I think it’s fair to say that most academics are guilty of using particular words on their essays and books that are generally understood by all, yet we rarely take the time to flesh out the definition of that word beyond a sentence or two because we’re too eager to make a bigger and flashier point. And when it comes to pornography studies, words and abbreviations like the “money shot,” “BDSM,” “gay-for-pay,” and “bareback” have been a part of the popular vernacular around the genre for so long, that we just utilize these terms based on their face value, and often fail to update or properly contextualize the terms. Pornographic language is so embedded in our discourse, that we don’t often do the work of defining it. Today’s guest—John Mercer—dedicates a large portion of his book doing exactly that, creating a glossary of terms utilized within popular and academic descriptions of gay pornography that give rich historical and culturally specific definitions of terms like “the boy-next-door,” “twink,” “daddy,” “the beautiful boy,” “the ‘fooled’ straight man,” “the international,” “the amateur,” and “the star.” Mercer is a professor at Birmingham City University and today we’re going to talk about his book, Gay Pornography: Representations of Sexuality and Masculinity, published by I.B. Taurus in 2017. What makes this book remarkable is how it works to establish a linguistic foundation for gay pornography studies moving forward. It’s perhaps the best introductory book for anyone looking to contribute to the porn studies cannon. In addition to defining terms, he also explores his concept of “saturated masculinity,” which for him, accounts for the multitude of ways gay pornographic aesthetics signify beyond the gay community, and in fact spread into heterosexual constructions of masculinity as well. Mercer is also one of the primary editors of the journal Porn Studies, and edited a special version of the journal titled “Gay Porn Now,” where he was kind enough to include my essay on Chris Crocker in the issue. In that issue, he wrote about a popular user created genre of poperbate videos, where the creator edits a porn video with music and prompts instructing the viewer to huff poppers at the appropriate moment. It is one of a series of user-generated porn videos that Mercer’s future research will cover extensively. 
In this episode we talk about how he actually had to travel to over counties to complete his dissertation because hard core gay pornography was still banned in England at the time. We talk about the hypocrisy of the Conservative Party in England when it comes to the issue to freedom, poppers, and gay sex. And he explains why the smell of old beer reminds him of gay porn to this day!

Porno Cultures Podcast 

John Mercer

A lot of time is spent on this podcast defending the multitude of roles that pornography plays in people’s lives. We say, it’s not a moral scourge, it’s not an enemy of feminism, it’s not corrupting young minds any more than any other media form. The academic study of pornography was established in a defensive mode, against second-wave anti-porn feminists, against the lies perpetuated by the church, against the forces fighting sex-worker rights. And because of this defensive posture, it’s jarring whenever we see the mainstream media portray pornography in a sensible, non-hysterical, perspective. This is what makes the Netflix documentary Circus of Books such a revelation! Circus of Books tells the story of a gay pornography video and book store in West Hollywood that endured as a staple in this gayborhood through the AIDS crisis and the mainstreaming of gay culture that has willfully abandoned its porn past in favor of getting married and joining the military. In this documentary, pornography, and the community build around this store, is presented as a positive, unifying force where the gay community can indulge their sexual desires without shame But while the store served as a beacon of hope during dark times, the owners weren’t as invested in the erotic potentiality of pornography as their customers. And that’s because the owners of this store are a heterosexual, highly religious, married couple! And while they have no problem with the gay community, their worldview is shaken when their own son struggles to come out as gay to his religious mother. This creates a unique dynamic and tension that brings this documentary to the next level. In this episode, I’m joined by one of the film’s producers, Adam Baran. Adam is an interesting character because most of his work deals with pornography and gay sexuality in a very straightforward and blunt fashion. Within an environment where being a buttoned-up sexless chairman of a Fortune 500 company is considered to be a quote-unquote “victory” for the gay rights movement, Baran insistently positions gay sexuality and pornography as an essential part of what it means to be gay in the contemporary age. Baran has produced music videos, short films, web series, and documentaries emphatically positioning pornography and sexuality at the center of the gay experience. In this episode, we talk about how pornography helped him feel comfortable in his own skin and how writing about his own sex-life online led to bigger opportunities.

Adam Baran, producer of CIRCUS OF BOOKS

the show where we think about pornography rather than just react to it

Porno Cultures Podcast

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