Gay pornography

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Gay pornography is the representation of male bodies, and sometimes sexual activity among males, with the primary goal of sexual arousal in a homosexual or bisexual male audience. There is also a tradition, and continuing considerable output, of lesbian pornography; however, the term gay pornography is rarely intended to encompass this.

Although pornography has usually represented the heterosexual orientation of the dominant culture, homosexual explicit material has a long history, reaching back to the Greek Antiquity, if not to prehistory. Practically every medium has been used to represent all-male sexual acts; nowadays, however, the gay porn industry is mostly concentrated in the making of home videos and DVDs, as well as images (still and moving) for viewing on the Internet. Today, gay porn constitutes a disproportionately large part of the pornography industry.^[1] It has attracted much less attention from the anti-pornography movement than its straight counterpart. ^{[citation needed]}

Contents 1 History 1.1 Early modern gay pornography in the United States 1.2 Towards the sexual revolution 1.3 1980s: Videotapes, AIDS, and gay for pay 1.4 1990s: Explosion of the niche market 1.5 Perspectives for the 21st century 2 Themes in gay porn 2.1 Guys 2.2 Set 2.3 Sex 3 Audience 4 Notable movies 4.1 1970s 4.2 1980s 4.3 1990s 4.4 2000s 5 Further reading and information 5.1 Academic works 5.2 Biographies 5.3 Documentaries 6 See also 7 References

[edit] History

[edit] Early modern gay pornography in the United States

Homoeroticism has been present in photography and film since their inventions.During that time, any kind of sexual depiction had to remain underground because of obscenity rules, even more homosexual material that also were the evidence of an illegal act because of sodomy laws in many states. (This is no longer the case in the United States since such laws were ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2003. See Lawrence v. Texas.)

Because of these restrictions, early gay porn primarily consisted of pictures of individual men either fully naked or wearing a g-string. Early gay porn in the 1940s and 1950s focused on athletic men or body builders in statuesque poses. They were generally young, muscular, and with little or no visible body hair. Those pictures were sold in physique magazines, also known as Beefcake magazines, allowing the reader to pass as a fitness enthusiast. Since most gay men of this time were deeply "in the closet", actual depictions of sexual activity were rare. Although now considered quite tame or soft-core, this type of porn still exists today.

The Athletic Model Guild (AMG) founded by photographer Bob Mizer in 1944 in Los Angeles, California, was maybe the first studio to commercially produce material specifically for gay men. He produced about a million images, and thousands of films and videos before he died on 12 May 1992. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, the advent of 8mm film cameras enabled these photographers to produce underground movies of gay sex. Sales of these products were either through mail-order or through more discreet channels: some of the early gay pornographers would travel around the country selling their photographs and films out of their hotel rooms, with advertising only through word of mouth.

The 1960s were also a period where many underground art film makers integrated suggestive or overtly homosexual content in their work. Kenneth Anger's Scorpio Rising (1963), Andy Warhol's My Hustler (1965), or Paul Morrissey's Flesh (1968) are examples of experimental films that are known to have influenced further gay porn films with their formal qualities and narratives. Joe Dallesandro is probably the most remembered actor and model of the period; his naked beauty has appeared in Warhol's and Morrissey's films, as well as in Mizer's work at the AMG.

[edit] Towards the sexual revolution

All through the 1960s, a series of Supreme Court rulings in the USA created a more liberalized legal environment that allowed the commercialization of pornography. Wakefield Poole's Boys in the Sand, starring Casey Donovan, can be considered the first gay porn feature film. It opened in a theater in New York City in December 1971 (and rapidly grossed an impressive profit), preceding the first American commercial straight porn film, Deep Throat, that opened in June 1972. This one's tremendous success definitely launched pornographic film as a popular phenomenon.

The production of gay porn films expanded during the decade. A few studios released films to be shown growing number of gay adult theatres, where men often had sexual encounters. Often, the films were in the image of the sexual liberation that gay men were living at the time, depicting the numerous public spaces where men engaged in sex: bathhouses, sex clubs, beaches, etc. Most of the productions of the decade used a cast of buff and hairy men, which would become a hallmark of the gay erotic aesthetic of the decade.

The seventies also saw the rise of gay publishing. During this time many publications were started including In Touch, Blueboy, and Playgirl, which, while ostensibly produced for women, were purchased and enjoyed by gay men.

[edit] 1980s: Videotapes, AIDS, and gay for pay

The 1980s were a period of transition for gay porn film. On one side, the development of video technology would radically change the gay and straight adult industry. The proliferation of VCRs made porn videos easily accessible; as the prices of the devices fell during the decade, the market of home videos aimed at adult viewers became more and more lucrative. By the mid-1980s, the standard was to shoot porn movies directly on video, which meant the wide disappearance of porn theaters. Furthermore, video recording being more affordable, a multitude of producers entered the market, making low-budget porn videos in masses.

This shift from gay porn watching as a public activity to a private one can also be attributed to the discovery of the HIV virus and the subsequent AIDS crisis. As in the early 1980s many gay men found out their infection with the deadly HIV virus, the public spaces for sex, like porn theaters, became less attended. Masturbatory activities in the privacy of the home became a safer sex practice in the midst of this health crisis.

If the porn films of the 1970s explored a little bit on how to represent the sexual act, gay movies of the 1980s seemed all to be made under an unwritten set of rules and conventions. Most scenes would start with a few lines, have performers engage in foreplay (fellatio), followed by anal penetration, and ending with the visual climax of the close-up on the ejaculating penises, called “money shot” or “cum shot.” Video technology allowing to record extensively the acts (more than the costly film stock), the scenes were often very long, composed of extended footage of the same shots. The quality of the picture and sound were also often very bad.

Big directors like Matt Sterling, John Travis, and William Higgins set the standard for the models of the decade. The performers were especially young, seemingly never older than twenty-two or twenty-three. Their bodies were slender and hairless, on the “swimmer’s build” type, which contrasted with the older, bigger, and hairier man of seventies’ gay porn. The roles of the performers were also tightly divided in “tops” and “bottoms.” The top is the inserter in anal sex. He typically would have a more muscular body, and the largest penis. The bottom, receiver of anal sex, would be smaller, sometimes more effeminate. The porn stars of the decade were almost always tops, while the bottoms were interchangeable (with the exception of Joey Stefano, one of the most popular star of gay porn’s history, who was more a bottom.) This strict division can also be attributed to the fact that the popular directors of the decade preferred to hire heterosexual men for their movies. Heterosexual men who perform gay sex (commonly called “gay-for-pay”) can be considered a rare commodity in the gay sex trade, which the biggest producers of the decade could afford. Thus the gay for pay actors would “stand on top” of the hierarchy between porn performers. Many critics attributed the conventionalization of gay porn of the 80s to this trend. Straight men performing gay sex could not render all the passion that ought to be in gay sexual acts. They could only stand still as their co-star would pleasure them. They would only receive fellatio, be active in anal sex, and never engage in kissing or caressing.

[edit] 1990s: Explosion of the niche market

The gay porn industry diversified consistently in the 1990s. In 1989, director Kristen Bjorn started a porn company which would set a new standard for gay porn producers. Bjorn being a professional photographer, the images in his videos had an outstanding technical quality. Also a former gay porn performer, he directed his models with care, which made the viewers believe in the pleasure these men were having. Other directors had to improve their technical values to keep up with always more demanding viewers.

Another significant change in pornography during this decade is the explosion of the niche market. Many videos started to be made for viewers with specific tastes (amateur, transsexual, bondage, specific ethnic groups, etc.), and this led to a huge diversification of the people involved in porn making and watching.

The gay porn industry grew substantially in popularity during the 1990s, to grow into a complex and interactive subculture. Professional directors (like Chi Chi LaRue and John Rutherford) and performers started to engage in pornography as a career, their work sustained by emerging porn media and influential critics (like Mikey Skee.)

[edit] Perspectives for the 21st century

Today, however, gay pornography has become a highly profitable enterprise, ranging from the "All-American straight-guy" porn of MarineMeat and Sean Cody, to the 'twink' European men of Bel Ami.

Some controversy currently exists between studios that produce condomless, or bareback videos, such as Treasure Island Media, Hot Desert Knights, Spunk Video, Cobra Video and TipoSesso, and the slicker, mainstream companies, such as Falcon Entertainment, Hot House Entertainment, Lucas Entertainment, and Titan Media, who claim that condomless videos promote unsafe sex and contributes to the continuing HIV problem, both in the industry and in the gay community as a whole.

The controversy dates back to the first few years of the HIV crisis, when nearly all gay porn production companies voluntarily required their models to wear condoms for anal sex. During this time there was much misinformation about how HIV was spread, and even today some people believe one can contract AIDS from tears, sweat, or by using a public restroom. In the 21st century, the premise on which some industry figures (notably Chi Chi LaRue) base their sometimes vituperative objections to bareback porn is the claim that porn serves as a model or guide for one's behavior. Other than anecdotes, there is no scientific evidence of this connection. There are strong opinions on both sides of this debate.

[edit] Themes in gay porn

The gay porn industry uses many themes, from hairy big men, to twinks. Gay porn is often divided into categories based on themes, which you may see in online stores. Below is a list of themes you may come across.

[edit] Guys

Age divided porn includes twinks (teenboy), daddies (oldies).

Ethnic gay-porn industry, led by studios such as Latino Fan Club, Enrique Cruz and Kristen Bjorn, markets an aggressively masculine street-thug image with its models, some studios catering to the urban "down-low" subculture. Tiger Tyson, among others, has emerged as a superstar of this genre. Inter-racial porn contains sex between different races. Main racial groups include:

Amerindian; Guys who are native to the Americas. Arab; Guys who originate from the Middle East and North Africa. Asian; Guys who originate from Asia. Black; Guys who originate from Africa. Blatino; Blacks from Latin America. Ebony; Black guys with very dark skin.

European; Guys who are from Europe. Latino; Any guys who are from/relate to Latin America. e.g. mulatto, mestizo. South Asian; Guys who originate from South Asia. eg India, Sri Lanka. White; Guys who originate from Europe.

Type of guys used in porn includes bears, bodybuilders and muscular. Uncut men and shaven men also.

[edit] Set

Amateur; Low budget, average filming and editing. Also use average guys. Bar/Club; Sex in nightclubs. BDSM; Dungeons, whips, chains, harness and leather. Cowboy; Porno westerns. Hair Removal; Shaving and waxing. Medical; Hospitals with sexy doctors, check ups (medical examinations) and androcology. Nation/Culture; Filmed in or recreation of a nation or culture. Including historic themes. Pools; Anything to do with sex in or on Poolside/Spa/Pool/Bathhouse. Prison; Sex in prisons. Outdoors; Sex at Farm/Wilderness/Forest/Beach. Straight Males Sports: Cycling Gym

Locker Room Ice Skating Football: Soccer Rugby American Football Surfers Skaters Wrestling Students; High school or university students. Male single sex schools. Toilets; Sex in toilets Uniform: Military/Navy/Airforce/ Firemen Police/Cops Boy Scouts

[edit] Sex

Anal Sex

Anal Penetration; (anal sex) Involves the penetration of a penis into an anus. Anilingus; (rimming, rimjob) Oral anal contact, such as licking and kissing the anus. Barebacking; Condomless anal penetration. Butt Play; Playing with the anus. e.g. using sex toys. Daisy Chain; Guys having anal sex simultaneously. Double Anal Penetration; (double anal, da) Two penises penetrating an anus at the same time. Type of double penetration.

Double Penetration; (dp) The mouth and anus being penetrated by penises simultaneously. Fingering; Insertion of finger/s into an anus. Double Fisting; Two fists penetrating the anus at the same time. Enema; (douching) Injection of fluid, usually water into the rectum and colon via the anus. Fisting; Penetration of a fist into an anus. Triple Penetration; The mouth and anus being penetrated by cocks simultaneously, the anus by two and the mouth by one.

Oral Sex

Anilingus; see above. Autofellatio; A male performing fellatio on himself. Ball Play; (oral-scrotum contact, teabagging) Licking and sucking a man's balls. Deepthroat; The entire penis is put into a mouth, requires experience. Double Penetration; see above.

Fellatio; (blowjob) The stimulation of the penis by oral contact. Glory Hole; Sticking a cock through a hole where someone unknown on the otherside gives a blowjob or has anal sex with. Irrumatio; Using the mouth as a penetrative orifice. Triple Penetration; See above.

Cum Shots

Creampie; (anal-cumshots) Ejaculating into/onto a guys anus. Cum Eating; (oral-cumshots) Eating semen from a partner's penis or where he has ejaculated. Bukkake; Having a group of men ejaculate over a male.

Felching; (oral-anal-cumshots) A guy eating cum from another guys anus. Fellatee; No hands cumshot. Snowballing; (semen swapping) Guys passing semen around by kissing and spittling it to one another.

Other Sex

BDSM; (bondage sado-masochism). Gaining sexual pleasure from inflicting pain or having pain inflected on. Circle Jerk; Guys jacking in a circle. Similar to soggy biscuit Fetishism; The use of non-sexual or nonliving objects or part of a person's body to gain sexual excitement. e.g. foot fetish. Frottage; (frot) Penis - Penis rubbing or rubbing a penis anywhere on a guys body. Gangbang; One guy being used by a group of guys for sex. Group Sex; (orgy). Involves sex with more than two people. Handjob; Using a hand to stimulate another guys cock.

Line Jerk; Guys jacking in a line. Masturbation; (wanking) Stimulation of a cock to usually cause ejaculation, done by oneself. Other types include anal masturbation and mutual masturbation. Oversized Sex Toys; Very big sex toys. Threeway; (3-way, threesome). Sex Toys; Include dildos, butt plugs, anal beads etc. Used to enhance sexual play. Urination; (watersports) Peeing and playing in pee.

Bisexual Sex

• Pegging; Sexual practice by which a man is anally penetrated by a woman wearing a strap-on dildo.

[edit] Audience

The primary viewers of gay pornography are gay and bisexual men, as well as some men who identify as heterosexual, but nonetheless have strong homoerotic drives. Some heterosexual women also have an interest in gay pornography that is analogous to some heterosexual men's interest in lesbian pornography. Yaoi comic books and slash fiction are both genres featuring gay men, but primarily written by and for straight women. Some lesbian women are also fans of gay male pornography.^{[verification needed]}

[edit] Notable movies

[edit] 1970s

• Boys in the Sand (Wakefield Poole, 1971)

First feature gay porn film to achieve mainstream crossover success; helped usher in "porn chic."

• The Back Row (Jerry Douglas, 1972)

The first feature from award-winning director Douglas. A classic that was re-made by Chi Chi LaRue in 2001. Said to be “a textbook example of gay erotic filmmaking,” and screened in film festivals all over the world.^[2] Featured in Unzipped Magazine's The 100 Greatest Gay Adult Films Ever Made (2005).

• L.A. Plays Itself (Fred Halsted, 1972)

Groundbreaking movie by an influential director (read the chapter consecrated to it in Moore, 2004 for more.) Is archived at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York.

• Nights in Black Leather (Richard Abel and Peter Berlin, 1973)

Influential movie with the legendary Peter Berlin.

• Falconhead (Michael Zen, 1977)

Is still acclaimed by cultural critics as one of a few gay porn movies that tried to bring complexity to the blue movie. Inspired many contemporary porn filmmakers (Morris, 2004). Featured in Unzipped Magazine's The 100 Greatest Gay Adult Films Ever Made (2005).

• Dune Buddies (Jack Deveau, 1978) Hand in Hand Films

Film by a prominent director and studio of the 1970s. Shot in Fire Island, the film (and others of the company) document well the sexual lives of New York City's gay men of the period. Excerpts displayed in the documentary Gay Sex in the 70s.

Joe Gage's trilogy:

• Kansas City Trucking Co. (1976)
• El Paso Wrecking Corp. (1977)
• L.A. Tool & Die (1979)

See article on Joe Gage.

• The Other Side of Aspen 1-5 (Bill Clayton (1-2), John Rutherford (3-5), 1979-2001) Falcon Studios

Some of Adult Video News' 10 Great Gay Movies^[3]

[edit] 1980s

• The Bigger The Better (Matt Sterling, 1984)

One of Adult Video News' 10 Great Gay Movies^[3]

• Les Minets Sauvages (Jean-Daniel Cadinot, 1984)

One of the biggest films of the influential French porn director (see article on him.)

• My Masters (Christopher Rage, 1986)

One movie by a director that has influenced numerous gay artists^[4]

• Powertool (John Travis, 1986)

One of Adult Video News' 10 Great Gay Movies^[3]

• Big Guns (William Higgins, 1988) Catalina Video

One of Adult Video News' 10 Great Gay Movies^[3]

• Carnival in Rio (Kristen Bjorn, 1989)

See History, 1990s section above.

[edit] 1990s

• Idol Eyes (Matt Sterling, 1990) Huge Video

Movie with Ryan Idol. Read Dyer, 1994 for more.

• More of a Man (Jerry Douglas, 1994) All Worlds Video

Popular film with Joey Stefano (see History, 1980s section) also featuring Chi Chi LaRue in a non-sexual role. Read Burger, 1995 chapter for an extensive analysis.

• Flashpoint (John Rutherford, 1994) Falcon Studios

Award winning film by major director Rutherford. Featured in Unzipped Magazine's The 100 Greatest Gay Adult Films Ever Made (2005).

• Frisky Summer 1-4 (George Duroy, 1995-2002) Bel Ami

One of Adult Video News' 10 Great Gay Movies^[3]

• Flesh and Blood (Jerry Douglas, 1996) All Worlds Video

One of Adult Video News' 10 Great Gay Movies^[3]

• Naked Highway (Wash West, 1997)

The narrative and aesthetic qualities of this movie are representative of a new generation of porn film makers. (Thomas, 2000:66) One of Adult Video News' 10 Great Gay Movies^[3]

• Three Brothers (Gino Colbert, 1998) Gino Pictures

Popular movie by influential director Colbert, starring the real-life Rockland brothers (Hal, Vince, and Shane). Featured in Unzipped Magazine's The 100 Greatest Gay Adult Films Ever Made (2005).

• Descent (Steven Scarborough, 1999) Hot House Entertainment

Popular gay porn video with unfrequent artistic qualities, by a prominent director and studio. Created legal dispute in Canada when the government tried to forbid its distribution in the name of obscenity rules.^[5]

• Skin Gang (Bruce LaBruce, 1999) Cazzo Film

Famous film by art/porn director LaBruce. Aired in gay film festivals around the world.

• Fallen Angel (Bruce Cam, 1997) Titan Media

Major film by prominent director and studio. Featured in Unzipped Magazine's The 100 Greatest Gay Adult Films Ever Made (2005).

[edit] 2000s

• DreamBoy (Max Lincoln, 2003)Eurocreme

Spawned a whole series of similarly titled films (e.g. DreamBoy USA, SpyBoy, RentBoy)

• Michael Lucas' Dangerous Liaisons (Michael Lucas, 2005) Lucas Entertainment

Biggest production by important director and studio. Inspired by Choderlot de Laclos' Les liaisons dangereuses (1782).

• Dawson's 20 Load Weekend (Paul Morris, 2004) Treasure Island Media

Major production by (in)famous director Paul Morris. Created huge controversy because it is mainly composed of unsafe sex practices.

• Wrong Side of the Tracks (Chi Chi LaRue, 2006) Rascal Video

Largest production up to date by on of the most enduring porn directors of history.

• Wet Palms Season One (Matthew Moore, 2004-06) Jet Set Productions pioneered pornography made for online delivery, using an episodic narrative structure based on TV soap operas.

[edit] Further reading and information

[edit] Academic works

• Bronski, Michael (2003). Pulp Friction : Uncovering the Golden Age of Gay Male Pulps. New York: St. Martin's Griffin.

• Burger, John R. (1995). One-Handed Histories : The Eroto-Politics of Gay Male Video Pornography. New York: Haworth Press.

• Cante, Rich & Restivo, Angelo (2001), "The Voice of Pornography: Tracking the Subject through the Sonic Spaces of Gay Male Moving-Image Pornography" in Matthew Tinkcom, Amy Villarejo, ed., Keyframes, New York; London: Routledge, p. 207-227.

• Delany, Samuel R. (1999). Times Square Red, Times Square Blue. New York: New York University Press.

• Dyer, Richard (Spring 1994). "Idol Thoughts: Orgasm and Self-Reflexivity in Gay Pornography". The Critical Quarterly 36 (1): 49-62.

• Dyer, Richard (2002 [1992]), "Coming to Terms: Gay Pornography" in Only Entertainment (2nd ed.), London ; New York: Routledge, p. 121-134.

• Kendall, Christopher N. (2004). Gay Male Pornography : An Issue of Sex Discrimination. Vancouver, BC: UBC Press.

• John, Elton (2005). Goodbye Yellow Dick Mold - The Control of AIDS in the Gay Porn Industry. Yerrinshire: Rock Hudson Liberace Museum.

• Moore, Patrick (2004). Beyond Shame : Reclaiming the Abandoned History of Radical Gay Sexuality. Boston: Beacon Press.

• Morrison, Todd G. (2004). Eclectic Views on Gay Male Pornography : Pornucopia. Binghamton, NY: Harrington Park Press.

• Slade, Joseph W. (2001). Pornography and Sexual Representation : A Reference Guide. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press.

• Stevenson, Jack. (Fall 1997). "From the Bedroom to the Bijou: A Secret History of American Gay Sex Cinema". Film Quarterly 51 (1): 24-31.

• Thomas, Joe A. (2000), "Gay Male Video Pornography: Past, Present, and Future" in Ronald John Weitzer, ed., Sex for Sale : Prostitution, Pornography, and the Sex Industry, New York: Routledge, p. 49-66.

• Waugh, Thomas (2004). Lust Unearthed: Vintage Gay Graphics from the DuBek Collection. Vancouver: Arsenal Pulp Press.

• Waugh, Thomas (2002). Out/lines : Underground Gay Graphics from before Stonewall. Vancouver: Arsenal Pulp Press.

• Waugh, Thomas (1996). Hard to Imagine : Gay Male Eroticism in Photography and Film from their Beginnings to Stonewall. New York: Columbia University Press.

• Williams, Linda (2004). Porn Studies. Durham: Duke University Press.

[edit] Biographies

• Edmonson, Roger (2000). Clone: The Life and Legacy of Al Parker, Gay Superstar. Alyson Books. ISBN 1-55583-529-5.

• Edmonson, Roger, Jerry Douglas (1998). Boy in the Sand: Casey Donovan, All-American Sex Star. Alyson Books. ISBN 1-55583-457-4.

• Isherwood, Charles (1996). Wonder Bread & Ecstasy : The Life and Death of Joey Stefano. Alyson Books. ISBN 1-55583-383-7.

• Larue, Chi Chi, John Erich (1997). Making It Big: Sex Stars, Porn Films and Me. Alyson Publications. ISBN 1-55583-392-6.

[edit] Documentaries

• Beyond Vanilla. (Claes Lilja, 2001)
• Gay Sex in the 70s. (Joseph F. Lovett, 2005)
• That Man: Peter Berlin. (Jim Tushinski, 2005)

For a porn lover's Livejournal with interesting links/pics, please visit: http://cameroonie.livejournal.com/

[edit] See also

• List of gay porn stars
• List of gay pornographic magazines
• List of gay pornographic movie studios
• Gay pulp fiction

[edit] References