NYU Student Pays Tuition With Porn

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Judging by her photo in the Daily News, grad student Lorelei Lee looks like any other woman at NYU. But what sets her apart is her unorthodox way of paying for the university's sky-high tuition, by performing in porn movies. Lee, who takes her name from Marilyn Monroe's character in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, has been working in the adult entertainment industry since she was 19, and has 200 films under her, um, belt. She's also a graduate from San Francisco State University, and is now working on her Master's in Fine Arts at NYU. But what do her classmates think about her XXX-tra curricular activities?

"It's wonderful," Ayesha Attah, 25, tells the News. "Whatever experience you can draw on, you should. Hers is amazing." And since Lee earns upwards of $1,000 per production day, maybe she won't be financially ruined by the time NYU's done with her. But regardless of her fancy degree, she plans to stick with the porn as long as she can, even after graduation: "I still do get something out of my work in porn. I think I'm good at it." At press time, it was not possible to corroborate Lee's self-assessment of her work.

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By John Del Signore in News on October 12, 2009 4:30 PM

Comments [rss]

S.K.

Lady Gaga also went to NYU. Perhaps these two can team up.

Bike Rider

yes! ass 2 ass!!!

Brian Ritz

NYU does crazy things to people. What can we do, it's a ~tough economy~ and the porn industry is one of the most reliable (legal) bidnezzez out there.

Me, I write a gay porn blog to pay the billz.

http://nyulocal.com/entertainment/2009/09/10/nyus-straight-female-studmuffin/

ddlystar86

I have to give her props.

While it's easy for those on the outside looking in to judge this girl based upon her chosen "career," it's not as easy to actually have this career, or job, or hobby...whatever you would like to call it.

I did porn for the first semester of college and have no regrets. If you can find people to trust and who actually respect the work they're doing and you, then not all is bad. It's enjoyable and the money is really good. She's a lucky girl in that what she chose didn't end up putting her dead in a ditch or coked up. I hope it stays that way.

Just remember, you don't think she has dignity, self confidence or morals...but chances are you've watched porn, which some could argue is just as scummy and low life. And she's got all the confidence in the world, more than most women can even admit to having.

Nothing about this is wrong, it's sex. And we are human. Someone has to be on that porn tape you bought.

!+ Rigid Minds~Tinkle BraiNs +

Yeah!!! Having fetish, prudish, abnormal sex with random guys from the street and having it video-taped to be open to be seen to the entire world sounds fun...
And on top of that your self-esteem, "dignity" and over-the-top self-confidence is not only maintained but "urged-on". Sounds great to me anyway :)

OTC

Porn??

And you don't even mention it on your resume?

We need titles here!!

Mr. Shankly

What are these things 'porn tape' and 'buying' you speak of?

NannyState

Finally, an NYU student with talent.

freddynyc

Online porn? Very impressive - your parents should be proud...

Spirit of 76

Can someone tell me why exactly anyone would need a Master's in creative writing? Why wouldn't a Bachelor's be good enough for even a professional writer?

airtech1

There's little correlation between academic degrees and creative and literary success. That said, MFA programs like Iowa Writers, Columbia, et al. have made a killing in recent years convincing aspiring writers otherwise, and, to their credit, churned out classes of success stories: Richard Price, Mona Simpson, Tama Janowitz, Reza Aslan, Kiran Desai, Edwidge Danticat all scored the overpriced MFA.

theboneranger

chicks have porn, what do guys have?

kinda sad that everyone seems to think this is great.. i wonder if all the above would like their daughters making the same choices. i find it hillarious that people call this empowering

meh, to each their own..

keepdiscoevil

If my daughter was happy I wouldn't care what the ladies at the weekly Tupperware party have to say.

In fact, I don't care about their contrived opinions, ever.

Unless it's about Tupperware.

UnchiNeko

yr nick is "theboneranger"---'chicks have porn, what do guys have?'---what you have is not a leg to stand on. absolute turd. and, to dignify yr typewritten poo stain w/ a response, the male equivalent to female porn star... a cop---both are hired meat...but the one with breasts actually understands that... no pension needed 'cause they make loot hand over fist...enough to pay for any bullshit degree they want... oh, and following comments--comments about such shit as "pride" and "parents"---who do you think made this world we were born into??? who set the stage??? eat multiple bags of dicks... hats off to anyone who has the bravery to seize, what is left of, opportunity. bravo l. l.!!!

HOTCUP

this comment was all over the place, bravo bravo.

HughGass

"chicks have porn, what do guys have?"

Dignity.

books

word

bklynbagel

She has to stay with porn. A degree in fine arts doesn't really amount to much financially. If she's smart and doesn't become a toothless meth-head like so many other pornstarlets, she'll save up and invest wisely for the long run.