Ron Jeremy: Porn Star, Author?

Ron Jeremy and Eric Spitznagel, "The Hardest (Working) Man in Showbiz: Horny Women, Hollywood Nights and the Rise of the Hedgehog," (New York: HarperCollins, 2007).

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Ron Jeremy's name has taken on almost mythic proportions. Whether you know him from one of his over 2,000 adult movies or VH1's "Surreal Life" his name is hard to miss and his face even harder not to recognize. He has succeeded where few pornstars do: achieving some modicum of mainstream success and legitimacy. Jeremy's autobiography chronicles his career and pursuit of mainstream legitimacy.

"The Hardest (Working) Man in Showbiz," gives outsiders a firsthand glimpse into the life of an adult film actor. It would be too simple though to reduce Ron Jeremy down to what he is most famous for -- his large penis. In addition to his movies Ron, among other things, is a classically trained pianist (he has performed on film and for the Adult Video News awards ceremony) and a certified teacher, with a masters degree, specializing in special needs children. This alone surely makes him unique in the adult film industry.

Ron got involved in making adult films after a porn producer saw his picture in an issue of "Playgirl." Amazed at the size of his penis the producer asked him if he'd be interested in making a film. At this time Ron had appeared in a few small time plays and other productions. Looking for any opportunity that might lead to mainstream acting roles and larger paychecks Ron said yes.

This was also in the late 1970s, a unique moment in time when porn itself was on the verge of becoming mainstream and legitimate. Adult films then had scripts, costumes, a plot, and by porn standards large budgets. Fueled by the success of movies such as "Deep Throat" and "Behind the Green Door" adult movies attracted a certain amount of respectability. Adult studios even hosted red carpet premiers that drew the attention of major celebrities and journalists that covered the events much like the Oscars and other awards shows.

Perhaps the biggest strength of this autobiography lies in the stories dealing with Ron's early years as an adult actor. Here you get a glimpse of what life was like on the party circuit in both Los Angeles and New York in the 1980s. A time of swingers' parties at Plato's Cave where pornstars routinely mingled with average people. It was at this time that Ron fell victim to the endless buffet provided by Larry Levenson, the owner of Plato's, and began to take on his better known and ample physique.

Despite Ron's nostalgic view of the decadent era it was not trouble free. In an attempt to cut down on prostitution California passed a pandering law (selling sex for money). Shortly after the law went into affect District Attorneys and prosecutors hoped to use the law to shut down porn production and the adult film industry. The police raided film sets where everybody, from the actresses to the gophers, were arrested. Ron was arrested twice on pandering charges but by 1988 the California Supreme Court determined that the making of porn films did not constitute pandering.

The major flaw with this book is that Ron Jeremy is a constant name-dropper. The stories he recounts with the likes of comedic legends Sam Kinison and Rodney Dangerfield are nothing short of hilarious. They provide evidence of the connections he had (and has) to some very well known celebrities.

He also doesn't shy away from mentioning brief meetings he has had with many A-list stars. These stories fail to rise to the level of the Kinison and Dangerfield escapades. More often than not they revolve around brief meetings in airports, clubs or backstage at events and usually end up starting off with "so and so confirmed this" or "I asked whether this is true."

Unfortunately the name-dropping seems to be an attempt on Ron's part to prove to himself and to us that he truly is a mainstream crossover and not only a porn star that is more accepted by mainstream celebrities than others. To backup his mainstream credentials he has included a color photo section of him with various celebrities such as Samuel L. Jackson, Brad Pitt and Dustin Hoffman.

Ron also mentions, nearly to the point of overkill, his work in mainstream movies. He has worked as a consultant on several movies including "Boogie Nights" and "Nine ½ Weeks." At the end of the book Ron has included a section of movies he was almost in. This includes films where his scene was shot (usually brief) and never considered for the final cut or was cut late in the editing process due to runtime restrictions. I can only think that this was included as an ego boost and as proof of his success (he mentions in the book that he has never considered himself a porn actor but an actor that does porn).

No great secrets are revealed in this book. What does come through are entertaining stories from a unique guy that runs in a world few are privy to. "The Hardest (Working) Man in Showbiz" is a fun and light read. The book is full of pictures, with one whole section in color, as expected most of the pictures are of Ron Jeremy. Despite the criticisms mentioned above I thoroughly enjoyed the book and found myself laughing out loud in some sections. For a good time enter the world of the Hedgehog.