Jock (August 1987), Part Two

Two major events combined to launch gay pornographic films into a major enterprise during the 1980s: the infiltration of VHS players into the home and the AIDS epidemic. Released in 1976, VHS players and tapes were limited to professional media studios; however, by the middle of the 1980s, advances in technology lowered their prices and made them affordable to the average household, which opened a world of entertainment possibilities no longer confined to movie theaters and television. Among these newfound forms of diversion were pornographic films that could be viewed in the privacy of the home rather than adult cinemas. In fact, many of these venues, namely bathhouses and theaters, were shuttered due to the AIDS epidemic; a factor that boosted demands and allowed companies like Catalina, Falcon, HIS Video, and Vivid to control the market and aggressively advertise their products as safer alternatives to sex. Indeed, by the end of the 1980s, Excalibur touted its stock of over 9,000 adult titles. While these factors helped establish the legitimacy of porn studios and the rise of porn stars as genre celebrities, they also created a monopoly which permitted the small handful of companies to dominate the business, push rivals out of existence, and ensure only their aesthetics (often blonde, hairless bodybuilders) were displayed. Presented in this August 1987 issue of Jock (which has been broken into two parts) is an example of this: an order form for a VHS copy of Rock Hard, touted as “the ultimate masturbation experience.” Included in the second half (see the first half here) are photo spreads of models Ted Dowel, David Golden, and Chris MacDonald.

Jock (August 1987), Part One

Two major events combined to launch gay pornographic films into a major enterprise during the 1980s: the infiltration of VHS players into the home and the AIDS epidemic. Released in 1976, VHS players and tapes were limited to professional media studios; however, by the middle of the 1980s, advances in technology lowered their prices and made them affordable to the average household, which opened a world of entertainment possibilities no longer confined to movie theaters and television. Among these newfound forms of diversion were pornographic films that could be viewed in the privacy of the home rather than adult cinemas. In fact, many of these venues, namely bathhouses and theaters, were shuttered due to the AIDS epidemic; a factor that boosted demands and allowed companies like Catalina, Falcon, HIS Video, and Vivid to control the market and aggressively advertised their products as safer alternatives to sex. Indeed, by the end of the 1980s, Excalibur touted its stock of over 9,000 adult titles. While these factors helped establish the legitimacy of porn studios and the rise of porn stars as genre celebrities, they also created a monopoly which permitted the small handful of companies to dominate the business, push rivals out of existence, and ensure only their aesthetics (often blonde, hairless bodybuilders) were displayed. Presented in this August 1987 issue of Jock (which has been broken into two parts) is an example of this: an order form for a VHS copy of Rock Hard, touted as “the ultimate masturbation experience.” Also included in the first half are photo spreads of models Eric Radford and Surgio Rutello.

Manshots (August 1995), Part Two

Self-proclaimed heterosexual men who act in gay-oriented pornography (commonly referred to as gay-for-pay) have, as director Mike Donner explicates, been a mainstay in the industry for decades. As Julia Himberg explains, the notion of gay-for-pay has recently extended beyond pornography and into a corporate setting, with the rise of movies and television shows centered around homosexual characters and Pride events sponsored by major companies. In this August 1995 issue of Manshots (which has been broken into two parts), George Duroy, who became famous in the 1990s for producing a series of popular softcore films featuring Eastern European performers, speaks about his preference for hiring only gay-for-pay actors and refusal to employ homosexuals in his production offices, factors which both garnered him ample criticism. Included in the second half (see the first half here) are interviews with Christian Fox and Dallas Taylor and reviews of the films Flashpoint and Idol Country.

Manshots (August 1995), Part One

Self-proclaimed heterosexual men who act in gay-oriented pornography (commonly referred to as gay-for-pay) have, as director Mike Donner explicates, been a mainstay in the industry for decades. As Julia Himberg explains, the notion of gay-for-pay has recently extended beyond pornography and into a corporate setting, with the rise of movies and television shows centered around homosexual characters and Pride events sponsored by major companies. In this August 1995 issue of Manshots (which has been broken into two parts), George Duroy, who became famous in the 1990s for producing a series of popular softcore films featuring Eastern European performers, speaks about his preference for hiring only gay-for-pay actors and refusal to employ homosexuals in his production offices, factors which both garnered him ample criticism. Also included in the first half is an interview with Steve Marks, a review of the film Shadow Dancers, and an obituary for Scott Taylor.