MTV’s ‘True Life’ looks into gay for pay
Since 1998, True Life has been introducing us to the world of many things. We’ve seen chasers, people living with tourettes, gold diggers, and polyamorous relationships. Now, it’s taking a look at the gay porn industry and the straight men who specialize in gay scenes. Why? Because the money is better.
The episode’s description reads:
How far would you go for money? On this episode of True Life, you ‘ll meet two straight guys willing to do gay porn for a living.
Luke has a massive online following but he’s managed to keep it a secret from his girlfriend … Ben is a married family man who recently started performing in gay sex films to support his kids…His wife Crystal thinks it’s hot. But will everyone understand their unusual lifestyle? And is Ben willing to commit to a long-term career in porn?
They’re rising stars in the gay porn industry, but will the pressures of every day life force them to reconsider their lucrative careers?
Even though there is more money in man on man scenes, there is always controversy surrounding these straight men that dip their toes in our porn industry. While some men find it sexy as hell, others find it less authentic. Some don’t even care, as long as the men are hot. Regardless of whether or not these men get the gay seal of approval, their industry is, kind of, dying.
Gay porn isn’t as profitable as it used to be. Once people started figuring out how to get free porn via the internet, why would they continue to pay for it. Pirated videos are easy to come by. Amateur porn is uploaded daily, which for those who want authenticity is the route to go. But the change in how we find porn has studios struggling. Studio budgets are dwindling, the rates of stars falling. For those involved in the production of professional gay porn, it paints a grim picture.
It’s worth noting that the stars, who some of us love and follow on social media, are being low balled by amateurs and men willing to work for cheaper rates. Just as the models are struggling, so too are the studios that employ them. Before the digital revolution, circulation was primarily through DVDs. This involved higher production and distribution costs, and limited availability making them elite, and forcing men to order them through catalogs and sex shops. When the internet arrived, many studios failed to adapt to a web-based model.
Studios now are reducing production cost. Getting rid of sets and lighting as they use handheld cameras to capture the scene. This is cheaper, but many models aren’t comfortable in the situations it brings. These scenes also cater to bareback sex. Again, some models are not comfortable with this.
As the porn industry slowly starts to crumble, scenes start to change, and the profits lessen, should we care about whether or not a gay porn star is part of the LGBT community? No, it shouldn’t. These men are actors. These men are making money for their families in some cases. It doesn’t matter if they go home and queen out over RuPaul or kiss their wives and girlfriends as they take off their shoes.
Check out the trailer for MTV’s True Life …
