Treasure Island Media

Treasure Island Media (also known as TIM) is a U.S. gay pornographic studio founded in 1998 by Charles Steven Key ^[1] (also known as Paul Morris) that was the first commercial producer of and specializes in bareback films as part of the emerging 1990s underground interest in the pre-condom era of gay porn that was concerned with the freedom of the sexual experience.^[2] The studio is named after Morris's favorite childhood book, Treasure Island.^[3] In addition to the original San Francisco office, TIM has production offices in New York, London, San Francisco, & Mexico City.^[4]

Motivation

Morris said Treasure Island Media was established for "preserving the integrity of pornography and the honest representation of male sexual behavior. When I started producing porn, the genre had become depressingly corrupt, representing only a small subset of sexual behaviors [...] I wanted to capture the kind of sex that has meaning for me and I wanted to do so as accurately and honestly as possible. I also wanted to document the men. I wasn't interested in what they looked like, I was interested in what they understood regarding the complex behavioral language of sex among men."^[5] He added, "Most recently, I've been motivated to produce pornography to directly address the appalling phenomenon of the HIV 'closet'."^[5]

Sales & Popularity

According to XBiz, TIM's best selling video to date is Dawson's 20 Load Weekend (2004), which stars Dawson.^[6]

Controversy and criticism

TIM has been involved in several incidents due to its product line:

• 2004 - Titan Media banned its performers from signing with Treasure Island Media.^[7]
• October 2007, TIM won the prize for "Best US Studio" at the David Awards in Berlin, the gay European equivalent of the GAYVN, which prompted Titan Media founder and CEO, Bruce Cam, to decline his award.^{[8][9][10][11]}
• July 2009 - TIM issued a press release announcing they had been banned from officially participating in Folsom Street Fair, Folsom North, Dore Alley, Gay Erotic Expo ^[12] and International Mr. Leather.^[13]
• 2009 (?) The GAYVN Award placed a lifetime ban on Treasure Island Media production's from eligibility as well as other productions depicting barebacking.^[14]
• December 2010, the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined Treasure Island Media $21,000 for exposing employees (i. e. the models) to "semen and other potentially infectious materials".^[15]
• 25 September 2011 Folsom Street Fair - The studio booth was shut down by the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD).^[16]
• 2012 - The safe sex advocate Colby Keller performed for TIM.^[17]

Awards & Nominations

2008 Golden Dickie Awards (from Rad Video):^[18] Best Studio, Best Movie (What I Can't See 2); Best Director (Paul Morris); Best Performer Top (Jesse O'Toole); and Best Specialty/Fetish Movie (Damon Blows America 8 – Los Angeles).

2010 Cybersocket Web Awards:^[19][20] Best New Site; Best Video Company; Best VOD Site; and Movie of The Year.

Performer Exclusives

• B.J. Slater ^[21]
• Max Sohl ^[22]
• Drew Sebastian ^[23]
• John Dahl ^[24]
• Ethan Wolfe ^[25]

References

1. https://www.dir.ca.gov/oshab/DECISIONS-ALJ/2014/Treasure-Island-Media.(signed).11-R6D1-1093~1095.pdf
2. King, Mark S. (7 November 2011). "Mark S. King: The Most Important Gay Film Ever Made?". huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
3. "Treasure Island Media :: Treasure Island Media :: HOME :: HOME :: Paul Morris Papers". treasureislandmedia.com. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
4. "Paul Morris - Bareback Gay Porn, Bareback Sex, Gay Bareback Videos, Cum Swallow Videos". Treasure Island Media. Retrieved 2013-08-13.
5. Nichols, Jeremy Stuart; Morris, Paul (25 April 2011). "Paul Morris, Treasure Island Media's Maverick, Sets The Record Straight About Porn, HIV, & "The Complex Behavioral Language Of Gay Sex" – Part 1 – Let's Talk About Sex – LTASEX.INFO by Jeremy Stuart Nichols". ltasex.info. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
6. "Mark S. King: The Most Important Gay Porn Film Ever Made?". Huffingtonpost.com. 2012-07-11. Retrieved 2013-08-13.
7. "Xtra Archives". archives.xtra.ca. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
8. Karr, John F. (2013-08-08). "The Bay Area Reporter Online | Porn awards fall-out". Ebar.com. Retrieved 2013-08-13.
9. XBIZ (2007-12-19). "Follow-up: The DAVID Awards Controversy". XBIZ.com. Retrieved 2013-08-13.
10. Melloy, Kilian (2007-11-20). "Barebacking: Wave of the Future?". EDGE Boston. Retrieved 2013-08-13.
11. "Got ‘Em! 2007 David Award Nominees | The Adams Report by JC Adams". Gayporntimes.com. Retrieved 2013-08-13.
12. "Gayeroticexpo.com". Gayeroticexpo.com. Retrieved 2013-08-13.
13. Witchka, Keith (8 March 2009). "JRL interviews". jrlchartsonline.net. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
14. http://www.jrlchartsonline.net/news-Treasure-Island-Media-Banned-From-IML.php
15. Andrew, Mike (10 December 2010). "SGN - Seattle Gay News - Page 17 - OHSA fines bareback porn studio for safety violations - Friday, December 10, 2010 - Volume 38 Issue 50". sgn.org. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
16. "Treasure Island Media Shutdown By San Francisco Police | JRL Charts". Jrlchartsonline.net. Retrieved 2013-08-13.
17. "What’s Up With Colby Keller & Treasure Island Media?". Manhunt Daily. 2012-11-12. Retrieved 2013-08-13.
18. "01-27-12 TIMFuck Exclusive: Jesse O’Toole & Mark Dixon | THE ISLAND". Treasureislandblog.com. Retrieved 2013-08-13.
19. "Who wants to see us win? | THE ISLAND". 2010-11-04. Retrieved 2013-08-13.
20. "2011 Cybersocket Web Awards Winners | The Adams Report by JC Adams". Gayporntimes.com. Retrieved 2013-08-13.
21. "AVN - BJ Slater Signs Exclusive Deal with Treasure Island Media". Business.avn.com. 2010-08-20. Retrieved 2013-08-13.
22. "Treasure Island Media, Max Sohl Ink Exclusive Director Deal | JRL Charts". Jrlchartsonline.net. 2010-11-24. Retrieved 2013-08-13.
23. "Treasure Island Media Debut's New Exclusive Drew Sebastian | JRL Charts". Jrlchartsonline.net. Retrieved 2013-08-13.
24. "Treasure Island Media,NBCD Sign Newcomer John Dahl | JRL Charts". Jrlchartsonline.net. Retrieved 2013-08-13.
25. "Former Marine Ethan Wolfe Sign's with Treasure Island Media | JRL Charts". Jrlchartsonline.net. Retrieved 2013-08-13.

External links

• Official website
• Treasure Island Media at the Internet Movie Database
• Thanki, D. & Frederick, B. (2016). 'Social media and drug markets', The internet and drug markets (European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction: Insights 21), Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.