A Conversation With The Porn Rangers

A few months ago, I put my son to bed and headed to the den to look at some pornography on the internet. I put my headphones on and began to watch a hirsute man, probably early 40s, receive oral sex from a thin-lipped woman of commensurate age. The byline in block letters read, “BJ From the Wife.” She thrust her head back and forth rapidly, then shifted tempo to slow and smooth. On the slow parts, she usually brought her hand up and held the base of his dick as she slid her tongue up and down. Her tongue looked taut, not relaxed, which bothered me. After some time, I turned around and there stood my son. It felt like a bear encounter. I carefully shut the screen down until it snapped closed. I watched him watching me as the sounds of “BJ From the Wife” still played into my headphones, then abruptly stopped. I walked him back to bed.

I’m not certain he saw the screen, but I never asked. I continue to feel ambivalent about the moral issues that surround the pornography debate, more content to put it out of my head, and maybe that is a problem. Issues as sticky as this one might require more confrontation and less lassitude. I have always judged harshly those outspoken critics of porn but, on the other hand, having a cause can be a positive force, as long as it doesn’t transmogrify into zealotry. I started reading extensively on the pornography issue and came upon a very interesting pair of antiporn advocates who travel extensively speaking to young people (those most susceptible to porn) and who, in opposition to the traditional fire-and-brimstone methods of preaching against porn, employ a more modern approach to spark the debate. From what I had gathered, their appeal, albeit rooted in evangelical values, was more textured. I guess it could be called postevangelical.

I recently sat down with EJ and Nate, both ordained ministers, who go by the moniker of the Porn Rangers, to hear their side of the story.

Vice: So let’s get to exactly who you guys are so that everybody knows. The Porn Rangers is just the two of you.

EJ:

Nate:

And you are…

EJ:

And you’re ministers.

EJ

Nate:

EJ:

And so you speak to groups of kids all over the country about how pornography can affect…

Nate:

EJ:

Nate:

So do you have a home base or do you…

EJ:

So you don’t have a church or a ministry that you preach out of.

Nate:

EJ:

Nate:

I saw the picture of your van. You do have a real van, which has your logo on it and the x’s for pornography, and then x’s over the x’s, which is complicated, ’cause you graphically x out each x.

EJ:

Nate:

kshoom

You cross out each x with an x?

Nate:

EJ:

Right, but that’s what you’re doing, you’re…

Nate:

Explain to me your basic plan to—besides just talking to kids and putting on your show. How do you actively get kids to stop masturbating to porn?

Nate:

EJ:

Nate:

Wait, wait, you bring kids into your van and show them pornography?

Nate:

EJ:

Nate:

But you can’t show kids pornography, right? I mean, legally…

EJ:

Technically it is a legal statute that pornography can’t be sold to minors.

Nate:

EJ:

want

Nate:

And then what happened?

Nate:

But how can it be legal to show minors pornography? You guys are adults. You can’t show…

EJ:

Nate:

How old are these kids?

Nate:

But if they’re under 18…

Nate:

How long do you show the kids pornography?

Nate:

EJ:

What? In front of you?

EJ:

Nate:

EJ:

Nate:

EJ:

Nate:

Wait, so you bring kids into your van, you show them pornography, and then they masturbate to the pornography, and then you videotape them masturbating to pornography? And then you show it to them?

EJ:

Nate:

That can’t be legal. I’m sorry, but that can’t be legal.

EJ:

Well, what do you do with the tapes?

EJ:

Distribute them where?

EJ:

Nate:

EJ:

You can buy these tapes?

Nate:

EJ:

Nate:

From your website?

Nate:

EJ:

Do these kids know you’re distributing tapes of them masturbating?

Nate:

No, I don’t think so.

Nate:

EJ:

So the van has some significance?

EJ:

I don’t know. I never had the opportunity to do that.

EJ:

I mean, are you coaxing these kids to do that or do they do that naturally on their own?

EJ:

Nate:

EJ:

Nate:

The fact that you say it’s for educational purposes means nothing. It’s just words. And it’s illegal!

Nate:

If you bring kids into a van and tape them masturbating to pornography and then sell the tapes, that’s making pornography!

Nate:

What if I do buy your tape and jerk off to a teenager…

Nate:

EJ:

Nate:

EJ:

Nate:

What were you two doing before the Porn Rangers?

EJ:

The Goofballs?

Nate:

That’s what you did?

Nate:

does a little dance in his chair

makes weird arm movements

What is that? Breakdancing?

EJ:

Nate:

weird arm movements again

EJ:

And what did the Goofballs do?

Nate:

Do you think that—just because of the fact that you’re pastors or ministers—you’re taking advantage of people through what you do?

Nate:

EJ: