Homoerotic Archaeology: Jock (August 1987), Part One

Friday, August 20, 2021

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.

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What is Homoerotic Archaeology?

In 2016, I discovered several discarded boxes at an estate sale. Under their flimsy flaps were hundreds of well-worn issues of homoerotic magazines from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. I purchased them out of mild intrigue and, as I perused their pages, I was startled to realize that something commonly disregarded as pornographic smut earnestly chronicled the evolution of gay culture: the social and sexual liberation of the 1970s, the crushing devastation from AIDS during the 1980s, and the gradual strengthening of the community in the 1990s. As a gay man, I was touched by the subtle narrative these publications told. As a historian, I was motivated to digitally preserve their content. And, as an educator, I was driven to create a platform to share that information freely with others interested in the progression of gay society. Homoerotic Archaeology is that venue. Here you will find the advertisements, articles, short stories, and (of course) pictures found in these magazines lovingly preserved and presented for future generations of gay men to enjoy and study.

Why Preserve Homoerotica?

As early as the 1970s, scholars such as June Rook have stressed the need to preserve homosexual history in an effort to combat repression and establish a cultural background for future generations. Much of the preservation process admirably focuses on the substantial works of homosexual artists and thinkers; however, it sadly ignores other elements quintessential to the community’s history, particularly homoerotica. Although frequently labeled obscene filth, homoerotica has, just like the significant creations of artists and thinkers, been a prevalent part of the group’s culture and has played an integral role in shaping identities and perceptions (consider how influential Tom of Finland’s hypermasculinity has been in molding the body ideals of modern gay men). Due to this factor, the conservation of homoerotica is just as essential as the preservation of major artistic and theoretical homosexual works.