Do you watch porn?
I know you probably read that and you went blank. If you read Fleshbot, you probably have at least a fleeting interest in porn. You may use it as something to get you off and nothing more. Maybe you appreciate the plots, acting and sex being incorporated into big budget films. Maybe it’s a combination of both. Or like me, maybe you get attached to a certain porn star, as if they’re a pop star.
That’s how my career in writing about porn started. I’ve been writing about gay porn for over six years now, since New Years’ Day 2009. I started out moderating Yahoo! Groups (remember those?) but decided I wanted to share my interests; I wanted to curate what I thought was hot and share it with the world as a form of sexual expression. But it grew into much more than that, including learning how to build and grow a brand, how to write better, and my already-vast knowledge of porn grew even more (ask me about the one time I was with Genesis Luna, and had to correct him on some of Jesse Santana’s DP work with Jet Set Men). Also, in that time, I saw many porn stars retire. Hell, even last week, both Jacob Dixon and Jake Driver retired:
In coming across so much gay porn so consistently, and viewing new scenes right before or immediately after they drop, you can become numb, and everything starts to run together. However, every blue moon, there is someone who rises above the morass and just DOES IT for you. For me, though I have a few favorites – Francesco D’Macho, Rogan Richards, Cutler X, and Adam Killian - the one that etched his way into my heart was Marco Blaze.
I still remember the first time I laid eyes on Marco. My butthole did one of those pucker up things. He had done some work for other studios, including Man Avenue, but these shots were for Titan Men.
Everything about Marco Blaze was perfect.
His cock was thick, uncut, and perfect. He had the body of a Greek god. He knew his way around a gym, but you could take him out for a cheat meal and a night on the town on a Saturday night. His bubble butt was made for fucking…or staring at intensely, like I did. And I’ve never seen anyone who could duplicate his gaze – his eyes were so deep and intriguing that they made you long for the story behind them.
I jacked off many times to him, followed him on Twitter, and found out as much info as I could on him. There wasn’t much, but I hoped his body of work would grow. And it definitely did; he shot more films, including that now-famous romp with also now-retired porn star Levi Poulter.
But then he retired.
He decided to focus on school full time. I was devastated, but I hoped I would find someone to take his place. But that didn’t really happen. Like I said, I do love other stars – Adam Killian, Rogan Richards, Cutler X, Francesco D’Macho – but there was something about Marco Blaze.
Your Favorite Star Will Retire
Based on the amount of emails, tweets, and comments I receive asking if a certain performer has retired, and where he is/how he’s doing, I’m sure this has happened to you. Maybe it was Marco Blaze. Maybe it was the aforementioned Jacob Dixon and/or Jake Driver, who announced their retirements last week. Maybe it was someone who retired and unretired, giving you false hope, like Leo Domenico, Leo Giamani, or Matthew Rush. Maybe it was a guy who left the business altogether, like Chris Porter, Dillon Buck, or Anthony Romero. If it hasn’t happened yet, it will happen to you.
Maybe they were only doing porn to finance school, like Cameron Adams. Maybe they HAD to leave, to continue school, like Tony Newport. Maybe they only did it for the money and were disgusted with it, like Malachi Marx. Maybe they were only adding visibility to their escorting career, like Devon Hunter. Maybe they don’t want porn to take the emotional toll on them that it took on Arpad Miklos and Roman Ragazzi. Or maybe they turn into a religious fanatic, in the same way that Jake Genesis did. Either way, they will retire – porn isn’t forever.
Perhaps the best / most interesting part of my career has been having the opportunity to meet several of the men in the scenes I was writing about and jacking off to (though I had to stop that; it got a little awkward for me). In meeting them, many of them stop being porn stars to me, and become actual humans - weird, right? Just last month, I had the opportunity to meet Matt Stevens, Cutler X, Adam Russo, Dirk Caber, and Christian Mitchell, as they were in town promoting and shooting the Mr. Benson movie.
Life Goes On After Porn
I can say that in knowing them, many, if not most, go on to lead fruitful and healthy lives after porn. Parker Perry is now a radiologist in Houston. Travis Irons has basically found his husband and moved with him to the Midwest. I see Jake Austin about once a week, and his dad recently died, but he’s doing well in spite; he's starting school again for Geophysics in the summer.
So, I know you may be disappointed, but there is life after porn. And porn DOES go on. Be happy in knowing that your favorite gay porn star is most likely doing well, and be happy for them in retirement. Jack off to their old pictures and videos. Keep hope that they’ll un-retire and even possibly re-invent themselves, like Jon Galt did. But if they don’t, find someone new to jack to, and hope that they’re able to fill the void you feel like I’m still trying to do with Marco Blaze.
I’ll be here if you need me.