He holds a master’s degree in special education. He is an accomplished piano player. He is a former high school teacher. He has acted in a number of major motion pictures, and he is in the Guinness Book of World Records.
He also is the most unlikely porn star in America, and Friday he will be at John Henry’s to play games, host contests and answer questions about his life and career. His name is Ron Jeremy.
“Ron Jeremy’s S&M Sideshow” is an adult-oriented variety act that features stand-up comedy, musical performances, dance routines, audience participation games and trivia contests, with Jeremy acting as master of ceremonies. The performance has toured the country and even once made it to Eugene’s WOW Hall in 2001. But unlike that performance, the upcoming show will be 21 and over — something the event’s promoters say will improve the show’s quality.
“We really had to tone down the show for the WOW Hall since it was an all-ages performance,” production manager Larry Rust said. “Now we’ll be playing for the bar crowd, so we can really go all out. Not that it’s going to be a full-on triple X show by any means.”
Featuring contests with names like “Would You Do It Sober?,” “Eat or Beat It” and “Toss His Salad,” the show promises to live up to the reputation of its notorious emcee. Jeremy, who declined an interview for this article, has starred in literally thousands of adult films. He also has worked in a number of mainstream films, though he is often cut out when studios learn who he is, according to event promoter Dan Steinberg.
“There are a lot of misconceptions about Ron,” Steinberg said. “There is this idea, because he was a porn star, that he sees women as objects. But the truth is, women are his whole world.”
Steinberg said the show works so well because of Jeremy’s interaction with the audience.
“He’s a character, and people are really interested in him,” Steinberg said.
Jeremy won’t be the only performer vying for the audience’s attention. Musical guest Mosquito will perform, as well as dancers from John Henry’s other raunchy performance spectacle, the Sunday night Broadway Revue. Still, the focal point of the show is Jeremy, and according to the promoters, it is his personality that counts.
“Sometimes people will come up to him and say, ‘You know my favorite movie is that one where you were in the locker room with the four blondes,’” Rust said. “And Ron will remember that and the circumstances of it, even after all these years. He’s very personable.”
John Henry’s booking agent Keith Martin said he hoped the show will draw in a new crowd for the venue, which he said has been pegged as a punk-rock club.
“I think it will be something different for people to get into,” Martin said. “There is certainly nothing else like it on a Friday night.”
John Henry’s is located at 77 W. Broadway. Tickets for “Ron Jeremy’s S&M Sideshow” are available for $10 in advance through TicketWest outlets and $12 the day of the performance. The doors open at 8 p.m. and the show begins at 9 p.m.