Las Vegas Weekly

Bump-and-grind reflections with Ron Jeremy

Porn King Ron Jeremy.

Photo: Scott Harrison/Retna/www.harrisonphotos.com

Did you know Ron Jeremy has a key to the City of Las Vegas?

He does. The venerable Mayor Oscar Goodman presented him with one while the Hedgehog was filming the Surreal Life Fame Games here, and deservingly so.

Despite being based out of Hollywood, Jeremy is no stranger to the city of sin. He is featured in the Sin City Sinners’ latest video, “Goin’ to Vegas,” and even hosted its release party last month. Currently, he’s in town for XFANZ — the world’s first outdoor erotica expo — being held (poolside, of course) at the Hard Rock. Next week he will act as the master of ceremonies for a Roman Orgy Fest, as part of JP’s On The Strip, a national swingers’ convention being held June 15 – 20.

The Weekly caught up with the iconic Jeremy to chat about his experiences hosting events and the wonderful world of swinging.

What’s the strangest thing you’ve encountered as a host or judge?

I did a “Who wants to be a porn star?” contest, with people doing bumping and the grinding on stage. Only in these (smaller) cities in England, men would compete in a guy-guy scenario. I didn’t see that anywhere else but in England. ... My crew did not want to see it.

And what about you?

I was just laughing. It’s not hardcore. I wouldn’t want to see an actual penis enter a man’s keister, but it was just bumping and grinding. So that’s okay.

I would always take a vote. I’d ask the audience, “Will we let these guys compete?” The whole audience, of course, goes berserk. So, I’d have a competition of guy-girl, girl-girl and some guy-guy. In America you’d never see that.

I wonder why.

It was either that they’re very confident in their masculinity and not afraid to bump a guy on stage, or they’re gay. My joke with them about them was, “We (Americans) are raised with Stallone and Schwarzenegger. These guys are born and raised with Robin Hood and The Scarlet Pimpernel.”

Hah!

The biggest joke of all is: 80 percent of the time, they’d win. They took it so seriously. They’d be banging each other, doing flips, cartwheels. One guy did a wheelbarrow across the stage while bumping his buddy. The first thing they’d say to the audience is “We’re not gay. We’re just going to act this out.” Well, they did a nice impersonation.

You’ve been a pretty vocal about your opinions on swinging and open relationships.

Photo: Joe Fury

Ron Jeremy was among the crowd set to party at the Palms at last year's event.

A lot of people are very straight, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I’m a big fan of marriage and kids and everything too, but (only) if you chose to have that lifestyle. Gene Simmons and I were on The View with Barbara Walters a few weeks apart, and we both discussed the whole concept of being emotionally monogamous but possibly physically non-monogamous. I made a joke that girls go after him because he’s a rock star. With me, there’s a paycheck. The other joke — and he hates when I say this — is that he gets girls that look like his gorgeous Playboy playmate Shannon Tweed. When I’m not making movies I get girls that look like Gene Simmons.

Did you ever go through a phase where you tried monogamy or more straight relationships?

I’ve always had an open relationship. I had that attitude even as a kid. My girlfriend wanted to be a little frisky with another guy, and I felt like doing it with another girl. Not that much, not in our place, not in our bed, no one who’s a friend, you know... here are certain agreements you have, but I allowed an open relationship. I always have.

People might assume that being a porn star automatically makes you a swinger, but it doesn’t, right?

It does not, no. A lot of porn stars are not swingers at all. They’ll finish making a movie and they go right back to their husband or boyfriend. They don’t swing, only when it’s business. And some are.

Which is more common?

Some of the big name girls were swingers and plenty of them are not. I would say it is 60-40. Sixty percent have the open attitude; 40 percent are not. Also, the 60 percent who are don’t necessarily go to swingers clubs. They may just have other couples that are friends of theirs, and they’ll just do some goofy things — go to a Jacuzzi, get a little creative. They’re not going-to-nightclubs, answering-ad swingers.

Have you been to the swingers clubs out here?

Yeah. I like the Green Door, and the Red Rooster’s been great. They have a big picture of me in their living room. Nice people out there, I love them.

You spend so much time with people in the adult-entertainment industry or mainstream celebrities. I would imagine it’s a nice change to visit a swingers convention like this one and see regular, everyday people.

Yeah. People who truly like sex, they’re not necessarily into porn. Maybe they are; maybe they’re not. Still, it’s nice to see that. Just typical couples from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, who just enjoy having sex. Their marriages are lasting for many, many years. They never get bored because maybe they’ll play around with another couple, or just watch another couple, or just get touchy-feely, or do a full on swap. The beauty of this is that it’s whatever you choose to do.