What can you say about a man who’s made close to 2,000 movies, yet still is trying to get a decent break in Hollywood? No, we’re not talking about someone who desperately needs a new agent. We’re talking about Ron Jeremy, star of such XXX-rated gems as Family Thighs, Going Down With Amber, Anal-holics, Single She-Male’s Singles Bar, and of course, who can forget him as the eternally horny caveman Red Flintbone in the prehistoric porno The Flintbones? (Hey, it was funnier than the big-budget Hollywood version of the cartoon, at least.) Now, with the release of the documentary Pornstar: The Legend of Ron Jeremy, which premiered last year at the SXSW Film Festival, he’s making more people stand up and take notice than ever before. What can people who go out to the Back Room this Friday to see his stage act expect? “It’s not what people think,” he cautions. “I don’t yank down my pants.” (Joe Lifto should be pleased.) No, what Jeremy whips out is his big schtick. “It’s like a Catskills/Borscht Belt schtick, only more nasty,” he says. “It’s a routine about my life, about the adult business, being a schoolteacher-turned-porn star.” Jeremy will follow the 10pm-slotted musical act the Dirty South with his stand-up act, then segue into a Q&A session and general signing, all of which will start around 11pm. Look also for some variation on the classic wet T-shirt/orgasm-noise/banana-eating contest. How long has he been doing the act? “Nine and a half inches,” he blurts out from habit, then apologizes and notes that his first stand-up gig predates his career as a literal “stand-up” performer. In general, Jeremy has reason to be cocksure these days; in addition to a recent appearance on The Weakest Link, look for his cameos in three feature films, plus several television appearances by the man they call the Hedgehog in upcoming months. Until then, check out his show at the Back Room on Friday, or perhaps a rental of one of the aforementioned adult features or even one of his more mainstream appearances, such as Detroit Rock City, Trey Parker and Matt Stone‘s Orgazmo, Boondock Saints, and American Virgin. Or, if the Internet Movie Database is to be believed, you can always try to spot him in his first, uncredited movie appearance: the 1973 musical Jesus Christ Superstar!
This article appears in January 25 • 2002.