EDWARDSVILLE, Illinois — Ron Jeremy is a punch line to a dirty joke, one that he gets, and one he enjoys.

The undisputed king of the adult entertainment world, Jeremy is a pop icon, a cultural reference and one never known for his good looks. And here he was Tuesday, on the campus of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, hoping to teach students a thing or two about his industry.

Whether they were interested is a little unclear.

For the past four years, Jeremy has visited colleges as part of the “A Debate on Pornography Tour.” Jeremy defends his industry, and an opponent — in this case, self-described recovered pornography addict Michael Leahy — makes a case for its dangers. And students ask questions in the end.

But most students didn’t join the overflow crowd in the campus’ 700-seat banquet hall for an academic discussion. They came to see Jeremy. The school newspaper has run articles for weeks. A Facebook group was created. By 5 p.m., 538 had confirmed they would attend, and another 222 were maybes.

“I have never been so pumped about an on-campus … thing,” one wrote.

During lunchtime Tuesday, students browsed booths at a student activities fair. While some groups came out against Jeremy’s visit, the university feminist organization Making Waves welcomed the chance to discuss pornography and its opposition to it.

“We believe as an organization that pornography can promote the degradation of women,” student Andrea Sallee said. “Empowering women is what we want to do.”

But it’s not as if pornography is a hot topic at school, said Stephanie Kessler, another member.

“No, not really,” she said. “This is about Ron Jeremy.”

This is just what Michelle King, of the school’s Campus Life office, was hoping for. It was her idea for the student-run Campus Activities Board to shell out $13,500 for the event. Her office took 20 calls daily for three weeks from students asking about the event.

“I know students are coming solely because of Ron Jeremy,” she said. “But as long as we get them in the seats, I know they’re going to learn something.”

Diane Thompson, of tour promoter Wolfman Productions, promised that the audience would be surprised.

“It’s going to be a lot more intellectual than you’re expecting it to be,” she said in a telephone interview from her Connecticut office.

“People are all going because they want to see Ron. There’s a lot more to Ron than being a porn star. Yes, he’s Ron. But he’s prepared for the debate. He’s sharp.”

Jeremy, 54, grew up in an upper-middle class Jewish family in New York City. He graduated from Cardozo High School in Queens and got a master’s degree in special education from Queens College.

The porn king — that’s “the” porn king — arrived on campus wearing a Hawaiian shirt and sweatpants. After goofing around on the piano and posing for pictures backstage, the time had come for his introduction.

Jeremy pored over magazine articles to bolster his case.

When the master of ceremonies said his name, students gave him a standing ovation.

“I’ve heard better,” he joked before walking out into the auditorium.

The students’ questions were mostly tame. Leahy, the founder of the anti-pornography group Bravehearts, said his porn obsession cost him a 13-year marriage, two sons and his job. He said the adult entertainment industry objectified women.

But the crowd was clearly on Jeremy’s side. He said pornography, when consumed responsibly, offers the same recreational diversion as alcohol. It can be abused, but that’s not the industry’s fault, he said.

While Tuesday’s event might have been driven by publicity, the halls of higher learning here still echoed with the sounds of scholarship.

Hours before the debate, two students stood near a poster advertising the event. They didn’t even notice. Instead, they discussed the presidential election.