Was the Porn-Shoot Shark Attack a Publicity Stunt? ‘It’s Fishy’
We talked to a branding expert who also happens to be familiar with shark bites
Tim Molloy | May 5, 2017 @ 4:40 PM
Last Updated: May 5, 2017 @ 5:42 PM
It’s almost too perfect a metaphor for porn: a pretty young woman is lowered into a ring of sharks, confident they won’t hurt her. She emerges surprised, wounded and screaming. And it’s exactly what ostensibly happened to web-cam model Molly Cavalli in a video that went viral Friday.
In keeping with the voyeuristic, hyper-entrepreneurial nature of the business, porn company CamSoda shared the footage of Cavalli far and wide — and used it to promote its new web-cam technology. Cavalli’s swimsuit brandished the company’s logo across her chest.
“It’s fishy, no pun intended,” said branding expert Michael Bilello — who also happens to be a diver, fisherman and Iraq combat veteran. “I call bulls— on the video as a certified diver and former Marine officer.”
The CEO and practitioner of Tampa’s Centurion Strategies, who has seen shark bites on fish, noted that Cavalli only seemed to have a single, painful-looking slash — not the “crescent-moon, multiple-teeth” wounds typical of shark bites.
“Regardless, it’s a very effective publicity stunt,” he said. “Attractive girl, white bikini, shark cage … Certainly I think we can all agree that this was a publicity stunt and it’s working well. For those of us who didn’t know what CamSoda was, we are now aware. For those who weren’t aware of the model, now we are.”
He joined a few YouTube commenters who found it odd that CamSoda showed every aspect of Cavalli’s dip and escape except for the attack itself, even though the company shot her and the sharks from multiple angles.
Of course, it’s possible that CamSoda was too sensitive to show violence — despite having just lowered a caged, barely-dressed woman into a sea of orbiting sharks.
Another branding expert, Chad J. Kawalec, CEO and founder of the Brand Identity Center, said that if Cavalli had really been bit, the company probably wouldn’t have shared any footage.
“I think its a publicity stunt — it was filmed and posted by CamSoda,” Kawalec told TheWrap. “If it was real, they’d be worried about her suing and wouldn’t want that evidence out there.”
Cavalli certainly doesn’t sound like someone who is suing. And the company that put her in the cage was … well, cagey.
When TheWrap asked CamSoda directly in an email if the shark attack was fake, the company responded with two statements — neither of which directly addressed the question.
The first statement was from Cavalli.
“I want to thank my fans for their outpouring of support as I heal my foot following the shark bite. Luckily it only required 20 stitches. I’m fine. It’s not that bad,” she said. “I had a great experience anyway and now I have a story to tell forever.”
The company pivoted from there to a statement by vice president Darren Press, which highlighted the company’s new “mobile hardware solution” before expressing the company’s concern for its bloodied model.
“Here at CamSoda we have been diligently working on the development of a mobile hardware solution that will allow our models to broadcast live from anywhere in the world – land, sea or air. After a tedious developmental process, we wanted to test it out with an underwater broadcast,” the statement begins.
It goes on to explain that the company thought lemon sharks were “predominantly docile and relatively harmless.”
The statement expresses gratitude for the doctors and staff who helped Cavalli, and ends with another pitch for the company’s technology: “We owe it to our fans to continue to forge ahead and make this readily available to the masses.”
Kawalec’s conclusion?
“The stunt worked. They found a way to greatly extend awareness of their name by ensuring it is embedded exactly where it would best showcase what they are selling,” he said. “Since she was not really hurt, it underscores the darker, forbidden side of porn. I doubt anyone noticed her bleeding foot.”
Tim Kenneally and Itay Hod contributed to this story.
Watch the video above.
'After Porn Ends': What 9 Porn Stars Did After Their Careers Ended (Photos)
What do porn stars do when their lives in the adult film industry end? That's the question at the heart of documentary filmmaker Bryce Wagoner's film "After Porn Ends," its sequel, "After Porn Ends 2," and its new follow-up, "After Porn Ends 3." The film looks at the tragedies and successes of people who left an industry that famously uses up young talent. Some have no regrets about their years in the industry. For others, a career in the adult industry has proven to be a conduit to certain despair.
Here are their stories, as told to TheWrap by Wagoner.
Johnnie Keyes
He wasn't the first black adult performer, but he was the first black porn star. Coming from poverty, he enlisted in the Army and became a champion boxer, then used the G.I. Bill to get a drama degree and star in musicals. After a chance casting in the iconic 1972 adult film "Behind the Green Door," he found himself on the shores of Cannes and a cultural icon. Eventually retiring to raise his family, Johnnie is now an accomplished jazz singer and runs a youth outreach basketball camp with his son in Seattle.
Lisa Ann
Starting as a stripper in Pennsylvania, Lisa used porn to further her dancing career and was a well-known performer for 15 years before the opportunity of a lifetime: appearing in a parody of Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin that catapulted her to porn superstardom. She parlayed her media appearances into hosting her own fantasy sports radio show on Sirius XM.
Ginger Lynn
Her "girl next door" look made her the face of XXX films in the 80s and early 90s. Starting in bikini contests and taking the advice of famed photographer Suze Randall, she played the adult business by her rules, commanded the largest salary in porn, and got out exactly when she wanted to. After studying acting at the Beverly Hills Playhouse, she earned roles in "Wing Commander," "American Pie: Band Camp," "The Devil's Rejects," and "31." She has become as much an icon in the Comic-Con world as she is in the adult industry.
Janine Lindemulder
A one-time softball star with college scholarship offers, Janine found her way into adult through a modeling ad. Her porn career led to a wildly success career as an exotic dancer. She retired to marry and have a daughter with Orange County Choppers star Jesse James -- but after a brutal custody battle, she went to prison for owing hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid taxes. After getting out, she moved to the Oregon Coast to get her life back on track.
Tabitha Stevens
One scene kicked off an entire 20-year career for the former Vegas dancer, who holds the record for most porn star appearances on "Howard Stern." She also became a regular on "Doctor 90210." She and her husband run a fine-art photography gallery in Utah.
Brittany Andrews
She knew that she wanted to do porn to further her own business interests, and made her own line of videos and distributed them herself. After getting some mainstream cred by posing in Playboy Magazine, she learned to be a DJ and now plays all over the world, booked by the DJ agency Skam Artists.
Darren James
James began his path to XXX films as a Navy veteran from the streets of Detroit. He tried to join the LAPD but was waitlisted due to budget cuts. Not knowing where his next job was coming from, he tried porn and became a prolific performer. But after taking a big contract in Brazil, he wound up infected with HIV. He is now a public speaker who advocates for those living with the disease.
Chasey Lain
Lain began as a dancer and became one of the highest-paid performers in XXX. But after struggling with the changing economics and structure of the adult business, she turned to working as an escort at the world-famous Bunny Ranch. She's now saving money to go back to school and start her life over.
Georgina Spelvin
She began as a Broadway dancer and actress. When the work dried up, she got a job on an adult film as a caterer -- and then starred in the director's next film, 1973's "The Devil in Miss Jones." which would go on to be one of the most successful XXX movies of all time and would come to be considered an adult classic. She eventually took an office job and retired with her pension (and love of her life) 20 years later in Hollywood.
"After Porn Ends 2" delves deeper into social stigma, race, misogyny, and the reality of decreasing opportunities for former adult film stars. It's available for pre-order on Amazon and iTunes, and will be released on VOD as well on March 28th. It is directed and produced by Bryce Wagoner ("After Porn Ends," "Parrot Heads"), and produced by Michael Weiss, Andy Weiss, Billy Sorrentino, and Michael Tipps, with Cara Kidwell serving as co-producer.
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Bryce Wagoner’s documentary “After Porn Ends 2” looks at the troubles and successes of people who have left the industry. (Yes, it’s safe to click through this at work)
What do porn stars do when their lives in the adult film industry end? That's the question at the heart of documentary filmmaker Bryce Wagoner's film "After Porn Ends," its sequel, "After Porn Ends 2," and its new follow-up, "After Porn Ends 3." The film looks at the tragedies and successes of people who left an industry that famously uses up young talent. Some have no regrets about their years in the industry. For others, a career in the adult industry has proven to be a conduit to certain despair.
Here are their stories, as told to TheWrap by Wagoner.
