Welcome to Porn Week,drunk collage groups sex videos Mashable's annual close up on the business and pleasure of porn.
When I learned that Mashable would be hosting Porn Week, I knew the site's coverage wouldn't be complete without an article on my old pal, Ryan Creamer.
I first met Ryan in January 2016 when we both started editorial internships at Mashable. Now, four years later, he's known as Pornhub's most wholesome star. Yeah, you read that correctly. Wholesome! And yes, Creamer is his actual last name.
In 2018, after realizing how easy it was to get a verified Pornhub account, Ryan decided to grace the online pornography platform with his delightful sense of humor. He posted his first video, titled "I Tuck You In After You Have Cum," in which he's seen tucking the viewer into bed and giving them a goodnight kiss. People responded positively to Ryan's giant smile, navy blue sweater, and unassuming demeanor, so he continued to share videos of himself performing respectful, G-rated porn tropes. He's made forehead kiss compilation videos, filmed himself doing the dishes without being asked, and even delivered breakfast in bed.
Today, Ryan's uploaded 80 hilariously charming videos to Pornhub, which have collectively gained more than 11 million views. He's created his own merch, attended the 2019 Pornhub awards (after receiving a nomination for "Best Twitter,") and has collaborated on wholesome videos with professional pornstars including Mia Malkova, Asa Akira, and Angela White. The Pornhub channel even acts as a little source of income.
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As Mashable explores the impact of porn in today's society and dives deep into aspects of the industry and online communities, I felt it was crucial to catch up with the 27-year-old who's putting pure content on Pornhub. So I spoke with Ryan about his comedic roots, why he started making wholesome videos, and what's in store for his channel.
Mashable: I know you've been doing comedy for several years now. Could you share a little background on how and when you started getting involved in it?
Ryan Creamer: I got involved I guess intentionally. I went to Fordham in the Bronx, and they had a little black box theater, an improv club, and a stand-up club. I got involved doing stuff there, and the people I met there were like, "Go to UCB" [Upright Citizens Brigade]. They kind of introduced me into a world of performing comedy. I think I was always interested and liked watching it, but I didn't really understand the way to pursue it. So that was the first introduction.
I assume you were a hilarious child. Is this true?
[Laughs] No. As a child — I mean, this should not be a surprise to anyone — I was extremely nerdy and raised very religious. I was like a dweeb. I don't think anyone in elementary school would classify me as like a class clown type person. I think I was funny, but it was largely like how red hair, freckled, glasses-wearing kids are in cartoons.
"I'm going to be the antithesis to what this site has to offer."
Did you have a dream job as a kid?
It's funny that you ask that, because my mom has this big box of things that she saved. And in fourth grade or whatever they had a worksheet that's like "What's your dream job?" I wrote down, "I'm going to be a running back in the NFL." I think I specified the New Orleans Saints. But after that I think I did have dreams of SNL. It was something I always grew up with and I think many people that like comedy feel it's kind of the dream job.
I think this is a perfect segue for me to ask you to do your Coach Taylor impersonation.(Note: In addition to being Pornhub's most wholesome star, Ryan also does a great impersonation of Coach Taylor from Friday Night Lights.)
[Laughs] Alright, alright, I'll do it just for you. [Impeccable Coach Taylor voice] "Saracen. Saracen! HEY, SARACEN! You stay away from Julie."
[Laughs] I love it. So after leaving Mashable in 2016 you went to work for CollegeHumor. How exactly did you first get the idea to start making these wholesome Pornhub videos?
This is so funny because this is like the first time I've had to explain it to a friend, which is so much more uncomfortable.
[Laughs] Ryan, I know and I'm sorry. But I already know the answer so it's fine.
Alright, good. Well I was on Pornhub, and I scrolled down — in re-explaining how this happened, it's so weird to recapture. There was so little "this is my game plan." It was really like a funny whim that I had. I think it was partly creative energy that was not getting fulfilled in the ways I wanted to at work spilling out into just being like, "What can I do that will creatively tickle me and will be fun?"
So I was on the site and saw how easy it was to get verified and thought, "OK. What's a funny video that I could make here?" I think my goal, knowing how I present and what my sense of humor is, was like, "I'm going to be the antithesis to what this site has to offer." But it really wasn't super calculated. It truly was a video or two. And I was like, "if that's all I do that might be all I do."
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I've personally been wanting to ask you about your sweater. In every video you wear this navy blue V-neck sweater, a collared white shirt, and a striped tie. What went into choosing this look? Were you just like, "What would a gentleman wear?"
I mean honestly kind of, yeah. I think it was partly that. Legitimately also that sweater is a sweater I never wore before. It's kind of big on me and I was like, "It'd be kind of nice to get some use out of this sweater." I think it was just like Mister Rogers-inspired. It looks like the most Mister Rogers-y clothing that I have.
I noticed since your Pornhub channel took off you've done a bunch of collaboration videos. What has that been like, and has everyone on Pornhub embraced your presence?
I guess I can only speak from what's been communicated to me, but everyone that I've worked with, and largely everyone that says something to me has been supportive. I'm sure there are people who aren't a huge fan of it, but I don't really hear that.
It's been very cool and surreal, because what I've enjoyed about working with other people is the DIY-ness of it all. There's quick videos, but you have to schedule, and figure out where you're going to meet, and where the other person's comfortable with. I have to be aware of just the act of shooting. I'm showing up with an iPhone and this cheap tripod and trying not to be the creepiest dude in the world. But the benefit of collaborating with someone is the more that I do it the more I think other pornstars see someone that they know get involved, and kind of understand what the joke is, and are more interested in also jumping on board, which is cool.
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Totally. Because this was never a joke on Pornhub or anyone who makes videos for the site.
Exactly. And I think early on that was something that I kind of had to field. I mean, the thing is, once you make something it's kind of everyone's right to think about it however they want. But that certainly was never my intention.
I know this probably isn't the easiest thing to explain to your parents, but I saw that your mom accompanied you to the Pornhub awards, which was so nice! I assume she knows and supports?
She did! Yeah, it's been kind of a journey. It was something that I didn't really tell either my parents when I was doing it. They kind of found out two or three months later. And I think, understandably, this isn't a joke that's targeted towards my parents. It's not something that I understand them being like, "Yeah, this is great." I mean, I know they weren't thrilled about it, so I think her coming out for that was very sweet, because it was her saying, "I support what you're doing."
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Aw, I love that. OK. I know a lot of people watch these videos solely for your comedy, but I unfortunately must ask you how it feelsto know that some people probably are masturbating to videos of you.
[Laughs] I certainly have gotten that question before and what it boils down to is I just don't think about it. I'm sure it's happening. But it's truly out of my control and I really don't care. In terms of like, "Is that something that makes you uncomfortable?" It's just like, I don't really think about it.
Yeah. Well your videos are nice and a lot of people suck, so I can fully see how someone browsing for porn might genuinely flock to your channel and be like, "One nice person!"
[Laughs] Listen if that's the case, I'm flattered.
Do you have a favorite video?
The first two ["I Tuck You In After You Cum" and "I Encourage You As You Keep Searching For The Right Video To Cum To"] are definitely some of my favorites, just because it had the magic of being new. But any collaboration video I've done with someone has that excitement. I think after a while, shooting them in my room becomes samey. You know? You've done it enough that it's not super interesting to you just because it's not new. But anytime I'm able to collaborate with someone or not be my bedroom shooting I enjoy it more.
I don't read comments often, but I did notice under the "I Shower And There's No Funny Business" videosome people were rudely dragging your shower caddy.
You know what? They were completely right, though. I moved out of that apartment. That shower caddy was my roommate's and we've had it since early in college. It's just so funny when you take a video of something that's in your home — you don't even think twice about it because it's normal to you. But I now think before I shoot a video, "Does this look like shit? Am I going to get absolutely fucking crushed?"
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So Ryan, how does it feel to be widely known on the internet as a wholesome guy?
I mean, it's weird, right? Because I think partly for you, or anyone who knows me, there's this weird balancing of this personality and this idea that's a bit of a caricature. I think for anyone that doesn't know you, they can come into it thinking, "You're gonna be who I know you as." So I'm happy to be that persona, but I think the idea of having to be that all the time is something that's not doable. I really like inhabiting that and it's a vibe I definitely stand behind, but I never want to feel like I have to act like this guy until I die.
You don't want to wear that sweater to every date?
Exactly, exactly.
"I don't want to burn out or not feel like this is a fun thing to do, because it should be."
Are you currently dating anyone? I'm curious if your wholesome Pornhub presence has impacted your dating life at all.
I am not currently dating anyone. I definitely don't lead with it. But I think that's just in general my life. I'm not that kind of guy. And on dating apps it's something that's like, if you're recognized from it that's made clear pretty quickly.
How much longer do you want to keep making these videos?
It's a good question. And I honestly kind of go back and forth on it. Obviously with the pandemic the resources and the creativity are pretty limited. There's like a finite number of things to satirize. And I don't ever want to do it just for the sake of trying to stay relevant. So it's hard when you're just on your own trying to do this math and be like, "How many more tracks are on this?"
So I don't know, I think what I'm trying to do is kind of get other projects going while just whenever I feel inspired or like, "Oh, I want to make one of these videos," I'll do it. I used to do them once a week and now it's just like, well, I don't want to burn out or not feel like this is a fun thing to do, because it should be.
Can I tell you about the first time that I thought you were wholesome?
Yes.
I remember one day in 2016I asked who your biggest celebrity crush was, and you simply said, Norah Jones.
[Laughs] Yep, yep. I still stand by that.
You also have a Norah Jones shirt, right?
I do, I do. It's in LA right now, but I've seen her a bunch of times. I'm a big Norah Jones fan.
I can't believe you traveled without the Norah Jones shirt.
I know, it's fucked up.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.