Devolution it seems, it more than just the inspiration for an 80’s new wave band. It is the word the may be used to best describe the state of pornography. Webster’s defines “devolution” as “:retrograde evolution : DEGENERATION.” Those of us who have been around for a while have watched porn evolved from a struggling art form that had to be hidden from view to a multi-billion dollar industry with such mainstream appeal that its stars are used to sell tennis shoes. We’ve seen low end loops turn to low budget films. We’ve seen video cameras give us the vast wasteland of the late 80’s. We’ve seen gonzo movies shot for raincoater fans, we’ve seen soft-core made for couples. We’ve seen DVD revolutionize porn and we’ve seen reality TV creep into the industry just as it has taken over mainstream entertainment.
Mainstream reality TV has ‘progressed’ (or rather degenerated) from Jerry Springer to “Survivor” to “Jackass” and finally to something called “Bumfights” For those of you who may have missed the latter, it is a video that features a crew of young men enticing homeless men to fight for cash. To call it disturbing and juvenile would be too kind for this sort of soulless ‘entertainment.’ As it often does, porn has taken the lead from mainstream and has begun producing more edgy reality-porn.
When “Shane’s World” started introducing elements that seemed to combine “Jackass” with porn, people just smiled. After all, porn chicks streaking through the streets is funny. Other elements popped up though, mostly on the web, that were more disturbing. One of the most popular porn sites of late is “BangBus” where a group of young men drive a van around picking up ‘strangers’ to see how far they can take it. The whole thing is staged misogyny for those who like watching cackling frat-boy morons humiliate low end porn girls. The popularity of the site has created a market filled by several imitators.
Into this crap-friendly environment comes the latest entry. On www.simplyjimmd.com, it was reported that a young porn performer took place in something called BumFucks. She was allegedly taken out in a van with no instructions as to what was in store for her. When the producers of this project found a suitable homeless man, the female talent was “pressured” to perform various acts on the unwashed homeless man, including licking his dirty asshole. This was reportedly not just one of the scary looking male performers who often look homeless and unwashed, but a real, and untested bum.
Reaction to this story couldn’t have been stronger if we had actually seen the alleged scene already. People throughout the industry have condemned the scene and are more than ready to draw the proverbial line at this kind of video. In the scramble to judge the material, no one has yet been able to uncover or release the names of those involved. After first looking to internet wild man Wanker Wang as the possible culprit, sources now report that it that it was actually former Anabolic director and “Rough Sex” creator Kahn Tusion who is behind “Bumfuck.”
Keeping in mind that these are simply allegations and speculations at this point, one has to wonder why anyone would bring this sort of heat down upon themselves. If, and I did say if, it’s Tusion, then perhaps we can understand. In 2000, he created a huge stir with “Rough Sex” and “Rough Sex 2” from Anabolic. The movies broke down barriers which had always existed between B & D and sex. Though widely bashed as over the line, Tusion was unapologetic about what he had created. Anabolic cancelled the line and has stayed out of the rough sex trade even as other companies produce movies with even harder scenes than those which made Tusion a target just three years ago. Given his past work and knack for shocking self-promotion, Bumfucks is the kind of thing that Tusion just might consider shooting. Would he actually shoot it? That’s a different story altogether.
Given the extreme nature of the scene, the strong backlash and the names associated with the story, one has to wonder if it’s just a really great promotional tool. For every dozen voices screaming out that this is the end of porn as we know it, there are a few people ready to plunk down their 19.95 to see what the fuss is all about. If it’s real, then an untested performer is reason for everyone to be concerned. If undue “pressure” was used to get the female performer to comply, then someone needs to remind talent that they need to pack their common sense in their scene-bags. If such scenes are really going to be shot, then perhaps a line has been crossed and the voices that rise in protest are justified. On the other hand, if it’s just a really juicy rumor and some unapologetic promotion, then perhaps we should all feel like a bunch of “dumbfucks.”
