Defining Cock Hero

[alchemi183]

To give context to the rest of this post, first let me say that I am not a forum moderator and I have never created a Cock Hero video. I don't have any more "authority" than anyone else who participates in this forum. Three years ago I created a post in the forum titled "Mapping the Cock Hero world" in which I listed all of the Cock Hero videos I was aware of up to that point. It was seen as useful, so it was made a sticky post by a forum moderator. Since that time, I have continued to update the post by adding new Cock Hero videos that I become aware of. Some forum members who don't have time to read each new thread in the forum to find new Cock Hero videos rely on that sticky post to learn about new videos.

Sometimes, I have made a judgement call about whether to include a certain video in the list or not. I've asked myself, "should any video that the author/creator calls 'Cock Hero' be included in the list? Or should the list only include videos that meet a certain criteria or definition?"

On the one hand, I feel grateful to anyone who goes to the work and effort of editing video to share with us, and feel uncomfortable filtering out anything they want to call Cock Hero and share with us. On the other hand, I feel the usefulness of the list is diluted when I include a video that doesn't have at least some minimum set of characteristics in common with other Cock Hero videos.

I would appreciate input from any forum member who has read this far. Do you think I should include anything that is called "Cock Hero" by whoever created it? Or should I list only videos that meet some criteria or definition? If the latter, how would you define Cock Hero?

I'll list just a few more thoughts to get the conversation started. In order to define Cock Hero, a good starting point is at the beginning of the genre. Milovana user 'lalaland' first posted a video tease he called Cock Hero Challenge - Match 1 in February 2009. It featured several rounds and each round included a song/music. There was an audible beat that was added (not only the drums of the original music) that indicated when to stroke. There were some text messages at the bottom of the screen that enhanced the experience, teasing the user and also describing how to play. I'm pretty sure that lalaland used the name "Cock Hero" as a play on words from the popular Guitar Hero type of video game. Guitar Hero is a rhythm game you play to music, and so is Cock Hero.

Soon after his Match 1, lalaland posted Match 2, which was pretty much the same format as Match 1 but with different songs and video. Sadly, that was his last Cock Hero video. However, two years later, in 2011, Andyp decided to continue the genre. He was followed by Vindicare, and then eventually many others. Yay! Andyp followed the same format as lalaland: music, sexy video, descriptive text, and audible stroke indicator, but he added yet another element, the visual stroke meter.

Before I take a stab at any formal definition of Cock Hero, let me define another useful term: Porn Music Video (PMV). As I understand it, a Porn music video is created when an editor chooses a song or songs, finds porn, usually from several sources/videos/clips, that goes well with the music, edits that porn in a way that he feels best fits with the music. There is usually some theme. There is usually little to no stroking instruction given for a PMV other than maybe "stroke to the music" or "do your own thing". For the record, I really like PMVs.

I think Cock Hero videos are a specific type of PMV. They have the same elements as a PMV, but add more specific and directed stroking. The stroking is indicated by some combination of a visual stroke meter, on-screen text, and a distinctive audible beat that can be easily followed without getting lost in the regular drum track of the chosen music.

Because Cock Hero videos are a specific type of PMV, pretty much all Cock Hero videos are also PMVs, but not all PMVs are Cock Hero.

Recently, there have been a few videos announced in the forum that have been called Cock Hero but more closely fit the definition of PMV. I haven't usually included regular PMVs in the list in the past, but am thinking that as a compromise, I may add a new section to the list for "Cock Hero-themed PMV". I could list videos in that section that don't meet the standard Cock Hero definition.

That should be enough to get the ball rolling. If you've read this far and have time, please give your input on how you would like to see the "Mapping the Cock Hero world" post maintained in order to be useful. I'm also curious to know how you would define Cock Hero and if such a definition is useful, or simply restrictive.

Thanks!

[catchall]

For me, there needs to be an identifiable audio or visual beat meter (or both) added by the video creator. There needs to be no question what you're supposed to be doing. I like that fairly restrictive "requirement", personally.

If it's just the music, it doesn't feel like a CH video to me, even if there are on-screen cues. This is mostly because it's hard to tell what the creator has in mind in a lot of cases if it's just the "natural beats" of the music. Just saying "1-2" over most music leaves a LOT of room for interpretation and forces the player to make the decisions about what to do.

For me, what makes CH so great is the sense of giving up control. An external "authority" is dictating what you do and, by extension, removing control over when (or if) you cum. If the rules aren't clear, it winds up (pardon the pun) back in the player's hands to decide things, which undermines the whole point of CH in my opinion.

[oniichan]

For me, there needs to be an identifiable audio or visual beat meter (or both) added by the video creator. There needs to be no question what you're supposed to be doing. I like that fairly restrictive "requirement", personally.

That's exactly what I'd say as well.

[sam_bane]

bye

[Badwolf44]

I am totally 100% with these guys above me. I feel more comfortable with a beat meter than without because I like to feel like I am playing a video game than just watching regular porn. I feel more interested in those videos with beat meters (especially the tricky and fast ones) and I just don't bother with the vids without them.

[Hopzzz]

For me, there needs to be an identifiable audio or visual beat meter (or both) added by the video creator. There needs to be no question what you're supposed to be doing. I like that fairly restrictive "requirement", personally.

If it's just the music, it doesn't feel like a CH video to me, even if there are on-screen cues. This is mostly because it's hard to tell what the creator has in mind in a lot of cases if it's just the "natural beats" of the music. Just saying "1-2" over most music leaves a LOT of room for interpretation and forces the player to make the decisions about what to do.

For me, what makes CH so great is the sense of giving up control. An external "authority" is dictating what you do and, by extension, removing control over when (or if) you cum. If the rules aren't clear, it winds up (pardon the pun) back in the player's hands to decide things, which undermines the whole point of CH in my opinion.

Agree 100%. Beat vs no beat makes for an entirely different experience. I like PMVs, but without some form of specific added beat instruction they ain't cock hero.

[jackstock]

You should include them in your list anyway, just mention that theres no beat meter

[cockheroaddict]

Anything that is or is close enough to be a CH video should be on the list and let the viewers decide from there whether or not they like it.

[Nipps]

Anything that is or is close enough to be a CH video should be on the list and let the viewers decide from there whether or not they like it.

This. Reading the thread does not take that long if you really are that picky about beats or no beats. For me personally I would consider anything with some sort of indicator of when to stroke and the rule that you can't cum until instructed to to be a CH. Maybe it is becuase I have a rule of always take the hardest way to jack it if there is room for interpretation. Alot of times when there is a beat and the music actually has something else going I'd rather stroke it to that, like wobbles in dubstep if the indicator is for the kickdrum for example.

Mostly anything goes and leaves more room for being creative, like that new CH sync which was dope even though there was no music at all!

[thanatos]

I think that the criticism:
"This is not a REAL Cock Hero"
discourages new artists.

That makes me sad.

So I think that it should list all of of them, and label them "beat meter" and "no beat meter".

As the previous posts have said, "let the viewers decide"

[drdd2000]

Anything that is or is close enough to be a CH video should be on the list and let the viewers decide from there whether or not they like it.

Yeah, I agree with this. Although I think a true CH has a beat meter of some kind and clear directions, I've enjoyed the hell out of vids that alchemi has put under the "no beat meter" category, like Deep Rift, which is just as good as or better than most CHs. I don't mind having them in a separate category if they're easy to find.

Thanks, alchemi for making that page.

[Coder]

Few things to add/repeat, all IMO, 1st the "wankathon" series is pretty notable in early CH development. IIRC, it was just after CH 1 & 2 but before everything else.

2ndly, agree with catchall et al.

3rdly, there's a distinction between 'no beat meter' and 'not cock hero'....CH1 doesn't have a meter, nor do some really good later ones, like Flux Dances. The point of CH is clear beat to follow, whether that's a beat, or a meter, or preferably both....is fine, but just the musics beat is no good & unclear.

4th, I (we?) definitely want to not put off the creators of non-CH stuff, theres some good other vids made....I just wish people were clearer in their descriptions.

[zenetix]

For me, there needs to be an identifiable audio or visual beat meter (or both) added by the video creator. There needs to be no question what you're supposed to be doing. I like that fairly restrictive "requirement", personally.

That's exactly what I'd say as well.

I agree. The only thing I would add so as to not discourage creators would be that they be specific when describing other content - i.e. porn music video, tease, etc. I certainly enjoy those things and would rather they be clearly categorized.

[slavejack]

.... 1st the "wankathon" series is pretty notable in early CH development. IIRC, it was just after CH 1 & 2 but before everything else.

Who may be able to re-upload the "Wankathon" series? I'm not sure that I remember it. :)

[cheese707]

For me, there needs to be an identifiable audio or visual beat meter (or both) added by the video creator. There needs to be no question what you're supposed to be doing. I like that fairly restrictive "requirement", personally.

If it's just the music, it doesn't feel like a CH video to me, even if there are on-screen cues. This is mostly because it's hard to tell what the creator has in mind in a lot of cases if it's just the "natural beats" of the music. Just saying "1-2" over most music leaves a LOT of room for interpretation and forces the player to make the decisions about what to do.

For me, what makes CH so great is the sense of giving up control. An external "authority" is dictating what you do and, by extension, removing control over when (or if) you cum. If the rules aren't clear, it winds up (pardon the pun) back in the player's hands to decide things, which undermines the whole point of CH in my opinion.

Nailed it.