2024 the best porn star of the world review
Price: $9.99
(as of Nov 17, 2024 01:23:15 UTC - Details)
YES, IT ALL REALLY HAPPENED JUST LIKE THIS…
Here’s the story of Rich Merritt—the good son, teacher’s pet, Southern gentleman, model Christian student at Bob Jones University, Marine officer, and the not-so-anonymous poster boy for a New York Times Magazine article on gays in the military—whose complicated sexual past caused an international scandal when The Advocate “outed” him as “The Marine Who Did Gay Porn,” putting his life in a tailspin. It’s the compelling, poignant story of how a boy who never listened to pop music, never cursed, and didn’t have his first drink until he was eighteen exploded into a life of drugs, alcohol, promiscuity, prostitution, and pornography. And above all, it’s a triumphant story of self-forgiveness and identity, of a man who refused to allow himself to be defined by the standards of anyone else—gay or straight. Along the way, Rich Merritt writes with humor, compassion, insight and naked truth about:
• What it’s really like growing up behind the “Fortress of Fundamentalism” and how he ultimately came to despise their views
• The harsh realities of military life under the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” Clinton policy
• A real insider’s experience of working in the male porn industry—the good, the bad, and the extremely hot
• Why he chose not to reveal his porn past to the New York Times journalist
• What it felt like to be the most notorious marine in the world and what it took to come through the fire
By turns harrowing and heartbreaking, angry and affirming, Secrets of a Gay Marine Porn Star is that rarest of memoirs—a fascinating slice of life that reads like the most absorbing fiction, but is all true.
ASIN : B071SK44NH
Publisher : Citadel Press (May 31, 2017)
Publication date : May 31, 2017
Language : English
File size : 2066 KB
Text-to-Speech : Enabled
Screen Reader : Supported
Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
X-Ray : Not Enabled
Word Wise : Enabled
Print length : 480 pages
Page numbers source ISBN : 0758209681
Reviewer: Fab
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: The destructiveness of fundamentalism
Review: Don't be put off by the slightly trashy title - which is actually an inside joke, it turns out.I've nearly finished reading the book by Rich Merritt, and I feel I can make a few comments now.I admire Rich's honesty and candor. He's made mistakes and isn't afraid to admit to them, which in my experience, is a very rare thing. The book is well written and compelling. I had to force myself to put it down and get on with things I should have been doing instead. I found myself rooting for him, and then almost crying when he went downhill again.I also found things to envy him for, like his huge "extended gay family", which is something I have never had and sorely wanted to have. And a long-term love... I envy that too.But I think by far the most important aspect of this book, at least for me, is that it is the perfect example of the destructive power of fundamentalist Christian teaching, as far as concerns gay issues. Fundamentalists talk about "love", but instead instill a profound self-loathing in young gay people - a self-loathing which is often destructive, in ways such as those Rich experienced, or much worse, as described in the book "Prayers for Bobby".I already see one comment here which talks about "lifestyle", which shows just how deeply the fundamentalist doctrine has become ingrained in everyday life. Gay is not a choice. No gay person I know would ever have chosen to be gay, particularly given the hate and venom directed at gay people. It simply isn't logical that someone could chose to live a "lifestyle" that would result is so much pain and distress. [sigh] But I know, I'm wasting my breath... fundamentalists care nothing about logic or reason, let alone love. They sit behind a few phrases in the bible, and forget the teachings of Christ.But I digress. The book is good, I highly recommend it.
Reviewer: D. S. Heersink
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Truly Engaging
Review: Rich writes in an engaging, friendly, and conversationalist manner that instantly draws one in. His life is neither typical nor atypical of anyone, but it has some clear features that probably speak to all of us, and because they do, we find his life compelling. Rich, of course, is our protagonist, and rigid orthodoxies are his antagonists. His cold, demanding, and insensitive mother, an indolent father, his hyper-fundamentalist Christian formation at Bob Jones' institutions, his pestiferous coming-out process, his vexing career as a gay military officer, his own inner need for conformity, approval, success, and affection, and his rebellion by sabotaging his own self-interests for lack of self-confidence and self-esteem. This dynamic is hardly uncommon to anyone, but it seems fairly common among gay men. That it occurs should not surprise us! Because many of these features are slightly tinged, makes the reading that more salacious and interesting. But this is a frank and honest apologia, not a porn biopic.As gay men, we recognize, usually at a fairly early age, that the script written by the dominant heterosexual class does not fit us. Often we find ourselves not "fitting in" our predetermined roles. We are inexplicably attracted to our own sex. Many social and religious structures condemn everything we prize. Conversely, the very things we prize are condemned and repudiated. We are definitely going against the prevailing wind. Our own internalized loathing is often overcome, but not without some serious wounds to our psyches. Even our triumphant wills leaves battle scars behind deep within us, that may continue to haunt us inchoately - either as devils we haven't fully vanquished, or in self-destructive behaviors that confirm our special disability, and often both. Some of us have strong enough social skills to conceal our pain, as our author does for a while, but even those skills can't kill all our nemeses.It's no longer acceptable to speak of "virtues," but in the final analysis, Rich's life is the story of the virtues of honesty and courage, the consequences of intemperance and injustice. One of the reactions common to courageous gay men is to make a false premise; the dangerous premise that, if being gay violates norms, why obey any norms? We have to navigate these norms and test them for ourselves, for only by our own validation can we make any norm normative, but the default position more appropriately should be to assume that norms are probably true, then challenge each one to determine its "fit." If the norm works, keep it; if not, discard it. The other options, either submitting to these norms without question, or abandoning all norms as unsuitable, leaves us without anchorage of any kind. Without any anchorage, we leave ourselves vulnerable in the worst way. That's the moral of this story.This moral, of course, applies not only to gays and lesbians, it applies to all of us, especially those of us who are the most rebellious. "Going against the flow" on any one norm can be hazardous, but going against all or none of them is often disastrous. Believe me, many of the norms need to be challenged, but each in its own time, and each from a vantage of strength, not vulnerability. Numerous examples are provided in this book. Christian fundamentalism. Religion. The DADT policy. Monogamy. That all drugs are either dangerous or benign. That old scars will heal on their own. That others really care about us. Etc.Rich's somewhat ordinary life takes some unusual turns, several of which come back to haunt him. But his friendly narrative tells us, his friends, we don't have to repeat them. If that is all this book did, it would be an interesting read. But Rich goes farther with the adage "question everything!" No norm is inviolate. We all come to the stages of life with various histories, and because gay men must challenge one of the most fundamental norms known to man, does not mean that all other norms are wrong, much less that the fundamental ones are right. Each of us must navigate the waters of life in our own way, hopefully with the insight provided by others, sometimes entirely on our own. Question and test everything! Ironically, Saint Paul makes this very claim! Many people still haven't heard, and most of all, Christians. If only we'd practice what has been preached?
Reviewer: Hella Wahnsinn
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: gutes Buch, elicht verständliches Englisch und unglaubliche Dinge, die Rich Merritt da erzählt, hätte z.B. nie gedacht wie homophob (schwulenfeindlich) die amerkanische Gesellschaft immer noch ist und vermutlich ist es in Europa nicht anders, vordergründig wird auf tolerant getan, aber hintenrum fliegen die Hackln ins Kreuz, und das er so ziemlich alles ausprobiert hat, der gute Rich, was Gott und die Welt äh Gesellschaft so verboten haben, liegt vermutlich an seiner streng christlichen Erziehung und ich dachte immer die Katholiken seien das schlimmste, was Pseudomoral und Unterdrückung der Lust betrifft-leseswert, echt lesenswert, wenn man ein Grundlevel an Englisch hat, aber geht schon, da die Sprache wirklich verständlich ist!
Reviewer: Kindle Customer
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Quite an interesting true story and it was nice to hear of a good lifestyle. I looked him up on a gay dvd and it was quite a surprise!
Customers say
Customers find the book fascinating, wonderful, and spicey. They also appreciate the honesty, saying it's wholesome and refreshing. Readers praise the writing quality as great.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews