JED CENTRAL

DVD REVIEW: "Go Go Crazy"

2012-01-11T00:39:00.000-08:00

If the title alone isn‘t titillating enough, then the subject matter sure is: those guys in abbreviated clothing who shake their booties and gyrate their man-baskets on stage for dollar bills. “Go Go Crazy” just may be the movie that so many of us have been waiting for: a film that bravely goes “behind the scenes“ and into the minds of those men who so eagerly exploit themselves for a willing audience. Or, perhaps, it’s a probing expose of the carnal human desires which these guys, in turn, expertly know how to cash in on.

Don’t expect either of those with “Go Go Crazy”. This movie plays it strictly for laughs. It was written and directed by Fred Caruso, Producer of the popular 2009 “The Big Gay Musical”. That movie was (obviously!) a musical, but it was also a comedy with a few serious touches. “Go Go Crazy” is a big gay farce with a little bit of “mockumentary” thrown in. The movie takes place at the fictional Club Voyeur in Philadelphia. Five go-go boys are fluffing themselves and oiling up in hopes of winning the, ahem… “envied” title of “Mr. Go Go Boy of Philadelphia” as well as a $1000 prize… oh, and a free drink ticket too. The emcee of the contest is omnipresent New York City drag queen Hedda Lettuce (“Project Runway”, “The Tyra Banks Show”). More about Hedda later… (I don’t mean to get so familiar so fast, but “Ms. Lettuce” just doesn’t sound right.) Throw in three judges: the opportunistic club owner (Rick Crom); a go-go boy-turned-adult film star (Jake Steel); and Tina Perkins (Christina Bianco), a postulating starlet who calls herself a “Celine Dion embodier”. And, last but not least, there are our five Speedo-wearing go-go boys.

We meet Kiernon (Michael Cusumano), a ballet dancer from Georgia (the former Soviet republic, not the Peach State…) with an accent that sounds like a castrated Borat. There’s cocksure Chase (Paul Cereghino), wide-eyed theater queen Ken (Eric Spear), musclehead Vinnie (Nick Kenkel, clearly aping one of the “Jersey Shore” boys), and militantly straight Connor (Ryan Windish), who stuffs his pants with a giant dildo that somehow gets stolen. Ooh, how the plot thickens (Pun clearly intended)! What all of these boys have in common, aside from all having really hot bodies, is that they all take themselves WAY too seriously as they ply their trade. Luckily, however, the viewer won’t likely take anything in “Go Go Crazy” too seriously, which is just the point. It’s silly fun… and, in addition, it’s surely a nice sight to see these boys work that pole. Hedda Lettuce essentially plays her dirty self, teasing the go-go boys (“Those were our five contestants, each one stupider than the last!”) and insulting everyone else in the cast as well, in addition to spouting lines like, “I’m moist like a Little Debbie snack treat right now!” and “My left nut’s about to pop out, so we gotta get this over with quickly!“ The gymnastic abilities of go-go boy Kiernon notwithstanding, the biggest display of talent in “Go Go Crazy” arguably comes with a musical performance by Christina Bianco… who does a very impressive job in channeling Ms. Dion. Give her credit. It can’t be easy for a lady to steal the spotlight-- albeit temporarily -- from a bunch of well-built, narcissistic guys in their briefs…

“Go Go Crazy” is now available on DVD.

“I’LL ALWAYS LOVE MY MAMA”: An Interview With Sandy "Mama" Reinhardt

2012-01-09T18:56:00.000-08:00

Mother’s Day may come once a year, but every day should be “Mama’s Day”! The Leather community is jam-packed full of guys and gals who donate their time and energy for assorted worthy philanthropic causes, both on the local and national level. Still, you’d be hard-pressed to find as iconic a leader and role model as Sandy Reinhardt, AKA “Mama“. She is a true mover and shaker in the Leather and BDSM communities, as well as the LGBT community at large. This inimitable and omnipresent matriarch has lived in Florida, The Bronx, and Greenwich Village. She now calls Dublin, California (a city in the "tri-valley area" across the Bay from San Francisco) her home, but Mama never seems to stay in one place for very long. Mama can be seen at any given Leather event, from The City by the Bay to The Bay State, throughout the year… inevitably with her tightknit family around her. (When they announce a group photo with “Mama’s Family” at an event, you’d better get out of the way or be stampeded…) Mama’s brood now boasts 1,000 members in over 42 states nationally and at least four countries internationally. Mama’s Family, many of whom are Titleholders, is indeed a diverse bunch-- but what all these guys and girls have in common is that every one of then has made his or her own unique contribution to the queer community. Because of her experience in the Leather Nation, Sandy Reinhardt is one of the most sought-after Judges in Leather contests around the country.

In addition to networking, fundraising is Mama’s specialty: Mama’s Family has helped over 300 different organizations, with proceeds benefiting various charities… but Mama’s biggest and most well-known fundraising events include her annual Breast Cancer Dinners, her LeatherWalk (a benefit for the AIDS Emergency Fund and the Breast Cancer Emergency Fund), and a Toy Drive for Camp Sunburst, a program for children and families affected by HIV/AIDS. It is estimated that through the Family’s individual fundraising efforts and through volunteerism with Mama's Family, Mama’s organization has raised over 3 million dollars annually, both locally and internationally, since its beginning. Mama’s Family was Winner of The Pantheon of Leather Community Awards’ Large Club of the Year Award in 2004. Mama herself was named Woman of the Year by The Pantheon of Leather in 2006 and 2010. She also won the organization’s President Award in 2002 and The Northern California Regional Award in 2004. A documentary about Mama’s life debuted in August 2010 at Pantheon of Leather XX and International Mr. and Ms Olympus Leather 2010. The documentary contains a “fireside chat” with Mama in which our lady recalled memorable moments from her life. She became emotional when she recalled meeting a 6”4” drag queen named Ernestine, who is credited with giving Mama her name. She also became equally teary-eyed when discussing the loss of so many of her friends in the 80’s due to AIDS. On a lighter note, Mama revealed that she owns eight corsets (!), although two of them were stolen at one point, along with a pair of handcuffs. Luckily, she got the corsets back… but not the cuffs…! When asked during the chat if she considers herself an icon in the Leather community, Mama humbly replies “No, I don‘t… I‘m just little old me. I consider myself average like everyone else!”. Sorry, Mama… I disagree! The activist, mentor, mother of two kids and “Mama“ to over a thousand more, and grandmother (!) spoke with Jed Ryan (“Mama’s New York Naughty Boy”) about her affinity for the community as well as her plans for the year.

JR: Hello Mama! Thanks for speaking with me! Do you have any New Year's Resolutions for 2012?

Mama: Yes I do. I want to see more of the Leather, Drag, LGBTQ, Kink, BDSM, et cetera, communities come together & support each other. Its not fair that we are separated.

JR: I would love to see that in 2012 as well! So, in all your years as an activist and mentor, what moment made you most proud?

Mama: My proudest moment is when I was Honored by being Grand Marshall for San Francisco Pride in 2000.

JR: Let's go back in history a little. Where did your affinity for the gay boys-- especially gay boys in Leather-- originally come from?

Mama: Well, my girlfriend and I used to do Girl's night on Wednesdays, and we'd go to a straight bar. Men would think we were looking to be picked up, et cetera, and they’d buy us a drink, and then we couldn’t get rid of them. After the third week, I said, “Let's go to Castro.” I had lived in Greenwich Village and I had loved the diversity… So, we did. We walked into The Phoenix (no longer there) and when I walked in I was tapped on my shoulder by this tall drag queen -- almost seven feet tall-- and he asked me “Who are you?” I replied “Sandy” and he said, “Oh no you’re not, you’re my Mama!” He was impersonating Jackee Harry (the hot-to-trot “Sandra” from the sitcom “227”). I said, “OK.”, and the whole night he introduced me as "My Mama”! The next week we went back, and as I walked in, I heard “Hi Mama”!

JR: Wow! So, one of the philanthropic endeavors of Mama's Family is to raise money for and increase awareness of HIV/AIDS. After over 30 since the virus made its presence known, what have we learned?
Mama: Can you feel my Cuban temperature rising?
JR: Yes, I can!

Mama: So many I knew have died. Imagine knowing 400 to 500 gay men in the late 80's and early 90's: spending the night at their houses, having keys to their houses, partying, dancing, laughing, et cetera… and all of a sudden the AIDS epidemic comes along, and all of these BFF’s start passing away. We were devastated. The AIDS Emergency Fund started, and Mama's Family & Friends started doing fundraising to help with their meds, electricity, rent, phone, et cetera… Sometimes I think some have NOT learned because they were NOT there to see and feel death. Today it’s less. Meds to take, et cetera, is not the cure. Nowadays I still get emails saying "Mama, I just found out I’m HIV positive… Please direct me where to go.” These boys are 28 through 35 years of age. I direct them but at the same time I want to say, “Didn’t you know better?"

JR: I understand! Now, some people have opined that it is difficult to get the younger guys and girls into the Leather community-- and that our scene may be suffering from lack of "new blood", so to speak. What would you say about that?
Mama: Oh Lord, I feel my Cuban temperature rising again!
JR: Again?!

Mama: I keep asking myself, What the heck happened? The Leather bars are closing down and there's more even more going on for the BDSM/Kink communities. The Leather community is displaced. That's how I feel. But we will come back!

JR: In your opinion, who is a true role model for the Leather community-- besides yourself, of course?!

Mama: My Daddy Alan Selby and Mr. Marcus were my heroes and my mentors, may they rest in peace. If they were here with us today, the Leather community would still be going strong. So much has changed since they passed away.

JR: I’m sorry to hear that. Along those lines, what can every member of the Leather community do, on a day to day basis, to keep our community thriving?

Mama: Get together once a week. Pick a bar and go gather to see each other. We did that once after The Eagle Tavern closed, and we were so happy to see each other. We were hugging & crying. But it was not the same gathering in a mixed bar.

JR: When a Leatherman or Leatherwoman comes to visit your neck of the woods, what stops should she include on his or her visit?
Mama: I don’t know, as I used to say to meet at The Eagle Tavern, but that's gone, and Daddy’s in the Castro is now called “440”.

JR: Leathermen are often seen as the epitome of old-school masculinity and sexiness, and Leatherwomen are often breaking the barriers on society's ancient ideas of female sexuality. In your mind, what makes a man and a woman sexy?

Mama: I love a man in leather, with chaps or a kilt and a cigar! As for a woman, speaking for myself, I LOVE my corset, and my high boots: the ones that get harder to walk in as I get older!

JR: (Laughs) Let’s hope those boots were made for walkin’, because you are on the road a lot. Is it difficult to always be traveling?

Mama: No, not at all! Oh my God, I am so blessed. I go where my Family needs and wants me to go. They take good care of me. I love traveling & getting to see them and meeting new folks.

JR: Where can people meet you this coming year?

Mama: January 27^th: Mr. Texas Leather in Dallas;
February 16^th: Mr. SECC Leather in Augusta;
March 29^th: International Ms. Leather in San Francisco;
April 12^th: Northeast LeatherSIR/leatherboy/LeatherWoman/Bootblack Contest in Rhode Island;
April 27^th: Cleveland Leather Awareness Weekend;
May 24th: International Mr. Leather in Chicago… AND I‘ll be celebrating my 70^th birthday, and 25 years of going strong!…

Jed: Nice!!!

Mama: …July 13^th: Thunder in the Mountains in Denver; and October 26: Mr. Bluegrass Leather in Lexington. And of course, Folsom, Dore Alley, and a few other events not set in stone yet!

JR: Wow! That’s quite a schedule. Now, lastly... As an animal lover, I have to ask: Do you have any pets?
Mama: Oh yes, I have Roxy. He’s a lil' bunny and, yes, he's spoiled…

JR: I would love him to meet MY menagerie. And yes, mine are all spoiled too! Thanks, Mama!

I leave you with one of Sandy “Mama“ Reinhardt‘s quotes: “No one can do everything. Still everyone can do something. Together, we can do anything”. Let’s start now! Visit www.MamasFamily.org for more info!

　

　

　

　

BEYOND SAFER SEX: THE LOWDOWN ON PEP, PREP, AND THE ISSUES "UNDER THE SKIN"...

2012-01-09T08:46:00.000-08:00

(Photo: Michael Ramos of The Men's Sexual Health project)

The foundation of HIV prevention has always been education: getting the proper information to the population who needs it the most. The next step is incorporating that knowledge into our daily lives. While HIV prevention does indeed include abstinence, smarter sex, and/or risk reduction, there is more that sexually active adults should know about. One of them is PEP, which has recently come into greater awareness among more enlightened health care practitioners who work with sexually active gay men. What is PEP? It stands for “post-exposure prophylaxis“, and it means taking antiretroviral drugs AFTER possible exposure to the HIV virus, to reduce risk of seroconversion. PEP is not a new phenomenon. It has been available for well over ten years to health care workers who, for example, get accidentally stuck with a needle when drawing blood or giving injections. PEP first became available to the public about 2003. According to the Centers for Disease Control, there is compelling data to suggest that PEP, used for about a month after exposure, is effective. A three month and a six month follow-up HIV test is recommended.
　
The Men's Sexual Health Project (M*SHP) promotes sexual health among gay and bisexual men in NYC. Their core goal is to make sexual health testing and counseling easily accessible, convenient, and sensitive to the needs of our community. M*SHP does this by offering free HIV/SDI (sexually transmitted infections) testing and education at various locations, including Bellevue Hospital and various after-hours NYC men’s only clubs throughout the year. They also offer these services at such events such as the annual Black Party. In March of 2011, M*SHP launched their own program to offer PEP, named Project 36:00. The project gets its name from gets the number “36”, which is how many hours M*SHP believes you have after the exposure for PEP to be effective-- although it goes without saying that treatment should start as quickly as possible. It is worth noting, incidentally, that The CDC believes that initiation of PEP up to 72 hours may also be effective as well. Again, however, “the sooner, the better”.

Michael Ramos, MSW, is a Research Coordinator at NYU Langone Medical Center and Program Supervisor of M*SHP since 2007. The social worker, activist, and father of a young son has been seeing clients for four years. He has counseled and tested a seemingly countless number of men, and has no doubt heard their equally countless number of real-life stories. A bona fide expert in the field, Michael spoke to me about PEP:

Although your local emergency room may offer PEP, Ramos tells me that the ER might not be the most ideal pathway for care. For starters, the ER staff may not be trained on either PEP and/or the individual‘s need. Some men might even walk away without getting PEP, because the ER staff may not know how to dispense it, or may even minimize the perceived risk from the exposure. In addition, as anyone who has been to the ER knows, it can be crowded there, with a hierarchy of needs as to who gets seen fastest. Lastly, the client may not have insurance. Project 36:00 is a more streamlined process which bypasses the ER and even saves money. In addition, the client gets the medication at a much faster rate-- sometimes within the hour. How does it work? The client calls the number ([646]501-5200) and goes through a series of automated questions and prompts. A MD will do a phone assessment to determine the risk. If he decides that the client is a candidate for PEP, he will call in a couple of days’ worth of medication to Walgreen‘s, the cost of which is covered by a grant to M*SHP. Shortly afterward, the client will go for the “M*SHP package”, which includes HIV and SDI testing, liver function testing, and sexual risk assessment. At that time, the client will then receive a prescription for medication for the rest of the month… and be scheduled for a follow up visit with M*SHP six weeks later. By Michael’s estimates, over 90 percent of the guys come back for follow-up tests.

What about PrEP? PrEP is short for “Pre Exposure Prophylaxis”. The goal is HIV prevention by which HIV negative people who are at high risk take antiretroviral medication daily to try to lower their chances of becoming infected with the virus if they are exposed to it. According to The CDC, PrEP-- like PEP-- has been shown to be effective in men who have sex with men. Through the course of our conversation, Michael noted one of his past clients who definitely was a candidate for PrEP, based on his sexual behavior and life situation. However, he states, “In my personal opinion, I am not a fan of it!” Why? While he agrees that PEP, PrEP, and smarter sex practices are indeed effective for HIV prevention, Michael believes that these are only part of the solution…

Ramos tells me, “HIV is a psycho-social disease, with underlying issues of homophobia, stigma, poverty, access to health care, and mental health issues like anxiety and depression. If we don’t address these issues head on, then prevention is never going to work, because it won‘t be long-lasting. If we can‘t talk about sex openly, and we can‘t discuss our relationships because longstanding institutions are rejecting our relationships from the get go, then that causes stress, and it’s like a domino effect: I’m not comfortable with my sexuality, and I am lonely and depressed, and then I am meeting someone, and I feel connected with this individual in some way for that moment, and he or she is saying all the right things… and the next thing I know, I am having unprotected sex. Does that make me a PrEP candidate? I don’t think so.” Another issue worth exploring is, WHY do we have unprotected sex?

　
Ramos offers, “What does ‘unprotected sex’ mean for that individual? Is it an isolated incident, or does it happen regularly? We stigmatize sex to begin with, and that adds another layer to the problem. People are not going to be honest about their sexual practices if we are stigmatizing unprotected sex. If the unprotected sex is an isolated incident, then chances are it was individual circumstances that led to it: depression, a bad day-- psychosocial issues that trigger a vulnerability, which then triggers the event that took place. PrEP is not going to solve that. PrEP is, ‘Take a pill every day.’…just like, ‘If your positive, take a pill every day because we need to have your viral load suppressed, so that you won’t infect other people.’ And yes, if you positive, your viral load should be suppressed. That‘s the goal of treatment. But on the other side, we are saying, with PrEP, “OK, you are negative and you are risky, so be on medication.” There‘s something morally wrong with that.” He adds, “We need to have serious dialogue, and change how we see sex and sexuality, and discuss it openly… but not just with gay guys. It should be global. We let religion and politics influence what is medical.”

Part of the problem may be lack of funding for HIV negative men who may be at risk. Michael tells me, “This is my issue with funding, and we really need to look at it. When you look at AIDS services organizations in general: In taking care of the positives, we really neglect the negatives, like those at risk for becoming positive. There is a surplus of services for HIV-positive people… but if I am an HIV negative gay man, and I am in danger of losing my house, and I may have substance abuse issues, or I may be depressed and I may need to start doing therapy, then I cannot turn to AIDS service organizations. The first question they will ask me is ‘What’s your status?’, because they are servicing positive people. If you are positive, they will immediately dispatch a case manager for you, you will immediately have a social worker, and you will immediately have a therapist and psychiatry if you need it. It immediately triggers all these services. But If you are negative, all they can do is test you for HIV and refer you out. Refer you WHERE? To private practice? To a low-cost mental health service, which may not be as adequate or may not be as gay-identified? This is a big problem! If we can have organizations that mirror the current organizations that we have for those who are HIV positive, and have the same services for those who are HIV negative, I think we might see a reduction of HIV infection rates… and then we won’t need PrEP or a lot of other medical interventions. Again, we need to address the psychosocial issues that comes with the disease, and we are not doing it. We are just putting a Band-Aid on the problem, and creating these interventions that are not sustainable and are short-lived. My dream is to establish mental health services for those who need it… even just on a short-term basis!”

Michael Ramos and I share the same opinion about HIV/AIDS awareness: It’s equal parts “body and soul”!

Do you think you have been exposed to HIV? Call the Project 36:00 number at (646)501-5200

Learn more about The Men’s Sexual Health Project at:
www.hivinfosource.org/hivis/clinicaltrials/testingproject.html

See also:
An interview with M*SHP’s Dr. Demetre Daskalakis:
http://jedcentral.blogspot.com/2010/02/doctor-is-in-demetre-daskalakis-speaks_03.html?zx=ae4fc7b9abe2a726

A personal plea to get tested by Jed:
http://jedcentral.blogspot.com/2012/01/mr-rawhide-wants-you-to-get-tested.html

MEET THE OLD LINE STATE'S NEW "It boy"! An Interview With Joseph Chmielowski-Liu, Mr. Maryland Leather 2012.

2012-01-07T15:09:00.000-08:00

Baltimore may be known for its picturesque harbors, its crab cakes, Historic Pigtown (Oink!), and for my favorite filmmaker, John Waters! But as any many of our hot-to-trot brothers and fun-loving sisters have learned when they visit that town, there is also a very active LGBT scene… and that includes a vibrant Leather community. Last November, on the first weekend of the month, the Corps Of Men Making a Noticeable Difference (C.O.M.M.A.N.D.) MC of Baltimore held their 23^rd Anniversary Weekend. The weekend cumulated with Mr. Maryland Leather 2012 Contest, held that Saturday afternoon at the popular club The Hippo. Joseph Chmielowski-Liu, a native of Baltimore, was selected as the new Mr. Maryland Leather. The articulate and intelligent leatherboy, who tells me that he “jumped feet first into the deep end of the Leather pool in 2010”, became involved largely thanks to his partner Sir Andy Chmielowski-Liu, Mid-Atlantic LeatherSIR 2008. The two were married in New York City in August 2010... and made history as one of the first gay couples to get married in that state. As the Old Line State’s Ambassador to the Leather Nation, boy joe spoke to me about his plans for the upcoming year, which include, in his own words, “being the best boy he can be!!”
　

JR: Congratulations again on your Title of Mr. Maryland Leather 2011. How has your Title year been treating you so far?

bj: My Title year so far has been an amazing ride! I am very fortunate to have C.O.M.M.A.N.D., M.C. (www.commandmc.org) as my Producers. The response from the Community has been overwhelming. The camaraderie and support from my fellow Leather Folk has truly taken my breath away (boy loves breath control.).

JR: That’s great to hear! So, joe, since winning, do you find that you get hit on more?! Or, are guys intimidated by the Sash?

bj: It is hard for me to judge, as this boy loves to flirt (with permission of course)! I tend to believe every Titleholder gets hit on more as they are taking a more prominent role in the Community. As far as guys being intimidated - what is it that they say about the quiet ones (Laughs)?

JR: (Laughs) It’s all true! What philanthropic causes and/or issues are you dedicated to?

bj: the charity of my choosing for my Title year is AIDS Action Baltimore (www.aidsactionbaltimore.org). They actively work with institutes like the National Institute of Health to make more effective drugs, as well as with the pharmaceutical companies to make them more cost effective. In addition, AIDS Action Baltimore is able to provide relief to afflicted people when unexpected life issues arise.

Maryland ranks nineteenth in terms of population of the 50 States but is ranked ninth in terms of the estimated AIDS diagnosis rate according to cases reported in 2009. AIDS Action Baltimore is literally a life saver, providing essential services for people with HIV/AIDS.

JR: That’s very cool. HIV/AIDS is an issue that persistently affects all of us. Now, in your opinion, who is a true role model for the Leather community?

bj: Wow, there are so many to choose from! With respect to charity and fundraising, it would have to be Mama Sandy Reinhardt. With respect to history and essential reading, I would say Guy Baldwin and Larry Townsend. In terms of Community outreach and being a good Titleholder, I would say Jeffrey Payne - International Mr. Leather 2009 and Lamalani - International Ms. Leather 2009. With respect to having the patience of a Saint, hands down that is my Sir (grinning ear to ear).

JR: It looks like we share many of the same role models! Speaking of role models: As a role model yourself, what can every guy and girl in the Leather community do, on a day to day basis, to keep our community thriving?

bj: Simply speaking, just be true to oneself and respectful to others. Live authentically. Pass our traditions forward. Face every day with Honor, Integrity, and Respect for yourself and one another.

JR: When a Leather brother or sister comes to visit Baltimore, what stops should he include on his or her visit?

bj: Definitely check out the Leather bars within Baltimore City. We have the Eagle (www.thebaltimoreeagle.com) and Leon's Leather Lounge (www.leonsleatherlounge.com). For gear and accessories we have Chained Desires (www.chaineddesires.com). If you are up for dancing, karaoke, or the occasional drag show then make sure to stop in the Hippo (www.clubhippo.com). Maryland, especially Baltimore, is filled with history and has loads of absolutely fabulous entertainment and eating possibilities! I would have to direct him to http://visitmaryland.org and http://baltimore.org so that he can get his fill of our great state!!

JR: Wow! I’m already planning my next road trip… and I hope I meet John Waters again when I visit! Now: Leathermen are often seen as the epitome of masculinity and sexiness. But to you, what makes a man sexy?

bj: Self-confidence. Definitely self-confidence.

JR: I agree. Boots and harnesses and jockstraps help too, I might add! So, boy joe, where can people meet you this coming year?

bj: Please visit my Facebook page “Mr. Maryland Leather 2012” to see a list of my current travel plans as well as pictures of my past adventures. Be sure to “Like” my page when you visit! Major events I will be attending this year include Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend (www.leatherweekend.com), Mr. SECC Leather 2012 (www.seccclubs.org), C.L.A.P. (www.hookerandboys.org), Baltimore Pride (www.baltimorepride.org), New Orleans Pride (www.gayprideneworleans.com), and of course I will be competing at IML (www.imrl.org).

JR: You‘re gonna be a busy boy this year! So, finally, here‘s a fun question I ask all the cool guys: According to my research, there are a few states with no Leather clubs or organizations, including North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, or… Hawaii! Now, granted, it might be tough-going to be sweating in your best Leatherwear where it’s always 80 degrees… but I was thinking of eventually settling in Hawaii, and bringing a bunch of dedicated Leathermen and leatherboys with me to start the first Leather club in The Aloha State. Are you and Sir Andy up for joining me?!

bj: ALOHA! That's why they make Leather kilts! Talk about Leather and Lei's. i am definitely on board! Jed, thank you so much for chatting with me. This has been totally woofy (just like you)!

JR: Awww, thanks joe!!! See you at MAL!

MEN OF THE SASH: "I Love, I Love My Calendar Boys!" by Jed Central's Special Guest Lady Clover Honey

2012-01-06T13:33:00.000-08:00

by Special Guest Lady Clover Honey

What could be better than spending the upcoming new year with 12 Leathermen and Bears? Spending the upcoming new year with 12 Leathermen and Bears AND raising money for charity, of course. A New York City Leather Titleholder has just released a new fundraising calendar for 2012 called "Men of the Sash". All proceeds raised by sales of the calendar will go to two worthy organizations: the Leather Archives & Museum of Chicago (www.LeatherArchives.org) and the HIV/AIDS Services of the New York City Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Center (www.GayCenter.org/health/hivaids).

"Men of the Sash" is the long-gestating project of Jed Ryan, Mr. Rawhide NYC 2011. "I know that calendars can be very hit-or-miss in terms of raising money. But I am confident that this one will be a success, given the collective popularity of the 12 men in it. You have guys like Russ Donaldson (Mr. Tri-State Leather 2010), whose jockstrap was auctioned off for $160 at a charity event last spring. You have CB Kirby (Mr. Eagle NYC 2011), one of the most wanted men in New York City. And you have Drummer Bear (Mr. Stonewall Bear 2011), one of the most popular nude Bear models on the Internet. Plus, you have the combined talents of some great photographers: Rob Ordonez, Chris Skelley, and Scott Brooks." A big challenge for Ryan in the beginning was deciding how much, shall we say, "exposure" the models should have. "In the beginning, I wasn’t sure just how much skin to show. I know that ‘Sex sells!’, so I started to wonder, ‘How naked should the guys be?’ But then, I thought about how there’s nothing more dignified and impressive to look at than a guy in full formal leather. At least, I think so! So, most of the guys are fully dressed, with some hairy chest or bare ass showing here and there. The guys here are a wide variety-- from age 24 to 52, ranging from just a little hairy to…VERY hairy!"

But "Men of the Sash" is more than just a collection of glossy photos. "I wanted to include some level of education about the Leather and Bear communities. That’s why I’ve included fun facts about Leathermen and Bears with each month." What’s another thing that makes "Men of the Sash" unique? Ryan tells me, "In addition to all the guys’ birthdays and all the major American holidays, I’ve included all 12 Wiccan holidays-- not just Halloween! For 40 years, I had to deal with only the Christian and Jewish holidays on my calendars. A lot of my Leather brothers and sisters identify themselves as Wiccans or pagans, so I wanted this to be all-inclusive." The calendar was by graphic designer Sean Campbell of the Twilight Guard, himself a Leatherman.

2012 is looking pretty hot already! "Men of the Sash" is available for $15 plus shipping. To get yours, contact Jed Ryan at JedstarNY@aol.com.

Here's to the New Year!

MR. RAWHIDE WANTS YOU... TO GET TESTED!

2012-01-06T12:56:00.000-08:00

This year I had the sad distinction of watching two friends die way too early, and both of them had the equally sad distinction of not getting tested for HIV until it was way too late. Both were on the periphery of the Leather community… and while I was deeply saddened by their crossing over before their time, the fact that both of them were extraordinarily close with my BF Joe made it much harder for me to bear. It was difficult to watch Joe suffer not once but twice, spending countless hours in hospital rooms and comforting their loved ones. I am therefore making a plea to anyone out there who thinks they may have HIV: Get tested. I am not TELLING you to do it, but strongly encouraging you to do so.

As a health care professional, some would say I have a “responsibility” to educate people about nutrition, exercise, bad health habits, etc. But as a sexual libertine and someone who has always believed in personal freedoms first, this has always been a tremendous source of conflict for me. For example, we all know that smoking is bad for you… but I am a bit annoyed at the fact that the government tries to get us to stop by passing laws, rather than simply presenting the facts and encouraging us to make the right choice… or (gasp!) actually coming up with some kind of creative solutions. We all know that fast food is delicious-tasting poison (We all know that, don‘t we?!) …. But I would never deny anyone the occasional cheap thrill of enjoying it, with so few cheap thrills out there nowadays. The bottom line is: Shouldn‘t adults have the right to make up their own minds when it comes to choices about health? For that reason, I would never berate or judge anyone for the decisions they make. Added to that is the fact that I am really turned off by the explosion of “pop culture medicine” shows (Pop culture and medicine DO NOT belong together!) like the product-plugging “The Doctors”, that patronizing “Dr. Phil”, and that creepy-looking “Dr. Oz” who seem to be hellbent on getting people to FIND some kind of symptom or some new exotic disease to call their own. Their audience are usually soccer moms in criminal fashion sets and bad hairdos (accessorized with a martyr complex), who eat this stuff up like opossums in a garbage can. As a practicing Wiccan, I believe in “back to basics”: that everyone knows their own body well enough to know when something is wrong, if we trust our instincts. Our human instincts, combined with common sense and intelligent resources (health care professionals, books, and medical journals; NOT the TV or 99% of what’s on the internet), should lead us to the answer-- and it’s not always running to a bottle of pills or listening to a bunch of self-aggrandizing narcissists talk about the “disease of the day” on TV.

You may be asking, “Where is he going with this?” Well, Joe and I had slightly different opinions on the matter of HIV testing. While we both agreed that anyone who has been at risk should get tested (and that, no doubt, early testing and treatment just may have saved these guys‘ lives), I also think that people have to do it at a time when they are ready to do so, mentally… and people have to be strong enough to handle the results, whatever they may be. I also understood what both these guys I mentioned earlier-- and countless others-- might have gone through. The fear of a potentially positive result can be a powerful force. And yes, Virginia, denial can be an amazing coping mechanism-- for a while. What we don’t see can’t hurt us, right? If I say its name out loud, that will give it power, won‘t it? Well, that may work with ex-boyfriends, but not in the case of this virus. There are even those who claim that the virus does not even exist… and that if HIV exists, it may not the cause of AIDS. Yes, West Virginia, it’s true that some people believe that. There’s even an awful movie called “House of Numbers” (http://jedcentral.blogspot.com/2010/09/house-of-numbers-aids-denialism-killing.html?zx=bfe55ac811cdf3af) that does a great job in trying to convince us that HIV may not be the cause of AIDS. It almost convinced ME… However, HIV apparently did not see the movie and continues to make us aware of its presence. My good friend Michael Ramos of The Men’s Sexual Health Project (M*SHP) has always said that smarter sex is only part of HIV prevention. He firmly believes that if we can treat the underlying depression and self-esteem issues that many gay men face, then guys would not have as much high risk sex. In the case of both my friends I spoke of, the underlying emotional issues they faced made that as obvious as can be.

So… here is the bottom line. While I am against “preaching” about health or any other personal matter, I strongly encourage all of you out there with any risk factors to get tested for HIV. I promise you, you will be exactly the same person you were just before you got tested. Do it when you are ready, but just do it eventually. Don‘t do it because I or anyone else is asking you to. Do it because it may save your life or prevent a whole litany of unpleasant problems. Get tested anonymously if you feel more comfortable doing so . And please, please, please, find a doctor you trust… I cannot stress this more. If you are positive and don’t want to take Western medicine, there are herbal alternatives that are worth discussing with a qualified herbalist. A friend of mine who is an RN as well as an herbalist told me (using the book “The Secret Life of Germs” by Philip M. Tierno as a source) that some researchers speculate that HIV, like other viruses and all other living things, is always evolving… and that one day, the virus may “learn” that it can get more benefit by keeping its host (the human) alive rather than slowly killing him. Granted, this is still very “pie in the sky”, but it s gives me optimism, even if only for a future generation.

But the worse thing you can do is nothing. Doing nothing is the only surefire way to get back what you give.

Now, back to the hot Leathermen and Bears!

In pride,
Jed Ryan
Mr. Rawhide NYC 2011

LEATHER PRIDE IN THE MIDWEST: An Interview With Jeremy Morris, Mr. Iowa Leather 2012

2012-01-03T01:13:00.000-08:00

LEATHER PRIDE IN THE MIDWEST:
An Interview With Jeremy Morris, Mr. Iowa Leather 2012

Last October, at ”Iowa’s favorite gay bar” The Blazing Saddle, Des Moines Leatherman Jeremy Morris won the Title of Mr.Iowa Leather 2012. Since then, the youngster has kept himself pretty busy, with one of his goals being to reach out to the GLBT community at large. On his Facebook page you’ll find Morris partying (always for a cause, natch!) not just with his fellow hot-to-trot Leather brothers but also with some very colorful drag queens and other celebs. (I particularly dig the picture of Morris with lovely Jessica Pray, Miss Iowa 2011, at an AIDS benefit…) It’s enough to make this bona fide New Yorker bemoan, “Damn, I wish I was there too!” It’s not just fun and games for this energetic Titleholder, however… Raising money for HIV/AIDS is on his agenda, and he tells me, “My goal is to have one hundred thousand raised before the end of my year. This is one of my biggest focus points beyond IML and I’m thankful for such a wide support base that over sixty thousand has already been raised. Yes, it keeps me running pretty much every weekend, but seeing the end result has made it all worth it.” In between social and philanthropic events, the Hawkeye State’s most visible Leatherman took the time to speak to me about his year ahead:

JR: Congratulations again on your Title of Mr. Iowa Leather 2012. How has the Title year been treating you so far?

JM: Thank you! This year has been busy from step one. But it has been truly humbling how many people in the state have rallied behind me this year.

JR: Since winning, do you find that you get hit on more when you go out? Or, are guys intimidated by the Sash?

JM: I had just moved to the Des Moines area a few months prior, so I was still “fresh meat” in the area… but it has brought a larger awareness to me around the country. No longer are there days of sneaking into the bar in jeans, a sweatshirt and a hat to just enjoy a quiet drink. But it has been for the good. It’s helped open up many doors to expanding the Leather community in Iowa!

JR: That’s the price of being a public figure! Now, speaking of Iowa: A lot of people who live on the coasts or in big cities have ideas about life in America in the Midwest… especially when it comes to the Leather community and the GLBT community in general. As a Midwest Leatherman, how do you feel about this? What stereotypes or myths would you like to debunk?

JM: The Midwest is an interesting place to live. No, the population is not confined in such tight spaces as the bigger city, but the options are endless and many are more willing to explore different fetishes. When I moved into Iowa as an adult I noticed that this state is nothing like its stereotype… not that the value of the family farm has been lost. Iowa is a leader for LGBT rights within this state. Here we enjoy protected housing & employment. I still remember being in shock when the state Supreme Court voted that banning gay marriage was unconstitutional. Yes, our state fair prides itself on having an entire street full of vendors frying anything they can on a stick, even butter. Overall, Iowa provides more of a large span of cultural diversity than one would expect. And yes – We root, root, root for Iowa… until the game is won!!!

JR: What philanthropic causes and/or issues are you dedicated to?

JM: Even before winning this title, charity work and event organization was a big part of my life in the state. Iowa has a heart to help those in need, and has shown so many different facets to be involved in the communities within this state. Several dear friends in my life have been struggling with the economic downturn to pay for their medications. Our local HIV/AIDS organizations lost roughly a third of their federal funding because our known positive population in the state is one of the lowest.

JR: It’s a shame it has to be that way. Now, in your opinion, what makes someone a role model for the Leather community?

JM: Personally, it is those who are willing to reach out to the younger generation. So many times the older members within our community seem to be above reaching out to the younger men & women wanting to explore the leather & fetish communities. Sadly we are seeing clubs with member’s average age being well into the 50’s or higher, even seeing a few dying out because they didn’t take the time to reach out to the next generation. The people I look up to personally are these very people. I was fortunate to have several key people in my life take me step by step into the leather community and continue to guide my along my journey. I know very well that my own personal journey is just begging but I work constantly to always bring someone new in the community with me anywhere I go.

JR: I totally agree with you. A lot of guys don’t “discover” the Leather scene until relatively later in life… and that may be because our community has not been reaching out to them as pro-actively as we should be. Along those lines, I ask you, What can every member of the Leather community do, on a day to day basis, to keep our community thriving?

JM: Don’t count out the younger generation. Reach out. Meet them on their level, at their hangouts, and you will find so many ready to explore/learn/grow in the community.

JR: When a Leatherman comes to visit your neck of the woods, what stops should he include on his visit?

JM: You can’t make a trip into Iowa and not stop at The Blazing Saddle. It is one of the pillars within the local community, not only for the LGBT community but for Des Moines in general. The owner and staff at the Saddle have helped build a vibrant community in the East Village section of town and are always keeping their doors open for everyone. And remember – At the Saddle it’s ALWAYS a double and NEVER a cover. This is also the center of the Leather community. Here you will find the home bar for two clubs, The Corn Haulers and Titans of the Midwest.

Iowa is rather spread out and there are several other places to check out along your way. In Cedar Rapids, It’s time for Basix. This staff is always welcoming and friendly… Be ready for the SoCo because the staff loves to keep pouring it! In Davenport, check out Connections Night Club for great drink specials, awesome music, and always a good time. (Some great bears always end up in the cages!!)

JR: Woof! While we’re on the subject: Leathermen are often seen as the epitome of masculinity and sexiness. What do you find personally sexy in a guy?

JM: Confidence, not arrogance.. Everyone loves a freaking hot man, even more with some good leather on. A man that can show confidence without being arrogant is an amazing turn on for me.

JR: What color hankies would I find hanging from your pocket/pockets?

JM: Besides having my bone and chew toy with me, you’ll always find at a minimum a blue, yellow & grey hankie on me. Black, green (several different), and khaki make their rounds and red is a work in progress. Sometimes there just isn’t enough pocket space.

JR: (Laughs) How true. So, Jeremy, do you have any resolutions for 2012?

JM: Back to the Basics here… The stupidity of my late teens is still plaguing my wallet and I’m focused on being debt free by 2014. I will admit though, I never really set goals for the New Year. I prefer to set short term goals that feed into a larger plan. There is one key goal: One hundred thousand raised for HIV/AIDS awareness in the state of Iowa. One always wants world peace and to bring home the IML title too…

JR: Finally, just for fun: According to popular reports, for better or for worse, mainstream America still identifies the late Glenn Hughes of the Village People as the most widely recognized Leatherman in American pop culture. How do you feel about that?

JM: So I’ve become even more of an open book to the people around me as Mr. Iowa Leather. One of the guys I work with asked me this exact thing. “So are you like the guy from the village people or like the guys from Police Academy?” Hughes took steps out into the world before the larger community was ready to make those steps for themselves. Its great to look at the past, but I’m ready to show the world the rest of the Leather community. I look to those before us for inspiration and show such respect for them because they stood out at a time when it wasn’t P.C. to do so. They laid the groundwork for the openness I get to enjoy daily!

JR: Thanks Jeremy! See you when you visit New York!

BLUEGRASS AND BLACK LEATHER! An Interview With Sam Clemons, Mr. Bluegrass Leather 2011

2012-01-02T23:06:00.000-08:00

BLUEGRASS AND BLACK LEATHER!
An Interview With Sam Clemons, Mr. Bluegrass Leather 2011

A lot of New York City boys no doubt have their own ideas about life in America below the Mason Dixon Line… especially when it comes to attitudes about the Leather scene and the GLBT community in general. As a Southern Leatherman, what does Sam Clemons, the newly sashed Mr. Bluegrass Leather 2011, have to say about it? The 46-year old Kentucky native tells me, “Leathermen and Leatherwomen in the Midwest and South seem to be more accepting. It‘s more about Southern hospitality, fundraising, and being inclusive of all groups with the community.” What stereotypes or myths would he like to debunk? “The main stereotype I personally don’t see as a Leatherman is that we are all horndog fuck machines out for one thing as a Titleholder.” (Hmmm… as if that were a bad thing!) Clemons adds, “ I am proud to be a community and state Titleholder. With this title, I pledged to serve my community and to educate those who I can reach. Sex is great obviously, but being a Titleholder isn’t about that for me.” Indeed, Sam takes his job as a role model quite seriously. He recently spoke to me about his philanthropic endeavors, his goals for the new year, and why he won’t be going with me to start a Leather club in Hawaii anytime soon!

JR: Congratulations again on your Title of Mr. Bluegrass Leather 2011. How has the Title year been treating you so far? SC: Thank you Jed. So far, things are going pretty well. Not long after I won the title, I moved to Lexington – so its been a very hectic few months. Title wise, things are starting to kick into gear.

JR: Since winning, do you find that you get hit on more? Or, are guys intimidated by the Sash?

SC: Since winning, I do find I get hit on online more and get called “SIR” quite a lot. Are men intimidated by the sash? I don’t believe so, because I am still the same man they knew and for those I meet new, I attempt to come across as approachable and kind.

JR: Cool! What philanthropic causes and/or issues are you dedicated to?
SC: Having children, I am a strong advocate to the Trevor Project. Also, being a survivor of HIV over 25 years, I hold this dear to my heart closely as well. I thank God each day for my health, and I feel that as a healthy person living with HIV, I must do what I can for my brothers and sisters who are in greater need that I.

JR: I understand! Now, in your opinion, who is a true role model for the Leather community?

SC: In my opinion, we are all role models for the Leather community. Each of us as individuals bring ourselves wholly to the table as ourselves. We may all excel in different avenues and arenas, but we all inspire in different ways.

JR: That said, what can every member of the Leather community do, on a day-to-day basis, to keep our community thriving?

SC: Interesting question. My first thought is to just be ourselves, and living truly and honestly. No one wants to see a Titleholder who is just a sash queen and lives for when he can wear it, et cetera… Every day, we have an opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life – by our words or by our actions. By living an inspiring, open life, we can change it for the good and help the community as a whole. See, we are more than a group of men who wear leather, et cetera. We are members of our communities who are THERE for those communities and for the persons within.

JR: When a Leatherman comes to visit Lexington, Kentucky, what stops should he include on his visit?

SC: Most definitely, stop at Crossings Lexington on Limestone Rd, Downtown Lexington. What an amazing bar and staff. Of course, no visit to Lexington would be complete without the Kentucky Horse Park and Bourbon Trail Tours!

JR: I’ll keep that in mind! The only Lexington I’ve been to is Lexington Avenue in Manhattan! Now, Leathermen are often seen as the epitome of masculinity and sexiness. As a role model and ambassador for the Leather community, what makes a man sexy?

SC: What I find most sexy in a man is confidence, not cockiness. For myself, I tend to be a modest, humble guy who sometimes gets lost in the crowd. But, as a Leatherman, I am a different person – because I am a confident, humble man who enjoys how he looks in leather and enjoys the attitude I have when dressed.

JR: I couldn’t agree more. So, where can people meet you this coming year?

SC: I am going to attempt to attend Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend (MAL) in January, I will most definitely be at Cleveland Leather Awareness Weekend (CLAW) in April and, of course, International Mr. Leather (IML) in May. But, you will most likely always find me attending some sort of fundraising event any given weekend here and around Lexington.

JR: Finally: According to my research, there are a few states with no Leather clubs or organizations, including North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, or… Hawaii! Now, granted, it might be tough-going to be in your best leatherwear where it’s always 80 degrees… but I was thinking of eventually settling in Hawaii, and bringing a bunch of dedicated Leathermen with me to start the first Leather club in The Aloha State. Are you up for joining me?!

SC: Up for joining you by moving to Hawaii? Sadly, no, because I won’t be that far away from my kids. But helping to get a leather club in Hawaii started, that would be an awesome legacy!

You can follow Sam at his blog, www.mrbluegrassleather2011.wordpress.com.

(Photos of Sam courtesy of Crossings Lexington and The Bluegrass Leather Association.)

MR. FRIENDLY: Our New "Status Symbol"!

2012-01-02T21:28:00.000-08:00

MR. FRIENDLY:
Our New "Status Symbol"!

Meet Mr. Friendly. Chances are, you may already have met him-- or at least seen him winking at you-- at various Leather, GLBT, and/or HIV awareness events around the country. At first glance, Mr. Friendly may seem like just another smiley face. But there's more to this ambitious character than meets the eye. His plus sign for a nose and minus sign for a left eye represent positive and negative HIV statuses equally, to remind us to show support and respect for ALL regardless of whether they are poz or neg... or unaware of their status, for that matter. More importantly, Mr. Friendly has a mission-- and it's a grand one indeed. Mr. Friendly’s goals are to assist organizations and individuals worldwide to (1) help them fight stigma of HIV; (2) fulfill their missions to minimize the further transmission of HIV; (3) help them raise funds; and (4) maximize the quality of life for those living with HIV. Judging by the buzz he has already gotten since he made his first public appearance in 2008, it seems like Mr. Friendly is already off to a strong start!

Now meet David Watt, the man behind Mr. Friendly. Once you get past the bluest eyes in Kalamazoo or that killer smile, Dave is always happy to talk about HIV and AIDS awareness. Watt encourages people to display Mr. Friendly, often by giving away free pins to wear on their vests and then giving an impromptu “Mr. Friendly 101” session at events like Cleveland Leather Awareness Weekend (CLAW). He points out that Mr. Friendly was designed specifically to NOT indicate a person’s status, but rather to show support and respect for all regardless of their HIV status… as well as to encourage open, honest, and educated discussion about HIV. Extremely visible and active in the Leather community (He owns the Titles of Mr. Fetish Detroit 2007 and Mr. Michigan Leather 2009), David works as a Prevention Specialist and Volunteer Coordinator for Community AIDS Resource and Education Services (CARES) in his native Kalamazoo, Michigan. CARES adopted Mr. Friendly as a program, offering 501c3 non-profit status in September 2009.

Both Mr. Friendly and David Watt have the same vision: A world without the stigma of HIV. I had the chance to speak to David about the Mr. Friendly movement:

JR: Thanks for meeting up with me, David and Mr. Friendly. So, David, since you’re the more vocal of the two, tell me how Mr. Friendly was conceived.

DW: For years I had worked on creating a symbol to fight stigma. I wanted to show that I was poz-friendly and to let others know that they could openly discuss HIV with me, no matter their status. Yet I didn't want a button that exactly said “poz-friendly” since to some that encouraged the question about my own status. Not the point, eh? I've seen many friends living with HIV being treated rudely. I wanted to do SOMEthing... Mr. Friendly was carefully designed with equal weight for both a positive and a negative symbol. It is important to me that the symbol is for EVERYone without indicating the person’s status. Poz or Neg, we are all in this together!

JR: Yes, we are! What is the biggest barrier to communication about HIV and between men who have sex with men?

DW: I think there is soooo much stigma surrounding HIV that even just bringing up the topic is perceived to be a turnoff. Poz guys often are rejected just because of their status. One friend told me that he's turned down for sex 90% of the time once he discloses his status. Many guys just don't want to know and make assumptions.

JR: If there’s one single thing that you could encourage our community to do when it comes to HIV/AIDS awareness, what would it be?

DW: Let's all do a better job of initiating conversations about HIV: Promote testing for HIV. Let others know that poz or neg, you will be there for them. And, be supportive of our friends living with HIV!

JR: Sounds good! So, when it comes to safer sex, it seems like all of us-- make that, most of us-- know the facts, but we don’t necessarily put them into action. In your opinion, what’s the biggest barrier to safer sex?

DW: We need to find ways to eroticize the conversations that lead to safer sex. When we all figure out what we consider safe, and feel comfortable communicating that, then we protect the health of our community! Mr. Friendly is a great way to initiate that conversation.

JR: There are a few people out there who are known as “AIDS denialists”, who deny that HIV is the virus that causes AIDS, and believe, among other things, that the medications are poison, etc. What’s your opinion on that?

DW: I suggest that people find health care workers that they trust to explain how the virus works. I'm part of an HIV vaccine study called Project Wish from UIC. They do a GREAT job of explaining to me any/all scientific information about HIV.

JR: There seems to be a big boom in barebacking lately, as evidenced by the proliferation of bareback hookup sites, parties, and porn. In your opinion, what may that indicative of?

DW: Let's face it, many people have unprotected sex cuz it just feels better. Maybe our community is facing condom burnout? And, I think there is a growing complacency about testing positive for HIV. One recently diagnosed young man told me that he knew he was eventually going to contract HIV, was tired of feeling the pressure of testing for HIV frequently, and so he relaxed his standards on condom use. While HIV is now considered a chronic disease, it is still a very serious virus--- and a life-changing medical diagnosis. Science is also suggesting that undetectable viral loads greatly reduce risk of contracting HIV. (www.thebody.com/Forums/AIDS/SafeSex/Q201901.html ) But many people who are living with HIV don't know their status or viral load, due to stigma.

JR: A few guys have shared with me that we get older, some of us may lose sensitivity “down there”-- meaning, we lose sensitivity in the penis and it’s harder to “keep it up” while wearing a condom. That may be something of an unspoken reason why so many men may stop using condoms after a while. Any thoughts on that? DW: I am a big promoter of female/Reality condoms for those that choose to wear condoms--- I call them the next best thing to barebacking! Mr. Friendly is an anti-stigma message, not a condom campaign though. I recognize that some people may choose to have unprotected sex. Just be sure to do your best to reduce risk and continue to test for and treat (if needed) HIV and other STDs.

JR: That’s a very realistic viewpoint. Now, you are the Holder of several Titles, including Mr. Michigan Leather 2009. What’s the best, or maybe I should say, the most rewarding aspect about being a Leather Titleholder-- and therefore, a role model in the community?

DW: Being a Titleholder changed my life. I used to be the shy geek in the corner, now I'm like "Hey, hand me that microphone!" (Does that make me the big geek on stage? YES!) Having a Title opened so many doors for me and Mr. Friendly. And I met so many inspiring people at IML and in my travels! I'm not saying that everyone NEEDS a title to accomplish their goals, but having a title can provide wonderful opportunities for your voice to be heard.

JR: On the contrast, what’s the worst, or hardest thing, about it?

DW: When you put yourself out there with a message, it makes you vulnerable to criticism. I've certainly made missteps along the way, but try to do my best. And it can be a challenge to stay neutral so that Mr. Friendly's message can be heard!

JR: In the media, it’s usually activists who live in New York City, San Francisco, or Los Angeles that get most of the attention. Did anyone ever imply that you should move your work to one of those cities, under the notion that your work would be more “appreciated”?

DW: I live in Kalamazoo, MI - a nice central and CHEAP location! I'm often in Chicago and Detroit (just a couple of hours drive) and do my best to travel frequently. I make it a point to travel all over, not just one region of the US. Europe next? Anyone want to sponsor me? ;+)

JR: Hmmm… We’ll talk about that later! Now, most Americans will never make it to Kalamazoo, Michigan. Why should people go there to visit?

DW: Kalamazoo is a fun, open-minded college town with a vibrant downtown and frequent festivals in the summer months. And my husband's Barbie/Ken collection is worth checking out!

JR: Looks like a road trip to Kalamazoo is in order! Thanks Dave… and thanks, Mr. Friendly!

DW: Thank YOU Jed for the opportunity… and for promoting Mr Friendly's message to be stigma-free of HIV!

　

Dave Watt concludes with, "An HIV status should not get in the way of loving ourselves, our friends and family, our communtiy..." Visit www.MrFriendly.info for much more information, Photos, Mr. Friendly merchandise, and-- most importantly-- how you can help!

“CRUISING”: Lust in The Great Outdoors!

2011-11-28T15:52:00.000-08:00

“CRUISING”: Lust in The Great Outdoors!

Before Grindr… Before Manhunt… In fact, before the concept of the Internet even came into our consciousness, there was reliable, old-school style cruising. Of course, hot-to-trot guys seeking each other out for some bona fide man-to-man fun is nothing new. Through the years, however, the “the art of cruising“, shall we say, has evolved. A while back, the only option was to meet up face to face. It was all about adult bookstores, bars, and Liza concerts. And, of course, there was cruising in public places: Parks. Rest stops. Roadside wooded groves. For many guys, satisfying their carnal desires “right out there in the open” only heightened the excitement of the fulfillment of forbidden desires.

That’s the mood established in “Cruising”, the new book by award-winning photographer Chad States. States’ lush photography focuses on the beauty of the great outdoors: the light and shadows of the woods, the grandeur of the blue sky, the colors of autumn that only nature could create, and more. Amidst this, there’s a titillating tease of man-to-man action in the photos. In the style of the best of erotica, States’ photos merely hint at the sexual situations, leaving much of what’s going on to the lucky viewer‘s fantasies. States is truly a gifted artist, but “Cruising” is not solely a collection of photography. The book gets a real boost from writer Gordon Brent Ingram, Ph.D. In his piece “Cruising on the Margins”, Ingram offers some provocative thought about both States’ artistic vision as well as the history and politics of gay male cruising in general. An example: “In the digital hookup, gay.com-cum-Facebook era, outdoor areas may be strategic for two very different groups: those who do not have as much access to digital technologies (or in their preferred languages), and those who are so ‘connected‘ that visceral, physical contact as an introduction is the most scarce element of social intercourse. In ‘Cruising‘, Chad States explores the spaces of intimacy and distance played out with men’s bodies across the landscape. There may be distance and temporariness in the contact, but these recorded instances of intimacy are far more tangible than marriage vows.“ Ingram’s writings are a must-read for anyone who is seriously interested in the dynamics and history of gay male sexuality. In addition, the reader gets a real treat with the segment “Chad States in Conversation with Alec Soth”, where States chats with fellow photographer and publisher Soth. It’s both insightful and fun, with a special shout-out to a certain disgraced U.S. Senator!

Chad States, who resides in Philadelphia, spoke with me about his new book, which enjoyed a release party at the famous powerHouse Arena in Brooklyn earlier this month:

JR:Hi Chad. Congratulations on the new book! So, where did the idea for “Cruising” come from?

CS: In the summer, I live in Rehoboth Beach, and a park near my house became a cruising destination over the course of a summer about 4 years ago. I used to cruise all the time as a teenager and into my early twenties, and knew the signs. I became curious about the idea of how cruising spaces originate, since it is all about anonymity and disconnect. So, as I watched the park become more and more popular, I started to think that I wanted to make a project out of it.

JR:How long did it take you to see your project come to life? In other words, how long was your journey from the idea to create “Cruising” to actually having the book in your hands?

CS: It took about four years from start to finish. The first two years were really me trying to figure out how to make the photographs. For a long time, I just sat on the periphery looking in. It took me awhile to figure out to get into the woods and make the images that I really wanted to make… and then the project really took off. I started playing around with the idea of presenting the images in book form early on. Then it was really about trying to find a publisher-- and I was very lucky that powerHouse contacted me about publishing the work.

JR: That’s great! As a self-published author, what was the most difficult challenge along the way?

CS:I have never worked with a publisher before, so dealing with another person’s input was difficult at first. Though, in the end, the collaboration between me and the publisher made the book better. But at first, there is this feeling of potentially losing control of the work through making compromises. But compromising can be the best thing for the work. As an artist, you can be so tightly closed down on what needs to happen… but differing input can really open up new ideas, which is always for the best.

JR: How true. Now, years ago, before the advent of the Internet and apps like Grindr and Scruff, guys actually had to go to bars, bookstores, or places like Rambles in Central Park to hook up. Do you think that eventually, we’re gonna get sick of using our computers and I-Phones, and eventually go back to “old school cruising”?

CS: I hope so! Sex is so much about chemistry, and that chemistry is lost in a virtual setting. Virtual cruising is just lazy cruising. I stare at a computer enough as it is. I want to get out of the house… and if there is one reason to leave the house, sex is definitely it!

JR: I couldn’t agree more! I must say, the photography in “Cruising” is really breathtaking. It really captures the beauty of the great outdoors. (Something as a New York City guy, I rarely get to see, sadly…) Do you consider yourself an “outdoors guy”?

CS: The beauty of the woods is the best part about cruising in a park, because if you don't get your dick sucked, at least you can enjoy the natural setting… and that can't be said for Manhunt. I don't know if I would call myself an "outdoors guy", but I do love it.

JR: Well said! In the photos, there are hints of man-to-man action, but it‘s very, shall we say, “artfully” done. Was there any kind of difficulty for you in deciding how much, ahem, “skin” to show in your photos?

CS: I want there to be enough skin so that you know what is happening, but without pulling the veil away. The obscuring of figures with foliage heightens the voyeuristic quality of the images, and keeps people anonymous.

JR: I understand! What was the most memorable anecdote about the making of the book?

CS: I met and became friends with another photographer named Adrain Chesser, who makes really good work, while photographing in the woods. And I love the idea that potential for sex and friendship/relationship exist in these spaces.

JR:Do you have a particularly memorable cruising story yourself?

CS: When I was 16, a much older man picked me up in a park. He was so old he was impotent, so I just happily grinded against him until I came. I was so young and hungry for experience with other men that it was very satisfying.

JR: (Laughs) So, Chad, what’s your next project?

CS: A series of portraits. It is a bit hard to succinctly describe. But the portraits are coming out of thoughts I had while making the “Cruising” images. While I was photographing for “Cruising”, I would use myself and my body to entice and instigate situations so that I could make the photographs. I am doing basically the same thing in this series of portraits, except the interaction is much more direct and my hand as the creator of the image is at the forefront.

JR: Lastly, I have to ask you (Just for fun!)… When doing a Google search of your book, inevitably that controversial 1980 movie “Cruising” with Al Pacino will pop up. Has anybody ever asked you if your book has any relation to that film?

CS: Not yet, though I just re-watched that movie a couple of months ago and lamented that gay bars don't seem as exciting anymore.

Now, that’s a man after my own heart! You can see a sneak preview of “Cruising” and buy the book at
http://www.powerhousebooks.com/site/?p=7374. States’ artwork from the book will be on exhibition at the powerHouse Arena (37 Main Street, Brooklyn) until Sunday, December 4^th.

Keep on “Cruising“!

DRUMMER BEAR: The Hardest Working Bear in Showbiz!

2011-11-28T11:05:00.000-08:00

DRUMMER BEAR:
The Hardest Working Bear in Showbiz!

     The Stonewall Inn, in New York City‘s colorful Greenwich Village, is considered to be the birthplace of the modern gay liberation movement after the Stonewall Riots in 1969. Forty-two years later, in June 2011, Stonewall held its first ever “Mr. Stonewall Bear Contest”. Out of five woofy Contestants, Mike Fass, better known to legions of fans as DrummerBear, won the Title of Mr. Stonewall Bear 2011. He jokes about the Contest, “I think I was the only one old enough to remember Stonewall!” DrummerBear is used to getting a lot of attention. True to his name, he was one of the hardest hitting power drummers in all of rock, with his name featured on the credits of records by many artists. He was also one of the most popular nude Bear models on the web. Yum! As an actor, he was most often seen playing bikers and bad guys before being cast as an assortment of father and Daddy Bear figures. Today, Fass is best known worldwide for his portrayal of a well known, thickly-accented Russian musclebear: “Street Fighter” legend Zangief, in the runaway hit series "Street Fighter: The Later Years". Among many distinctions, he is the first self-identified Bear celebrity to portray a Bear icon on a hit series. DrummerBear’s latest projects are two testosterone-fueled web series: He plays “Luke Barger” in the sci-fi action adventure superhero drama "Major Ursus", and “Torgo” in the gritty new urban drama, "Chickenbones", both shooting this fall. Being an actor isn’t always glamorous as it looks, folks! The characters he plays are often naked or in abbreviated clothing (We can all be grateful for that!). Fass remembers an uncharacteristically cold 52 degree October day when he was shooting a rooftop scene-- in just his bear skin. He had to do naked jumping jacks to stay warm. Wearing his own fur, apparently, wasn’t enough! Fass was rewarded with applause from some nearby construction workers, who clearly enjoyed the free show.

     Fass was born and raised in New York City and lived there until 1988, when he was “priced out“ . He then moved in Union City, and now calls Jersey City, New Jersey (sometimes called “the fifth borough”) his home. The hirsute hero and I met to speak about his, ahem, “body” of work…

JR: Hi Drummer Bear. Thanks for meeting me.

DB: Thank YOU!

JR: When I was writing your bio for the "Men of the Sash" calendar, it was hard to keep it "short and sweet". Your "resume", shall we say, is pretty impressive: actor, producer, screenwriter, musician, model…

DB: Yeah. When I do my resume, I have to try NOT to make it look like a telephone book!

JR: It can’t be easy being a "multi-hyphenate".

DB: It goes hand in hand with getting old! (Laughs)

JR: Oh really? I thought it was just a New York thing!

DB: When I was younger, there were so many fewer pages. You just build up all these things that you’ve done.

JR: Do you ever have any time for yourself?

DB: Rarely. As a matter a fact, I have to hire a few personal assistants to answer mail and that kind of stuff. I can’t read and answer that much mail. It would be nice to just take some time off and just do absolutely nothing-- to take a nice long vacation. But even the last three times I’ve had a vacation, I take work with me. I know I shouldn’t do that! My manager has said, "I don’t want to see a thing in those books! No notation of any kind. No business cards, no phone numbers, no addresses…" He said, "Just don’t do it!" It’s so hard not to. Coming from him it’s really odd, because my manager takes work with himself as well. He’s just as bad as I am. Maybe that’s why he is telling me this!

JR: I don’t see anything wrong with taking notes even when you’re on vacation. It may be a source of inspiration for an upcoming project, like the writer who sleeps with a notepad under his pillow and gets an idea at 3 AM…

DB: Some of the best ideas I had as a songwriter came at 3 in the morning. Such spiritual things have happened, and you want to capture them right away. I always forced myself to get up and go to the keyboard. Write it down, and then go right back to bed…

JR: Yeah! So, congratulations on winning the Mr. Stonewall Bear 2011 Contest back in June. Do you have any specific goals that you want to accomplish during your title year?

DB: I do have a charity in mind, focused in Jersey City, New Jersey where I live. It would benefit anyone who was about to be evicted: the hard-working people who are just not making their rent payments because the economy is so hard. It is so lofty that I wonder if I can pull it off. I am fortunate enough to be friends with New Jersey State Senator Brian Stack and the Commissioners. They could probably help me pull this off. In North Hudson County, there’s something called the North Hudson Community Action Agency. It’s an emergency relief fund to use when all your other resources have failed. The problem is, it’s run under such a heavy bureaucracy. The one woman who is your final gateway to getting things done-- meaning, getting the money-- is your classic "senior bureaucrat". I think the only reason they haven’t fired her yet is because she probably knows "where the bodies are buried" (Laughs). That’s the impression I get. I actually heard her brag to me about how one time she wouldn‘t let a guy get his funds, because he they had locked him out of his apartment. There was actually a padlock on his door. She insisted on getting certain paperwork from him that he couldn’t get, because then he’d be arrested for breaking into his own apartment! She was very happy and pleased by the idea that they couldn‘t help him out because he needed that paperwork. Then, you have people who don’t fit in: the "square pegs in round holes". They have a system whereby only a specific group of people who happen to be in need can "get in". There are some people who don’t fit into those rigid parameters, but who are just as much in need. They don’t get the benefits and services which presumably their tax dollars are going for anyway. So, what I want to do is have an agency which is a backup for that, but without the bureaucracy. Bureaucracy is something that happens out of nowhere, so it would have to be constantly self-policed so that the bureaucratic aspect never enters… and so that someone who needs the money can get it without being evicted or locked out of their apartment. We’d have to find out some kind of advertising or business model to keep the money coming in after the fundraising, to keep it running.

JR: Sounds great! So, you are considered by many to be "Bear royalty". As a mover and shaker in the Bear community, what makes a "Bear" a "Bear"?

DB: I never had anything very original to say about that! Nothing is written in stone, except that "You know a Bear when you see one!" When you get past all the particulars-- which are all arguable-- you pretty much just know one when you see one: "That’s a Bear!". A guy lumbering down the street: "That’s a Bear!"

JR: Some guys get bogged down in specifics, like how big a guy is, or how much body hair he has.

DB: Yeah. How much weight, how much body hair, your hairstyle, your choice of dress… Basically, it’s an attitude more than anything else. It’s a celebration of masculinity, and a rejection of all the stereotypes that people have tried to throw on gay men for the longest time. I think that because the gay community as a whole has all shared the same struggle, we have kind of all gotten "lumped up" together. It’s very interesting. I don’t think a station like LOGO, for example, would run a show like "Major Ursus". LOGO has never really found their market. Because they aim to cater to the entire lesbian/gay/transgender/bisexual community as a whole, and because we are such a disparate community, they really don’t take into consideration that there are different factions who like their own thing. The number one cable station that gay men watch is not LOGO. It‘s Spike.

JR: Really?

DB: Because it’s all "guy stuff". It’s all men! So, Spike is number one with gay men.

JR: LOGO must be like, "What did we do wrong?"!

DB: There was a wonderful cartoon by Rick Fiala from a while back that showed two groups of people sitting at their desks in an office. A group of women gathered around the book "The Joy of Gay Sex". The men gathered around the book "The Joys of Lesbian Sex". The caption read, "Two new books find their markets". (Both laugh.)

JR: That’s great! I don’t have cable TV, so I never watched Spike, but I guess I should start!

DB: It’s fun. It’s a guilty pleasure with a lot of stupid programming. But it’s for guys: stuff blowing up, and guys fighting each other … and it’s all guys doing it!

JR: While we’re on the subject of fighting… Let’s talk about "Street Fighter". Since I discovered masturbation at age 11, I stopped playing video games, so I am not much of an expert on the subject. How would you describe your "Street Fighter" fans? Are they guys who were fans of the video game when it first came out in 1987? Or, is it a new audience?

DB: I researched the character Zangief very carefully. I realized that although "Street Fighter" is not from my generation-- I am old enough to be the FATHER of that generation!-- I appreciate nostalgia. My own is sacred, so I know that theirs is sacred. I wanted to make sure I played the character in a way that was familiar to them and was not foreign to them. But as far as the show was concerned, it played on their nostalgia and it could have gone either way. When you have a different generation doing a character that you remember, you never know how it’s gonna go. I asked our series creator, Sam Reich, after the first night premier, "Did you expect it to be this huge?" He said, "I knew it would be popular, but I never thought it would be a monster like this!" The public embraced our interpretations of the characters that they grew up with, even though we’re new actors playing them. They didn‘t have to. That was the beauty of it. We were just very lucky.

JR: It’s like with comic books. Fans are very protective of their favorite comic book characters.

DB: I am too!

JR: That’s why if you do something ridiculous, like reinventing Spiderman, for example…

DB: I think they already HAVE reinvented Spiderman… I grew up with Spiderman. I was a latecomer. I didn’t start reading him until about 1967... but after that, I got hooked. So, throughout the ‘70’s, ‘80’s, and ‘90’s, I was constantly reading "Spiderman". I was a huge fan. To see him reinvented is kind of painful for me. I remember Kathryn Leigh Scott once describing the second "Dark Shadows" series with a whole new cast on NBC in 1991: "It’s kind of like coming home to your apartment and finding all your furniture rearranged." That‘s how I felt about that. I am very protective of the heroes I grew up with in my childhood. That was a very sacred time.

JR: Who is your "Street Fighter" audience?

DB: Mostly under 30 and male. My own sister is only a year older that I am, and she didn’t even know what "Street Fighter" was. All I could think was, "How did you get through the ‘90’s without having even heard of "Street Fighter"? I wasn’t a gamer, but I got acquainted with Zangief quite by chance. In 1991, there was a "Street Fighter 2" video game console at a pizza place in our neighborhood. It was brand new. Kids were playing it right away. One time, when the kids were away, I just started to take a look at the game. Some of the characters were pretty hot. The Muay Thai kickboxer with the eye patch was pretty hot . He turned out to Sagat. The Russian guy with the Mohawk was pretty hot, too. After the kids had left, I looked at the "Character Select" screen which had all the closeups of all their faces. I looked at Zangief, and I thought, "If I just shaved my head (At the time I had shaggy "Beatles" hair.) down to a Mohawk, I would look just like that guy!"-- never knowing that, 15 years later, I would actually be cast to play him. Even when I got the part, they asked me if I could do a Russian accent, and I could just barely. If you watch the first episode, it’s a really weak Russian accent. "Make crazy, Zangief!"

JR: Yes! Make crazy, Zangief! We like you best that way! Now, how about the two upcoming web series you have: "Major Ursus" and "Chickenbones"?

DB: I just got cast in "Chickenbones". I am playing a guy named Torgo, a grizzled old ex-Leather Master from the ‘70’s and ’80’s who presided over the old Meatpacking District in New York City. He’s really disillusioned and disgruntled by the fact that the neighborhood has become a bunch of trendy, posh restaurants with yuppie crowds, and everything is high-priced… and all the places where he used to enjoy his favorite sexual activities are now just eateries-- of a different kind! (Both laugh.) He’s upset by this. So, that’s the basis of the character. I know little more than that! We start shooting this fall. "Street Fighter Reunion" is the spinoff of "Street Fighter: The Later Years" that we’re doing. I’ll be playing Zangief again, and most of the original cast will be reunited for this.

JR: And "Major Ursus"?

DB: Yes. "Major Ursus" is the series that I created. It’s a superhero action-adventure-science fiction outer space drama with Bears. It‘s been described as "Oz" meets "X-Men" meets "Star Trek".

JR: That’s "Oz", as in the HBO prison drama, not "The Wizard of…", I take it?!

DB: Yes. An example of another gay show that would have probably had difficulty finding funding-- so they never called it a gay show! Heterosexual men are fascinated by homoerotica… but just don’t CALL it "homoerotica" and just don‘t call it "gay", and they will watch! Case in point: "Spartacus: Blood and Sand". It wasn’t a very good show, but it was very entertaining nonetheless! It was extremely homoerotic. More people watched it on the web than on television.

JR: I never watched that show, but I heard a lot about it!

DB: Gay men found it! We always do. And I think gay men will find "Major Ursus"! I am hoping it will have the same appeal. There’s only one scene in the first season when they actually acknowledge that they are Bears. Everything else is just so matter-of-fact. It’s just presented to you in a such a plain, "right out there on the table" kind of way that it does not need an analysis or a description.

JR: Wow! I can’t wait! So, as a musician, you have worked with a lot of high-profile artists. What was one of your most memorable moments?

DB: Wow! There were so many… One time during the late 1980s I was backing the Skinny Vinny Band onstage and he had an intense fan following. Skinny Vinny was known as “The Black Donovan” which pleased him because he loved Donovan's music. Vinny had a heavily gay male fan base and he had a tendency to gradually—okay, maybe not so gradually—strip down to his brief throughout his stage act. One night a very enthusiastic young fan managed to leap onto the stage, throw his arms around Vinny's neck and kiss him passionately. Vinny's arms flew out and his guitar went, “KRANG!”, while the rest of us onstage laughed and kept playing. They loved that man. Of course we all did. What a sweet guy he is. Another time I remember when I doing a fill-in for another drummer for a group, and it was the first concert I have ever done live to Japan from America. I should point out that, no matter how much deodorant I slap on before a show, once I am playing drums all night long, I stink like the devil…

JR: Nice!

DB: … You don’t want to get near me until after I’ve had a shower! Anyway, the crowd was really excited. When it was over, I was leaving the stage and a very nicely dressed, attractive lady in an evening gown and jewelry just threw her arms around me and started kissing me. I’d think that I would be offending the hell out of her, but it didn‘t even matter. I guess that‘s the power of music. Music has the power to transcend common sense.

JR: Personally, I don‘t like guys to wear deodorant. I want to be able to lick their armpits and when there‘s deodorant it‘s like, "Ewwww!" The natural scent of a guy is always more appealing! But, anyway, was there a particular celebrity or personality who you particularly enjoyed working with?

DB: Yes. I enjoyed working with the wrestler Brimstone during something called "Kirby" that Chris Notarile produced and directed. It goes by the name "Kirby, the Short Film" on YouTube. I got to play Zangief again, and this time Zangief is Brimstone‘s coach for a fight that he’s about to have. I think the title kind of gives it away! (Laughs) So, because that went so well, Brimstone had contact me recently and asked, "What can I do to get a cameo on your new series?" I said, "Forget the cameo. We have to have you as a guest star. We have to write you into the next episode!" Comedian Paul Reiser is also one of the nicest men I've ever known in this business. We've played the same bill but, as yet, have never appeared in a series together. He's such a gentleman. Hope I run into him again someday soon.

JR: You’ve really embraced the new phenomenon of the "web series", which is great because it is truly universal and accessible to everyone. Is it something of a culture shock for the masses to be watching TV on the Web, as opposed to, well… on TV?

DB: I think it is. But, in my opinion, the crossover point and overlap is so narrow, because there’s a whole generation of kids who grew up watching TV on the web. They never really embraced television except when they were little babies. That’s pretty much where it ended for them. When we were developing "Street Fighter Reunion" as a television series initially, we had in the palm of our hands the one demographic which was the "Holy Grail" that television wanted back but couldn’t get: the 15 to 30 year old males. We had them, but we would have to "bring them back to television". When the bottom fell out of television, it was no longer practical to do it as a TV series. We had to throw out our whole itemized budget. It didn‘t make any sense anymore. We made our fame on the web initially, so we went "home". We redeveloped it as a web series. The kids never really wanted television. They want to watch their shows immediately, whenever they want, and as many times as they want to.,

JR: Yeah, it’s hard to put a genie back in a bottle! So, Drummer Bear: As a bona fide Bear sex symbol, what do you personally find sexy in a guy?

DB: I like ‘em real diesel, real rugged. I like brutes! But I also like cubs. Cubs are irresistible to me. They bring out the "Daddy Bear" in me!

JR: Well, we can all be grateful for that! So, what does Drummer Bear do for fun?

DB: I like sports. Swimming, martial arts, playing Frisbee, volleyball, racquetball… even badminton. It’s hard to get anyone my age to play sports with me, so I am always playing with younger people. Anything that requires a lot of cardiovascular activity: running, and jumping high into the air, and hitting things.

JR: Is that your secret for staying in shape?

DB: Yeah! It keeps my stamina up. Drumming was the one thing that kept my stamina up, and I don’t do that anymore.

JR: Well, there are always other ways to work up a sweat. Hint, hint!!!

See more at www.DrummerBear.com! See also:

Drummer Bear and Brimstone in "Kirby"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnRrHO8ycnc

Mike Fass Speaks for Zangief

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7d7AkS41NY&feature=related

Mighty Zangief Speaks for Himself

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuzzLDDj5H4&feature=related

Zangief's New Super Move Saves Ryu's Life:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKHs4JTAkLE&ob=av3e

A Few Zangief Dance Moves

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3nSdSmS1pM

And a Few More:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYFf7CzourI&feature=watch_response

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1qErI3BXW0

TOM RAGU: Are You Ready to Be "Tickled Pink"?

2011-10-19T18:36:00.000-07:00

TOM RAGU:
Are You Ready to Be “Tickled Pink”?

Is Tom Ragu “The Busiest Man in Comedy“? Perhaps there’s nobody better to ask than Mr. Ragu himself. He tells me, “Well, I just like to keep busy, because if I don't, I'll eat a loaf of bread while watching ‘The View‘ with Pete Ragú, my cute little BFF. I love him so much.” For those inquiring minds out there, Pete Ragu is Tom’s unyieldingly loyal pooch. The woofy New York City native (Tom, not Pete…) wears two hats-- and sometimes three, but please don‘t ask me where he wears that THIRD one… In addition to plying his trade as furry funnyman, Ragu is also a producer, being the creator and host of the weekly “Tom Ragu Comedy Revue“ on Monday nights at the Stonewall Inn in New York City. More recently, he has brought us “Tom Ragú Presents: Sorry, We're Funny.”, a traveling comedy/variety show which promises to showcase lots of new and unsung performers. Ragu has a knack for discovering new talent, as you may have guessed: Just when you think that you’ve discovered the “last comic standing” in The Naked City, Tom will find another one to tickle your funny bone… or, tickle any body part you wish. On the subject of tickling, also on Ragu’s lineup is “Tickled Pink”, a variety show which is part of The Fresh Fruit Festival this month. The event is scheduled for Tuesday, October 25^thin New York City. Tom and I met to discuss life, laughs, and lasagna…

JR: Hi Tom! Thanks for taking the time to talk to me! Now, in addition to “The Tom Ragú Comedy Revue”, your bi-weekly comedy shows at New York City‘s legendary Stonewall Inn, you have created "Tom Ragú Presents: Sorry, We're Funny." - a new traveling comedy and variety show that, according to the press release, “un-apologetically features some of New York and New Jersey’s best comics, variety acts, and misfits…” What are some of the surprises you have in store for us with this endeavor?

TR: I really wanted to start a show that was more than just a lineup of comics. I've been dying to "hit the road" for a long time now and I thought that this was the perfect opportunity to produce that show I've been longing to do: Comedians. Performance artists. Musical artists. Drag Queens. Poets. Jugglers. A clown. But I needed a name. One fine day, I was walking around in Chelsea - well, actually, Ninth Avenue because overweight comedians with mother issues are not allowed to walk along Eighth Avenue with the rest of the Skinny Bitches - and I saw a shopkeeper switch his sign in the window from "Come in, We're Open" to "Sorry, We're Closed" .. and I thought "That's it! That's the new name!" and "Tom Ragú Presents: Sorry, We're Funny" was born. Our first show is at NYC's Laugh Lounge. Our second show is in East Brunswick, New Jersey. Our third show will be on Long Island, New York. I'll be getting around. Try and act surprised.

JR: I will! What can you tell us about “Tickled Pink“?

TR: "Tom Ragú Presents: Ticked Pink" - October 25th at The Workshop Theater - is going to be a fabulous celebration of all things Gay! Or do the kids say 'Queer' now? Have we taken that word back yet?

Anyhow, this show is what happens when you mix part drag queen, part gay comedian, add a leather person and a gay rapper, with a producer with too many shows, a gay hip-hop artist, a dash of a lesbian comedian, a Queen with a ukulele and a member of The Imperial Court of New York - then add alcohol and SHAKE! The result: one fabulous show - part of The Fresh Fruit Festival, which supports the LGBTQ arts. It's either going to be really good or really bad! Your readers should check it out to see which!

JR: I agree! Now, you and I both know that sometimes a stand-up comedian can go on stage and the audience just doesn’t, shall we say, “feel it”. As a performer, you must have had a moment of two like that in your history of performing. Or maybe not… But anyway, how does a comedian get through it?

TR: I think that every single performer has - whether one is a comic, an actor, a dancer, or whatever one's passion - gone through performing their little heart out, and then the audience just didn't get it. I certainly know that it has happened to me a number of times. It really feels horrible. The only way I can describe it is how you would feel if someone told you that you had an ugly baby. Horrible! But I really do believe that all of those times have certainly made me stronger as a performer. And that's how you get through it. Knowing that in a year or two, it will all be different.

JR: It seems like we live in an unshockable society. Nothing really raises an eyebrow nowadays in the news. That said, are there any topics that you WON’T touch in your performances?

TR: There are things that are inherently funny across the board. And there are things that are never funny. For me, I don't think that death, despair, human suffering, or disease are funny. Oh, and anything too vulgar and tasteless. I like to leave the vulgarity and tastelessness to certain husband and husband comedy teams that shall remain nameless. As they should be. Oh, snap!

JR: (Laughs) In your opinion, who are some of the “unsung heroes” of the world of comedy?

TR: There are literally thousands and thousands of young people who are so incredibly talented and funny, and the majority of them will never see the light of day. They get railroaded through the clubs into doing the "bringer" scene - which is doing shows sponsored by the clubs in which one is required to "bring" people. It gets very old very fast. I did two "bringer" shows in my life, and then I looked around, and I saw that everyone else in the room was making money. The Manger was making money; the Booker was making money; the club owner was making money; the waitstaff was making money; even the host of the show was making money. So I decided to create my own opportunities. If you let them, these big comedy clubs will have new comics in the "bringer" cycle for years. These young people have no idea that there is a whole world out there, and that nothing will happen for you if one doesn't create their own opportunities.

JR: How true. Now, on to more serious subjects. Reportedly, the powers that be are making a new “prequel” of “Sex and the City” for TV. Do you plan on watching it when it comes out?

TR: (Laughs) No, I am spending my time watching "The Playboy Club" and the re-launch of "Charlie's Angels" ... Wait. What? They cancelled those shows? Oh, damn. Now what will I do with myself? I guess I'll have to go back to "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant."

JR: If you had to pick one of the following events to go to, which one would it be (Sorry, feigning illness is NOT an option!):
1. A dinner party (with cocktails!) with the cast of “The Real Housewives of (pick a city…) ”,
2. A book signing party (with cocktails!) with Alexis Stewart (daughter of Martha), who has a new tell-all book called “Martha Dearest”… no, the title is actually “Learning to Live Here”,
3. A “Motivational Seminar (with cocktails!)” with Gayle King,
4. A sneak preview of the upcoming Liberace movie (with cocktails!), or…
5. The Michael Jackson doctor murder trial (No cocktails, but there might be propofol available…)

TR: I'd love to have some face-time with Gayle King because she is a Pop Culture Junkie like me! Moreover, I'd love to know if Oprah snores while she sleeps, and if Gayle nudges her or if she just moves to the other room! That's right, I said it. I am tired of pretending that those two are not a couple. Anyhow, I do think that I have to go with a sneak-preview of the new Liberace flick - for no other reason than to see the on-screen kiss between Matt Damon & Michael Douglas, and watching Matt Damon trying not to vomit in his mouth at the mere thought!

JR: You took the vomit… uh, I mean the words, right out of my mouth! Now, I’m gonna get personal: A few years ago, I was dining out with my family and I ordered the vegetable lasagna. It came out with tomato sauce, not the white sauce (bechamel) that the dish is traditionally served with. I wanted to speak to the chef. My mother was enraged-- she turned as red as the tomato sauce-- and asked me how dare I question the chef … and how dare I “embarrass” her like that? She still brings up that incident ten years later. So, because I know you are such a great cook, I have to ask the final, most serious question of all: Is it ever OK to put tomato sauce on vegetable lasagna?

TR: I would be enraged too. I am enraged right now! Not because you wanted to add marinara sauce to vegetarian lasagna (!) but because you have decided to ask me about it!!! You know that I am so busy producing 45 shows and raising my child, I mean dog, Pete Ragú. Why the heck are you asking me about lasagna? Go find Mario Batali somewhere with his stupid orange crocs, and leave me the hell alone!

Are we done? There is a fantastic all-you-can-eat Chinese Buffet right around the corner, and I'm starving.

Starving for laughter? Join hosts Jed Ryan and Tom Ragú as they present the different, the unique and the misunderstood in "Tom Ragú Presents: Tickled Pink" - a comedy & variety show featuring some of NY & NJ's best comics, musical acts and misfits.
Admission: $12.00 (includes a beverage)
Scheduled to appear: Ben Lerman, Tom Ragú, Lester Greene, Bone Intell, Juan Pablo, Chanelle Futrell, Jay Edwards, Sunshine Richard McLean, and Witti Repartee.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Showtime: 9:30pm
at The Workshop Theatre
312 West 36th Street, NYC
Visit www.TomRagu.com for more info!

FUN WITH DICK AND DUANE (AKA: "Testosterone: A Love Story")

2011-10-09T05:43:00.000-07:00

(Photos: Dick and Duane... THEN!)
FUN WITH DICK AND DUANE!
(AKA: “Testosterone: A Love Story“)

Picture it: New York City, 1981. While cruising down pre-Guiliani 42^nd Street, you’re tempted by the idea of skipping the nightly adult bookstore hookup and instead seeing the cult-classic-to-be ”Mommie Dearest”… or maybe you’ll catch John Waters’ “Polyester“-- in Odorama! That is, if you have any money left over for a $3 movie ticket: The average rent on an apartment in Manhattan was just starting to reach the $300-a-month mark, and there was even a rumor that a subway token was going up to a dollar.

That was the same year, incidentally, that Lady Diana Spencer married Charles, Prince of Wales, on the other side of the Atlantic. But Stateside, a more enduring union was developing at that same moment: New Jersey teenagers Richie Cohen and Duane Tragis met, fell in love, got married with rings from a gumball machine, and became lifelong partners both personally and creatively. Fast forward to 2011. Cohen and Tragis, better known to their legions of fans and stalkers alike as Dick and Duane, are busier (and buffer!) than ever. They may have traded their Dippity-Do hair gel and “Frankie Says Relax” T-shirts for buzz cuts and protein shakes, but they’re just as dedicated to each other. And, as the only “husband and husband comedy team” in history, they’re just as dedicated to making you laugh. On their website, www.DickandDuane.com, you’ll find links to their YouTube videos, their blog, and photos of the couple throughout their three-decade relationship. The newest pictures of the two of them, in (almost) all of their hirsute glory, are guaranteed to arouse some carnal desires. WOOF! Dick and Duane have a new show coming up, a 30-year anniversary stage celebration called “Never Too Much”, at New York City‘s Laurie Beechman Theater in post-Guiliani Times Square. While the show was named after the song of the same name by Luther Vandross, the duo warn us that this WON’T be two hours of silly love songs or sickeningly sweet anecdotes. Their press release teases: “These boys just want to get down & dirty in their irreverently risqué way. Bring your trench coats for that vintage XXX porn theater vibe.” NOW we’re talkin’! The hunky twosome spoke to me about their new show and about life in their own two-king monarchy:

(Photos: Dick and Duane: NOW!)
JR: So, boys, congratulations on the new show! What are some of the surprises we can expect in “Never Too Much“?

D&D: Thanks, Jed! Well, if I reveal any of the surprises, then potential audience members won't be surprised. But I will say that we won't be holding back a thing. "Never Too Much" is our song, but this is not a sentimental show. It's going to be a little political, a little raunchy, and very silly. Just like we are in real life. Only, in real life, we aren't on a stage with bright lights.

JR: Is this the kind of show you can bring your mother to? Put another way, just how raunchy does it get?

D&D: Well, we would bring our mothers, but that's because they've become desensitized after years and years of our blue humor. But I don't know about anybody else's mother. Oh, what the hell. Sure, bring your mothers!

JR: Or, bring your Daddies! (Ahem!) Now, Dick and Duane have a very big following on Facebook. I notice how you two often (affectionately, I presume…) refer to each other as “The Monkey” and “The Ape“. Say more, say more…
D&D: Is a "big following" a euphemism for a big ass? (Laughs) The Ape does like to shake his. OK, Richie (Dick) was nicknamed "Monkey" at around age two by his father, who said that Richie's face resembled one. And Duane is this big, hairy, muscley, kind of dim guy who, when he runs, kind of looks like a character from “Planet of the Apes“. Plus, his arms are very long. So, that's how he got that name. We would eventually like to start an Ape Community, to compete with the Bear Community. Like the NFL and AFL. Or something…

JR: That’s a “Planet of the Apes” guaranteed to give me a “Rise”! Get it?… Oh, that was a BAD one! I‘d better leave the humor to you two… So, at one of your recent New York City performances, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen were the target of a lot of your jokes. Why the Olsen twins?

D&D: Well, they were the subject of one of our pieces, where we do them throughout their lives, at age 4, 17, 61 and 97. We've always been drawn to the untalented as a source of humor, and they don't really come less talented than the Twins. Well, true, now they have all those reality show "stars" who are worse. But in the 80s, nobody could beat the Olsens for bad acting. And we love that.

JR: If you were stuck in an elevator and HAD to pick one of the following famous people to be trapped with, who would it be: Anthony Weiner, Chaz Bono, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, or Michelle Bachmann?

D&D: That's a bizarre assortment! Definitely Chaz Bono. And he could bring along his mother, what's-her-name…

JR: I dunno. While we’re on the subject of overexposed media whores: What do you think of that 61-year old lifeguard on Long Island who supposedly got fired for not wearing a Speedo? He said something to the effect of “No man over the age of 50 should be allowed to wear a Speedo?” What would you say to this dork?

D&D: We hadn't heard about that, but I guess we would just drop our pants and say something like, "Dude!! WTF, man?!"

JR: I’ll join you for that! While we’re on the subject of dropping pants: My boyfriend and I just celebrated our one year man-niversary. For a lot of gay male couples, that’s a big landmark-- the equivalent of 15 years in a heterosexual marriage. What are some of the tips you can give us so that we can reach the 30-year mark like Dick and Duane have?

D&D: Well, first of all, congratulations! But I think one year is the same in any relationship. Straight people break up, too. But as far as tips...just be honest with your feelings at all times. No, wait… I guess that could lead to constant bitching and nagging. Hmmm... I guess we don't really have any tips. And we don't want to give anybody the wrong advice and open ourselves up to a potential lawsuit.

JR: (Laughs) And now, a very serious question: Boxers, briefs, jock, or commando?

D&D: Duane switches around all the time...boxers, jock, bikini briefs, commando… Dick is always in bikini briefs. Except at the desk, when he's on-line looking at porn.

JR: Hmmm…that’s a very enticing visual indeed! While we’re on the subject: You two obviously spend a lot of time at the gym. What’s your funniest gym story? We all have one!

D&D: We have funny stories every day at the gym! If you follow our Facebook page-- I assume you'll put a link here because you're good at that stuff, Jed!-- you can read about our daily gym misadventures. Today, we wrote about the guy we saw in the locker room last night and how we couldn't figure out why we knew him. Did we have sex with him? Is he a Facebook friend? Does he work at some store we frequent? Have we seen him on X-Tube? And then, we both realized that we actually knew him from right there....from the locker room, where we'd seen him before. Duh!

JR: I think I know that guy! So, what else do Dick and Duane have in store for the upcoming year?

D&D:We're finally going to get to work on our long-awaited web series, once our 30th anniversary show is completed on Oct. 20th. We can't wait to get started!

JR: I can’t wait! Now, the last time we spoke, you told me that you had a cat named Eve Plumb. Now, in the case Eve could not fulfill her duties as a pet, would the next cat be named "Geri Reischl"? (Geri Reischl is the talented actress who replaced Eve during the "Brady Bunch Variety Hour" and was unfairly labeled from then on as "the Fake Jan Brady".)

D&D: (Laughs) No, you got that a little mixed-up. We have a cat named Dawn whom we named after the TV-movie "Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway" starring Eve Plumb! But definitely, we'd consider Fake Jan (and of course, we knew who she was!) as a replacement should Dawn decide to sit out the web series.

JR: Gotcha!!!

Here cum the grooms! (Ahem…) You can see Dick and Duane at The Will Clark Show at Pieces (8 Christopher Street, NYC) on Wednesday October 12th, at 8PM. “Never Too Much: The 30^th Anniversary Show” is Thursday, October 20 at 7:00PM at The Laurie Beechman Theatre, 407 West 42 Street (downstairs from the West Bank Café, just west of Ninth Avenue), NYC. Reservations required; call 212-695-6909. $12.00 admission plus $15.00 food or beverage minimum.

Visit www.DickandDuane.com for more. You can also visit the happy husbands on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/DickandDuane!

FUN WITH JANE'S DICK!

2011-10-08T14:30:00.000-07:00

FUN WITH JANE’S DICK!

In the HBO series “Hung”, blandly attractive actor Thomas Jane plays Ray Drecker: a divorced, middle-aged high school basketball coach with a house that’s just burned down and two kids who require child support. It seems like the only thing Ray has in his favor is that he’s, well… “hung”. What’s a broke guy with a big dick supposed to do? Become a male hooker, of course! Using his friend Tanya (Jane Adams) as his “pimp”, he sells his sexual services to lonely women. Reviews for the “Hung” were initially mixed (One critic questioned the plausibility of women in working-class Detroit being willing to pay for sex. I have to admit that I’m inclined to agree, despite being a fan of the show…). However, the series was apparently popular enough to be renewed for a second season. Despite the fact that HBO is not averse to full frontal male nudity (Remember “Oz“?) and that Ray Drecker’s big dick is the main character in the show, we never see Jane‘s penis on the screen-- even though “Hung” features a good amount of simulated sex. When asked if his well-endowed character would ever consider selling his services to male clients, Mr. Jane responded, “I've always said that the year that Ray ends up with a penis in his mouth is the last year of the show.” That remark apparently struck some members of the gay media as being homophobic, although Jane was no doubt speaking from the perspective of his totally hetero character Ray. (Trivia: “Hung” is not the first film where Jane plays a male prostitute. What others were there? The answer’s at the bottom…)

In a recent interview with the "L.A. Times", 42-year old Jane (who has appeared in a lot of movies, ranging from indies to the big budget “The Punisher” in 2004) revealed that he’s apparently had real-life experience with being a rentboy. It was back when he was a hungry, struggling actor… and his clients, not surprisingly, were Jacks rather than Jills. Jane stated, “Hey, you grow up as an artist in a big city, as James Dean said, you're going to have one arm tied behind your back if you don't accept people's sexual flavors… You know, when I was a kid out here in L.A., I was homeless, I didn't have any money and I was living in my car. I was 18. I wasn't averse to going down to Santa Monica Boulevard and letting a guy buy me a sandwich. Know what I mean?"

Yes, Thomas, we do. And we won’t hold it against you! Later on in the interview, Jane went on to speak about whether being gay or straight is a choice, and his answer may raise a few eyebrows: "I'll tell you what -- it's not a choice until you're open enough to experience both male and female sexuality… Until you've tasted the food, you don't know whether you'll like it or not, as my mom always said." Well, I for one have always believed that everyone should have a wide variety on their plate. And make it a BIG plate too!!!

(Answer to trivia: Thomas Jane played a hustler in the independent flicks “I Love You Forever, Tonight” in 1992 and “The Velocity of Gary [Not His Real Name]” in 1999.)

JAY EDWARDS: Your Cub For All Seasons

2011-10-08T14:04:00.000-07:00

(Photos of Jay by Edward Lindquist)
JAY EDWARDS: Your Cub For All Seasons!

The Stonewall Inn, in New York City’s colorful Greenwich Village, is considered to be the birthplace of the modern gay liberation movement after being the site of the famous Stonewall Riots in June 1969. Forty-two years later, in June 2011, Stonewall held its first-ever “Mr. Stonewall Bear Contest”. Actor/musician/model Mike Fass, AKA “Drummerbear”, won the Title of Mr. Stonewall Bear 2011, and 22-year old Jay Edwards won Mr. Stonewall Cub 2011. Raised in Virginia and now living in Connecticut, Edwards spends a lot of time in New York City. The 5’10”, 315 lb. Bear could be seen shaking his ample charms with The Boys of BEAR-lesque to raise money for charity one night, and hanging out at New York’s woofy hangout Rockbar the next. A member of the NYC Metrobears, the young cub hopes to use his Title and his creative talents to unite the gay community in a unique way. He wants to create and perform cabaret- and variety show-style events that can not only be enjoyed by his fellow Bears and the guys who love them, but also for twinks, Leathermen, lesbians, drag queens, … in short, our entire community and our straight allies. Over pizza in New York’s Greenwich Village (Where else?), Jay spoke to me about his upcoming Title year. Jay was born in 1989, the year when singer Debbie Gibson reached her height of popularity, and Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” and Bobby Brown’s “My Prerogative” were big hits. Throughout our interview, I was continuously impressed by the depth of knowledge and intellect displayed by a guy who just became the legal drinking age not too long ago…

JR: Congratulations on winning the Title of Mr. Stonewall Cub 2011. What specific goals and/or endeavors do you have in mind for the year?

JE: As a Titleholder, you have many responsibilities: one of them being to make a name for yourself . Also, you are expected to raise money for charity-- for a cause that you feel confident about. In addition to getting MY name out there, I also want more Bears of color out there to come out and be seen. There aren’t too many other Black Bear Titleholders around. I don’t really know any others around the country! I also want to raise money for Sylvia’s Place, which is an emergency 90-day shelter for homeless queer youth. In distinction to The Ali Forney Center (another resource for homeless queer youth), Sylvia’s Place will “take you in” right away-- whereas with The Ali Forney Center, it’s a little more work to get in. Ali Forney is a long term shelter. From what I understand, you have to apply to get in there. Sylvia’s Place does a lot of work, and they are struggling. Sylvia’s Place will take you in right away, even in the middle of the night-- if you are running away from someone who is trying to make you do something you don’t want to do, for example; or if you’ve been kicked out; or you’re running away from home and you’re in a strange city. One of the things with queer youth is that when they “come out“, they get “put out”. For a lot of them, New York City looks like so much fun. They only see the Pride Parade on TV, for example. They don’t know that when you come here, it’s a totally different ballgame. It’s not that easy. You can make it anywhere, but it’s work. And, like I said, I want my name out there. One of the things about being a Titleholder is that you should be getting your name out there… or you’ll be like “Mr. WHO?”! Your Title reign is only for a year. I’m young and I have a lot of energy for it.

JR: Sounds great! Now, in your opinion, what makes a “Bear” a “Bear”? As a Titleholder, you are going to be looked upon as a role model, and you’ll have to explain what a “Bear” is to people who may not be familiar with our lexicon.

JE: You may be a hairy person, but I think that what makes a “Bear” a “Bear” is the attitude. I believe that a Bear is someone who is nice, but also has that “viciousness” about them, like a wild bear on a hunt. A bear can be just as vicious as a lion or a tiger, but he also has a heart too. Whether you’re a Chub, or a Muscle Bear, or somewhere in between, to be a Bear you have to believe that you ARE one. It has to be because of what you DO, not just because everyone else that looks like you calls themselves a “Bear“. (Laughs) The whole point of life is to be your own person. Even if you “label” yourself, you’re still your own person regardless. I am a Bear, and a Black Bear. I am a bunch of things, but at the end of the day I am still me… which is basically a nice person with a pretty filthy mouth!

JR: (Laughs) We can all be thankful for that. I won’t object! Now, do you think that some people get bogged down by labels like “Chubby Bear”, “Muscle Bear”, “Otter”, etc… Do we get too focused on the terminology?

JE: Some people do get tied up in the terminology, but I think that if you want to call yourself a “Muscle Bear”, for example, then that’s fine. Whether you are a Muscle Bear or Chub, you’re a Bear regardless. Accept what you are. I feel like a lot of Chub Bears see the Muscle Bears, and they get down on themselves because of that. They want to be that. But it doesn’t matter whether you are a Chub Bear or Muscle Bear, or whether you go from being one to the other. Just learn to be what you are, and take that feeling with you everywhere you go and just live with that. I’m a big Chub Bear, and I don’t care whether I would be perceived as a Chub Bear or a Muscle Bear. I’m still a Bear regardless. I feel I can compete with either. But, I don’t TRY to compete. I just have that attention, that thing that I can be seen having and be known for. No matter what you call yourself, you’re still your own person at the end of the day.

JR: How true! Now, you mentioned before that there seems to be a real void in terms of men of color who call themselves Bears. Why is that?

JE: I think that with the Bear community, pretty much all that we have seen has been very Caucasian-oriented. It’s been mostly white people with a few black people in there. There are Caucasian bears who are accepting of other Bears, but then there are others who are like, “What are you doing? This is OUR territory.” Rather than say, “Fuck it, I’m still gonna stick around.”, they just take a back seat and let themselves be brought down. When I first came in, that’s how I felt, and I spoke with Heriberto (Heriberto Oquendo, Jr., Mr. Metrocub NYC 2011). He gave me one of the best insights: No matter where you go, there are always gonna be people who don’t want you in their area, but don’t let that push you away. I don’t know much about the Leather community, but from what I have seen, there are a lot more men of color in the Leather community: all races, colors, and shapes are there. In the Bear community, maybe one day it will be like that.

(Photos of Jay by Adam Woomer.)
JR: I hope so. I think a lot of Caucasian guys may have fetishes about men of other races (Hispanic, black, Asian, etc…) … I am making sure I distinguish between “preference”, which just means that you are attracted to someone of another race; and “fetish”, which implies that you’re objectifying the object of your desire.

JE: You’re allowed to have your own preferences and fetishes, but all you need to remember is: You’re not Jean Claude Van Dam or whoever the hell there is! (Laughs) Who the hell are you to sit there and be like, “I don’t want you because you’re ‘this’ or ‘that’…!” Remember, one of these days your ass is gonna get up to that age where everything is gonna get old and sag, and nobody is really gonna want you… and you might not even be able to get them back with money! (Laughs) I know a lot of men who have fetishes for big men. You have your chasers who just want to have a big man. One of the things I said on Facebook was, “I’m no one’s fetish!” I never was and I never will be. I refuse to be that person who you want because you want to lay on my fat, rub my fat, and feel my fat. My fat is a part of me. I am human! I think I have to remind them that I’m as regular as the next person. But if you’re OK with being someone’s fetish and that’s your thing, then do it. I think that if you have a fetish for a specific thing, then that’s kind of sad… because that fetish that you’re going for may not want you nine times out of ten! It has to be mutual.

JR: What was it like growing up in the South?

JE: The South has been called upon as being very racist. But the South is not really racist. I feel that coming up North, it has been more racist than anything. In the South, everyone just kind of loves one another. Up here, everyone is much more “picky”, and I have to make sure that I “have this“, or that I‘m “on top“ or “the best”. Down there it‘s not really about who‘s “the best“; it‘s more of like living in the moment. There are things that I miss about the South. But, I wouldn‘t want to live there now at this point of my life-- it‘s too damn slow for me!

JR: I agree! So, who is your Bear role model?

JE: I have numerous Bear role models. One of them is, of course, my Daddy Bear Mike Fass (AKA Drummerbear, Mr. Stonewall Bear 2011). I also admire Richard “Sunshine” McLean, Mr. Metrobear NYC 2011, my fellow performer with The Boys of BEARlesque. He’s big like I am, and he stepped out of the box; Everyone sees Bears as being manly and masculine, but there’s also that feminine side to him. He’s shown that by breaking out and doing “Bear drag“, and he went forward and just didn’t give a shit. This is the same man who was on stage stuffing food down his throat and didn‘t give a damn. It made for a good damn performance!

JR: He’s also the same guy who will go out partying wearing his Mr. Metrobear sash and a wig and a tiara. It’s not just “drag”, it‘s renegade drag, it’s genderfucking…

JE: Right! Another role model is Heriberto Oquendo Jr., being a Latino Bear. He’s one of the first Bears I really spoke to kind of regularly. He gave me good advice about what to do and what not to do. One of the things I have been offered to do a few times to do is Bear porn. I am not against it, but I just question what it could do for me. With those kind of things, I have gone to him for insight. One of the other people I admire was not even a Bear: Sparkle Southerland. She was the MC of The Boys of BEARlesque, “Queen of the Bears“. She’s a drag queen and I am a Black Bear, so we were both “different”. Being more experienced, she knows how to handle things. I give Sparkle one clear Title: “Reality Check”. She’s very honest.

JR: She’d agree with you!

JE: What you don’t want to hear is what she’ll tell you. I think that you’re lucky to find people like that.

JR: Thanks so much, Jay!

You can contact Jay Edwards at MrStonewallCub@gmail.com or visit his Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/JayStars.

SETH ROGEN: Bear Laid Bare

2011-10-06T12:52:00.000-07:00

SETH ROGEN: Bear Laid Bare

Fuzzy actor Seth Rogen has been praised for his comedic talents in movies like “The 40 Year Old Virgin“ and “Knocked Up“, and he‘s also a writer and producer in the film biz. He can now officially add “Bear Sex Symbol” to his resume. On a visit to Conan O’Brien‘s show, the host presented Rogen with a flash of a nude drawing (censored for TV) of his guest-- one of a collection created by artist Christopher Schultz. Years ago, most A-list actors would have distanced themselves as much as possible from any dish that he was a desire of homosexual lust. But like his friend Kevin Smith, Rogen seems to embrace his image as a bear icon. "I'm a muse in the creative community of the bear-loving world," he says.

The recently married (Sorry, chasers!) 29-year old may be representing the new breed of Hollywood actors: a generation acknowledge and even appreciate their gay fan base. The nude drawings are from “Pinups”, a magazine of black and white erotica created by Christopher Schultz. “Pinups” describes itself as “a triannual publication that features one male nude pictorial per issue. There are no words-- just an exaggeration of the male classic centerfold. “ The drawings should delight those who freeze- framed Rogen’s bare butt in 2008‘s “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” or who were titillated by Rogen in his tighty whities at the end of “Pineapple Express“ that same year… although, as one blogger noted, “Seth Rogen’s gonna lose his bear cred if he keeps slimming down.” It’s unlikely that Rogen will ever show ALL of his superbad self in his upcoming movies: the dramedy “50/50” or “My Mother’s Curse”, where Rogen will co-star with Barbra Streisand (!). In the meantime, you can see the nekked pics here: www.PinupsMag.com/SethDetail1.html.

　
You can watch the video clip of of Rogen on Conan O’Brien’s show here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjwRWzDBqFY

"I DON'T KNOW HOW SHE DOES IT": Sex and the City... With a Husband and Two Kids

2011-10-06T12:46:00.000-07:00

“I DON’T KNOW HOW SHE DOES IT”
Sex and the City… with a Husband and Two Kids

Why is Sarah Jessica Parker so popular among the gay boys? Maybe we relate to her so well because in “Sex and the City”, Parker’s iconic Carrie so often seems like a gay man trapped in a woman’s body. Those of you devotees who are waiting breathlessly for the next big screen incarnation of “Sex and the City” (like me!) won‘t have to go through withdrawal: In the new film “I Don’t Know How She Does It”, Carrie is back… and now she’s a wife and mother who also manages to have a successful career in the world of big business!

I’m joking. Of course, this movie isn’t a sequel, and Parker doesn’t play Carrie. “I Don’t Know How She Does It” is actually based on the 2002 novel by Allison Pearson. Parker (who, even when “disheveled” from multitasking, still looks as lovely as ever…) is Kate Reddy, a Sarah Jessica Parker-like Boston wife and mother of two small children who manages to play “Mama“ and still hold a demanding job as a finance executive. Kate is smart, energetic, and charismatic. However, one of unfortunate results of her demanding life is that she occasionally has a hard time meeting her own high standards. She feels “guilty” about not cooking something for her daughter’s bake sale, so she buys a pie and beats it up enough to make it look “homemade“. While her kind husband Richard (Greg Kinnear) gets ready for sex, Kate falls asleep… although later on, she is lying in bed awake, with an animated “to do list” swirling around above her head. Kate’s angst level only becomes higher when she takes on a big project requiring her to commute from Boston to New York City. While Parker‘s Kate may be suffering from stress with that commute, it allows us some nice footage of Ms. Parker strolling through the Big Apple, where she seems so “at home”.

Oh, but back to the plot: During the movie, we are treated to talking heads-style commentary from assorted characters in Kate’s life, both supportive (her best friend) and antagonistic (such as the well-to-do stay-at-home mom who judges Kate for working outside the home, and the snaky male co-worker who’s waiting for her to fall so that he can usurp some of her power.) We also get the gimmick of Parker doing voiceover is some of the scenes. Remind you of something?! Of course, underneath the showcase of Ms. Parker‘s idiosyncratic style of humor, there is a message behind this movie, clichéd as may be: Working mothers have a lot on their plate. It’s hardly a revolutionary discovery, but the movie indeed raises a few issues on the psychology of gender. Why is it, even after decades of so-called “enlightenment”, that the idea of a father going away on business would hardly raise an eyebrow, but the woman doing it is still is considered unusual? Can’t men play the parental role just as well while the mother is away? So much for equality between the sexes… What the audience should get from the movie (or from the real life situations of the millions of working women who may have inspired the film) is that women can succeed on their own terms, not having to succeed by being more “like men“. Look at it this way: Parker‘s Kate Reddy is a smart businesswoman, but there‘s also an affable and endearing quality about Kate that ingratiates her to her peers and prospective clients in the business world. You just can’t picture the same character being a male and succeeding by those terms. Similarly, you get an idea of Kate’s personal style for success by comparing her to her no-nonsense assistant (played by Olivia Munn), who may be effective in the business world but just doesn’t have Kate’s charisma, sense of humor, or warmth. Parker’s character is likeable even when her hair is flying all over the place and her clothes are stained. I can’t forgive the overly sweet, too-perfect tacked-on ending of “I Don‘t Know How She Does It“, but I can forgive when Kate tries to use sex to make up for the flaws in her marriage. Carrie Bradshaw would be proud!

"FORK ON THE LEFT, KNIFE IN THE BACK" (and dish all over...): Michael Musto's Greatest Hits.

2011-09-30T08:47:00.000-07:00

“FORK ON THE LEFT, KNIFE ON THE BACK” (and dish all over…): Michael Musto’s Greatest Hits.

     How could you not love a writer who once described a new nightspot (Mars, back in 1989) as “a multi-floor exercise in fun motifs supposedly inspired by ‘Blade Runner‘, but actually more reminiscent of ‘Desperate Living’; it’s retrofuturistic rather than truly forward-facing, which is fine by tomorrowphobic me.”? Author Michael Musto beckons you from the blindingly pink cover of his new book, daring you to open it: It’s the pop culture junkie’s equivalent of a peep show window. Frankly, I didn’t know exactly what to expect with “Fork on the Left, Knife in the Back“. Was this Musto’s autobiography, chronicling his rise from “the only Italian American only child in history” in the bottom part of Brooklyn to America‘s most wanted culture vulture? Nope. (Hallelujah! I love celebrity bios, but can’t stand the perfunctory first few chapters about their childhood… unless they spent that childhood being pawned off at sex parties or on the floor seizing from an overdose.) Is Musto’s book a bitterly opportunistic expose of the entertainment biz, finally revealing the names behind the “blind items” that he regularly titillates us with? Nope again. (And hallelujah again! I couldn’t stomach the thoughts of Musto becoming an industry pariah, my own self-serving desire to read such a book notwithstanding…) Indeed, Musto’s book drops more celebrity names than Jackie Collins synthetically injects into her new novel. But while Collins’ latest book forces a character (a young gay club-hopper) to say heavy-handed lines like, “Do you think Chace Crawford will be there?” in an effort to sound very “2011“, Musto was likely at that A-list club while Crawford was engaged in some behavior that’s, shall we say, NOT A-list…) Michael Musto is one of the only journalists, incidentally, who could mention Chace Crawford and Joan Crawford in the same column and make it work.

     “Fork on the Left, Knife in the Back” is actually a collection of Michael’s favorites from his Village Voice column “La Dolce Musto”, with some of the columns dating back as early as 1985 (The hilarious “Sad Sade and other Singular Sensations”) and 1988 (“Sandra Bernhard Seeks Sperm Donor With Sense of Humor”). It’s a testament to Musto’s skills as a writer that these articles still entertain us, even though seeing a name like Pia Zadora or Marilyn (Boy George‘s ex) can indeed make us realize how much time has passed since Patti Reagan posed for “Playboy”. That said, Musto makes us realize that loyalties to NYC hotspots are always shifting, and celebrities may drop from our radar… but the club scene, in essence, doesn‘t change much (only the names of the clubs do…), and celebs have a funny way of resurfacing, for better or for worse. His “2010 In Review: Googoo for Gaga” concludes with “Everyone‘s switching seats on the same plane these days-- and there are Muslims, too. And not only does President Gaga approve, Secretary of State Katy Perry thinks it‘s totally cool.” (Snap!) And of course, there‘s the chapter “Legally Blind”, featuring Musto‘s famous “blind items“ which will set the readers‘ brains into spasms as they try to figure out who he’s talking about. Good luck!… although I guarantee that anyone even remotely on the periphery of New York City’s nightlife scene can guess a few. (from 2006: “What heartthrobby young actor was told by his publicist to lose the gay friends because that’s how rumors start? [The rumors may have also started because the actor is indeed a big, old faygeleh bottom, which some find a shame seeing as his dick is even bigger than his ego.]”) (Snap again!)

　
　 As said before, Musto’s book isn’t a bio per se, although some of the best columns involve Musto’s own experiences as a commentator and counterculture star in his own right: “It‘s all so wildly glamorous and exciting, but you’ll quickly find that as a professional talking head, you’re the world’s only whore who doesn’t get paid.” Alongside the gossip and Musto’s interviews with the likes of Paris Hilton and porn czar Michael Lucas, the writer makes some very keen observations on everything from the dearth of NYC nightlife (written, prophetically, in 1987 and more relevant than ever today) to Marilyn Monroe’s legacy as sex symbol. One of the last passages in the book is a March 2011 column called “Why I Hate NYC! 41 Angry Reasons”, which concludes (sort of…) with “But the main reason why I hate New York is that, despite all of the above thirty-nine reasons, it has such an unbreakable power over me that there’s no way I’d ever dream of leaving. Besides, I can’t drive. Mwah, city!” I love happy endings!

     Loaded with an infinite number of priceless zingers, “Fork on the Left, Knife on the Back “ is the equivalent of the cocktail hour at a gay wedding (officiated by the ever-enduring Lady Bunny, natch…) where Tony Award winners and aging Hollywood legends mix with go-go boys, porn stars, and self-aggrandizing pseudo-celebs. As we all know, he cocktail hour is always more fun than the long, boring sit-down dinner anyway… especially with Michael Musto as host.

"THE SEX GOD": Divine Debauchery

2011-09-15T23:48:00.000-07:00

David Dietzen’s vast novel “The Sex God” takes place in the adult film industry, between the years of 1981 (when porn was first flexing its love muscles as a multi-million dollar industry) to 1990 (when a certain nascent phenomenon known as the Internet was prepared to change the world of skin flicks forever). Using the jizz bizz as a backdrop, the book follows the story, in first-person narrative, of our anti-hero Nick Dumas: “The Sex God“ of the book‘s title. Right away, Dumas makes sure to inform the reader that he is “a fourth generation Charlestonian aristocrat“ and “a descendant of Charlemagne“. He‘s also a graduate of Yale. Nevertheless, the restless charmer is ruthlessly determined to be someone bigger (meaning: wealthier and more powerful) than he perhaps was meant to be. Porn again… I mean, born again as “Nick Valentine“, he takes the dive into the dangerously dark waters of adult films, engaging in acts of mutual exploitation with most of the people in his life on the way to the top… and while on top as well. He doesn’t perform in the movies, but rather becomes a monarch in a kingdom where sex on film translates into big bucks. Like the glossy video box covers which seductively stared back at the customers in the adult section of an ‘80‘s video store, however, the pretty picture that we see is only skin deep. In the world of “The Sex God”, ambition often morphs into dangerous opportunism and manipulation… and that’s just an appetizer for grander sins like corruption, violence, rape, and yes, even murder. It’s a world where every man is for himself… and for that matter, every woman is for herself as well. Altruism is a luxury none of these characters can afford. True to its title, there’s sex aplenty throughout Dietzen’s novel… but the sex is almost always just another tool to getting at the real goals: money and power. Running parallel with the saga of Nick Dumas is the story of another character, a mystery woman who we learn had been attacked, raped, and left for dead in a burning barn. She survives, changing identities several times as she runs both away from and towards…well, something. The stories do converge together by the book’s climax, but even the most astute readers will be thrown for a curve with the many twists, turns, surprises, and revelations which the author has waiting. (It’s enough, incidentally, for a sprawling TV miniseries…) Ultimately, no one gets the prize in this adults-only carnival of bodies and souls.

     A deliciously self-indulgent writer, Dietzen never bypasses a single detail, whether he’s going inside our sex god’s overheated head or describing the world which Nick both entered willingly and was railroaded into at the same time. Dietzen’s writing style is vivid, decadent, and lively. The best example of this is the opening of Chapter 17, which lets the reader play “fly on the wall” for an explicit, almost surreal porn scene that runs over four pages. It’s, shall we say, a sheet-soaker for sure. Whoa! Yet, the author can also be subtle: The relationship between Nick and his reigning male porn star Terrence, for example, is titillatingly cryptic.

　      Making Jackie Collins‘ novels seem like kid stuff, “The Sex God” is a darkly decadent experience that you‘ll want to play voyeur to! “The Sex God” is available from www.Amazon.com, www.FlipKart.com, www.Waterstones.com, and Barnes & Noble online (www.BN.com).

"DEVIL" DOLLS: "Dally With The Devil": Power Plays, Blackmail, Media Spin… Politics As Usual!

2011-09-15T14:34:00.000-07:00

“DEVIL” DOLLS:
“Dally With The Devil”: Power Plays, Blackmail, Media Spin… Politics As Usual!

      Watching Victor L. Cahn’s sharp new play, “Dally With the Devil”, directed by Eric Parness, made me think of the classic 1939 MGM film “The Women”. For those who don‘t remember, the entire cast of that movie was female. The film’s intriguing tagline was “It’s all about the Men”-- even though no men actually appeared on screen. Similarly, “Dally With the Devil” is “all about the men” as well. Specifically, it’s about two men who are both running for the same seat as Senator. Make no mistake, however; this is 2011, not 1939. While the women in “Dally With the Devil” are not running for public office themselves, it’s clear that they are not just silent supporters of political movers and shakers; they are equally powerful players in a game where, like love and war, all is fair.

      In “Dally With the Devil“, we learn just how much power these women have. The play opens at the idyllic beachside getaway home of Charlotte (Erika Rolfsrud), a journalist who writes for an influential blog named Demon.com. Ivory Girl-prettiness aside, the ultra- sarcastic blogger is completely aware of her own power. She‘s not above using pitbull-like ferocity and invoking the “public’s right to know” to get her info-- even if, as one character states, she employs such tactics as stealing and blackmail to do so. (The character’s feminine but no-nonsense persona may remind you of Cynthia Nixon’s Miranda Hobbes in “Sex and the City”, if Miranda had maybe chosen journalism over law) In the first act, she is visited by her former professor, Irene Hopkins (Elizabeth Norment), now blunt-spoken and seemingly world-weary. The dramatic tension is clearly palpable as soon as the two women greet each other. Right away, we sense that these two ladies are too wary to be "friends"-- and that this isn't just a visit to reminisce about old times. Irene has quite a story for her former student. She unleashes a potentially explosive revelation about what happened during a certain right-leaning Senatorial candidate's military career a few years back... and it's all purportedly verified by documentation. Even if a portion of these accusations prove true, they would kill any political career. Later on, Charlotte gets another visitor, this one unexpected: Megan Hunter (Elizabeth A. Davis), a former Marine who has traded her fatigues for lipstick and skirts. Her staid demeanor, however, remains intact from her military career. Megan has a close but titillatingly undefined relationship with a certain right-leaning Senatorial candidate. Yep, it's the same man who Irene was trying to smear a few days prior. And like Irene, Megan presents Charlotte with some accusatory documents over her own, the target being (You guessed it!) her man's political opponent. Megan's revelations initially do not impress the notorious blogger, until the veteran unleashes one that's too big to ignore. Then, in one stroke, the play is not just about just the two male politicos. It becomes just as much about the trio of women themselves-- especially their individual motivations. Even the most astute of audience members will be taken by surprise with the dramatic manipulations that ensue in the tense Third Act, when all three of the actors are on stage together. One of the characters states, "Am I wrong, or is this awkward?" She's not wrong...

      "Dally With the Devil" features superb acting by all three players. Throughout the running time, a recurring theme is how individual ambitions (and occasionally, opportunism...) can be the motivation behind everything from "patriotism", to pursuit of a specific socio-political agenda, to getting a “great story” in the name of the “public’s right to know”, et cetera… These characters also remind us that women not only can play the political game as well as men, but that they can-- for better of worse-- make and break the rules with equal zeal.

      "Dally With the Devil" is playing through October 8th at The Beckett Theatre on Theater Row, 410 W. 42nd St on Tuesdays at 7PM, Wednesday through Friday at 8PM, Saturdays at 2PM and 8PM, and Sundays at 3PM. Visit www.Telecharge.com or call (212)239-6200 for tickets. For more info, visit www.DallyWiththeDevil.com.

JOE MANNETTI: “This Is What 50 Looks Like!”

2011-09-03T00:43:00.000-07:00

JOE MANNETTI: “This Is What 50 Looks Like!”

      Who is Joe Mannetti?  " He’s one of the most visible faces (and torsos!) in the Bear world, being the Recipient of multiple local and regional Titles as well as having the distinction of being named "Best Bear Fundraiser of the Year 2009 and 2010" in The "Best of the Bears" Poll not too long ago.  The performer/writer/activist hugs… uh, I mean, embraces his role as a bona fide Bear icon in a big way, while fiercely maintaining his own individuality. To paraphrase a popular singer, “He does it HIS way“! Joe is a member of Sandy “Mama” Reinhardt’s coast-to-coast philanthropic org Mama’s Family, where he was named “Mama's Care Bear” for his dedication to the Leather Nation and the GLBT community at large. Joe is also Mr. Southern California Cub 2006, Mr. Long Beach Pride Bear/Cub 2008, Mr. Los Angeles Bear 2008, Mr. Southern California Bear 2008, and Mr. International Daddy Bear 2009. Whoa!!! (Maybe my first interview question should be, “Do you have a separate room dedicated to all your sashes?”!) He’s also a Goodwill Ambassador of Hope for The Dab the AIDS Bear Project, a community-based organization of concerned citizens infected and/or affected by HIV and AIDS.

     Mannetti is also a writer and a performer as well as an activist, having been seen in the popular gay indie films “Another Gay Movie” and "Bear City“. Smarter than the av-er-age Bear, Mannetti holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling, has worked as an HIV testing counselor, and is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in the woof-inducing online magazine “All Bear“ and in other online webzines. Joe Mannetti will soon be celebrating his 50th birthday. At a time in life when so many gay men are stripping a few years off their real age or are still hiding that decaying portrait in their attic, Mannetti is hugging… uh, I mean embracing his age in a big way. Personally, I want to take a giant picture of Joe (shirtless, of course!), scrawl “This Is What 50 Looks Like!” across it, and parade it across town. The bear-lebrity spoke to Jed Ryan about the his upcoming endeavors. This is my second interview with Mr. Mannetti… but don’t you dare call it “sloppy seconds”!

JR: Hello Joe! Thanks for speaking with me! What projects have you been involved with lately?
JM: Howdy Jed! It’s always a pleasure speaking with you! Thanks for stopping by to chat with the Ol’ Daddy Bear! Congrats on your Leather title, Mr. Rawhide 2011! You are doing a great job fundraising for our communities and to help support Leather history archives. Keep up the good work, Champ!
JR: Thanks! I do my best!
JM: As for me, I have been keeping busy trying to get my acting career going. I have always been involved with work in low-budget independent films. But I was always the “Bear cameo or walk-on” at the end of the movie. It was fun. But I am trying to get better roles in films now. I want a chance to really act. If I have talent, hopefully I will get that chance. I acted in a gore-fest flick that is making the rounds on the film festival circuit right now. I got to play a featured lead in one of the segments in it. My part is very dark. It is unlike anything that I have done before. The movie is your typical blood-bath piece of shit. But I have one scene that allows me to truly act in it. That is the only reason why I agreed to be in the film in the first place. I have not seen it myself. But I have been told by several people who did see it that they really liked my acting. I also just submitted to audition for some roles in some other film projects. I am seeking professional representation that will finally get me into SAG and AFTRA, and I just posed for some new shots taken by photographer Adam Woomer in NYC. We’ll see what happens. I have no problem with anything that I have done – even being a Bear Pin-Up. But, let’s face it. I will be 50 years old in a few months. I need to focus on other goals. Not that there is anything wrong with the Bear Pin-Up stuff!

JR: I’ll say! Hey, a Bare Bear is always a great thing! Now, recently, IBR (International Bear Rendezvous) has come to an end, with the last one having been in February 2011. This event, founded in 1994, was considered to be one of the biggest and most emblematic Bear events in the country and even the world. The creators of the event, The Bears of San Francisco, stated that the official reasons were financial in nature, as well as burnout by the Coordinators. They also stated that registration for their event dropped, even though there was a proliferation of other Bear events popping up all over the country competing for attention. What do you make of the end of IBR?
JM: Well, if anything happens, it usually happens for a reason – or a variety of reasons. Sure, the current economy had something to do with it. But that doesn’t explain why, despite the current economy, IML (the International Mister Leather event) is still going strong in Chicago. Chicago is facing its own financial troubles just as much as San Francisco is right now. Different cities might be experiencing more or less economic crisis. There is a lot to explore and examine. But I strongly suspect that money was probably not the bottom line issue as some people are claiming now. I definitely think that money and costs had something to do with it. But it was other contributing factors that really brought the curtain down in my own humble opinion. Burnout probably was a factor. But how much encouragement was given to new coordinators who came on board? I don’t have the answers, and I am not trying to wrongly accuse anyone or make incorrect assumptions. I loved my IBR experiences, and I was treated very well most of the time. But I know that others had different experiences, and I observed that myself too. It was unfortunate. I think that if “change” had been more aggressively embraced along with listening to the desires of our communities, Bear and Bear lovers alike, IBR might have continued longer. I could be wrong. I do know that I met some amazing people like John David Elam (Mr. International Bear 2009). Together, with the help of so many great volunteers, we were able to raise a lot of money for some very worthy support services that help our communities. That is a wonderful legacy for IBR to have left behind.

JR: Yeah! In June 2011, the iconic New York City gay bar The Stonewall Inn held its first ever Mr. Stonewall Bear Contest, with Mike Fass (AKA Drummerbear) receiving the Title of Mr. Stonewall Bear 2011 and Jay Edwards receiving Mr. Stonewall Cub 2011. As a mover and shaker in the Bear community yourself, what advice would you give to these gents-- or any new Titleholder or aspiring Bear activist-- about being a role model for the Bear community?
JM: My advice is not to focus on being a role model. I certainly do not consider myself one. I would never advocate that anyone, for any reason, hold up my life as a blueprint to be copied for any model of success. My life is my own. Your life should be your own. A title holder should bring in his own vision and his own sense of self to his journey. If I could share anything, I would say be true to yourself and to your communities. Focus the spotlight on something that you feel offers a contribution of lasting and significant value to others. The title, in and of itself, stands for nothing unless you make it stand for something. You decide what you want it to represent based on your own vision and abilities. Connect with people and organizations that support your goals. Make a difference and always acknowledge the fact that anything that you accomplish requires a collaborative effort with others. Nobody achieves anything significant alone, with or without a title.

JR: You have lived in Los Angeles and spent a great deal of time in New York City too… and you now call Connecticut your home. Many people have opined about the different mentality between life in L.A. and life in NYC… and then, of course, living in the suburbs adds a whole new perspective into the mix too! Where do you personally feel most “centered”, especially when it comes to being a self-identified Bear?JM: I love New York City. I was raised in New York before I moved to Los Angeles to give life a try in Movie-Land, USA! I made a lot of great friends who I still love very much in the Southland. Obviously, I did dig a lot of stuff about life in L.A.! I lived there for 24 years! But, New York is my home. Regarding the “Bear” scene, I would have to say that San Francisco remains the HUB of Bear life just as Chicago is considered Leather Central by so many folks. There are Bear communities that are THRIVING all over the world! But I still say that San Francisco is the main station where Bear history and communities are most identified as being celebrated worldwide. New York City is MY home in my heart – now and always.

JR: That’s great to hear! So, Joe, what do you feel is the most important issue facing the GLBT community as we start to see 2012 on the horizon? When I have asked that question to the masses before, the predominant answer seems to be marriage equality. What’s your opinion?
JM: I think that equality and recognizing same-sex marriage are very important issues! How could you argue that point? Of course, same-sex couples deserve the right to legal marriage! It’s absurd to even argue about it. It’s a no-brainer! But, for me personally, I would like to see the dialogue on finding a cure and a vaccine for HIV/AIDS get re-ignited again. The virus is still with us. It is still infecting people. It is still impacting lives. Gay marriages, and Straight marriages, would be so much greater if our quality of life was improved by the absence of HIV/AIDS in the world. Don’t you agree? I would also like to see even more attention directed towards programs that support and protect LGBTQ youth, senior LGBT folks seeking housing and assistance, increased efforts to promote meth addiction recovery services, and we need to support awareness and outreach that protects Transgender people!

JR: You made a decision to go back to being an actor and performer full time. I know that you have had some ups and downs along the way… and a good deal of drama too! What is it like trying to make it as a professional actor? It seems like you’ve learned a lot about the film industry as of late-- both positive AND negative!JM: How can you avoid "drama" if you are involved in the acting field? I mean, that is what acting is all about, right?
JR: (Laughs)JM: Seriously, I feel that the only drama that any actor should have to focus on is the professional emoting that he attempts to develop in his work. It's been my experience that the personal drama that can erupt on sets between some casts and crews is most often the result of something else. When unprofessional behavior is inflicted upon others by amateurs on power trips who get off on bullying people who care about their work, it creates the personal drama. There is never any such thing as a perfect work environment. But when you feel exploited in one too many bad productions spoiled by hack directors pushing bad scripts, it can really do a number on you. The bad films that I have acted in were horrible experiences. Most of it had to do with the director and his production team in each case. This can happen at any level of filmmaking. But, when you have no union protecting your work, an actor can become a target for some very unprofessional people. Unions like Screen Actors Guild were developed for very good reasons. Low-budget filmmaking can be the most exciting and exhilarating experience any actor can have with the right director and the right team. It can also be Hell on earth with the wrong director and the wrong crew, especially in a non-union situation without any guarantee of any professional guidelines or the promise of even a minimal salary for your hard work. So, what have you learned, Dorothy? No actor should work for anyone without pay. If they offer you nothing, it establishes that they think that you are worth nothing. It’s a set-up for a truly horrible experience no matter how desperately you may want the opportunity to be in a movie. Don’t do it. Actors need unions. Working non-union may be necessary when you are starting out. But, if you are serious about advancing in the acting field, you must get union representation as early as possible to insure decent pay, appropriate credit for your work, and respectful/civil treatment on any movie set. Screen Actors Guild would never have allowed even one fraction of the truly abusive and unprofessional behavior that I experienced and observed on my last non-union movie project. I realize that now, and I am sure that the director who took a sick kind of pleasure in having free reign to exploit others realized it at the time too. It was a grotesque experience. I really have nothing positive to say about any director who sends actors emails calling them “dumb faggots” or sends messages to women online calling them “cunts.” It’s a disgrace to the low-budget independent film industry that this director is winning awards for his movie on the indie film festival circuit right now.

JR: One of your recent projects is being interviewed in a documentary about transman and adult film star Buck Angel. What was your involvement with that project?
JM: Award-winning documentary filmmaker Dan Hunt told me he was working on directing and producing a film about the amazing life of Transgender Porn Mega-Star Buck Angel. I told him that years ago Buck and I had worked together. Actress and Performance Artist extraordinaire Selene Luna approached me at the time about her friend Buck Angel needing someone to agree to pose nude with him for some kinky shots.
JR: Yum!
JM: Back then, nobody would agree to work with Buck because he was a man with a pussy! I was outraged by their narrow-minded prejudice, and I was anxious to pose with such a sexy and interesting individual! I was impressed by Buck’s radical independence and spirit. So, I signed up for the gig, and we took the shots together! Buck and his assistant/partner were two of the most wonderful people that I ever worked for in my life. They treated me well, and they paid me very decently. I cannot say the same about everyone who I worked with in the industry. Years later, Buck thanked me for being one of the only men at that time willing to work with him. It was an honor. When I told Dan about my experience with Buck, he asked me to be interviewed for his documentary on him.

JR: Wow! I really like Buck’s work, so I can’t wait to see the final project! Now, while we are on the subject: In the past, you have been very open about your work in the adult film industry. You are now “retired”, but a lot of adult film stars have higher rates of recidivism than Lindsay Lohan. Would you ever consider going back to that career path?
JM: It’s enough that some folks still tolerate me being bare-chested in photos at my age. No, I do not wish to go back to performing in adult films. I really was never pleased or comfortable with my work in them if you want to know the truth. They were very cheaply shot productions. I don’t regret that I did it. I didn’t get wealthy from participating in it, as some folks seem to believe. I just got a lot of notoriety, and the producers got a lot of money. End of story. But I still do advocate that people should have the freedom to choose whether or not they wish to be involved in porn without being discriminate against for it. They also need and deserve protective guidelines. There should be HIV and STD testing available for all performers. I do not support porn that promotes unsafe sex (anal sex without condoms) or allows drug use/abuse on the set. Children/minors should never be sexually exploited in porn or outside of porn. Consenting adults have the right to do whatever the fuck they want to do on and off camera. Judging adults for being involved in porn is more perverted than anything that they do on the set. This current generation of “Gladys Kravitz” characters that self-righteously point fingers at others are truly pathetic and laughable. I am not talking about the Religious Right as much as the hypocrites that exist within our own LGBT communities. Get a fuckin’ life! Better yet, start getting fucked in your own life so that you don’t have to obsess on the fucking that other folks are enjoying on and off camera. Joe has spoken!

JR: And when Joe speaks, people listen! In your posts on Facebook, I learned that you have a fascination with Jayne Mansfield, Marilyn Monroe, and a few other misunderstood, late blonde actresses from vintage Hollywood! So do I, by the way! Where does your affinity for these women come from?
JM: These ladies were individuals who challenged sexual boundaries and made the world a more sexy and enjoyable place for all of us in the process! What’s not to love about any of them? I don’t particularly love the way that most of them were treated by moralistic and sex-phobic bigots. But a lot of them did display a resilience that was wonderful. Jayne Mansfield laughed right along with everyone at her own image a good deal of the time. She was far more confident and in charge than Marilyn in response to her detractors. Marilyn, of course, was actually very wise and very sensitive about sexuality and how her image was viewed by the public. She was also treated very poorly by the people who exploited her the most ruthlessly. A lot of them are still profiting from her long after her tragic death. That makes me sad – and angry. There is a lesson there, and it is not just the crap about how troubled she supposedly was during her life. The more significant point, to me, is how much trouble was thrown into her life by some very mean-spirited and truly self-serving people. The ladies that I love also include Gypsy Rose Lee and Mae West. Gypsy, like Jayne Mansfield, laughed first at herself before others did. She was quite a gal. Mae West, of course, liberated and empowered herself with her sexuality. Mae was all about healthy living and being the best you that you could be. She advocated, “No drinking and positive thinking.” She never got into abusing drugs or alcohol, and she created her own material. I dig her style 100%. The more tragic figures like Barbara Payton and Yvette Vickers teach us as much about ourselves, in terms of the way that they were treated and their lives sadly ended, as they do about anything. So, I identify with a lot of the strengths and human frailties of all of them. Personally, I like to keep most of my focus on the strengths part. I am a strong person just in case you didn’t know by now.

JR: I noticed, trust me! So, what does Joe Mannetti do for fun?
JM: I work!
JR: Now, you know what they say about “all work and no play”! Be careful! Thanks again, Joe!

You can see more about Joe Mannetti on IMDB at www.IMDB.com/name/nm2361696 and visit Joe on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/JoeMannetti

THE SHORT SHORTS CHRONICLES, Part 2:“They Tried to Make Me Wear a Speedo. I Say ‘No, No, No!…'“

2011-08-25T18:33:00.000-07:00

THE SHORT SHORTS CHRONICLES, Part 2
“They Tried to Make Me Wear a Speedo. I Say ‘No, No, No!…'“

     WWMSD? (What would Mark Spitz do?) According to the headlines, a 61-year old Long Island lifeguard named Roy Lester claimed that he was fired from his job because he “refused to wear a Speedo”. He is quoted as saying, "I wore a Speedo when I was in my 20’s. But come on. There should be a law prohibiting anyone over the age of 50 from wearing a Speedo." Hey, wait a minute… I have issues with that! In fact, I am publicly declaring that for my big “Five Oh!”, I want everyone to give me a Speedo as a gift. But anyway, here’s the story: Lester is claiming age discrimination, believing that the “Speedos rule” is a mechanism used to filter out the older lifeguards. Does he have a case, or is this GILF all wet?

     No man, regardless of age or body type, should be forced to squeeze his family jewels into a scrote tote… uh, I mean “Speedo”, against his will. A square cut Greek-style bathing suit or snug pair of mid-thigh trunks would do the job of lifesaving just as well. At first, Lester’s gripe seems legit… but calling it “age discrimination“ just seems a bit too out there as a defense. And, this case of man versus marble bag… uh, I mean “Speedo“, is more complicated than it seems. Lester actually filed this suit in 2007. He states that back then, he was forced out of the Jones Beach lifeguard job he had held for 40 years when he refused to wear a ding-a-ling sling for the annual swim test. Lester sued, claiming age discrimination. The suit was dismissed on technical grounds in 2008, as was yet another suit Lester filed in 2009. Last week, an appeals court reinstated his claim. Lester's case could go to trial this year in his native Long Island. (I can’t wait to watch that case on TV. Lawyers, submit your briefs!) Currently, the established protocols of the lifeguard tests state that male candidates must wear "boxer, briefs or board shorts" during a 100-yard swim-- which they must finish in 75 seconds. Apparently, Lester prefers to wear biker shorts, which are not allowed. There is currently no policy specifically requiring lifeguards to wear banana hammocks… uh, I mean “Speedos”, during their annual tests. Whether or not there USED to be such a requirement in 2007 or 2008 may determine which way the verdict will, ahem… hang.
　
     And then there’s whether or not it’s “age discrimination”. Judging by pictures of the very fit Roy Lester, you’d think that this sexagenarian would WANT to wear a ding-a-ling sling… uh, I mean “Speedo“-- not for vanity reasons, but as a statement about the importance of health and fitness at any age… and to be an inspiration for other Viagra-aged men. (Personally, I wish I COULD wear a Speedo at work…!) Interestingly, in a 2006 union newsletter posting, Lester accused officials at his workplace of disciplining Jewish lifeguards more often than Genital… uh, I mean Gentile, lifeguards. So, maybe the has a point. He probably got tired of hearing, “That Speedo is so tight, I can tell your religion!”

THE SHORT SHORTS CHRONICLES, Part 1: MMA Fighter Dennis Hallman’s Wardrobe Malfunction

2011-08-25T14:08:00.000-07:00

THE SHORT SHORTS CHRONICLES, Part 1
MMA Fighter Dennis Hallman’s Wardrobe Malfunction

“Hallman really showed some BALLS that night!”
“ He went NUTS!”
“Yes, he really is a BALLS-OUT fighter!”

Along with cowboys, rugby players, and leathermen, the men of mixed martial arts (MMA) are considered to be among the last bastions of masculinity in this day and age. To state the obvious, the boys who compete in these full contact combat sports are required to be in top physical shape. Apparently, MMA fighter Dennis Hallman (His nickname is “Superman”. Check out his choice of undies for the UFC 123 weigh-in down below…) isn’t shy about showing off his assets, including the family jewels. In a story that’s gonna “stick out” in MMA history for a while, the 35-year old former state champion wrestler wore a skimpy, violet-colored pair of briefs which left little to the imagination when facing Brian Ebersole on August 6, 2011 at UFC 133. Hallman's left testicle was briefly (ahem…) exposed, reportedly eliciting chants of "Put some clothes on!" from the crowd and irking the UFC President Dana White. White was reportedly so incensed at the short shorts ("I've never been so embarrassed being in the UFC.") that he supposedly awarded Ebersole a whopping $70,000 for getting Hallman-- and those short shorts-- away from the sight of the TV audience as soon as possible. He even hinted about firing the welterweight Hallman. After all, this is MMA… not pro wrestling, where the more outrageous costumes and antics are looked upon more positively. Hallman’s banana hammock caused a field day in the world of sports journalism, and led one writer to entitle an article, “Dennis Hallman's Short Shorts Inducted into ESPN's Pantheon of ‘Worst Looks in Sports History‘”. Hallman later stated that his choice of brief briefs was for losing some kind of bet. Looks like his loss was a gain for lovers of the male physique…

As, ahem “fallout” from the incident, UFC Prez Dana White may even impose new restrictions on how “skimpy” the MMA bottomwear can be. I say, “Hell no!” As a bona fide American, I believe in the right to bare arms… or any other body part you wish. In that infamous match, Hallman lost the fight via TKO in the first round. But look at all the new fans he gained!

MAKE “MAE DAY” A NATIONAL HOLIDAY!!!

2011-08-22T12:09:00.000-07:00

MAKE “MAE DAY” A NATIONAL HOLIDAY!!!

     Reportedly, August is the only month in which there are no major American holidays. I am therefore proposing that we make August 17^th “Mae Day”, in honor of the birthday of late star Mae West-- not to be confused with “May Day” (AKA Beltane), the Wiccan/pagan fertility holiday celebrated on May 1^st.Actress/writer Mae West only made 12 movies, yet she is considered to be one of America‘s most iconic sex symbols in the history of cinema. To this day, her emblematic quotes are still engrained in pop culture: “When I’m good, I’m really good. But when I’m bad, I’m better!” Or how about, “It’s not the men in my life; it’s the life in my men!” (I‘ll drink to that!) The actress was entirely her own creation. Mae wasn’t the first woman to be sexy on the big screen… but her in-your-face sexual persona was completely unique at the time. Unlike other female sex symbols of vintage Hollywood, her image wasn’t based on using sexuality for manipulation, or about being sexy by the terms of the men in her life. She was bold about S-E-X because, well… she wanted it-- but on her own terms. Her hidden intentions and double entendres were not lost on more sophisticated audiences… nor, sadly, were they lost on the virulently repressive movie censors. The fascist censorship policies of Hollywood at the time was, in fact, largely credited with the decline of Mae’s film career.

     Although her significance may have been lost somewhat on the younger generations of gays, Mae was a bona fide gay icon and remains one of the women most imitated by drag queens to this day, whether or not the queens themselves even realize it. Her gay appeal was not lost on Mae herself. Just as she knew what straight men wanted, she seemed to know what gay men wanted too. West was definitely a friend of the homos, although many sociologists would argue that her opinions on gays, well-intentioned as they may have been, would seem dates and even derogatory today: She reportedly referred to gay men as “The Third Sex” and also supposedly claimed that homosexual sex was “a form of masturbation, bringing temporary relief but no real satisfaction.” Reportedly, Mae also stated that “A bitchy itchy homosexual can be worse than a bitchy woman.” (How can you argue with that?!) Before she became a movie star, she presented a play in 1927 called “The Drag” (“A Homosexual Comedy in Three Acts“), which dealt “confidentially and frankly with the subject of male homosexuality“. The play opened in Bridgeport, Connecticut (!) where it was a sell-out on opening night and had many hopeful attendees turned away… but the play never made it to Broadway because of the fear of riots. There was even an urban legend that West herself was actually a man in drag or a hermaphrodite… a piece of gossip that sporadically is applied to other predominant female celebrities (Donna Summer, Jaime Lee Curtis, Lady Gaga, Ciara, and Megan Fox among them… ).

     She died at age 87 in 1980, just as a gay male sex revolution was exploding in New York City, San Francisco, and other urban areas… and just before the advent of the AIDS epidemic partly turned the pendulum in the other direction. Her last two movies, the X-rated “Myra Breckinridge” in 1970 and “Sextette” in 1978 (made when Mae was 86 years old!), are both misguided messes… and both are among my favorite movies of all time. Anyone seriously interested in the depiction of America’s sexual mores on the big screen in vintage Hollywood, however, is advised to check out Mae West’s collection of films from her glory days-- almost all of which are available on DVD. (E-mail me if you have trouble finding any of them.). Another of Mae’s quotes was, “Marriage is a fine institution, but I'm not ready for an institution.” Now, there’s a woman after my own heart!!!

     Get ready for Mae Day 2012!
　

ONLY HER HAIRDRESSER KNOWS FOR SURE? A New Insight Into Marilyn Monroe's Last Days

2011-08-22T11:47:00.000-07:00

ONLY HER HAIRDRESSER KNOWS FOR SURE?
A New Insight Into Marilyn Monroe’s Last Days
　
     It’s a distinctly American pop culture phenomenon that we are unyieldingly loyal to our Hollywood icons… even when it’s been almost 50 years since their death. It also seems to be a distinctly American pop culture phenomenon that at least once a year, a new piece of “news” emerges about the late sex symbol Marilyn Monroe: some of it fact, some of it gossip. Did you hear? There’s a video of Marilyn smoking pot! Did you hear? An X-ray of Marilyn’s famous chest and pelvis is estimated to go for $1,200 at Julien‘s Auctions in Beverly Hills! Did you hear? There’s a porn movie starring Marilyn Monroe floating around! That’s actually a commonly recurring one. As recently as June 2011, a Spanish collector planned to auction what he claimed was a newly discovered 8-mm version of a film showing Monroe having sex when she was still an underage actress known as Norma Jean Baker. For the record, at least one Marilyn Monroe expert said that the actress in that film was NOT our Marilyn.

     And then, there are the sporadically recurring conspiracy theories about how Marilyn died. We know that she died at age 36 on August, 5^th, 1962. Her death was well established, through toxicology reports, to have been barbiturate poisoning. But if it was an overdose, was it accidental or intentional? Her death was officially documented as “probable suicide“. However, many people believe that Monroe was murdered. No murder charges were ever filed, yet Marilyn’s death has since become one of the most debated conspiracy theories of all time. Was the sex goddess murdered to keep her from speaking about a possible affair with Robert or John F. Kennedy? Was Marilyn somehow involved with the mob? Was her body moved after she died, or even right before she died? If so, why? A recent article by Chris Epting, author of “Marilyn Monroe Dyed Here: America’s Pop Culture Landmarks”, adds a new view into Monroe‘s last days. Epting listened to taped conversations between late celebrity hairdresser George Masters and Masters‘ nephew, Jeff Platts. Masters was Monroe’s personal stylist and frequent traveling companion. He was a star in his own right: a beauty expert to such celebs as Doris Day, Elizabeth Taylor, Ann-Margret, Lucille Ball, Judy Garland, and others. Perhaps most interestingly, Masters created Dustin Hoffman’s look for the movie “Tootsie”. He also authored the popular 1977 book “The Masters Way to Beauty”. The stylist apparently had a close relationship with Monroe, his most well-known and lucrative client. Masters died in 1998, but left several tapes to his nephew, in which he spilled some deets about Marilyn’s life. Most historically significant was this: The evening before the day Marilyn died, Masters stated he picked up the actress and the two flew together on Frank Sinatra’s private plane to the Cal-Neva Lodge in Lake Tahoe. Marilyn spent the evening in the casino with gangster Sam Giancana. The next morning, she returned home by about 9AM. In other words, she had visited the infamous Cal-Neva Lodge on August 4^th, the day before she died: a fact which was not known previously. Other deets are mentioned, such as Masters’ opinion that Marilyn may have been in love with Sam Giancana. While the article does indeed raise some new questions, it seems to add more mystery to the Marilyn saga rather than offer any answers. Indeed, Masters’ recollections, which include some insight into Marilyn’s personality, does offer some juicy tidbits about the star’s life and persona which many will no doubt appreciate… but no bona fide facts about how she died.

     As a writer with interests in the GLBT world, people often ask me my opinion if a certain celeb, from A-list to D-list, is gay (or bi, or hermaphrodite, or whatever…) I have said over and over again, “You’ll have to ask them yourselves”. Without a statement from the person themselves or from a reliable direct source, you cannot prove facts about a person’s sexual orientation or behavior. So, how can we “prove“ something as serious as a murder conspiracy, especially when Monroe and almost all of the other supporting characters (The Kennedys, Masters, Giancana, Sinatra, Peter Lawford, etc…) are no longer alive, and even more especially considering that the facts are buried under almost 50 years of debris? The only two things that survive are (1) speculation, and (2) Monroe’s publicist Pat Newcomb, who is now in her 80’s and reportedly not talkin’. In 2008, a notorious book called "Hollywood Babylon: It's Back!" by Danforth Prince and Darwin Porter claimed as fact, among other things, that Monroe (1) worked as a prostitute early in her career, (2) made a porn movie with actor Guy Madison, and (3) had sexual dalliances with Ronald Reagan, Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Rory Calhoun, Orson Welles, Barbara Stanwyck, Joan Crawford, Marlene Dietrich, and many other famous men and women. In the follow-up, “Hollywood Babylon Strikes Again!”, the authors reiterate that Monroe indeed had affairs with both men and women, and was not above turning a trick or two when money was tight. The two books also make dozens of claims about stars’ personal lives, from the mildly amusing (Jayne Mansfield called her vagina “Suzi”.) to the lurid (Clark Gable had a “smegma problem”.), to claims about some celebs’ sexual practices that couldn’t be proven unless someone was hiding under the bed taking notes. Again, after someone is dead, it’s pretty easy to say anything about them. They can‘t fight back! But there’s a bigger question: Why is it so important to find out such specific detail how Marilyn died, especially 50 years later? Is it for the sake of historical accuracy alone? Some sociologists believe that if we can prove that high-profile stars who committed suicide (Kurt Cobain comes to mind…) actually did NOT commit suicide, it would be beneficial to those who see killing themselves as a “way out” (or even as “glamorous“), especially if that celebrity was a role model for young people. But this would probably not be the case with Monroe at this point in history.

     One of the beauty tips that George Masters offers in his beauty book was a secret he reportedly learned from Mae West: a daily enema. Ironically, in one of the aforementioned taped conversations, he also states that it was a Nembutal enema that killed Marilyn, and it may have been possibly murder. Yes, it may be 2012... But that’s still too much TMI for this culture vulture. I like to remember my vintage Hollywood icons in a glamorous light. And, in my opinion, it’s Marilyn Monroe’s life we should be preoccupied with… not her death.
　
　
　

CHAZ BONO: Losing His Past, Finding Himself in "Transition"...

2011-08-17T16:29:00.000-07:00

CHAZ BONO:
Losing His Past, Finding Himself in “Transition”...

     It‘s a true story that’s more intriguing than most fiction… and a story where the predominant themes are identity, acceptance, and ultimately, survival: A little girl grows up feeling “different“. She feels sexually attracted to other girls. She comes out as a lesbian to herself as well as to her family and friends, and ultimately finds acceptance. She also eventually finds true love. Later on, however, a restlessness motivated in part by the death of her soulmate causes her to believe that she may NOT be a lesbian, but rather may be a man trapped in a woman’s body. That is the stripped-down version of 41-year old Chaz Bono‘s “Transition: The Story of How I Became a Man“-- without giving Bono the credit as an accomplished musician, writer, and activist which he earned through the years as Chastity and then later as a man reborn as Chaz.

     Bono‘s third book is written in a very basic, almost laid-back style. It‘s without melodrama or overly indulgent language, even as he is describing some VERY personal details about his life, body and soul-- as well as the merciless schism that often arose between the two. With what Bono has to tell us (including issues of childhood abuse, addiction, cancer, the cruelty of the media, and depression alongside the predominant theme of gender identity disorder ), elaborations are not really needed. His childhood was imprinted with a feeling of being “different” as early as he can remember, with a marked difference between how his father Sonny and his mother Cher reacted to young Chastity‘s tomboy tendencies. While his father accepted his desire to dress and act like a boy, his glamorous mom did not. In an early anecdote in the book, Chaz recalls, “At the beginning of the second grade, my mother bought me a jean skirt with Wonder Woman patches on it. She demanded that I wear it to school. Now, I love superheroes-- but my favorite was the Hulk, certainly not Wonder Woman. I think she actually was trying to institute a wear-a-dress-or-skirt-once-a-week to-school rule at the time, so she made me wear the skirt… As I walked down the hall of my elementary school, my friend Jake saw me and quickly came up to me. ’What are you wearing?’ he asked. He was looking at me like I had two heads. ’Why are you dressed as a girl today?’… I was beyond mortified.” Chaz notes that after that emblematic incident, he never wore a skirt or dress again, and his mother never insisted he do so. Victory!

     In “Transition”, we learn about Chaz’ Bono’s life as Chastity in between his “two puberties“: a life that included coming out as a lesbian in a big way, and taking a stab at being a rock star in her own right. While Chastity was less than satisfied with her experience in the music industry (Hit single in Flint, Michigan notwithstanding, only the most ardent analysts of pop culture will remember her band Ceremony.), she found more success and satisfaction with writing and GLBT activism… which continues to this day now that Chastity is Chaz. There’s quite a difference between Bono’s “first puberty” at age 11 (a rather traumatic, unwelcome experience) and his “second puberty“, which was spearheaded by male hormone therapy 29 years later and was more joyous. Bono describes it as “an odd, but exhilarating, time. Through his own story, the reader learns a great deal about the experiences of FTM’s (female to male transsexuals). Chaz’ observations echo what many of his predecessors have stated: that they first identified as lesbians before realizing that they were really men born in women‘s bodies; that the “top surgery“ to remove the breasts was a major step in their happiness and identity, and-- perhaps most worthy of exploration-- how they receive more respect in our society as males than they do as females. That‘s a phenomenon which speaks volumes about the treatment of women in our society, even after years of so-called “enlightenment”. The education in sexual politics is not without its lighthearted moments: Some readers might find it amusing when Chaz learns that (1) straight guys generally don’t hug each other “hello“, and (2) unlike in the ladies’ room, men don’t socialize with each other in public restrooms.

     Chaz’ story may be familiar at least in part to many of his fellow FTM’s… but what is exceedingly uncommon about Bono‘s story, of course, is that Chaz was born in the glaring eye of celebrity, courtesy of some very famous parents. “For better or for worse, my parents’ decision to put me on their television show has shaped the course of my entire life. But even I can’t believe that the cherubic little girl from the television screen would grow up to be a middle-aged man.” Chaz writes. Clearly, he did not have the luxury of disappearing into a nice quiet life that the “transman next door” may have had. This is why I go nuts when some pinheads claim that Chaz Bono is only looking for publicity with his decision to tell the world about his transition. When someone is seen by millions of people on TV beginning with childhood, does that person really even have a choice but to be out in the public eye anyway? Why not own your own story? As Mr. Bono learned, it can be very empowering.

BULK The Series: This September, Love Is Rough!

2011-08-15T09:55:00.000-07:00

BULK The Series:
This September, Love Is Rough!

Let’s face it: Life in the big city can be tough, and it’s even harder when you‘re a sensitive, single guy on the search for a hairy, beary guy to call your own. “BULK” is a new web series set in the Bear community of New York City. The much-anticipated Internet saga follows one character as he looks for love-- sometimes, as the song goes, “in all the wrong places“. Along the way, there’s drama, comedy, a cast of colorful characters, and some unapologetically hot sex. “BULK” will be available to viewers worldwide on the Internet… one of the benefits, you might have deduced, of being a web series. The man behind the groundbreaking new series is Award-winning writer/performer J. Julian Christopher. Raised on Long Island and now living in New York City, Christopher has written and produced the new series and will be playing the main character, Leo Duran. Christopher’s high school friend D.R. Knott has directed about half of the 10 episodes, and is also a Writer and Executive Producer of the series as well. Other episodes were directed by Michael O’Gorman and Merle Augustin.
J. Julian Christopher tells me about his long involvement with the Bear world: “I definitely have been a part of it since I came to New York. Ty‘s, The Dugout (now Rockbar), and The Eagle are the places I was going. I love the Bear community for so many reasons. It’s just like with any family: everyone has their own relationship with it. Sometimes you’re mad at them, but you still love them! This series to be is not necessarily a celebration of the Bear community, but a celebration of people’s lives, and people who I have known who have influenced some of these characters. And it’s nice to give representation to a community that has gotten very little representation. That’s why I am very thankful for ‘Bear City‘, and I am looking forward to ‘Bear City 2‘. It’s great to have all these different images of the Bear community. Many people see gay people as a certain type of person, and they don’t realize that there’s a whole different array. So, I think that representing the Bear community in the media is a great thing to do. Many times I’ve seen queer cinema and theater, and it’s just about ‘being gay‘. We are not really looking to cater to straight audiences. We love straight audiences, of course! (Laughs) But we are not looking to necessarily cater to them, or to introduce our audience members to what the Bear community is. This is FOR the gay and Bear communities, and if other people really get attached to these stories, then that’s great too… but we are not necessarily going to define what anything is for them. These characters are living in their world, and there’s no ‘explanation‘ needed for them.” Fans of will get a chance to get inside the world of J. Julian Christopher’s characters next month. The artist sat with Jed Ryan to talk about “BULK“:

JR: Congratulations about “BULK”!
JJC: Yes. We’re excited about it.

JR: Where did the idea for the series come from?
JJC: It came about a while ago. It’s been almost a three year process. It was early 2008. A friend of mine, (D.R. Knott) and I went to high school together. She went to Columbia for film, and I had been playwriting. We wanted to collaborate. She was asking me what story I wanted to tell. I was trying to think about under-represented stories. I mentioned the possibility of examining the bear community, and she automatically said, “Why don’t we do something in regards to the Bear community?” It’s not going to represent the entire Bear community, but rather it’s a story that takes place in that environment. Because, it’s imagery that you don’t usually see. The usual “gay stories” are of people of a certain stereotype, so we wanted to do something that was a little different. So, we thought that putting the story in the backdrop of the bear community would be an interesting way to do it. We got together, wrote the characters, and created a series from it.
JR: So, it’s been about a three year journey then?
JJC: Absolutely. We had it written for a long time, but we had to make sure we funded it correctly so that we could do it the right way… and then get the right actors. We had a bunch of readings before we went into production. We built up a crew… and we started filming in February.

JR: D R Knott, your friend and Director, is a woman… so where does her affinity for the Bear community come from?
JJC: She’s a really good storyteller, and she wanted to tell a really great story. We’ve been friends forever, and she’s been fantastic as far as supporting me and the community. She said, “We don’t really see a lot of this: men who are bigger, and gay, and have real lives with real stories." We are both dramatic writers, so we wanted it more in the vein of drama rather than comedy. There IS humor in it, but it’s definitely more dramatic. Interestingly enough, she was a big proponent of creating the sexual tension in the series. She’s been great, authentic… and just fantastic!

JR: Nice! Now, let‘s talk about the characters…
JJC: Leo Duran (played by myself) is the lead character. This is basically Leo’s story. He is getting over a breakup-- a bad breakup that ended about a year ago. His ex is named Guy. (played by Jim Noonan). He is trying to get over that relationship and trying to get back into the community. He has been kind of a hermit, and hasn‘t really gone out. He goes back to the bar scene, to Ty’s. Ty’s is where we filmed the bar scenes, by the way. They were great to work with. He gets back into the community and meets a guy, and then it’s his journey of getting into a new relationship-- running into his ex and all of that juicy drama that goes along with that.

JR: Now, it’s tempting to say that you might have based Leo a little on yourself. Is Leo based a little bit on yourself, or are any of these characters based upon real-life people you know in general?
JJC: I guess you can say that anything I write is somewhat based upon personal experience, but nothing is straight out of my life. It’s very different from the play I wrote and produced, “Man Boobs” (with Robert Valin, also in the series; and Jeffrey Marx). That was really semi-autobiographical, but this is fiction. But yeah, personal experiences with love and with break-ups and all that stuff: that definitely plays a part.

JR: I wanted to ask how the Bear community has reacted so far… but you wouldn’t know because the series is not out yet!
JJC: (Laughs) No one has seen anything except the trailer. To be quite honest, the series is not specifically “Bear” per se. There are Bear characters, and it does take place in the Bear community… but it’s pretty much just about relationships. It’s just real people, set in the backdrop of the Bear community. The characters in “BULK” are really comfortable with their bodies, some more than others-- like everyone else. They are really comfortable with who they are. They are just living their lives and then the drama unfolds… without revealing too much!

JR: Speaking about “revealing”… is “BULK” going to be, shall we say, “for adults only” in terms of language, sex, nudity, and all that?
JJC: Yes! There’s definitely R-rated language, and there may be some brief nudity here and there, but only tasteful of course (laughs). We wanted to make it a really raw exploration of theses people’s lives: their relationships and sexual prowess.

JR: Cool! The reason I ask is because I know that many artists have to “tone down“ the more risqué aspects of their work, either to secure funding or for other reasons…
JJC: That’s what‘s wonderful about the web. There are not many restrictions based on that… yet! So, we are able to do a little bit more rather than if we were under some blanket of censorship, from a network or something like that. We wanted each episode to be in the vicinity of four to six minutes or something like that, for the short attention spans of internet users! We wanted to keep it really simple. There will be ten episodes. So, yes, it is rather explicit, because we wanted to make it raw and make it as real as possible. The character’s truths are not to be censored. That’s the world that they live in… which is another reason why we picked that avenue of the web.

JR: The idea of watching a series on the web is becoming more and more popular, but for guys like us that grew up “watching TV” only on a TV-- not on a computer-- it’s still something of a revolutionary idea… kind of like the equivalent of getting your news on the web instead of from a newspaper, or reading a book on a Kindle instead of an actual book.
JJC: True! We wanted to use new technology and try to come out at the forefront of all that’s new, and go with it and see what happens. This is where entertainment is going right now, and so we really wanted to do that. It’s easier, with censorship and all that, to go in that vein. It’s still a new avenue to explore.

JR: As a Writer and Producer, who is one of your influences?
JJC: The theater is mostly my background-- so as a Writer, definitely Paddy Chayefsky. He wrote the screenplays for “Marty“ with Ernest Borgnine and “Network” with Faye Dunaway. He also wrote a brilliant play called “The Latent Heterosexual“. Someone like him tells these very interesting, intricate, and personal stories. His writing is very dialogue-based, and he plays with language. He’s definitely one of my all-time biggest influences, for the screen and for the theater. Definitely Paddy Chayefsky. He’d be the one!

JR: As Writer and Producer, as it difficult to be “just“ an Actor in the series without getting tempted to be “behind the camera” as well as in front of it?
JJC: D.R. and I handpicked the directors. I’ve worked with Mike (O’Gorman) many times, and D.R. worked with Merle (Augustin) over and over again, so we knew that we had a similar vision and aesthetic. We talked with them about the aesthetic that we were looking for. We trusted them implicitly. None of the episodes seem like they are done by different directors. They are all very linked; a shared vision, if you will. And, D.R. was always there on the days she wasn‘t directing, to also give input if she felt it was going in a different direction-- so that we could all “keep it together and make it as cohesive as possible.” In the series, I was just able to put on my “Actor Hat” when in front of the camera, rather than my “Producer Hat”. That way I could really do the best acting job as possible .

JR: If you could pick one dream actor to appear on an episode of “BULK”, regardless of whether it was practical or regardless of cost, who would it be?
JJC: Ooh… I don’t know! Maybe John Goodman?!
JR: (Laughs) Well, maybe he’s available! It’s worth asking! How about Kevin Smith?
JJC: Yeah! Or Zach Galifianakis? That‘s like the “dream cast“!

JR: Sounds great! Now, a hard thing for a lot of artists is to balance your creative side with living day to day and having to make money. Do you think that managing that balance is the hardest part of being an independent artist?
JJC: It’s extremely hard. We filmed the series over 13 days, and only on weekends… because we knew that everyone had other jobs that they needed to do. So, with 10 episodes, it was a long shoot. They are short episodes, but since we since we were only doing it on weekends, we went over a few months shooting it. It was very hard to go back and forth between weekends after a long break and say, “OK. Where were we?” It’s always hard to juggle what you want to do with what you can get paid for-- actually, getting paid for what you don’t necessarily want to do! I’m fortunate enough that I teach at a college, and I love teaching. It’s one of my passions. So, I am fortunate enough t o be making money doing something that I love to do, as well as having this independent project that I also love. So, I am fortunate in that regard. But it‘s always a struggle. It‘s always hard working on a budget. A lot of stuff that we wanted to do in our dreams, we have had to scale back on. The best thing about working independently and working on a low budget is that it almost forces you to be more creative. If you have the money to do everything you want to do, it’s already there. With a budget, you have to think, “How can we make this just as good without having to blow our budget on a specific location?” We sometimes had to rewrite the script to make it work and to make it fit into our budget, and then it ended up being great. The Bear community was just so wonderful as far as helping us. Ty‘s was so great for letting us have their space for an entire weekend, from early in the until when they opened in the afternoon. They were so generous in lending us their space! Rockbar let us do a fundraiser there. The Boys of BEAR-lesque performed to raise money too. A lot of people from the community believed in the project and donated to it, and it was really nice to feel accepted and have everyone saying, “Great job!”

JR: Now, one last question: What makes “BULK: The Series” unique?
JJC: Aside from it being on the Web? (Laughs) What I would love people to walk away with is: (1) seeing representations of themselves physically, and (2) identifying with these characters. The show is about the search for love, which we can all identify with. Leo, the main character, is searching for love, and he sometimes makes a few wrong turns. How is he gonna handle that, and then correct that without making the same mistakes?

JR: Well, I for one look forward to finding out too! Thanks, Jules!

J. Julian Christopher concludes with, “We had a lot of fun writing it, and a lot of fun filming it. We hope people have as much of fun watching it. That’s really the ‘BULK’ of it!” Visit www.BulktheSeries.com for more, and follow “BULK” on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/BULK-The-Series/116965615020078.

“ALL BEAR”: Not Your Father’s Wank Mag! (But It Might Be Your Daddy's!...)

2011-08-15T08:40:00.000-07:00

“ALL BEAR”: Not Your Father’s Wank Mag!

(But It Might Be Your Daddy’s!…)

In the world of “bear-otica”, the online magazine “ALL BEAR” has become a very popular new kid on the block. And that‘s a block with some very woofy neighbors! It makes you realize how much times have changed since a lot us were horny but closeted teens trying to maintain our dignity while buying a copy of “Playgirl” at the local 7-11 (or risk getting caught shoplifting…). As erotica moves away from paper to webzine format, “ALL BEAR” jumped right in. The PDF mag is available worldwide at the click of a mouse… and at $2.40 an issue, that’s a lot of “Grrr!“ for your money! “ALL BEAR” features photo spreads of a wide range of hot and hairy models-- all of them, if you’ll forgive a too-obvious pun, showing off their “bear assets“. You‘ll see everything from amateur Grade A beef to the men of “Bear Films”, one of the most popular Bear porn studios. What you WON’T find is a single twink in any of the 10 issues of “ALL BEAR”. With all the hirsute heat, you may have a hard (ahem…) time scrolling through each issue before your computer screen goes into hibearnation… plus, chances are you‘ll run out of paper towels along the way. The newest issue, Issue 10, features an extended pictorial of Bear couples. Issue 11, featuring an interview with and photo spread of “ginger bear” porn model Buck Ramsey, is due to be out on September 12^th. True, the average issue of “All-Bear” is jam packed with more testosterone than a rugby team drink-up at the local pub. There‘s also erotic fiction, adults-only artwork, and porn DVD reviews. But what makes “All Bear” more than just… shall we say, “masturbation material” is that the magazine has its paw firmly on the pulse of Bear culture. In addition to features and stories, “ALL BEAR” has interviews with and profiles of some of the most dynamic Bears and Bear-supporters on both sides of the Atlantic. Each ish features some nice eye candy with photos of woofy celebs (gay and straight) from the worlds of music, athletics, film/TV, and more. There are also some intimate interviews with the likes of DJ Tim McLoone, writers Paul Chandler and Tony Morgan; “Bear City” director Doug Langway and “Bear City” star/musician Blake Evan Sherman; adult film stars Boyd Summers, Joe X and Jim Grrowl; and Bear Title Holders JD Leggett (Mr. International Bear 2010) and Joe Mannetti (His Titles include Mr. International Daddy Bear 2009). Actor/model Mannetti, in fact, is also a columnist for the magazine. And, not to forget our Goldilockses, one Issue features an interview with singer/songwriter Jill Sobule (the voice behind 1995‘s “I Kissed a Girl” and 2010‘s “The Bear Song”).

The man behind “ALL BEAR” is 51-year old Brit Colin Gunn, who is Creator and Editor of the magazine. Colin, who lives in the town of Stroke-on-Tent… uh, I mean, Stoke-on-Tent (a city which Colin says is “full of Bears”), is happily partnered to Matt for four years. Colin and I spoke about his renegade magazine:

JR: Hello, Colin! Greetings from New York City! So, to start off, when did you first realize that you were, for lack of a more original name, a “Bear lover“? (Hmmm… actually, we should invent a new, exciting term for us guys who love our big and hairy brothers! Contest, anyone?)

CG: Well if I am to be honest, it was at an early age: around 13 or 14. It was at a seaside resort in the UK during one summer and I saw a big, built guy in his late 40’s-- very hairy, and wearing nothing but these light blue, towel-like material shorts. I could not take my eyes off him. And, the fact he was flying very loosely under those shorts helped! (Laughs) From then on I have always been attracted to big hairy guys.

JR: I know the feeling! So, how was the idea of “ALL BEAR” Magazine conceived?

CG: Believe it or not it, it was whilst reading a PDF “Doctor Who” fanzine. I thought to myself that I could do something like this and share a passion. That passion being, of course, BEARS!!!!!! In June 2009, I did a mock up for fun cover of an imaginary Bear magazine showing my partner Matt off in all his glory (that infamous cover appears in “The Best of ‘ALL BEAR‘ 2010“). From that cover, the idea for “ALL BEAR” was born. What followed then was months of research. Yep, research! (Laughs). I wanted “ALL BEAR” to be different from what had come before. I wanted it to appeal to everyone, and highlight that you don’t have to have a 6-pack to be in it. I wanted the everyday man to have his moment in the magazine through the “Featured Guy” pages. Their was only one stipulation and that was, and still is: if you are hairy and stocky/big build you are in. I also wanted to show off the talents of writers and Bear artists, and to freely promote them along with promoting Bear organizations, events, and websites as well. I was also aware of how difficult it is for our Middle Eastern Bear followers to be able to get a publication of this nature, so I wanted to be able to bring a mag that would be ‘safe’ (for want of a better term) for them to enjoy as well as everyone else. I then contacted a lot of my “pals” on various personal sites that I was a member of, asking what type of mag would best suit everyone, i.e. hard copy paper one, or digital one. Out of around 300 plus people I asked, 98% said digital. A vast proportion of them were Middle Eastern or “STR8” guys, many saying it is safer for them to have a PDF version as it was easier to hide away or destroy-- rather than a paper-based one. (Having such material in the Middle East is a criminal offence). Then came the idea of making it a not-for-profit venture. I wanted to share my passion for our Bear brethren, but also wanted the magazine to be easily accessible to everyone-- so I decided, like in the good old days of the fanzine, “ALL BEAR” would be non-profit making. I worked out the monthly hosting fee for the site, the cost of all the software and updates used for it, and came up with the very low price for it…a price that will never ever rise. A promise I intend to keep! One of my biggest bug bears is that people think I make money from this. We live in a far too-commercial world these days, and not many remember the good old days where people did something because they enjoyed doing it and wanted to share with others! In fact, I am very much out-of- pocket with “ALL BEAR“, but I carry on with it because I enjoy it. And if “ALL BEAR” ever starts turning a profit, then anything made after the cost of the magazine’s outlay would be donated to a charity. So a few months later, after being fairly happy with what I had found out, Issue One was released in February 2010. It was very trial and error, and to some extent a bit rushed, and bears very little resemblance to what “ALL BEAR” is today. You can see a clear evolution through the issues to what it is now!

JR: A while back, “ALL BEAR” was boasting a “new look”. How has the reaction been so far?

CG: I cannot believe the response I get from the new look. It has been very positive, and many people think the magazine looks like it’s a professional-looking magazine that you could buy in a store, put together by a team of like-minded individuals. When people find out that in fact it’s 99 percent “me” that puts it all together-- layout and design, editing, getting all the guys’ photos and articles, website design, upkeep of the website and the blog, Facebook, publicity… to name just a fraction of what I do, et cetera-- they don’t believe it! (Laughs) I spend around 40 to 60 hours a week on it at times.

I do sometimes miss the “old” look, but I do think that this new look has a more polished feel to it.

JR: I’ll make a safe bet that most of the guys who read “ALL BEAR” do so for the hot and hairy photos! I myself have a hard (ahem…) time getting past those layouts. Woof! But “ALL BEAR” also has an incredible variety of other great and intelligent stuff: interviews, fiction, artwork, news, and lots more. Do you ever want to just throw your hands in the air and scream, “Hey guys… there’s more to ‘ALL BEAR’ than just naked bears!“?

CG: My aim with “ALL BEAR” was always to make it more than just a “wank mag“. I wanted to strike a reasonable balance of eye candy and articles/stories/interviews, et cetera. I think now I have. Many comments I get are along the lines of “Great mag, about time we had something to read as well as being able to pull one off over – a true full package” (Laughs) My job is done! (Laughs) Predominantly “ALL BEAR” will always be about the pictures; after all, we ALL like to look at pics of hot looking guys… but that does not mean that we cannot have text-based items in as well. Their are some incredibly talented writers out there who I have had the good fortune to feature, like Sean Cockwell and BearquestMN to name just two. And I hope more come on board as well.

JR: While on the subject of “cumming” (ahem), where do you get the models who are in the exclusive “ALL BEAR” photo shoots? Do a lot of guys send in their pictures? That must be hot!

CG: Well as I have said before, I wanted the everyday man to have his spot in the limelight, so to speak. So ALL the guys that have been featured are all from personal sites, like Bearwww.com, Facebook etc. They cannot believe it when I ask them. They think its a wind up (Laughs), and many doubt that they should even be considered to take part in a magazine because they don’t have a six pack or muscled arms!!! One guy I featured actually cried as he could not believe I thought him worthy enough (his words) to even be considered. It helped his confidence no end being featured, and he gets quite a few e-mails from guys after being seen in the magazine. I do think that some of the other magazines out there have forgotten what a Bear is, and its this stigma that makes people think they have no chance of being in a magazine. I wanted to break that mould. It’s all in the title, really: “ALL BEAR“-- chubby, young, old, middle aged, muscled, et cetera… it’s “ALL BEAR”! Another thing I thought of would be get the Featured Guys to send their own pics in. This in itself opens up “ALL BEAR” to be a true international affair, as it meant no matter what country you live in, you can be in the magazine. But something I felt was important was: if people sent their pics in, as opposed to us doing photo shoots, that meant that the individual to be featured would have TOTAL control over what was going to be shown in the magazine. For instance, I ask for around 10 to 14 pictures to be sent in to work from. If I use only 8 of the pics, then the person who sent the set in is OK with what I show, as they sent them in. However, if we went out and took a load of pictures and I choose one that I think may be good, but after it has been in the magazine the individual turns around and says “I wished you had not used that one of me.”, then I felt things could get messy. By sending them in, the individual has said “I don’t mind what you use of these, as I have OK’d them.” It saves a lot of time and hassle and also gives some control of the magazine content over to the individuals that appear.

JR: Gotcha! Now, “ALL BEAR” sometimes uses pictures of hot guys from the so-called “public domain”. Has anyone ever objected to their picture unwillingly showing up in the magazine?

CG: I spend a lot of time considering what goes in the “Internet Zone“. It is one of the most popular sections of the magazine. Again it’s our Middle Eastern friends who appreciate this section more then anything, as it collects together some of the better pics on the net so they don’t have to spend the time looking through the internet. In fact, I also get lots of emails from ‘STR8’ guys saying thank you for this section. The aim of that section, for me, is: If a picture appears in that section then it means, “Hello, what a hot looking guy!” And it is meant to solely honour the individual. I did get an e-mail once that had the subject heading “I wished you had said you were going to use a picture of me!!!” Before I read the actual message itself, i thought, “Oh shit!” But the message then went on to say if I had told him, he would have sent loads more pictures in. In fact, he did and has been a Featured Guy since. Another thing I do with every picture is try to find out if any copyright goes with the picture. If their is a copyright notice on the picture, I stay well clear from it. Anyone wishing to protect their work must ALWAYS put a copyright notice on there image. If no notice is on it, I then run every picture through Photoshop which tells you if any copyright has been tagged within the picture itself but cannot be seen. I have to confess, I do not like this form of stealth copyrighting. It stinks of trying to entrap someone. If you took the image and you think its good enough to show on the internet-- after all, it got out there some way-- then put a clear copyright notice on it. If a picture is of a fairly well-known guy on the internet, then I contact them to ask if its OK to put that particular picture of them in the section. If anyone does ever object, all I can do is assure them that it is there because of how hot as a picture and a guy I thought he was… and I only wanted to honour the individual. And then, of course, to try and get him to be a Featured Guy (Laughs). But I always stress to these guys we are NON-PROFIT making.

JR: “ALL BEAR” is different from a lot of erotic magazines of the past because it’s only available in on-line or PDF form. Do you think people miss the “old school” feeling of actually holding a printed magazine in their hands?

CG: I would love “ALL BEAR” to have a paper incarnation. But it’s down to finances. Plus, I think it would lose what was the original intent of the project in making it accessible to everyone, worldwide. I did start on doing an A5 36-page version on paper called “ALL BEAR Digest“, which would have been a collection of some of the best of the main magazine with one or two exclusives for the digest version. Because of content, it would have to be made and produced in-house; so again, it was finances that held it back. Plus, it would have had to cost a lot more for this than the main PDF version. So, I took that into consideration as well, and felt that it would make it too commercial and would not go with the message of what “ALL BEAR” was all about. That is not to say in the future, I would not reconsider it. But everyone seems to like the digital version more, because of its look and accessibility.

JR: Well, I for one am enjoying it… and I don’t have to worry about getting the pages sticking together (Laughs)! Now, do you have a model who was particularly popular with the readers?

CG: Oh God, their have been plenty. But one in particular did seem to wake everyone up (Laughs). As soon as I released the cover to issue 9, featuring JJ Begley on Facebook, and on the “ALL BEAR” website and blog, I was plagued with emails requesting that I release the issue early. And that is no exaggeration. That cover is rather good, after all. And of course there is Buck Ramsey (Issue 11) as well who has indeed been getting the same response… and we have a returning Feature Guy coming up in Issue 12 that really got everyone’s pulse racing… and that was Brutus, who shares more hot pics with us and is also featured on that issue’s cover. I like to tempt the readers in with those covers! (Laughs)

JR: It works! As Editor, you have the job of looking at dozens of photos of hot, hairy men. It’s a hard job (ahem…), but somebody’s gotta do it! But what do YOU personally find most sexy in a guy?

CG: Yes, it can get to be a bit of a chore at times. NOT! (Laughs) But that question is an easy one to answer: killer smile, fun personality, shaved/short head hair, hairy and stocky to big build. Gets me every time. Think Bob Hoskins in the “Long Good Friday“ or “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” and you won’t go far wrong!

JR: Who would be your ideal celebrity or well-known personality to appear “au naturel” in “ALL BEAR”?

CG: Oh my God, what a tough question. Where to start? Bob Hoskins, James Gandolfini, Steven Spiers, Patrick Cox, Michael Chiklis, Kevin James, Nick Frost, Mark Addy… and that is just off the top of my head!

JR: (Laughs) Imagine having them all at the same photoshoot! You better have a really great caterer! (Laughs) Now, what exciting things do you have in store for us for the next few issues of “ALL BEAR”?

CG: Well as I type this I am thinking and planning out the next eight issues of “ALL BEAR“. I do not want to give to much away but their are some really hot guys coming up in the Featured Guys section. Subscribers will be getting a little “Thank you!“ in December in the form of a free 36-page (minimum) special Christmas Edition of “ALL BEAR“… and the cover for this is another fantastic picture of Jesse. This will ONLY be available to subscribers of the current run of issues (10-12). I am toying with the idea of dong a special Collected Edition of all the fiction that has appeared in the magazine… but not sure about it yet. But it is something I would love to do. So, I will be approaching all the writers soon with that idea. There are some great interviews lined up with Bear celebrities, and I am hoping to be doing something special for the guys over on “Bear City 2“. I am also thinking of Collecting “ALL BEAR”’s back catalogue to date on a CD-ROM, which will be in a jewel case with front and back cover, along with disc label. This will then mean something physical for our readers to have. If this idea took off, then I would think doing that for each issue. And of course, I am always on the look out for more guys to feature; and for anyone who wants to contribute a story or article, they are always welcome. Contributions secures “ALL BEAR”’s future. As a final word, I would just like to thank everyone who supports “ALL BEAR“, either through buying it or through contributing to it. “ALL BEAR” is done for all you guys out there, and I hope you will enjoy it for a long time to come!

JR: Well, I’m enjoying it, that’s for sure! Thanks for speaking with me, Colin!

Pictures, stories, features, erotica, dirty cartoons, interviews… The only thing missing is a “scratch and sniff” feature! Colin, are you listening? Visit http://www.all-bear.co.uk/ for more!

JUDY GOLD’S RETRO REMOTE CONTROL. "The Judy Show" Is A Real Turn-On!

2011-08-13T08:55:00.000-07:00

     “The Judy Show: My Life as a Sitcom” is the name of statuesque comedian/actor Judy Gold’s new one-woman theater piece. It would also be the name of her TV show… if she had one, that is. And Judy wants her own sitcom badly-- because, as she points out, “sitcom= second bathroom“! Throughout the show, Our Ms. Gold bemoans the fact that despite her out-of-the-ordinary life (She’s an out and proud lesbian mother of two, making a living as a comic and actress in New York City…), her attempts to get a show of her own have been as futile as Natalie on “The Facts of Life” trying to get laid. The intimate space of New York City’s DR2 Theater works well for “The Judy Show”. The audience is warmed up with those oh-so-familiar sitcom themes, as well as the stage décor: glossy promo photos from all the TV shows we knew and loved. Those shows include “The Brady Bunch” (Judy‘s favorite, we learn later…), “The Golden Girls“, “Bewitched”, “Who’s the Boss?”, “Growing Pains”, “Good Times”, and more. Throughout “The Judy Show”, Gold parallels the perfect life we all saw on that TV screen in the ‘70’s and ‘80’s with her own tumultuous life and career path. As it turns out, Judy emerged triumphant as a comic largely because she found the humor throughout the journey of her life, even when that journey included such preteen horrors as… sleepaway camp!

     To state the obvious, “The Judy Show” is VERY autobiographical. Like her fellow funny peer and “All American Girl” co-star Margaret Cho, Ms. Gold brings her mother into the show quite often. She also tells us about her hometown (“Even the ghetto in ‘Good Times‘ was better than Clark, New Jersey!”), her neurotic Jewish family dynamics, high school (“…like ’The Diary of Anne Frank‘, but no place to hide!”), and more. The humorous anecdotes continued even as Ms. Gold started to become a familiar face on TV: when filming a cameo as a Barnes and Nobles bookstore worker on an episode of “Sex and the City”, Sarah Jessica Parker actually asked Judy, “So, how long have you been working at Barnes and Noble?” Arrggh! Audiences of “The Judy Show” are destined to learn a few new things too. Anyone who’s seen Judy live or on TV knows that she’s funny, but did you know that she can play the piano… and that she can sing?! And did you know that “ Room 222” (1969-1972), one of Judy’s favorite TV shows growing up, was one of the first TV dramas that featured an African-American teacher and white students? Neither did I.

     “The Judy Show” is hilarious, loud, bold, outrageous, and occasionally bordering on over-the-top (I for one love hearing Judy scream!)… with some truly-- dare I say?-- heartfelt moments. One of them is when she reveals her “Eureka!” moment: After a performance for her fellow college students, she realized that her life‘s ambition was to be a performer. She never changed her pathway. Judy may be the coolest single mom in showbiz today, but this multi-tasking matriarch isn’t above telling an R-rated joke at the expense of Chaz Bono or her, shall we say, “va jay jay”! Incidentally, Natalie did eventually DID get a man to have sex with her (The episode “My First Time”, in February 1988), so I’m still holding out hope for a Judy Gold sitcom. In the meantime, don’t miss “The Judy Show: My Life as a Sitcom”. As the news tells us: Even in this crappy economy, Gold is always a great investment.

     “The Judy Show” is playing at The DR2 Theater. The show has been extended until October 22^nd due to popular demand. Visit www.JudyGold.com for more info or for tickets

“HOW YOU DOIN’?!“ THIS GAY PRIDE, WENDY WILLIAMS AND 10 OTHER MOVERS AND SHAKERS ANSWER THE QUESTION: “WHAT’S OUR MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE?“

2011-07-01T02:20:00.000-07:00

In the late evening hours of Friday, June 24^th, New York became the latest state to legally recognize same-sex weddings. This made The Empire State the sixth (and so far, the most populous) state to legislate marriage equality. Needless to say, the famous Manhattan Pride Parade and other celebrations that weekend were especially jubilant. But as we see another Gay Pride Month come to a close, our community looks ahead to the question, “What’s next?“ We asked the fabulous diva Wendy Williams-- mother, groundbreaking radio personality, daytime TV goddess, and ardent ally of GLBT‘s-- the question: “What’s the most important issue facing the GLBT community?” Is it nationwide marriage equality? AIDS and HIV awareness? An sweeping employment nondiscrimination bill? Ms. Williams, Tony Sawicki and Jed Ryan of DishMiss.com, and eight other movers and shakers in our community gave us their answers:

WENDY WILLIAMS:“It’s the marriage issue! You know, unfortunately, without marriage: When your partner dies, you’re not going to get the money, or the custody of the children, or whatever! I think that if we start with marriage, then after that we can move on to other things. That should be the top cause. Also, don’t you all want the right to suffer as much as we do?!”
(Award-winning celeb Wendy Williams became famous as a best-selling author and radio “shock jockette” before finding the role she was born for: Her smart and sassy “The Wendy Williams Show“ has just been renewed for two years.)

TONY SAWICKI: “Gay Pride is a time to celebrate how far we have come in terms of civil rights and public acceptance, to acknowledge that we still have a lot more to accomplish in terms of equality, and to revel in the incredible spirit of our community. This year especially, it is a time for savoring the incredible step that has been taken in the legalization of gay marriage right here in New York.”
(Tony is the producer and lead correspondent for “Under the Pink Carpet” which airs on the NYC-Life Television Station. He is also Recipient of 2010 Fresh Fruit “Fruits of Distinction” Award for his work in the GLBT community. Visit http://nyc.gov/html/media/html/schedules/schedules.shtml for Under the Pink Carpet scheduling and carrier information.).

JED RYAN: “OK, I’m gonna get serious here: I’m very happy that New York State has finally made the decades-belated decision to legally recognize gay marriage… although as with a lot of other issues, I don’t think the government should have been involved in the first place. I believe that fighting HIV and AIDS should be our top priority. Our community is only as happy and powerful as we are healthy. We need greater technology to find ways to make smarter sex more pleasurable and to make everyone want to practice it; and we need more effective, less toxic treatments for those living with the virus. Isn’t about time we found a cure… or at least a vaccine?”
(Jed is Mr. Rawhide NYC 2011 and a Producer of/Performer with The Boys of BEARlesque.)

PEPPERMINT: “I certainly think the issue that deserved the most attention DURING pride was Marriage Equality; it is probably the one issue with the most clear cut solution. I'm so thankful that the legislature has come to their senses this time… but now, I need to get my wedding dress altered! It‘s screaming ‘fashion victim!’ right out of the 90's. Now that we have achieved marriage equality in New York, let's focus on a cure or at least a vaccine for AIDS. I've been volunteering at Project Achieve. (www.ProjectAchieve.org)"
(Peppermint is one of New York's hottest and busiest drag divas. Her Awards include “Drag Queen Of The Year” [“HX” Magazine] and “Best Drag Queen” [”L” Magazine]. See more at www.PeppermintOnline.com.)

MICHAEL LAVERS: “Watching the fireworks from Pier Dance while holding my boyfriend's hand amid the backdrop of ‘Chapel of Love’ crystallized the emotions I have felt over the last few days. The passage of the marriage equality bill in Albany is obviously a huge victory for New Yorkers and LGBT people around the country, but it is imperative to remember that LGBT people continue to suffer needless discrimination, oppression and violence. I look forward to the day when all people can live their lives with full dignity, respect and equality.”
(Michael is the national news editor for the EDGE Media Network and the managing editor of the Fire Island News. He also blogs at Boy in Bushwick: www.boyinbushwick.blogspot.com.)

DICK AND DUANE:“We should be fighting to put an end to cargo shorts and flip-flops. And guys should be getting naked in the gym locker rooms again, instead of shimmying in and out of their underwear under a towel. Oh, and let's get DOMA repealed, too.”
(Dick and Duane™ [Richie Cohen and Duane Tragis] are the world's only husband & husband comedy team, in the tradition of Burns & Allen, Sonny & Cher and the Smothers Brothers. Their brand of comedy has been described as part traditional burlesque [parodying the classics], part old-school stand-up comedy and part 1970s variety show. The two met as teenagers in 1981, fell in love, got married with rings from a gumball machine and will celebrate their 30th anniversary this October with the show "Never Too Much" at The Laurie Beechman Theater. See more of them at www.facebook.com/dickandduane, on YouTube at www.youtube.com/dicknduane, and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DickandDuane.)

RON MOSER: “First of all, New Yorkers should be proud of the Marriage Equality Act that was just recently passed! There is nothing like being the largest state to have legal marriages for gays and lesbians. For this Pride, I think we should really think about equality and how it impacts us as a community. Consider yourself male, female, trans, dyke, white, black, Latino, leather, kink, or otherwise; we should all consider ourselves equals. Until we can do that amongst ourselves, we will not be taken seriously as a unified group amongst the world as a whole.”
(Ron is a government employee who has a passion for non-profit work, holding board positions on two non-profits in the Washington, DC area. He is owner and creator of custom stained glass windows [Capital Art Creations: www.CapitalArtCreations.com] and is Mr. DC Leather 2011. )
　

ROB ZUKOWSKI: “I've been an activist personally and professionally for a long time and have worked on many important LGBT issues. In recent years, my focus has been on marriage equality; not only because of the rights and protections or the tradition of family I believe in, but because there is no place in our lives for second class citizenship. One day, should some terrific twink, beautiful bear or charming Chelsea boy ask me for my hand in marriage, I'd like to say ‘I do!’ versus ‘I'm not allowed‘!”
(Rob is an activist, writer and photographer in New York City.
He has worked professionally and personally in the LGBT community and in the arts since 1992. See more at www.RobZPhoto.com,www.YouWereRobbed.com, and www.RobZNYC.com
　

TOM RAGU: “This Gay Pride Season, I think that the issue we as a Community should fight for most of all is Marriage Equality. Sure, I believe that all people should be treated equally. Yeah, I know that we in The Gay Community pay taxes and we deserve all the rights afforded our hetero brothers and sisters. All true. But I am for Gay Marriage for one reason only: Gay Marriage will lead to Gay Divorce - and THAT will be FABULOUS! Can you picture it? ‘Are you cheating on me with him? Or Him? Or Him? Or Him? Or Him? Or Him?’ There will, of course, be Gay Divorce Court - and that will be presided over by Judge Judy. Ooooh, I cannot WAIT!”
(Seriously funny Tom Ragu is a NYC-based professional stand-up comedian and producer. He currently produces and hosts a number of comedy showcases in NYC, including "The Tom Ragú Comedy Revue" [the longest-running comedy show at The Stonewall Inn], and two monthly showcases at NYC's elegant and fabulous cabaret venue, The Metropolitan Room: "Women We Love" & "One Night Only - with ..." . See more at www.TomRagu.com.)

RYAN JANEK WOLOWSKI: “At this point in LGBTQ History, I feel it is time as a community we need to take on the role of being educators much more seriously with the same intensity that was applied to Marriage Equality. In other parts of the world people are being put in jail, murdered, stoned to death, hung in public squares just for being born Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, or Queer. If there is anyway as a community we can stop that, we must.”

(Working behind the scenes at MTV Networks, Ryan has something new out on a daily basis, but on a more personal note this summer he is showing artwork at the Leslie Lohman Art Gallery in Soho opening on July 13th as part of The Fresh Fruit Festival. On August 6^th, he will be returning presenter at Splash in Chelsea for the 2nd Annual “GOOTH” Magazine Readers Choice Awards, and last but not least he has a small part in the next Will Smith movie “Men in Black III”, portraying a 1960’s business type New Yorker.)

LOVARI: “Obviously, I was initially going to have my answer be gay marriage. But I also want to touch upon something that we are doing to ourselves with in our own community. I have the highest regard for ALL recording artists. I firsthand know the struggle, belief, and tireless effort it takes to make even a dent in the industry, regardless of whether you are on a major or indy label. I also am honored to have some very close friends of mine that happen to be both straight and have successful singing careers, and some I will have the honor of recording with on my next album. That being said, I always find it cowardly and a slap in the face to the gay community when we continue to have straight headliners at gay pride. I understand that we need monetary revenue and support from all allies gay and straight. However, if we have the need to do this, then I insist that we must have a double headline bill which must implement an LGBT artist as an equal headliner, regardless of whether they are well known alot. As much as Eminem is a relevant and important part of hip hop, would we see him headline the mainstage entertainment at African American Day Parade? No. I'm sure he would be one of the featured performers, but like that parade, the focus on Gay Pride should celebrate the success, struggles, and bravery of artists that are OUT AND PROUD (and who sometimes sacrifice major label deals in order to stand up for what they believe in). There are a plethora of LGBT artists out there. They deserve the recognition on this day, along with their straight allies, but they need to be at the forefront. The one thing that I cannot cut corners with is Grand Marshalls. There are so many LGBT people who tirelessly devote their free time and effort into fighting for our rights, MORE then enough to choose form, yet lately, especially on the East Coast, some have chosen straight allies as the lead Grand Marshall. Again, everything that I said previously about the performers applies to this as well.”
(Lovari's award winning album "The Statement" includes three Top 20 U.S. dance singles, including "Work It Out" (from the TV series "Under The Pink Carpet") and "Turn Around" (from the upcoming film "Saving Julian", of which he serves as one of the Executive Producers). He is currently on a U.S. promotional tour. See more at www.twitter.com/Lovari,www.Facebook.com/Lovari, and www.LovariWorld.com.)