Dana, or Cocoa Rockwell, is a lot like most 19 year-old college girls I know –smart, hard-working, and building themselves into their place in the working community. Except this particular young woman has been a cover girl for the fetish magazine Leg Show (May 2009). She stopped by the Abington store recently, and agreed to a quick interview about the adult entertainment industry and her budding career. Here is what she had to say:
JJ: So we go to the same college, and that probably keeps you busy. What else are you doing with your time?
CR: I am working a lot. It’s not in the business, just a normal job. I won’t tell you where, but it involves wearing tight jeans and cowboy boots.
JJ: That’s great! Okay, so how do you go from that to lingerie and stockings?
CR: Lingerie is one of my favorite “guilty pleasures”. Putting on sexy stockings or playful lingerie not only makes you look good, it transforms you.
JJ: Seems like you were the perfect person for that magazine. Tell me about your photo shoot and how you made the cover.
CR: That is all thanks to my agent and photographer Tony Ward (see www.TonyWard.com).
JJ: That’s the famous erotic photographer, right? His work is everywhere. How did you meet, and what was it like working with him?
CR: Working with Tony is amazing. I met him through a friend, and he’s like the Dos Equis guy. You know, the “Most Interesting Man in the World.” Throughout shooting he was professional, and he made me feel completely comfortable. I was nervous, but with him there it was like having a good friend holding my hand. That’s probably what makes my experience so extraordinary. Not many women get such a professional and liberating experience when they enter the industry.
JJ: What has changed in your life since the cover?
CR: Outwardly, nothing. My friendships and relationships are still intact. No one looks down on me for this. In fact, most of my friends don’t believe it is me. They are shocked at the transformation in the pictures. But that’s what really changed for me –the transformation in me. I’m a mixed-race girl, and that always led to some confusion for me growing up. This one photo shoot freed me from all those mental trappings, and I was liberated. I never felt surer of myself and my beauty until I saw those photos. My confidence is now bursting out of me.
JJ: So what do you believe the adult entertainment industry is about?
CR: At its core, I believe that the industry provides an outlet for people. There is something for everyone, and everyone can express themselves. I may not like each and every category or genre, but I love that people are expressing themselves and being free.
JJ: So why all the taboo? Is there something the industry isn’t doing, or could be doing more of, to gain the trust of society?
CR: I think the best way the industry can gain the trust of society is for the industry to take care of its aging stars. The aging actors and actresses need to be guarded and taken care of instead of being pushed out of the way for newcomers. What other businesses would stay successful if all they ever did was throw out their veterans? It’s just bad practice.
JJ: Talking about taking care of business, how important is sex education to you? Is the education we have in place now working?
CR: The message of sex education is very important. There are a lot of people suffering from disease, and people destroying other peoples’ lives because of carelessness. A lot of harm can be avoided if people just educate themselves and get tested. Also, the school system needs to update its message. Abstinence may be the best method, but they can’t teach it alone. They need to teach the alternatives that provide safe sex, too.
JJ: Thanks Dana, but let me ask one last question before you go. Cocoa is best served hot on a cold, winter night. What’s the best way to enjoy Cocoa in the hot summer?
CR: The best way to enjoy me in the hot summer? Drizzled over a bowl of vanilla ice cream, eaten while snuggling in bed.
