Keepin’ It Real: AmateurAnd Reality-Themed Porn

Benji Lovari takes a look at the closely related amateur and reality-themed porn genres.

As we begin 2016, amateur porn content and reality-themed porn both continue to be very popular gay adult genres. Dozens of gay porn sites and studios now make amateur and reality-themed porn content, so this month we’ll take a look at some of the most interesting examples.

REALITY-THEMED PORN

During the last decade, reality TV has  emerged as a powerful new force in mainstream television. During the same period, amateur porn sharing sites have become a popular and disruptive presence in adult entertainment. For as long as it has existed, the gay porn industry has managed to survive (and often to thrive) by continually reinventing itself. When new pop culture trends or new media technologies come along, the industry does its best to co-opt them. In response to mainstream reality TV and amateur video sharing, the amateur and reality-themed porn genres were born. They aren’t always 100% real or amateur, of course, but neither were the mainstream versions that inspired them. Luckily, porn fans don’t seem to mind as long as the fantasies achieve a moderate level of believability.

There are now at least three sub-genres of reality porn: porn reality series intended for mainstream cable broadcast; competitive porn series that mimic or lampoon mainstream shows; and reality sites that specialize in specific scenarios such as straight-to-gay conversions, public sex, revenge porn, etc.

Zhoom and Crunch Academie were two of the first gay porn series made for mainstream audiences and both of them were produced for French cable TV by Menoboy. Zhoom debuted in 2010 on France’s Pink TV network and it starred nine attractive, 18 to 30-year-old gay men. The men were divided into two teams, with each team living together in its own house. Each day the show’s host Carlo Sata would assemble everyone for new challenges that  tested speed, agility, and general knowledge. The basic format was similar to other competitive reality TV shows. Every day one person had to be eliminated, but the winner of each day’s challenges was given immunity.

Behind the scenes, the show’s hunky contestants did their best to forge strategic alliances. Before long, bedhopping had become the sport of choice and Menoboy’s hidden cameras were there to capture it all for posterity. After the mainstream series completed its cable TV run, Menoboy released an XXX version online. You can pick up the XXX version (Le Face Caché de Zhoom) for around € 9. If you don’t have a region-free DVD player that can convert between formats, you can watch the DVD on a computer or else get a streaming video subscription at Zhoom for unlimited access. It’s € 25 for the first month but then just € 10 per month thereafter.

In 2011 Crunchboy Studios did another gay reality series in France called Crunch Academie. This time the premise involved 16 porn star hopefuls competing for money and a chance to jumpstart their porn careers.

North American gay porn studios began making mainstream porn reality shows at about the same time as the studios in France. In 2010, Ashton Nils debuted Hollywood 201, a gay porn reality series that followed the lives of four guys in West Hollywood who were trying to develop porn careers as they dealt with daily life and had crazy West Hollywood adventures. The debut episode was heavily panned and the show was never picked up by a cable network. Nonetheless, the show’s team completed the first season and you can watch it online at the official website. Like many new series, it actually got better as it progressed.

Recently Broke Straight Boys produced a mainstream porn reality series that was aired on Here TV. Like Zhoom, the Broke Straight Boys series also had an online XXX counterpart.

Reality Series that are only intended for porn audiences have had more success than the mainstream variety. In fact, some are now up to their fifth seasons. Dominic Ford’s So You Think You Can Fuck? is a great example. Cocky Boys has had success in the reality-porn genre, too, with titles such as Project Go Go Boy and Road Strip – and the new series called Meet the Morecocks that is now on the way.

Reality sites that cater to specific fantasies often achieve a sense of reality by creating situations during filming that are unpredictable and which elicit very authentic reactions from the performers. An element of risk or subterfuge can help to keep the performers off balance, which can sometimes lead to very good performances. Some sites that appear to do this include  Unglory Hole, Out In Public, Gay Violations, Czech Hunter, Bait Bus, Boys On The Prowl, and Project City Bus. Many of these involve public sex and you can sometimes see passersby inadvertently catching the models in the act during filming.

Some specialty reality porn sites are more cautious, relying instead on good production techniques and believable performances to create their illusion. Sketchy Sex, Haze Him, and Fraternity X are three good examples. Rather than trying to fool people, they simply do their best to create a believable fantasy that makes it very easy for viewers to suspend their disbelief.

AMATEUR PORN

A lot of the reality sites we just talked about can also be considered amateur in some respects. That’s because there’s a lot of crossover between the two genres. The most authentic type of amateur porn is probably the homemade video content found on amateur sharing sites like Xtube. However, there are also professionally produced subscription sites that exclusively feature amateur performers such as the Australian site Amateurs Do It.  Other examples include Club Amateur USA and Czech Gay Casting.

If you’re into military men, there are a number of sites that feature authentic ex-military performers. However, the same guys sometimes end up doing a large number of scenes at these sites, which basically turns them into professionals. One site that’s different is Awol Marines. Awol Marines has thousands of amateur porn recordings made by amateur porn legend Bobby Garcia. Captured on home video in San Diego, Bobby’s recordings feature real U.S. Marines. The content was filmed over many years, but you’ll rarely see the same guys more than twice. When you see Bobby’s unedited, continuous filming style (not to mention the guys themselves) you will immediately understand why there’s no question as to the authenticity of this site’s amateur videos!

Sometimes porn sites with make-believe premises will keep things real by using lots of amateur models. A couple of good examples are Gay Pawn and Boys Halfway House. At Gay Pawn, a gay pornographer has rented a retail space and set up a functioning pawn shop. Whenever a hot straight guy who desperately needs money shows up, the director offers him whatever cash he needs – but only if he’ll agree to have gay sex on camera. At Boys Halfway House, a group of randy delinquents are forced to deal with the sexual advances of the older men who run the facility. It’s not real, of course, but the sites do a good job of making it making it believable.

For free amateur content, Tumblr remains one of the best sources. You can Google “Amateur Gay Tumblr” or add “Tumblr” to the end of more specific search terms to find just about anything. Some good amateur pages to get you started include Amateur Gay Lovin, Cottager, Amateur Are The Hottest, Homemade Gay Porn, Public Cruiser, & Homogazm.

Reddit can also be a fun source for amateur porn. There are lots of reddit discussions dedicated to amateur content such as Gay Bros Gone Wild, Gaymers Gone Wild, Amateur Gay Videos, Homemade Gay Porn, Nutty Butt Gay Porn, Amateur Hot Twinks, and Authentic Guys.

If you’re looking for sexy images that are more safe for work, you’ll find some cute pics  available at Gaymers Gone Mild, Gay Bros Gone Mild, and Gay Bros Gone Cuddly.