What is the secret to keeping your booty healthy and happy?
Lifelube, Project CRYSP, Steamworks and Feast of Fools presented a free gay men's health forum called "Tunnel of Love," and gay men's rear ends took center stage. Before the discussion, local porn star J.C. Carter talked with Windy City Times.
See www.lifelube.org .
Windy City Times: Before we talk about the upcoming forum, let's get to know you a little bit better. When did you first get involved in the erotic film industry?
J.C. Carter: It all started about nine years ago. I was originally born and raised in Chicago. I decided to attempt to relocate to Los Angeles to see what it was like to live on the West Coast. I lived up there for about nine months. While I was out there, I stayed in a YMCA. I looked for legitimate work while I was there and could not find anything. Of course, the only thing I could resort to was exotic dancing at a club. Then, I looked through one of the gay magazines, and saw that they were looking for new faces for videos. So, of course, I made contact with this one particular agent. I went to visit him, he asked me a couple of questions and had me fill out a questionnaire, asked me to go to the restroom so I could myself together, took a couple of Polaroid shots and that was it. I did my first video that following Saturday.
WCT: So, it all happened kind of fast?
JC: It did. It happened really fast. I was lucky I didn't have to go through the casting couch. You hear horror stories about that among the new faces out there. Me being new to this, I didn't know what to expect. Fortunately for me, I didn't have to choose that route. Then I did the first video. I believe the first video was called Black Market. I didn't get to do much in that, except act like I enjoyed being gang-raped by two guys. That was a real easy thing. The following day, I was in another video called The Size That Matters. I remember those quite clearly.
WCT: I bet. How many films have you been in since?
JC: From the beginning to currently, probably about a total of 56. The majority of them have been interracial. Very few have been Black-on-Black films. I'm versatile; I'm top as well as bottom. I've done some hardcore things such as fisting and what you would call water sports. I've done a couple of those, but no bondage or humiliation. I'm not into those types of roles.
WCT: So, do you feel like you really vocalize what you will and will not do, and people respect that?
JC: Exactly. That's the good thing about it. They like to make sure that first, the chemistry is good between the two actors. Also, they want to make sure you are comfortable with it. The worst thing is to get in a scene and not really be that comfortable with it. That's going to come across to the producers and directors, and then it is going to come across on film. People can tell whether or not this person is into it.
WCT: Did you become involved in the industry later on in life? What did you do before that point?
JC: I basically just worked nine-to-five jobs. I've always been a exhibitionist, even when I was a little kid. As I was growing up, I kept that with me. I always wanted to be on stage and dance. I danced a few times at a few clubs, private parties and gay bars. When I had an opportunity to go to L.A. and do these videos, I wanted to get in front of the camera and see if this was something I could really do. It's one thing to say you want to do it. Another thing is to actually do it and be good at it, and make a living out of it. I'm doing it for the money. I'm not saying this is what my life is based on.
WCT: How old were you when you made your first video?
JC: It was about nine years ago, and I'm 46 now, so about 36 or 37. So, yeah, it was later on in my life.
WCT: It's great because gay culture and just pop culture in general in all about youth, so it's nice to see someone later in life breaking into a scene.
JC: What I found is that there is a need for new faces. When I was first introduced in the scene, it felt good to walk into a video store, see your videos there and sometimes people recognized you, especially when I moved back to Chicago, it seemed that my videos were popping out, but they weren't new to me because I had already done them. They were new to the public. When people see all them, they think I'm doing these things back to back. No, I did them when I in L.A. for those nine or 10 months, and they are just now being released. They aren't new to me, but they are new to the public. A lot of people get caught up going to these post- and pre-parties that they have, and I've never been a part of that, only because I don't like that type of scene. That's just a personal thing for me. I'd rather do what I need to do and just be away from all of that [ the party scene ] .
WCT: I bet it could get kind of crazy being involved in that scene all the time.
JC: It is! What happens is they think that if they are constantly around the directors and producers, that's going to get them more work. But they don't know that producers and directors think porn stars come a dime a dozen. That's why you see these guys with names like Jack Daniels or Southern Comfort. These are just names for liquor? But how many people recognize your face? Maybe you do one or two videos, but then they get washed up and wonder what they do after all this. It's very important to be balanced and know this is something that it temporary for right now. Use it to get some money, do what you want to do with the money and then have a full-time job, because that is what you are going to retire from [ your full-time job ] .
WCT: I'm sure there is only a very small amount of people who can retire off what they make in porn. What do you think is the key to staying in this business for a number of years? Going back to what this upcoming panel will be about, do you think staying healthy of mind and body is something that factors into that?
JC: Well, that is the most important thing. Stay healthy. Keep up on your workouts. Also, have a nine-to-five job, work and be a productive member of society. That, to me, is what keeps me in it. As far as the videos and dancing, that is secondary to me, maybe because I've done it already, so I can care less about the videos or dancing at another club. The thing is, you want to stay healthy and fit. Also, little things like being involved in a forum or being involved in AIDS awareness or being involved in a group discussion. Also, occasionally being involved in a video that is a different type of layout—whether it is erotic or hardcore—keeps you out there and keeps you a steady following of fans.
WCT: Can you give me an example of what you do to stay healthy? Do you work out a lot?
JC: Oh, yes. Definitely. As a matter of fact, I just competed last week in my first bodybuilding competition. It was out in St. Charles. Believe me, I dieted down for five or six months. All of this was new to me. I decided to just go ahead and do this. I'm constantly working out. I work out four or five times a week, usually for an hour and a half to two hours a day. Right now, I'm trying to keep my body together to where I can compete next year. I have to start now to do it, because this time, I want to come into an additional weight category ( 200 pounds ) . Last week I didn't weight in at top five but I did come number eight out of 12 competitors, so that was pretty good. I'm 46 years old! I'm very active. I've always been hyperactive. I'm like a shark—I need to keep moving. To me, relaxing and relaxation don't really exist, unless I am really tired. I spend most of my down time working out in the gym, riding my bike in the summertime, swimming or some other type of activity.
WCT: One of the things that will be discussed during the forum is keeping your booty healthy and happy. It sounds like you feel that overall health is important, but what do you think is important for people to know in order to keep their booties healthy and happy?
JC: A lot of time, people don't really know what the right stuff is to take in order to clean out. I use that term to mean preparing yourself prior to anal sex. What is the best, healthiest way to do that? I have my own secrets that I do, but I've heard that some people just use regular soap and water. Is that really safe? Or, some people use over-the-counter products that has saline in it and some other solutions. Are those safe? That is why I am really looking forward to this panel because my method of keeping my booty healthy—maybe what I am doing is not considered to be healthy.
WCT: So, do people in the erotic film industry use a number of different methods, too? There isn't one thing that everyone does?
JC: No, I've heard from other models that some people won't eat for a couple of days, thinking that would work. I've heard other people use—not Exlax, which makes you go—but the other things. They use those, which makes you constipated. They think that is the best solution. Those aren't choices I would make, but it seems to work. Some people just think you eat in the morning, go to the rest room and then you are good to go. There are so many different ways, which is why it is good to have this discussion.
WCT: Right. It sounds like nobody knows the best way! Maybe there are many different, healthy methods. What are some other topics you hope are discussed?
JC: From my understanding, there is supposed to be a new product coming out.
WCT: Microbicides?
JC: Yeah, and that should be really interesting to learn more about. It's not on the market, and people should probably be aware of it. I, personally, hope to learn more about it and how it can help keep my booty healthy and happy. I hope this discussion leads to a bunch of unanswered questions about what else you can physically do to make sure that when you are having sex, you are keeping yourself safe with condoms, lubes, things of that nature.
