Last week, I gave you the goods on the Adult Video Network Expo in Las Vegas, as well as a peek into the future of the porn industry. We saved the best for last – the actual awards show and red carpet.

Associated Press

I got all dressed up and went with my friend, Dan Michalski of pokerati.com fame (and a former D Magazine writer who now lives in Vegas).

There were celebrities (Flavor Flav, T-Pain, Dave Navarro, Robin Leach), adult-film veterans (Ron Jeremy, Nina Hartley) and sex writers (Jamye Waxman and Abby Ehmann). I shook hands with Dennis Hoff, owner of the infamous Bunny Ranch (as seen on HBO's Cathouse), who invited me to spend a week there. He was accompanied by Sunny Lane and Air Force Amy.

We were lucky enough to be invited by porn legend Ona Zee to join her friends at a table on the floor. We weren't particularly close to the stage, but giant screens on either side of it made us feel as if we were.

Belladonna and Jenna Haze hosted the event. They were sweet, even if the script was cheesy and their delivery wasn't much better.

Hustler publisher Larry Flynt spoke about First Amendment freedom and received a standing ovation. There were videotaped skits, including a spoof on Senate hearings with clips from real hearings spliced with clips of porn stars. The best was a porn take of that Sham-Wow guy.

As for the awards, I was thrilled to see bubbly Fort Worth native Jesse Jane win for her scene with Belladonna in Pirates II, and the gorgeous Jessica Drake win best actress for Fallen. Drake wore an amazing little dress that co-star Brad Armstrong designed for her, made almost entirely of white feathers. Somehow, he managed to make her look adorable instead of ridiculous. Think the opposite of Björk.

Speaking of attire, let's just say more than a handful of gals could use a stylist. There was everything from bad, fluffy prom dresses and trashy stripper get-ups to gorgeous, Oscar-worthy gowns. I've never had more fun people-watching.

Suffice it to say I had a good time and will definitely go back. You can get a taste in March, when Showtime airs a shortened version of the show.

But the trip still hasn't laid to rest all of my thoughts, issues and concerns. It's hard to know whether these women are being exploited. I mean, are they brainwashed or do they really love what they do? Is it even possible to love what they do? I don't know.

Are CEOs of huge corporations really happy? Don't we all sell ourselves in some way? Our bodies? Our minds? Our skills? I can't speak for someone else. All I can do is trust the source, and the women I spoke to seemed fully in charge. Fully.

What I can tell you is that I left the event feeling empowered and sexy, and wanting to find out more about this industry and the people involved.

Two days in Vegas is not enough time to get the whole story. I have lots more films to watch and lots more interviews to do. But not to worry, dear readers, I am here for you. And I won't quit until all the dirty work is done.

Got a question about sex? Jenny's your girl. (If she doesn't know the answer, she'll find those who do.) E-mail her at myopenbook@yahoo.com.On QuickDFW.com

See how adult-film stars answered Jenny's questions on the red carpet on our pop-culture blog, blahblahblahblog.quickdfw.com.