Devon Hunter

“Zack and Peterson are pleased to welcome a special guest to today’s show. Beaming in from Charlotte, NC is Devon Hunter, who is an adult film actor, escort, and dancer. He’s also an avid writer and blogger who reaches out to educate about the adult entertainment industry and queer culture. Throughout the discussion, we discuss the morality of pornography, its role in queer culture, straight actors who are ‘gay for pay,’ the different ways that people touch each other, and Devon even shares one of his poems with us. Devon is a bright guy with lots of insights to share, and it’s likely this is not his last appearance on Queer and Queerer. Check out Devon’s blog and leave your thoughts and questions!”

- from www.ZackFordBlogs.com (click to hear the 45-minute conversation)

NOTE: Sean Cody revealed my legal name, and they may release yours too!

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This is a three-part blog entry that will give background information about adult video projects and how they operate, so that others will have candid information before they decide that videos are the choice for them or not. I will be honest, and this means it will not be possible for me to sound completely unbiased in some instances. It isn’t my intent necessarily to besmirch anyone, but rather to describe events, so that possibilities aren’t overlooked (e.g. if it happened to me, it’s possible it will happen in a similar manner to you). In part 1, I am going to go line by line and describe the ins and outs of my experience with Sean Cody. In part 2, I am going to compare and contrast my experiences at the four houses for which I have worked thus far. In part 3, I am going to give some practical advice and talk about the advantages of working through an agency.

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Before you make any choices you can’t undo, ask yourself these questions:

1. Why do I want to do porn?
2. What will I gain by doing so, and how will I use this to my advantage?
3. How will it affect my life once I eventually retire?
4. Am I making any choices out of desparation?
5. Who can help me along the path?

Why porn?

There are a variety of answers. Tucker Vaughn knew when he was 16 that he wanted to do it – he was called to it. I don’t know whether he can articulate yet what this calling entailed, but he told me as soon as he saw porn that he knew it was what he wanted to do. As soon as he was of age he started, and he’s been a very busy boy ever since.

I have heard someone say he wanted to be preserved for posterity while he was at the peak of his fitness and male beauty.

I use porn as a free, ongoing form of advertising that I get paid to create. I am not a porn model who sometimes escorts. I am an escort who has done some porn modeling. That difference underlies the reason why I am free to speak so freely and honestly about my experience in the video industry: The threats that I “will never do videos again after that Sean Cody essay” fall flat, because I am doing more videos (tomorrow in fact), and I also don’t consider myself a “porn star.” If I do happen to go on to become a recognized persona in video, awesome. If not, okay.

Every man has his reason for going into the video industry. Know what yours is, and come to peace with it. Own your reason: You won’t be able to avoid telling people forever (if at all), and living with shame is not living.

To what advantage?

This question grows out of the first. Alright, you have decided that you have a reason that can be reconciled with your personal life (even after you stop doing video work): You are going to do adult video. Fine. Once you have identified why you want to do it, you should now consider what you gain from doing so. Let’s look more closely at the three examples from above under the “Why porn?” section.

Are you like Tucker? Do you plan to possibly make an extended career in the video industry? Will doing the porn pay for an education you otherwise couldn’t get, or will it help you understand later how to produce video projects of your own? I don’t know that this is Tucker’s plan, but that is what Christian Owen is doing. It has worked for others in this way, including Kristofer Weston. We are all attracted to our careers for reasons we don’t always understand at first. Do you just need to do porn? If so, know that you can use it in several ways, especially later for a career in production (which can last far longer than a modeling career).

It sounds like a relatively poorly considered reason to me, but doing porn to capture yourself at your prime is valid, I suppose. Couldn’t you just take a Polaroid? But it isn’t my place to judge. If this is your motivation, then pornography essentially forces you to remain in shape for as long as possible. If you are a body builder, does doing porn get you other gigs that help you maintain your life as a (semi-)professional exerciser? I don’t know. I can’t answer this, but I present it here, because I heard it touted as a reason to do porn.

Are you in my position, perhaps? It’s a very common scenario. A significant portion of the escorts I have seen in ads mention that they are also porn models. And let me clarify something while I’m thinking about it: I lose money (in the short term) by doing the shoots. I am paid for them, so the time isn’t lost; however, looking at a strictly dollars:effort ratio… Porn is definitely not my primary concern; however, I understand that the more I stand out, the better I may fare when it is time to connect with clients. But do not fool yourself: Porn (unless you have a series of contracts guaranteeing some regular gigs, paid at generous rates) generally will not support you as easily as a successful escorting practice.

And after?

There is no way to undo porn. Once you finish your video career you will have left behind you the proof of your profession. Before you go into this segment of the industry, you will need to consider what you will do later. Consider where your interests lie, and have a sense of direction when you begin the video career.

Pornography is a vehicle, if you steer it properly; however, there are some roads that will be closed to you. Which route will you navigate then?

Do not lose heart: Pornography is becoming more and more mainstream, and there are many people who simply don’t care if you are/were an adult entertainer. Between the liberalization of our culture and the bad economy, most people will probably end up saying, “Hey, you did what you had to.” You will probably not be able to run for governor (unless the current state of affairs amongst South Carolina’s governor and gubanatorial candidates becomes the norm everywhere).

So, you can forget about the careers where conservative appearances matter, but there are so many other options. I would also make another point: If you are entrepreneurial enough to be in adult entertainment, then you are probably possessed of stout enough heart to continue being independent later. What business would you like to start? I know porn models who have gone on to be landscape designers, accountants, lead mechanics, lawyers, and highly sought after tutors (though these latter two options seem a bit riskier to me, in terms of conflicts of interest).

I love being my own employer. I was miserable as an educator, office worker, and executive assistant. Although I do not have the security of a paycheck coming from a boss, I have so much more control over my destiny that it’s worth the exchange (since I have learned to tolerate the endless adventure). It is deeply satisfying to mold your efforts into your own visions, whatever they might be. Perhaps THAT is the answer to your “Why porn?” question: Use the money to set yourself up in a business as your own boss. When you do the background check on your past employment, you can just overlook the adult entertainment stuff.

Are you desparate?

If you are considering porn simply for fast cash… Well, honestly… You should probably not do it at all. I blogged quite a while back that you should never do anything that causes you guilt, grief, pain, sorrow, regret, or embarrassment. That is still true now.

Who can help you?

You need allies in this business. You need people who are on your side, who care where you are, and who will look out for your best interests. This career is not a choice for the squemish or undecided. Once you jump into this pool, little fishy, the wet footprints will follow you after you’re done swimming.

I want to reiterate what I said in part 2: You should NOT make any agreements or arrangements with recruiters who come looking for you through social networking and/or modeling sites. If someone approaches you, find out if they are recruiting FOR a particular house, of if they are recruiting FROM a particular house. Freelancers, to be frank, are often pirhannas. They do not care about you. They care only about their commissions. And why not? They’ve never met or spoken to you. Why and how should they give a damn if you are okay?

If you do accept work through a site like Model Mayhem (which is how I came to Sean Cody), be very certain that you have accepted work from a representative of the house itself. If you do not, you may find yourself owing a finder’s fee to a recruiter who has done no work, and who may try to claim 10-20% of your pay from every assignment you do at that house (and possibly other houses as well). If you accept an offer from the house directly, you do not have to worry about the recruiter, though you will still be on your own to figure out the contracts. Again, I suggest a reputable agent: An agent would have pointed out the intricacies of my Sean Cody contract.

(Edit, 08/14/2011: I can no longer advocate on behalf of Fabscout. Please disregard that which has been crossed out.)

Yes, there are horror stories about agents who have not done their jobs, and who have ended up cheating or hurting their models. There are agents who don’t call, agents who lie, and others who are flakes. And so I do not come to you saying, “You should get an agent,” and then NOT have one to whom I can refer you.

Without a doubt (and for very good reasons) the staff at Fabscout are easily among the most respected booking agents in gay porn. They have arranged all the assignments I have done since my Sean Cody contract expired, and they have made everything very easy. If you cannot work through Fabscout, then look for an agent who will do everything Fabscout does for me:

1. Contacts you regularly with work – this means the agent is well-connected and proactive.
2. Offers you assignments without pressuring you to take work you do not want – avoid people who try to coerce you to do anything you do not know you are willing to do.
3. Shields you from bareback porn companies – although you can go from condom to bareback, you very often cannot go from bareback to condom. Aside from exposing yourself to risk, you may cut your nose off to spite your face by doing bareback porn.
4. Acts promptly and responsibly on all project details, including transportation, lodging, wardrobe requirements, general appearance guidelines, and fees.
5. Works only with video companies they know to be safe – report problems to your agent, so that they can help you, if needed.
6. Checks to make sure you are en route – this establishes that you are safe, and lets the house know you are definitely on your way.
7. Calls or texts while you are on set to be certain you are happy – this gives you the security of knowing that someone knows where you are, and it holds the house accountable for your comfort and safety.
8. Negotiates with the house and communicates with you about the fee schedule – you should know up front how much you will be paid and what will be required for you to receive your check.
9. Charges a reasonable rate – Fabscout charges me 20%, and I am happy to give it to them. Fabscout is rather like the AAA of gay porn. I don’t mind paying them, because when I need them they are there. Do not pay 20% to an agency that doesn’t match all this effort. Expect to pay more toward 10-15%/project if you sign an on-going contract, rather than working shoot to shoot.
10. Sends an invoice in writing and keeps accurate records – this ensures that everyone knows how much is owed and paid.

Conclusion

Writing this series has been quite the wild ride. I have no regrets. But I do not believe in regret. There are only lessons learned. As you go forward in your Adult Entertainment career, it is imperative that you pay attention. You must take care of yourself, but that doesn’t mean you have to victimize others to protect your interests. I suggest you work sober, treat your appointments, club bookings, and/or shoots with an ethic that will defy the stereotypes associated with the industry, and live from a position of as much transparency as possible. Own your choices, and do not be afraid to speak out when you know you have experienced something that others should be warned against. Even if I have never met you, I want you to know that you can email me, if you need an empathetic response to a question pertaining to your experiences as a purveyor of fantasy and pleasure.

So, the title for this entry is a reference to a song by Michael Jackson from his album Dangerous called “Why You Wanna Trip On Me?” It’s appropriate, because of a situation involving an escort whom I met last weekend in New York City. For almost a year now I have met many great people, both clients and colleagues, but I had yet to meet someone who completely falls into the stereotypical chaos that (until recently?) has been ubiquitously associated with adult entertainment as an industry.

I had finished for the evening last Friday, and I was chatting online. I saw a face I recognized from the online escort ads. He was an escort whom I’d considered hiring a few months ago when I was in Philadelphia, and for whom I had submitted a vote for being the sexiest escort of the year for the 2010 escorting awards. He is amazing in his pictures. Totally mesmerizing. I said hello.

And I should have known from his first response that it was going to be problematic.

I am not going to bother with the details of our meeting in person, but I will say that I am glad I have my process for screening clients. I will expound on this more in a moment. But before I do, I need to take a minute to meditate on the wisdom in the statement, “We create our own reality.”

This escort loathes his work. He said repeatedly, “My clients hate me too, because I’m an asshole.” His clients contact him willy-nilly, and they show up (or not) based on whatever whim. They come at him with expectations that trespass on his sense of self, and he goes along in an inebriated state trying to block it all out. I ended up having to extract myself from the club where we went, just because I was too tired to continuously avoid absorbing his dismay. I had a great trip to New York City, I enjoyed all my clients, and I wasn’t in the mood to have this person bring me down when I had one more day of itinerary left to conclude.

All this brings me to the following list of suggestions. These practices have created a situation where I am content, safe, and happy, and I have offered to share them with this person (who is truly breaking every rule of adult entertainment, but especially Devon’s Platinum Rule). I hope they will help you, if you are unhappy in your escorting practice:

1. Establish contact via email: Escorts, you will do very well to follow this simple suggestion. I cannot stress enough how important it is to be organized and to convey a sense of professionalism. This initial contact sets the tone of your entire interaction. Putting your phone number in your ad allows people to interrupt you at any time, and if you are distracted you will not be able to put the required focus into your conversation. Also, email puts everything in writing, so that you don’t have to memorize conversations. Sort your emails in a way that fits you (I sort mine by US states), and use the search functions on a person’s email to load strings of conversation to refresh your memory as needed. All of this is impossible with phone conversations. Also: Clients who are willing to go back and forth in an email conversation before talking on the phone are the ones you want! They like you enough to engage you verbally. They are excited. They are getting as much information as you are. They have gotten to know you some, and are much less likely to cancel. If they do cancel they will do so (in general) with enough notice not to leave you hanging. I generally do not give a client my phone number until we have confirmed an appointment. BE ORGANIZED.
2. Be certain that you know exactly what is expected before you meet: Seeing someone without having thoroughly discussed the client’s interests and expectations is a way to all but guarantee that you will have a thoroughly wretched time. Know your boundaries, and turn away appointments that are not aligned with what you are willing to do. Agreeing to see a client who wants something you can’t offer without injury to your sense of self will result in disappointments on both sides. You should know that there are forums where clients submit reviews about escorts, and if you provide terrible service others will eventually know and cease calling you.
3. Work sober: Until you have gotten acquainted with a client after a few meetings, you cannot say you truly know anything about him. You should never be intoxicated or inebriated in any way. Ever. Period. If you are meeting a client for the first time in a private place (rather than in a restaurant or public locale), do not accept food or drink that you have not witnessed being opened fresh and made from scratch in your presence. Not only is it completely unprofessional to be drunk/high (and you would do well to avoid clients who are intoxicated, as much as they should avoid you if you are), but your inhibitions will be eroded, and you will not be able to monitor and assess your situation from moment to moment.
4. Respect yourself: It might be a universal truth that people will treat you exactly how you tell them to treat you. And they will know how to interact with you by evaluating how you comport yourself. You must hold yourself dear, so that you will be in a position to be giving to others. When you treat yourself with care and others with grace, they will (nine times out of ten) do the exact same in kind. Adult entertainment is the same as any other business: Professionalism, cleanliness, respect, kindness, and confidence will attract the people who value these traits. You are in charge of your own brand. You must sell it to your target audience. Pick an audience with whom you WANT to work.
5. Take breaks: If ever there was an industry where you have to rest and recover your strength, it is this one. You can give only so much energy before you have to recharge. Escorts who will see clients with almost no notice worry me. How can you possibly be ready in 30 minutes to see someone who hasn’t told you what he wants?? Are you crazy??? You haven’t established that there’s any possibility of rapport between you at all! And escorts who say in their ads that they are available 24/7?? You must look like hell! I am available from noon to midnight, and don’t bother me when I’m sleeping! My goal is to take one weekend off each month, and you’re a fool if you don’t take time away. Burnout is real.
6. Plan ahead and manage your money: I know my itinerary before I ever show up in a city. I am looking for 7 – 12 billable hours on a weekend trip away from home (and only 3-6 billable hours if I stay in Charlotte for the week). I need two billable hours to cover hotel and food; one or two to cover airplane fares; three to amass the money I need that week for bills; and then the difference goes toward savings, projects, and/or spending money. This means of a maximum of 12 billable hours in a weekend (This is one way I avoid burnout!), a quarter of the money goes immediately back into my travel expense account, a quarter goes towards bills, and half goes to me. And THAT is how you divvy your money: Repay travel first, so that if you have a disappointing weekend you can afford to try again the next week. Put aside money to pay your bills next, so that you are not in a weakened financial position at home. But pay the business FIRST! (You can pay your bills late if need be! If you pay them first to be on time after a bad weekend, you won’t have the money to travel!) Finally, PAY YOURSELF. You would be wise to put some of what you have netted after business/bills into savings, some into investments, some into an emergency store of cash, and the rest into something nice for yourself (nice food, new clothes, travel, JEWELRY!!! hahaha). Everything in suggestions 1 -6 are here so that you can obey #7, which is the most important of all:
7. ESCHEW DESPERATION: Do not do anything involving adult entertainment from a position of desperation. EVER. Walk away and do something else. Find some other option to make money or to solve whatever problem is at hand. If you work from a position of disempowerment you risk falling into the pit of despair. It is a deep, dark place, and those who fall in with you will not be there to help you get out. They will not be in a position to do so, and they won’t want to. Create the reality you want for yourself!! Be happy! It’s in your power to do so!

Dear Devon,

I was wondering… Is there anyone who should absolutely not dance? I mean, other than looks wise, is there something about a person that should be a red flag to not get into it? My sister is interested in dancing, but I think she lives too dangerously to be good at it.

- Big Brother

Dear Big Brother,

I can definitely appreciate why you would have trepidation. Aside from the fact that there are negative temptations, potentials for danger, and sharks in the dark waters, this is also your little sister. Perhaps she isn’t all that innocent, but you can’t help but be protective of her, right? It’s natural.

I am not going to dismiss your concerns (because of all the many reasons that should alarm you); however, more than the external influences, the primary fear I have is the part where you say your sister “lives too dangerously.” What does that mean? She rides bicycles without a helmet? Or, if that is the least of your worries, does she have a history of making choices that have put her in with people or practices that are beyond wreckless/careless and bordering/converging on self-destructive?

I can tell you this right now: People who go into adult entertainment because of desperation are walking down a dangerous road. I have said this before, but it bears repeating. People who go into any form of adult entertainment (dancing, videos, sex work, etc.) because of drug habits, alcohol abuse, a sense of hopelessness, suicidal tendencies, or any other form of severe life disruptions are placed at greater risk of making choices that put them directly in the way of harm. If your sister has a preponderance for being drunk or high, she should not go into exotic dancing. There are too many people who will take advantage of that. But I’m altruistic in this detail, perhaps. I know lots of dancers who drink and get high, and who have never been accosted… but still… the risk is so much greater.

Aside from people who would be coming to the career out of desparation, people who have severe self-esteem issues should be careful. If you get affrimation, it may help you (temporarily), but if you get rejection, it may further damage you. It’s probably 50-50 there. Personally, I wish that people of the stripper mentality wouldn’t go into exotic dancing, just because it makes everything more difficult for me. But strippers gotta eat too, I suppose.

Finally, and this is something you have to be truthful to yourself about, if you have any problems with being touched intimately, you should definitely not become an exotic dancer (or any other type of adult entertainer). People with a history of sexual violence or abuse being perpetrated on them should consider carefully whether or not they are emotionally and psychologically able to tolerate sexual touches. There are different types of touch, and you need to be realistic about what you can tolerate, and to what degree.

My Gramma and I were yesterday discussing the salient distinctions between exotic dancers and strippers. One of the points of differentitation for me is desparation, as I stated in one of my first blog posts on this site. If there is desparation, standards get lowered (if they weren’t very high to begin with).

This conversation started after she told me about an incident in the paper about 40 years ago wherein a man and female prostitute were arrested on the street after arguing over her price. Evidently she wanted $200 (in 1970′s dollars), and he thought it too much. Gramma said she was discussing it over lunch one day later that week with her lady friends, and that she’d scandalized them all by saying, “Try as I might, I couldn’t imagine anything I could do that would be worth $200!” I thought it was funny, especially when she followed it up with, “But in all fairness to the lady, I didn’t see the gentleman in question.”

To illustrate my point about desparation, I told Gramma about the following conversation I had with Angel about a year ago. Before I begin, I should point out that Angel always came in with a particular goal in mind. “Well, I gotta make $287 tonight – speeding ticket.” Or another example: “Man, I gotta pull $416 tonight. They put tires on my truck and I said I’d pay ‘em tomorrow.” So… here we go:

“So, what’s your goal tonight, Angel?”
“$312.”
“Why that specific amount? Why not $300 or $325 or $363?”
“Gotta pay my electric bill.”
“Your electric bill?! How the hell do you have a $312 electric bill on a trailer?”
“I have alot of lamps.”
“That’s a LOT of lamps. Why don’t you get some energy efficient bulbs?”
“No, I have to have a particular type of lamp.”
“Do you have vision problems of some kind?”
“No, I was growing pot.”
“Oh… Well… That must have been a helluva lot of pot. Or are you just not very good at growing it?”
“Hell no, man! I grow pot better than anyone I know.”
“Then you must have been growing alof of it.”
“Yeah.”
“I presume you’re going to sell it.”
“Yeah.”
“So then what’s the problem? Why don’t you just sell the pot and pay your electric bill?”
“I smoked all of it.”

Of course that’s not really any more ridiculous than the straight dancers at Swinging Richards who get paid to be sexualized by gay men, in order to have the money to go to the titty bar down the street and give all their tips to the female dancers (who oftentimes turn right around and come to Swinging Richards to give those same dollars back to the same male dancers who’d just spent the money at the titty bar). Jesus. Just because you can breed doesn’t mean you should.