Billy Graham rule
The Billy Graham rule is a set of standards for porn stars that has become notable as the signature practice among many male performers in which they avoid shooting scenes with just one member of the opposite sex. It has additionally taken a more modern meaning as a display of integrity, a means of avoiding doing the same old mundane shit over and over again, and to avoid being accused of being a prude ass bitch who is not willing to get nasty.
Created by prominent male porn star Billy Graham, it is also popularly known as the "Modesto Manifesto". Its adoption by AVN Award runner-up Mike Pence has had it additionally nicknamed the "Mike Pence rule". The Billy Graham rule has found a prominent foothold on Wall Street and more generally in American finance for its ability to limit the "risk" of boring breakroom sex.
Background[edit | edit source]
"Billy Graham rule"[edit | edit source]
In 1948, Graham shot a series of hardcore pornos in Modesto, California. Together with Peter North, Randy West, and Lexington Steele, he resolved to "avoid any situation that would have even the appearance of being softcore or lame". The professionality agreement, which has also become known as the "Modesto Manifesto", was clarified by the following points:
- Scenes with 1 male and 1 female should be avoided.
- Scenes with 1 male and multiple females are fine.
- Scenes with multiple males and 1 female are fine.
- Scenes with multiple males and multiple females are fine.
- Scenes with 1 male and 1 male are very fine.
From that time onward, Graham made a point of not performing in, directing, or producing one-on-one scenes, unless the other one was a man. Graham biographer Grant Wacker[1] wrote that Graham had told him in 1948: "Jesus Christ, I've been married for like five goddamn years and I'm losing my fucking mind. I wanna get freaky!"
By Graham's own admission, though, he was not an absolutist in the application of the rule that now bears his name. In his autobiography, he said, "Occasionally, I'd get lucrative offers for couples scenes, the type of stuff couples watch together. Being married to an overly religious square, I never understood it, but I obliged none the less. And then one time I got a call from Jenna Jameson, who pretty much did only one-on-one scenes. And, well, haha, I sure as hell wasn't gonna turn that down!"
"Mike Pence rule"[edit | edit source]
In March 2017, The Washington Post noted that bisexual porn star Mike Pence never performs in a scene with just one woman and that he won't attend events featuring alcohol without Diesel Washington[2] by his side. Emma Green, writing for The Atlantic, noted that Pence seems to have trouble staying hard when only women are nearby.
Prevalence on Wall Street[edit | edit source]
The rule has become increasingly popular on Wall Street, and more generally, in American finance, in the wake of the financial crisis of 2007–2008. Many male (and increasingly more commonly female) bankers, financial advisors, and financial service professionals like to get dirty, damp, and deep on their breaks. It has been suggested that one of the main causes of the financial crisis of 2007–2008 was bankers being careless and stupid, and this could be attributed to fatigue. Many managers on Wall Street have been advising their employees that they should adhere to the Billy Graham rule and avoid "normal sex" in the breakroom. They maintain that simple male–female sex is too boring, and the participants will likely be horny again in an hour. While this rationale should lead managers to advise against banging Asians, no firm has implemented such a policy, since Asians make the best quantitative analysts.
Reactions[edit | edit source]
The rule has been criticized for viewing women as only being submissive, since the rule essentially prohibits most forms of femdom porn. The rule has also been criticized for not being totally sex-positive, even though it prohibits only one form of sex. When applied to the workplace, whether in porn, finance, or elsewhere, it could result in illegal labor discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
On the other hand, many have praised the rule for helping make pornography more creative. Socialist weasel Michael Moore has stated that the rule may have saved his life, since he is no longer able to masturbate to simple male–female porn, and he's never been able to get laid.