An Interview with Legrand Wolf – Building a Carnal Empire
If you’re a fan of gay and transgender porn, you can’t help but feel the impact Legrand Wolf and his partner Jay have made on the industry. Married in 2009, the duo has taken it upon themselves to create a niche world of content that challenges societal norms and delivers topnotch fantasies to their fanbase.
Side by side through hard work and perseverance Legrand as CEO/Founder of Carnal Media and Carnal Plus along with Co-Owner Jay have dedicated themselves to launching a series of sites including MasonicBoys, Growlboys, Funsizeboys, Gaycest, Trancest, Barebackplus, FTMPlus, the home of Jockpussy, and FTM Men, and of course Carnal+.
In addition to running and launching the sites, they both also perform!
One wonders how they have time for it all. It’s called passion, and drive and you can see it in this YNOT interview with Legrand who took a lot of time to thoughtfully answer my questions.
Read on to learn more about how they started and built their Carnal empire and where they’re headed.
What brought you to the industry and how did Carnal+ get it start?
In 2009, I married my long-time partner, Jay, in Massachusetts, at a time when same-sex marriage was not yet recognized nationwide. We met several years earlier in Utah where I was a medical student. We had initially planned to get married in California, but that was before Prop 8 was passed. Shortly after our wedding, we embarked on a honeymoon trip to the East Coast, visiting Washington, D.C.
During a visit to the Smithsonian’s National History Museum, a particular exhibit caught our attention: a massive pillar representing the history of Earth. The minuscule line at the top of the pillar, signifying human existence, prompted us to reflect on the fleeting nature of life and the arbitrary societal rules that constrain human behavior, particularly around sexuality. It further dawned on me that while homosexuality was illegal or taboo for more than two thousand years, there had never been a recorded period of time when heterosexuality was similarly forbidden.
Inspired by this realization, Jay and I decided to create an adult website focused on an older/younger dynamic. The site was aimed at challenging societal norms and promoting an intergenerational fantasy that was not yet popular. Our goal was to make “daddy” sexy and mainstream. Sexual activity and fantasy are, after all, the only thing that makes homosexuals or bisexuals different from heterosexuals. With the launch of what would eventually become MasonicBoys, we expanded our reach and launched more sites. Since the launch of Growlboys, pups and furries are becoming more and more mainstream. Since the launch of Funsizeboys.com, guys with Grindr and Twitter profiles all over the world now use the prefix “funsize” to describe themselves as sexy smaller guys.
FamilyDick later relaunched as Gaycest which normalized the dad/son incest as fantasy. And Dr. Wolf’s character is now a standard circulating meme, for many reasons, including the fact that the good doctor continues drawing in astonished fans who watch him use an ultrasound to visualize his member during anal sex inside his partners. The journey eventually led us to establish Carnal Media LLC and create Carnal+, with the goal of producing the most compelling content, normalizing gay sex, and removing the stigma around various fantasies.
How do you find new talent in front of and behind the camera and what do you look for?
These days the talent comes to us. We get dozens of applications every day. We also attend industry events, network with other professionals in the biz, and utilize social media platforms to scout for talent.
When it comes to choosing talent, we prioritize authenticity and a genuine passion for the work.
What is it like working with your husband, Jay Wolf, how do you complement one another while running the business?
We both bring different skillsets and perspectives to the table. Jay has focused creativity and an unparalleled attention to detail, while I know how to create a product that will sell to my audience. I also have the determination to stick to something and get it done. It’s this powerful combination that has allowed us to achieve so much together.
Our shared vision for Carnal+ ensures that we are always aligned in our goals and objectives, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
What is the biggest challenge to running the company and how do you meet it?
One of the biggest challenges we face is navigating the ever-changing landscape of the adult entertainment industry, particularly in terms of evolving technology, consumer preferences, and legal regulations. We stay informed about industry trends and maintain a flexible approach to our business, which allows us to adapt and respond to changes effectively.
Additionally, being a CEO and a performer in a startup was incredibly tough. We wore so many hats: from designer, head of sales, head of marketing, to part-time programmer, Jay working on video editing, and myself working on photo editing. We were responsible for planning shoots, recruiting, taking care of logistics, writing scripts, hosting models, being talent, being camera crew, being cooking and cleaning staff. We also had to handle legal, finance, admin, business development, operations, and hiring and training, all at the same time and with very limited resources initially.
Rapid growth also presented its challenges. While it sounds great, it was incredibly demanding. We now have 30 employees, and our workforce is global, which requires additional management and communication skills to ensure smooth operations.
Legal pressures have been another significant challenge. Aside from the standard regulatory challenges we all face, we have also dealt with and prevailed in lawsuits with a nasty aggressor trying to take domains we own and the new Carnal business we launched. We faced down the Boy Scouts of America and the European media giant Canal+ in legal battles and won.
In order to meet these challenges, we focus on constant learning, effective communication, and teamwork. We prioritize creating a supportive work environment where everyone is encouraged to share their ideas and expertise, helping us to grow and adapt to the rapidly changing industry landscape.
What goals does Carnal have for 2023?
In 2023, we aim to continue growing our brand and expanding our content offerings. While the 4 additional sites planned for 2023 won’t be named until they are launched, we have already completed 3 major objectives. We started the year with an overhaul of Barebackplus.com, we released a new FTM fantasy site called Transcest.com, and we just launched a brand-new network of FTM content called FTMPlus.com, the new home of JockPussy.com and FTM Men.com.
We are excited to serve the market’s demand for FTM content while also being tastemakers, helping to make FTM content mainstream and normalizing it within the industry. We will continue to focus on creating compelling content, normalizing gay sex, and removing the stigma around various fantasies.
Follow LeGrand and his network of sites on their Twitter @Wolflegrand, @RealCarnalPlus, @MasonicBoysXXX, @RealGaycest, @FunSizeBoys, @GrowlBoys, @ScoutBoysXXX, @BoyForSaleX, and @TwinkTopXXX.