STRAIGHT MEN DO GAY PORN
Why do Straight Men Do Gay Porn?
Curtis was sitting on the TV scrolling through his laptop when he received a message on his MySpace account. The message was straight forward and simple. Jerk off on camera for a gay XXX video and he’d earn quick and easy money.
Curtis was initially shocked at the idea. He identified as straight, had a girlfriend at the time, but as a struggling graduate from University of San Diego in a major city it became increasingly tempting. After some consideration he accepted the offer, turned up, and found it a surprisingly comfortable situation.
Despite never been naked in front of anyone other than his girlfriend, he quickly discovered that the cameras just disappeared. And that it was very similar to just “jerking off at home”.
Curtis found that it was nerve racking being in front of the camera
But he quickly relaxed and found the experience comfortable. He was adamant that he wouldn’t do a sex scene. But very quickly the masturbation scenes were becoming old and the offer of even more money was alluring.
Curtis found himself thinking about it for a while. When things started getting financially tough, he decided to just go ahead and do it. He explains that the reason why he had done it was that he had ‘experimented at home and was like, well that ain’t too bad’. And he turned up to his first porn scene where he had first sex as a top just to ease him into the situation.
He exclaims with a grin on his face that they’re really “not letting me top much anymore”.Curtis’s experience may sound a little extreme.
It is actually fairly common in the adult film industry.
A director from Montreal, Charlie David, has made a documentary on the subject of straight men performing in gay porn. He makes the claim that at least half of all male porn stars identify as straight.
The film, I’m a Porn Star: Gay4Pay, explores the reasoning behind men choosing to engage with sexual activities with other men for money. And why these men are so damn popular with such a huge market for straight men in gay porn.
Indeed, some of the most popular production companies and porn websites, SeanCody, Men, Bromo and RealityDudes all prominently and proudly showcase the films featuring straight actors. These websites depict both hyper-masculine situations and professions where the film will proudly scream out look at these straight guys fuck.
It’s about subconscious cues
And the fantasy idea that a gay man wants to either be fucked by a straight man, or pop his cherry. Sometimes, the actors will have firm limits.
Matthew Hughes, Naked UK porn star who’s also gay for pay, married and with a child would never kiss any of his co-stars. But would rather receive blow jobs and top his co-stars.
A documentary by David started when he starred in Dante’s Cove in 2004 and discovered that he was one of the only ‘out’ actors on the set. Everyone else was either closeted for the purpose of their careers. Or would identify exclusively as straight.
Over time, it became that this was a mainstream occurrence with straight actors increasingly playing in gay films as gay characters. Such as Brokeback Mountain and Dallas Buyers Club.
What’s the actual appeal for gay 4 pay actors?
And their legions of fans, and at the end of the day can pay4gay actors really call themselves and identify as straight?
A number one reason why straight men will do gay porn is for the cold and hard reason of cash. Gay porn stars will often earn several times the amount that their heterosexual counterparts will earn. With some gay stars earning four to five thousand dollars for a single 8 hour day work. Or to shoot a scene over the weekend.
It’s several times more than their heterosexual counterparts who only earn a couple of hundred unless they’re a named star. Quite frankly it’s something more than most young men will make in a month.
It’s A Pretty Cushy Job
Considering the hours are flexible, you can choose to work when you want, how you want and as many times as you want it’s a pretty cushy job. Some stars might only work once or twice a month and spend the rest of the time partying, socialising. Doing day jobs or even travelling, with their new found free time.
Sometimes, David argues, there might be elements of sexual curiosity involved in the decision to partake in gay porn. It allows a justification to do it through the money value. As they explore their sexuality in ways that they couldn’t necessarily justify before porn acting.
Others are more relaxed about their sexuality and are simply exhibitionists. Who enjoy the attention, love the fan base and want to build on that popularity. Some of these men are even involved in monogamous relationships with their girlfriends, fiancées. Or even their wives actively encouraging them to perform.
So in answering why straight men do gay porn
We can now look at why there’s such a market and hunger in watching men who identify as straight engaging in sexual intercourse with another male. David, through his research, interviews and development of his documentary makes the suggestion of a level of internalised homophobia within the gay community.
Such a homophobia is undeniable with many people proudly showing off their desires for masculine men in dating websites and instant sex apps such as Grindr. Some gay men in the community announce that they’re turned off by people that don’t act as men. And that if they wanted to have sex with a woman, then they would have sex with a woman as opposed to an effeminate male.
An ironic insight especially when you consider the idea that the queer community is continually trying to fight off the stereotype of being ‘straight chasers’. So is this idea compounded to try and garner a section of acceptance in a heteronormative society. Or have gay men really been sneaky in trying to get a slice of hetero pie?
Gay porn star Eddie Stone, who identifies as gay
Indicates how he was intrigued about sharing the set with a straight male. But after the scene found that the fantasy was a little off the mark. Indeed, he exclaims that it was pretty much the same thing as doing a gay scene with any other man.
Porn star Eddie Stone, a genuine gay actor, says he was intrigued at the opportunity to have sex with straight men. But found it was much the same as doing a scene with another gay man. Stone disagrees with the research of David and his documentary.
He suggests that he doesn’t believe that any 100% straight male would have sex with any other man on camera regardless of the cash that was offered. There are always going to be people that swing. Or people that will turn for that one guy. But if you’re having sex with a man, doesn’t that instantly dismiss you from the straight community?
Keeping It Up
Johnny Rapid is another gay for pay star that has enjoyed a spectacular and meteoric rise to the top.
Rapid is representative of the majority of gay porn stars that are aged from 18 to their early 30’s. He has a girlfriend now, was even involved in a domestic which was widely published. But what will he do when he reaches his end? It needs to be remembered that gay porn actors are products. Eventually they will go through their life shelve and find themselves lost as the work dries up.
Some men will move towards the business side of the industry
Others simply won’t know what to do with themselves after they’ve been overexposed and their fans have lost interest. It can be tough. Especially when your image and every part of your body is out there for the world to see as this can often put a limit on your career trajectory.
Some stars will continue to engage in riskier behaviour such as wilder, and more fetishized scenes such as bondage and urethral play to maintain their salary. Or they might simply fall into a heap.
At the end of the day, there’s often a huge emotional and psychological toll that occurs.
In the case of Curtis, he became increasingly confused about his sexuality as he discovered that he liked prostate stimulation. He thought at one stage that he was gay for liking prostate stimulation and anal sex. And had to separate the ideals and stigma between enjoying anal sex and being gay.
Ultimately, in the case of Curtis, he identified as being straight in so far as he would not have a relationship with a male, but that he enjoyed gay sex.