A couple of weeks ago, we told you all about Himeros officially becoming one of the 200+ studios in the ever-expanding NakedSword library. Since then, more and more Himeros videos have been added to “the Netflix of gay porn” with the collection now boasting a roster of popular porn stars that includes Blake Mitchell, Adam Ramzi, and Nate Grimes.
To celebrate these new videos being added to NakedSword, we decided to catch up with Himero founder and owner Davey Wavey to talk about everything from the Porn Star Bill of Rights to making a movie that’s filmed entirely underwater to how Himeros is “like porn, but better.”
Take a look at our full interview with OG YouTuber and Himeros icon Davey Wavey below, be sure to check out Himeros over on NakedSword, and don’t forget to spew out all your hot thoughts about this sensual porn studio down in the comments!
Greer: Thank you so much for talking with us Davey. First off, I just wanted to say congrats on Himeros as a brand and Himeros being added to the NakedSword library. What’s your experience with NakedSword been like so far and how are you feeling about your videos reaching a whole new audience?
Wavey: It’s always exciting to reach new audiences and turn them on to the work we’re doing. On one hand, there is more porn on the internet than ever before. And yet, on the other hand, most gay and bisexual men are bored with the options available. It’s the same tired storylines and the same formula, over and over again. Himeros.tv is the promise of something new, different, creative, and authentic! And we’re thrilled to bring that difference to the NakedSword library.
We’ve talked about Himeros on The Sword before, but for anyone unfamiliar with your studio, can you give us a quick rundown on what really sets Himeros apart from other major studios?
Himeros.tv is different in a lot of ways. Our videos are designed to do more than just get you off – though, they will definitely do that, too! Each video is a collaboration with various gay sex experts, tantric instructors, or intimacy coaches to enhance the experience of sex and sexuality for the viewer. Some of our videos have an instructional flavor – and can teach audiences to experience things like full-body orgasms or being multiorgasmic. Other videos might demonstrate sex games that you can try at home. Many of our videos challenge the tropes or stigmas that prevent us from living more complete sexual lives. We like to say that Himeros.tv is like porn, but better.
One big thing on the Himeros homepage that I’ve never seen before on another studio’s site is your Porn Star Bill of Rights. This gets into everything from stating that all models will be compensated fairly to all film sets are drug and alcohol-free to saying that the studio will not “fetishize models ages, shapes, ethnicities, gender expressions, sizes or colors.” What’s really driven you to keep that on your homepage and boldly state your studio’s basic principles like that?
As conscious consumers, people prioritize supporting products and brands that share their values. When people make a salad, for example, they may prefer consuming organic lettuce and tomatoes. Porn is another thing that we consume. We consume it with our eyes, our minds, and sometimes even our hearts. And so it feels important to create porn in a way that is mindful.
But there’s another layer, too. Our videos require a deep level of authenticity for our models. They require a vulnerability that isn’t often seen in porn – and no model is going to be vulnerable without first feeling safe. Our Porn Star Bill of Rights is one way in which we create a safe filming environment for our models.
To me, Himeros and Davey Wavey are synonymous. You are the founder, face, and constant promoter of this brand. In terms of what happens behind the scenes, how much are you involved with Himeros? Do you have a creative team you work with? Are you coming up with everything yourself? Is it a collaborative effort with the performers?
I’m just the tip of the iceberg. I’m the part that people see, but there’s a whole world of talented people with whom we collaborate. Beyond signing the checks, my role is that of a producer. I find the directors, cinematographers, coaches, models, and crew for each project.
Generally, the sex coaches come up with the concepts for our videos and then we pair those concepts with gorgeous locations and sexy models.
It’s truly collaborative at every step of the way. In fact, I’m on my way to Hawaii where we are filming with six men in the rainforest. It’s a five-day retreat, and part of the workshops will be to develop concepts that we’ll film later in the day. How cool is that?
Himeros does a lot of grand productions that feature models in all different types of settings and situations. Have there been any big scenarios or sets that you have wanted to put on film, but just haven’t been able to yet?
We really pride ourselves on finding gorgeous locations like gothic castles, desert retreats, and even the arctic circle. The pandemic really curtailed a lot of our international travel, but things are slowly opening up. We’re going to film a collection of videos based on the Greek gods and the archetypes that we embody as gay men. It will be on the ocean in Greece, and it’s going to look spectacular on film.
At some point, we hope to film a collection that’s entirely underwater. Logistically, it’s really complicated, so we haven’t been able to make it happen… yet.
What about models? Are there any big names or specific performers that you’re hoping to work with in the future?
We’ve worked with many of the industry’s biggest names including Blake Mitchell, Cade Maddox, Diego Sans, Calvin Banks, and others. But we also love finding passionate, connected men who aren’t yet known. And because we want everyone to see a reflection of themselves on Himeros.tv, we’ve worked with men of all backgrounds, shapes, sizes, and ages.
I know it can be a Sophie’s Choice-type situation asking you to pick a favorite scene from your site’s library, but is there a specific video or project from Himeros that you’re most proud of?
When people ask how Himeros.tv is different from traditional porn, I often show them a video that we did titled Worship Me. In it, one man affirms his lover and tells him how worthy he is of love and pleasure. The recipient lover is moved to tears and the heart connection between the two men is palpable. It’s simultaneously deeply arousing and intensely moving. It allows you to experience porn in ways that most people have never even considered.
One of the most unique things about Himeros, outside of the actual content it creates, is that it’s really the only major gay porn studio out there that utilizes YouTube to such an extreme and successful level. From releasing mini-documentaries to doing your typical YouTube “challenges” with porn stars, you guys do a lot. When you first began growing the Himeros brand, how important was it for you to utilize your original YouTube platform? And have you had any major struggles using YouTube to promote adult content?
I think the biggest challenge for any new studio is building its audience. On YouTube, I’ve been building an audience for 14 or 15 years and have amassed over 1.4 million subscribers. Leveraging that audience for Himeros.tv was a no-brainer, but it’s always a challenge to create YouTube content that conforms to YouTube’s often abstract and vague community guidelines.
But YouTube does allow us to push some boundaries. For instance, we recently featured full-frontal nudity in a YouTube video because the content was deemed “medical” due to the topic of conversation.
Since you have such a big fanbase that dates back 15 years, what has the response been like as you’ve pivoted to focusing more on gay porn on your YouTube and other social channels?
Well, I’ve always made content about the things that make me feel alive. I follow my passion. And inevitably, some people will drop off and new ones will join on. I don’t want to feel stuck or stagnant. Instead, I want to stay inspired. So, if you don’t like what you see on my YouTube channel, there are plenty of other channels to enjoy. And if you do like it, join me on this journey!
And lastly, Ray Dexter recently announced his retirement from studio porn in a mini-documentary from Himeros. In the video, he talked about his love for the studio and how if he was an exclusive for one studio, it would be for Himeros. Based on your reputation and your strong stance on your Porn Star Bill of Rights, I think it’s safe to assume that you and your team get feedback like that all the time from performers. What is it like hearing praise like that from performers working with you?
It’s certainly affirming and Ray is such a sweetheart. We do a good job of explaining to prospective models how our approach is different from traditional studios. We let them know that the set is alcohol and drug-free. We let them know that we’ll have a coach available to them. We let them know that we’ll be sharing meals and engaging in daily workshops. We let them know that we work with world-class filmmakers, directors, and crew with professional-grade equipment. But it’s always fun to see a first-time Himeros.tv model arrive on set, and really soak it all in. And the truth is, I’m still soaking it in, too. I feel like I’m just getting started.
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I was a fan of Davey Wavey. and I like it commitment to “authenticity” so is he saying that he will only use gay models? He seems to worship straight guys in his non-porn Youtube, especially BA guys.
I find his porn uninteresting, safe and expensive. It seems to be geared to guys in relationships and having sex frequently, not the guys who aren’t either.
I wish he would deliver something less scripted and more real.
Picking a favorite porn scene from among many is most assuredly NOT a “Sophie’s choice,” which occurred in a concentration camp and was about which of Sophie’s two children would be murdered. Cameron Greer needs a history lesson. What a stupid and insensitive remark.
Oh! You’re a 90 year old Jew who has an Auschwitz number tattooed on your arm?
Maybe choosing your favorite scene is a victory but a pyrrhic victory. Is that an insult to the memory of Pyrrhus of Epirus?
Maybe an ADULT PORN blog is meant for mature adults who enjoy a little tongue in their cheeks. The war ended 74 years ago and you’re saying “Too soon!”? Maybe a gay porn porn is not the place to get your panties in a bunch.
I do see his point, somewhat. I personally feel like gay porn has gotten extremely aggressive. All the scenes coming out of Lucas, Falcon, Raging, and even the Onlyfans type sites seem to always have a detached aggressive quality. Don’t get me wrong sometimes that sex can be super hot (just two men going at it because they have to get it), however I think it’s also making gay men immensely detached from sex. I remember seeing Falcon videos from back in the day 90s and early 2000s, and a lot of them had a romantic quality. Lots of kissing and eye contact – really seemed like both men were very into each other. Even some of the threeways and group scenes had that energy.
I also do commend Davey (even though I find him irritating) for creating an environment that’s drug free. Sometimes you watch some pornos and the guys look completely out of it.
I personally think porn can be a really beautiful thing, it helped me immensely as a teenager figuring out my sexuality – realizing that I’d rather have sweaty Colton Ford on top of me vs some chick with huge boobs. Because gay porn had a positive impact on me, my fear is that younger generations are only seeing aggressive and detached sex, and they are going to replicate that in their personal lives and not know that gay sex can be wonderfully loving and passionate.
What you’re describing is exactly what Davey experienced. He says “I would hook up and people would tell me that I fuck like a porn actor … but it wasn’t a compliment.” So Davey had to learn intimacy and much of Himeros is him expressing his journey both past and present. He experienced exactly the problem you’re describing and this was his solution.
What I believe he missed was that a lot of people told him that, so a lot of people already knew how to create intimacy. Intimacy is, perhaps not natural, but it’s easy to learn and intuit. Davey seems to deeply understand the superficial. What is lost on Davey is that for porn actors to do DP gangbangs, a huge level of physical and mental training was necessary. Intimacy leads to training which leads to intensity.
I have no idea the effects of porn on future generations but I like that you’re really thinking about it.
there was a video of davey jacking off that leaked a few years back. I saw it back then but I’ve scoured the internet trying to find it recently and it was no where to be found. Aside from that I think his adult website is pretentious and boring. too long and drawn out. I guess some people like that “romantic” approach but I really like porn where they just get down to it.
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I joined Himeros a couple years ago, on a monthly basis. His approach to filmmaking was different, slower, more explorative. The visuals were often milky-looking from the low light. The models were both familiar and unfamiliar, and the scripts were incredibly pretentious. I think I stayed two months before dropping the site, mostly out of boredom. To each their own; it wasn’t for me.
Well ‘aint that special! That being said, I checked out Himetros TV just forr shits and laughs and as suspected, it cost s and costs big bucks, like a nut ‘n a half, something like 99.00 per month and at that price. I’ll pass thanks. it never has surprised me how much gay men will pay to get off when they need to blow a long simmering load even with all the free, that’s right free sites like Pornhub, Xhamster etc. but anyway good luck to him with his new schtic
Just typed in the website. Prices range from $50/mo to $15/mo if you buy an annual package. Average price of these things is $10-$20/mo. The higher price is just there to encourage people to get the package deals, which is a normal pricing tactic in almost any industry.
“Most Popular” is draped around the “$25/mo for 3 months” plan which would be higher than industry standard.
That said, I haven’t met a subscriber IRL. My impression has always been that Davey is WAY too guarded about his own sex life (never telling on YouTube if he’s a top or bottom … like we can’t tell).
And of course he never engages with the models or shows any nudity of himself on his channel.
If he had balls, he’d make an OnlyFans, charge $20/month and deal with his fans directly. But he doesn’t.
No time for boring Davey or his “studio”!
In the meantime, people still love Treasure Island Media for its pro-drug/alcohol sets and it’s completely piggish bath house/sex club type scenes.
I’m not sure that “wholesome porn” has a broad enough appeal. I would love to see Himeros’ P&L.