Finally, An Anthem For Sex Workers

SEATTLE, WA—Pretty much everyone knows Rodney Moore's work, whether it be his Scale Bustin' Babes series, his She Male Strokers series, his Horny Hairy Girls series or any of the other nearly 900 XXX features he's created. And thanks to an article on AVN.com in May, they may also know his gift for song-writing. At the time the article was published, Moore was on the fence as to whether he wanted his adult professional name linked with his musical real name—but he's apparently gotten over that, now with the posting of his latest musical creation, Freedom Isn't Free: An Anthem For Sex Workers. The video for Freedom Isn’t Free is a montage of porn stars, prostitutes, strippers, pro dommes and more superimposed over Rodney’s playing. It’s definitely a time warp with some of the images stretching back to vintage "working girl" photos from late 1800s. It’s a Who’s Who of many familiar faces like Sasha Grey, Betty Page, Ginger Lynn, Nina Hartley, Marilyn Chambers, Jessie Jane, Ron Jeremy and many more—and his YouTube site, the Rodney Moore Channel, even has a sort of contest: "HOW MANY FACES CAN YOU IDENTIFY?" the posting asks. "Post a comment and list all the ones you recognize!!" The song itself, utilizing a regular guitar, an electric guitar, keyboards and percussion, all played by Moore himself, is meant to inspire sex workers of all stripes to feel better about themselves. "Sex workers deserve respect," declares Moore. "I originally wrote this song because I remember when I started in the early '90s there was still a real fear of going to prison for obscenity just for making a movie of people having sex. Now, there's a thin line between what porn shows and what you see on HBO, Showtime, etc. "For prostitutes though, jail is still a real possibility," he continues. "Everyone wants their porn but we still don't get any respect for creating it. Pro dommes and strippers don't break any laws, but are still looked down upon by society in general. "Musically there’s a definite revolutionary Beatles and Byrds influence, with a prominent 12 string Rickenbacker guitar solo similar to the Byrd’s Eight Miles High. Please watch the video, give it a thumbs up, and leave a comment." The opening lyric, "We give pleasure to you/Fantasy show and tell/You enjoy what we do/So don't condemn us to Hell," in many ways sums up how adult performers feel about their work, while another stanza is directed at the insane logic the motivates anti-porn crusaders: "Control of what you can see/It's theirs if they get their way/But it's your right to be free/Don't let them take it away!" The song even suggests that kids deserve straight answers regarding the sex that many of them are already having—and watching: "Just ask mom and dad/'Cos without sex/We wouldn't be here/So why is that bad?" As Moore noted in the AVN article, music is one of his first loves, and he's grateful to the adult industry for providing him with the income to pursue his melodic gifts. Freedom Isn't Free goes a long way toward paying back the industry and people who for so long have been part of his inspiration.