Spencer Reed, former porn actor and DJ, had a chat with us about his opinions on pornography, sexuality and Berlin for the first edition of our new interview series “PORN People”.
Pornceptual is an art project that aims to prove that pornography can be respectful, intimate and artistic, while questioning usual pornographic labels. According to your experience in the field, how to you how do you think pornography affects the way we perceive ourselves as sexually active and gendered beings?
From my experience porn has the ability to truly break down barriers for most people. When we view people engaging in activities that we only fantasize mentally about it in a way brings it to reality. It then provides us inspiration to actively experience and pysically engage in things we may never have otherwise. Since the increased popularity of things like fetish or Transgender porn it has really brought these extremely taboo subjects to the mainstream and made them socially acceptable.
We know for a fact that the porn industry is changing very fast. Not only the way it is produced, but also the way it is consumed. With that in mind, what is, in your opinion, the future of pornography and how can we find new ways to experience it?
Well porn has definitely moved rather quickly from huge scale productions with eletist models to a more low key and realistic aproach. In today’s world people tend to lean towards quantity over quality. So productions naturally have lower budgets and scaled back productions. People also want to see something real. Something they can envision themselves being a part of. That takes more of a normal and less glamorous aproach to sex.
Besides being a DJ, you are also a former porn star. As Pornceptual, we see the body representations in commercial pornography as a product that is not only completely monotonous and predictable, but also limited and plastic. After staring at more than 300 different movies, why did you leave the porn industry at the top of your career?
I agree with you. There is a general “type” within mainstream porn. That usually being the alpha male for men with extremely fit muscular body’s, and classically handsome looks. I think that is changing though because people are getting tired of that predictability. I did make many porns, won many awards and even sex toy endorsements. I was truly at the top of the gay porn industry. I retired for many reasons. Porn is very consuming on every level especially when at the top. It’s hard to have a separate life from your porn persona and that grows tiring. Porn is also a short lived career no matter what. Eventually your career will always peak out and then eventually fade out. I choose to exit gracefully while on the top. Then I also wanted to focus my energies on my career in music and DJing. I also had just started a relationship with my now husband and I didn’t want porn to interfere with it. It had always in my past relationships even with other pornstars.
Disorientating and mind blowing, Berlin is considered by many to be the best clubbing city in Europe. Besides the strong electronic music scene, clubs are also seen as a safe place to create a new identity. What brought you to Berlin and how can we think of the queer scene in terms of trends?
Berlin in my opinion leads the world in trends with nightlife and electronic music. It’s the most exciting and inspirational city I have ever been to which Is what drew me to live there. Most of my favorite artist and clubs are located in Berlin which is where I draw my personal inspiration as an artist. The Berlin queer scene is very unique. In most cities in the world the queer scene is stuck in this monotonous ongoing cycle of commercial circuit parties. Where body image, fashion and mainstream music is in the forefront. But Berlin seeks out a more underground, alternative atmosphere where unique music and open minded atmospheres are the focus. It’s seems to be starting to catch on in other places around the world now which is quite a relief.
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