FOLSOM from 2012

 So I’m sitting down to write this column, exhausted, happy and sexually stimulated beyond belief! Yes folks, I’ve just returned from FOLSOM STREET FAIR 2012 in San Francisco, California.  For those of you who don’t know FOLSOM as it is known is a huge sexually charged fetish street fest, for gays, straights and everyone in between.  Folks walk around naked, or in leather, vinyl, rubber and all sorts of costumes, and celebrate their kinks and fetishes, getting to bring them out of the closet so to speak for a day of debaucheries and exhibitionism!  There are porn stars galore there all posing for your pleasure (myself included!), demonstrations of cool bondage knot techniques, lube showers, and jockstrap twister. Also included in the weekend of fun is a never ending stream of parties, orgies, meet and greets and dancing that would wear out even the most adventurous and athletic of the participants.  The key is, there is something there for EVERYONE, and we all had a blast!

Now, as I sit here with lube still slick on parts of my anatomy, I recall a few super fun moments of the weekend.  The highlights for me include my appearance at the Falcon and Raging Stallion Party Saturday night, where I had the chance to hug and take pictures with fans and friends for hours!  I spent about two hours appearing at Mr. S Leather, an enormous leather and fetish store and my favorite place to shop for brands like Nasty Pig and Timoteo and their own leather lines while in San Francisco.  The street fair was a blast as well, with everyone willing, stopping and posing for pictures throughout the day.

I also had the chance to announce the formation of my newest business partnership, www.cashmodels.com. Yes folks, I have now officially launched my own adult model management company, representing guys and gals in the porn industry for filming, appearances and the like, providing career guidance and using my experience and industry contacts to get my models work! Needless to say I had a great time telling models, studios and retailers looking for talent all about the venture and have some exciting projects lined up for my models because of it. 

Also, I have to say I was excited that I wasn’t filming while there this weekend, so I could take full advantage of the buffet of sexy men with uber-horny libidos and the insatiable desires to put parts of me inside them. I had two ways, three ways and a four way or two, some with other porn stars, some with buddies and new friends.  The key was to appreciate the sexual freedom we were allowed for the weekend, and enjoy it to the fullest. Don’t get me wrong, there were plenty of folks that didn’t kick it up to the level I did, but hey, I HAVE SEX ON FILM FOR A LIVING, and have a reputation to uphold (or at least that’s the excuse I’m using).  Critics might suggest that this behavior was a tad irresponsible or sexually risky, and yes, it was. We all make our own choices as to what level of risk (whether physical injury, STD exposure or reputation) we are willing to take and act accordingly. I did this myself and had a blast.

The point I’m trying to make is that the weekend was a great chance for those who are usually looked at as weird or deviant because of a sexual fetish or kink to lay it all out there and feel included, no judgment, no insults, just a celebration of our desires and interests.  So, for those of you who haven’t been, and can keep an open mind, I suggest checking out the FOLSOM STREET FAIR next year, letting it all hang out (literally or figuratively) and enjoying the crazy fun that can be had!

NEW THINGS COMING!

So I've been asked a bunch lately, "With all you've got going on, how do you have time for it all?"  The answer is, "I don't!"

Right now my focus is on diversifying my "Charlie Harding" brand into new and exciting business opportunities and seeing what all I can become a part of!

www.CharlieHardingPresents.com
I have launched an amazing new venture with Wilde City Press to bring you "Charlie Harding Presents..." a line a gay erotica ebooks and stories.  The hottest one's I can find, that turn me on, and will get you excited too.  So check 'em out, read them all and keep coming back for the new ones we upload almost every week!

www.charlesworld.com
Scotty Rage (@scottyragexxx) and I are launching a special art project line of t-shirts!
RAGE T's are vintage shirts that we find, then paint, bleach, dye, cut and shred to create cool one-of-a-kind things for you to wear!  We're going to sell them through my online store until they are gone, so if you like one, grab it quick as there's only one of each! 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/its-my-party-single/id642414809
I've also recorded a vocal single with Dylan Michael here in Atlanta called "It's My Party!" I'm planning to record another single in the next few weeks as well, so get this one now, and get ready for the next one "Sex On The Dance Floor."

I'm doing interviews galore, a bunch of artistic and advertising photo shoots and have a few other projects in the works that may come to fruition, so keep following and let's see what comes of those!

I'm always looking for new opportunities; I'm reading for a part on an upcoming gay television series, hosting a bunch of club nights here in Atlanta and am always up for chatting about things you might want to have me affiliated with!  Need a product spokesperson? 

I'd love to get into additional mainstream television and movies, record more music and such, so if you have connections to those industries and are interested in chatting, please do!

Further, I have gone into the "behind the scenes" of the mainstream entertainment industry as well.  I'm now the business manager for a celebrity make up artist and a celebrity stylist.  Managing their careers takes tons of time!

With all this being said, I'm taking some time off from filming adult films! I'm not saying I'm gone forever, but right now I'm gonna focus on getting the rest of my business opportunities up and running.  Thanks for everyone's support in all that I do, buy my books, tshirts and music and of course continue to watch my scenes!  

Charlie

WHY ARE WE DYING? Porn is tough.

PORN STAR. The phrase indicates a level of fame and idolization.  We get folks following our every move, our every word and every action. We are told we are gorgeous, that everyone wishes they could be us and how HOT everything we do on film is.  We are put up on pedestals as physical examples of what everyone should want to look like, be like and act like.  Our egos grow, and we feed those egos with fan comments, and invitations to events and people offering you all sorts of things (many guys get caught up in the world of drugs and alcohol and that party atmosphere). What folks forget, is that we are more than that character.  There's more to being a porn star than just the party and the public persona. We have insecurities, daily trials and activities and are real people, with real issues...

PORN is a fun roller coaster. But just like a roller coaster it has its ups and downs.  First off, most people don't realize that the average porn career is around seven months.  Guys get into the industry and either get going, get popular, figure out how to keep it going or they get our quickly.  Some realize its not as glamorous in front of the camera as it seems on film, other just decide it's not for them.  Those of us that make a career out of it work hard to maintain our popularity, relevancy and level of fame.  It's a rough road, and takes a tons of effort and energy.  You learn quickly to have a thick skin because just like any entertainment industry, we get negativity and "no's" form all angles. Sometimes you have critical fans that don't like your new scene, hate your tattoos or whatever.  That's part of putting yourself out there publicly, you take the good and the bad.  Studios will look at you with a critical eye, deciding if you fit their image, if they want to use you, or not. It's nothing personal, but a business decision, but it's hard not to take it personally.  We hear just as many no's or negative comments as we do positive comments or congratulations.  The hard part is not letting that affect our self worth or self image.

We are IDOLIZED for what we do by some, but VILIFIED by others.  I have been told I am the dream date for some folks, and an immoral piece of trash by others.  This industry isn't for weak willed, and it can eat a guy alive if you let it.  Recently we have lost many super-amazing performers in our industry, and here's part of why I think it happens:

Just like the flavor of the month in an ice cream shop, we are only as popular as our most recently advertised scene.  Once the audience moves on to get enamored by the "new guy" our fame fades, and our popularity wanes.  This is natural in any industry: mainstream movies, music, fashion, even restaurants will see a huge wave from super famous to has been.  Here's the catch.  In our industry, there is NO SAFETY NET. As a mainstream actor if I was super famous, then watched my popularity fade, I could usually fall back on other projects, using my place in mainstream movie history to transfer my influence to acting schools, television commercials, or what not.  Many will move behind the camera to produce and direct, move to stage productions in smaller cities, etc.  In our industry, there's not a big enough market for us all to direct and produce, and there's no option to move our sex skills to another venue.

Because of the TABOO attached to what we do for living, our success in the porn industry can actually be a curse when we decide to move on.  It's a very rough moment when you realize that unless you stick with the sex trade and adult industry, there are almost no other markets to which we can transfer our skill set.  We are shunned by the majority of regular industries and businesses, as too controversial to touch.  While folks love to watch what we do on film at home, publicly most folks are embarrassed to admit it and not willing to risk associating their business with a porn star and thus our options for career growth are limited.

So guys end up frustrated, with no career path, and a quickly dissipating fan base.  Fading away when you are used to being idolized and famous can ruin a guy's self worth and self confidence. It can drop you down into depression and feeling abandoned and alone. Without a quality support group in place, that downward spiral can be unstoppable. It's already happened to me some. I've been in the industry for just over a year, celebrating my one year anniversary in February.  In this short amount of time I've see it happen as well.  Some studios aren't enthusiastic about using me now, because I've filmed with them so much.  I don't fit other studios demographic as I'm turning 39 this year and the research shows their best selling porn typically shows guys younger than me. I don't fault them for their thinking on either point, as they are in the business to make money and you have to provide what the customer wants or you go out of business.  I don't fault the consumers either for having tastes that may not fit my physicality. My task has been to continue to film and see how my career can evolve.  I'm making opportunities as I can, including recording music (first vocal singles to be released soon!), trying to break into mainstream acting and reality TV shows, starting to throw bar and club events as a promoter, and have recently signed a book deal to launch an entire line of gay erotica! And, while I'm creating opportunities for myself, many guys aren't as "entrepreneurially minded," and can't force these career moves to appear. So the question is, what are these guys to do when its time to move on from porn?

How do we help guys adjust from idol and superstar back to just another guy making it the best way they can?  Do we blame society for not being more accepting of the sex trade? What can we do to put better support groups in place so guys feel they have folks to talk to about their issues, and give a hand when we hit our low points? I don't know the answer. I wish I did.

Random Things We Don't Talk About

...when you accidentally clog the toilet at a trick's house...

Random Things We Don't Talk About

When you're standing in a bar and one of your friends farts.

Picture from a photo shoot with Scotty

Photo by Shawn White...

super hero stories, originally published in one4all magazine.

“HERE HE COME’S TO SAVE THE GAY!”

Superheroes have been a part of our culture for all time. Throughout history, do-gooders that save the day against impossible odds have been celebrated.  Going way back, the superheroes typically had some sort of religious connection (for example the Greek or Roman Gods and characters from the Bible like Noah could be considered superheroes), but they all had something in common: a need to assist the greater good.

Now days you look at comic books and super hero movies and the underlying themes are the same.  Superhero characters typically have a power above the norm, an almost obsessive need to help and some adversity overcoming back story as to how they got to be who they are (murdered parents, exploding home world, etc.).  I think we, as humanity, look to super heroes for a few different reasons, each of which I will explore below.

“My life doesn’t suck as bad as I thought.”  Superhero stories give us a great escape from our everyday lives.  These stories on the screen or on paper take us to other worlds and realities that fascinate us, entertain us and allow us a moment of fantasy.  Usually, there’s a BIG element of impending disaster in these stories, huge odds to overcome and life or death scenarios with which the superhero must deal.  This escapism gives us a chance to take a break from our daily grind and realize that, albeit fiction, things could be worse than they are and the world could be ending, aliens could be invading or zombies could be taking over (its starting, I swear!).

“I would have done that too.”  We all like to think that we would react in a “good” way to bad situations and take the high road.  Superhero stories are kind of like children stories with morals. They remind us that being righteous and ethical can lead to the greater reward and success in life.  We are told that, though the path may be hard, following the good road leads to the best result (I sound like a fortune cookie!).

“Green Lantern is HOT!” We also look at superheroes in a role model and sexual manner.  Just like adult film stars, male superheroes are created with hyper-masculine qualities, perfect musculature and dashing good looks.  Of all the man-loving folks out there, who wouldn’t want a ride on the superhero sex train? These images are fantasy, and we know them to be, but it gives us a perfect ideal to strive for in our own lives.

So superheroes serve the purpose in our lives to entertain, give us guidance and remind us that things are so bad.  When things look rough, just be glad you don’t have a world eating super villain on its way to devour your planet! And remember, Superheroes are always welcome in Charles World!