Adult entertainer Armond Rizzo claims that a studio called Blacks on Boys — the self-proclaimed “home to the best interracial” gay content — pays bottoms “way less” than tops under the rationale that the site is “more top dominant.”
“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,” Rizzo tweeted on January 25. “They pay bottoms way less than tops [and their] excuse [is] the site is more top dominant. I don’t give a f*ck, who are you to say that a bottom is worth less?”
Related: Guess how much gay adult film stars make?
Rizzo, who just won the 2020 GayVN Award for Social Media Star, went on: “If [you’re] wondering what site I am talking about, it’s @BlacksOnBoys. Such a shame… lost my respect.”
If your wondering what site I am talking about it’s @BlacksOnBoys such a shame… lost my respect.
— Armond Rizzo (@ArmondRizzoXXX) January 25, 2020
And in another tweet, he added, “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!”
Rizzo’s Twitter rant got a ton of support: “If anything, bottoms should be [paid] more,” one user replied. “If it not for a bottom, what the top gonna do?” added another. Wrote a third: “Bottoms low-key are worth more in reality.”
Related: Gay adult studio Noir Male responds to allegations of “not catering” to the black community
FYI, CNBC reported in 2016 that male porn performers “average $500-$600 per scene or day” with better-known stars earning up to $900 and “superstars” up to $1,500.
As of the time of this writing, the @BlacksOnBoys Twitter account has not replied to Rizzo’s claims.
gavo92
That ain’t right, pay her the same amount as her male coworkers.
nitejonboy
Her ???
Bob LaBlah
He is one gay porn star whom I’ll bet were a thorough examination ever done back there strong traces of a vagina will be found.
gavo92
Bunch of old queens . . . probably still watch porn. ^
Cam
@gavo92
So this is the new screename for one of the trolls.
gavo92
@ Cam
Says the troll. Why even respond to my comment?
ShiningSex
I would have said “her” too. I don’t think some queens have humor.
That being said, I’d never believe anyone who says they don’t watch porn. Total BS, whether in a relationship or not.
Milton
Get ya pronouns right sunshine, its not a matter of humour anymore. You use the wrong pronoun and ya get cancelled these days lol
LifeinShaw
@ShiningSex I don’t watch porn. I’m sure there are others out there. I’m not a prude. I’ve seen a few video clips but it just depresses me so therefore I don’t watch it.
Jim
I assumed bottoms were paid more! They need a union!
azianboy
Just check grindr. 90% are vers bottoms, except for blacks. So majority of gay viewers focus on the top. Just like majority of straight men focus on women so they pay women more.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
There needs to be a complete investigation of this disparity to get to the bottom of it……
gaypalmsprings
I saw what you did there!
wiggie
without the bottoms, the site wouldn’t exist. However, its a know fact in the industry that black gay porn stars are paid much less than their white counterparts so maybe a site that specializes in black tops and white bottoms is using this as justification
MaxH
Unless two bottoms scissor with their buttholes, the site couldn’t exist without tops either. The fact is, bottoms are ten a penny, tops are rare. It is simply supply and demand. His refusal means nothing, there are a million and one bottoms who would take his place for free, let alone get paid for it.
Josh447
Yes however, there are a plethora of vers who can take either position. I think paying as to how hot a star is, may be a good way to approach the dilemma.
reesielover
I’m with MaxH….take me, all day every day. I’d pay to make movies bottoming for the gorgeous black men on Blacks on Boys.
nitejonboy
Well, he could always get a real job like the rest of us have to, if it’s that much of an issue.
gavo92
You have a real job?
Joshua333
it is a real job where they get the big $$$
pharaon.em.joe
So you don’t watch porn?
ShiningSex
a job is a job. whether blow or not.
i do think he may get “blacklisted” for his complaint as well.
I was even shocked he was a porn “star”.
controversial2019
I don’t know what it’s like in the States (I imagine it’s similar) but here in the UK it seems so easy to find a bottom but rather difficult to find a top.
So from a business point of view, if you can find a bottom with a snap of the fingers, they’re worth less. Whereas if a top is a rarer breed to find, they’re worth more and thus get paid more.
Makes complete sense to me. It’s about supply and demand.
dmanhart
But not to effeminate little twinks. They think the world should revolve around them.
Sister Bertha Bedderthanyu
I had no idea people still believe in tops and bottoms. Especially in 2020. I thought we all knew by now its all in how both people feel about doing either position. Get real people. Porn is a fantasy and its a shame how some stars are taken out and tied to a tree by their maniacal fans. Just the other day over on myvidster.com a vid of Deangelo Jackson bottoming set off a near race riot in the comment section with most comments venting anger that he bottomed. Some of those comments are breathing fire at him. Never mind thats what he enjoys. Enjoy the performance but stay out of their personal lives. The way it should work is when you are contacted by a porn studio it should be YOU that tells the studio how much it will cost, to hell with what they are offering. YOU (the star) should have your OWN rates set if you are that important and popular. Dude, get an agent.
DiamondsR4Never
I’m sure that’s how it should be, but it’s unlikely the industry will change. Guys pigeon-holed as bottoms dedicate their lives to keeping their selling point in shape,. The sad thing is they have to smile for social media while they do it and tweet to all how they are # living their best life.
Sister Bertha Bedderthanyu
I do admit that in his case (and a few others) I have wondered how much of their earnings literally go up in smoke. lol
ShiningSex
a lot of gay couples are either top or bottom. i think it’s rare to find versatile couples. TRUE.
most of my friends are either top or bottom. It’s more fun to do both, but hey to each their own.
GymMan456
“Dude get an agent”
But if he did, it will be a pimp..
But yes, all pornstars should be members of their union and should attend all their meetings to ensure they will get tariff paid, and their rights enforced.
pscheck2
my answer to all of this is a parable by Christ regarding the carping by some workers hired by a landowner: a farmer went out to hire some workers to harvest his crops. Having hired several at a given compensation, near the end of the day he hired a couple more, at the same amount!
the ones working the fields all day groused that the new hires were given the same compensation as them! The landowner said you agreed to the terms and were satisfied, so I hired the last ones at the same rate , so I can’t help it if I was being generous,. that’s just me! (Ha, paraphrased!)
Jenniferp412
He is one nasty bottom. Maybe that’s the reason he is not paid as much.
seaguy
Your opinion. His awards some voted by the fans say otherwise.
Dymension
Au contraire. He’s highly paid. He’s saying that he would not film for that studio because they don’t pay bottomw well.
ShiningSex
@seagay, he may not be attactive to some. i don’t find him attractive, but that’s an opinion. Those who vote? Who votes? I am sure it’s rigged.
SammySeattle
Definitely a nasty bottom. And he deserves pay commensurate with that level of nastiness. I’m surprised he’s not demanding $2000/scene.
lord.krath
Few thoughts:
1) It’s a job. The world doesn’t compensate people equally. People aren’t the same, and in this case, people aren’t interested in the same things. When they start doing that in more common jobs, and I’m sure that will change for the porn industry.
2) Like other jobs, if you don’t like a policy protest it. Sure. But move on.
3) Who is to say that site doesn’t know about their customers preferences? Customer telemetry is a very real thing and I would wager porn sites would want to know as much about their customers as possible.
Cam
@lord.krath said. “2) Like other jobs, if you don’t like a policy protest it. Sure. But move on.”
————————–
That’s literally what he did.
seaguy
Bottoms deserve equal pay. Armond was right to bring this to everyone’s attention.
RandomGuy
Any top that can stay hard doing a scene with that squealing mess deserves to be paid more.
Inspector 57
My thought EXACTLY, RandomGuy!
gaypalmsprings
LOL
Onecaddy13
@RandomGuy. Spot on, Nothing more needs to be said.
Dymension
Couple of things: the bottom has to work harder. They have to worry about their diet and cleanliness. The top just shows up. If they have problems getting it up, they get Viagra. That’s just the way it works. And for the person who said they couldn’t believe people still believed in tops and bottoms, for the purpose of porn, there are identified tops and bottoms because of what the market expects. For instance, many viewers out their still see tops as masculine, and bottoms as feminine. Also, they view bottoms as more petite and tops as larger.
However, in their personal lives they may live differently. There is one extremely well known porn actor who only performs as a top, but in real life is really verse.
john.k
I am a fan of gay porn. I like the versatile performers best.
inbama
Come on guys it’s porn.
If you get paid by the inch, it’s because that’s what the audience is paying to see.
IanHunter
Just become versatile. It is by the way acting.
azianboy
About right. Supply vs demand people!! If you havent aware, probly 85% of guys on grindr are vers/bottoms, the rest 15% are pure tops, made them like gem. There in ya face!
banditboy
Maybe tops should be paid more. A bottom that’s not attracted to the top can still fake it. A top that’s not attracted to the bottom is not getting hard or cumming.
djmcgamester
It depends. Think of sites like Sean Cody. Guys who are strictly tops are swayed to bottom because it pays more.
djmcgamester
If you don’t like their pay scale then don’t work for them.
Granny Spoth
A good top is hard to find.
Even rarer a good top at ease on camera, performing for hours.
gaypalmsprings
All bottoms have to do is bend over and groan. There isn’t as much skilled method acting as tops who have to keep the momentum flowing. I vote for higher paid tops – especially the bareback ones.
CityguyUSA
As I recall when Joey Stephano was still alive he was the one that changed the role of the bottom to the headliner and the pay that went along with it. Afterall how much work is it for a top to cum but to be on the bottom after 8-10 hours of being plunged all day I would imagine would be all but intolerable.
nm4047
Simple economics or supply & demand, there are far far more bottoms than tops. Not that difficult to understand why bottoms get less. Next vexing problem.
azjeff17
This is an age-old story in the gay porn industry. In straight porn, men are paid a lot less than females.
batesmotel
First World Problems. Don’t take the job if you disagree with the pay. Justifying the equal pay in court won’t fly. People will just laugh.
reesielover
I don’t want to make light of his complaint but, speaking for myself, I’d take a second job to support myself and beg to bottom every day for the gorgeous black guys on that site for free. And, I’d PAY to be the site’s only Bukkake boy.
Kangol2
Tops and bottoms should get equal pay for scenes, unless one is a major moneymaker for a studio, then pay that person more.
BTW, Armond Rizzo basically has his BlacksOnBoys scene, but with NoirMale (and it isn’t his first).
G R
“Raised my fee” would be enough, the “up” at the end is bad grammar. Sorry. And my guess is gay sex in the black community is frowned upon anyway so the site is likely trying to portray the “Tops” as more masculine. Either way, it’s pretty ridiculous.
Biscuits
Here’s a thought – if you don’t like what they are paying, don’t take the job. I guess you needed a little attention.
bridyyc
Corporations adjust their compensation all the time based on supply and demand. A particular skill set is in demand and low supply? They have to pay more to get it. That’s how supply demand works. Fact is that there are a TON of bottoms, and not a ton of tops.
Creamsicle
If he’s anything like other big name porn performers, he makes his real money escorting and porn scenes are just what make men want to splurge on a weekend with him. He’s also got enough name recognition that he has options. I’m not gonna lose sleep over Rizzo getting a lowball offer.
Old 1970s-style porn studios are dying and have been ever since the invention of viagra and the webcam. Apparently a lot of porn studios are turning to producing bespoke videos for private clients who are willing to drop a couple hundred dollars or more on their personal fantasy.
MrMichaelJ
Supply & demand dude.
AxelDC
Go on strike and see if anyone cares.
lord.krath
Supply and demand applies to sex work.
Bottoms are quite literally a dime a dozen.
This is not unlike particular looks some studios sell – blondes, muscles, hung, big tits, etc. If you don’t have what they need, you don’t get the premium [the in-demand feature] commands.
This rule applies across all trades. Look up what someone in my line of work [database architect] commands in Austin, TX versus Denver, CO versus NYC or SF. Cost of living differences aside, there is a pattern. Where there are more [people that can do the work] salaries are lower. It’s that simple.
No one forced these men to choose their professions or proclivities.
AJHJR
He’s 100% Right. I think the Bottom should always be paid the same if not more than the Top. The Top only has to show up with his HIV/AIDS, STD and now Covid Test results and the Bottom has to also have that plus he has to Douche and Clean himself and get ready for the Top. You’d think the Top has a lot of work to do when it’s actually the Bottom.
Terrycloth
A scene of 20 to 30 minutes probably takes all day to shoot..the lights are hot ,theres one at your behind and you’ve been.doing it in every conceivable position..you have to stop re adjust lights…you are sweaty and sore but not done .poor bottoms. The walk funny when its over
michel_banen
Bottom line here [ahem] is that for this kind of porn you need a top and a bottom so both are equally important. It’s give and take [or be taken, whatever].
CBHaynes
Personally, I can’t believe anyone would pay a single one-dollar for this creature.
Chrisk
I’ll bet no one would pay a dollar to see your nasty either.
MainelyStories
Totally unimpressed with the nasty comments here. Calling a member of the ‘family’ nasty names? What ever happened with the philosophy “You mess with me you mess with my whole ‘family’?”
We don’t need to worry about the Sacrilegious Right. Inferring that his wages go up in smoke is interesting as well. How about we won’t worry about your job and how you spend your money and you can do the same. Bunch of nasty, nasty girls.
Davidflys
Thank you for what seems to be the first intelligent comment of this thread.
Karrnal
The top has to stay hard; not so for a bottom.
barryaksarben
WOW so much disrespect towards sex workers. And all these people probably watch porn on a daily basis. I would have thought gay guys would be a little kinder but hey I guess not. This guy is good looking and doing a job and I agree he should be paid as much. Not only have others pointed out you need a top and a bottom. I do watch less now that I am older but when I did watch a lot I watched both top and bottom and if either performer was sexy (to me) it didnt matter if they were the top or the bottom I wanted to see them have sex. People , please try to stop the negativity towards others it is not pretty
honolulugirl57
We should definitely get to the bottom of all that cash going straight to the top!
RandomGuy
Why is that gross human hand puppet back on Queerty again, didn’t they already run this story months ago?
Milton
Maybe its just Armond who is paid less.
Vellala
Be kind to him. He’s doing his job, & has brought-out a valid work place discrimination.
Woteva
I love the videos Armond makes. For a guy with his frame, his ‘capacity’ is truly amazing and there’s no question he loves his job! If you’re interested, just check out him and Rocco Steele.
Keep up the great work MR Rizzo!
trsxyz
He’s certainly enthusiastic!
Chrisk
Yes many tops love to here their bottoms squeal and he doesn’t hold back. Lol
Brewster69
This is not new, nor does it surprise me. Many, many years ago I read an article somewhere about the straight porn industry where the women were the stars and made thousands of dollars per movie while the men were paid only a few hundred in comparison. If anybody is interested, there are a couple of documentaries on Netflix called “After Porn Ends” where many of the porn stars (straight) we used to watch are interviewed about how their lives have turned out once they lost their cache in the industry.
loneeric
Makes sense. When there is a surplus of things, prices go down.
Sister Bertha Bedderthanyu
Other than his butt hole and the things he likes to have stuck up in it or dribble out of it what else is he good for? A thirty year old queen (or so you say) who isn’t getting a day younger and couldn’t care less how wasted he looks in several of his videos should stop for a reality check every now and then to see how he is coming off to people. Latino porn stars with knockout bodies and have no problem with breeding scenes are close to the dime a dozen category as are a few other once novelty gay porn star groups. Studios tend to pay according to value and look for a return on their investment based on that look and value (hint).
RandomGuy
Exactly, he’s tiny, he’s not great to look at, and he whines like a straight porn vixen in every scene he’s in, not to mention his hole looks like a Sarlac Pit.
Ryan99
This is how markets work. If they can find enough bottoms at the wages they pay, why pay more?
Perhaps publicizing the disparity and the culture behind it will reduce their ability to do so. Good luck with that.