Tuesday, 30 January, 2024 UTC
Summary
Every year, the who's who of porn descend on Las Vegas for the annual AVN Awards and Expo. We all know about porn stars, but what goes into being a top porn star at the Oscars of porn? We asked performer Lena the Plug to share with us her AVN diary for an inside look at the work that goes into dominating porn.
Lena had a blockbuster year in 2023, with her podcast Plug Talk, where she and her husband, Adam22, interview a porn star and then sleep with them at the end of the discussion. The podcast boasts hundreds of thousands of followers across social media; South Park even parodied Lena last year. During the summer, she filmed her first scene with a guy who wasn't her husband (in this case, Jason Luv), and it received coverage from the likes of TMZ and the Daily Mail. She ended the year with a reality show, For the Love of Lena, where men competed to join Lena and Adam22 in their first male-male-female threesome.
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So Lena was a natural fit to break down what really goes into being an OnlyFans queen at AVN. From hours of glam to fans asking her to sign 250 photos, it was a fun and wild work week in Sin City.
Tuesday, January 23Afternoon
I am attending AVN with my husband and business partner, Adam22; six leading girls in the adult industry, who are my friends and colleagues; and our seven-person Plug Talk crew. The team is fundamental to everything we do and includes managers, editors, makeup artists, hair stylists, and more. We couldn't do what we do without them!
We fly on a small private jet from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. It bumps throughout the entire flight. I've never encountered such turbulence. I am scared shitless and ask the flight attendant if we are going to be okay. She says we're fine.
Evening
And we are! We arrive at 7 p.m. and head to our two homes. The girls, Adam, and I are staying in one house, and the crew is staying down the road.
I go to get a spray tan (I need to look good for the Expo; fans expect to see me at my best!). Then I rest before the chaos.
Lena the Plug holding one of the many photos she signed at AVN.
Credit: Lena the Plug
Morning
Let the chaos begin! I wake up at 6 a.m. The girls head downstairs to start glam at 6:30 a.m. I join them at 8:30 a.m. for my glam. We all change into matching branded Plug Talk attire: thongs, bras, and bodysuits. Once our three-man security crew arrives, we sit down for a meeting to go over the agenda for the day. Plug Talk is all about organization. Then we Uber to Resorts World, the hotel where the Expo takes place.
Afternoon
When we arrive, we head to a long check-in line inside of an outdoor "events center." It's a departure from last year when we were in the hotel's conference room. The tea is Resorts World has a multiyear contract with AVN, but for some reason, they stuck us outside. Did something happen last year? AVN brings in soooooo much money for the hotel, though. There are multiple hotels within Resorts World, and rooms are sold out for all of them.
A girl interrupts my inner monologue, screaming, "LENA, WE'VE MADE OUT BEFORE!" I'm not mentally ready for this.
Before we head to our booth, I want to use the restroom. To get there, I walk through the bondage area, where a man in a thong is tied to an X-frame, a piece of BDSM equipment. He screams joyously as a woman spanks him. Welcome home to AVN!
Late Afternoon
Once I arrive at the Plug Talk booth, I am ready to go. I'm excited to meet fans. We've created a large blue wall that says "Plug Talk" all over it. It contrasts our matching pink underwear. You've gotta stay on brand.
Fans see us and start lining up. One brings 250 printed photos of me. He pays me to sign them. My right-hand woman, Monica, asks what he will do with them. He says he's going to sell them on his college campus. Love it.
Evening
My feet hurt from walking in boots, but duty calls. We walk right outside Resorts World to find our billboard for our party on Friday at the Peppermint Hippo strip club. Our faces are on a billboard right outside Encore, another hotel on the Strip. We take pics in front of it, then get in an Uber to Jardin, a weed shop that invited us over to make content and get some merch.
On the way home, my husband, Adam, gets hungry. (Maybe it's munchies from Jardin?) So we stop at a gas station, where we all get ice cream, chocolate, and cookies.
We're exhausted from working for nine hours at the convention, so we all call it a day.
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Thursday, January 25Morning
Once again, I woke up early for glam. Then, we shot some content for social media. Once we posted it, we head to the convention. Outside the casino, fans mob us. We take selfies and sign autographs. We love our fans!
We are still tired from yesterday, so we stop at Starbucks. Caffeine is necessary for the day.
Today is packed. We speak to fans non-stop and do interviews with other content creators. During the interviews, my feet hurt. I'm wearing Pleasers heels. (If you know, you know.)
Some incredible fan interactions:
- A man comes and says he "needs to squat" me. I say sure, and he lifts me in the air.
- Several fans ask when I'll film my first gangbang. In other words, my comment section comes to life.
- A father and son duo explain they come to AVN together every year. They remind me they sell my Fleshlight in Mexico. I remember meeting them last year. They are well into their 60s and 80s, and I wonder how many conventions they've attended together.
- Another fan gives me a box specifically designed for me, containing a bunch of cute treats, lotions, and lip gloss. She and her mother come to the convention every year to give goodie boxes to the girls. It's the sweetest thing; the girl's mom was in the industry 20 years ago, and she knows how exhausting this week could be for all of us. I take a photo with them on my personal phone so that I don't forget these women and their kindness.
- Many groups of men say they met at AVN years ago and bonded. They became friends. As a tradition, they attend AVN every year and take photos with the girls. It's sweet!
I get hungry, so I take a lunch break. Walking to lunch, I see a line around the corner for fellow performer Violet Myers. She wows her fans, and they are dedicated, waiting for hours. Violet is a machine.
Evening
Last minute, I receive an invite to a pajama party. I forgot to pack cute PJs, so I go shopping. I NEED cute PJs to party with the girls.
Guys come to the party and throw cash at the talent, even though it's an innocent PJ party. At this party, they give out free sex toys, which is great because I forgot to pack one. I also finally meet the infamous Chet Hanks, who is asking everyone if they have gum, so I find some for him.
Lena the Plug and friends at the 'Plug Talk' booth at AVN.
Credit: Lena the Plug
Morning
Today is the first day I don't start signing photos at noon, so I sleep in. After my glam routine, I head to the convention. I wait in line for over an hour to get my Award Show pass. As I wait, my assistant texts me that the line of fans is forming, asking where I am. I need to get my pass! When I reach the front of the line, the AVN staff tells me they don't have my pass yet. Annoying!
Afternoon
Friday is crazy packed. The one-and-only Teanna Trump is signing at the Plug Talk booth, and the line is wrapping around the convention. One guy pays Teanna $1,000 for an Instagram follow-back! There's no time to take breaks. We need to sign autographs for fans. One man alone brought me another 200 prints to sign. I am unable to sign all of them, so I take them home to sign and return to him.
Several notables stop by. Adam and I interview Chad Johnson, the "villain" from The Bachelor. Rappers Skinny from the 9 and King Yella show up, and we take selfies. It sometimes feels like porn and rap are one industry.
The most notable of the moment, though, is Lil D. He won Adam and my reality show, For the Love of Lena, where men competed to join us for our first male-male-female threesome. We create content with him at AVN. He is the only man at the convention (besides my husband) who is welcome to an ass grab and a kiss on the cheek.
We stay and meet fans and sign photos to the last second. At the end of the day, I am exhausted. My feet hurt, so I rip off my boots. Everyone screams, "FREE FEEEEEET!"
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Evening
Everyone is starving, so we head back to the Airbnb and order food. In between eating, my glam team touches up my hair and makeup. Plug Talk is hosting our party at Peppermint Hippo tonight, so we want to look great.
The club sends a party bus to pick us up. When we arrive at the club, hundreds of people are lined up. Inside, we see fans and also top people in the industry. It's a moment.
Once inside, we go into the VIP area. We dance, go on stage, and have an overall blast. Around 3 a.m., we leave and head home to rest for the AVN Awards Show tomorrow.
Poster for Plug Talk's after party at AVN.
Credit: Lena the Plug
The big day! I am nominated for three awards: Hottest Girl/Guy Creator Collab with Jason Luv, Favorite Adult Podcast, and Favorite Indie Performer. It's an honor because fans and my peers vote for the awards. I'm just happy to be nominated.
We spend the day relaxing. Then, in the afternoon, I begin glam. We head to the Awards around 5 p.m. We walk the red carpet and pose for photos.
Once inside the theater, I get a little nervous. We win the Hottest Girl/Guy Creator Collab and Favorite Adult Podcast! It's such an honor to see my viral content get rewarded by fans and my peers. I am so happy.
Trophies in hand, I head back to the Airbnb to rest. No afterparties for me. When you're a porn star, the most glamorous thing you can do is sleep!