I've been thinking of tackling this issue for a while now, but didn't know exactly how to approach it (and honestly, didn't think anyone would even be interested in hearing my views on it). But today, I read a tweet from GayPornTimes about the subject and decided to go for it.
First off, I'd like to state the fact that I generally detest labels of any kind; I believe the only purpose they serve is to put us in boxes/categories, which ultimately limit us. In the world of gay porn, there are many labels: top, bottom, twink, twunk, femme, butch, bear, daddy, jock, boy-next-door, the list goes on and on and on...But the most controversial of them all is Gay-For-Pay. For those of you who might not know, "gay-4-pay" is a term describing a straight man who performs sexual acts with other men on-camera. Yes, it sounds a bit silly - but a surprisingly large percentage of performers in gay xxx do, in fact, identify themselves as heterosexual. It obviously sells; simply take a look at some of the top gay sites of the moment: BaitBuddies, Straight Guys For Gay Eyes, Broke Straight Boys, just to name a few.
The term has always been a hot topic among fans and bloggers, for some reason, and guys like Billy Brandt (who was the first guy I saw in a gay porn, which actually lead me to consider it as a career) or Caesar have used it to add to their allure, to an extent. They've gone back & forth from "I'm gay" to "I'm bisexual" to "I'm just a sexual person" and marketed themselves that way (sometimes rather brilliantly) to keep people coming back for more. There's the element of "Is-he-or-isn't-he?" that keeps everyone talking and interested.
Billy Brandt
As a fan of gay porn (and as someone who is "strictly dickly" myself), I agree, of course, that the straight guy fantasy can be a huge turn-on (it's one of the main - if not the main - fantasies gay porn consumers seek out). As someone pursuing a career in the industry - and who has researched/studied/developed an intense passion for it - I have noticed a recent backlash against performers who fall into the category of gay-4-pay. There are currently numerous posts viciously attacking Cody Cummings on the JustUsBoys forums; a Randy Blue model recently retired to get married (to a female) and raise their kid, causing a wave of controversy; the recent return of Jason Adonis is being met with some less-than-favorable opinions from fans.Cody Cummings
From my perspective, there are a few reasons for this:
1) The old saying is true: "You can definitely have too much of a good thing." For years, fans have lusted after the idea of the hot, unattainable porn god (think back to the success stories of guys like Ken Ryker or Jeff Stryker). In the past, it was somewhat of a taboo to openly admit to (or even to be rumored to) being a straight guy in gay porn (and we all know taboos create intrigue and mystery), so there were only a handful who even alluded to it. Therefore, the rare few who actually did were put on pedestals and thought of as unique, rare gems whose public persona's fueled the sales of thousands (well, probably more like millions) of copies of gay porn films. But, over time, the label became more accepted by the mainstream and new gay-4-pay guys were popping up every other day. With such a large amount emerging onto the scene, the novelty aspect of it disappears and it's simply not so fascinating anymore. It's like me eating Chinese food (which, truthfully, I love more than life) every single day for a year; eventually, I will lose interest and it won't be as special as it once was.
Ken Ryker
2) They are limited in what they can/are willing to do. As previously stated, I'm totally homosexual, but I would be lying if I said I would never at least consider doing anything sexual with a female - BUT it would absolutely take alot (no, really, I mean ALOT) of money for that to actually happen. So, I can understand that a straight guy would look at fucking another guy pretty much the same way. It's a commonly known fact that money talks and everyone has their price, and I think it's definitely the first (if not only) thing that attracts a gay-4-pay guy when approached to fuck a guy in front of a camera. These guys are almost always very attractive in the conventional sense: handsome face, strong jawline, broad shoulders, ripped abs, bulging biceps; just very much the stereotypical, "manly" image of what gay porn fans are usually interested in. So, of course most companies will throw extra amounts of money at them in order to get them to do more and more sexually (because, after all, that's what the consumer demands and pays for)...This much to let a guy suck your dick. This much to let a guy eat your ass. This much to fuck a guy in the ass. This much to put a dildo in your ass. THIS MUCH to let a guy fuck you in the ass!! There are only a few gay-4-pay guys who've actually performed the latter sexual act (Kurt Wild,who is apparently married with 3 kids, has actually been very successful/popular - AND he almost always performs as a bottom); but the average straight man will barely go beyond the former - even with the wads of cash dangling in their face. For instance, Cody Cummings has yet to even suck a dick on his site (which is predominantly directed towards a gay audience), a fact that has caused extreme bitterness and anger among his fans (some have even gone as far as to claim he's homophobic; an idea I actually think is quite extreme and ridiculous). Yes, a guy like Cody is extremely attractive, but according to the feedback I've read, a large portion of his fans are, to paraphrase a few members of the JUB forums, "tired of seeing the same scene re-shot 20 times". People inevitably become bored of seeing the same thing over and over again with little to no progression. Of course, there's always the chance that he's waiting to do more sexually with other men in order to keep your interest, as a way to achieve longevity in his career (the age-old marketing tool used by male AND female performers). Who really knows for sure??
**But, on a personal note, I'm glad sites like Cody's exist, because, while it may not necessarily be what I prefer, at least it's there for those who do enjoy it. It also proves that the gay (and straight) industry is becoming less black & white, growing, and beginning to provide something for every one's tastes.
**But, on a personal note, I'm glad sites like Cody's exist, because, while it may not necessarily be what I prefer, at least it's there for those who do enjoy it. It also proves that the gay (and straight) industry is becoming less black & white, growing, and beginning to provide something for every one's tastes.
Kurt Wild
3) Plain, old-fashion resentment. I genuinely believe a small amount of gay xxx fans actually view gay-4-pay guys as threats to the performers who are very open about actually being homosexual. They feel the "straights" are taking work away from the "real gays"...Now, this may or may not be the reality, but there are definitely people out there who feel this way, considering what I've personally read some people say on various blogs, forums, etc. Maybe they view it as a betrayal when a company puts a straight guy (or, god forbid, 2 or more straight guys) in a scene when loud & proud gay performers could do the same job just as easily. I don't know, it's just an idea....
Like I said from the beginning, I'm not a huge fan of putting labels on people. Unfortunately, though, it's a practice that's here to stay. Who are we, as viewers, to say "So-n-so" is straight or gay or bi in their personal lives?? It's kind of unnecessary, right?
Like I said from the beginning, I'm not a huge fan of putting labels on people. Unfortunately, though, it's a practice that's here to stay. Who are we, as viewers, to say "So-n-so" is straight or gay or bi in their personal lives?? It's kind of unnecessary, right?
As a fan myself, I couldn't care less what gender any of these guys prefer off-camera. If it's a hot, passionate scene - and there's at least some level of chemistry - I'm going to enjoy it, and it's really that simple.
There are openly gay performers I really like - and those I don't care for so much. On the other side of the same coin, there are gay-4-pay performers I enjoy (Casey Monroe, who stars in the upcoming Levi Johnston parody from JetSet, for example, is the hottest newbie I've seen in a really long time and definitely one of my favorite guys working right now...Quick side-note: Dear Baileey: If, by a miracle, you're reading this, PLEASE work it out that I do something with Casey somehow!! K, thnx! Bye!) - and those I avoid watching. It all comes down to personal preference and what gets you off.
There are openly gay performers I really like - and those I don't care for so much. On the other side of the same coin, there are gay-4-pay performers I enjoy (Casey Monroe, who stars in the upcoming Levi Johnston parody from JetSet, for example, is the hottest newbie I've seen in a really long time and definitely one of my favorite guys working right now...Quick side-note: Dear Baileey: If, by a miracle, you're reading this, PLEASE work it out that I do something with Casey somehow!! K, thnx! Bye!) - and those I avoid watching. It all comes down to personal preference and what gets you off.
Casey Monroe
I definitely believe you can be Gay-for-Pay and still be a great performer with a lasting, successful career in the business - it's probably more rare these days, but absolutely possible, as long as you're doing it for the right reasons. I have noticed, however, that the gay-for-pay guys don't usually last that long in the business. There's a definite revolving-door-effect going on with these guys. That could be because they look at it as just a hobby; or because they have school debts/families to support & once they make a certain amount of money, they're out; or because it's a quick ego-boost here and there.. Who knows! I am quite sure, though, that it's a case-by-case situation, and we can't really generalize it.
But I also sense a shift on the rise: I think the stigma of it is slowly returning and guys will be more hesitant to freely admit to being a gay-4-pay performer (or just avoid the subject of their personal sexual preference all together). Then again, maybe I'm totally wrong and this backlash is all just a phase that will eventually blow over. Look at Mark Dalton, one of the most successful G4P guys of the last decade: He's managed to build a highly successful career, and he's only done solo masturbation scenes so far. So, there's always going to be that group of people who want to see this particular breed of performers. There's always going to be a market for them somewhere - because, as I said earlier: the "straight guy fantasy" is, for whatever reason(s), one that will always get our gay dicks hard! Well, the majority of us, at least...
Ok, to wrap this up, I'd like to urge anyone reading this to remember these last few thoughts:
The business of porn, in essence, is meant to fulfill fantasies (whatever yours may be). It's there to stimulate you sexually (and *ideally* maybe even intellectually on some level as well), so just seek out whatever you're into and avoid what you're not.
That's why there's such a variety of it out there; anything you could possibly be turned on by, you can most likely find it somewhere. And the performers - yes, even the "straight" guys in gay porn - are there to help fulfill that fantasy (granted, some do it better or put more effort into it than others - but that's for YOU to decide)... And yes, of course all the behind-the-scenes drama/gossip/dirt (and maybe even the personal lives of your favorite performers) is always going to be interesting to hear about; that's just the society we live in today - but please try not to read too much into it all the time and just jack off to it!!
But I also sense a shift on the rise: I think the stigma of it is slowly returning and guys will be more hesitant to freely admit to being a gay-4-pay performer (or just avoid the subject of their personal sexual preference all together). Then again, maybe I'm totally wrong and this backlash is all just a phase that will eventually blow over. Look at Mark Dalton, one of the most successful G4P guys of the last decade: He's managed to build a highly successful career, and he's only done solo masturbation scenes so far. So, there's always going to be that group of people who want to see this particular breed of performers. There's always going to be a market for them somewhere - because, as I said earlier: the "straight guy fantasy" is, for whatever reason(s), one that will always get our gay dicks hard! Well, the majority of us, at least...
Ok, to wrap this up, I'd like to urge anyone reading this to remember these last few thoughts:
The business of porn, in essence, is meant to fulfill fantasies (whatever yours may be). It's there to stimulate you sexually (and *ideally* maybe even intellectually on some level as well), so just seek out whatever you're into and avoid what you're not.
That's why there's such a variety of it out there; anything you could possibly be turned on by, you can most likely find it somewhere. And the performers - yes, even the "straight" guys in gay porn - are there to help fulfill that fantasy (granted, some do it better or put more effort into it than others - but that's for YOU to decide)... And yes, of course all the behind-the-scenes drama/gossip/dirt (and maybe even the personal lives of your favorite performers) is always going to be interesting to hear about; that's just the society we live in today - but please try not to read too much into it all the time and just jack off to it!!
*Hh
15 comments:
Hayden, you offer so much to discuss that I'm not sure how to whittle down my remarks.
1. Why can't gay porn be just about gay guys having sex? Why must we have g4p? The clear answer is that gay porn pays better. We wouldn't be discussing this if straight porn wasn't a female performer's medium.
There is no shortage of gay performers who are just as beautiful and just as good at performing. The fact that studios feel the need to hire and then publicize the g4pers at the expense of the gay ones angers me. As a gay performer, are you suggesting that the straight performers should be favored over gay performers? I could provide a long list of gay performers who are not given the same treatment as g4pers.
2.It's not as simple as having a straight guy fantasy. The fantasy is everywhere, and even if you don't enjoy the fantasy, you often pay for a movie to see g4pers in scenes with the gay performers you do want to see. That is not giving the consumer a choice. It's one thing to subscribe to a site (ex. Corbin Fisher) where the whole point is to watch "Straight" guys having sex. It's another when the film is advertised as gay porn, and you have g4pers. To watch Austin Wilde in BEST MEN part 2, I have to put up with as examples, Zeb Atlas and Tony Capucci. Yes, I can fast forward, but I have still given my money to support the practice of using g4pers. That movie was advertised as Zeb Atlas's first gay time.
3. So what if some g4pers can perform well? If you have a choice between two men of the same charisma, beauty, and performance level, the gay actor should be chosen over the straight one. Unfortunately, it's the straight one who usually gets hired. This would never happen in straight porn. They would never prefer a gay performer over a straight one. They would never have the gay performer tell the media how much he enjoys gay sex and/or dislikes straight sex, but only performs it because straight porn pays better. You and I both know why this wouldn't happen. It would be ridiculous and an insult. The fans would not put up with it. So why should gay fans?
4. The g4p wouldn't be a major issue if nearly all of them were not lousy performers. Studios like them because they are sex robots. They perform in a mechanical, non-erotic way. They have less personality than the machines on buttmachineboys.com (and frankly, some gay performers have had more chemistry with machines than their g4p or "bisexual" costars). I've never seen this level of lifelessness from a gay gay porn star save for one performer, and he retired last year.
5. As I've written, I look up the names of the lifeless performers, and almost every time it's a g4per or bisexual. It's not just a coincidence. Maybe I'm lucky, but except for Blake Riley, I haven't found a boring, lifeless and clinical gay performer.
6. Cody Cummings is advertised as a bisexual. A bisexual to me is someone who has sex with and emotional connections to both men and women. Don't tell me you're a bisexual if you don't have sex with men, don't kiss men, don't have emotional connections to men, etc. Cummings only gets blow jobs; he acts as if he'll catch gay if he gets too close to the men; he never reciprocates, never shows any affection, etc. He behaves as if gay sex is disgusting. Yet he constantly dangles the "Cody Cummings goes further than he's ever gone" to placate the foolish gay men who put up with B.S. How is that not homophobic and dishonest? Compare him to Tommy D., and Tommy D.'s attitude towards gay sex.
Food for thought,
Chris L.
Honestly, Its a wash as you've indicated.
No one in the industry gives a shit about the implications of their products; all they want is money. And so what sells in the porn market but G-4-P stars apparently.
Frankly, I find the material to be wrong. I may think the model is attractive, but it doesn't diminish an underlying message: That it is okay to suppress your sexual identity.
If straight men can perform in gay porn - meaning they carry on sexual relationships with men but have intimate close relationships with women, then why don't gay men just do the same. After all 'being gay is a sin'.
Maybe it is me, but I don't get it. I don't find it hot to oppress someone's sexual identity -even if they are straight.
Also, the need to publicly declare your hetero stats only means your deeply rooted issues with homosexuality.
Come on, your in gay porn, and openly performing gay acts ~ first of all, why do you care about what people think about you, if your in the sex profession; and second, why is so important to establish this fact of heterosexuality, is it to save face? Yes, I'm having gay sex, not because I like it[despite cumming], but because I make money off it. LAME.
If your really hetero, or bi even, you really don't need to proclaim it, unless you have something to prove about your masculinity. I find it insulting to my identity. That you cannot understand that being a man is more then just having sex with women; or having notches in your belt about your sexual conquests. It makes you a douche more than a man when you do this.
Firstly, to clear up my ignorance - what's a twunk???
Your piece is very interesting and raises lots of issues/food for thought. Brilliant brain food!
I agree that if the performer(s) has(ve) made a free choice to do whatever act, that is all for the good and adds to the variety of what's on offer - as long as there is no long term harm. Different people find different things turn them on. And people find that different things turn them on at different times. Variety and openness is good. IMO there are too many young men shaved away to oblivion at the moment - naturally smooth is sexy, primped is not (but back to the point).
What I find a turn off is performers who are only there is body not mind. That's NEVER sexy.
The one thing you don't cover in your piece is performers to claim to be straight to get more coverage/sell more units but are gay. Any thoughts on this and/or it's prevalence?
Andrew,
I've never heard of a gay performer claim to be straight to get more attention/press. Are you talking about sites like BrokeStraightBoys, where most of the performers are openly gay/bi and portray "broke straight guy" characters? If so, I think that's a great example of the "straight guy" fantasy being so popular w/ consumers. BaitBuddies, BaitBus, to name a few more.
My thoughts on that are that IT'S ENTERTAINMENT & it's fun to play (or watch guys play) different roles/characters. And, again, it proves that that particular fantasy still sells & is available if you're into it.
Chris, I really want to reply to your comment (because you obviously bring up great points that I want to address) but this space is so annoyingly limited. I'll get to yours eventually, but it'll be in pieces. =)
Also, I want to point out: I don't know if any of the guys I mentioned are in fact 100% straight in their personal lives. I don't want to "out" anyone as Gay4Pay, heaven forbid! I was going off of what I've read/heard on various sites/blogs/videos/etc.
xH
PS:
Andrew, "twunk" apparently has different meanings. If you look on Urban Dictionary, the definition is something along the lines of "a former twink who has let himself go, gain weight, etc..."
But in gay porn, it refers to a guy in the middle of being twink and hunk; not quite a scrawny twink, yet not Zeb Atlas, either. Brent Corrigan's new/recent appearance has been described as "twunk".
Ugh, labels are so lame! x
Hayden,
i appreciate you thoughtful comments but I'm afraid that you have at least partially bought into the old party line that Gay4pay sells. It sells because that is what studios are producing. I know you are relatively new to the industry and we will see if you feel the same way in a year when you only get every 3rd job because a "straight" guy either took the part or the studio had to pay them so much they cut the movie from 6 scenes to 4.
The point is that the one place that gay men shouldn't be the minority and shouldn't have ot placate straights is in GAY PORN. it is supposed to be ours and we should be in control. I say if a "staight" guy wants to do gay porn he bottoms a number of times first to prove he's willing.
The "straight guy" thing is ONE of the main themes/fantasies that sells (well, mostly with the gay porn sites, not really films). I never said it was taking over the industry or anything like that.
& I do agree that gay men should be the ones in gay porn; my question is this, though: If it's not obvious that someone's straight and he was great and the line is blurred (or you're not even thinking about it at all) and it's an amazing scene, why dwell what gender they go home to?
Just a thought...
x
Ok, Chris....
1) I absolutely agree that gay men should be the ones running gay porn. Gay porn should be saturated w/ homosexuality. YES. But let's be honest: Most (not all, MOST) gay performers in gay porn don't fit the butch/masculine/rough/"manly" image that fans usually go for. There are absolutely exceptions (Kyle King, Damien Crosse, Spencer Reed, etc) but there are probably 4 gay-for-pay guys for every gay guy who fit that description. And it's a business, people are going to hire whoever will sell. And what sells? That "manly" image. Do I necessarily agree with that? Not really. I believe there should be variety in the type of guys featured in gay porn - EVERY type, actually. So, I'm not saying I disagree with you on this one at all; I'm just stating the fact that it's a business and the "macho" gay guys in the business are somewhat limited. & unfortunately, "macho" sells big-time.
2) You bring up a good point about supporting g4p guys when you support gay performers. It does send out a signal to companies that it's OK when there's 6 guys in a movie and 4 or 5 of them are actually straight - BUT can you really tell? If so (and you still feel that strongly about not supporting the gay4pay guys), I guess my advice would be to avoid that film all together...Or aren't there sites that sell by scene, so you can select whatever scene you want to see (the one that features the guys you want to support)? I'm not sure; I'm actually not too up-to-date on online porn options.
(Continued....)
(cont.)
3) This one kind of goes back to your first point. There aren't that many guys who fit that image that (most) gay porn fans want to see, so yea, I'm sure they're going to hire someone who does - & if he's straight, he's straight. When I watch gay porn, I personally don't see a huge difference in the performances of gay4pays versus the ones of actual gay guys. Of course, there are exceptions, but in general, I haven't watched something and thought, "Oh, that dude's totally straight!" Who am I to say, anyway? I'm sure there are guys who are considered Gay-4-Pay who actually aren't...they might not be GAY, but they might actually be bisexual in their personal lives. Who knows for sure? And I think it's somewhat unfair to point fingers at people who are actually great performers.
4) This one just made me laugh...But I can name one gay performer (at least I'm pretty sure he's gay) who NEVER has wood. I've seen 3 things he's done so far and all 3 scenes, he was limp the entire time, he was totally not passionate about it, and extremely robotic. Of course, he will go nameless, because I don't know the guy...& I kind of feel sorry for him, since those scenes are out there forever -- & it's so obvious he's not there mentally or in any other way possible. It's almost embarrassing to watch.
And I'm sure there are other gay performers like that; I honestly can't think of names off the top of my head - but trust me, they're out there, just as limp as most of the supposed "gay4pay" guys.
5) Blake Riley is a perfect example of why I don't do lists. I thought he was totally gay - but now everyone's saying he was Gay4Pay the whole time. Didn't he date Josh Vaughn for a little while (& someone else, I think) in his personal life?? Ya see, how are we to know for sure. Is he gay? Is he bi? OH SHIT! HE'S STRAIGHT NOW! I actually think BR got way too much shit for experimenting w/ bisexuality in that ChiChi Larue film. As a performer, you should push/challenge yourself and experiment in different ways - otherwise, you get bored & fans will eventually see that. Another one, Arpad Miklos (who I'm assuming is very much homo) did ONE scene with a female and caught so much hell for it. And I read somewhere that he did it just to say he did, as a performer, to try something different. Yes, I know to most gay guys, sex w/ a female is an outrage (it's not something I'm into either) - but you can't send the message of "If you do this or this, we will abandon you" because that limits them, and ultimately limits you b/c you end up watching him do the same scene 20 times.
6) I think I said all I had to say about Cody Cummings in that original blog....HAHA. BUT I do not for a second believe he's homophobic. At all. xH
Hayden, I want to say that it's nice to discuss this issue without insults, hysteria, and name calling. Because I sign my posts on all boards with my real name and email address, I've had some hate mail usually from straight porn actresses (googled their names) telling me I don't know what the hell I'm talking about.
1. I agree with what you write. G4P is a combination of some gays' self-loathing, and the people in charge falling over themselves to get the straight boy to have gay sex. It is a business, but I'm not sure we can know how much g4p sells when they often pair them with gay performers. Studios should have the responsibility to represent gay sex in the most gay positive way possible unless there's a specific reason not to within the context of any possible "narrative" (horror film, violent western, etc.) Even though barebacking films sell more, most studios still use condoms. Why? Because they are concerned about the message sent and endangering their performers. Why aren't they concerned about the message sent about preferring straight men?
2. I've only been into gay porn for a little over two years so I'm not familiar with a lot of performers. I avoid those performers who make offensive remarks so I often go into films/scenes without knowing about a performers' sexuality. Like I've written, I judge based on performances, and the awful ones are nearly always from g4p or "bisexuals." I've been buying less discs and joining sites (Titan, Dominic Ford, and Michael Lucas) where I can watch individual scenes. Of course, Titan and ML tend to focus more on actual gay and bisexual men in their films. Dominic Ford does a great job of promoting gay positive sex. I'm also a member of Chaosmen because I originally wanted to see Bilding's scenes.
3. I don't think it's unfair to call out performers who are awful. We all have different opinions, but don't do we call out bad performances in mainstream films? Isn't that what happened during the Golden Globes? What makes porn performers any different? Even though they are having sex, they are still performing. I do think it's unfair to call out someone simply because of their sexual identity off camera if they are good performers, but that is what happens with all celebrities. I know women who refuse to watch Angelina Jolie films because she "stole" Brad away from Jennifer Aniston.
Just as I can tell a bad performance in a mainstream film, I can also tell a bad performance in a gay porn film, and the bad performances almost always come from admitted g4pers or female-focused bisexuals.
4. I thought of the butt machines because I saw a scene with a gay performer and a "bisexual" performer which was one of the most appalling gay scenes I've ever seen. I'd label it an anti-gay sex scene. The gay performer had more chemistry with the butt machines on buttmachineboys.com.
I have no doubt that there are boring gay performers. They shouldn't be tolerated either, but I think that skirts the issue. G4Pers shouldn't be used just because there are some awful gay performers. Great gay performers should be used first before a G4Per is hired.
5. Blake Riley said he was gay. Everyone said he was gay. The anger came from the advertising of Shifting Gears where they proclaimed, "Blake Riley goes straight and loves it." Even some involved in the film admitted the promotions were homophobic and insulting.
When "gay" men do straight scenes, the way its promoted is highly offensive. For the record, what straight porn company would have a straight male porn star go "gay" as a joke or something to try? If a staight porn star went "gay" as a lark, he would be driven out of the industry. I doubt any mainstream studio would ever hire him again.
For some reason, gay men are supposed to be more tolerant and accepting. I ask, "Why? Why can't gay porn just be about gay sexuality?" What is wrong with not wanting performers hired to act out gay sexuality/sensuality to be going off doing straight scenes? I think a blogger/writer should pose my scenario about a straight porn actor going gay to straight porn fans and see what responses he/she receives. I'd wager the reaction would be even more ferocious.
All this is not to say that I'm against straight performers who are great and gay positive. I'm not. I'm against g4p when it becomes the main selling point and the only fantasy out there.
A gay guy would never be accepted in or promoted by the straight porn world. In that business, the women bring in the money, and the men (all of them) are just as much props as the beds they fuck on. So, there's no real reason for a gay performer to legitimately go into straight xxx.
& that business is like an elephant, whereas the gay porn business is like an ant (in terms of the money it brings in). I read somewhere that this year's GayVN's will have to be severely scaled down unless someone writes a huge check. But the AVN's (straight porn awards) are like the damn Oscar's every single year. And the reason for that is, obviously, homosexuals are a minority - therefore, the actual business is the minority.
I think it would be great to see someone like Shane Frost (who I'm pretty sure is very much gay) experiment with straight porn - just because it would be interesting to see how that would be done.
And I can make a list of great gay performers working right now (Shane, Kyle King, Scott Tanner, Rocco Giovanni, etc.) but those are guys who have been very public about being gay in their personal lives, so I can make that list with a certain level of clarity/knowledge. If I made a list of bad performers, there would be more than a few whose personal orientation I wouldn't be sure of. And I wouldn't want to label someone "gay-4-pay" if he actually isn't (& vice versa), & it would turn into a game of "Let's pick out the straight guys" which it would become inevitably.
As I said before, I definitely agree that gay porn should be a gay man's world and gay performers should be the ones running it. Is that the reality? Absolutely not - and it won't be as long as there's an audience who wants to see that "straight guy fantasy".
I also won't make a list of bad gay performers - for basically the same reason. I mean, there are some that look at the business as just a hobby like the supposedly "straight" guys do. There are plenty openly gay performers who see it as a way to live the "Party like a rockstar/Fuck like a porn star/Blah like a blah blah blah" lifestyle instead of treating it like a career, which is disgusting to see (especially as someone who is actually passionate about the business & wants to bring that to the table & NOT getting the chance to..).
As far as "Why can't gay porn just be all about gay sexuality?" ...I think that 99% of it basically is. It's about men having sex (yea, some of them identify as straight, but if you don't know that, why dwell on it). At the same time, there are the occasional guys who openly admit to being straight, hating gay sex, only doing it for the money, etc. Those guys aren't true performers and they're just like those guys in straight porn: PROPS - & should be looked as such. Well, the ones who emphasize those beliefs are almost immediately thrown out of the business anyway. But, really, they are very, very rare.
And people who boycott Angelina Jolie films simply based on the idea that she "stole" Brad Pitt from Jennifer Aniston are very ignorant people - and honestly can't even call themselves fans of film. It's the same thing with these hardcore gay4pay bashers; if a guy consistantly turns in great performances, why should someone be so against him? Simply because he's straight (or seems straight)?? Um, that's just as ignorant, actually.
If we're going to use the celebrity angle, I can see if a guy is out there, openly dissing the business and emphasizing his heterosexuality (like, say, when Isaiah Washington from Grey's Anatomy said the word "fag" and it became public), I can obviously understand fans being against him and voicing that opinion. But if it's just an idea that a performer is straight (maybe he claims to be bi or even if he's using the "I'm sexual" line and he's professional/a good performer, what's the problem?
There's a great comment on the GayPornTimes post about this blog: "Technically, ALL gay performers are gay-for-pay" and I really couldn't agree more.
1. Thanks, Hayden, for your reply wayyyy-back up this stream about gay actors claiming to be straight. I just wondered (as you are closer to the industry than me) what your take on it was and how prevalent it was, which you addressed.
2. Comments above include the demand for 'manly' performers. In the UK (and Europe) the majority of porn is young, slim, hairless guys. To get some more 'maly' sex, you probably have to buy American. I'd like there to be a range of all types of guys and all types of sexual activity/exploration to choose from - as long as the performers have had free choice.
3. Several of you have said how it is impossible to know if someone is gay, bi, or straight. I had always assumed that Trevor Knight was straight/G4P until I read something posted by him on his facebook wall that made it clear by inference that he was gay. It is all fantasy.
4. It is a shame when the fantasy is implassible though, as it takes away the fun - such as bait bus using well known porn stars as alleged happened-upon guys convinced to have sex on tape.
Finally 5. It's great to be having such an open debate without anyone telling someone else their opinion is wrong. Now if politicans could manage this...
Andrew,
I'm not exactly in the industry. I've only been pursuing it for the past few years, so I don't really have experience with it. I don't personally know anyone involved in porn. So, technically, I'm no closer to it than you are....
I would also love for there to be variety in gay porn. I think it's lacking variety, which is one of the main issues I have against it at this point. Don't get me wrong, the big muscle guys are great (well, some of them) but that seems to be the "type" that gets the most jobs, exposure, etc. & there should be a wider range of guys, for sure.
As far as the fantasy, I think debates like this one help to destroy it, sadly. People read too much into it. Yea, it does make sense that people would question the Gay-for-Pay guys' true sexuality to some degree...but when that topic becomes more interesting than the actual SEX, it's very unfortunate.
& thanks! This blog will always be open to different views/opinions. There's always going to be someone who disagrees with what I might have to say/do - but that doesn't necessarily make them wrong. xH
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