Entertainment :: Movies
Porn’s Master Debaters
(Continued from Page 2)by Sam Baltrusis RON JEREMY, porn king
What’s up with porn legend Ron Jeremy and his affinity for Bible-thumping evangelicals? Appearing in over 1,800 adult films and directing more than 100 more, the 54-year-old icon--known for his uncanny ability to autofellate--first befriended televangelist Tammy Faye Messner while filming VH1’s "The Surreal Life." The two became fast and furious friends.
And now, headlining "The Great Porn Debate" at a handful of clubs and theaters scattered throughout the northeast, he’s hanging out with anti-porn pastor Craig Gross.
Jeremy’s partner in porn believes the adult movie star subconsciously longs for a simpler life. "There’s a side of him that wants a little bit of my life," admits Gross. "The question is, do I want a little bit of his life? The answer is no, I’m quite content with my world and life. What’s so interesting about this arrangement is that we’re a contrast of complete opposites."
In a candid interview with EDGE, Jeremy talks about his final conversation with his "Surreal Life" costar Messner, his swinger lifestyle and, of course, the topic that made the former special education teacher a household name ... the size of his package.
Q: I hear you were defending Craig on Mancow’s radio show. True?
JEREMY: Mancow is a friend of mine. I mean, I was at his wedding for gosh sake. He’s been on FOX News a couple of times and now, all of sudden, he’s jumped on the conservative bandwagon. When it comes to sexual issues, he’s a switch hitter. His whole thing is to encourage controversy and animosity because that means higher ratings. So yes, I defended the pastor and he defended me when Mancow started calling me the devil.
Q: Why did he call you the devil?
JEREMY: Because I’m an advocate of the swinger lifestyle. I believe you can have multiple partners and still have an emotional connection with one person. I have relationships just like everybody else. But, in the porn world, you have to separate emotions from the physical and Mancow was getting all worked up over the topic.
Q: During ’The Great Porn Debate,’ do you try to be obnoxious and vulgar just to shock people?
JEREMY: I’m actually not obnoxious or vulgar onstage. It’s quite the opposite. Craig talks about dirtier stuff than I do. He’ll talk about double anal and double vaginal and I try to keep my dialogue clean. I can get my point across more successfully if I’m not vulgar.
Q: So, do you ever get tired talking about your dick?
JEREMY: I still get a kick out of it. I look at it this way, if flew planes for a living I probably would have a lot of airplane jokes. If I worked in a supermarket, I would have jokes about food. With my line of work? Dick jokes. In fact, while I’m talking to you right now, my penis is out parking the car. My friends may get tired of me joking about my dick, but I never do.
Q: You developed an unusual bond with the late, great Tammy Faye Messner on VH1’s ’The Surreal Life.’ Did you keep in touch with her before her death last month?
JEREMY: Yes, right up until her death. I spoke to her a couple of days before she died. I told her to go out shopping and buy a pair of shoes. She stopped taking the medication and the radiation treatments and put all of her faith in God. During that last conversation, we laughed and joked around a lot. When we were on ’The Surreal Life,’ we had a lot of meaningful conversations that were cut out of the show. They really should’ve left those discussions in.
Q: You’ve left an indelible mark--for better or worse--on pop culture. How would you like to be remembered?
JEREMY: As a guy who lived his life pretty much on his own terms and didn’t step on any toes or hurt anyone to get ahead or make money.
Q: As far as going on the road with an anti-porn crusader, was this something you imagined yourself doing?
JEREMY: Not in a million years.
The Great Port Debate arrives in Boston August 10th, where it plays at the Middle East in Cambridge, and in New York August 11th, where it plays at Symphony Space.
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On the web:
The Great Porn Debate: www.porndebate.com
Craig Gross: http://xxxchurch/07/
Ron Jeremy: www.ronjeremy.com/
Sam Baltrusis has worked for WHDH-TV, CW56, MTV, VH1, Seventeen, Newsweek and as a regional stringer for The New York Times. He’s currently a full-time freelance editor/writer based in Boston. Check out his blog at loadedgunboston.blogspot.com.
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