Family Business, the X-rated reality series, could be one of the best goodwill ambassadors the adult movie industry has ever produced. Not only is it sexy (as a show of this nature is obligated to be), it is also touching and extremely funny. It shows that behind the porno nom de plumes like Seymore Butts lurk real people, with real problems. The only thing setting them apart from other people is that they are in an industry that ruffles lots of feathers.
The show admirably presents the porn industry with a warts and all approach, for the most part. Some aspects of the business are a little candy coated (for example, the drug use displayed in a number of Seymore's videos is not mentioned at all in any of the episodes I have seen). Yet the show does not shy away from detailing the negative impact being a porn star has on Adam/Seymore's life. One touching episode showed him trying to go on a date, with mixed results once she found out what he did for a living. In another episode, we see porn veteran Herschel Savage trying to launch a new career as a stand-up comedian; we learn that he is married to a fellow porn actress. Even Seymore/Adam talks at length about how all his serious relationships (including the one that produced his son) was with people in the industry. One notable episode follows Adam and Cousin Stevie as they try their best to dissuade an 18 year old relative from Canada from entering the porn business; we never learn whether their efforts are successful, though we do see the unveiling of Mari Possa, a porn actress who begins her career as Adam's assistant and moves in front of the camera despite Adam's initial objections.
The down sides notwithstanding, Family Business is also a hilarious show, and that is thanks to Stevie, Adam's 60-something cousin who, along with Adam's mom, helps keep the Seymore Butts ship afloat. Every moment when Stevie is on the screen is electric because you never know what he'll do next. From berating a lawyer on the phone, to sneaking into an adult bookstore for a lap dance, to accidentally (ha!) finding himself in the middle of an SM/Domination convention in Vegas, Stevie is a hoot and is, beyond Adam/Seymore, the true star of the show.
Family Business is not a hardcore program. We'll probably never see an uncensored version since the show includes scenes of Adam's well-underaged son (you'll have to rent or buy some Seymore Butts videos to see what Showtime's cameras can't show you), but that said it is still perhaps the most explicit series that network has yet produced. If you are offended by porn, Family Business probably won't win you over. If you approach it with an open mind, or are already a fan of the adult film genre, Family Business is a fascinating, touching, and at time drop-dead funny look at a unique family in a unique industry.
