What makes women (or men, for that matter) go into the adult video business?

A couple of notes to set context:

1. I’m not being judgmental. I enjoy looking at the occasional adult video or set of pictures. We live in a free country (mostly) and it’s (so far) legal.

2. I have admiration for the people who do this sort of work. I couldn’t. But these people put themselves out there every day.

3. I’m not asking a moral question at all. I’m asking a practical, economically based question. Spare me the sermons.

What makes a person decide that they want to make adult movies or have photos taken of them?

Some of the anti-porn crowd insist that all porn actresses or actors come from broken homes or were unloved by their fathers or mothers. While that may be true for some, but I don’t buy the explanation for the vast majority of them.

I’ve read that drug habits are a part of it, but I definitely don’t buy that because a drug habit wouldn’t leave a person in good enough physical shape to look good on camera.

Is it exhibitionism? That’s fine with me. Is it the money? The ability to be a star with very little skill? Maybe.

I guess I’m asking – why would a 24 year old girl or guy decide that adult video (or photography) is the career choice for them?