I got into this industry back in late 2003. I knew there would be odd days and times when I’d question whether or not I should return to school. And there were days I’d learn a new vernacular. Enter the “mope.”
What is a mope? Well, as director Sal Genoa once said, Ä mope is a guy that’s not good enough to carry a scene by himself.” Chico Wang added, Ä mope is worthless and not worth the gum off my shoe”. That Chico Wang was quite an interesting fellow. A mope, or “load dumper,” was a guy who wanted to get into adult video but had to pay his dues. Or he wasn’t good enough to be in a main scene and would wait by his phone for that fat $100 payday to live out a fantasy most dream about. Chico shot two titles that required the services of your local graduate of TV and VCR Repair School: No Swallowing Allowed and Down the Hatch. He’d typically shoot 5-6 scenes that would require mopes to leave their broken recliner for the fun of San Fernando Valley and an easy payday. We’d use the same guys so that their AIm Test—the industry standard for testing—would make it work, given the $100 or so it costs for a blood draw and urine sample.
A mope could make about $900-$1200 for a month of shooting. That’s not bad money to get a foot into the adult film industry. Here are some memorable load dumpers that I was on set with, and , at times, broke bread with. I made sure they washed their hands first.
Face Blaster
Face Blaster was found via email to Chico Wang. He was an older guy with a massive popshot. Like, almost turning the girl into a human Pez Dispenser. Was always on time and would sometimes be the last to pop.
Trick Dixxxon
Trick was a tall, goofy kind of guy. He got into the business around 2000 with his then-wife. I think she only did two scenes, but he remained. He was perpetually late. He’d be so late that I’d give him an hour earlier call time. A super nice guy who did landscaping on the side.
Johnny Fender
Not so much a mope as a male talent that helped us out. We’d give him blowjob scenes, and he could hang with the best of them—Brian Surewood, Arnold Schwarzenpecker, and Dick Nasty. Speaking of Dick Nasty….
Dick Nasty
The English veteran of porn from yesteryear never saw a menial booking he didn’t like. If there were a paycheck and a face or mouth, Dick would be Nasty with it. See what I did there? I sure hope Hollywood producers read my stuff—I’m tired of being in this tax bracket.
James Deen
James Deen on this list? Well, in case you didn’t know, James got his feet wet by making faces drenched. Chico Wang booked James right after Deen turned 18. And then Chico started putting him in blowjob scenes. And then boy/girl scenes. And James became one of the biggest names in the industry—but he had to start somewhere. Think of being a mope as community college. But with baby wipes instead of an Associate’s Degree.
