Cybersocket's Top 40: Black Performers Need Not Apply (An Update Part III)

It's remarkable that Cybersocket - an otherwise decent online magazine that purportedly covers the gay porn industry - could come up with a list of the top 40 performers in gay porn for 2010 and not list a single black performer. I suppose we could argue whether Reese Rideout, one of Randy Blue's breakout models and a performer who seemed to have his high watermark in 2009 or Mason Wyler deserve this "honor" so early in 2010. But it's ridiculous that Diesel Washington, Race Cooper, Eddie Diaz, Ty Lattimore, Aaron Ridge, Scott Alexander, Ace Rockwood, Breion Diamond, D'Angelo Jackson or scores of other, lesser models weren't acknowledged. Shame on you, Christian Martere.

   

(UPDATE (07/26): J.C. Adams has a post this morning about the Cybersocket article so, hopefully, others in the industry who may have missed my rant will take up the cause. Please visit J.C. and list your own favorites who deserve to be listed among the top 40 gay porn performers of 2010.

UPDATE (07/27): Fleshbot has chimes in on the issue and editor Calamitious asks: "Why is it that so many other talented black performers are stuck languishing in that limbo of no-last-name, one-time-only performances? Sites like Randy Blue have scores of scenes featuring black models that never appear again. Bel Ami released a 27-man circle jerk special a few weeks back and they couldn't be bothered to hire a single black performer. Where's all the outrage?" He shoots, he scores.

UPDATE (07/27) Well, it looks like everyone's jumping on the Cybersocket Top 40 list. Now it's The Sword's turn: "Still, here's the thing about lists: Lists always piss people off. Lists are often wrong. Lists usually leave people out (e.g. Wilde, Chris Porter, Derrek Diamond, Conner Habib, etc.). That's the nature of lists. There's only so much room! Throwing the word "racism" around over a list of gay porn stars is an insult to people who have actually been victims of racism, and that's what's really offensive here." I'll address this tortured logic later but right now I have something much more pressing to attend to: my laundry." )

Comments

[Philip]

I'm absolutely amazed that guys like Race Cooper and Scott Alexander didn't make the list. Cybersocket should be ashamed.

[Liberator Émigré Éire]

Unbelievable.

Except it isn't.

[Tre Xavier]

MOC Blog,

You really should not be surprised by this list. Cybersocket has always shown itself to cater to the racist heads of these porn studios, and the racist patrons instead of worthwhile existences of human beings.

And with your point made, I'm sure that some of the people on that list who have at one point or another IN PRIVATE agreed with you, me, or our fellow bloggers about the racism in the gay porn industry, WILL SAY ABSOLUTELY NOTHING IN A PUBLIC FORUM. Hence why I have no respect for those performers. And they know who they are.

F.Y.I. - I also put this comment on Cybersocket. Let's see if they will approve and post it.

[Victor]

And I'm glad you did, Tre, so thank you.

[Chase Coxxx]

Not to toot my own horn (toot toot), but I, Chase Coxxx have been in 3 to 4 movies that all spent time in the #1 spot on AEBN during the 1st half of this year. Anonymous Sex Addicts was number 1 from April through early July. During June I was featured in the #1, 3, and #6 movies in the US, I don’t think any of the folks on that list can say same (correct me if I’m wrong)

If you prefer mainstream, then over looking Race Cooper is a gross injustice. Not only does he have a cutting edge website, a funny blog and great sex scenes, he’s also broken down racial barriers at RSS by becoming a casting director.

Santino Vega/Freakzilla has been ubiquitous in gay porn thus far this year and there was no mention of him either.

And the list continues. It’s clear to see that the majority of the industry still views us Black performers as scene fillers and extras. At some point things have to change and everyone, regardless of race should be noted and celebrated. Performers of color are not sexual fetishes. Sexual fetishism by definition is sexual attraction to objects, body parts or situations not conventionally viewed as being sexual in nature… I don’t think applies to skin color or race.

I can do without the accolades or recognition as long as the fans in the US (and elsewhere) keep my videos on the top 20 list…. That speaks much more volumes than any handpicked list.

At the last Cyber Socket Awards, I only noticed 2 Black porn models in attendance; Diesel Washington & myself… Most others didn’t bother wasting money on travel and lodging just to be overlooked.

I also find it amazing that for as long as Flava has been around, it took signing a White bottom for them to be accepted in this dysfunctional microcosm of gay porn… Meanwhile, I am always asked if I know Breion Diamond when traveling abroad.

The only Blacks that seem to get any recognition are my multi ethnic and/or my lighter skinned brothers. I call this Obamarism… Preferring the Baracks over the Michelles,(read between the lines on that one).

I applaud all the blogs that have opened up dialog on this much needed to be discussed topic.

PS: The very fact that this topic wasn't discussed by more people until it appeared on a blog NOT dedicated to men who love men of color, illustrates the issue even more.

[peter]

If this is strictly based on Jan - June 2010, then what have Diesel Washington, Eddie Diaz, Ty Lattimore, Aaron Ridge, Scott Alexander, Ace Rockwood, Breion Diamond, and D'Angelo Jackson done to earn a spot on the list? One or two movies and a internet scene here or there is not enough IMO. Your videos need to sale, need to be popular. It's not just about name recognition.

[Jonathan Wilde]

LOL wow people it is a list of porn stars.. Suddenly they are racists.. I guess last year when Diesel Washington was mentioned they weren't.. GET OVER IT people don't you have better things to do??? BTW you can make your own lists if you don't like theirs!

[Victor]

@Jonathan Cybersocket Magazine is a industry trade publication that purports to represent the entire gay porn industry not just the non-black ones.

Furthermore, if the list were, say, the forty most noteworthy musicians of 2010 - and the list were being made by Rolling Stone Magazine - wouldn't you find it odd of them to omit blacks?

[Jon]

In this case, it's true what they say: "you get what you pay for." Cybersocket is one of those free rags that are in every bar and on nearly every street corner in WeHo. The guys that work there probably gets paid peanuts and have little experience and the quality their work reflect that.

It's clear there is no quality editorial control at Cybersocket, because no one would have ever let this "list" get printed in its current state. What were the criteria for being on the list? This is just a compilation of someone’s personal favorites-- with absolutely no objectivity. Several performers have done nothing notable this year, namely François Sagat, Lucky Daniels, Malachi Marx or Mason Wyler. Sure there is the halo effect for past accomplishments, but this year...nope. And, then, Ludovic Canot? Because he has an accent? Please. Moreover, March of this year, Nick Capra announced that he was no longer performing in front of the camera, yet the author fails to mention this (because he didn't know it.) What did Nick Capra do between January and March of this year to deserve a place on this list?

So apparently, in the editorial meeting the criteria for making the list was not discussed. In the editorial review, no one asked, "where are the men of color" or why are Nick Capra, Wolf Hudson (who has not done much gay porn this year,) Francois Sagat on the list for 2010.

It's clear that Men of Color do not ring the bell for the author, Christian Martere and that editorial oversight is nonexistent at Cybersocket.

[Tre Xavier]

Jonathan,

Is this not the pot calling the kettle "black" (no pun intended)? Because here you are coming to this site and showing how much of a raically insensitive jerk you are. If YOU had "better things to do", you wouldn't be chiming in with such ignorance. Because you are not making a valid point. Even if I disagreed with you, TRUST ME, I am man enough to take a step back and honor your point's validity. But there is none to honor.

And as far as them mentioning Diesel Washington last year...BIG FUCKIN' DEAL. 1 Black performer out of that many, and we're supposed to be happy with that?! That just shows how few Black performers they could name, and how many they continuously choose the ignore. They were racists then, and they are racists now. The fact is PEOPLE ARE GETTING TIRED OF IT. Because this list of porn stars is the sign of a much bigger problem in the LGBT community. If you can't see that, then you have no worth for you have no sense of humanity.

[g]

all i thought malachi marx was notable for this year was retiring no???? & gay-4-pay anyway!

[James]

It is a list, and by nature all lists are imperfect (even those complied by Rolling Stone). As for the lack of performers of color, well it is gay porn. Which at best is reactionary when it comes to diversity and color. Seems to me the industry is only going to change when we give our dollars to those companies/sites that give the rainbow.

[Tre Xavier]

James,

People are giving to the rainbow. The fact is that Cybersocket has repeatedly choosen to make up a list that ignores that fact. And they know they're wrong for doing so. It is the reason why they have included in the past the Blacks that their racist White cohorts know. They have no interest in introducing new models of color, mainly those new models of darker complexion.