Seriously, what is it about porn that turns people off? I’ve never understood so I suspect I’ll never understand others’ aversions to it.
And what a pity.
If only because as a result of porn, there have been some very, very good documentaries about the subject. Wrangler: Portrait of An Icon (2008), was a critical smash that traces the life of John Robert Stillman (aka Jack Wrangler) to his rise to the top of the gay adult entertainment industry, his transition to straight porn, and his equally wild success, his relationship with Margaret Whiting, a woman 22 years his elder and his last transition to theater, the history of which is still being written.
That Man: Peter Berlin (2005) was also a critical success and has been a collector’s item for years. The full-length feature documentary traces the life of the iconic German (born Armin Hagen Freiherr von Hoyningen-Huene) who upended San Francisco conventions, what few existed, with his provocative dress and his unapologetic sexual identity. He was to the San Francisco cruising scene what Don Johnson was once to pink and teal – Its staple and spokesman.
But, as good as they were, and they were very, very good, those documentaries chronicled previous epochs of which so few knew about.
Then, when a young man from Nebraska named Ryan Sullivan was contracted by the bareback adult studio, Treasure Island Media, to chronicle the daily goings-on of life in and around the studios, did the adult documentary suddenly ignite into flames again. Ryan Sullivan’s Island (2008) garnered numerous awards at film festivals around the world that proved thoughtful, artistic, intelligent documentaries and gay porn may or may not necessarily be prurient but they didn’t have to be sensationalistic either.
Now there’s Twink (2014). Written, starring, directed and produced by the 24-year-old self-described “underground filmmaker” Wade Radford of England, Twink , billed as a ‘mockumentary,’ is one of the smartest, most incisive documentaries, not just on the crass commercial exploitation of gay porn – really? – but of the economic cesspool many young people find themselves in today and how they cope with the less pleasant realities of life (read: one of the most difficult economic markets to come of age in a very, very long time.)
But in this absolutely addictive 66 minutes of film, Radford touches on those themes – exploitation, distorted concepts of love and acceptance, self-worth – that are tailor-made for the millennials. Gay adult Industry observer Tim Evanson notes, “Twinks especially are considered a throw-away commodity in gay adult film. Muscular bears and bodybuilders don’t have to worry so much about age and weight, but the skinny twink’s shelf-life in adult film is a year or two at best. Any adult film provider will tell you that the films and scenes which sell best are those which feature immature-looking, skinny, well-hung young men age 18 to 25. The more brutal and extreme the sex they engage in, the more the scene or film will sell. And since there are always 3,000 or 4,000 more young men turning 18 ever year, clamoring to get their chance at adult stardom, studios have no incentive to treat their stars well. It’s a chew-’em-up, spit-’em-out business.”
There are no statistics on just how many socioeconomically-challenged youth have previously had gay porn experience any more than there are on just how many socioeconomically-privileged youth have performed in gay porn. But the ones, who tipped the edge, who didn’t quite find the pot-o-gold at the end of the rainbow are the themes that Radford massages in ways that are both subtle, obvious and, at times, excessive and that makes Twink watchable in ways that are alternately hypnotic and repulsive.
San Diego LGBT Weekly spoke with the young, British filmmaker to find out what drives him to speak about this throw-a-way culture.
LGBT Weekly: From the outside looking in, it looks like a couple of good friends having fun making movies, but it’s so much more than that, isn’t it?
Wade Radford: Surprisingly, I make LGBT films, but I’m not generally a fan of LGBT art house or Indie! I seem to have an odd attraction to exploitation/grindhouse that usually is enjoyed by heterosexual men! If I had to pick an LGBT film, and as I say, I rarely watch them, My Own Private Idaho would get my vote. I liked Gus Van Sant’s style with that one and, of course, River Phoenix was iconic.
You display a viciously comical sense of humor. I’m specifically thinking of the point, about 15 minutes into the picture, where you are setting up the audience for the. Was that what your experience was like?
I have never starred in pornography even though that does seem to be widely assumed. I suppose when you’re in films called Boys Behind Bars and Twink you get the reputation. Love it! I made Twink purely for the education of 18-year-old-boys who can now be porn stars from their bedrooms!
Well, you have insights that speak specifically to the realities of life for many twink stars. Where do you draw upon those insights if you’ve never actually done gay porn?
Look at the LGBT community. The dream … The uneducated dream of boys who’ve never been told any better! I have friends who are in porn and that’s fine and I don’t take issue with it. I take issue with the exploitation of boys who do not know the commitment to such ‘art’, the commitment they will carry with them forever. I resent and condemn the big companies who clearly exploit for major bucks (e.g. Helix Studios, BoyCrush, AsiaBoys, French Twinks, etc.) Young men who have no clue! I condemn the [ads] by pornography Twitter accounts and Web sites that are aimed at seriously young, just-turned 18-year-old boys, enticing them with the promise of getting paid to fuck! Porn is a business and that’s fine. I know many happy bods working in porn who get paid fairly and who are looked after. But, come on. These 18-year-olds are just little babes. They don’t know of the options out there. They only know what they’re told: they’re thin, blonde meat! My story, Twinks, shows the retirement of a used and not-so-sexy boy whose done by the time he’s approaching his mid-20s … what ever shall he do next I wonder?
In your picture, your character, Kayden Daydream, has become an alcoholic who passes his time in a marijuana-induced haze, living in a bitter fog. Is that what you’ve seen happen to your friends who’ve done twink porn?
Some, yes. But as an actor and writer, I like to think I can place myself in the shoes of ‘that person.’ Look around the Internet. It’s just full of those whose self-esteem has been slammed, fed the dope and worse, are now daddy’s bitches. I repeat what I’ve said: Pornography is a business. I do not take issue with porn. I take issue with the exploitation of another man’s wallet! Yes, I do believe when pornography ends and you’re moneyless and wondering what you’ll do next, that probably could leave you bitter and depressed. To your question, yes I’ve seen/met those people. It’s all such fun when the world admires you, wants you, needs you. But we all have our day, don’t we? My clear message is not that you shouldn’t do porn. My one and only message is: Is it right for you? What options do you have? Can you carry it with you forever?
Another message – one that is certainly not original in the context of a documentary – but that comports with the themes of Twink is this idea of exploitation. You deftly weave the two together. Can you talk about the exploitation of these young kids vs. the exploitation of the documentarian filming you?
Reality television! Don’t we just love it? We see it all the time, as soon as you enter the singing competition, the reality challenge, filmed 24 hours a day or a fly on the wall! That shits even gonna make you or break you! Yet again the performance you give to the cameras you’ve got to live with it! Even on our mainstream TV channels we’ve seen it destroy lives and do they care? Of course they don’t! By the time Kayden had worked through the interview he knew what he’d done and now all that was to do was to finish it off in the most shocking style imaginable! The documentarian once again was only there for his own pocket. He cared not for Kayden/Quinn or his story. He wanted a fast buck, a controversial TV interview to air and a ladder for climbing his own way up to the top, exploiting and crushing his young subject. Quinn knew this throughout Twink. The cameras, the media, the papers, the radio. They’re all there to earn. It does not matter what it does to the animals taking part!
How does Quinn/Kayden’s relationship change with the documentarian throughout Twink?
I think at first Quinn’s intentions were honest – to tell his story – and he then started getting more and more pissed off as the documentarian who becomes pushy and shows the exploitative colors he really possessed. I then think Quinn sharply took a quick revert back to his Kayden persona and thought: “I’ve had enough. If this ass wants a show, I’ll give him a show!
He tries repeatedly to seduce the documentarian. Is that what he’s doing – Quinn/Kayden – or is he simply giving people what he thinks they want?
I think by that point he’s using it as the only power he knows. Or used to know. It’s all a part of the show. His intentions at first were good and then it took a damaging turn back to ‘Kayden’s final show’ if you will!?
So let’s talk about that final scene. Was that, in your eyes, the only logical conclusion for what should happen to Kayden/Quinn?
No, of course not! If I had my time again, would I have done the same ending? I don’t think so! With a lot of our films being ad-libbed, things happen that, at the time they seem awesome. The effect would still have been strong, but the way in which, I think I’d have attempted something a bit different. But hey, some people will love it and others won’t. I’ve heard varied opinions.
What might you have done?
I don’t want to give out spoilers for the ending, so I’m not sure how best to answer this. Let’s just say the outcome would have been the same, but I think something more subtle yet with the same sort of powerful emotions you saw.
What sort of reaction are you expecting from the gay adult community if/when they should happen upon Twink? What conversations would you like to see taking place?
The gay adult scene can do with it, make of it, or think of it what they like! I made it mainly for impressionable teenagers; some would argue it may not be suitable for teens to be watching. I beg to differ. I see Twink as an educational film above all else. Some may think I’m barking for thinking of it that way, but hey hum! From Twink and in general we need to give young gay men a chance, a chance to be educated, know what they’re in for, to make damn sure these companies are being responsible for the lives and welfare of their employees and that a young gay man can see both sides of the coin and ask: Is this my life? If it is, good luck, good health and good wishes. If not? Go and do something else with your life that will exude your well-being and make use of all of your talents! Everyone has a choice. I am neither for nor against. I’m simply stating one must make informed, educated decisions.
Twink was released for general consumption Nov. 18. To purchase a copy, click here.
