Tuesday, December 14, 2004

The Gay Male Porn Industry ain't all the glamour you think it is

It's more about fucking and the money shot. Male porn stars aren't paid any royalties. They get this one time lump sum thousand dollar payment, hoping that the DVD somehow leads them to more lucrative pursuits beyond hustling.

Johny Rahm was one such porn star. They aren't making the big bucks. The Chi Chi La Rue's of the industry are making the big bucks and don't want to share. They pay what is the going rate in the business and leave it at that. So guys with more ambition after their career life in front of the cameras, transition to behind the camera.

Johnny was flat broke though he had dozens of titles featured at video stores and online. But he committed suidcide two weeks ago because he was destitute. More than 10 years in the business, he had been recognized as the Gay Video Guide's "Best Supporting Actor Award" in 1993 for his work in "Body Search". But the fame was short lived and didn't put any food on his table.

But that kind of work gets you stereotyped. It is a short term profession. So if you're smart, you try to capitalize on it with weekend gigs. But most aren't.

So the next time you rent some gay porn, take a moment to reflect on the guys who are providing you the pleasure. They aren't as financially secure as you are. They aren't really as lucky in life as you are. Something to think about.

3 comments:

cola boy said...

A sad story to hear. The film industry (porn and non-porn) really seems to chew up a lot of people each year.

As for watching porn...If I do it's with the sound off. The dialogue and music just ruin the moment for me. I actually get a better "reaction" when I use my imagination. Porbably because I can't find pornos that cater to my kinky tastes. ;-)

Anonymous said...

yeah - I do use porn a lot. and I always try to remember that, with few exceptions, the models are just so much fodder and the producers make all the money. while gay porn is slightly (ever so) less exploitive than straight porn, a lot of the models are addicts or homeless or have histrionic personality disorder or other mental health issues. I remember my first adult trip to San Francisco and running into Matt Gunther. he was well on the way to his death and looked like shit. it was a very startling sight for me.

WindReader

buff said...

Yes windreader. The common fact of porn that it is a quick release at a particular moment in time. It's not about us thinking about the actors, but our own pleasure. That's why we purchased or rented it in the first place.
I also walked past a former gay porn star of the early 90's in SF while visiting there. He was hustling and really looked awful. It isn't a glamorous life after the system chews you up and spits you out.