Porn Actor Heats Up Pasadena City College
Porn actor James Deen's lecture at Pasadena City College Wednesday has become a catalyst for debate about free speech on college campuses.
The lead-up to the event sparked public interest and criticism, prompting predictions of attendance from many non-students, media, and protesters.
Professor Hugo Schwyzer, the gender studies professor who organized the event, reports on his blog that Gail Cooper, PCC 's legal adviser, said it was rumored that up to"100 protesters" were ready to march.
In response, Deen tweeted Tuesday evening: "I somehow accidentally pissed off hundreds of people with the mere mention of my presence. I am proud. See you tomorrow Pasadena."
Citing "public safety" concerns and Schwyzer's failure to follow correct procedures to attain a valid permit, PCC administrators promptly moved Deen's public lecture from the Campus Center to a private, closed off talk in Schwyzer's classroom.
Yet despite the precautions PCC administrators took in an effort to ensure "public safety," there was no protest -- no one showed up against the 27-year-old actor.
In his blog post, Schwyzer explains that he invited Deen, a Pasadena resident and former PCC student, to be one of the lecturers among "many guest speakers with widely differing views about the adult entertainment industry" for his Humanities 3 course he unofficially titled "Navigating Pornography." He claims that, contrary to PCC official's claims, he had properly "pulled a valid activity permit with the Associated Students" to hold a public event.
Deen remarks that his talk was not "obscene and shouldn't be controversial." After the event, he tweeted, "There was no riot. No protest... Just talking."
