Voices of Experience: Vicky Vette

The May issue of AVN magazine turns the spotlight on 10 bold, confident and assertive female performers over the age of 35. Interviewed here is Vicky Vette, the force behind the VNA Girls network of porn star membership sites. Click here to see a copy of the digital edition. How did you decide to get into porn? Vicky Vette: It was completely on a whim! I was very bored with my job and the small-minded people all around me. I had this urge to be wild and crazy and have some fun! I sent in some Polaroids (yes Polaroids, we still had them back then, LOL) to the Hustler Beaver Hunt contest in the monthly Hustler magazine that I subscribed to, and to my shock and amazement I was in the semifinals. I was the oldest Beaver to ever make it! I was given a cash prize, and flown out to L.A. to do a photo spread! It was a piece of cake! I was just thrilled. I won the contest and again was flown to L.A. for a photo shoot and this time I stayed and did some videos as well! They had unleashed a monster! How do you think your career differed because you started later in life rather than right out of high school or in college? I think everyone should live a little and get some life experience under their belt before entering this profession. It's not an easy road. You see how many girls are in and out so quick? I wish the age limit was 21 not 18. I don't think it's appropriate for someone to move out of their family home under their parents’ care and start doing porn. It's a shock to the system. All girls are different and there are some exceptions, but generally speaking I think it's too young. One day you are flipping burgers for minimum wage and the next day you are shooting scenes for money. At that age you don't know how to save/manage your money, build your credit or plan for the future. You also need to have an exit strategy because nothing lasts forever. What skills are most important to making this career into a profitable business? The most important thing I know is to be flexible and “roll with the punches.” Nothing will ever stay the same. You can't figure out what works and then just keep doing it because what works today will not work tomorrow. We have to keep reinventing ourselves and find new ways to generate income. It used to be shooting scenes. Now it's personal websites, camming, phone sex, texting, snapping, appearances, escorting, selling tweets, auctions, affiliate sales and white-labels … What do you think of the term 'MILF'?  From the day I started they called me a MILF. I kept asking them not to because I don't have any children. I suggested they call me mature, since I was 38 when I started. I finally stopped arguing and gave up. I apparently had no choice in the matter. I think it's way overused. Porners had to further confuse the issue and call 18-year-olds MILFs because they do have children. So I guess it's synonymous with hot housewife? I think in general and you hear mainstream people use the phrase too. MILF = 30s. Cougar = 40s and 50s? And panther = 60+?