In an AskReddit thread on Thursday, someone posed the question, “Porn Actors of Reddit, what is something [that] viewers REALLY don’t know?” And the porn actors, directors, and assistants of Reddit were more than happy to answer! Spoiler alert, if you don’t already know much about the behind the scenes of the porn industry and you also enjoy porn, you may want to steer clear, because this peek behind the curtain might just ruin porn for you forever. Unless you get turned on by enemas and “the smell,” in which case, go right ahead. But you’ve been warned.

On why porn is an extremely unrealistic portrayal on how real people have sex:

Adult actress here. I know people say they know this- but viewers really don’t understand how LONG it takes to film a video and how FAKE it all is. I’ve been in over forty pornos, they’re usually half an hour or so long for each scene. But I’m on set for anywhere from 5-12 hours. Also, I know it’s not the hardest job in the world and I’m not going to sit here and say it’s rocket science but this job is NOT cut out for everyone. It’s extremely physically and mentally demanding. I know plenty of women who couldn’t cut it physically- you are putting your body through A LOT for each shoot at least four times a week (not to mention if you do a lot of anal scenes like myself). And as anyone can guess- a lot of performers are not mentally stable. I think getting into this industry without a good head on your shoulders is dangerous. Another thing you don’t consider- the paperwork to even start creating porn is insane. I have to fill out a million forms AND be filmed on video BEFORE and AFTER answering questions like if I’m there of my own free will or if I’m on drugs or anything. Also, don’t be one of those idiots who expects your SO to do everything you see in a porno. If it looks like we’re holding that crazy f*cking position for five minutes- it’s more like thirty second clips I’ll ask for a cut, go smoke a cigarette, stretch, slap some lube on and get back in it.

Staying hard is actually really hard work:

Guy here.

It’s actually pretty hard to get an maintain an erection on set. Making porn is pretty unsexy. Sometimes they use fake jizz. Not all the time, but sometimes for creampie stuff. Sometimes the actresses do orgasm for real. Sometimes it’s 100% performance.

The on the street stuff is actually filmed on the street. They don’t have a plan or permit for it, just go and get it done before people start asking questions. All performers have to sign papers and do contracts, so the girls they randomly pick up off the street was planted there from the start.

Another guy chiming in on the same topic, and the marketing aspect is not fun, either:

I’ve been a male porn actor for two years now, I’ve starred in some pretty professional stuff that went mainly to Bangbros. A porn video usually takes quite a bit longer to make than the video lasts. So even before we start the video, we do the picture shoot. This is done separately to the video and I have to get into all the positions we are going to do and stay still from 20 – 50 seconds, which is really f*cking awkward, like no movement nothing. This is why I have to take Viagra before I get to work, it’s hard work staying hard. Also the girl usually has a ton of lubricant for the picture bit because it’s not really like sex.

The videos themselves are mostly smooth, but we sometimes stop to wipe sweat off or have a drink. What sometimes happened once or twice was that I popped too early into the video, and I had to take more Viagra and keep going because the shoot had to be finished within a certain time. That was really unpleasant, guys would know this that after you cum you have no more sexual drive for a while and stimulation is generally not so good.

Oh god… and the smell. The smell…

One of my first jobs I had to work on a porn set (Not as an actress, just doing stuff around the stage.) Most people do not realize how bad the smell is on set. It’s f*cking horrible, especially when shooting fetish porn scenes. It just smells of sweat, piss, and pussy. If that’s what you are into, I highly suggest working on a porn set.

That is not real jizz you’re seeing a lot of the time:

not a performer but i produce/direct/edit/shoot etc.

1: the angles are all fake. when you see that closeup of the dick going in and out of her, its bc they positioned to the side, and only like an inch or two is going in and out.

2: there is a lot of pausing, a lot of laughing, a lot of texting, etc in between shots.

3: the way we have to shoot the sex makes it not the most pleasurable. hence lots of faking.

4: the money shot. if a guy can’t produce, there’s a million ways to fake it, and they are used much more readily than youd think. no director wants to stand around while a guy who’s been hard for 3 hours tried to jerk out a tiny little spit of cum. they’ll move right to the tricks. f*ck that.

5: yup, the smell. some shoots smell great, some smell pretty awful. i shot an all anal 4 way.

Lady porn stars are hungry a most of the time:

I remember being hungry a lot because I’d worry about being bloated on camera etc…there was one time I was filming and the director kept telling me off for staring at a plate of sandwiches for the crew.

That’s when I realized porn wasn’t my vocation in life and that I preferred a nice ham and cheese triangle cut sandwich over money and dick…and i love dick

“Surprise anal” is no walk in the park:

Anal requires a lot of preparation, including but not limited to enemas, pre-fingering and eating a particular diet or skipping meals that day. ‘Surprise’ anal = you’re gonna have a bad time, from the top or the bottom.

There are a lot more ‘breaks’ to rest, recuperate and wait for the penetrating lead to get hard again than you would guess. Pretty much any time there is a cut in the editing from one angle to another.

Most ‘porn squirting’ (the kind where there are big gushes) is actually piss.

A lot of porn these days is filmed not on a dedicated set, but in the apartments/condos/vacation homes of directors and other industry folks that all trade with each other, for more variety. This is characteristic of the ‘pro-mateur’ style which is stylistically shaped to appeal to people who like amateur porn, but actually involves paid actors and more professional camera equipment, to maintain the illusion that it’s the couple’s own home.

Adult movie theaters / sex stores where men go to jack off and surreptitiously have sex with one another, are almost single-handedly keeping the porn DVD industry alive.

And then this guy, who used to be a former porn director, had a LOT to say. Click through for all of it. I’m just listing part of it below:

  • Anyone being penetrated can call cut.
  • Men have to keep hard between setups, so a lot of the time they’re just standing there jacking themselves off, or feeling up their co-star.
  • To follow that up, fluffers don’t exist. I’ve heard that they did when they used to shoot porn on film, and the setups were longer.
  • Sex is really gross if you’re not involved.
  • There is no indicator for dicksize. Feet, hands, height, Asian, it’s all BS. The only stereotype that held true were black men dicks being huge.
  • Same thing for the size of vaginas. I’ve seen women around 5′ take an 11″ dick no problem, but a 6′ woman holding back tears with a 9 incher.
  • Body builder women are crazy horny.
  • If you’re a cameraman in porn, you will eventually get something on you.
  • Women make WAY more then men, but their acts are itemized. They’re paid for what they do. Girl-girl, guy-girl, anal, DP, ATM, foreign insertion, etc. Back in 03′, a girl could make $2,500 a scene depending on what she did. Men only around $500. But, if you’re willing to get f*cked by another guy, then your rate matches women.
  • Some porn is written, but most of it is improv.

Has porn been ruined for you yet? If not, at least be sure to give a thought what these courageous men and women have to go through to get you off, the next time you’re watching their highly-fabricated, stinky, calorie-deprived, Viagra-induced sex acts. You’re welcome.