Cover photo a screenshot from Conor Coxxx’s Twitter page.
Since revenue streams for the traditional porn industry plummeted with the boom of online porn, directors, production companies, and studios have looked for ways to stay in business. Often this translated to their willingness to try anything new with enough shock value to attract paying customers.
We’ve seen this desperation contribute to the rise of hardcore violent and abusive films portrayed as normal, every day, consensual, loving sex.
Now, as if the porn industry has tried every last combination of woman meets man and a few more join in, change is coming to the one archetype we never thought they’d alter: the trope of the male porn star.
Related: How The Porn Industry Hijacks Natural Sexual Curiosity And Hooks Teens
To say that there’s only been one male porn performer aesthetic disregards how wide the medium stretches. Often, producers pair “average-looking” guys with above-average women to fulfill the conventional porn consumer’s fantasy of having someone “out of their league.” For example, Ron Jeremy’s shocking ability to maintain popularity since the 1970s is the perfect example of this. Porn consumers watched him age from his hairy youthfulness to dad bod with even more hair.
Despite the occasional exception to the rule, many films feature one type: tall, muscular, dominating, masculine. Even if Ron Jeremy didn’t fit the appearance of the “ideal” man, he did have the latter quality in spades. Porn performers tend to ooze masculinity.
Introducing “scrawny chic”
Masculinity and muscles are old news, apparently. Skinny guys who look like teenagers are the new porn performer ideal. (And can you guess what kind of audience this switch-up is trying to appeal to?)
VICE spoke with 28-year-old Conor Coxxx—a performer whose specialty is fauxcest videos with “mommy and son,” and “brother and sister” themes—who knows he doesn’t look like “other” porn performers. He’s described in the article this way:
“He doesn’t tower over his co-star, he doesn’t exude normative masculinity, and he’s dominated because he’s a tiny man in the arms of a woman of average stature.”
Related: YouTube Removes Explicit Webcam Site Ads From Kids’ Videos
Ironically, it’s his shaggy hair, thin body, and lack of looming height that make him stand out. This is a different look and attitude. Not only does Coxxx look like a ordinary guy, the token signs of dominating masculinity are nowhere in site. He says he’s always looked years younger than he is and knows these things make him different, but he’s not alone as others with a similar aesthetic are more and more successful finding acting work in porn films.
The response from consumers shows more men find a less intimidating body type engaging and relatable, making it easier for a guy to imagine themselves as the star of the show. And if the guy looks like a high schooler, or younger, doesn’t that pave the way for younger guys to have their porn fantasies catered to?
No “ideal” body type
As a largely visual medium, porn tells men (and also women) that if they look like the actors on screen then they too can have these fantasy-grade sexual experiences. This is how the porn industry contributes to the rising standard of the “ideal” male as it has for decades.
Now, in the same way our society praises skinny girls, muscular guys tend to be more admired. The sense of “too big” isn’t really a thing, unless it refers to some types of curves or body types. And when it comes to biceps or even a porn performer’s genitals, the message seems to be the “bigger the better.”
Related: Google Removes Dozens Of Kid-Friendly Apps Because Of Porn Malware
Introducing skinny guys who don’t necessarily dominate the same as other male performer types may seem like a good-intentioned change, and does up the body diversity factor throughout porn content. But reading positively into this any further is a mistake.
It’s no secret that porn fuels negative self-esteem and inspires high levels of body dissatisfaction, especially in men. And seeing this shift in body types in porn, and hoping that it’s to help men feel more confident, is a bit too optimistic. This is the porn industry we’re talking about. Scrawny chic is more of a marketing ploy to attract and excite younger consumers than it is a genuine desire to encourage male body positivity.
And if it’s not to attract a younger viewing audience, featuring younger-looking performers caters to a culture that sexualizes teens and pre-teens. Either option doesn’t look good for the porn industry.
No one can live up to being the “perfect” man, because there’s no such thing. We’ve talked about porn being a fantasy, damaging both to your sex life and relationships. Let’s add this to the list. Porn fantasizes an impossible ideal and then tries to make it even relatable, just to keep you in the fantasy longer and keep appealing to younger audiences.
