This year’s nominees include January’s Tag Eriksson, February’s Chris Steele, March’s Dick Wolf, April’s Jack Ryan, May’s Adam Dexter, June’s Lane Fuller, July’s Barret Long, August’s Diego De La Hoya, September’s Dred Scott, October’s Jason Ridge, November’s Dean Phoenix and December’s Ben Jakks.
“We’ve really strived for a more diverse Drem Team,” said company president Tim Valenti. “Our NakedSwordsman really represent the diverse body types, ethnicities, studios and sexualities that the NakedSword strives to represent.”
Final judgment is reserved for NakedSword staffers, Michael Stabile, NakedSword media director and editor of GayPornBlog.com, told XBiz, but the online fan reaction for each performer weighs heavily into the decision-making process.
“Online popularity is a major aspect, but it’s by far not the only one,” said Stabile. “We want to represent the mood of the year.”
According to Stabile, even though detailed discussion about this year’s mood will only commence after the polls close shortly before New Year’s, trends seen on the GayPornBlog website this year point toward the popularity of what Stabile refers to as “a more modern silhouette.”
“It’s a muscular but relatively natural body type, slightly hairier than it has been in years past,” Stabile said. “There’s almost an aching for a really handsome face and stronger features.”
Stabile was quick to point out that physical attributes were not the characteristic important in the running, though, and that personality and charisma are also important aspects of the selection process.
“It’s about being confident and accessible,” Stabile said. “There are some people, specifically in this industry, and they just exude a very ready sexuality. You can tell that they really enjoy the sex that goes into the work and it’s not just a job for them.”
In connection with this year’s polling on the NakedSword website, fans are also encouraged to submit 150-word essays to GayPornBlog in support of their favorite nominee. The winner will receive a free, three-month membership to NakedSword.
“We’ve already gotten like 15 to 20, and I’m really surprised,” Stabile said. “We sort of threw it out there as a lark. The fans are writing not only intelligent essays, but also very energetic ones as well.”
This type of reaction is exactly what the “porn think-tank” at NakedSword was hoping for, Stabile said.
During last year’s contest, won by Marcus Iron, approximately 25,000 votes were received by NakedSword.
As of deadline, 146 votes had been received, with Dexter in the lead and former Pentecostal minister De La Hoya pulling in a close second.
“The election of a NakedSwordsman is much more than an exercise in vanity,” said Valenti. “This year’s ballot is certainly contentious, and the results should be an interesting barometer of trends in the overall gay community, like whether or not to wax one’s buttocks.”