Chi Chi LaRue : Unmascara-ed (Part II)

(Editor's Note: I had the chance to talk with Chi Chi LaRue recently and we had a wide-ranging discussion on everything from his early years to his views on racism in the Gay Porn Industry. This is the second half of that interview. Please note that the interview has been edited slightly for continuity's sake.

MOC: Now, a couple of months ago, probably four months ago, you came out with a video and now a website - SafeSexIsHotSex.com. Why now? And who is your audience?

CC: Well, it's not really 'now.' It's been something I've been basically been doing since I started. I can probably say that I was a huge influence on people like Chuck Holmes and William Higgins and John Travis back in the days when I was working at Catalina to get them to use condoms in the beginning. And, you know, that's been my mantra ever since. You know, I'm (Chi Chi drops her voice and mimics the sultry vamp) the Safer Sex Girl. And if you watch my movies, my movies are dirty. They're fabulous. They're sexy. But they're all safer sex movies.

MOC: Was there something in particular that triggered in you the idea to say, "Hey we need to put a video out there in public..."

CC: Yeah, we're putting people at risk on sex. We were taking boys and girls and asking them to do things that were, you know, a risk. That's why I stopped working for Vivid. They wouldn't let me use condoms anymore.

MOC: So, knowing everything we've been through since the AIDS crisis began, what are your thoughts on why people continue to produce movies - other than the financial incentive. You have these young kids who are engaging in extremely risky behavior and sales are going through the roof from these videos.

CC: Yeah, but that's because people don't want to be told what to do. And if mommy tells you not to smoke cigarettes, you're gonna sneak behind the garage and smoke a cigarette. It's because you're told not to. So, people want to do things that...when you're told not to do something or things get drilled into your head, makes, I guess, people want to do them more. It's just that I find…I feel "Bareback" movies are a fetish. They're like toe-sucking movies. They're like, uh, you know, spanking movies. They're a fetish. And it's really kind of a fetish that I feel is dying now because it's kind of, it's so everywhere and the people that are doing it are really not attractive or so young that, you know, it's almost illegal to watch them. And, you know, it's just kind of...boring. You know? It's becoming more and more boring. People want…people like to watch that and be able to say it kind of, like, "Ew, it's exciting." We're watching something that shouldn't be happening. And once they see that and they see that it's not good and that the productions aren’t that good, and it's filmed with a light bulb and shot by a shaky person on crystal meth. Um, you know, it's, it's kinda, they'll want to go back to productions of value. So, you know, I don't know of any bareback companies that are making anything super slick. Maybe you could tell me. I don't know. I don't watch them, so...

MOC: Well, they are a couple of names. I wouldn't say "slick' at all. I know that Treasure Island Media...

CC: They're not slick.

MOC: They're not slick. They're very hotel room-ish, if you will, for lack of a better term.

CC: Like I said, filmed with a light bulb and yeah, yeah.

MOC: But they are also very, uh, very big in their market. They're...

CC: Yeah, of course! Treasure Island Media and, um, Hot Desert Knights, they're big in they're markets. I mean, I believe, you know, in freedom of speech and the right to do things and they can do them. But I don't have to support them or watch them or not talk bad about them. I'm going to give my opinion, you know, my opinion is that people should watch movies that portray safer sex and that are protecting models, the boys that do these movies. It's like anything. It's like if somebody starting working at a welding company. And this welding company you went to work for said: "Yes. We weld things here. And there's lots of hot sparks and we don't use gloves or goggles at this welding company. So, you're next. Start welding that beam of steel and, yeah, you might get a spark in the eye or burn off a finger but that's the risk you take if you're going to work here as a welder. It's the same exact thing. I think you need to protect the people that work for you.

MOC: Now you have won, if not every award that GAYVN has put out, certainly many of them.

CC: Yes, I've won many.

MOC: Do you think it's sometimes has what I call the "Opposite Susan Lucci" effect? That you've won so many of these things that, that they kind of lose their luster?

CC: Well, yeah, kind of. For me, I don't need to win "Best Director" anymore. I want the people that work for me to win the awards. This year, I was so excited when my nephew, who did the music for my "Link" video, won the "Best Music” award. That was the award that I wanted this year. It was for my straight nephew in  Minnesota who I flew to San Francisco for the awards to win an award. And he did. And it was really exciting and really cool.

MOC: Alright now onto the subject that you knew I would talk about it. I want to start with something and basically....

CC: Well, you ask the question and I'll answer it...it's so, it's hard for me to answer them because, like I said,  I don't feel that it applies to me and my company. So, I mean...go ahead, ask.

MOC: Well, part of the reason why I'm getting your views and thoughts is because you are so iconic. If I were to ask, say, Phil Bleicher at Flavaworks what his spin would be is through a prism of a niche company. You're the...the biggest, you know? You're up there...Um, about a year ago, in one of my temper tantrums, I found an ad for Sean Cody that asked for the "All-American" boy-next-door look: White or Caucasian need only apply. What do you think of that?

CC: What do I think of that?

MOC: What do you think of someone who, although it’s his business and he's certainly entitled to do whatever he wants, the idea that somehow "All-American" equates with being white?

CC: That's what the general public would think. I think if you took a poll there would probably be a pretty high number of what people would think. It would be the quintessential, All-American boy. It would be somebody from Oklahoma or  Montana . Off the farm. With perfect muscles. No steroids. Beautiful creamy white skin and curly, sun-bleached hair. You know, muscles from lifting tractors (he laughs). You know, Abercrombie. That would be what America

. I mean he's just, like, this big, strappin' gentle giant that is just dee-lish. So, you know, you put that in front of anybody and no one balks at, no one says....listen, I look at it like this if someone says that I look sexually attractive being overweight transvestite and they said, "No," I can't get mad at that. You know, it's what I am. If you're black or you're Asian or you're old, if you're into older guys, you know, it's what everybody looks at as what they're attracted to. And you really can't get mad at people for that because that's, you know, that's what they like

would think of it as being the "All-American" boy. I mean I just like all boys. So when people ask me what my type is, I say "yes." Because I like 'em all. I like big guys. I like little guys. I like young guys. Older guys. I like all men of any ethnicity. I'm a equal opportunity gal so it's very hard for me to pick or to say what is "hot" and what's not. I mean, I like everything. Eddie Diaz was under contract to me and he left his contract - we let him out of his contract - and, um, still love him, still work with him but he, I believe, just signed a contract with Randy Blue. That's very cool. He's (Eddie) not the Randy Blue norm and, you know, Randy Blue has this other delicious black guy that he uses that's fabulous and I'm hoping to be able to use him in upcoming movies...I was hanging out with Blake Riley who is a beautiful, beautiful boy. So, you know, but I mean...Aaron Ridge, you can't get any hotter than Aaron Ridge.

MOC: But the converse could be argued. You could say, alright, you're right. You've can't force what I feel should be a more multicultural approach to Gay Porn. But at the same time, how are we ever going to...

CC: Porn could change the world if we could do that...

MOC: I'm working on trying to do that...

MOC: Just getting back to this one last thing...Um, so we have these norms and that's the what they really are, they're norms. They're.not your norms, per se, but the studio system is saying: This is what the Porn Star of Today looks like and he happens to be white, in general, hairless, muscular. How do black, Hispanic, Asian, Pacific Islander, any other ethnicity or race, hairy, older. How do they get in? How do they break that ceiling? What happens, then, is that you have what I call the "niche-ization" of porn where you have all these web sites and studios like Tiger Tyson and you have your Hispanic Latinboyz.com and some other studios...

CC: Well, there's obviously somebody who likes that stuff. So, I mean, it's, it does good. . I know in  Europe what''s the most popular stuff is the Arabian guys. It's HUGELY popular in Europe. So it's just...you know, all I can do as someone who makes movies and doesn't necessarily want to lump people into different areas. But I'm also a smart businessperson. I know that a title like "Black Meat/White Meat" is going to sell. The "Blackballed" series that I do, that sells. You know, people love those. They love it! So I don't think there's anything wrong with those. I think that they're great. They serve a purpose. They're fantasy. It's a huge fantasy. I mean, you know, a lot of people will maybe tell you that they're not into something and that's their fantasy. That's their dirty little secret. You know, guys who want to put on a pair of little, lace panties. It's their dirty little secret. You know, so, I mean all I've got to do as someone that doesn't want to be perceived that way is to just cast a movie with hot guys and if one of them happens to be black or one of them happens to be Asian. Or Latin. So be it. That's all I can do.

 

Comments

[Tré Xavier]

Men Of Color, Let me refer to a part of the interview to help make my point:

MOC: But the converse could be argued. You could say, alright, you're right. You've can't force what I feel should be a more multicultural approach to Gay Porn. But at the same time, how are we ever going to...

CC: Porn could change the world if we could do that...

What disturbed me about that part of the dialogue was that Chi Chi seemed to act as if we're powerless in our changing people's perceptions for the better. Well. correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Chi Chi trying to change perceptions with his point about how all porn companies should use condoms. He says the companies should protect their models, BUT THEIR MODELS ARE ADULTS. They are capable fo making their own decisions, and if that actor doesn't want to make a bareback film, he doesn't have to, just as I have used my adult brain and decided not to.
So with that in mind, I'm troubled by Chi Chi's statement because it's hypocritical. He tries to use his power to undo the perception that some comapnies don't need condoms, yet acts as if no one in the porn industry has the power to change the racist perception of how "All-American" equates to all White. That may have been an OK perception during slavery and pre-Civil Rights movement, but it is 2008. It's time to stop being lazy asses, and live by the lyrics that say, "If there is to be peace on Earth, then let it begin with me." So if he was really willing to better the perception of "All-American", he could. Sean Cody could. Anyone could. Simply by becoming another link in the chain you are starting, Men Of Color.

[MOC Blog]

You make five minutes worth four years.

Love,
Victor

[hornydiablo]

Great interview!

Chi Chi is one smart cookie and has been in the game long enough to know that diversity isn't just a good policy, it sells products. (Just ask Nike, Coke, and McDonalds.)

As for the term, "all-American" I don't take much issue with it since porn needs a catch-phrase for every category and "clean-cut Caucasian males between the ages of 18 to 25" doesn't exactly roll off the tongue.

Tre: If you can come up with a short label for the SeanCody niche to replace "all-American," let's start using it. And yes, porn and pornstars require labels.

Back to the topic of $$$, it should be noted that two of 2007's biggest studio pictures (Grunts, and Chi Chi's Link V) were not only racially/ethnically diverse, but 2 of the best-selling videos that also went on to win GAYVN Awards (Best Picture, and Best All-Sex.) It's stiff competition that matches and often beats Falcon, Bel Ami, etc. This is one of best arguments for more men-of-color in porn.

[Tré Xavier]

I have no desire to give a label to the Sean Cody niche, because by showing no interest in displaying the variety that makes up this great country, they obviously don't want the business of someone who is multi-ethnic loving like myself. To show how I stand by this statement, at the time when the blog about Sean Cody's ad was 1st posted, I was in Sean Cody's afiiliate program. After seeing that ad, I took his banner off my website's Favorite Links page. And I may soon be taking more off for the same reason.

[Ben Marksman]

Here's my thoughts on diversity in porn. I hope to have it, and not just because it's a conscious decision, but because diversity is just a fact. Think about it; if a director says that " I want x amount of white guys, x amount of black guys, x amount of latin guys, x amount of asian guys," there's an inherent bias at work there too because that person is separating people very obviously. I would rather look at a guy as being HOT first, his ethnicity would be secondary if even important. I mean, conceivably if one were to count types in a film ( which I can't understand doing either), I would hope that there's a broad range just because that's life on this planet and part of our human experience. Again, diversity is not a niche. Just look around us. I do want to show it in my films because that's life and fact and not because I'm trying to make a statement. If someone who might be biased walks away with "wow that was hot" attitude towards looking at someone they classified as a "type" they normally don't like, then that's great and something's been accomplished. But, the only way to end racism in any capacity is for people to view others as being all part of a broad human race without classifying them first as an ethnic type. That doesn't mean you can't appreciate cultural differences, but again it's about seeing the person first as a person and not as one who falls into a category.

[MOC Blog]

It's very easy, Ben, to believe that at one point black people, Latin people, etc. were forced to create their own sites/stations/blogs because of their appreciation of the LACK of diversity. No one, naturally, wants to force one's view of diversity on another but to continue to be mired in this notion that "amateur college boys" or "All-American" boys are the exclusive domain of white, twenty-something, mostly hairless, muscular white males is not only short-sighted but, frankly, oddly...um...not racist...nativist!