Tera Patrick is a bitch. I told her off at some club last year.
In the past, most porn stars were just coke addicts doing flicks for blow. Before that, they were mainly hookers.
Nowadays, women go into it for $$money$$. To become "stars". However the money may be good, but the industry is still the same. You gotta suck and fuck everyone to get to the top. The agent, the director, the producer, the distributor, you name it.
The *smart ones* by-pass the industry. Start up their own website, and make their OWN videos their OWN way, and sell it online.
the industry has improved a lot over the years. The internet has broken the mob rule on the industry big time. The distribution is still tightly controlled -- but many many more opportunities have opened up and free for the taking by anyone. The year Adult AVN expo has HUNDREDS of companies from all over the world now, fully active in the biz.