For many of us, the emergence of Treasure Island Media in 1998 signalled not only a new era in gay porn but also a new narrative in our relationship with sex and identity.
Established by Paul Morris, Treasure Island Media became synonymous with the celebration and fetishisation of ‘bareback’ porn – these men fucked without condoms at a time when we were conditioned to believe that wearing a condom was non-negotiable.
With the advances in treatment and prevention – the twin forces of TasP and PrEP – ‘bareback’ is no longer a taboo, it is the norm. Given that shift in behaviour and mindset, it wouldn’t have been surprising if Treasure Island Media had simply dissolved into the mists of time and become part of our ‘vintage porn’ history – a glimpse into the past, a time when they did things differently.
However, that hasn’t happened. Treasure Island Media is not only still surviving, it is undeniably thriving.
Tommy Trash has recently taken over the reins as head of the studio’s operations in Europe. I caught up with Tommy in London to get into what Treasure Island Media represents today.
“The first porn that really had an impact on me was a scene by Tom ‘Ropes’ McGurk…” explains Tommy. “I was about 12. There was something about that kind of porn that was much more interesting to me than looking at smooth twinks or muscled jocks. From there, I came across the films of Treasure Island Media – they were very formative.”
At the beginning of his sexual exploration when he discovered Treasure Island Media, Tommy recognises that he was viewing these scenes in a vacuum from the controversy and debate that surrounded the work of Treasure Island Media in those early days.
“I think I was just drawn to the authenticity of what I was watching…” reflects Tommy. “You could feel the energy between these men – it just felt very exciting.”
An accomplished journalist who went on to build a career in public relations, when Tommy explains how he ended up working for Treasure Island Media it seems as if he somehow manifested his dream job – a vision board and some good karma can get you a long way.
“I was feeling a bit directionless in my PR job…” explains Tommy. “I was applying for new roles and also toying with going freelance and setting up my own PR firm. I was exploring whether it would be viable to set up a PR firm that specialised in gay businesses and sex-positive events – no one else seemed to be doing it. I was exploring kink in my personal life – and sharing that openly on Twitter. I was envious of friends who seemed to be able to combine their passions with their careers – I was often brainstorming how to start my own sex-positive PR firm, projecting that my dream client would be Treasure Island Media. Then, one day – out of the blue – Paul Morris sent me a DM on Twitter.”
“I think he messaged ‘hey’ or something like that…” continues Tommy. “He’d somehow seen something that I’d posted on Twitter. Once I picked myself up off the floor, we started chatting. At some point – a few weeks after we’d first connected – he asked if I would be interested in working with him at Treasure Island Media. It was only after I started working for him that I confessed that it was my dream job come true.”
After finding his feet within the Treasure Island Media business, Tommy has now stepped up as head of production for the studio’s European operations. It’s been an opportunity to refocus how the output of TIM Europe fits into the landscape of gay porn.
“We need to stay true to our roots…” confirms Tommy. “We’re not going to make stuff just for the sake of it. We have to represent our community in the way that we’ve always tried to do.”
The first results of this refocused direction will hit our screens in October – new stand-alone scenes produced by Jake English are ready to be released, and a full-length movie is in the pipeline.
The launch of the new content is part of the reason that Treasure Island Media is sponsoring the October edition of Hard On – Suzie Krueger’s monthly party in London. It’s ten years since Treasure Island Media last partnered with Hard On – some of the action from that event was documented in the release Man-Cunt, directed by Liam Cole.
“It’s a fairly natural partnership…” says Tommy, who’s a long-standing regular at Hard On parties. “It’s a place where you can really express yourself and the mix of guys that go to Hard On reflect the men of this city.”
“At Hard On, you’ll regularly see the men that appear in our films – just having fun and letting loose…” adds Tommy. “They’re not unreachable or untouchable porn gods, they’re regular guys just like the rest of us. We’re part of this community.”
Given Tommy’s background in journalism, it’s not surprising that he’s the driving force behind TIM News – a queer media publication from Treasure Island Media.
“The work of Treasure Island Media has always been a form of journalism…” explains Tommy. “We started out documenting the sex that men were having – turning on the camera and recording what was happening. With TIM News, we can also document and share some of the stories that aren’t being covered. It’s not just mainstream media that doesn’t accurately report on our community – LGBTQ publications also struggle to represent our reality when talking about sex and kink and fetish. With TIM News, we can cover stories that deserve to be told and that you won’t read about anywhere else.”
Examples of what this looks like in practice include reporting on gay Ukrainian soldiers fighting against the Russian invasion, exploring the experience of Nullo men, and assessing the benefits of orgasm denial.
TIM News also documents Tommy’s own journey into submission. He describes himself as ‘Treasure Island Media’s resident slave boy and property of Paul Morris’ – it’s an unusual employer/employee relationship that would probably raise an eyebrow in the HR department of most other businesses.
“Before joining Treasure Island Media, I thought that I knew most things about sex, but it turns out that I knew nothing…” shrugs Tommy. “Every day, I have to take a moment and remember how lucky I am. This job is enabling me to experience something that I don’t think that I could have experienced anywhere else. Now, realising how much I have to learn, I just want to go deeper, I want to go further.”
We’ve seen some seismic shifts in the landscape of porn in recent years. Beyond the normalisation of bareback sex, the rise of fan-subscription platforms has shaken up how porn is created, distributed, and monetised – challenging the apex position and business model of porn studios.
I was interested to hear Tommy’s perspective on how Treasure Island Media plans to remain relevant within a rapidly evolving industry.
“We represent our community…” explains Tommy. “We’re not representing a specific physical appearance – you’ll see all sorts of guys in our films. What we’re representing is more of a cultural identity – it’s more than sex-positive, it’s sex-focused. The guys who we’re representing are pretty damn thirsty for it – we’re reflecting and validating that experience, we’re documenting that reality.”
I’ve always loved their stuff. It’s so raw and hard. I wish I was in London for the party that sounds hot.