

but the money she gets will just get less and less because she is average .

but i kind of have a feeling she may be hoping for some reality show thing.

[JI7]

42. she still probably looks way better than most of the guys who watch the porn

[AgingAmerican]

92. What about the girls who watch the porn?

Are they ugly too?

[Warren DeMontague]

100. A LA LA LA LA AAA

[AgingAmerican]

103. lol

nt

[Packerowner740]

45. I think she's very cute

Not gorgeous though.

[treestar]

50. And that argues for how popular that particular short cut is

among young women. Obviously they can't find enough knock-outs and have to settle for her. If it was such a great thing to do, why wouldn't the best looking girls go for it, to pad their purses too?

[bluestate10]

58. When it comes to sex, looks takes a back seat. nt

[JJChambers]

65. She's got a very sexy body

She has an attractive face and she's smart and driven to advocate for others. That makes her beautiful.

[AgingAmerican]

93. She is very good looking

She just doesn't have fake bazoombas, collagen lips, and cheek implants.

[big_dog]

8. all proceeds go to the belle knox foundation for naughty 18-22 coeds

maybe she could run a boarding school for wayward girls

[madaboutharry]

2. Ok, Hon…whatever.

[Gman]

3. If you do what you love

It's not work.

[BeyondGeography]

7. Go away already

Christ.

[indie9197]

10. No options?

How about going to a Community College or State College?

[Blue_Tires]

27. And presumably there are students in similar situations

who are finding ways to finance tuition without having to go into that line of work...

[Lost_Count]

68. That's her point...

Why should she go to a lesser school when she can go where she wants while getting paid to do something she enjoys?

[LittleBlue]

11. She is unapologetically sexual

and that bothers some people. Not to mention a women's studies major. Ouch

Good luck to her.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

12. Yep.

I say good luck to her. Sex workers need a voice. Unfortunately she will have to deal with sex shaming from backwards conservatives and faux feminists.

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. You got the thread winner

Faux feminists

[ForgoTheConsequence]

15. I know some find that term offensive.

But I only use it to describe "feminists" who attack their own. They talk about female empowerment but when another female chooses to do something with her life that they don't approve of, or chooses to be sexual, they go after her. You already see a little of it in this thread.

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. I know.

My view, it's a sad commentary on society that somebody is paying college this way, but she enjoys it. So my only thing I would tell her is, good for you for doing what you like, but make sure you use a condom, in fact insist on them at work, and take care of your body.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

17. College should be free.

But this country loves creating wage and debt slaves.


Maybe she will become the Norma Rae of sex workers. You're right about protection, which is why the sex workers need a voice.

[nadinbrzezinski]

18. You socialist you

I already admire her spunk. And this is such a Puritan (sex, icky) society, that sex workers do indeed need a voice.

[architect359]

25. I see what you did there

[nadinbrzezinski]

29. ?????

[RainDog]

38. you are so sweet!

I won't say spunky, tho.

[Sobriquet]

98. "You know what... you got spunk."

"I HATE SPUNK!!!!!"

[treestar]

48. That's not where it comes from though

You can use that to dismiss it and feel better, but you're evading the real issue.

It's got to do with a society in which a woman can make more money this way than in a less personal way. It's not disapproval of her choice to do it. It's disapproval of society exploiting women in this way.

[Major Nikon]

52. How is it any different than exploiting minimum wage slaves?

Other than female sex workers make far more than minimum wage and nobody seems to give a shit about those who work their asses off for shit pay?

When you remove the emotional case for swapping bodily fluids = icky I just don't see much of an argument and it seems to have a lot more to do with authoritatively telling people how they should be allowed to make a living. Now perhaps there's an argument to be made for the exploitation of someone who gets several hundred dollars for a few hours work, but it just seems like there's a helluva lot better ones out there which makes you wonder why so many are spending an inordinate amount of time trying to make those arguments in the first place.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

61. Sure it is.

That's why people are saying she "isn't that great looking". It's sex shaming. Her body, her choice.

[Blue_Tires]

20. There have been a bunch of voices of change out there over the years

For the erotic film industry (although the "industry" is much different now since any mook with a digital camera and mattress can be a 'director')...They just don't all get on CNN primetime, that's all...

And besides, no matter WHAT industry you're in, shouldn't a voice of advocacy come from a lifer? If not a lifer, then at least a full-time, experienced employee who doesn't have the privileged life options of a Duke student who sees the movies as just something to do in her spare time for extra cash?

[aquart]

89. Yep.

Worst comes to worst, women have this way to make money. Why anyone thinks this makes the woman something less than human, I have no idea.

[BeyondGeography]

24. She's also 18

Which is much too young for a lot of things. Like putting your innermost private life on public display and making bold pronouncements about what it all means for your future. Really, I wince.

[nadinbrzezinski]

30. By all means stay out of Facebook and twitter

Where this happens every second from kids even younger than that.

[treestar]

49. Hardly the same as sex on camera.

And the people you would run into doing that? I know some 18 year olds. I would have to see them involved in that world.

[LadyHawkAZ]

34. We cheer on a 15 year old putting her life on the line in Pakistan,

but a 19 year old takes charge of her own vagina and suddenly she's too young to decide?

[BeyondGeography]

36. Anything short of going into porn is not taking charge of your vagina?

Go away.

[LadyHawkAZ]

37. I have no idea where you got that from what I wrote

I'm just going to back away slowly now.

[RainDog]

39. Don't you just love

the irrational nastiness of some people whenever a young adult chooses a path they wouldn't?

What the poster wrote initially was a form of slut shaming, but, hey, we're all feminists here, right?

[Warren DeMontague]

62. it's the ol' "people should be allowed to do this" = "everyone MUST do this"

Some quality logic, there.

[JI7]

53. bad comparison, it's like comparing black civil rights workers to scott brown's naked pic

in that magazine.

the black people put their lives at risk unless scott brown also.

[LadyHawkAZ]

63. It was comparing decision making skills between young girls

but if you prefer Red Delicious and Red Delicious instead of Red Delicious and Golden Delicious, try this: how many people would suggest that a girl who is a virgin at 19 might be making a horribly wrong decision about her future that she may regret the rest of her life?

[bluestate10]

59. I think that she is refreshing. She has an enormous natural sex drive and isn't making

excuses or trying to hide her drive.

[Eleanors38]

67. Well, she knows the ins & outs of the law.

[Warren DeMontague]

73. Are you trying to.... mount a challenge

for the Pun Champeeenship of DU?

You better check with pinboy. He's got some pretty good stats in that regard.

[Eleanors38]

90. Ah, he'll go down to the spread.

[KamaAina]

21. Does she have a brother?

He could be Hard Knox.

[Warren DeMontague]

99. If she makes a bunch of money and buys gold with it

They'll need a big place to keep it all.

Perhaps a fort of some sort.

[bigwillq]

28. Good for her!

Keep doing your thing, Ms. Knox.

[closeupready]

33. Fine with me.

[LadyHawkAZ]

35. Attagirl!

I hope she follows through.

[JJChambers]

40. I know what me and the missus will be watching soon!

[Captain Stern]

43. Confucius would have approved.

"Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life." - Confucius

[Major Nikon]

54. Lots of people are doing it for free

I have yet to see someone volunteer to flip burgers wearing a paper hat for no pay.

[Jenoch]

44. Whomever wrote the headline at NY Daily News is a moron.

[treestar]

47. She could have trouble getting admitted to the bar

As far as ethics are concerned, with these public pronouncements.

Loans don't burden her family - why is she using them?

If she likes it so much, her college and law school may result in a job she likes less - maybe she's at least planning for when she's too old to do it.

She has plenty of other options.

[alp227]

51. Really? Doing porn = bad ethics?

just because a lot of people may disagree with BK's views doesn't mean she'd be excluded from bar admission. Here are the rules of professional conduct for lawyers in BK's home state NC. Can you point to one rule that would imply BK would be banned from the bar?

[Ms. Toad]

55. I suspect you have not been through a character and fitness review.

They aren't much fun, and (generally) the bar in the county in which you live holds your ability to become an attorney in your hands.

Any behavior that might unlawful (and depending on where she is filming that might include being a porn actress) would mean a challenging (perhaps impossible) review.

And - most states have a general qualifier which those determining her fate may invoke, "Every applicant shall have the burden of proving that the applicant possesses the qualifications of character and general fitness requisite for an attorney and counselor-at-law, and is possessed of good moral character and is entitled to the high regard and confidence of the public."

[alp227]

56. Because obscenity laws, I guess.

Notably, Rick Santorum complained about Obama's DOJ failing to enforce obscenity laws against porn.

And c'mon, in a nation where assholes like Orly Taitz and Larry Klayman can be lawyers, why can't Knox?

Perp walks for pornographers are SO 1970s.

[Ms. Toad]

60. pornographers,

drunks, parking scofflaws, conscientious objectors.

It is an extremely invasive process.

As for Orly Taitz and Larry Klayman, it would depend on what their lives looked like before they became lawyers. It is a one time admission process (unless you move to another state - and then you'll need to go through it in the new state).

[treestar]

64. It might

Would depend on the rules regarding who is admitted to the bar, the ethics rules are for people who are already lawyers.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

57. "Literally."

“I literally just Googled, ‘How to be a porn star.’ It came up with all these modeling agencies, and I literally just sent in my pictures and my height and weight,” she recalled. “I was getting calls literally within days, with people saying they really wanted me.”

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/duke-porn-star-belle-knox-sex-workers-article-1.1712359#ixzz2vL4wrXgN

You don't say?

[marions ghost]

66. Delusional

anorexic kid. What a way to grow up. We'll see what she's doing in her 20's-30's. Maybe she'll start eating food again by then.

I'd like to hear her family's story about how she couldn't pay for school as the daughter of a doctor. Doesn't add up.

Sad story.

[stevenleser]

69. Why would you attempt to diagnose her as an anorexic who doesn't eat?

Is there an article that gives her height, weight and BMI?

[marions ghost]

75. If you look at her photos

at the OP link, you can clearly see a case of anorexia. I have seen enough eating disorders in students to know. Just a quick search will give you some stats, for example:

Students:

• 91% of women surveyed on a college campus had attempted to control their weight through dieting. 22% dieted “often” or “always.”
• 86% report onset of eating disorder by age 20; 43% report onset between ages of 16 and 20.
• Anorexia is the third most common chronic illness among adolescents.
• 95% of those who have eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25.
• 25% of college-aged women engage in bingeing and purging as a weight-management technique.
• The mortality rate associated with anorexia nervosa is 12 times higher than the death rate associated with all causes of death for females 15-24 years old.
• Over one-half of teenage girls and nearly one-third of teenage boys use unhealthy weight control behaviors such as skipping meals, fasting, smoking cigarettes, vomiting, and taking laxatives.
• In a survey of 185 female students on a college campus, 58% felt pressure to be a certain weight, and of the 83% that dieted for weight loss, 44% were of normal weight.

http://www.anad.org/get-information/about-eating-disorders/eating-disorders-statistics/

[Gravitycollapse]

76. Trying to diagnose an eating disorder over a couple photos is intellectually irresponsible.

[marions ghost]

79. No diagnosis

intended. I am speculating from experience. Unless the photos are altered she is likely anorexic.
It's a very common disorder. There is a characteristic look.

Neither you nor I know this person. We are all speculating.

[Gravitycollapse]

81. Stop speculating.

[marions ghost]

82. Sorry

Belle Knox is a celebrity. Everybody speculates about celebrities altho we really know very little about them --except what we are told by second hand sources.

Whether it's political celebs or pop star celebs, we all speculate. It's how we figure out the world beyond our own little sphere. But we never know anything for certain really. To defend a screen star like you really know anything is as useless as dissing her, which I don't do. I don't agree with anyone who is shaming or bullying her. Absolutely not. Hopefully she can fade back into oblivion and go on with her life. Meanwhile we try to understand someone who would choose this. It is unusual, not the norm. Questioning how a privileged student at a prestigious university got into porn, particularly the type that degrades and humiliates her, is not wrong. Maybe she'll write a book that tells the whole story. I'd be interested to see what she says 5 years from now.

[stevenleser]

83. It's not common. Anorexia has an average prevalence of 0.3–1% in women and 0.1% in men

Wikipedia is citing a Lancet study here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anorexia_nervosa

[marions ghost]

84. Did you read my post?

Anorexia is the third most common chronic illness among adolescents.
25% of college-aged women engage in bingeing and purging as a weight-management technique.

------GO TO:
http://www.anad.org/get-information/about-eating-disorders/eating-disorders-statistics/

Eating Disorders are a problem on college campuses. Don't take my word for it, ask somebody else.

[stevenleser]

85. I read it. I trust a peer reviewed periodical like the Lancet much more than other sources. nt

[marions ghost]

86. Mkay...

I suggest you do some really in-depth research and talk to people who work in Student Health Services at all types of universities. You need some real life input. I stand by my statement--eating disorders of all kinds are a significant problem on college campuses today. I don't have time to write a dissertation on it here.

No need to agree. I can handle a different opinion.

[AgingAmerican]

94. She doesn't look anorexic at all

She is just thin. My sister was built like that. My daughter is built like that. It runs in our family.

[marions ghost]

96. Some people are very thin and

don't have an eating disorder and some very thin people have eating disorders. Neither of us knows about this girl. She is seriously thin. The possibility of anorexia is speculation based on fact. You can verify with a little research that many college-age girls today have the problem. We don't know for sure, but since extreme thinness is unusual, it's a reasonable guess.

http://www.eatingdisorderfoundation.org/EatingDisorders.htm#Facts

A factoid from that link:

"A study found that 25% of Playboy centerfolds met the weight criteria for anorexia."

[Warren DeMontague]

71. How nice of you to tell her that she doesn't know what she's doing.

Despite the fact that she took the time to personally explain otherwise, completely cogently and lucidly.

I've read stuff clearly written by what I would call "delusional" writers.... I wouldn't categorize what she said that way, at all.

[marions ghost]

77. Check back later

with her in about 5 years. She is operating under some youthful and incredibly naive delusions about life and her career. She will get wisdom at some point. But no, she doesn't really know what she's doing right now. I say that without judging her. We all do things in youth that aren't wise. We get over it hopefully.

[LadyHawkAZ]

78. Delusional...yep n/t

[davidn3600]

70. A woman's studies major who does porn and wants to be a legal advocate for sex workers?

Oh boy...The sex-negative feminists are going to hate her.

I hope she gives 'em hell...

[AgingAmerican]

95. She will have the thought police

spinning themselves dizzy.

[gerogie2]

72. We can all help adult sex workers...

by making what they do legal, taxing them and require monthly STD testing and providing free condoms.

There are no sex slaves or very few in Germany or in Nevada counties were the sex trade is legal and regulated.

[marions ghost]

80. I am all for that

it's a hard way to make a living.

[mythology]

87. Awkwardly that's not actually the case in Germany

http://www.examiner.com/article/german-s-legalized-prostitution-brought-more-exploitation-than-emancipation-to-women

http://business.time.com/2013/06/18/germany-has-become-the-cut-rate-prostitution-capital-of-the-world/

Maybe there wasn't enough regulation, but it seems that Germany isn't quite working out as intended in terms of creating a safe environment for those women working as prostitutes.

[seaglass]

74. I'm feeling quite sorry for her. She didn't realize that someone might

recognize her in her porn movies. She is losing friends, who knows about her family, has diminished career opportunities, is being harassed online and on campus and it's all Duke's fault.

http://playboysfw.kinja.com/meet-belle-knox-the-duke-porn-star-as-you-might-have-1535822551

PLAYBOY: You wrote that one of the main reasons you did porn was to pay for school and not be saddled with large student loans once you graduated. Would you be doing porn if Duke were free?

KNOX: No. If Duke had given me the proper financial resources, I wouldn't have done porn. They have nobody to blame for the scandal but themselves.

[marions ghost]

97. The absurd thing is that she's probably not making enough

from porn to pay for her college education at Duke. Maybe she can charge more after all this notoriety? Launch herself into a higher paying strata?

http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-what-female-porn-stars-get-paid-for-different-types-of-scenes-2012-11

"While a decade ago the average female performer would make about $100,000 a year," Spiegler told THR "she now might make as little as $50,000 — all while juggling responsibilities such as social-media outreach and personal appearances."

And the agents?--

"But for each gig Spiegler books for his girls, he takes 10 to 15 percent, receiving the larger percentage if he also handles transportation for the client. None of the agents THR spoke with would reveal how much money they personally make in a year, but sources told the trade that top agents can rake in around $250,000 a year from their 10 to 15 percent takes.

"It's very competitive, and the well-known agencies do control most of the talent," added Dan Miller. "It's just like Hollywood in that regard."

And agents don't just handle the financial aspect of a deal, they also help clients set up personal websites, advise them on plastic surgery procedures, arrange for transportation to and from film sets and make sure the actors are staying on top of their mandatory drug and STD testing regimens.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-what-female-porn-stars-get-paid-for-different-types-of-scenes-2012-11#ixzz2vVCuR03k

[Prophet 451]

88. Good for her

Sex workers are often underserved by legal representation.

[flvegan]

91. Good for her!

Who better to defend, based on experience? Imagine that, someone with actual "in the trenches" experience taking it to the courtroom. Wow. I wish you luck, kid.

Naturally, I say this with jaded eyes. I've viewed countless probate/tax/trust/divorce/etc attorney firms that don't know jack shit about real property pretend that they do.

[Scout]

101. but, but, i thought sex workers are all so well adjusted, and make great money!!

what do they need help with?

[Warren DeMontague]

102. Don't all workers deserve the right to organize, and support each other?

If I had to guess, among other things they can always use collective legal assistance due to the never ending anti porn crusades of censorship-minded puritans like Ed Meese, Judith Reisman, and their allies--- you know, the people who care more about policing how consenting adults get their jollies, than they do the 1st Amendment.