Last year, the gay adult studio Icon Male launched a new site named Noir Male whose tagline is “Showcases Black Men As They Deserve To Be Seen.” However, one of its biggest name performers, Jacen Zhu, has quit the studio, stating, “We are being used to sell a product that doesn’t cater to our community.”
Before we get into it, any casual observer of gay adult videos knows that the medium generally has a poor and problematic record of handling race and performers of color.
An informal 2015 study of five mainstream studios — Men.com, Sean Cody, BelAmi Online, Randy Blue and Helix Studios — found that of each one’s roster of performers only 0.8 to 10% were black (compared to the estimated 12.1% of black men in the general U.S. population).
Black performers are typically used in scenes far less often than white ones, and many scenes in gay adult videos showcase black men as submissive arrestees or hung thugs. Black performers are also siloed into low-production niche sites catering specifically to black men.
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That’s why it seemed like such a breath of fresh air when Noir Male appeared, promising some long overdue representation with decent production quality.
Related: Gay adult star Billy Santoro blasted for mocking fat performers
But in a series of tweets, Zhu wrote (link NSFW):
I stopped working for Noir Male when I woke up. When I saw that everything was a lie and I would like to apologize for [helping] the wolves in suits to sell this lie. Wake up y’all and see it’s not about us.
I [want] to be clear: I’m not angry I just sat back and watched as the aspiration didn’t meet the reality. We are being used to sell a product that doesn’t cater to our community.
As the gay adult industry reporter Zachary Sire explains (link NSFW), “Icon Male and Noir Male are part of the Canadian straight porn conglomerate Mile High Media, which is owned by a straight white man named Jon Blitt.” Sire points out that when Noir Male launched, only 44% of its 29 actors were black; today that ratio is 55% (37 out of 67).
It makes sense that a black gay adult studio would feature white and non-black performers to appeal to a wide swath of viewers, but if Zhu’s tweets are any indication, the gay adult video industry still hasn’t figured out how black men “deserve to be seen.”
We have reached out to Noir Male for comment and will update this story if they respond.
PinkoOfTheGange
How does it not cater to the community ?
Kangol
It’s focused on interracial videos that center white men. Online polls NoirMale has run have suggested viewers want something different. I think that’s what he means.
PinkoOfTheGange
But he doesn’t say that.
Kangol
@PinkoOfTheGange, he doesn’t need to, it’s implicit in what he’s saying. The stereotypical scenarios, the white gaze implicit in the videos, etc., is all in what he’s saying. No need for him to spell it out, those whom he’s speaking to get it.
Vince
how black men “Deserve to be seen”.
Are you kidding me. It’s effing porn. Guys wack off to it. They don’t care about your insecurities. Lol
dexe123
Some of these white folks are at something that isn’t about them once again lol
Donston
Are the “hip” and “woke” people even into porn culture any longer? Most of these gay sites are owned by white and straight people and ran by women. While at least half of the performers are straight/heterosexual/hetero-leaning/hetero-romantic and/or are crazies or drug addicts. And the porn world as a whole continues to support and promote male homophobia, gay shame, hetero/hetero-leaning worship. The industry has never had much to offer any “community” beyond fantasy and wank off material. So, I don’t understand why people even bother trying to politicize porn.
UlfRaynor
While I get what your trying to say, your missing the bigger picture here and laying blame in the wrong place.
The truth is, regardless of the sexual orientation of the performers and the people making the porn, they are producing what gay men are consuming.
The problem isn’t with what they are producing it’s with what gay men want to watch.
This is a much bigger issue than shaming sex workers for doing what they were hired to do.
mattpj71
Is it possible that there are just not that many black performers willing to shoot gay porn? Could it possibly be that the numbers may seem a little bit inconsistent with white performers because black guys are too too shit scared to do gay porn? Could that maybe be what the issue is? I never see any shortage of white guys lining up to shoot solos and sex scenes for various studios like Sean Cody etc..so then where are all the black guys lining up to do the same? The answer is quite simple..they are not lining up to be represented in porn therefore it will not happen until they do!! Don’t start with the racism crap if there are no black guys willing to do gay porn, that problem belongs to the black community and all the macho, homophobic bs largely associated with it!!
Donston
You made it even more of a race thing by assuming they can’t find black performers and making things about the homophobia and toxic masculinity in the “black community”. If you don’t care about this “issue” then you don’t care. But I’m sure you’re smart enough to know that not being able to find black performers probably is not the main reason the site is half white.
Kangol
You sound nuts. Just go to Pornhub, XTube, OnlyFans, or even better, Twitter, etc.. Also, PornHub’s surveys on Porn showed that “Black” porn, including Black gay porn, is among the most popular in the US (and other countries), and tops in a large region stretching from Maryland to Texas.
mattpj71
Donston..the fact that you even mentioned that not being able to find black performers is not the reason the site is half white is unbelievably moronic!!..Can you explain then why the ratio is so different?..And yeah mate, if you think there is not a homophobic, toxic masculinity problem in the black community then you really need to get your head out of the sand!! I am not saying it is different in my remote West Oz part of the world at all where everyone is as white as the sand on the beaches, but honestly mate if there are no black guys fronting up to gay porn HQ then there is no hope in hell of any equal and fair representation!!
mattpj71
Also Donston..the sites could be owned by green and red Martians for all anyone cares about..as long as what ends up on the screens is hot and horny!! I have said it before and I will say it again..if there are no black guys who are willing to appear in gay porn then how does anyone expect a fair and balanced representation?? There are non stop parades of white guys who are willing to do porn..yet the black guys are very few and far between!! Why?..and do not blame white guys!!
richard2179
Hey, if you’re going to have a business focused on ‘X,’ you probably are going to find plenty of ‘X’ to represent your business niche or your business will fail. There isn’t a scarcity of black porn actors available as marketing research would show. Business 101!
Brian
Just because you keep saying that the studios can’t find black guys to do gay porn doesn’t make it true.
All you have to do is look at Sean Cody’s website to figure out why they don’t have black models. They throw in a token non white guy from time to time, but for the most part they want to hire clones of the same guys they’ve always hired.
Josh447
And Sean Cody slipped down the sewer a few years ago when it was sold. Though they have had a few hotties join the newer ranks, the rest are very average. The legend status is pretty much history.
Noir is an oreo site not a black site. If that’s the probs then there are alot of guys that will watch that but not black on black.
iamru2
Businesses go where the money and demand is.
mattpj71
So richard2179 and iamru2 can you answer me this? If businesses go where the money and demand is then what is the real problem here then? Obviously there is less demand for gay black porn then, right? And why is that? And richard2179, I am not sure where you get your facts from but a quick scan of all the sites will show that there is a scarcity of black guys in gay porn. You will find about 20 white guys for every 1 black guy, and that is probably being generous!! Again, why? Black guys do not want to do gay porn!! I wish black guys would stop screaming racism when they do not get their desired representation in any kind of media when in fact it is black guys letting themselves down by not having the balls to get up there, get in front of the camera, and show the world what you’ve got and what you can do with it!! In my humble opinion I reckon the gay porn world would be a much hotter place with a non stop stream of hot black guys willing to get it on with other guys for all the world to see!!
YouNeverKnow
Doing porn is not something most gays should be proud of. I just don’t get why men, gay or straight, like to watch this stuff. The acting is mediocre and the story lines are boring and the whole thing is like a farce. How anyone gets turned on by this stuff is beyond me.
Kangol
Pornhub’s survey last year (like previous ones) showed that the interest in “Black” porn is among the highest in the US. It far exceeds “twink,” etc. and other categories.
PinkoOfTheGange
And Korean and Japanese trounces Black. As does lesbian and Hentai.
Twink is the only one that would gay specific of the top 20.
Also did you make it down to the break out by country were black/ebony only shows up in the US and South Africa?
Dow they have gay specific poll results?
mattpj71
Brian..if studios can’t find black guys willing to perform then obviously it is going to look like they have thrown in a token black guy!! Honestly, what else can they do? I seriously doubt there is a big conspiracy in the gay porn world to keep black guys out for whatever reason!! Again I will say it, if there were more black guys willing to step up and do gay porn then there will obviously be much more of a representation!!
Brian
Again I will say it. You’re wrong.
Ethnicity is a niche market in porn. You don’t see much diverse porn because if you’re into a specific type of guy, you want it to be filled with guys of that type, not a bunch of guys that don’t turn you on. No fats, no fems, no black, no Asian, no whatever else guys are putting in their Grindr profiles these days. Unless that’s what you’re into.
Every porn site is narrowly focused when it comes to casting. Unless it’s something ridiculously specific like amputees, they do have plenty of guys to choose from
mattpj71
YouNeverKnow..I know I am feeding the troll here but seriously mate!!lol….you are a joke!! I love how you say porn is boring and a farce!!hahaha!! Also, when you say that you don’t get how gay or straight men could watch porn,,,lol,,you are so full of it and you know it..can you honestly reply back and say that you have never, ever once jerked off while you are watching porn? If you say you haven’t you are a liar!!
Heywood Jablowme
I believe “YouNeverKnow” – not everyone is particularly visual, for one thing. Some guys need a masturbatory fantasy that’s relatable on a personal level.
YouNeverKnow
Frankly speaking, there are a few adult films that I would consider a turn-on but they are just few and far between. If you start to laugh at a video that is supposed to be hot and sexy, then what’s the point of watching it at all? My other objection to porn is the extreme contents that I heard about. I had the misfortune to be exposed to some really depraved and vile stuff devoid of any human decency. It should be a turn-off for everyone but apparently that’s not the case.
Josh447
Whatever this blank performer is upset about, it isn’t articulated at all in this post.
Try again with a rewrite and include some substance?
Aires the Ram
Thank You.
DarthKitsune
I told myself way back at the beginning to not get excited about this new studio, especially when 90% of the twitter promotions featured the non-POC actors. I knew that this site would be made by non-POC who have a fixed idea of the coloured population’s mentality and desires.
I’m sure they meant well (I sure home so), but apparently what POC “deserve to be seen” as, is the same thing porn has always seen them as; BBC Thug’s to be humiliated with bottoming or objectified by reducing them to their genitals. Used, abused, discarded.
Clay83
At the end of the day it all comes down to viewing figures and money! The studios will produce what people will pay to watch.
startenout
Ummmm, speaking of not catering, his name is Jacen not Jane, Queerty. Autocorrect whoops!
Josh447
I think the site seems to be catering to white guy gets fukt by black guys big blk dick. I personally find that seriously hot. They are filling a niche of interracial sex. There is no shortage of black guys. It seems they are doing a great job at focusing on what the entire market wants, not just 10 percent. Some of the black guys on Noir are seriously hot. Much of the industry has focused on average black guys, which to me is a turn off. I am inclined to say that there is probably less stigma around interracial relationships than people realize, it’s more a matter of, are you hot. White guys go without everyday. It’s nothing new. But this black guy leaving this studio bc he feels underrepresented seems a bit over the top. Black has hit the major market with this studio and put hot black guys on the map. So what if it’s oreo cookie black and white sex. It works. And what works will live on. If he doesn’t like it then he can go start his own all black studio.
Kangol
He and others may. Your comment in fact underscores the very thing he’s saying.
Josh447
Donston, if you’re confused about what’s going on in the world today regarding porn and the younger generation, watch the new hot hit show Now Apocalypse on Starz w Tyler Pose. It’s effing hot and and the full 10 episodes for session 1 are now available and contain all the younger gens very fluid sexual notes that will quickly update you. I found your questioning if the younger gen is watching porn today, too say the least, amusing.
Queerty – it would’ve been helpful if you would have stated which community is not being served, the black or gay one.
Aires the Ram
So, he worked for a porn company, and said porn company didn’t do what he thought they should do.
Ok. This is nothing more than a lesson on how not to keep a job for very long. When you work for someone else, you do not tell them what to do. It is the other way around. It’s called a ‘contract’. You, the employee do x, y & z, and the employer pays you. Quite simple really.