Seeing as how we just completed our Pet of the Year Voting part of the competition, it seemed like a good time to drop in an interview from the floor of this past Adult Entertainment Expo in Las Vegas. You should definitely plan on attending in 2025, and if you see us talking with some Pets, feel free to pop over and say hello. We don’t bite — well, unless asked to of course
A Lacy Lennon Conversation
We are here at AVN with Lacy Lennon. Our Pet of the Year … our Pet of the Year forever … our spicy Redhead.
Lacy: Thank you!
So … what have you been doing since you were crowned Pet of the Month and Pet of the Year?
Lacy: Oh my gosh. Craziness. So I had probably one of the biggest and best years of my life after getting Penthouse Pet of the Year. … I got a month off, I believe it was, October, and then it was only a few months later that the voting had started with the turnaround for Pet of the Year. I then also got my feature film Black Widow, which I won Best Sex Scene of the year for, and I also won for Best Actress. So that was amazing to walk up there in my Penthouse necklace, walking off with double awards in my hands.
And then from there, Moose [Owner of Girlfriend Films] allowed me to help out and direct for Girlfriend Films. I got to direct three DVDs, and one of them actually got nominated for an AVN award. So that was just special and amazing. … From there I decided to adult a little bit and was like, you know, I’ve worked really hard, and I should do something nice for myself. I decided to move back home and with my family and my friends out in Hawaii, and I got to take a little bit of a break.
And I really, really, really had been getting into my own content creation. Penthouse inspires me constantly because the direction that we go — and that I aim for — is still going for the very filmy aspect … going artistic, you know, things could be more implied. It resonates so well with the fans that they respect it. They love seeing the journeys, the travels, and they love seeing me healthy.
So I’ve been busy, busy, busy. I have a few other surprises that are coming out this summer, but I cannot give full details. But there have been deals that have been signed… Just new adventures, and new expansions, and new experiences for our fans. … I’m so happy to be back.
Where can we, expect to find out those drops? Are you going to post them on Instagram or Twitter or everywhere? Are you going to let us know?
Lacy: I’m going to let everyone know everywhere. They’re going to be very strategic drops and releases. It’s not just going to be random. I’m going to be putting out a whole bunch of Easter eggs. There’s going to be an immense amount of promo, and it’s going to be everywhere, because why would we not do that? [laughs]
So tell me about your website, because that was a thing. I clicked on it, and you were already selling merch, and you’re already doing so much. … So you’re dropping more?
Lacy: Yeah. Oh … Oh, my gosh. … So I love graphic designing. I just think that it’s so much fun. And I love being nerdy and dirty and you know, I saw these other girls, then I had teams reach out to me they’d all say, I want to build you a site, let me build you a site.
And I’d think to myself, what can they do that I can’t? Went to YouTube. And I was like, oh, this is easy. And then so I was just like, okay. I though, let me go ahead and just try it. And, you know, because the fans were asking for more merch, and I had already done smaller drops and more personalized drops, but I really wanted something more official. That way I can then reach out to people that are worldwide, because that’s where I was missing my mark. When I was doing things more personally, like I would go ahead and buy my bulk items and then have people — whether it was email me or like DM through Twitter or whatever — it was, small scale, over-consuming and not efficient in the long run.
It took up way too much time. It’s cool now through the site that I have these teams working and doing the shipments, doing the fulfillment for me. All that I had to do was set up the site, curate designs, find my manufacturers, make sure that I’m back-checking them for reputation. Then I just order the products as a demo and make sure that they’re of high quality before releasing them out to the fans.
I did it because it’s what the fans had asked. And when they ask, they receive.
So I just want to clarify because I’m fucking mind-blown right here. You did that graphic design? That is you?
Lacy: Yeah.
You’re insane. It’s insane.
Lacy: Oh, it’s so cute. I’m such a nerd. Like, I love games, like cozy games like Sim, like, house building and making the characters. Getting into those little details of builds overall.
Graphic designing has almost … when you were a kid and you did collage work in a magazine, cut everything out, just put everything on? Graphic designing is really that easy. And … it’s … it’s really fun and gives me a lot more appreciation for animators because after getting heavily into the graphic designing, I now want to learn how to animate. Because all this can be taken like one big step further.
And I always thought that it might be cool idea, because I’ve seen these people do it on a smaller scale, where they’re making these at-home animations and maybe two people doing voice work… They’re doing like ten different voices and creating an entire show. And then the shows blow up. How cute would it be to have like a little Lacy Lennon animated show?
All these little stepping stones are fun and cool. I guess I’m always looking at the next big thing. People have been like, oh, you’re doing this and this and this … and I say, I’m already on the 10th new project after that. I’m moving on. That’s been done, you know? But I’m glad you like it. It was fun and very cute. I loved putting it together.
Let’s talk about the title Nerdy and Dirty. Do you think that that just encompasses you and that’s why you went with that, or did you coin it at some point? It’s trademarked…
Lacy: It is, and it’s mine. [laughs]
Yeah. Honestly it was very early on, when I first got in… Everyone wanted to know about me, what were my interests.
I always answered, well I went to opera school. I studied math and engineering, graduated number one in my class, even going back to the high school years. And so, like, I’ve always been really into the nerd stuff. I never really, looked at myself in the mirror thinking, “I’m the beautiful girl,” you know?
I have always believed that I’m going to be valued because of what I’m going to bring to the table, never just based on my appearance alone. Whereas other people, they do truly have that privilege, and I love that for them. I just have never been a person where I have felt valued that way.
Being nerdy and dirty is my slogan, I used it before the industry among friends, and it encapsulates me. And that’s why I said it from the very beginning. Of course I also honed in on the niche nerd group, and I was like, these are my guys. These are my people. …
It’s just like, listen, a lot of people are basically the same. They peak in high school, and they were like the jock or the cheerleader. They come into this industry, then they skyrocket. They do well, and they treat their fans like shit. And for me, when I think of sex work, more importantly when I think of those that we’re providing for… I think we’re providing for the people where sex may not always be as easy.
I don’t think these are people who are getting these experiences and going out to the club and buying drinks for the girls and then just, you know, hooking up with them. No, these are men and people who often have serious social awkwardness. Maybe they’ve never dated. A lot of them may still be virgins. So for me, who has had the benefit of prior companionship, it’s just really important to me to speak to the nerds. Hey, everyone deserves love.
I think of it as, “Let me show you, because I said I needed love. I deserve love and you can follow my lead.”
When people say the nice guy finishes last, that’s okay. They should be fine finishing last, because I’m going to finish last with them. I’m literally going to be hand in hand. These are my nerds, and these are the most deserving people, and these are the people that should enjoy these events and be able to watch the films and be able to experience these things.
My heart is just very full. The nerds have taken care of me, so I’m always going to take care of them.
You seem very passionate about it.
Lacy: Yeah.
Do you think that there’s a difference between being a nerd and being a geek? Do you think that you’re also a little geeky? … Do you have any hard core fandoms that you follow?
Lacy: I mean, as for the difference between a nerd and a geek, I think a geeks would be like the guys who are in Silicon Valley … they got their fancy little shoes and they’re all tucked in. They got their super fancy glasses, and a super nice car.
Then I think of nerds like a guy who’s still driving like the Toyota Corolla. And he always feels, “No, no, no. I’m working on it. And I don’t need a new car.” … You know? I think of nerds as people that are more … relatable.
Geeks, at least in my view, are people who put themselves on this pedestal of privilege, and they think that they’re better than everyone. They’re driven by, “Not only am I smart, but I’m also wealthy…” Whereas the nerds are more like, “Let’s just not. … We don’t have to run like around trying to impress others. Let’s just wear little fun outfits.”
Geeks aren’t going to do that. They’re going to be the tech guys. They’re going to be very bougie. … I find my nerds just want to have fun, and they’re just hanging out with everyone. They appreciate everyone. They have a lot of respect. … A lot of times I feel like nerds don’t always feel the best about themselves … the kids that were the late bloomers … the people that society kind of pushes away. … Although we’re all a little bit of the black sheep these days, nerds and geeks. It’s all been marketed as niche and glamorized, so that now suddenly it’s a cool thing.
Honestly I think that it hurts the community because you have all these people going to these events that they would never attend previously. They just didn’t. We nerds used to be like, “Okay, this is like my one event a year. I get to go hang out with my nerds.” … Now you go to Comic-Con and you’re going to spend over $1,000.
Suddenly most of those nerds have now had that taken away from them because it has been marketed in a way to make it a privilege. … It has all become just kind of lame because the true nerds of from Dungeons and Dragons or my Lord of the Rings, my Harry Potter, my Star Trek, you know, Star Wars — because that’s how that they know me — that has gotten lost.
So many have seen me at the booth, and that’s how they met me … literally, this is one of the presents I got because they know how nerdy I am. I got so many presents. [Shows Harry Potter – Time Turner Necklace]
I have that exact one.
Lacy: Yeah, I got this one. My sister too. It’s just the smaller one from Pandora. But yeah, exactly. I also got a Darth Maul figurine because I have the Darth Maul lightsaber. … I have Ray’s lightsaber. I have Luke’s lightsaber. I have the metal, from A New Hope as well — all given as gifts. … Let’s see, I’ve Smuggler’s dice. You know, it’s just like I have a whole bunch of total fandom shit … like, big time. I’m kind of all over the place with my nerd shit, but that’s what a true nerd is. … We watch it all. We literally rewatch, rewatch, rewatch. It’s not just one thing, it’s all of it.
Yeah, I lost track of how many times I’ve watched Harry Potter now. … I’ve rewatched Supernatural…
Lacy: Yes! My sister is the biggest fucking Supernatural fan. Oh my God, you would love her. Oh my gosh, she’s like six foot tall, crazy, crazy. [laughs uproariously]
Do you have any advice for any future pets that want to be as successful as you have been as Pet of the Year … Going from POY to directing, to winning awards … to basically doing it all? It feels like you never stop. You’ve never slowed down — always kept it pushing.
Lacy: I would say … you have to be authentic, and you are going to have downfalls. I may be good at like not showing people those things. It seems like a lot of people think that my life is perfect, that I never have bad days. … I’ve had businesses that have failed, and you just get back up. You keep going, just switch things around, and you don’t let it beat you down.
It still gets into my head sometimes. I have those days. … I don’t really show that off to other people, but it’s going to happen. You will not have great success without great failure. You should always remember the risk in being a one hit wonder. Sometimes when you hit immediate success, riding that line becomes too easy, and you forget to put in the work.
Something Dennis Hoff had told me I have held near to my heart ever since I lived and worked over at Moonlite Bunny Ranch. … He always told me, “You know, the super-pretty girls, they kind of lean on their looks, and they forget the work ethic. They forget to be punctual. They forget to take care of themselves. They forget to actually make dreams and plan journeys and write things down, and budget, and do the things that are actually good for them. I need you to promise me that you’re going to keep your head on your shoulders. I need you to stay smart. Be beautiful, but the more important thing — and what’s going to resonate with the fans, and why they’ll take care of you and believe in you — is because you’re being smart about it. You’re not living the fantasy. You’re doing this as a real career. … This is a job.”
So when you treat it like a job — think of any other job — if you slack, you get fired. … We’re our own bosses, you could be doing well and you could be put on a pedestal by a company, but if you’re not willing to put in that work afterwards, and you just want to ride on that fame, you’re going to fall off the cliff.
Rest in peace, Dennis.
Thank you so much for taking the time to hang out with us today! We hope to see you soon. (… And we did 6 months later at Penthouse Pet Party Summer 2024! … COMING SOON to these pages.)
As one might imagine, one has many options when it comes to following Lacy Lennon including an Instagram page that keeps getting shut down for … well, who the heck can figure out why the Meta people do anything really? She just rolls out a new one, though, and starts all over again — a trait that definitely fits the persona evidenced in this interview. For our part we like the lesser-used TikTok and YouTube options, more the potential than the execution so far, but honestly it could be that we like them because we keep volunteering to hang out with her when she’s in town to suggest ideas — or, y’know, drink margaritas. … Seriously, if you want to experience pure joy for a few hours, just hang out with Lacy Lennon.
Heck, just looking at her Amazon Wish List will give you lots and lots of potential conversation starters. Trust us: Lacy will keep up her end of the conversation. We are happy to provide suggestions here, if it helps, though. We’d start with, “So … um … does a $94 candle have some kind of special fire or something?”
