Monologues

Talks of an American student who engaged herself in an adult film audition that costs her her academic scholarship has been circulating in the Internet for the past few days.

In the video, Elizabeth Hawkenson, an undergraduate majoring in Geography and Liberal Arts at Arizona State University was seen flashing her ASU student identification card to prove she is over 18 years old before engaging in sexual acts for the “audition”. According to Phoenix New Times, the video appeared on the porn website Backroom Casting Couch.

Photo credits to Telegraph.co.uk

It is no adult modeling agency and the guy who conducts interviews with girls who are trying to land a job in this industry is no talent agent. He simply talks them into having sex. There is no job. The worst part is, the girls don’t even know that it’s a scam. Though it’s a paid site, Porn Hub, however, is not. Hawkenson’s video later travelled all over Porn Hub - youtube of porn.

Photo credits to Backroom Casting Couch

According to Telegraph.co.uk, Hawkenson is reported to have lost a scholarship worth $32,000 after the video was put on the Internet. However, Phoenix New Times reported otherwise.

Hawkenson knew that she was to do more than just pose for her nude photos to be taken. She also knew that she was going to be paid. She told Phoenix New Times that she found her way to the “casting couch” after she was short on tuition as her scholarship which is spread out for four years is not enough to cover her tuition fee of about $30,000 a year.

I was once a scholarship recipient in college and I understand that sometimes the scholarship awarded is not enough to cover tuition fees. If I were her, I wouldn’t have the guts to do it let alone think of such a solution for fear of losing my scholarship and dignity. If she was really at her wit’s end, she could have just applied for a study loan instead of opting for fast cash solution.

And if you think that the situation is not as bad as it looks, there was even an anonymous letter from a person claiming to be an ASU alumnus who wrote to the university board to demand Hawkenson’s scholarship to be revoked immediately as her actions were deemed shameful and degrading. However, Phoenix New Times reported that the Board of Regents says it never received the letter and Hawkenson says the scholarship hasn’t been revoked. The anonymous letter was probably how this whole rumour started and evolved into a scandal known worldwide and of course, the increased traffic on Porn Hub to view Hawkenson’s sizzling video.

Photo credits to Phoenix New Times

It is also believed that the letter was probably the work of the infamous 4chan users. In December 2006 and January 2007, users of 4chan launched DDoS attacks and prank called Hal Turner’s call-in radio show causing Turner’s website to go offline and the damage costed thousands of dollars. In October 2008, a hoax story was submitted to CNN’s user-generated news site, iReport.com claiming that Apple Inc. CEO, Steve Jobs had suffered a major heart attack causing the stock price of Apple Inc. to fall significantly.

Though it’s no surprise that users of 4chan are capable to execute such internet attacks to gain media attention, I don’t understand why they would waste their time and effort in causing detriment to the girl who was nobody. Perhaps, they were jumping into any chance they can get to gain media attention again. And this was an easy one to pull off as Hawkenson was asinine to show her student identity card which reveals her identity. That alone was enough information for highly skilled 4chan users. Nevertheless, it can only be proved if they decide to tell the truth or when investigation is carried out to trace the source.

Now that a student has turned into a porn star and the university is informed, I wonder if the university board would decide to revoke Hawkenson’s scholarship or take any disciplinary action like how it did to Brian Buck, former ASU student who also got himself involved in pornography in 2002.

Photo credits to Buzz Feed