I promise that soon I'll stop writing so much about Belladonna (maybe) but I saw this recently and had to say something. The Reverse Cowgirl, who's blog I'm absolutely addicted to, posted two clips of Belladonna last week in her roundup. One was an interview Diane Saywer did in 2002 with a new-to-the-business Belladonna and one recently from Belladonna's MySpace video blog.The difference in the two clips is remarkable. In 2002, Belladonna appears much as the 20 year old that she was - unsure of herself and feeling abused in an industry known for using up girls and casting them aside. It doesn't surprise me that Saywer and company take a paternalistic, all porn-is-evil tone with the story and interviewing her mother in a somewhat accusatory manner for not intervening with her adult daughter's life. Basically everything I would expect from a mainstream news outlet covering the porn industry.I'll be the first to admit that the industry does have it's problems. But there are some diamonds in the rough, if you will. Watching Belladonna's 2007 MySpace Video Blog reveals the power of agency and control in one's own life. In the years since the Sawyer interview, Belladonna has gone on to become one of the best known female stars - it's a competitive world so that is an accomplishment. This stature has allowed her to make the kinds of movies that she wants to make: mostly gonzo, women-on-women flicks where Bella is in control. This is the Belladonna that I've known and loved. Although I'm sure Bella still thinks about getting out of the industry (whom among us hasn't thought about quitting their job?), it's a more confident, relaxed Belladonna that we see before us today. She gives a great summation of STD testing for porn stars, sings the Star-Spangled Banner and talks about the banality of every day life (bills, the gym).When asked what she thinks people see in her and why they love her so much, Belladonna answers that she thinks it's because she's honestly having a good time in her films and that people can see that. It's such a rarity in mainstream porn to see real "fun" happening, that I'm sure it takes people by surprise sometimes. It's all a product, however, of Belladonna's control over her own career - who she sleeps with, when, and how. Imagine how much better porn would be if every woman had that option?The Interview Belladonna's MySpace Blog