The internet killed the porn star
BRENT Corrigan is arguably the best known porn star in the world. His career is the stuff of legend, kicking off with a highly-controversial series of videos when he was just 17. Those early years even recently inspired a Hollywood film called King Cobra starring James Franco.
But in stark contrast to how some might picture the now 30-year-old porn industry veteran who has never really known anything else career-wise, Corrigan appears to have his head on straight. He is well-spoken, intelligent, and is in a committed relationship with JJ Knight, a relative newcomer to the porn industry.
The couple met three years ago while filming a scene together, in what sounds like a classic case of love-at-first fuck. Corrigan loves to describes the instant chemistry as “palpable”.
“He loves big words,” JJ adds.
While being in a relationship with a porn star might seem like it would come with its own unique set of problems, Corrigan argues that they deal with all the same issues as normal gay couples – if not, at times, a little bit heightened.
It is something that Australian porn star Leo Rocca has experienced firsthand. His most recent relationship, which was also with a co-star, ended after they struggled to deal with common issues in the gay community like drug use and fidelity.
BentleyRace.com star Luc Dean also agrees that there is most definitely a noticeable effect on relationships.
鈥淚 have a boyfriend who I have every intention of marrying and he doesn鈥檛 like it, although he doesn鈥檛 mind watching it,鈥� he says,
鈥淚t鈥檚 an interesting dynamic. We just make sure we talk about it, make sure everything is ok with him. Usually he鈥檒l say yes, but he has said no in the past.
鈥淏ut it鈥檚 more about his concern for me after previous experiences at other studios.鈥�
Leo is from Newcastle originally, but moved to Sydney in 2011. He names Brent as his porn idol, who inspired him to allegedly use a fake ID to become a porn star at the age of 17.
鈥淏ut every time I do a film, I hope Brent comes in,鈥� he says, with a laugh.
鈥淚 would love to meet him.鈥�
The truth is Leo got into porn after being spotted by talent agents from All Australian Boys, while he was competing in a magazine topless competition in Queensland.
Initially he thought he was just going to be doing modelling, but quickly realised it was actually for porn.
鈥淚 used to do escorting so I was used to getting paid for something I love doing,鈥� he adds.
Luc was involved in the gay porn industry for a couple of years working with a studio on the Gold Coast, but decided to take some time off.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 have a very good time,鈥� he says.
鈥淚 started looking around for other Australian companies and found one in Melbourne called Light Southern that mostly does straight stuff. There wasn鈥檛 much for me to do there.鈥�
When he decided to move to Melbourne from Brisbane, he did another search for companies and found BentleyRace.com.
Payment in Australia varies depending on the company and what the performers are expected to do.
Luc says Bentley is very much in line with the industry standards.
鈥淎 solo shoot is about $300 if you鈥檙e taking your clothes off, which you probably will be. If there鈥檚 any sort of orgasm it鈥檚 about $400. Any duo work jumps up to about $500, penetration is about $700 to $1000.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a reflection of the Australian porn industry – it is just very small. Even straight porn is limited. Australia is a big country but there鈥檚 not a lot of people here. We don鈥檛 have a hub like New York, Los Angeles and Florida,鈥� Luc says.
But Leo is currently paid between $150 to $250 for a scene – which is usually about two to four hours worth of work.
The American porn industry is not much different when it comes to lowscene rates these days. Brent says illegal downloads are killing the industry, with the 鈥渙nce grossly inflated鈥� rates dropping rapidly.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been saying it for a couple of years, but the truth of the matter is if you鈥檙e our number one fan put your money where your mouth is and get a subscription because that鈥檚 what pays our bills. As much as we love what we do, we still need to put food on the table.
鈥淧eople are still consuming and they are consuming the kind of pornt hat is putting people at major risk without considering what that risk is.鈥�
But unlike America, stars in Australia aren鈥檛 usually contracted and just wait for the occasional job offer.
Zahra Stardust is part of the small but vibrant and growing DIY subculture called queer porn, which aims to change the face of pornography by 鈥渕aking an intervention into the genders, bodies and sexualities represented but also into the ethics and processes of production.鈥�
She said there has been a noticeable shift with queer sex workers increasingly moving behind the camera to document experimental possibilities for mediated sex.
鈥淧erformers usually supplement porn with other work to diversity their income streams,鈥� she says.
For example, Leo – who is a keen cyclist – has recently started a part time job riding for Deliveroo.
Porn performers working on the side as an escort, or moving into other parts of the industry like directing, are pretty common occurrences, according to Brent. He says a lot of performers are unable to finding normal nine-to-five day jobs because they have become so well known.
鈥淎s uncomfortable as it might make people, the reality is I can鈥檛 as Brent Corrigan, can鈥檛 go hold a day job. I can鈥檛 ever walk into any room without my name preceding me,鈥� he says.
Luc has also struggled with the 鈥榝ame鈥� aspect with his porn career colliding with his day job. As he is filming more and more videos, he is getting recognised even more in public.
He admits to even avoiding wearing his day job鈥檚 name tag out of the office so people don鈥檛 learn his real name.
鈥淏eing a part of the Australian gay community, quite a lot of my friends have also stumbled upon my stuff – that鈥檚 always been interesting,鈥� he says.
Testing procedures and regulations for porn performers and companies are also quite different in Australia compared to America.
Lawsuits in America following HIV infections have seen the creation of Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation, which have implemented programs like mandartory testing, alcohol and drug treatment, and even 鈥渓ife after porn鈥� scholarships.
Brent says the American porn industry has some of the healthiest men in the gay community having some of the riskiest sex, so acting like PrEP revolutionised porn isn鈥檛 the right rhetoric.
鈥淭hey have been serosorting for years, and being undetectable is a real thing but there are so many ways of having safer sex but we don鈥檛 talk about that much.
鈥淲e鈥檝e created a dichotomy if you鈥檙e negative and on PrEP you are invited into the bareback-oriented stuff.
鈥淥n the other side of things, condoms are really not part of a lot of people鈥檚 lives these days and we need to think about this.鈥�
Leo, who is undetectable, claims from his experience Australian companies 鈥渁ren鈥檛 very fussed鈥� and don鈥檛 test their stars.
鈥淔rom what I鈥檝e heard, (agencies) overseas do no matter what,鈥� he adds.
Luc puts it down to the small size of the industry in Australia compared to America.
鈥淭here鈥檚 not always a lot of time between telling you there鈥檚 a shoot available and a shoot happening,鈥� he says.
鈥淚鈥檝e never barebacked (in porn), I鈥檓 certainly not opposed to it as long as they can provide documentation of testing.鈥�
Zahra says with new technologies and the changing definitions of safe sex, porn performers now have the option of choosing between a range of risk reduction strategies on set, like condoms PrEP, serosorting and maintaining undetectable viral loads.
鈥淪ex workers in Australia have low rates of HIV and STIs and high levels of sexual health literacy and it鈥檚 important that producers provide time and space for performers to negotiate their scene confidentially and in advance.鈥�
But both Luc and Leo admit they are usually notified about potential scenes not long before the shoot takes place – which means things like testing are not possible.
鈥淵ou can certainly turn it down, I鈥檝e never really felt pressure,鈥� Luc says.
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 stay in the industry unless you find something you enjoy about it. You don鈥檛 come back for more if you have a terrible time, for whatever reason.
鈥淓veryone who is there is there because they want to be.鈥�
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