You wake up one morning and decide to take a stroll down your favorite gay blog. Maybe you’ve heard a few good things about this site and decide to give it a peek. You stumble across some raunchy content that doesn’t seem to follow any particular order, apart from a vague storyline. You’re a little confused as to whether this is actual porn or some kind of quirky blog in need of an editor. Then you notice the name of the blog’s creator: Charlie Pattinson.
At first, you can’t believe it. This is the same Charlie Pattinson that created some of the most popular blogs on the internet, such as Shiny Bright Side, Cynical Chic, and Style Panda. So, you think to yourself, maybe this is some kind of sick joke. After all, it doesn’t seem like Charlie would parody his own work.
You’re about to click away when you realize that you’re actually reading an online parody of Charlie Pattinson’s work. And it’s pretty good! You laugh at the jokes, the scenario makes sense, and you even get some details right.
Then you notice that the site is NSFW (not safe for work) and decide that maybe you should leave. Only to return later, when you’re sure that you didn’t wake up in bed with an imposter. Who are we to judge? We’ve all been there.
Well, it’s no secret that the adult entertainment industry is changing and evolving with the times, and now that gay male porn is becoming more accepted, the old ways of doing things aren’t working as well. This is especially true for sites that rely heavily on advertising, which provides the majority of their revenue. As a result, many have begun to see the need for a new generation of blogs that aren’t afraid to tackle issues that the more traditional ones aren’t willing to touch, such as gender politics and the rise of the alt-right.
Take Style Panda, for example. While it’s always been popular among women for its fashion advice and unapologetic attitude, the past year has seen an explosion of support from men, too. Even Charlie admits that his blog’s traffic has doubled in the last year, and he attributes this to his more open approach to gender politics and identity. But it wasn’t always like this.
The blog grew out of Charlie’s frustration with how fashion and lifestyle blogs had started to portray men he considered attractive. While he was open to discussing style and fashion, he found it difficult to find fashion blogs that didn’t portray men in some way that he felt was undignified. Even the most well-meaning fashion blogs often featured models who were half his size, designed to intimidate and demean him. So, in a fit of pique, he decided to parody the way these fashion blogs presented men by creating a blog with a similar vibe, but with pornographic content.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Where Do I Start?
If you’re new to this whole issue, it can be difficult to know where to start when you’re looking for information about the history of gay male pornography. Luckily, there’s a lot of it out there, and it’s all freely available online, so you don’t have to worry about not finding what you need. What follows is a brief guide to give you a better understanding of the relationship between gay male pornography and contemporary culture:
The Rise of the Internet & E-Parnership
While the internet is generally credited with the explosion of social media in the mid-20th century, it was actually the rise of e-parnership that led to the proliferation of gay blogs and websites. E-parnership allows for more direct and immediate communication between buyers and sellers, cutting out the middleman (in this case, the publisher). As a result, a much larger number of people are able to publish and distribute content than ever before, which in turn led to the rise of online queer communities, such as The Gay Blog.
What’s important to note here is that while the internet made it possible for more people to have a say in the matter, it was still predominantly men who determined what content was distributed and who had the ability to consume it. That is, until recently. With the rise of the indie film movement and the #metoo movement, social media and the internet altered the traditional power dynamic within the adult entertainment industry, forever. Suddenly, traditional gender roles are no longer an obstacle to publication. As a result, we have seen a rise in female-centric blogs, such as Bared Bottom, which seeks to provide advice on fashion and sexuality, particularly for women.
The Evolution of Gay Male Porn
The end of the 20th century was a momentous time for the adult entertainment industry, as the internet made it possible for the first time for individuals to access content from all over the world, instantly. As a result, people could have sex online and be able to watch the people they were having sex with, too. This added an additional dimension to the industry.
The early 21st century would see the development of sex toys, such as vibrators and dildos, which were all previously banned under moral codes in most countries. This opened up a new world of possibilities for those interested in trying new things, which in turn led to a rise in the usage of sex toys among the gay male community. As a result, it wasn’t long before the demand for better quality erotica and pornography began to emerge, especially among men who had grown tired of the unimaginative tropes that often featured in mainstream films. The result was a rise in the popularity of ‘erotica blogs’, such as Blue Is Blue, that featured high-quality content and sought to explore new ideas and settings that challenged the stereotypes often found in mainstream pornography.
This is not to say that all gay male pornography today is high-quality. As with any other area of contemporary culture, the quality of content varies widely, from very good to abysmal, with a lot of middle ground. What’s important to keep in mind is that with better technology and bigger hard drives, it’s easier than ever to store and distribute high-quality content. As a result, it’s possible to find a lot of very good, if not great, adult entertainment content online, if you know where to look.
The Adult Industry is (sort of) Evolving with the Times
While much of the early 21st century was occupied by the widespread usage of P2P (peer-to-peer) file sharing, the rise of the mobile internet and smart phones, as well as the general acceptance of gay male porn, has altered the landscape of the adult industry. P2P file sharing allows for the easy transfer of large amounts of data, quickly, with little to no effort. As a result, people have shifted their attention away from desktop PCs and towards their mobile devices. This has had a cascading effect on the online adult entertainment industry, as websites have shifted their attention away from desktops and towards mobile platforms, also. It wasn’t long before people were asking “did the porn switch off the lights?” as a result of the porn boom of the 2010s. What’s important to note is that while much of the industry has moved online, this doesn’t mean that those who create and distribute legitimate content, mostly aimed at an older audience, have given up on the printed page. On the contrary, there are still magazines aimed at a more mature audience, as well as blogs and websites that continue to engage with their readers via printed material.
Why Bared Bottom Is a Gay Porn Parody
If you’re really curious as to why someone would take the time to write a blog parodying gay male pornography, then you can start here, with Charlie Pattinson’s own take on the matter. As mentioned, Charlie created some of the most popular blogs and websites on the internet. He also happens to be gay, so it is no surprise that he would create a blog that parodied gay male pornography. What would be a surprise, however, is that this blog was actually successful, at least as successful as the original blogs he parodied.
Based on the name of the blog and its content, you’d think this was some kind of satirical take on fashion and style that only occasionally dipped into the arena of sexual content. You’d be wrong. While the content of the blog is often humorous, it is very much intended to be a genuine reflection of Charlie’s opinions and viewpoints on all matters fashion and style related, as well as the issues that he feels are important at the moment. It is quite simply Charlie’s attempt to satirize and comment on the ever-changing world of gay male pornography.