10 Louis Theroux Documentaries You Need To Watch Before You Die
2. Louis Theroux’s Weird Weekends: Porn
As the series that launched his career, Weird Weekends provided viewers with the first insight into Theroux’s unique blend of hard-hitting journalism and painful awkwardness.
This unusual style is best demonstrated in the series’ third episode - which followed Theroux as he embedded himself within the world of male performers in Los Angeles’ growing pornography industry.
From spending time with relative newcomers who had only made a few films to meeting long-standing industry professionals, Theroux thoroughly explored the topic from the typically under-reported male performers' perspective.
During the course of the documentary, Theroux delves deep into the lives of male pornographic performers and reveals the unseen personal tolls that issues like performance anxiety and working 'gay-for-pay' can have.
His visit also coincides with an industry-wide HIV scare which reveals a stark contrast in attitudes between male and female performers. Whilst the increased risk is driving many women to leave the industry, one male performer proudly announces his indifference to contracting the deadly virus.
However, despite the often-dark subject matter, Theroux's self-awareness and dry humour lifts the film and his playful banter with the performers is clearly essential to getting them to talk frankly about their experiences in the industry.
Despite being based on an industry which has drastically moved on since, it is still well worth a watch as a fascinating piece of investigative journalism into an often neglected subject.