Dominic Ford releases an iBook
DominicFord.com has released its first iBook, designed for fans with iPads. Inside Dominic Ford's interactivity should help the company reach a new audience.
“We have never done much in the way of non-web publication," said Ford. "This format allows us to experiment with print layouts, but with the added bonus of adding terrific interactivity. Volume I of Inside Dominic Ford offers a short glimpse of who I am, what makes me tick, and what I’m doing with DominicFord.com. There are exclusive photo galleries included in the book, and also video.”
The iBook will also include a never seen before blooper reel of Matthew Rush and Preston Steel. "Without giving it away, I’ll simply say that sometimes my directions aren’t very clear."
Should there be enough interest, Ford has promised to release future editions.
You can download a copy here using your iPad or iBook reader.
Sean Cody now gunning for pirates
Sean Cody has had enough of the illegal downloads of its content. It has filed two porn BitTorrent lawsuits, specifically targeting a group of users who were caught sharing 'Brandon & Pierce Unwrapped' online.
122 alleged traders are named in the two suits.
"[A]ll defendants replicated and shared with each other the precise and exact same file and portions thereof in a completely interconnected and collective effort — dependent on one another to achieve their nefarious ends — to deprive plaintiff of the exclusive rights afforded to it via the Copyright Act," the suit claims.
The video is Sean Cody's first bareback scene.
In each suit, federal judges are being asked to force ISPs to disclose user identities of the unnamed John Doe defendants. The company is seeking damages of $150,000 per John Doe.
Yep, it would have been a lot cheaper (and less embarrassing) to buy a membership.
Sean Cody's Parent Company Files Porn BitTorrent Suits Against 122 [XBiz]
Wrap it up in Los Angeles!
Los Angeles City Council gave final approval yesterday to a new ordinance requiring condoms be used for all adult videos filmed in the city. All that remains is the mayor's signature.
"The only thing that the city could potentially achieve is losing some film permit money and driving some productions away, but you can't actually compel an industry to create a product that the market doesn't want," said Christian Mann, general manager of Evil Angel Productions.
"If you want to wear them, wear them. If you don't, don't. That's up to the talent to decide. It shouldn't be up to the government to decide," added porn actress Tabitha Stevens.
Others disagreed, saying the new regulation was needed. "We are not opposed to testing, but testing is not prevention in the same way that a barrier protection is," said Ged Kenslea, spokesman for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.
He also challenged the idea that porn companies would relocate because of the new rules. "The industry is not going to go away," he said, arguing that other jurisdictions are less tolerant of adult productions.
The current ordinance is only valid within city limits, though, so relocating a shoot a few miles one way or the other may not be too difficult.
The city also admitted it still needed to work out how best to police the new bylaw, and has asked law enforcement officials to meet and work out the details.
Time will tell if the decision makes any difference at all on adult productions, or just becomes a financial, legal and bureaucratic nightmare for the city.
L.A. approves condom rule for porn performers [LA Times]
Los Angeles to porn industry: wear a condom [The Guardian]
LA City Council says yes to condoms in porn
The push for condom use in porn productions got a boost this week when LA City Council took the first step in forcing adult companies to use rubbers in their videos.
Eleven councillors voted in favor of the policy and only 1 opposed it. A final vote on the measure will take place next week.
A discussion group will also be established, comprised of both law enforcement officials and state occupational specialists, to determine how best to enforce the new ordinance.
“We can spend literally millions of dollars on an unnecessary election or we can do the right thing for free,” Councilman Paul Koretz said. “For better or worse, the city of Los Angeles is nationally known as the capital of the adult film industry. We should be nationally known, also, as the home of a safe adult film industry.”
Voters are expected to vote on the issue in June, but if the City Council approves the measure next week, the ballot question will not be required..
Los Angeles City Attorney Carmen Trutanich initially filed a lawsuit against the ballot, arguing that the issue fell under state jurisdiction. He has agreed to drop the lawsuit in face of the Council's decision.
Free Speech Coalition's Executive Director Diane Duke said the government should keep out of this, as the industry has been successful in monitoring itself. Getting the government involved was, she said, a recipe for disaster.
"This approach betrays our Constitution; it betrays the hard lessons we've learned in the 25-year fight against HIV/AIDS; and it betrays aggressive health and safety efforts in place that are proven and effective," Duke said.
This is not the end of this particular fight. Not by a long shot.
LA votes to force porn actors to wear condoms [AFP]
L.A. Votes to Enforce Condom Use in Porn Industry [ABC News]
L.A. City Council Tentatively Approves Condom Measure, FSC Responds [XBiz]
A few token gays at the XBiz Awards
On Tuesday night, the XBiz Award winners were announced. The award for male performer of the year (straight) went to a fella named Rocco Reed. The gay male performer of the year was Adam Killian (pictured, right).
The other gay winners were:
Best Movie: Assassin (Lucas Entertainment)
Best Director: Chris Ward (The Other Side of Aspen VI)
Best Site: Hot House
Studio of the Year: Titan
Gay Web Company of the Year: Naked Sword
Who won a Cybersocket Award?
The new year has only just begun and already we're being swamped with award shows for TV and music and even porn.
On Monday night, the Cybersocket Awards were the first out of the gate to celebrate gay online content. A chosen few, like suit porn site Men at Play, took home bragging rights (and a trophy). You can check out a list of some of the other winners after the jump ...
Porn channel announces 'entertainment' TV show
The Canadian gay porn channel hardtv said that its new entertainment news program, hardtv, will premiere in February. Another episode will follow each month, covering all aspects of the gay adult industry, from news to events to interviews with stars.
The show will also be streamed on NakedSword and hook-up site Squirt.org. The company hopes to reach 250,000 viewers with each episode.
“I am very excited about adding this unique show to our original content available to our members,” said Tim Valenti, president of NakedSword. “I know it will be a hit with them.”
“We’re in Los Angeles, filming segments of the show this coming week," explained show creator Brett Drysdale. "Just as mainstream Hollywood takes advantage of shows such as Entertainment Tonight to promote their upcoming projects and products, hardtv will similarly be that type of outlet for the gay adult entertainment industry.”
Jeremy Feist, head writer and co-host, added, “hardtv will be like The Daily Show meets Access Hollywood, if both shows were put together by awesome perverts.” Fun!
AHF extending push for condom use in industry
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is expanding its fight to make condom use in porn mandatory. It has already placed a measure on the June city ballot requiring performers to use condoms on Los Angeles porn sets. It now wants to see a new ballot question on the county level, making sure that any porn productions in LA County are required to obtain a public health permit.
AHF said that if permits are required for bathhouses, sex clubs, tattoo and message parlors, then they should be required of adult film companies. This would force them to take a more active role in protecting their employees, and condom use could then be made mandatory.
"Not one dollar will come from taxpayers," said Michael Weinstein, executive director for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, arguing that the cost of each permit would cover any expenses related to policing the industry.
"For too long, this workplace safety issue has been dodged by elected officials punting from city to county to state, and as a consequence, the health and safety of these workers has been neglected with dire consequences," Weinstein added.
The LA Times released an editorial on Monday in support of the AHF's efforts for the city-wide initiative. It acknowledged that a new bylaw could encourage companies to move just outside the city's jurisdiction, but "sometimes cities must take the lead, even in workplace safety regulation."
"Los Angeles banned smoking in restaurants and bars to protect not merely the comfort of patrons but the health and safety of staff who otherwise were inhaling carcinogens each day. The move pressed the state to finally catch up."
If a city or county measure were passed by voters it would immediately face a legal challenge by the porn industry, since it is the state that has jurisdictiion over occupational health and safety. However it would also force the state government to face the issue head on.
Safe sex in the porn industry [LA Times]
More rules urged for adult films [Contra Costa Times]
ZBuckz does its part to battle AIDS
Affiliate company zBUCKz - which handles sites like HDK Central, Boykakke and Gay Asian Amateurs - has promised to donate 100 percent of its Christmas and New Years Day revenues to amfAR, a leading worldwide AIDS research organization.
"Some people may have heard of Timothy Brown, otherwise known as 'The Berlin Patient,'" said Daniel Kaufman, company director. "He is internationally recognized as the only documented case of a person being cured of HIV. amfAR.org is currently working with Mr. Brown, as well as top scientists using the latest scientific advances to achieve a cure."
Brown, himself, noted that donations to amfAR would go to directly to help it meet the challenges to close in on a cure and finally give real hope for the 34 million people around the world currently living with HIV.
Kaufman said the initiative was important, "not only because charity is good for the soul, but also because it’s good for the industry’s image."
Sean Cody goes bareback
Now what do we do?
BananaGuide has been online since 2000. Back then HIV treatments were not nearly as effective as they are now, nor was testing as accurate. In the past year we have seen research published that demonstrated that someone on antiviral treatment has an extremely low chance of passing on the HIV virus. And just last week there was news of progress in the search for an AIDS vaccine.
In the past couple of years some major gay porn companies that had used condoms exclusively started introducing condomless scenes. Bel Ami now releases bareback scenes regularly; Chaos Men stopped using condoms in all their hardcore scenes some time ago. Corbin Fisher has been flirting with bareback over the past year, though we don't understand why they never labelled their bareback scenes as such. In the case of these studios, rigorous testing takes place to prevent HIV and other STDs from being spread on set.
Sean Cody has until now kept the lid on bareback and -- because of their professional filmwork and careful use of tight-fitting and correctly colored condoms -- it really did not get in the way of incredibly hot performances. But the market is changing and more and more consumers are demanding condomless scenes.
Sean Cody makes their screening policy very clear at the beginning of the video: "Our models underwent strict screening for HIV and other STDs. Our studio used the RNA by PCR test, which is the most effective test available. Unprotected sex is not something we recommend or endorse, even if you're in a relationship."
One thing that concerns us is that bareback porn is becoming so pervasive that it contributes to complacency about safer sex practices, especially in younger men. Even if a porn site includes information about its testing policies, is that enough to counter the message that bareback sex is preferable to condom sex?
BananaGuide has not published a bareback gallery until today (which is below). If a site that we review has bareback content, we have published only solo or condom scenes for that site.
Cody Cummings too much of a tease
Last week Cody Cummings, who just renewed his exclusive contract with Next Door Entertainment, raised a few eyebrows here at BananaGuide. Cody, as you may know, is straight and takes great pride in never having taken it up the ass. This makes him all the more appealing for some people. But Cody has been at it for years now and if he expects to keep raking in the gay dollars then eventually he's going to have to take a deep breath, relax and just let it happen.
So our interest was piqued when we saw the image above and read the text description of the video. It sure makes it seem like Cody is going to get fucked by Brandon Lewis. Here it is in full:
"Cody Cummings is finally satisfying his deepest carnal desire. He's yearned for this intense passion for too long and can no longer resist the ultimate temptation. Brandon Lewis is joining Cody as he succumbs to the flames of burning desire.
His craving for flesh has now become too strong to ignore. Brandon's mouth upon Cody's thick, throbbing cock is pushing this mortal man of flesh to cross his own boundaries into a new realm of forbidden pleasure. As he feels Brandon's warm, inviting breath on his neck and lips, his inhibitions melt. He's experiencing new sensations with every caress, slipping deeper and deeper into the place where his unfulfilled fantasies have been waiting."
Top that off with the title "A Fantasy Fulfilled" and doesn't it sound like he's going to get fucked? Well, he doesn't. He and Brandon have a very passionate session and Brandon rubs his dick on top of Cody, but does not breach his virgin butthole -- or even get near it.
Jake Cruise outed as Miss America sponsor
Radar Online has seen fit to out Jake Cruise as a supporter -- and his partner as executive director -- of the The Southern California Scholarship Association, which operates one of the official run-up pageants to the annual Miss America contest.
The gossip website, following up on a tip, discovered that Cruise ran three adult sites. The online scandal sheet even quoted Jake from one the sites: “As you can see, I’m your average middle aged gay man who likes to have fun with hot guys of all ages. One thing I strive for is that we all have fun while having sex.”
Shock and gasp!
The Scholarship Association produces the Miss Hollywood pageant, and named Cruise as the first of its major donors in 2011. Cruise's life-partner, Ernest Koneck was the executive director of the Association. Until yesterday, that is, when he resigned in light of the "scandal."
So Miss America is pure again, untainted by any association, however indirect, with adult entertainment. Is everybody happy now?
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