New York- Ron Jeremy was on the Howard Stern Show this morning competing against Richard Christy in a Stump the Perv Contest. After it was determined that Jeremy made something like $500,000 a year, Jeremy missed a question concerning Vicky Vette. But Christy fared a lot worse, however. Jeremy, who was also promoting the HBO series featuring The Bunny Ranch which premiers tonight, won the contest.
Jeremy claims the $500,000 figure offered by Stern was a bit exaggerated. "But I've done okay." Jeremy says he also has a lot of mainstream marketing gigs in the fire, including a Hot Sauce, rolling papers and T-shirts. "It comes from a variety of things- not just adult movies." Stern asked him why he's never formed his own porn company. Jeremy says that's because it's a crazy business and you never know who the next president is. "Under Republicans they get prosecuted and go to jail. Most of the owners of most of the companies have done jail time. Steve Hirsch has. Mark Carrier has. They have to fight and go to court all the time. It's a pretty crazy business."
Stern didn't think it was against the law to sell porn. Jeremy noted that he got arrested for a pandering law before the Freeman decision went into effect. "They arrested me for that- I was directing a movie. But it was all thrown out." Jeremy went on to note that they can get you for federal and interstate transportation of obscenity, particularly in the South. "But they can't get a jurisdiction in New York, Los Angeles, Vegas, Chicago...why get involved in a business where you worry about going to jail all the time?" Jeremy said he's actually been arrested twice. "We won but it's still a headache." Jeremy's hat goes off to guys in the business who have taken the hit. Jeremy said he didn't rat so he had his legal fees taken care of. "Now it's legal to make films in California. But they're still trying to prosecute companies. Extreme just won a case in Pennsylvania."
Jeremy said government strategy is to pack juries with religious convictions. "Like Tallahassee and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, they try to find a regular normal film obscene. And they prosecute the company for distributing it down there. They can't get a jury in New York." Stern thought porn was legal but Jeremy told him in certain jurisdictions they can find it obscene. It's a very gray area." Christy imagined a scene with an 87 year-old woman might not play well in some areas. Jeremy did such a film. Stern asked him about it and whether he could get actually aroused. "It's a real contest," Jeremy replied dryly. "It was very tough." Jeremy thought it would be something kind of goofy to do.
"Anna Nicole Smith was hanging out with a guy in his Nineties. But not on film so I figured I'd give this a shot. I figured it was a nice thing to do," Jeremy pleaded karma figuring when he's 87, maybe some 40 year-old would do him. Jeremy said in the movie he asked her- "Rosie, how did you get into the business? She said I couldn't find men my age to keep aroused. I said, Rosie, guys your age have been dead for ten years." Asked if there was anything about the woman that aroused him, Jeremy said you just close your eyes and use your imagination. "Like when she was a taxi dancer in World War I." Jeremy said the woman was in great shape and had a great attitude. "I thought it would be a nice thing to do- to show that you're never too old to have a good time."
Asked if that was the worst thing he had to do, Jeremy said it was certainly the toughest. "They paid me well for it." Stern asked Jeremy if he's ever done bestiality films. "It's against the law," replied Jeremy. Stern also heard that Jeremy was the cheapest person around. "You save every penny and you drive a very old car." Jeremy said it wasn't fair, but it was true. "It's just not fair hearing it here. I don't want people to know it." It was noted that Jeremy's mother was a physicist. "My dad was a physicist and my mother was a spy during World War II," Jeremy clarified. "She was in the OSS which became the CIA in the late Forties." Stern assumed Jeremy's family was embarrassed by his going into porn. Jeremy said his mother used to tell the family that he dances to a different drummer. "I've got a Masters Degree from Queens College. I taught for a year and a half." Jeremy's degree is in Special Ed. He's got a B.A. in Theater as well as Education.
A discussion ensued as to what Beetlejuice's problem is. Stern called it a "peanut head". Jeremy suggested that it was microcephalia, that as a teacher in the Catskills he came across that. The good nes, said Jeremy, is that medical technology is able to fix these things. Stern asked Jeremy if he worked with Tracey Lords when she was underage. "Nobody knew," said Jeremy. "I worked with her pretty much late in her career. Other guys worked with her earlier. She was great to work with." Jeremy also said Tabitha Stevens is one of the best women he's ever worked with. Jeremy said it isn't a matter of looks as much as the excitement and the energy. "Most guys will take a girl who might not be as good-looking as the other girls, but she really enjoys you." Quoting Billy Bob Thornton, Stern said that was the point he was making about Angelina Jolie. "He admits now that she's highly overrated. All this carrying on about her screaming and yelling, he says in an interview, a lot of these good looking women is like making love to a couch. They lie there and don't do anything."
Jeremy suspects that most guys wouldn't care if the technique was bad as long as the woman loved the idea of doing it. Stern took that to mean that Stevens has the right attitude. "She's adorable," agreed Jeremy. "She's cute, she's spunky. She makes it a fun scene." In that category, Jeremy said he also likes Teri Weigel, Christy Canyon and Taylor Wane." The last scene Jeremy did was two weeks ago with Vicky Vette. "It was an Internet scene for Video Secrets." Stern wondered of regular woman would date Jeremy or is he considered too far gone. Jeremy said you'll find women wanting a mess around situation. "But what girl is going to say I left my boyfriend for Ron Jeremy?" However, Jeremy said his social life is great. "But the relationships are difficult. Romance is tough." Jeremy's never been married but has managed a slew of 4-year relationships, according to him. Jeremy argued that you can be emotionally monogamous but not necessarily physically. Stern was in full agreement, noting that Jeremy has hung around with a lot of famous people.
"They worship you." Stern read that Jeremy never caught an STD in the porn business. Jeremy said that was true, only in his real life as a school teacher.
Christy asked Jeremy if he ever was in a movie called Fat Liners. Jeremy said he was. "The tag line was life after death after lunch." Jeremy worked with a 300 pound woman in that movie. Stern asked if the 87 year-old was worse than the fat chick. "That was a tie score," said Jeremy. Asked if he was using chemical enhancers, Jeremy said no. "I've never once touched Viagra." Asked if there were movies where he had it tough getting up, Jeremy recalled a movie in Majorca with Rocco. "We were out on a boat. Everyone was throwing up because of the sea. That was murder. People were all getting sick." Jeremy was asked about funky smells.
"You give a wink to the makeup artist. You don't embarrass anybody." Asked if the shoe fell on his foot, Jeremy said he always takes a shower before every scene.
