The Surreal Life of The Hedgehog

Porn vet Ron Jeremy has quietly made history in recent months. In addition to being the first porn star to be the subject of theatrically released mainstream documentary film ("Porn Star: The Legend of Ron Jeremy"), Jeremy is the first recognizable porn star to ever be cast as a regular in a network TV show. The star of this season's reality show "Surreal Life" has been cavorting on television screens across America alongside fellow cult celebs "Chips" star Erik Estrada, former televangelist Tammy Faye Messner, former "Baywatch" hottie Traci Bingham, rapper Vanilla Ice, and "Real World" alum Trishelle Canatella.

For The WB, it's a risky but so-far well-received stroke of casting brilliance. Who better to play opposite to convicted evangelist Jim Baker's former wife, Tammy Faye, than a portly, aging male porn star? For Jeremy, it is the chance of a lifetime. More so than any adult star besides maybe Jenna Jameson (and even she hasn't been in anywhere near as many mainstream films as Jeremy), Jeremy is universally accepted. He still has sex with women in front of the camera, but he has now officially moved into the pantheon of mainstream celebrity. He is now a TV star, a movie star and has even appeared on several music CDs. Not to bad for a guy nicknamed "The Hedgehog."

"It's an amazing opportunity," Jeremy told The Porning Report a few weeks ago at the Adult Entertainment Expo, while signing autographs for dozens of fans lined up in front of his booth. "Who would have thought a guy like me would get these kind of breaks?"

"No doubt there's a shock value to it," Jeremy mused to AdAge.com as to why he was cast. "What's the biggest contrast you can get to a Bible-carrying evangelist? A porn star."

Jeremy has said that he and Messner get along quite well, as is evident on the show. And the mutal admiration is not one-sided.

"He's so kind, he is talented, he is very, very intelligent, and he was a schoolteacher," gushed Messner on the show's Website. "All that does not equal porn star."

Er... apparently it does, ma'am.

The January 11 premier drew 5.3 million viewers, making it the highest-rated show ever in that time period in The WB's 10-year history. These are bigger numbers than every porn movie Jeremy has ever made put together. It's all good news for the unlikely torchbearer.