Pay inequality in the adult film industry? Apparently, that’s a thing and it really shouldn’t be.
It goes without saying, but we’ll say it. The following post is NSFW.
Adult film performer Armond Rizzo brought the topic to the world through social media this past weekend. The performer shared with his followers, and the world at large, that a certain studio in the industry pays bottoms less than its tops.
Rizzo started the conversation with the caveat that the situation has never happened to him, but that he’d heard of it happening to others. Specifically, the adult performer shared that he was approached by the Blacks on Boys studio for potential work. While doing some digging before responding, he learned that bottoms are paid less than the tops for their work.
“This has never happened to me but there’s a studio who is interested in me and what I found out about them is mind blowing. They pay bottoms way less than tops n there excuse the site is more top dominant … If your wondering what site I am talking about it’s @BlacksOnBoys such a shame… lost my respect. [sic]”
If your wondering what site I am talking about it’s @BlacksOnBoys such a shame… lost my respect.
— Armond Rizzo (@ArmondRizzoXXX) January 25, 2020
For @BlacksOnBoys if your wondering what my response is to working for you I think your smart enough to know that, it’s going to be a big NO THANKS! I don’t care that you even raised my fee up. It’s just unjust you pay bottoms less and for that I decline working for you!
— Armond Rizzo (@ArmondRizzoXXX) January 25, 2020
Rizzo, who recently won the 2020 GayVN award for “Social Media Star,” then recorded a 25-minute broadcast to talk about the subject.
“What do tops do in the morning before a shoot? Show up on set on their phones and fill out paperwork. When it’s time for shooting, they get TriMix and inject your penis. Instant hard-on… Now let’s move on for a bottom. A bottom has to wake up early in the morning, douche out, shower, get ready, check again, walk around, douche out again (just to triple check). Oh, you’re only allowed to eat an apple, a carrot or something light to eat that your body’s not gonna process to eat.”
Rizzo then went on to talk about bottoms often having to avoid eating lunch as well.
“I’m not asking to be paid more. But I’m asking to be respected and paid equally. Cause guess what? Without a bottom, there’s no scene. Period,” he explained.
Tops vs bottoms? https://t.co/Ap4lPySa5x
— Armond Rizzo (@ArmondRizzoXXX) January 26, 2020
Rizzo’s words mirror sentiments shared by Markus Kage in Instinct’s interview with him earlier this month. As we wrote, “Kage initially believed being on the bottom bunk was easier. But when it comes to getting ready to shoot a scene that might go on for hours, he acknowledged there’s definitely more ‘prep work’ involved for the receptive partner.”
Rizzo and Kage weren’t the only ones to express this sentiment of bottoms putting in just as much or more work than their top peers. Many of Rizzo’s followers shared similar thoughts.
https://twitter.com/BlatinoBottom/status/1221191444339347456
https://twitter.com/firebearisland/status/1221188779295166464
You know how many scenes I’ve done where I’ve done all the fucken work because the top is lazy as fuck.
— Armond Rizzo (@ArmondRizzoXXX) January 25, 2020
Some companies amaze me
— MrArchangelXXX (@MrArchangelXXX) January 25, 2020
That is insane!!!! I think with all the work that bottoms do they should get paid more every time! It is always crazy to me that people still don’t realize how much prep and work there really is in being a bottom. Fuck that studio babe!
— Slevinus Artarius (@slevinusatarius) January 26, 2020
Source: Towleroad