Welcome to The Top Three Plus Two, a list of three things you want to know, plus two other things.
Three Plus Two
If you look throughout the history of modern porn to the present day, you’ll see the rise and fall of trends that dominate the industry for awhile then fade into obscurity. Like most fields of entertainment, pornography is a copycat medium; if something has been proven to be successful, it is remade ad-nauseum until the next trend comes along and displaces it. One of the longest, most successful trends was the porn host.
Beginning in the late ’80s and reaching its peak in the ’90s, the porn host broke down the fourth wall that had existed in the poorly-acted movies we associate with old-school pornography. He (it was almost always a man) was your guide through the wonderful action about to take place, a winking avatar who was quite aware that his job of fucking women on-camera was indeed awesome.
Typically, tapes employing a host would begin with the host addressing the camera and briefly discussing the women who are going to appear in the video. From there, each individual scene would feature a brief interview with the performer, then the sex. While not exclusively amateur, the videos that employed this presentation typically featured women who were just entering the business and trying to establish themselves. In some ways, these tapes and the hosts who presented them became the backbone of the industry, a sort of farm system that played a pivotal role in introducing the performers that would go on to become the stars of the next generation. Because these videos were selling tens of thousands of copies every month, a star performance could help gain the attention of not only fans but also the major studios.
These three hosts were some of the best to do it. Without further adieu, here are…
The Top Three…Porn Hosts of All-Time
3. Dave Cummings
Jumping into the porn game in his 50s after a distinguished career in the Army, AVN and XRCO Hall of Famer Dave Cummings has the look and demeanor of the kindly grandpa-next-door; a round, welcoming face with a soft smile that is both charming and disarming. As host of the Fuck My Wife, Please series from the early 2000s, Cummings played the jovial host helping (fictional) couples looking to spice up their relationships, which typically meant having a male pornstar fuck the wife. It played in several niches, including cuckold, interracial and threesomes.
The scenes began with Cummings addressing the viewer and introducing us to the couple, then engaging in small talk. From there, the pornstar would be introduced and the fun would begin. Cummings talked throughout the scenes, complimenting to the husbands their wives’ good looks or ability to take cock. He would occasionally jump into the action, but his role was mostly to provide a horny commentary to the proceedings. Though the series came after the peak of porn hosts, it became quite popular and the content from the series have been spread out to several sites, including ScrewMySexyWife, and used as 3rd party bonus material on countless others.
2. Randy West
Beginning in 1979, Randy West was already an established name among porn fans when he decided to start his own series, Up and Cummers, in 1994. Typifying the look and attitude many male pornstars like Peter North, Vince Voyeur and TT Boy had in the era, Randy West was well-built, well-tanned and radiated a confidence that bordered on arrogance. What separated him from the pack was that he appeared to genuinely have fun when he was performing and worked to reach a connection with his costars.
Up and Cummers, as the name suggests, focused on new starlets and was not unlike many of the other pro-am series that were popping up. Randy would briefly interview women eager to get into the industry and then follow up with hardcore sex that he eagerly enjoyed taking part in. Because he had an unflinching eye for talent and a desire to maintain a high level of quality among his releases, he discovered or helped usher in the popularity of some of the biggest names in the history of the business, including Kylie Ireland, Tera Patrick and Jenna Jameson, whose first-ever appearance on film was Up and Cummers 9.
The series ran over 125 editions and concluded in 2006. Recently, Randy directed a documentary about life after pornography fittingly titled Life After Porn.
1. Ed Powers
For many, Ed Powers is the only porn host that matters. Balding on top with a long, stringy ponytail, thick glasses and a bushy moustache, EdPowers looked like the guy working behind the counter of your neighborhood peep show.
He is most synonymous with his Dirty Debutantes series, the first of which was released in 1989. It became a smash, selling millions of copies over the course of its very long run. Each month, a new tape with three to four women looking to make either a name for themselves in the industry or turn some quick cash would appear on the shelves. The series was so popular he expanded it with another monthly series, More Dirty Debutantes, in 1990, which also ran for many years. He would later branch out the Debutantes series to include Deep Inside Dirty Debutantes, Dirty Dirty Debutantes, Dirtier Debutantes, Dawn of the Debutantes…you get the picture.
Because of the sheer volume of videos and series he has produced, Powers pretty much fucked any woman who would agree to appear on camera; professional wannabees, new immigrants, women looking to pay tuition, so on and so forth. And while people watched the videos for the sex, the real hook was Ed himself. He exhibited the perfect combination of perviness, humor and charm. And his charm was never more present than during the interview portions. Over the course of a 10-minute chat, you could see the look on a woman’s face turn from petrified nervousness to sheer giddiness. He did this time and time again and there’s no denying his entry into the XRCO Hall of Fame.
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Plus Two…Hosts Keeping The Tradition Alive
Like all waves, the porn host crested and producers began looking for new and novel ways to present their product. In the mid-90s, the gonzo porn movement spearheaded by RodneyMoore and SeymoreButts had captured the imagination of fappers everywhere and by the mid-00’s, reality porn had taken hold as the popular format. That’s not to say that porn hosting had gone away completely, however. Below are two people who are keeping hosting alive in 2014.
Havoc – Money Talks
Havoc, the host of the Jackass-inspired site MoneyTalks on the Reality Kings network, breaks the mold among porn hosts in many ways. For one, Havoc is a woman, which immediately adds a different energy to the scenes. With her slender frame, flowing jet-black hair and deliciously placed tattoos, she stands out amongst the throngs of people she interacts with. And while no one would confuse her for a tomboy, she exudes a very casual and “down for anything” attitude that immediately wins over many (but not all) of the strangers she encounters on the street as well as those watching from the comfort of their homes.
She is also more of a host in the traditional sense that we think of television presenters; she handles a microphone and does “person on the street” interviews. Money Talks scenes are basically two-halves; the first half begins with Havoc roaming the streets offering cash to people willing to do silly things like shaving their pubic hair, wearing as many pairs of underwear as possible or washing windows with their breasts. The second half begins when Havoc and the crew end up in a situation where the sex (with a performer cast for the role) begins.
Havoc rarely, if ever, sexually engages in the scenes, much to the frustration of her fan base. Though she has on occasion shown her breasts, kissed a female participant or worked her hands over the action, she mostly stays out of the fun and comments on what she sees. The fact that she has never taken the plunge so far adds a bit of excitement to fans hoping that this next scene is the one they’ve all been waiting for.
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Ric – Backroom Casting Couch
Posing as a talent agent looking to fuck impressionable women looking to get into the business, the conceit of BackroomCastingCouch is more of a reality site than any of the series mentioned above. And though his face is concealed in all of the scenes, Ric’s unmistakable voice, along with his thick frame and tanned body makes him the star of this very popular site.
Most scenes open with Ric sitting comfortably in his bare, windowless office, featuring nothing but a desk, a computer and the all-important black leather couch. Without directly addressing any of the three cameras set-up in the office, he speaks to the viewer and briefly discusses the girl who will be coming in for the audition. Soon after, the aspiring model appears in the office and the interview begins. He has a professional, almost authoritative, demeanor which lends credibility to the premise of the scenes, especially when he nonchalantly directs them to remove their clothes and pose for the camera.
Ric makes frequent references to the “people who will see this” in the scenes when directing the lady to pose or undress; the lady is led to believe that these people are the producers interested in hiring, but in fact he’s referring to us, the viewers. The turn occurs when he explains to the potential casting that in order to show their talent and get hired they must “suck my cock.” The ubiquity of these scenes and the imitations it has created displays how popular and influential the site and Ric have become in the current state of pornography.