Dr. Chauntelle’s Playboy.com Article Explores Dynamics of Porn Star ‘Bromance’

Noted sociologist Chauntelle Tibbals, Ph.D. explores the dynamics of a ‘bromance’ (friendship) between two porn stars in her new article on Playboy.com. Veteran performers, directors, and longtime friends Barrett Blade and Eric Masterson are the focal point of the piece.

“I’m extremely thankful to Eric and Barrett for letting me tell the story of their fascinating friendship, and to Playboy for sharing the article with its readers,” stated Dr. Chauntelle. “Many people see the adult industry as one dimensional, but there are so many complex relationships, interactions, and stories behind the sex scenes you see.”

As an adult industry expert with extensive research on the industry and its effects on society, Dr. Chauntelle details the unique bond forged by Blade and Masterson. They have developed an ideal relationship to support each other and navigate through the challenges facing many male porn performers.

“I mean, we’re not holding each other at night or anything, but it’s good to know he’s always there,” Masterson says in the article. “We’ve been through a lot together: crazy stuff and funny stuff that only he and I get, shitty stuff, and everything in between.”

“One could look at Masterson and Blade and easily wonder how they fit together. Blade plays the dangerous bad boy, the rock star artist with an endless cache of ladies waiting in the wings. Masterson is the clean cut and beefy DILF-next-door. Funny and sparkly when he’s around friends, he’s quieter in public and less about the limelight. But in spite of their apparent differences, whether they’re shooting a double-penetration or going on a double date, they’ve been pretty much inseparable for the past fifteen years,” Dr. Chauntelle writes.

While pay for men working as performers has dropped over the years due to the industry’s ongoing struggles with the economy, the article shows how Masterson and Blade have taken more active roles behind the camera. Dr. Chauntelle tells how she visited a film set where the two best friends relied on one another to get a scene shot:

“Barrett Blade stood waist deep in the backyard pool of a charming Spanish-style set house located deep in the San Fernando Valley. Balancing a camera high on his right shoulder, he was gearing up to capture some poolside action—his best friend Eric Masterson and a stacked English lass… “Aaaaand, got it!” yelled Blade at the end of the scene. Masterson was all business, immediately swooping down to grab the heavy camera and put a dry end to the potentially electrifying situation,” Dr. Chauntelle writes.

To read the full article on Playboy.com, click here.

>A noted adult industry expert and renowned sociologist, Dr. Chauntelle writes for a number of publications, including most recently, Men’s Health magazine, where she has debunked a variety of myths surrounding male adult film stars, as well as other insightful articles. Dr. Chauntelle also pens a monthly column for lifestyle and culture site, Uproxx.com, where she has examined the value of porn as art, among other topics.

Known for her extensive research into the adult industry, Dr. Chauntelle has become a leading authority into the impact, dynamics, and social relevance of adult content and the implications of laws targeting porn on free speech and society as a whole. Her work, published in academic journals, has examined workplace safety and autonomy within the adult industry, as well as the stigma experienced by women workers who are not performers due to their involvement in the industry.