I went to school to be a teacher, so I was thinking of going back to school, getting a master’s degree, and becoming a professor. I figured it would be easier to be a professor if my background came back to bite me in the ass. Colleges and universities are much more liberal when it comes to things like that, as opposed to being a high school, where it actually would be a big problem.
—Mason Wyler, the porn star who just revealed he’s HIV-positive, on what he might do after exiting adult entertainment [via]
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
“opposed to being a high school, where it actually would be a big problem.”………Ya think???? :p
Ben
Queery…aways your reliable source for snark
andy
Did Rupert Murdoch buy Queerty too? What has happened to this website? When did they start letting the assholes write the stories? Mason Wyler has enough problems without a conservative supposedly “queer” blog reporting his every move.
Aim high Mason!!
EdWoody
@Ben: How is this snark? It’s just a direct quote. And it’s news that’s a lot more positive for Mason than it might have been.
Jeff
Ummm, what color is the sky in Mason’s world? Even the most liberal college won’t be able to get past the shitstorm his previous posts would encounter.
Talking about come dripping from his boy pussy and his gut being loaded with jizz is just the type of thing a college wants to have to deal with.
emb
I agree, EdWoody; I know snark, snark is a good friend of mine, and that, sir, is no snark. It’s actually sort of an unusually optimistic, happy ending to a porn star bio.
whatever
He was already becoming washed up at the ripe old age of 26 if you read what he wrote about the jobs slowing down.
concernedcitizen
Best of luck to him! However I’m afraid he’ll have to do a little more research on the subject, a master’s at most Colleges and Universities is not enough to become a professor. Most if not all ACCREDITED institutions require a Phd or working toward one as an associate professor, also the positions are highly competitive especially currently with the economy such that it is. He actually has a better chance teaching in high school or middle school.
But I digress…
Adam
He could probably get a post at a community college with just a masters.
ousslander
@andy: He’s life and career are lived in the “spotlight”.
I could see teaching at college but not H.S. or anything. He’s it would bite hime in the ass and appropriately so.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Boys and Girls please a little sanity here…….I gots zero problems with this dude attempting to do something else with his life. I don’t really care what anyone else does. As long as his doings have no negative effect or affect on my life, live and let live. I wish the frightwing lunatics (and unfortunately some Queerts posters) would adopt this way of thinking……….
However Wyler has quite an extensive porn resume including W/S vids. If he thinks for a nanosecond that any alumni association is going to allow Professor Porn to join the faculty you are living in a dream land. Once upon a time when before the internets was invented he may have been able make the change, bit the internets make it kinda sorta difficult to explain to parents of prospective freshmen their professor is a prior pornster. Ain’t gonna happen, no way, no how, no matter how liberal the college is……..
concernedcitizen
@Adam: not even at a community college he’d still need a Phd, if the college is accredited by the state, as most community colleges are, he’ll need a doctorate. Even at community colleges many professors hold doctorates some even from prestigious private universities. All professorial positions are highly competitive and have high requisites, with the exception of maybe For-profit (non accredited) institutions like Devry or Art Institutes. That is part of the reason these university are non-accredited because most states require that college professors hold doctorates in order to qualify the schools as state accredited teaching institutions.
Fitz
@concernedcitizen: What the heck are you talking about? Many of the teachers at the local JC are Master’s level. And PS: teaching at a JC is no compromise– it’s a great gig. No research pressure, and the pay is fairly decent.
I refuse to hate someone for doing gay porn. I like gay porn. I refuse to hate someone for converting. Several of my friends have converted. It’s ironic that we laud sexuality and demonize someone for filling our fantasy.
concernedcitizen
@Fitz: not if the junior college is accredited, you’re absolutely great jobs at the local level do pay well, actually they pay close to 90,000 but it depends on the subject. If you are a Teacher’s assistant at (any) college it is not necessary to have a Phd but you will not get a professorial position at an accredited college or university with simply a master’s.
My point is not bashing any junior or community colleges as most provide excellent educations at reasonable prices but to point out that he will need a higher degree than just a Master’s to be a PROFESSOR.
With the exception of a FOR-PROFIT institution which is NOT the same as a junior college. Schools like Devry or the Art Institute are not state-accredited, the credits will not transfer to other colleges and the degree is not recognized by the state. These type of institutions do not require their “professors” to have doctorates.
concernedcitizen
Here’s an article (full-tme) professors in most disciplines at an ACCREDITED institution require a PHD unless you are an adjunct professor… with the exception of business school which require an MBA.
http://www.howtodothings.com/careers/a3616-how-to-become-a-college-professor.html
Blaine Ward
How much do we bet that he’ll do more porn to pay the bills while in school?
Fitz
Yes, Professorship requires a PhD. I did not read that in your original comment. I am just talking about teaching positions. My husband (who has a MS) teaches one lab-course per year @ the local accredited JC– it’s an easy gig, the ‘kids’ are great, and the money is decent. They have tried to get him to teach more– but as a full time job, it can be too much.
Black Pegasus
LOL!
Mason Wyler is the gift that keeps on giving…
You keep dreaming Miss Wyler.
Baxter
@PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS: I’m sure Brown or some other fake school would love a former porn star on their staff.
PopSnap
He’s absolutely gorgeous but this is very dumb of him. His best bet would be to save up some of the money he made from porn, downsize (har) his living arrangements, and go from there- maybe get a job in retail?
#1) Although, yes, teachers are generally a somewhat liberal bunch, I still would never want any of my colleagues to discover that I was once a porn star- even if the school was in LA or something. I would not be able to take my colleague seriously if he/she was an ex-porn star, gay or straight. Really? You got paid to have sex and now you expect to be paid to teach high school students, many of whom look at porn on a nightly basis?
#2) It’s hard to find a job as a teacher. Like, I’d say if you were graduating this year, you have maybe a 40% chance. I am majoring in English Education and expect a rough time of it when it comes to job seeking, which is why I am prepared (and actually expecting) to substitute and write freelance on the side.
But I wouldn’t do porn on the side. No. I would be so afraid of one of my students finding out and spreading it around. What an awkward situation.
andy
Having taught in a University here in NYC for a few years, I must tell everyone that you do not have to have a Doctorate to teach. You don’t even need a Master’s Degree. Life experience or “Masters Equivalent” is also considered in most cases. When I was a doctorate student, one of my teachers in a prestigious doctorate program only had an undergraduate degree; she had already published several well researched and respected books on the subject she taught. Academia can be a pretty closed world to most outsiders who don’t understand all the machinations of a university. This where the “snark” comes in because the quote obviously highlights this young man’s ignorance about his new career choice as well as “ironically/snark” highlights a typo (as if no one here makes mistakes when they write) I, for one, had no idea how graduate school and an academic career path were connected and intertwined even after graduating college. You would have to have professors as parents to really understand the career path. I’m sure that if he is serious about going back to college then he will start to learn how the system works. Aim High Mason!!!
andy
Having taught in a University here in NYC for a few years, I must tell everyone that you do not have to have a Doctorate to teach. You don’t even need a Master’s Degree. Life experience or “Masters Equivalent” is also considered in most cases. When I was a doctorate student, one of my teachers in a prestigious doctorate program only had an undergraduate degree; she had already published several well researched and respected books on the subject she taught. Academia can be a pretty closed world to most outsiders who don’t understand all the machinations of a university. This is where the “snark” comes in because the quote obviously highlights this young man’s ignorance about his new career choice as well as “ironically/snark” highlights a typo (as if no one here makes mistakes when they write) I, for one, had no idea how graduate school and an academic career path were connected and intertwined even after graduating college. You would have to have professors as parents to really understand the career path. I’m sure that if he is serious about going back to college then he will start to learn how the system works. Aim High Mason!!!
andy
@Baxter. Brown a fake school? Yeah, that’s why it’s so hard to get into? All the fake schools are hundreds of years old and only accept the top 1% of the graduating class. More SNARK. Oh, yeah it’s “queer in name only”ty. I usually visit the conservative blogs and newspapers all day and argue with the idiots but now with Murdoch in ownership of “queer-in-name-only”ty I can hang with the Log Cabin all day.
kenny
I think it would be a great life lesson for him.To learn about REAL responsibilities in the real world instead of the porn world.Not to mention Mason needs to stop doing porn altogether being HIV positive because he would only be putting the people he works with at risk as he sadly already was prior to before he admitted he was HIV positive.
I wish him well just hope he gets better stays strong and actually learned something from this terrible experience.
kenny
@Blaine Ward:
I love you judgemental arrogant know it alls.So condescending so full of yourselves so pathetic.Please whatever you do never work on a suicide hot line with your attitude and the way you treat people you’d wind up losing a lot of clients.
andy
@Ed Wood & Co.,
You need to turn in your gay cards because you obviously don’t know snark when you see it. The quote highlights his ignorance about the career path as well as “ironically/snark” highlights a typo/mistake. Turn in your card please.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Once again, I don’t think most of us here wish any ill will on him. But this whole thread is much ado about nothing…….He needs to wake up and smell the coffee. He ain’t gonna get hired to be a teacher anywhere any how. And if he does somehow get hired, Like PopSnap points out, kids like to check out some porn once in a while (like every nite :p) on the internets. As soon as the first kid sees his teacher engaged in W/S on the internets he would be immediatley fired…….
TonyD
Plenty of graduate students teach *as* they go to school, and this country is in great need of math/science/special education teachers licensed or not at the K-12 level; in fact, if you have any sort of B.A., most states will let you teach and get a license as you do so. As a current PhD candidate in education academic policy, I think his plan is plausible. Hell, if you’re unemployed, clean criminal record, think you can handle the pressure of overfilled classrooms (can be crazy but can be managed), look into city/state free programs.
concernedcitizen
@TonyD: noone is debating whether he could teach with a master’s degree or not. Please re-read his comment and the subsequent comments. He says “originally he wanted to be a teacher” however he then goes on to state he wants to get his master’s so he can be a college professor MOST are highlighting (at least I was) that PROFESSORIAL positions are not only highly competitive but most disciplines require a Phd for full-time professor positions.
I don’t think anyone is debating whether he could teach at a high school (in terms of by having a Master’s) it’s the Professor part that I am commenting on.
Also are also intimating how it would be tough if not impossible to get a high school job with a porn record because once parents and students find out, people tend to make a HUGE deal about it….
Qjersey
MA = part time adjunct professor. Many communities colleges used to hire full time professors with just an MA, but that is changing and many require PhD’s to be considered for tenure track positions. Some will hire you as long as you enter a PhD program and finish by the time you are up for tenure. I know a man in his 60s who is back in grad school to get a PhD so he can get tenure.
Kevin (New Jersey, US)
I was thinking that there should be a charity for washed-up porn stars.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
@Kevin (New Jersey, US): There is, you make donations at Rentboy.com……. :p
Daez
@concernedcitizen: Not sure where you get your information, but the vast majority of colleges love Master’s Degree Professors. They are still accredidated, but you don’t have to pay them nearly as much. If you are trying to save money, you are going to have a Master’s Degree Professor teaching all of your entry level courses. You don’t really have a Doctorate teaching anything other than core courses related directly to their field.
I have mixed feeling about Mason, but I think it would be interesting to take one of his classes considering his background. Not just because it would be fun to try to hook up with the professor, but because those that have made a journey though the world of porn most likely have a different perspective.
concernedcitizen
@Daez: those are ADJUNCT professors… read my comments, I clearly reference adjunct and assoc. professors in my earlier comments…
These professors are not paid nearly as well are not tenured and are usually WORKING toward a doctorate more often than not…
Certain disciplines also a perfectly acceptable to only have a master’s i.e. business which only requires an MBA and some art programs, however the vast majority including most if not all programs in the liberal arts and sciences require doctorates for full time professors.
Tim
I love how a quote from a retiring HIV+ gay porn star became a huge debate in the comments about the ins and outs of adjunct/tenured professors
Tom
Mason will probably wind up being an HIV educator at some AIDS Service Organization. He could teach prospective porn stars about what not to do so they don’t get HIV.
Blaine Ward
@kenny: Thanks for that wonderful description of yourself 🙂
Ms. Jimmi
That would require opening some books and studying, dear. You had a degree from college and the only thing you could do is become a porn star?
caffesilvia
Academic hiring is at ROCK bottom. I don’t know how he intends to find work, but best of luck to him. The porn history shouldn’t matter one iota.
SomethingElse
He could get a job teaching at any Ivy-League school if he promotes himself as the gay-outsider-victim. He’ll fit right in with the dopes who teach sociology, womens’ studies, etc. (but not the hardcore math and science teachers).
kenny
@Blaine Ward:
Your harassment and slander has been flagged many times ill see to it that you are kicked off of here you moron. Take your head out of your ass and actually understand what I wrote you are beyond pathetic.Why I even bother is beyond me.
Ryan
Actually there are many areas where having only a masters will get you a professorial job or a job of equal standing at a prestigious university. Librarians at most high end universities have equal standing and voting rights to professors and most only require a masters degree.
and some programs such as acting and theatre(and one could argue music, as most do not consider a DMA to be of equal weight to a PhD) have an MFA as their terminal degree, with the exception of history of text/theatre which can be offered as a phd.
THis is to say nothing of adjunct staff and working at less prestigious universities where the requirements of staff may not be as high.
Dennis
@kenny:
“Not to mention Mason needs to stop doing porn altogether being HIV positive because he would only be putting the people he works with at risk as he sadly already was prior to before he admitted he was HIV positive.”
Sorry dude, but if every HIV+ pornstar stopped doing porn…THERE WOULD BE NO PORN! “For reals”, the industry would collapse. Um, ever hear of condoms? Safer sex? LOTS (but not all, of course) of porn performers are already positive, and can create hot safe sex for the viewer to get off on without passing on HIV to their scene partners (if those partners are neg)…
Of course, bareback porn is far riskier, but so many bareback porn performers are already positive, or will be soon enough…but again, it’s their body, their life, their choice…if someone is choosing to participate in bareback porn, the “end result” and high probability of one day becoming positive, is their own resonsibility to deal with.
Glad you wish Mason well though, and with good medical care and access to meds if he needs them, he has many, many years of productive life ahead of him.
kenny
@Dennis:
I have no disagreement with anything you just said.I could have done without the condescending tone but I respect what you said and understand your point of view.In all honesty its not our responsibility thats why I was so defensive when someone foolish here claimed I was an aids/hiv enabler for showing common human decency and compassion for my fellow man.Yes I know all about safe sex and condoms and every porn star out there including people from this community should have the common sense to know those things period.
TomEM
@SomethingElse: I know what you meant, but you need not have been so harsh.
I’m not sure where, or in what discipline(s), you did your undergrad/grad work but, in my albeit-limited experience, disciplinary snobbery usually bespeaks intellectual insecurity.
AgBoiNV
@concernedcitizen: Agreed. Christ, I have 3 Bachelor’s and two Master’s and am a 2nd year Ph D student and am still relegated to TAships because there is no money to hire me to be a full Lecturer at the large public university where I am completing my work.
Good luck with just a Master’s.
Jake
I am sure Mason has every intent to take those young college kids under his wings and show them his “big deep” understanding of life. Let’s be real. Mason admitted himself that he is a sex fiend. I have no issue with that as long as he is honest and responsible about his condition. Did Mason even finish a Bachelor’s degree? His blog indicated that he hates working for what he enjoys in life. He chose porn because its an easy way to make a living..well used to be an easy way of making a living.
Jake
Why are we assuming that he contracted HIV from doing porn? He probably got this outside at his own leisure. He blogged about participating in an orgy along with his ex then not ex then ex boyfriend wtf knows.
OhYeah
He could teach in jail. He’ll have plenty of fun there.
Maxx E. Padd
Boy there are a lot of angry queens on this web site. What is this FOX NEWS?!
What did this guy do to you? Let’s wish him well and move on. Someone has a life tragedy and we are the judge and jury? As was mentioned earlier, ‘but by the grace of God go I.’
Compassion is the strengh of the Gay community. Let’s let vitriol belong to the Tea Baggers.
Peace to all of you.
Jake
What did this guy do to us? Since you ask for a list, here you go. (1) scam people for their hard earned money by making up a lie around an intent to participate in a non-profit ms-150 and asking people to contribute money directly to his account and promised he will give back 80%. Who the F take a cut to do a non-profit? (2) Creating a phone line where people could schedule a 15-30 min talk with him depending on how much you pay ahead of time – most people who contributed did not even get a call back (3) he is not a positive role model not because he does porn but because he only cares about him and himself alone. Instead of milking this limelight for his own benefit, why not highlight how HIV is still a threat to the gay community? His ex-roommate who outed his status has some guts and did it for other gays who James W./Wyler migh and have had sexual encounters. WAKE UP fellow brothers. He is a scam artist!
bobby
@Jake:
Oh yeah, his ex roomate is a real fuckin’ hero. Nothing is as honorable as outing a dude based on a concern that they might fail to disclose. Lets hope for future roomates’ sake that he never suspects them of, say, rape.
thousandfold
Meh. I could see him making it as a professor in some field where his career in porn would be an asset— e.g. something dealing with sexuality– he’d certainly be able to produce a stellar thesis, and would have unparalleled contacts in the adult industry. But he would constantly have to prove himself and his professionalism to even be considered as a job applicant. So it’s an uphill battle.
I wonder if he ever gave any thought to how his porn career would affect his life prospects after he left the industry? I understand that porn doesn’t pay well, so he probably didn’t make enough to save a nest egg that’ll assist him through the transition.
jjgg5
He should help advance a cure for HIV with education and his name recognition.
Keith
I wish you all the best Mason but please stop having unprotected sex. Please!
Rob Moore
So much negativity! I have followed Mason Wyler’s blog postings for quite some time. His intellect and educational level is so far above many of the porn performers. He writes well and displays clarity of thought. As far as I know, he has not succumbed to the downward spiral of substance abuse, does not get arrested for disturbing the peace, does not hate anyone, and actually seems to be a pretty adaptable person. He muses that he might try his hand at teaching. That’s great if for no other reason than he is not particularly afraid of the future and knows that porn will not sustain him forever, at least as a performer.
I believe Mason will surprise others if not himself. His insecurities do not seem to be particularly big. Mason Wyler will deal with life just fine. If I wish one thing for him, it is that people not wait expectantly for him to slit his wrists. His life will be a good one, I think.
justiceontherocks
@Rob – are you kidding? The guy is a walking train wreck.
RG
@concernedcitizen:
Wrong. The regional accrediting associations, not states, approve the curricula, faculty, staff, and administration of community colleges. Some states such as Iowa, Kansas, Arizona, and Hawaii require licensure or certification in the subject matter/content area in order for a person to serve as an instructor. Some community colleges grant rank to the faculty. No faculty member is required to publish or perish. Most community colleges grant tenure to their Arts and Sciences instructor after three years. Instructors in Arts and Sciences require an MA, MS, or Licentiate (usually a European degree) from an accredited institution of higher education. A few instructors will pursue a doctorate some for professional reasons; others to advance on the pay scale. A BA or BS degree is required in the applied sciences. For programs for which the community college students are seeking a certificate a duly qualified and experienced journeyman/equivalent or master/equivalent is sufficient, i.e. a CDL program or electrician program.
I know what I am talking about. I have served as dean of the humanities division of my community college for 13 years.