Treasure Island Media’s Paul Morris declares the AIDS crisis “Over”; calls condom use “capitulation”

I used to think that Paul Morris said the things he said strictly for publicity, but after reading this lengthy interview, it’s clear he’s saying what he’s saying because he truly believes it.

The hugely successful bareback producer/director did an email Q&A in which he, among a lot of other things, controversially addresses the controversy surrounding his studio.

Paul Morris on why he makes the kind of porn he makes:

Most recently, I’ve been motivated to produce pornography to directly address the appalling phenomenon of the HIV “closet”. It’s a tremendously dangerous and damaging result of the continuing fear and superstition that’s promoted by AIDS healthcare organizations and big pharma. Meds are now sufficiently sophisticated and reliable and side-effect free to make AIDS a virtual non-issue in the developed world. The battleground now should be that of forcing big pharma— particularly companies like Gilead–to give up their patents on the meds and make them universally affordable in both the developed and the developing world. This would be a serious struggle since it would (nominally) reduce their obscene profits.

HIV continues to be stigmatized in the US, often by middle-aged gay men who are habituated to living in a world of fear and tragedy and refuse to believe that the crisis is truly over. These are the men who begin every letter or comment with “I watched my entire generation die in the 80s…” To a great extent, the current gay mindset surrounding HIV is a result of a generation of men living with PTSD and not getting the support and help they need now that the war is over. As a pornographer, all I can do in response is to produce work that features men who are openly positive (or negative) and happily living their lives honestly and fully.

Paul Morris on what kind of models he uses:

I avoid working with anyone who has experience as a “pornstar”. As often as not, the guys in my videos don’t ask to be paid for what they’re doing. They’re men, not actors.

Paul Morris on condom use:

I’m only “anti-condom” to the extent that condoms do violence to play. Language is developed through play. Play is killed by fear. Prior to HIV, condoms were often used as an element of fetishistic play. Now, however, they are signs of fear and capitulation and “good behavior”.

However, when men have come to me and they’ve said they want to use a condom, I say yes—so long as they’re not already brainwashed by what used to be called the porn “mainstream”. If their sexual energy is honest and they want to use a condom, fine. What you see in my videos is the actual number of guys who’ve said they wanted to use condoms.

It’s easy to agree, disagree, or question Morris’ positions (do people with AIDS consider their disease a “non-issue”?; why would big pharma, which relies on the sale of HIV meds and the spread of HIV, promote a “fear and superstition” of HIV that would, in effect, prevent the spread of HIV?; having sex with a condom does infer that there’s something to be afraid of). The hard part for Morris’ critics (and critics of bareback porn in general) is realizing that they’re outnumbered. Treasure Island Media’s The 1000 Load Fuck is the most purchased, viewed, and downloaded video–bareback or with condom–in history. So, as it happens, bareback porn doesn’t exist solely to be controversial; it’s here because a lot of people are willing to pay money to watch it.

 

22 thoughts on “Treasure Island Media’s Paul Morris declares the AIDS crisis “Over”; calls condom use “capitulation””

  1. People can do what they want – I’m not judging them for it – but I’m gonna say from experience that your life does change with HIV. It’s not exactly the same as before, except with you just taking a few pills everyday. Major changes occur, and at the end of the day, this disease is going to shorten my life. There’s no two ways about it.

  2. i will say this much: it’s complete, utter foolishness to bandy about the philosophy “it’s my body; thus i can do what i want with it.”

    extreme selfishness.

    almost no man is an island unto himself.
    plus, i wonder how many of these guys might continue saying that kind of stuff, if it was their own mothers or fathers being reckless with barebacking and drug use (because you just know that at least some of these sex workers in T.I.M. are on something).
    (you also know, at least some of these sex workers have other diseases besides HIV.
    or.. ..was footage of such individuals “excised” during paul’s editing?)

    speaking for myself: i think i have the right not to have to worry if i’m putting my life/livelihood on the line, by merely putting my dick in someone’s mouth, or vice versa.

    i wish we gays could bareback each other until the moon turns purple; but i don’t like having pus come out of my dick.. ..i definitely don’t want herps sores all over my junk either.

    so, yeah: why don’t paul go and re-direct some of that money he’s made towards finding The Cure?
    or, at least, partially subsidizing one or two people’s regiment, for the duration of their life?

  3. Call Paul Morris all the names you want; be as scandalized as you want; what he does is no worse than the companies who make and promote poisons like alcohol and tobacco. If you are against bareback sex, don’t have it. If you are against bareback sex porn movies, don’t watch them.

    But just like it’s a person’s right to put carcenogenic smoke into his lungs or not, it’s every man’s right to use a comdom or not. They know the dangers, and they choose. To object so loudly to Mr. Morris’s actions and not the actions of entities like Phusion Projects or Phillip Morris, is hypocritical. It’s a free country, so you have the right to make your opinion known and others have the right to ignore you.

  4. WHAT A COMPLETE USER PAUL MORRIS IS!…talking irresponsibly for our community.He should sit back for a moment and think if his bank account is more important than the men he is encouraging to risk their lives everyday. Paul Morris has blood on his hands and an empty soul. He will use you up and spit you out without thinking twice about it.
    Stay away from this man, he will destroy you for $500.

  5. JamesThunderEarly

    Yeah… Have you seen where these people who work for Gilead live or make?

    John C Martin (CEO of Gilead)
    http://www.forbes.com/static/execpay2005/LIRA1XN.html?passListId=12&passYear=2005&passListType=Person&uniqueId=A1XN&datatype=Person

    I also did a little bit of digging and found the Aids Healthcare Tax records (pubic) and noticed that Mr. Weinstein made $350,454 in 2008. That’s amazing for a non-profit. Some of the other officers on the board made pretty hefty salaries as well.

    Peter Reis: $212,765
    Thomas A Myers: $155,306
    Donna Stidmam: $172,733
    Laura Nelson: $153,476
    Lisha Wildon: $169,681
    Gerald Hamwe: $179,149
    Homayoon Khanlou: $249,001
    Juan Carlos Ricaurte: $217,229
    Paul Den-Ouden: $175,863

    For more detail on this feel free to check out this very profitable NON-profit’s tax records for yourself. Next time you shop at “out of the closet” just realize that all the money for what you thought was a donation for aids research is probably just supporting these enormous salaries.

    Click to access AHFTax2007.pdf

    Click to access AHFTax2008.pdf

    I couldn’t find anything on Mr. Morris but I’m sure he lives in a castle on the top of some mountain too. But if you ask me, I don’t think Paul Morris is the only person making money off of HIV. Out of these 3 people who has the most to fear if there was a cure for HIV? I’ll tell you that Paul Morris would still have his empire while these other two clowns are shit out of a job. Which leaves the question, why would they want to cure HIV?

  6. Starbright1900

    WHAT AN IGNORANT ASSHOLE…PAUL MORRIS IS IN IT FOR THE MONEY ONLY. HE ENCOURAGES DESPERATE MEN TO ENDANGER THEIR LIVES ON A DAILY BASIS. AIDS CRISIS IS OVER IS COMPLETELY IGNORANT. SEE HOW FABULOUS YOU FEEL AFTER YOUR HIV+< BROKE, SICK, CANT AFFORD MEDS AND ALL BECAUSE MR MORRIS SAID "HE"D MAKE YOU A STAR"…..TOTAL ASSHOLE.

  7. The capacity of men to delude themselves never ceases to amaze me. On the good side, it got us to the moon. On the bad side, oh where to start. WIth Paul Morris, in this case.

  8. Ummmmm, ok – Batshit Crazy, Party of 1, your table is ready!
    Why doesn’t Mr Morris include himself when he speaks of “obscene profits?” Let’s add it up shall we?
    By his own admission, he rarely pays the models in his movies. $0
    Decent SOMA hotel room – 3 days $500
    DVD Editing, Authoring, Box art etc (in house) $1,000
    DVD Replication (3,000 pcs @ .75) $2,250
    (Ive worked in Adult 8yrs so I know the exact costs) Total $3,750 maybe $4,000 per movie
    T.I.M. moves 3,000 DVD’s per title @ average retail 59.99 = $179,970 profits $175,000 per new release.

    NEWSFLASH to all the pro-bareback cum-guzzling roadwhores out there who think P. Morris is an idol. All his anti-HIV stigma, HIV closet, be free & live life fully talk is complete & utter bull-shit. He could care less about ur health, meds & big Pharma. He’s in it for the $$$$$$$$$!!!! He’s laughing all the way to the bank while scores of you out there viciously come to his defense on blogs etc around the world. You do his dirty work for him.

  9. Maybe Mr Morris would like to claim that cancer is a non-issue in the developing world because we understand and treate it for more effectly than ever with survival rates up? Mr Morris should sit in on a support group for those living with HIV or go to a youth center with poz participants and tell them his beliefs. I’m sure he’ll be chucked out before he finishes his first sentence. Poz individuals should be empowered to live their lives but not told they don’t suffer. Even those who can afford meds suffer physically.

    His statements are worse than those in the beginning of the crisis who pretended this disease didn’t exist. It’s almost active encouragement to get infected because it doesn’t matter. None of my poz friends would agree.Perhaps we don’t live in a time when HIV is sensationalized as GRID but that doesn’t mean we should go the opposite way in dimishing it’s impact. You’ll find few who agree. Morris is no different from the big pharm companies hoping to maximize his profits by dismissing relevent issues that surround his products.

    Mr Morris make your movies. I admitt to enjoying them. However, do the responsible thing and tell people bareback anal sex is one of the easist ways to transmit diseases. Like anything from riding a bike to flying a plane there are ways to reduce risk and promote safety. Condoms are a great way to still enjoy sex and reduce risk!

  10. He’d have a case if every single person in the world would be able to easily afford the medication that is needed to keep the virus at bay. This is sadly not the case. Maybe I’m just to cheap, but I prefer to spend my money on other things than making drug companies richer as they already are. And the price of condoms is a price I’m willing to pay to avoid higher medical related bills.

    I grew up in the 90s where using condoms meant that you care for yourself and your partner(s). It’s very unfortunate that HIV and Aids organisations are not able to make this old fashioned message popular again in today’s society.

  11. Who in their right mind would think AIDS is over!!!!!! How many more gay men are going to die before this lame ass shit stops. We have loss so many friends, husbands, boyfriends, fathers and sons to this disease and yet we are still talking like it is a figment of our imagination. AIDS is still around!!!!!!! AIDS still kills!!!!!!!

  12. HIV may well be manageable and treatable (and I think this is a great, wonderful thing and we are very lucky to live in a first-world society where we have access to these meds)… but that doesn’t mean I want to go out an get it any more than I want to get syphilis or the flu. If you are a normal, self-respecting person, you are going to take care of your health and the health of those around you.

    So unless you want to lick someone’s pussing cold sore or drag your tongue on the steamroom floor, you should wear a condom.

  13. I’m so sick of hearing about the “obscene profits” of pharma companies. They take those “obscene profits” and invest them in developing NEW medicines, the majority of which don’t work and LOSE MONEY. Has it occurred to anyone that if they didn’t make “obscene” (a standard that is always changing) profits they would go out of business and we wouldn’t have any new medicines?

    Guess what, we live in a world where business are in the business of making profits – get over it.

  14. Just several points after reading this piece.

    1. Not all gays are rich as Mr. Morris, infected by HIV maybe nothing for people like him who can afford the treatment to stay alive forever, but those meds aren’t free or cheap. To declare the disease is “over” is just blatantly ignore the facts in front of our eyes.

    2. Mr. Morris wants to sell as many videos as possible, thats not a problem since there is clearly a market for it, but please stop the ridiculous statement suggesting he is making BB porn to liberate gays from HIV fears. If he really wants to liberate gays, open HIV clinic in every city and give out free medicine.

    3. I applaud Mr. Morris’s passion against big pharma, which is indeed true, not only for HIV meds, but before that happens, its irresponsible to tell people its okay to get infected. And let me tell ya, after the big health care fight two years ago, we all know its extremely difficult to force big pharma’s hand. Lets be realistic here, otherwise, people will die before big pharma gives up.

    1. Just to let you know, I’m writing a follow up to this interview that is to be published Monday morning. In that I’m quoting the first to points of your comment. I would like to talk with you a bit more before I publish, feel free to email me jerome(at)ltasex.info

  15. It might be a better managed disease these days, but it’s still a disease that can and does kill people. I think it’s disingenuous to say it’s not a big deal anymore and people should just let it go.

  16. This is a pretty dangerous view point, and I certainly hope no young and impressionable guys read this and take the perception that the HIV crisis is “over”.

    Wearing a condom does not mean you are not living your life “honestly and fully”, but it means you are willing to take to precautions to hopefully stop yourself getting a preventable virus.

    There have been huge pharmaceutical advances, which means people can live longer and with less side effects than the past, but this virus can and will cause you harm.

    Why risk this in a moment of “fun”. Do people go out and intentionally get the flu because its considered risky?

  17. OMG…watch the haters come out with their vilifying commentary to this one…predictable, narrow minded and full of the fascist like dogma from people who no doubt consider themselves liberal. It never ceases to amaze me the hypocrisy of negative people who have no problem eating crap food, drinking, smoking and taking drugs yet let’s hate the poz guys for having natural sex because out taxes pay for their care. Zzzzz…..

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