# Are porn actors really this stupid or is this just a bit? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 5, 2010, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-porn-actors-really-this-stupid-or-is-this-just-a-bit/542054 "2010-06-05T13:17:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-porn-actors-really-this-stupid-or-is-this-just-a-bit/542054/21 "2010-06-05T19:28:49Z")
Next you’ll be telling me pro wrestling is fake! ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-porn-actors-really-this-stupid-or-is-this-just-a-bit/542054/22 "2010-06-05T20:17:59Z")
> [@Mach Tuck](#): > > Next you’ll be telling me pro wrestling is fake! Yeah, what about Roller Derby? Roller Derby ain’t fake; it just can’t be. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-porn-actors-really-this-stupid-or-is-this-just-a-bit/542054/23 "2010-06-06T13:02:36Z")
[quote=“Gary “Wombat” Robson, post:20, topic:542054”] [moderating] This is rather borderline for GQ. No warnings, but lets not attack each other’s mothers here. [/moderating] [/QUOTE] [Leon]Let me tell you about my mother.[/Leon] ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-porn-actors-really-this-stupid-or-is-this-just-a-bit/542054/24 "2010-06-06T14:41:10Z")
It’s fake. But it’s fake for real. The woman are aware they’re going to be having sex on camera and they get paid for it. But they’re applying for a job of having sex on camera so in that sense the audition is real. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-porn-actors-really-this-stupid-or-is-this-just-a-bit/542054/25 "2010-06-06T15:12:10Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > It’s fake. But it’s fake for real. > > The woman are aware they’re going to be having sex on camera and they get paid for it. But they’re applying for a job of having sex on camera so in that sense the audition is real. But the real real audition is the one they passed when their papers were accepted and the agreement to paid them made. Without any sex. Otherwise we’re stuck in a loop of infinite regress. And that’s the one category you can’t find on a porn site. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-porn-actors-really-this-stupid-or-is-this-just-a-bit/542054/26 "2010-06-06T15:35:51Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Or if those straightbait scenes where the guy who’s picked up “off the street” and told he’s making a straight porn gets blindfolded so they can bring in a gay guy who starts to fellate him and then he takes the blindfold off and “HEY!” are real. Now I have an introductory voiceover in the voice of the “Folger’s Crystals” commercial narrator stuck in my head. ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-porn-actors-really-this-stupid-or-is-this-just-a-bit/542054/27 "2010-06-06T15:59:49Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Or if those straightbait scenes where the guy who’s picked up “off the street” and told he’s making a straight porn gets blindfolded so they can bring in a gay guy who starts to fellate him and then he takes the blindfold off and “HEY!” are real. > > Right. “straightbait”? lol…that’s just friggin hilarious. Porno director: Alright now it’s time to take off the blindfold… Straightbait: WTF! There’s a dude on my cock. Porno director: That’s right, it was a trick all along! Hit it Jimmy! **Straightbait gets shoved outta the car while it peels away** Straightbait: Noooooooooooo!!! ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-porn-actors-really-this-stupid-or-is-this-just-a-bit/542054/28 "2010-06-06T16:01:00Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > And even if it happens within the casting call for (another) actual “produced” porn video or for a porn photoshoot, the parties have a pretty darn good idea of what is going to happen well before it gets to this. For the deed to be done and recorded for sale or distribution there has to be a signed release on record to make it legal to do so; the players are paid, save if one or more of the players are specifically appearing as amateurs. > As with many other unskilled-labor occupations, there is a wide variation in intelligence, but it’s definitely not essential for the majority of basic entry level positions (sorry!!!) For reference - This guy was a relatively intelligent porn actor who did a year long blog in 2008 about his day to day life in porn. He was not impressed with many of his colleagues intellectual horsepower. link (NSFW adult material) [http://cwians.typepad.com/](http://cwians.typepad.com/) ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-porn-actors-really-this-stupid-or-is-this-just-a-bit/542054/29 "2010-06-06T16:13:01Z")
Re the end game here’s a sad video (NSFW - nudity but no no sex - lots of yelling and screaming though ) of what happens to some pornstars in the end when the drugs have taken hold. [Free Pornstar Pics — Kostenlose Pornostar Bilder - diskret und in 1A Qualität](http://www.freepornstarpix.com/2008/07/watch-chasey-lain-have-meltdown-on.html) ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-porn-actors-really-this-stupid-or-is-this-just-a-bit/542054/30 "2010-06-06T16:19:47Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > But the real real audition is the one they passed when their papers were accepted and the agreement to paid them made. Without any sex. > > Otherwise we’re stuck in a loop of infinite regress. And that’s the one category you can’t find on a porn site. Can’t they just film everyone’s auditions and then only pay for the film of the actress who actually gets used? That’s how a lot of candid-camera style stuff seems to work. In general, porn stars don’t seem to be good actors, so I’d think it would be pretty obvious whether they are really auditioning. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-porn-actors-really-this-stupid-or-is-this-just-a-bit/542054/31 "2010-06-08T02:48:50Z")
> [@LouisB](#): > > Yeah, what about Roller Derby? Roller Derby ain’t fake; it just can’t be. I know lots of derby girls. Roller derby’s not fake. ---
**Author:** ![kimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f0a364/32.png) [@kimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kimera)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-porn-actors-really-this-stupid-or-is-this-just-a-bit/542054/32 "2010-06-08T04:00:09Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > The other was a boy (late teens) named Trent (surname was given but I don’t recall it) who used the stage name Jessie Starr, and who was, in his words, “dumb as a box of rocks.” I have also heard of Jesse Starr from a friend of a friend (and seen some of his pics) and his real name is Trent (can’t remember the last one) but I’ve also been told that he’s really dumb and really into older men who bought him things. That being said, there are some porn stars who are brilliant. I dated a girl who later became a porn star and she was incredibly smart (but not the most psychologically sound). ---
**Author:** ![Apex\_Rogers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@Apex\_Rogers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apex_Rogers)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-porn-actors-really-this-stupid-or-is-this-just-a-bit/542054/33 "2010-06-08T06:12:12Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > I guess the theme would be “casting couch porn.” > > The scenario is usually something to the effvect of : They are interveiwing a girl, asking her all the basic questions and then basically they get her naked and have a go at her for a “test” run to see if she’s qualified to be in the **perspective** porn movie. > > It’s easy to infer from these scenes that the actors are not getting paid for these “test” runs. > > Is that really the case? The word is **prospective** , FYI. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-porn-actors-really-this-stupid-or-is-this-just-a-bit/542054/34 "2010-06-08T06:59:56Z")
Every person in a porn knows what is going to happen and is being paid for their participation, granted. But that means that _not_ all of them are bad actors. They are just terrible at memorizing lines and working from a script. But if you give them a scenario and a character, some of them are excellent improvisers. My favorite porn director is the British “gonzo” king Steve Perry, who goes by the handle “Ben Dover”. My favorite of his stuff is in the “girl next door” genre, with the idea that these women had a fantasy of being in a porn movie and wrote to Ben. Ben and his male co-stars show up on their doorstep, penis ensues. The thing is, if it’s entirely fake, they are far more believable than one would expect from a less skilled actor. They create a very naturalistic portrayal - far more so then even the best actresses playing the same type of plot during the “Golden Age of Porn” back in the late 70s, early 80s. So either there is a shocking amount of serious acting talent in the “gonzo” porn world, or some situations are actually what they appear to be. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-porn-actors-really-this-stupid-or-is-this-just-a-bit/542054/35 "2010-06-08T07:09:18Z")
> [@Mach Tuck](#): > > Next you’ll be telling me pro wrestling is fake! The preferred term is “worked”. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-porn-actors-really-this-stupid-or-is-this-just-a-bit/542054/36 "2010-06-08T07:20:09Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > My favorite porn director is the British “gonzo” king Steve Perry, who goes by the handle “Ben Dover”. Wikipedia says his name is Simon Honey, and not Steve Perry from _Journey_. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-porn-actors-really-this-stupid-or-is-this-just-a-bit/542054/37 "2010-06-08T07:31:44Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Wikipedia says his name is Simon Honey, and not Steve Perry from _Journey_. The Wikipedia entry is incomplete. The videos are “A Steve Perry production”, and that is how he credits himself for the editing, directing, writing and (strangely enough) music. He has referred to his real name in one video as Lindsey Honey, Steve Perry is his nom de porn and Ben Dover is a character. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-porn-actors-really-this-stupid-or-is-this-just-a-bit/542054/38 "2010-06-08T07:33:43Z")
Ah. Okay. That sounds complicated. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-porn-actors-really-this-stupid-or-is-this-just-a-bit/542054/39 "2010-06-08T07:42:51Z")
How intelligent do you have to be to shove a cock in any one of 3 holes? Sometimes it doesn’t even matter if one is already occupied! ---
**Author:** ![kidneyfailure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9f8e36/32.png) [@kidneyfailure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidneyfailure)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-porn-actors-really-this-stupid-or-is-this-just-a-bit/542054/40 "2010-06-08T07:47:40Z")
> [@astro](#): > > He was not impressed with many of his colleagues intellectual horsepower. I’m not surprised. It literally is a job a caveman could do. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-porn-actors-really-this-stupid-or-is-this-just-a-bit/542054.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-porn-actors-really-this-stupid-or-is-this-just-a-bit/542054.md?page=3)