Porn Again Legitimacy?

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If F. Scott Fitzgerald was right when he wrote that "there are no second acts in American lives" then how do you explain the careers of former porn boys turned mainstream fashion models Scott Andreasen and Thierry (aka Terry) Pepin?

Andreasen -- who is absolutely adorable -- is represented by Next Models USA in Miami, yet he can also be seen as the ironically named "Harry" in JO films for SeanCody.com, the famed producer who gets "straight boys to unload." And Pepin starred in the hard-core gay porno flick "Minets du Quebec" (plus the less salacious "Danny in the Sky"), most of which have been pulled from shelves. Does being the face of Ralph Lauren's Romance get you some top-notch legal representation? What do you think?

Unlike some publications, I'm not exactly ready to deem these two examples a full-scale trend. But I do think it's safe to say we're living in a post-Paris Hilton sex tape world now in which the stigma of pornography is quickly disappearing. The phenomenon began back in 1990 when John Waters cast Traci Lords in his 1950s musical "Cry Baby" (Roseanne Barr took it a step further and put Lords on her smash sitcom -- on Disney-owned ABC, no less!). Then Jenna Jameson wrote a bestseller and started popping up in mainstream venues, which wound up being a prelude to Hilton's overnight superstardom (let's be honest here: it wasn't "The Simple Life" that took her from Page Six darling to international headlines). I used to think it was sad 15-20 years ago that the only recognizable "stars" the gay community had were the likes of Jeff Stryker, Ryan Idol and Joey Stefano -- or someone famous with HIV (Greg Louganis), but these days I almost find it sadder a lot mainstream "stars" aren't much different.   

The fact that Hilton hangeroner Kim Kardashian and "Brandy's brother" Ray J can't stop "accidentally" leaking their so-called "private" sex tape (it's even available on pay-per-view at the Waldorf Astoria!) -- and have wound up becoming tabloid darlings as a result -- further proves that pornography is not only no longer the kiss of death in Hollywood, it's often an entre. Maybe this is a good thing that indicates Americans are finally getting over our sexual hang-ups, Or maybe not.

You can see some COMPLETELY NSFW shots of the boys here, here and here. There's more information on the Terry Pepin legal action regarding "Minets du Quebec" here. (The post isn't NSFW but the site is.)

News: Rodrigo Santoro, Nancy Pelosi, Stem Cells, D&G

Washington state introduces gay marriage bill.

Designers disrobe: First it was Tom Ford; now Dolce & Gabbana take it off for Steven Klein in W magazine.

New Jersey says clerics are not required by law to perform same-sex union ceremonies: "In a letter to the state registrar, Joseph A. Komosinski, Attorney General Stuart Rabner wrote that clergy members could decline to perform civil union ceremonies without violating the law, if performing such ceremonies would go against their 'sincerely held religious beliefs.'"

How Nancy Pelosi's womb is advancing the gay agenda...

Spoiler: New Brazilian Lost hottie Rodrigo Santoro reveals his character's fate in the upcoming TV season.

Outfits in reverse: Alan Cumming and Grant Shaffer's first wedding photo.

Bush plans veto of stem-cell research bill just passed by the House. Kos: "Let's recap the utter absurdity of remaining conservative opposition to Embryonic Stem Cell Research. You're holding a cryogenic container with a blastocyst inside. It's a ball of cells (HT: PoliticAl2008) roughly the size of the period at the end of this sentence. You have a choice of putting it in an incinerator or placing it in a petri dish and using it for research. George Bush and his shrinking base somehow reason, using unknown, convoluted pseudo-logic, that destruction by fire is saving it while the petri dish represents destroying it."

Gay porn stars team up for anti-meth campaign.

RNC and Chair Ken Mehlman Accepted Contributions from Distributor of Gay Porn Flick Featuring 82nd Airborne Soldiers

RNC Chair Ken Mehlman was confronted at a fundraiser last week at a residence on Capitol Hill about the various answers he has given to media inquiries about his sexuality. Said Mehlman to blogger Mike Rogers before turning away: "I don't think I've given different answers."

Yet the RNC's confusion about gays extends further than questions about what goes on in Ken Mehlman's bedroom.

Via AmericaBlog comes this bit:

The RNC has been running an attack ad in Tennessee against Rep. Harold Ford (D) which slams Ford for taking money from porn movie producers. Unfortunately for Mehlman, notes Josh Marshall of Talking Points Memo, the RNC "is a regular recipient of political contributions from Nicholas T. Boyias, the owner and CEO of Marina Pacific Distributors, one of the largest producers and distributors of gay porn in the United States."

As TPM notes, recent releases have included Fire in the Hole, Flesh and Boners, and a Velvet Mafia series (links NSFW).

Interesting. However, I'm not sure that anyone has made this connection yet:

Of interest to some might be the fact that Active Duty (link NSFW) is one of the production companies distributed by Marina Pacific. In January, seven soldiers from the 82nd Airborne were revealed to have been involved in porn movies produced by Active Duty. Four of the soldiers involved received non-judicial punishments while three others were court martialed, served prison time for their misconduct, and were discharged from the military.

So, the U.S. military discharged soldiers for participating in a gay porn flick while at the same time the RNC took political contributions from the film's distributor!

I'm sure the discharged paratroopers would be interested to know that portions of the profits from their films were headed to the coffers of the Republican Party.

You may have missed...
RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman: I'm Not Gay
The Military's Ugly Double Standard on Gay Porn [tr]
Blogger: Idaho Senator Larry Craig Had Gay Encounters [tr]
GQ on Outing Gay Republicans [tr]
82nd Airborne Gay Porn "Ringleader" Faces Court [tr]

Timothy Greenfield-Sanders' XXX Stops Texans in their Tracks

You may be aware of Timothy Greenfield-Sanders' photo book Thinking XXX which features dual portraits of clothed and naked porn stars. The book was also the subject of an HBO film and traveling exhibit. Greenfield-Sanders was present as the exhibit opened in Houston  at the Devin Borden Hiram Butler Gallery this week as he's photographing Houstonians with their dogs.

Towleroad received an amusing photo of some visitors to the exhibit checking out the portrait of well-endowed Lucas Entertainment actor Chad Hunt. Link to the NSFW version after the jump.

[photo no longer available]

82nd Airborne Gay Porn "Ringleader" Faces Court

Pfc. Wesley K. Mitten, 21, the "ringleader" of the members of the 82nd Airborne charged with appearing on gay porn sites, has had his day before the military court. Mitten was considered the "ringleader" because he allegedly recruited other members of the unit.

Mitten pleaded guilty "to sodomy, conduct detrimental to the Army and using cocaine" in a plea bargain that will send him to jail for three months, demote him to private, take 2/3 of his pay, and send him out of the military on a bad conduct discharge.

Mitten performed under the name "Donnie" and was first courted to the Active Duty website by owner Dennis Ashe, who agreed to pay him $2,000 for his services. Mitten made $6,000 in total.

Two other soldiers, Kagen Mullen and Richard Ashley, received plea bargains earlier this month and are now serving 90 and 75 days in prison, respectively.

Mitten made a statement to the court before receiving his sentence: "It was for the money, your honor...I am sorry for disgracing my family name and my unit. I am sorry and I wish I could take it all back."

Porn ringleader sentenced [fayetteville online]

Previously
Mark Simpson, Details, and the 82nd Airborne [tr]
Seven 82nd Airborne Soldiers Charged in Gay Porn Case [tr]
Active Duty Soldiers and Gay Internet Porn [tr]
82nd Airborne in Gay Porn Scandal [tr]
(thanks marc)

Genre Preview: Physique Reimagined

One of the features Genre magazine has planned for their upcoming Pride issue is a "Beefcake Moderne" tribute to 1950's male physique icons starring some of today's big names in porn. I'm happy to bring you a special preview of the issue which will be on newsstands at the end of the month.

Playing the vintage-turned-21st century bodybuilder pin-ups are Falcon video stars Matthew Rush, Roman Heart, Erik Rhodes, and Ethan Kage.

The shoot was styled by Marko Kalfa and photographed by Aaron Cobbett. Click the photos for larger versions!

Thanks to Genre for this glimpse at their next issue, which will be on newsstands at the end of the month.