What Would Your Mother Say?

Promoted as hidden camera footage of assorted early 80's adult performers taking part in a casting session and unknowingly revealing their true selves in candid conversations, "What would your mother say?" is ultimately little more than a series of staged cursory interviews with a collection of established stars, rising ingenuous, and hapless wannabes in a casual setting.

The hidden camera aspect is dubious, at best, and the questions posed are reminiscent of what one might find in just about any adult magazine interview; "Are you a practicing heterosexual?" being one of the film's most common inquiries. However, the movie does manage to capture the actors in a relatively unguarded fashion. While revealing few details about themselves, beyond several utilizing their given names, the participants aren't "in character" and we see their real-life personalities; by in large they come off as rather ordinary people, with a few being pleasantly charismatic and a few others stunningly dim witted. Additionally, sans the makeup, hairstyling, and costuming of a feature production, most appear quite different from their hyper sexualized images. Were it not for the sexually oriented topics being discussed, this could just as easily have been a local field reporter interviewing a community theater ensemble.

Overall, there is nothing truly insightful or revealing to be found in "What would you mother say?" There are no backstories, explanations, motivations, or reflections on their careers. Even the film title's question goes unanswered. The closest the movie comes to pulling back the proverbial curtain on actors and industry is found in the ad nauseum rants of Bill Margold, but his self-aggrandizing schtick is more that of a jaded carnival barker than candid insider. At best (or worst), "What would your mother say?" strips away the fantasy and exposes the mundane nature of those who appear in adult films (or at least those who did in the early 80's), but there is little substance to be found in this effort.