I just caught up with Erik’s blog and tumblr over the past few days. I was hoping he was on the mend, but I couldn’t have imagined he would be gone forever days later. I thought about sending him a message of love and support, thinking it might help. There were so many hateful and vile anonymous comments. Make no mistake, he made his choices, but he was also a human being who needed help. This should have been provided by his employers. This has to stop!!! There should be a governing body that supervises these studios. It’s a seedy industry, but there has to be a line. If someone is in the depths of depression and self abuse, there must be a way to step in and help!
Gay porn will not survive unless it reforms itself. People should not be dying. The legal ramifications to Erik’s death are unclear, but mark my words, someday a class action or wrongful death lawsuit will make this necessary. The industry will be bankrupt from litigation if they don’t act fast.
RIP Erik. You were too big for this world. I hope we can learn from your life and death. so lives will be saved in the future.
Will, all I can say is Amen brother! I was thinking that very thing yesterday after it was revealed that James died. I know that the studios cannot control every aspect of an individual actors life, but there was certainly quite a bit more that they could have done in this situation. I am more angry than anything else today because James’ death was preventable, preventable, preventable. While I am not willing to assign blame just yet, I believe that this unfortunate circumstance should be a wake up call to all of the studio heads wherever they might be. It is better to choose reform than to be forced into through litigation. I see Gloria Allred in the future of this industry, I am telling you! I still say though, this was preventable!
We don’t tell people what to do in the porn industry except to show up sober and ready to perform. We certainly don’t condone drug use on the set and don’t discriminate against performers for what they do in their personal life. If you show up messy you go home and probably won’t come back again. Do you want your boss telling you what to do at home? Does your boss go to your house and say exercise more and stop eating fatty foods. No they don’t. Your employer is not your baby sitter they are just your employer.
It’s not about what happens in the time you work. If you know someone who has issues, you do what you can to help. If that person is depressed or self-destructive, get help! If not, they shouldn’t be doing this stuff, period. We all know Erik wasn’t the only performer who needed it. You can’t fix everyone, but if Erik wasn’t able to stop himself, we shouldn’t be hiring and promoting stars who are in so much pain. If they will not help themselves when help is offered, then that performer shouldn’t be hired.
I just don’t take kindly to you calling us a seedy industry. I have read things on line suggesting that we provided drugs and pimp our stars out. This is absolutely ridiculous. I don’t know how the bareback companies operate, but I can tell you I have worked for all the major companies and we are just a business. We want our (important to note) contractors to arrive and be ready to work and we want to make them (and us) look good so we can sell videos.
Will
Yes!! I know a lot of people in the industry read this blog, so please no blame should not be the case here. As much as AIDS was a motivator for industry wide testing, Erik’s death should prompt emphasis on mental health in this business. There is so much that could be done to help. I don’t want to see any more deaths. Erik/James was so special. Anyone who is in adult films should have a support network there to guide them so it doesn’t feel like a dead end. If there is a way for fans to help, I’m on board. It’s time to step up and get real about what is happening.
Where? Please provide links to where he was “slammed” on this blog. Please provide proof for everyone to see. Or, feel free to use the search bar above to search through all of TheSword’s coverage of Erik Rhodes over the years.
The truth, of course, is that Erik was a friend of TheSword, and I’m honored to have done an interview with him a few months ago.
Perhaps he might be talking about the continued posting of Erik Rhodes and his rosebud. I don’t think you meant it to be cruel at all, and that Erik Rhodes didn’t believe you meant any harm by it.
But in all honestly Zach I don’t believe that you ever were negative towards him. The commenters from this blog on the other hand, that you should not be held accountable for.
I just caught up with Erik’s blog and tumblr over the past few days. I was hoping he was on the mend, but I couldn’t have imagined he would be gone forever days later. I thought about sending him a message of love and support, thinking it might help. There were so many hateful and vile anonymous comments. Make no mistake, he made his choices, but he was also a human being who needed help. This should have been provided by his employers. This has to stop!!! There should be a governing body that supervises these studios. It’s a seedy industry, but there has to be a line. If someone is in the depths of depression and self abuse, there must be a way to step in and help!
Gay porn will not survive unless it reforms itself. People should not be dying. The legal ramifications to Erik’s death are unclear, but mark my words, someday a class action or wrongful death lawsuit will make this necessary. The industry will be bankrupt from litigation if they don’t act fast.
RIP Erik. You were too big for this world. I hope we can learn from your life and death. so lives will be saved in the future.
Will, all I can say is Amen brother! I was thinking that very thing yesterday after it was revealed that James died. I know that the studios cannot control every aspect of an individual actors life, but there was certainly quite a bit more that they could have done in this situation. I am more angry than anything else today because James’ death was preventable, preventable, preventable. While I am not willing to assign blame just yet, I believe that this unfortunate circumstance should be a wake up call to all of the studio heads wherever they might be. It is better to choose reform than to be forced into through litigation. I see Gloria Allred in the future of this industry, I am telling you! I still say though, this was preventable!
We don’t tell people what to do in the porn industry except to show up sober and ready to perform. We certainly don’t condone drug use on the set and don’t discriminate against performers for what they do in their personal life. If you show up messy you go home and probably won’t come back again. Do you want your boss telling you what to do at home? Does your boss go to your house and say exercise more and stop eating fatty foods. No they don’t. Your employer is not your baby sitter they are just your employer.
It’s not about what happens in the time you work. If you know someone who has issues, you do what you can to help. If that person is depressed or self-destructive, get help! If not, they shouldn’t be doing this stuff, period. We all know Erik wasn’t the only performer who needed it. You can’t fix everyone, but if Erik wasn’t able to stop himself, we shouldn’t be hiring and promoting stars who are in so much pain. If they will not help themselves when help is offered, then that performer shouldn’t be hired.
I just don’t take kindly to you calling us a seedy industry. I have read things on line suggesting that we provided drugs and pimp our stars out. This is absolutely ridiculous. I don’t know how the bareback companies operate, but I can tell you I have worked for all the major companies and we are just a business. We want our (important to note) contractors to arrive and be ready to work and we want to make them (and us) look good so we can sell videos.
Yes!! I know a lot of people in the industry read this blog, so please no blame should not be the case here. As much as AIDS was a motivator for industry wide testing, Erik’s death should prompt emphasis on mental health in this business. There is so much that could be done to help. I don’t want to see any more deaths. Erik/James was so special. Anyone who is in adult films should have a support network there to guide them so it doesn’t feel like a dead end. If there is a way for fans to help, I’m on board. It’s time to step up and get real about what is happening.
Ummmmmm. 4 stories? Really? You slammed this guy many times on your blog and making all these posts won’t make up for the fact that you’re a jack-ass.
Where? Please provide links to where he was “slammed” on this blog. Please provide proof for everyone to see. Or, feel free to use the search bar above to search through all of TheSword’s coverage of Erik Rhodes over the years.
The truth, of course, is that Erik was a friend of TheSword, and I’m honored to have done an interview with him a few months ago.
Perhaps he might be talking about the continued posting of Erik Rhodes and his rosebud. I don’t think you meant it to be cruel at all, and that Erik Rhodes didn’t believe you meant any harm by it.
But in all honestly Zach I don’t believe that you ever were negative towards him. The commenters from this blog on the other hand, that you should not be held accountable for.
I remember that scene they were doing a teacher student thing. they flip flopped fucked and it was awesome.
Velvet Mafia :3