Died on this date:

Marilyn Chambers

World's First Porn Star

April 22, 1952-April 12, 2009

(Age 56)

Marilyn Chambers.

Iconic Adult Film Star

Still beautiful in middle age.

MILF-y? Indeed.

Marilyn Chambers was the woman who redefined pornography from being the doughy, sleazy tramps of stag films to "Oh, my god, I can't believe I'm watching a woman that gorgeous having sex."

Jim and Artie Mitchell had a stroke of genius (sorry) when they cast the innocent looking Miss Chambers as the star of their seminal (oops, sorry) porn film Behind The Green Door (1972).  Ironically, it wasn't until after the film was shot that Marilyn informed Jim and Artie that she was the model on the box of the detergent Ivory Snow.  Jim and Artie took Ivory Snow's slogan of "99 and 44/100% pure" and ran with it like the P. T. Barnum's of Sleaze that they were destined to be.  The mainstreaming of smut was on it's merry way.

If you were not around during that time it's hard (sorry, again) to imagine how innocent all this stuff seems when you look back on it.  All it was, was sex.  Pretty regular kind of sex, as a matter of fact.  The kind of sex that most regular people do most of the time.  No internet, which gave rise (sorry, I've got to stop doing that) to every manner of pervo kink imaginable.  Nobody in those heady, bawdy days would think about making a film with people pissing and crapping on each other.  Or having men twist women's hair in a forced performance of mean-spirited, choking, slobbery face fucking.  Or the obligatory semi-sadistic backdoor slamming with a pinch of double penetration thrown in for good measure.  The whole business just getting soulless and mean.  (But then again, where would Tiger Woods learn to hone his technique?)

But I digress.  Back to Marilyn.  Despite attempts, she was unable to establish any kind of sustained career in mainstream (i.e; non-porn) films.  In a 2004 interview she advised, "My advice to somebody who wants to go into adult films is: Absolutely not!  It's heartbreaking.  It leaves you kind of empty.  So have a day job and don't quit it."

Something to think about for all the young girls who admire Jenna Jameson and wear t-shirts that say "Porn Star".

Marilyn Chambers died alone at her home in Santa Clarita, California.  Her body was discovered by her daughter.  The LA County Coroner determined cause of death to be cerebral hemorrhage and aneurysm related to heart disease.

She was the fire of many fantasies.  RIP.