Porn | Mr. Pink's Blog - Part 149

Swimming with HIV+ Sharks

Adult entertainment depicting sex between men has long flirted with the horribly depressing state of HIV infection by writing “poz” characters into scenes to ratchet up the already steaming tension of an illicit encounter. But now gay porn studio Treasure Island Media has delved to an all-new industry-wide low with the announcement of upcoming bareback feature Viral Loads. (Settle your stomachs, folks, ’cause this one should be approached with caution.)

As noted on the blogs of porno pundit Mike South and Str8 Up Gay Porn, Viral Loads, which stars Derek Parker, Drew Sebastian, Blue Bailey, Dayton O’Connor and Logan Stevens, includes a scene that sees said performers among those ejaculating into a lidded, glass receptacle emblazoned with a curious label: “poz cum.” Now, it must be said that not all men spunking into the jar have declared themselves HIV-positive, but most have and the scenario leaves little untarnished by the infection-focused plot (as it were). This isn’t charity, though, and the jar isn’t going to auction to raise awareness; it’s being poured into the waiting rear passage of Blue Bailey himself, as this charming promotional gif illustrates:

Openly HIV positive performer and Viral Loads guiding light, Blue Bailey said in an October 2013 interview, “With Treasure Island, they let us [performers] do what we want.” And, according to an unattributed quote published by Str8 Up Gay Porn, it was all Blue’s idea to begin with: “Blue Bailey got in touch with me the next day and said he wanted some kind of man-worship initiation. So I took a few days to set it up. When he enters the room, he knows he’s in for a real rite of passage. The willing, hungry lad gets gang-fucked by a roomful of studs. Most are poz, some are neg. Who the fuck cares? Not Blue, that’s for fuckin’ sure.”

Maybe he doesn’t, but I’m sure Cal/OSHA will. Treasure Island, on the other hand, clearly cares about something: the frenetic shooting style, disorienting angles, and aggressively decomposed DVD and title design makes it very difficult to believe Treasure Island isn’t doing its darndest to solidify intentional infection and transmission of HIV-carrying bodily fluids as not only entertainment, but the gay hardcore equivalent of a slasher flick.

Cleaning the Web of Porn in PRC

Revealing its latest plans to eradicate erotica from the reach of Chinese citizens and residents, the National Office Against Pornographic and Illegal Publications, declared on Sunday that its latest endeavor, called ‘Cleaning the Web 2014’ will execute investigations of all things Internet – including websites, mobile apps, TV set-top boxes, usb connectivity sticks, and search engines – in the hopes of shuttering an adult content for good.

Due to run until November 2014, Cleaning the Web 2014 will see state bodies the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security, and the State internet Information Office working with the aforementioned anti-porn office to detect and delete any and all pornography found.

Whether or not this latest effort will work, however, is anyone’s guess. Similar efforts have in recent years failed to sufficiently quell the proliferation of online pornography available to those behind the Great Firewall of China, keeping the People’s Republic happily (but discreetly) fapping away and the likes of Alina Li leaving the homeland in favor of the relative sexual freedom of the United States’ adult entertainment industry.

Twistys Boycott Gathers Speed

Part of the prize package awarded to Twistys Treat of the Year winners and runners-up for 2014 included a shooting assignment in Costa Rica, but even after the winners were announced and Mss. Aniston, Veracruz, and Alexandra started celebrating with their devoted fanbases, changes were being made that would see a different trio head to Costa Rica for what the original contestants were apparently not informed would be a boy-girl hardcore shoot. According to accusations lobbed from Camps Veracruz, South, and Alexandra, as well as from former star Brett Rossi, Twistys hasn’t been treating its girl-girl performers quite the same since being bought by Manwin (now MindGeek), the Luxembourg-Based multinational corporation that now owns Brazzers, Digital Playground, Mofos, and Twistys. Apparently as part of MindGeek’s allegiance to hetero hardcore, Twistys has been moving away from more sedate and sensual solo and lesbian sex scenes to the unexpected extent that its head honchos decided girl-girl performers Veracruz and Alexandra wouldn’t work out, legitimate runners-up or not. Instead of honoring the fans and awarding the real winners, though, it seems Twistys just upped and pulled the rug from under two of its most deserving stars. Instead arousing suspicion by appointing a performer under exclusive contract to Manwin.

And now, the Twistys forums are down, vocally critical members and models have been denied Twistys access, the #BoycottTwistys hashtag is trending hard on Twitter, Madison Ivy is smoking herself silly in beautiful Costa Rica, awaiting a dicking originally intended for someone else, and Vanessa Veracruz is offering free memberships to her official website to any former Twistys member that emails proof of their cancellation. And you, where are you on this matter? Since Twistys and Manwin have both stayed remarkably silent on the issue, it’s hard to know what’s really going on. Are you siding with your go-to smut merchants, Twistys, or aligning yourself with the embattled girl-girl performers whose very livelihoods may be under threat as a result of business indiscretions and a lack of respect for performers and fans alike?

Twistys Treat of the Year Scandal

The support of fans is essential to the success of any adult performer. When she’s stuck working in clubs, straddling a cold steel pole for tips, it’s the fans requesting her and complimenting the management that will make her a headliner. When she’s made her first appearance on a major porn network, it’s the fans commenting and voting that will see her hired again by the same and other companies. And, when accolades are up for grabs, be they awarded by AVN, XBIZ, Penthouse or Twistys, it’s often said to be the fans who determine the winners. That doesn’t always work out as planned, though, as was the case when Twistys announced its Treat of the Year winners for 2014.

In a nutshell, it appears Twistys annual fan-voted poll to determine an official Twistys Treat of the Year was not this year as genuinely fan-voted as in the past. After months of member complaints and criticism from fans, Twistys continues its transition from softcore and all-girl content to a more ubiquitous hetero hardcore M.O. and girl-girl performers are apparently considered collateral damage and discarded. One such performer, Vanessa Veracruz, has posted numerous spiels both on her own blog and on that of industry pundit Mike South detailing the ways she claims Twisty’s screwed her and fellow girl-girl performer Elle Alexandra out of their rightful crowns as first and second runners-up to Nicole Aniston’s first place win. The alleged reason: Vanessa and Elle don’t shoot hetero hardcore.