Jennifer O’Loughlin, if you believe the story from Hawaii’s Channel 8, is one of those feel good stories of the year: single mom goes online, creates a business, and pulls herself and family off of welfare. I guess they missed the part about Jennifer running one of Second Life’s most successful prostitution venues.
Jennifer O’Loughlin started out her road to nefarious riches with a $4,000 welfare grant. She turned that money into an adult nightclub (’The Edge’) which, by her own admission, made more than a quarter of a million dollars in 2006. Just how did she do it? In an archived interview from 2005, our Hallmark heroine explains her keys to success:
“Yes,” Jenna says earnestly, “booty is a very, very basic need.” She laughs. “People come into Second Life and need to find their basic needs, before they want to grow. Safety, food are needs in real life– belonging and booty are needs in Second Life.”
In real life a brothel owner would be the stuff of scandal and shame. Throw in a virtual world, however, and Jennifer O’Loughlin becomes the Channel 8 Young Girl Role Model of the Year.
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6 Comments
Trust me when I say I am restraining myself – you are an ass. Having just watched the video, she at NO TIME said the Edge generated the money, but vendors, land, etc.
All I have to say is jealously is an ugly thing. Perhaps if you spent more time building a successful business, you’d have less time to complain about others.
I hope she sues for libel. Be careful what you type.
Excuse me but if you fully read my article with Hamlet Linden I spoke of how people wanted a save place to work. I explained how in a virtual world a person’s needs change. The Edge is one of the most PG Clubs in Second Life which is why we get as much press as we do. People can go there to have fun, dance, and win Linden through events. I do not employee any workers of that nature. We only employee Managers/Host who run events and Dancers who greet visitors and help them with any questions about Second Life.
If you did any further research you would see my SL income is based over 20 Vendors, 2000 second life products I sell, and over 50 sims I lease and rent. Get your facts right. I also run a full LLC website and do virtual consulting for companies coming into Second Life.
Let me break down your “article” into bits.
The Edge is not a brothel. In fact, it never as been. We are one of the few existing clubs in Second Life that do not have escorts. The club’s visitors come for our events, hosts, DJs, and dancers. Not to mention, a place to shop.
Jen’s is an incredible story and I am proud to work with her helping her with whatever she needs me to. The money, TRUST ME, is not generated from The Edge itself. The Edge is actually her “Humanitarian” project which employs over 200 people within the virtual world. How do I know this? I am the Operations Manager of The Edge and know exactly how much money goes in and out of that sim. Believe me when I say, LOTS more goes out than in.
For you to assume that she is a “pimp” as your headline states is extremely defaming and I agree with A.H. I hope you hear from her lawyers.
“The Edge is actually her “Humanitarian” project”
Oh come on! I don’t know why he didn’t post the rest of the interview from the ‘keys to success’ thing – it’s sure a lot more damning:
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“Which is why, she says, the Edge has done so well in such a short time. “I think it’s how we make anyone feel welcomed,” Ms. Fairplay continues. “People come into the game and they are labeled ‘the newb’, regardless of their real life skills. People need to feel welcomed, find a place to belong and want to then do more.”
“Topless dancers probably help in that regard,” I suggest.
“Oh no no no,” she answers quickly. “I don’t require any of that. That’s the thing many assume: it’s a club [with] sex dancers, escorts. I pay the dancers, yes, but that’s all to dance. They are free to do what they want. Same goes for escorts. They asked for a safe venue where they aren’t degraded. They are allowed to say Yes or No to me or any person who requests something. If they want to do more, it’s up to them… I only pay them to come and dance.”
Downstairs on the Edge’s dance floor, one of Jenna’s managers is barking out a sales pitch. “GENTS AND LADIES THAT SWING THAT WAY! ANDEE SAID SHE’D STRIP FOR TIPS! WANNA SEE THE PROMISED LAND… GIVE HER THE TIPS SHE NEEDS!”
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The piece on NWN also refers to half-naked pole dancers. Sounds like a classy place!
I loaded up Second Life to see what The Edge was all about. Is Jenna a pimp? When I typed The Edge into the search, it didn’t come up because I had unchecked “mature” areas. That should be all I need to know, but I decided to teleport there instead and give it further evaluation.
Since I checked in the middle of the day on a weekday, it was pretty tame there, but the advertisements were all I needed to see.
To which advertisements are you referring to? When you teleport in, you are at the entrance with vendor shops, which are run by a lot of people.
What it seems to come down to is that Mike Reinbold, it seems, doesn’t really mean what he says on his company’s homepage – “Vox Pop Design is passionate about helping small business succeed on the web. Whether its a website, custom application development, or integration with other web based services Vox Pop wants be your online partner.” Guess the only people/business that get to succeed are the ones he helps?
Like most bloggers I choose to ignore, he seems to selectively read and hear what he wants, and then personally attacks. Do you know anything about her background, where she once was financially, the evolution of the Edge, or any of that? Or is actual journalism too “old-school” and replaced with “fact-free ranting”? I have no problem with commentary or personal opinion, but shouldn’t such personal attacks on someone who has come so far be beneath you?
It’s a shame, because while I have never met you, I have such a low opinion of you. Instead of intelligent discourse, we get this. You get to have your opinion, but when you venture into libeling others, it does not speak well of you or any venture you are associated with and you’ll end up being on the receiving end of a lawsuit.
Good luck and godspeed – I will not read your blog anymore, and I will recommend to my friends and others to avoid you, your company, and other companies that associate with you. Take care.
3 Trackbacks
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