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Bishop Interview

Bishop Bishop Bishop

This is not the Bishop who serves as Adam Glasser's assistant in the Showtime reality show Family Business. This is the 40-something male performer who seems to always be smiling.

I get Bishop on the phone at 7:45pm, December 20, 2004.

Duke: "When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?"

Bishop chuckles: "You caught me off guard when you started right up like that. I thought we were going to schedule it.

"I wanted to be a policeman like my dad."

Did your dad want you to be a policeman?

"No. He always wanted something more for me than that. He wanted me to finish school [Bishop graduated high school in 1982 and college in 1986] and be what I went to school initially for -- I studied law. I took Criminal Justice for three years. I thought I was going to be an attorney."

What happened?

"I got tired of being broke, working two jobs, and being in school. I recognized how many credits I had in computer science and took a double load the next semester and had enough to graduate [with an associates degree, short of a bachelors degree]. I backed out of school...with a degree [from Temple University in Philadelphia]. Most of my friends didn't even bother to go [to college].

"I'm still paying back student loans. I never did work in that field except for two times when I had other jobs that paid way better -- beer (for a decade) and porn.

"I grew up Pennyslvania. When my parents divorced, my father came to [Los Angeles]. I split time with my parents."

Was that XPT fight with Grant Michaels staged?

"No. The guy voiced an opinion. I didn't much care for it. But it was never more than that. People interceded for fear it was going to affect our careers."

How was the Nici Hunter birthday party last night?

"It was fun as long as I could stay at a little dance club in Studio City called Clear on Ventura Blvd. I'm a single parent [of a five-year old boy]. While I was there, my son was with my dad. I didn't stay out too late. I was there for [two hours]. The place was filling up and people were vying for her attention."

How did you get into porn?

"After my divorce in 2001 [a marriage of three years, one good, Bishop says he was monogamous during it], a messy affair, leaving me with a son to raise by myself, I figured I could use the support of my family... I had to leave the brewery because I wasn't able to work shift work anymore. I was an aircraft fueler at Van Nuys Jetport. I answered a casting call about Christmas-time in 2002. Lucky Star and Directions. They are from Japan. They don't even speak English. Lucky Star is their translator and handles the talent when they shoot their bukkakes in America.

"I was one of six-to-seven guys on set every day. This business is not the easiest. Some people can't even use the restroom if somebody is standing next to them. When I was able to provide what was needed on cue, it made me stand out. When a veteran wasn't able to make his scene, Lucky gave me the opportunity to do a scene. I succeeded. A couple of more casting calls and people were calling me.

"I haven't called anybody. I haven't auditioned for anything. I've worked constantly. People don't take you seriously until that is all you do. I've done about 200 scenes. All gonzo. No features.

"I got in just before things got interesting, before the double anals, the gagging, the piss-mops. I don't care for a lot of the things I see shot these days. People eventually stopped calling me for that stuff.

"There have been things I've had to change the terms of. There are interracial sites that like to use certain slurs throughout his site, in the trailers, the text... They [Spring Thomas?] booked me. I went down there and explained to them that I had a son I'm trying to raise and I'm trying to explain to him that people aren't any different even if they look a little different. I can't tell him that and have on record somewhere, anywhere, even in porn, that I said one thing when in reality I said another thing.

"I explained that if I was going to be in the scene, they were going to have to refrain from that. They honored my wishes."

Bishop directs for Darkside Entertainment. "I believe there can be porn that is good for couples, that is not degrading... That's what I love to shoot."

What do you love and what do you hate about the industry?

"People in porn are not what a lot of people think. They're not sluts or dummies, or if it wasn't for this, they would have no other way to survive. It's not filled with the losers of the world. I meet great people. To be with all these beautiful women. I love that to death.

"What I haven't cared for is that porn can be a little short-sighted. It wasn't that long ago that we were under a quarantine. People were pointing fingers but I can't help but think that any time you run the risk of tearing tissue and making blood you multiple the risk of transmitting something. Some of that top-me stuff puts people at risk more than anything else.

"You don't have to do quadruple anal and put yourself in a position where there may be blood involved.

"People left the industry when this happened in March. They were never going to do this or that again. Today, it is like that never happened.

"There's a low regard for other people's well being. If somebody does get infected with the virus, nobody is going to go out of their way to see that that person is taken care of. There's so much money involved. I don't see why people can't care more about each other."

Bishop talks to his son, "Let daddy use the phone. Please.

"Other than that, there's not a lot to dislike. There's good and bad in everything. There's less bad in this than people think. No hostages. No snuff films that I've seen. Nobody doing anything that they haven't signed up for."

What's it like being a single parent and working in porn?

"I keep those two worlds separated. Although my son is around me often enough through my phone calls that he probably is a little bit more aware than I would like to believe. I edit at home after he's in bed. He's not exposed to the materials themselves. Porn has benefitted me in that it has afforded us more comfort than we would have if I were working in something else. When I was at the airport, there wasn't anywhere near the money that I'm bringing home now. I was gone all the time. Porn allows me to spend time with my son.

"People will get fed and sheltered some way. I wonder what I would be doing without this?"

How many women were you with before porn?

"About a hundred. I've always been fortunate. Since porn, about 300. There's a lot more honesty in this profession than in interactions in the regular world. People will talk about what they want and like.

"Porn relationships haven't been that much fun for me. I tried it a few times and none of the results have been good. Even though they say, this is what we were doing before we got together. I'm ok with what you do. Invariably, one person will have to work and the other person will not and the person who doesn't have to work will eventually have a problem that their significant other is out having sex with somebody else.

"I've seen people who out in public seem successful with these things. I get their phone calls at 3am when the police are coming and things aren't going good. It's always the same arguments.

"We're open about not being monogamous but it always seems to come back down to that.

"I'm having success with dating outside the industry but it is one of the reasons I'd like to move behind the camera. The lady that I'm seeing has been patient and tolerant. She would like to stay with me and work on us being together until such a time when I'm not doing any scenes in front of the camera. She doesn't want to share her man with other women.

"When I dated women in porn, they seemed to have a flare for the dramatic.

"It is rare to find a woman outside the industry who will give you the time of day. I was having a great conversation with a woman at the car wash. We were making plans. She'd never asked what did I do. It didn't seem like it was missing from the conversation. In the last two minutes, she asked what I did. I told her as I had been advised against (let them get to know you before they find out what you do). She literally ran from me towards her car. She couldn't get away quick enough.

"If I was going in to an office every day with a briefcase, I don't think I would be cool going out with a woman who does what I do every day."

We talk about porn and race.

"Nobody has put me in a bad situation [in porn] because of race. I know there are people who are racist. I've had better opportunities here than many people have. There are white people who have been around this industry far longer than I have who don't have the opportunities presented to me now. I don't believe it is a racist industry. I would just like to see more black people in features."

Do you see any difference between a white movie and a black movie?

"In a white movie, there's more emphasis on production value across the board. A lot of ethnic porn could fit into the category of pro-am. White productions have so much more at their disposal. That's another thing I'm hoping to change."

Do you prefer working with white women or black women?

"I have no preference. My only preference is that there be as few other guys around as possible."

I've known a lot more use of alcohol on black sets than white sets?

"Yeah. I agree. Things are more low-key on white sets. Anything on a black set is more wide open. A handful of black guys are more likely to go out front of the house and light up a bowl or pass around a little bottle. [On a white set] they keep things more under wraps.

"Some folks need to get into their comfort zone to be able to perform. I have methods at my end."

Bishop addresses his son: "You have to let daddy finish his phone call. You can play with me after I get off the phone. I'll give you a shower. It's too late for a bath. It's already past bedtime. Go on. Go on. Thank you."

Bishop returns to me: "I've always been the sensitive kind of guy. I may pop a little early on the set. My methodology is to leave the first pop shot at home in the morning. If somebody has something that is going to knock the butterflies down... No matter how many times I've done this, in those last few minutes before a scene, every time, in the back of my mind, am I going to pull it off this time? There have only been twice that I haven't. There was one time I engaged in the party before a scene and it worked against me. If other people want to do it, that's fine. As long as you are not hurting anybody else. I'd rather see a group of guys smoking a bowl of marijuana before a scene than see in the middle of an anal scene, where the girl says stop, and the guy keeps going."

How often have you seen that?

"Not very. But the few times I have seen something like that, I didn't like it. I have sisters. They spring to mind in a lot of situations I find myself in. What if that was my sister?"

Bishop Retires From Porn

He calls me Tuesday evening (10/3/06) from his new home in the Mid-West. "I'm out, man. I'm out for good."

"I had a friend. We had been friends for almost a year. She visited me in L.A. Things were slow, I used the opportunity to take a short vacation and drive to her home. In the course of that, I realized that I did not want to be apart from her and that I'd finally met somebody that I did not want to lose to the business.

"It's been a couple of months now.

"This was the slowest summer ever. I dipped into my savings, the money I swore I would never touch. It seemed like the right time to get out.

I'm so crazy about this girl, last night, I spent three hours making love to her my own way.

"One thing about the business is that it takes away from your personal life. I am myself again.

"Ninety nine out of 100 girls who decided they didn't want to be around the industry, I let them walk away, but this one, I walked away for. My plan is to marry her before I impregnate her.

"She's a white girl with red hair.

"I have learned the value of a good woman. When you get a hold of one, it is best to do everything in your power to hang on to her.

"I am selling new cars for a widely known corporation. The money I'm making is competitive and there's no performance anxiety. Most people who come on a lot want a car and it's just a matter of you finding a way for them to be comfortable with the purchase.

"I had been afraid to let go of that whole lifestyle but when things dried up this summer, it wasn't much of a leap."

Luke: "Do you get recognized?"

Bishop: "On two occasions.

"I told my boss where I was coming from. Car salemen are open-minded."

"I saw some things [in porn] that will stay with me, like the couple of guys who tried to conceal they were on the restricted list [after working with someone with HIV] and tried to work anyway."

"There's no doubt in my mind that Sharon Mitchell is saving lives. Without her, [HIV] would've spread like wildfire."

"I'm relieved that it's over. It was getting competitive. There were a bunch of guys coming and due to the drugs being available... All the wonder and surprise were gone.

"Anybody that would pass judgment on somebody for that line of work should be grateful that that person did not make other choices that may have affected them. I have a son to feed. He will never look at me and tell me he's hungry and me not put food in front of him. That person [who entered porn] could've been selling drugs to somebody they love or climbing in the windows of their house and stealing their things, because everybody's got to eat. Nobody can judge but God.

"If I had to do it all over again, I would, but if I had met this lady first, it would not."

"Tomorrow is walk your kid to school day and I'm going to do that."

"I don't worry about my kid if he is not in my sight. It's completely different than L.A. I don't miss the cops, the helicopters, the gun fire, the gang members, the $1200 one bedroom apartments."

"My daughter's about to turn two and my son turns seven in July. I'll get the pleasure of explaining to them what I used to do."