Monday, January 18, 2010

Straight Guys? In My Gay Porn? It's More Likely Than You Think

For those of you who don't follow the gay porn world (which, alarmingly, is quite a few of you when you consider who writes this thing), there's currently a bit of a shitstorm a-brewin' right now. It's basically a bit of a watered-down version of the Leno-Conan thing with a twist. Anyway, here's a basic crash course of what in the what is going on:

So basically, there are a few big-name but STRAIGHT stars who are kinda mucking about right now, going in and out of "retirement" (which is pretty much code for "I'm going to take a break until people care about me again, then come back") and it's pretty much reignited the Gay4Pay debate: Whether or not straight men should be allowed to make gay porn.

Personally, I can kinda see why people would be against Gay4Pay: it's a matter of identity, about supporting people who support us. But I also know that ultimately, no matter how you dress it up and no matter what you call it, it's a paycheck. A rather unusual and non-typical paycheck, but a paycheck none the less. Anyway, here are a couple talking points that sort of express my view on the matter:

Porn is about selling sex, not sexual orientation. Porn is sex. On occasion, it's artful sex but still, it's just sex. It's about laying pipe, going balls deep, getting your dick wet, getting your rocks off...Whatever the kids are saying these days. It is not a discussion about who the stars are schtupping on the sidelines. In fact, NO job is about who you're giving it too in the privacy of your own homes. If anything, gay men should know this better than anyone. Members of the LGBT community can still be fired from their jobs based on their gender or sexual orientation, the most obvious example being the Army's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy.

Which is why it seems a bit disingenuous that while we are trying to obtain job security, some are perfectly content with telling Gay4Pay guys to go suck a fuck. It's not the exact same thing, but when it comes down to it, what's the difference between a lesbian getting fired from an office job or a model getting fired because he happens to like the pussy? Other than the job description, not much.

Furthermore, classifying people as straight or gay is, for lack of a better term, fucking stupid. Human sexuality has time and time again proven to be more fluid than it is solid. No one is ever 100% gay or straight, and if anything, it's a gross oversimplification of a immeasurable trait with no real absolute. Everyone is at least some degree bisexual, with the terms "gay" and "straight" being more often than not short-hand estimations of a person's orientation. If you were to ask someone who likes women if they would name a man they would sleep with, you will usually get an answer, and likewise for people who like woman. I mean really, while I identify as gay, I would still totally give it to Helen Mirren. Seriously, Rrrrrrrowr. Girl has got it going on in all the right places.
You know you would hit that.

When it comes down to it, the basic ideal behind the hostility toward Gay4Pay models can be boiled down to this: "THEY TOOK YOUR JERB!" "DEY TURK YER JERB!" "DURK A DURRRRR!!!"

That's all it is really: a petty, us v. them discussion because we feel that ultimately, those jobs are rightfully ours. They're not. No one is ever entitled to a job simply by the virtue of who they are, but rather, what they are capable of doing. If you're hot and you can lay pipe with another guy while making it seem hot, by all means, be a gay pornstar. But unless the person they are fucking is you, who a star sleeps with in the privacy of their own homes is not your business.

And just to wrap up my point...One of these is a G4P pornstar. The other is an actual gay. Which would you rather sleep with?

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have no problem with G4P EXCEPT: when a G4P "star" starts mouthing off on gay people. Then, he's crap and deserves to be kicked to the gutter. Didn't anyone ever tell these guys (e.g., Adonis, Marx, et al) that you don't bite the hand that feeds you?

DeWayne In San Diego said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeWayne In San Diego said...

now Jeremy that is not a fair comparison Jeremy Bilding or Bruce Vilanche! Bruce would have me in hysterics as I ran that-away toward Bilding!

Good post and after reading most of the nasty comments on GayPornTimes I have concluded they are the same idiots who rail against ANYONE doing porn!

Yes I have been reading JC Adams for as long as he has been online. He has always had a snarky minority who seem to HATE Gay Porn and in particular Gay men who choose to film porn!

I have come to the conclusion a significant number of his "comments" are from the ex boyfriends of Gay porn stars or had BF's who left them to do porn!

Considering JC is in WeHo this is not a far fetched possibility!

As for Helen Mirren I would say she is a little old for you, besides I claimed her back in the Prime Suspect days.

Helen is MINE!

Pup Prints said...

I joke sometimes about wanting to sleep with one famous woman (Amy Lee) or another (Sara Bareilles), but do you know why I joke about it? because they're famous. Yes, it might have some measure to do with their personal traits and their bodies, but the primary variable is their celebrity. If I were to find a woman who was exactly the same as one of my female crushes in every way important to sexual attraction, I still probably wouldn't sleep with her.

It's just something people say when they're pressed to answer a hypothetical question. It doesn't make them bisexual to some degree.

Chris L. said...

Jeremy Bilding says he's not g4p.

Gay porn stars are not just selling sex. They are selling gay sex. They are selling a gay fantasy, and if they are good, they are selling a gay sensuality. It's not just sex although I know a lot of people boil it down to that. The difference between just selling sex and selling a gay sensuality is what makes a great performer regardless of the sexual identity of the performer. If all G4pers were like Jeremy Bilding (again, not that he identifies as such) or Wolf Hudson ("sexualist") in Pounding the Pavement, there would not be an issue.

G4P only becomes an issue when straight performers shoot off their mouths and insult the gay fans and/or they turn in anti-sex performances.

We have g4pers who never kiss, never suck cock, never rim, never show any affection, and often position themselves so they don't have to really touch or look at their scene partners. If these were gay performers, I'd be just as critical if not more so, but nearly all of the performers I've seen do this have been g4p or bisexuals who work in straight porn.

Some gay gay porn stars have also spoken about working with g4pers and they have confirmed many of the things that fans have picked up on. I know some performers like to write off fans as being ignorant of the business (which is often true), but we're not blind. We can spot bad performers be they straight, bisexual, sexualists, or gay.

James said...

Going to have to agree with DeWayne about the Jeremy/Bruce comparison. Apples and oranges.

I find the whole gay for pay debate rather silly. I'm not looking to have my identity affirmed when I'm wanking. You want to be straight and do gay porn? Fine with me as long as you kiss, get fucked, and make me think you are enjoying it. Do that and how you define yourself matters little.

gpcrush said...

I have a list of women I'd sleep with in a heartbeat. Helen made the list after The Queen which made me think i actually wanted to fuck Cate Blanchette who masterfully portrayed another Elizabeth. and I completely self identify as straight.

Great point!

I've now got to get the idea of being the chocolate cream in a vanilla sammich with Cate and Helen outta my head. VBG!

Jeremy Feist said...

Anon: Good point, but being a douche isn't exclusively "Gay" or "Straight".

Dewayne: It makes sense. As far as I can tell some people just enjoy being totally dickish. I have no idea why, but they just do.

bourgtai: Yeah, but the fact that hypothetically they can at least acknowledge sexiness in a gender they don't usually sleep with does indicate a very small degree of bisexuality.

Chris: That's really all it's about: It's a job. Guys like Bilding and Hudson do a good job, but a lot of the guys that tend to be ragged on for being Gay4Pay are usually the ones that don't do a very good job to begin with, hence the stigma. It's a shame for the straight guys who actually DO give a good performance.

James: I know it's an unfair contrast, but it was more a matter of stating that performance should be valued more than their personal lives.

Anonymous said...

This is why closeted guys like me read your blog... just awesomely rational with the right mix of polemic and humour. Keep it coming :)

I also read it because you're hot... but that's only like 30% of it.

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