Category: gay culture

Review for "King Cobra," Brent Corrigan and James Franco; Fabulous Las Vegas; Another Gay Proposal Video

Review for “King Cobra,” Brent Corrigan and James Franco

I think it’s important to mention that even though James Franco is a straight white male, he’s been associated with more “gay” projects than most openly gay actors in Hollywood. Whether or not he’s in the closet, or he doesn’t like labels, is beside the point. As far as we know he’s straight and white.

I don’t like labels either, however, gay isn’t a label. Gay is a culture. Like being black is a culture. Like being Asian is a culture. If you’re black or Asian and you deny your culture…for whatever reason…that never looks too great. It’s the same with being gay. Gay is not about sex.

Because there’s still so much shame associated with being gay (and there is), we usually understand and forgive closeted gay men. And rightly so. We understand their circumstances and we don’t force them to come out. However, if a closeted gay man pretending to be straight begins to exploit and profit from gay culture I think that’s a different thing altogether.

With that said, I finally got around to watching the movie Franco is associated with that’s titled, King Cobra. In short, it’s a film based on a true story about a mild, middle aged man with a taste for very young men who starts a gay porn production company in suburban Pennsylvania, discovers one of the most talked about gay porn stars of our time, and ultimately winds up brutally murdered. I think most people know the story already, so that’s not a spoiler.

Actually, I liked the film…as a film. I thought it was important to see for cultural reasons. I didn’t watch for entertainment this time. I wanted to see how the subject matter was treated, and how gay culture was handled. Even though it’s about gay porn, there weren’t that many sex scenes, and none were too graphic. It’s definitely not a romance. The film is strictly based on the events that transpired from the time porn producer, Bryan Kocis, discovered the film star, Brent Corrigan, to the time of Kocis’ murder. I don’t know much about the porn industry from experience so I can’t comment on that. But I didn’t see anything that was inaccurate, from a gay cultural POV. It wasn’t like Brokeback Mountain where I saw things that made me cringe.

However, there is a twist to this entire saga. And it’s been played out online since the film, King Cobra, was announced. The real life actor, Sean Paul Lockhart, who gained fame with the stage name, Brent Corrigan, in gay porn was not an active part of King Cobra. Even though he lived the entire story, he had nothing to do with the content of the film. And he’s been vocal about this. He even wrote this piece titled, Brent Corrigan: His Story, His Life…In His Own Words.

My name is Sean Paul Lockhart. Most know me as “Brent Corrigan.” You likely have never heard of me. Infamous and not famous at all, I have been referred to by many in the mainstream vein of the adult industry as “the Traci Lords of gay porn.” This is only one element of a salacious true-life tale of porn, money, murder and desperation. My past has played an integral role in my career as an adult star, producer and actor in LGBT mainstream films. In July 2016 I was made aware of a film being made about me, my shameful underage stint in porn, and the murder of Cobra Video owner Bryan Kocis. Spearheading the project (as producer and star) was actor James Franco.

You can read that in its entirety here. It’s a long piece and goes into a lot more detail about the story itself, and about how Lockhart feels about his life story being told this way. He plans to write his own memoir, which he also discusses in the piece.

If you’re going to watch King Cobra, I highly suggest you read the piece written by Lockhart…the real Brent Corrigan. I think you’ll find a few things more than interesting. As a viewer with limited knowledge of the porn industry, and limited knowledge about the story, I can’t say I didn’t like King Cobra. But I can only recommend it along with the link to Corrigan’s story above.

The one thing I totally agree with most, in a broad general sense, in Corrigan’s piece is this: “we don’t need Hollywood mocking us.”

And…here are a few related links that might make you think twice.

This one is rich. I’m openly gay and I don’t think it’s cheap to say that. I’m proud of it, as well I should be.

Garrett Clayton will not discuss his sexual orientation.

Clayton — who portrays gay porn star Brent Corrigan in the new film King Cobra — said he preferred a “veil” of privacy regarding his own identity in an interview with Out magazine published online Monday.

In fact, Clayton considered discussion of his sexuality “cheap,” and he grouped it alongside topics like an actor’s diet or accessories.

And there’s this, from the same article…

Despite its subject matter, there are no out lead actors in King Cobra, which also features Christian Slater, Keegan Allen, and James Franco as players in the gay-porn industry.

Here’s one about why Franco feels the need to do all this…gay stuff…

Vague sexual identity aside, Franco told Rolling Stone in March that his interest in queer cinema was a reaction to the production of “straight, heteronormative stories ad nauseam” in everything from film to TV commercials. “I think it’s healthy to make work that disrupts and questions that, and shows alternative narratives,” he added.

…because there are no other gay artists out there.

Fabulous Las Vegas

I’ve never been to Vegas, and I’m starting to think I’ve missed something important.

Yes, there are people who have never been to Las Vegas–or at least not in a while. With the plethora of great choices, every Las Vegas first-timer needs a guide to the best and brightest. Want to try the casinos, shows, and nightlife but don’t know where to start? Just walking down Las Vegas Boulevard the first time presents a lot of opportunities for intense experiences, and the first-time visitor may not always know where to turn.

You can read more here. It looks thorough to me. This is one of the reasons why I continue to link to all the gay presses as much as possible. This article is coming from a gay cultural POV.

Another Gay Proposal Video

I like these things. I don’t care how cheesy they get. I love them and I want to see them continue. And that’s because we weren’t allowed to do this kind of thing for so long, I hope they never end.

You’re hardbitten, gritty; a real S.O.B. You don’t have time for another wedding proposal video — not one day after The Man shoves his capitalist version of love down your throat in the form of Valentine’s Day.

But then you see Gregory Gaige drop to his knee and propose to boyfriend Craig Moss at Disneyland. Watching them in their matching Mickey Mouse caps, you feel dizzy and swoony, because your creaky heart has opened yet again. For good this time?

There’s more here, with a nice photo. And this is another reason why I link mostly to gay presses. You don’t see this in the mainstream too often.


Cage James
by Ryan Field

Customer Review:  “Well written and clever!”

Is Calling Him "Daddy" Perverse? News Anchor and Homophobic Colleague; A SEXY Gay Nature Lover

Is Calling Him “Daddy” Perverse?

I’m no expert on this one so I’m just linking this time. No comments.

A woman overheard a gay men talking about his “daddy” at a party and didn’t understand what he meant, so she’s written a letter to gay advice columnist Hank Scott asking him to explain.

“I was at a party the other night and overheard two gay men in their early 30s talking about the boyfriend of one of them,” her letter begins. “One guy said to the other: ‘So how’s the relationship going with daddy?’ Apparently he was referring to the other guy’s boyfriend, who was at the party and appeared to be in his mid-50s!”

They do go on to explain this, and they do it well. They make a point of stating this has absolutely nothing to do with pedophilia. Even I knew that.

You can read the rest here.

News Anchor and Homophobic Colleague

Here’s a story about an Australian news personality who allegedly made a repulsive homophobic speech, and his colleague called him out for it in public.

 Not that the speech is defensible in any way. In it, he referred to the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper as the “Sydney Morning Homosexual” and then claims the Liberal Party is “basically a gay club.”

“I don’t mind that they are gay,” he adds. “I just wish, like Hadrian, they would build a wall. ”

To give a sense of exactly what kind of event this was, a ring-wing cartoonist made the following “joke”:

“I can’t stand Muslims… [but] they are not all bad, they do chuck pillow-biters off buildings.”

You can check this out here, and watch the video. It’s an interesting debate. And there are comments below it. I just always wonder if these things are staged.

A SEXY Gay Nature Lover

Here’s one that will make you smile. And it’s SFW. There’s nothing pervy about it.

Plenty, and hilariously so. As Laura slowly drives in the park and films him, Matthew is suddenly awash in massive tongues and Buffalo fur as the animals reach their heads inside the car for the park-approved slices of bread Matthew feeds them. His squeals of horror and delight have to be seen to be believed.

Here’s a link to the video…and those expected comments.









New Release

Imperfect

Another London Gay Bar Closing; Nate Berkus and Husband Get TV Show; Pennsylvania Gay Bar Closes

Another London Gay Bar Closing

The Richmond Arms, a gay bar in London, is set to shutter its doors on April 23. This isn’t the first gay bar closing in London, or anywhere else in the world for that matter.

In an emotional announcement, the staff of the Richmond Arms in southwest London wrote: ‘It is with a heavy heart that I must inform you that we will be closing ours doors for good on Saturday 23rd of April 2016.

‘This place is so close to many of us, we have laughed and cried here together for over 30 years.

I know that feeling very well. We’ve lost several long time gay bars here in New Hope, PA in the last decade and it leaves a huge hole in the gay culture of an area. Every time I drive by a place that’s now a bank where a gay bar called The Prelude used to be, I find it amazing that banker people are now parking in the same place where I used to lose my underwear in someone’s back seat.

You can read more here. 

Nate Berkus and Husband Get TV Show

Designer, Nate Berkus, and his husband, Jeremiah Brent, are getting their own TV show on TLC.

The show, to be called Married to Design: Nate & Jeremiah, will air on TCL which in the past has been home to such shows as 19 Kids and Counting and Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.

‘Design isn’t just what we do for a living, it’s what we do on our weekends,’ says Berkus. ‘So this show is perfect. We get to have all the fun and the homeowner gets rescued from a money pit that is consuming them. They’re lost. We’re not. We know where to save, where to spend, where to shop … it’s what we love most.’ 

I think this might be a good one. I’ve always enjoyed Berkus on HSN…and boy does he have great sheets!!

Here’s the rest.  

Pennsylvania Gay Bar Closes

Here’s another example of how times are changing for gay men, and gay culture. And this particular gay bar has been around for 50 years. That’s an institution for the gay men who live in that area.

The long-running Altland’s Ranch in York County, PA, suddenly closed its doors last week, with a representative for the owner saying the bar and restaurant’s demise was due to a downturn in customer numbers.

I’m not familiar with this bar. York County, PA is miles away from Bucks County, PA. They’re down near Maryland, and we’re on the 95 corridor in between New York and Philadelphia.

I’m starting to think that the only gay venues that will survive are those located in tourist areas like Key West or Provincetown.

You can check that out here. The announcement was made, ironically, via Facebook. It’s ironic because one of the biggest reasons gay bars have been closing is the Internet.

The Rainbow Detective Agency Rancho Mirage


In Print and E-book



The Arrangement


 
 

Ripped His Heart Out and Ate It; Gay Manchester Bar Shutters; Christian Bakers Lose

Ripped His Heart Out and Ate It

In order to prove that he wasn’t gay, a man ripped out another man’s heart…and he ate it, taking gay shame to a completely new level. 

This is about as disturbing as it gets:

When police arrested Chimboza on 10 June, they found him chewing raw flesh and that Manoma’s neck had been ‘half-eaten’. 

He added his chest had a gaping hole in the left side. Chimboza then claimed he did it ‘show him that I am not a moffie [gay]’.

And then, this:

‘I do not know why I ate it and I accept my actions were wrong and exceeded the boundaries of self-defence,’ he said, in an apology to the court.

You can read the rest here, where there’s a photo of the man who ate the other guy’s heart. It’s too creepy to comment further.

Gay Manchester Bar Shutters

The other day on facebook I had a conversation with someone who was surprised to hear that gay bars have been closing down for quite some time. I’ve been reading about it and seeing it happen first hand for years, and this particular gay bar in the UK shuttering its doors doesn’t shock me. At one time here in New Hope, PA, we had three very successful gay bars going. There were so many patrons no one was in competition. In the past ten years we’ve lost two and the last one is hanging on to what’s left of the gay bar trade in the surrounding NY and Philadelphia area.

Steven Wiseman, insolvency practitioner for Inquesta, has been appointed liquidator of SDB bars who took over Eden Bar in 2012. 

He said the bar had experienced a general downfall in trade and has seen even more decline after it was ‘virtually marooned’ by an adjacent building site. 

The last post on Facebook, posted on January 7, saw Eden announce the bar being ‘off for a facelift’ until early February before there was silence on all social media channels. 

That’s basically the same announcement I’ve seen each time another gay bar shutters. I’m not being cynical about this; just realistic. If I had my way no gay bar would ever close down. But there are logical reasons. One, the gay bar was THE only place where gay people would meet. The Internet changed all that, and it began years ago.

You can read the rest here. 

Christian Bakers Lose

I’ve posted about this several times before, and I wanted to follow up with this information. The Oregon bakery that refused to bake a wedding cake for a lesbian couple based on their religious convictions was recently informed they may have to pay thousands of dollars in fines.

The exact amount of compensation will be determined in a hearing on 10 March, but the couple could receive up to $75,000 (£49,650, €65,550) per person from the shop owners, the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) announced. 

The couple wanted to celebrate their wedding with a cake from Sweet Cakes by Melissa, but the co-owner of the bakery, Aaron Klein, refused to sell it to them when he found out it would be for their wedding. 

According to Bowman, Klein cited religious belief as reasons for his refusal and called their upcoming marriage an ‘abomination unto the lord’. 

What I find most interesting, from personal experience, is that gay owned and operated businesses have been supplying their services to the straight mainstream world since the beginning of time…literally. I know a florist who has done more weddings than he can count. Not once did he ever refuse a customer because of his religious or social convictions.

You can read the rest here. There’s some history about the whole debacle you might not know.

The Rainbow Detective Agency

 

 

 
 
 

Free Gay Excerpt; Gay Semiotics; Male Full Frontal Nudity on TV; Rapper Big Dipper

Gay Semiotics

Semiotics basically means a study of communication and behavior through elements that might include symbolic references…like the symbolic handkerchief deal in gay culture. I took a grad course once about communication and literature that was so complicated the professor admittedly didn’t even get all the time. In this case, however, they’re talking about gay subculture in the 1970’s, and the distinct ways gay people defined themselves in what really was the first time in gay culture people were actually open about it.

Photographer Hal Fisher was especially interested in these newfound gay signifiers, and as part of his 1977 publication Gay Semiotics, he provided detailed itemized descriptions of the gay experience in San Francisco at the time. Note the very early use of the term “basic gay,” though we’re guessing he didn’t mean it quite the same way.

Of course this was before my time and what’s been dubbed as the pre-aids era in gay culture. I have older friends who still talk about it all the time and I always feel as if I’ve missed a huge event. 

EARRING
An earring in the right lobe may suggest that the wearer prefers to play the passive role during sexual activity. Conversely, an earring in the left lobe may signify active behavior on the part of the wearer. Unlike the other signifiers, however, Right/Left placement of the earring is not always indicative of Passive/Active tendencies on the part of the wearer. Furthermore, the earring or stud is often adopted by non-homosexual men, thus making the earring the most subtle of homosexual signifiers.

I honestly don’t know about any of these signs and symbols. They died out in the 90’s in most parts of gay culture.

You can read the rest of them here. There’s a link to the book with a price tag of $500, which I don’t get completely. I’ve posted about used books of mine selling on Amazon for $50 and upward, money I obviously never get because the books are used. I’ve also seen my books on E-bay for these ridiculous prices, too. Maybe there’s something with used books about gay culture. I’m not sure about that. But you can check that out with the link, too.

Male Full Frontal Nudity on TV

I’ve posted many times about the double standards on TV and in films with full frontal nudity in general. I’ve posted each time I noticed a glimpse of male full frontal nudity on TV. It’s all in the archives with a simple search. And evidently I’m not the only one who wants to see more male full frontal nudity on TV. The creator of Queer as Folk recently said this:

There is not enough male frontal nudity on TV. You’re far more likely to see a naked woman than a naked man. It’s only [seen as] rude because the rest of television is rather tame — it doesn’t actually talk about sex and our bodies and how we feel about them. I’m not out to shock.”

Here’s the link, with a photo of Charlie Hunnam. Last night while Tony and I were watching the season finale of American Horror: Freak Show, we were waiting to see if Dandy would be killed off with full frontal nudity. He was in his underpants.

Rapper Big Dipper

There’s a web series called Big Dipper’s World where big guys are celebrated, often in what sounds like interesting ways. I’ve never seen it and can’t comment. But it looks like fun and the comments all sound encouraging.

Or as the bubbly queer rapper succinctly puts it in episode one:

“Feel your oats. Feel your body. Feel your friends. Just walk around and let everybody have it.”

I’m all for anything that can help remove body stereotypes and improve the quality of life for gay men with respect to body image. I’ve been starving since high school and it becomes a mind set you simply can’t get rid of no matter how hard you try. You’re gay; you’re expected to be thin. If you’re not, God help you. 

You can check out a sample video here. 

Chase of a Lifetime

Free Gay Excerpt

Here’s an excerpt from an upcoming book I’m re-releasing with a new title, Meadows Are Not Forever.


“If you’d like, I’ll show you a few tricks from my act,” Harold said.
Cade shrugged.  He didn’t even know the guy.  But he didn’t have anything better to do.  And there was something about Harold’s sinewy good looks that made his heart beat a little faster than normal.  “Sure, I’d like that.  I’ll bet you’re very good.”
Harold dropped the sheers in the grass and said, “I’ll be right back.  I have a few things in the truck.  Don’t move.”
When he was gone, Cade looked down for his swim trunks so he could get dressed before Harold returned.  But they weren’t on the grass next to his lounge chair.  They weren’t behind the chair and they weren’t under the chair.  Cade was certain he’d set them down nearby when he’d removed them; just in case he had to put them on again fast.  But by the time he turned to see if he’d left them on the table near the pool, he saw big strong Harold loping down the back lawn carrying a small leather travel bag.
Cade smoothed out the towel and made sure his private parts were well covered.  He didn’t want Harold to get the wrong impression.  Even though he’d suspected that Harold might have been flirting with him, he couldn’t always trust his own instincts when it came to these things.  Meadow said Cade was like all the gay men she knew: he tended to think all good looking young guys were gay, or had the potential to be gay.  And it was getting harder to tell these days.  Cade had been wrong more than once and he didn’t want Harold Smith to think he was trying to seduce him.  Something like that in Salem County, New Jersey could cause a scandal that would linger for years to come.  The Catholic boy with red hair and freckles who was always running after the priests and used to bake cakes for the summer carnival at the Catholic Church once made a pass at a straight guy.  The rumors began and his family wound up moving to Delaware in the middle of the school year, never to be heard from again.
Harold sat down at the bottom of Cade’s lounge chair and set the black leather case on the grass.  He unzipped it and pulled out a deck of cards.  “I’ll just do a few really simple tricks right now.  I don’t want to bore you to death.”  Then he moved his thigh toward Cade and shuffled the cards right on his leg.
When his knee brushed against Cade’s naked calf, Cade felt something stir between his legs.  Thankfully by then Cade was old enough to know how to control his feelings.  So he gazed down and watched how Harold handled the deck of cards, with the skill and grace of a true card shark.  The cards fluttered; his large nimble fingers did a dance.
Harold spread the cards out in a fan on the chair and told Cade to choose one.  Cade picked one from the center and Harold told him to memorize it, concentrate on it, and then put it back into the deck face down so he couldn’t see it.  Harold shuffled the deck again and cut it three ways.  He spread the cards into a fan again and concentrated on them for a second.  And when he pulled a card from the center and turned it over, it was the exact same card Cade had chosen.
“How did you do that?”  Cade asked.  He couldn’t stop staring at the card.  He even forgot he was naked.  The towel slid down his leg and exposed his naked hip.
“Practice,” Harold said.  “Magic is a skill you learn and practice over and over until you get it right.  It’s all illusion.”  His voice sounded even smoother now, as if he were about to do the six o’clock news.
“Do it again.”  Cade rubbed his palms together.  He’d always been attracted to these things.  Show him a circus tent with a side show and his heart started beating faster.  If there was a monkey and a bearded lady, he’d pay anything to see them.
Harold repeated the same trick six times, and each time he found the exact card Cade had picked from the deck.  Then he showed Cade a few more card tricks that left Cade’s mouth half open and his palm against his chest.  And while Harold worked his magic, he often spoke as if he were on stage speaking to an audience, with a deep, smooth announcer’s voice.  Harold had one of those well-trained, silky voices, with a deep natural resonance that made Cade’s eyelids grow heavy.  If he hadn’t been a magician, he could have been a host on one of those soft late night radio shows Meadow always liked to listen to when she couldn’t get to sleep.  He’d have made a fortune selling used cars to gay men and straight women.
“Show me how to do a trick,” Cade said.  He spoke too fast and had to catch his breath.
Harold smiled; he waved the fan of cards.  “Oh, I don’t know,” he said.  “This is an old art and you can’t just learn it in a few minutes.  You have to study and practice for years.”
Cade knew Meadow would love this card trick.  And it would torture her not to know how to do it.  And the guys at the condo would love it even more.  “Oh, please,” he said.  He moved forward and didn’t notice the towel slide down another inch, exposing his entire naked right side.  “Just show me the most basic card trick you know.  I’m good with cards.  I play poker all the time with my best friend, Meadow.”  He usually lost.  But he didn’t mention this…or that they played poker with Oreo cookies instead of chips.
Harold sent him a long, slow glance.  He lowered his voice to a stage whisper and said, “I’ll show you a trick that’s very easy.  But you have to promise you’ll never tell anyone where you learned it.  It’s one of the oldest card tricks there is.  And it’s considered very sacred with all magicians.  If anyone knew I was even thinking about telling you how to do this, they’d banish me from the profession.”
Cade’s eyes opened wider; his lips parted.  He thought it was so special the way Harold was so willing to take him into his confidence.  Cade felt so honored and so thankful he leaned forward and pressed his palm to his heart.  “I promise.  I’ll never tell anyone.  You can trust me, Harold. I’ll take this to my grave.”
Harold nodded.  Then he shuffled the cards and said, “I’ll do the trick once, and then I’ll show you something you’ll never forget.”
“Oh, thank you,” Cade said.  He’d never been so flattered in his life.  “You have no idea how much this means to me.  You’re a great guy.”  And here he thought he wouldn’t have anyone to talk to in Salem County.  He couldn’t wait to tell Meadow about Harold, his new friend, only he’d leave out the part about being caught naked.  She could turn something perfectly innocent into something naughty.
 Harold shuffled the cards again, and then he spread them out into a fan.  “Now you pick just one card.  Look at it, and then put it right back into the deck face down.  And remember the card you chose.”
Cade smiled.  He picked a card toward on right side of the fan this time, thinking he’d mix things up a little and make it more difficult for Harold.  He pulled the card out, hid it in his curved palm, and gazed down at the queen of hearts.  Then he turned the card over very slowly so Harold couldn’t see what it was and slid it back into the left side of the fan.
“Okay,” Harold said.  “I want you to look into my eyes and repeat these words with me: out of the darkness comes light and beauty; out of the garden comes sweetness and wonder.  And you have to concentrate on the card you chose.  This trick is about as magical as it gets.  I think you’ll love it. I can’t wait to see what you think.”
Cade blinked.  “Magic words?”
Harold set his jaw.  “I’m serious,” he said.  “If you’re not interested in saying the magic words, we don’t have to do this.”
Cade felt a thump I his stomach.  He hadn’t meant to sound skeptical.  “I didn’t mean anything.  I’ll say the magic words.  Don’t worry.  I was just a little surprised, is all. I’m not familiar with magic.”
“And you have to look deep into my eyes while you say the words,” Harold said.
Cade nodded; his eyes widened.  “I will.  I promise.”  This was getting really exciting now.  He couldn’t wait to see what would happen next.
“Do you remember the card you picked?”  Harold asked.
“Yes.  I remember it.”
“Okay,” Harold said.  “Now look into my eyes and repeat the magic words with me.  And concentrate hard on the card you picked.  You’ll be rewarded very well for this.”
Cade looked into his eyes; his chest caved in and he felt every muscle in his body relax.  This was one of the most exciting things he’d done in a long time.  When Harold nodded, they both said, “Out of the darkness comes light and beauty; out of the garden comes sweetness and wonder.“
Harold said, “Repeat it with me one more time.”
So they did it again.
When they were finished, Harold shuffled the cards one more time and spread them out in a fan.  He held up the jack of diamonds and asked, “Is this the card you picked?”
Cade felt a pull in his stomach.  It was the first time Harold had been wrong.  He smiled and tilted his head.  “I’m sorry, no it’s not.”
Harold made a face; his eyebrows furrowed.  He chose another.  “Is this the card?”
Cade glanced at the three of clubs and said, “Nope.  Sorry.”  This wasn’t going well at all.  Poor Harold Smith. 
On his third try, Harold chose the ace of spades.
Cade shrugged.  “I’m sorry, that’s not the right card either.  Maybe I did something wrong this time.  Maybe we should do it again.  It’s probably my fault.  I tend to mix things up sometimes.”  The expression on Harold’s handsome face had fallen by then.  Cade hated to see anyone in distress that way, especially someone so adorable.  “Maybe I didn’t concentrate hard enough on the card.”
Harold closed his eyes and squinted.  “No, that’s not it.  I’ve had this happen before.  I’ll figure it out.”  He rubbed his jaw and concentrated for a moment.  He repeated, “Out of the garden comes sweetness and wonder, out of the garden comes sweetness and wonder, out of the garden comes sweetness and wonder.”
Cade gaped at him.  He’d never seen anyone concentrate so hard on anything.  From the way he was squinting, it looked downright painful.
Then Harold opened his eyes slowly.  He lifted his right hand and snapped his fingers.  “I think I know what happened.  Sometimes the energy gets mixed up with different frequencies on hot days like this.  Sometimes the card winds up somewhere else other than inside the deck.”
It sure was hot that day.  Cade leaned forward.  “Where do you think the card went?”
Harold smiled.  He pointed to the towel over Cade’s private parts and said, “Spread your legs a little for me.”
Cade blinked again.  “Spread my legs?“
Harold nodded.  “Just spread them a little.  It’s okay.  Sometimes these things happen and there’s no need to get nervous.”
Cade spread his legs and looked down at his lap.  Harold’s large hand slid up beneath the white towel and stopped between Cade’s legs.  Cade felt Harold’s knuckles brush the inside of his right thigh.
Harold remained still for a moment.  He lingered, with his knuckles against Cade’s bare skin.  He closed his eyes and said, “Out of the garden comes sweetness and wonder.”
   Cade’s eyes bugged as Harold’s hand slide out from beneath the towel. He almost fell sideways when Harold pulled a single playing card out from between his legs and smiled.

Gay Guide Straight Relationships; Naughty Gay Pups Arf; Hollywood Gay Murders

Gay Guide Straight Relationships

This is another one of those articles I don’t get and never will. It talks about how gay men are better guides to straight people when it involves relationship issues. I think it came from a scene in Sex in the City...or something else as dismal.

In any event, it’s interesting to see how they portray gay men and how this time they insult straight people.

In theory, we’re probably the last people these folks should be turning to for advice. After all, most of us have absolutely zero experience with opposite-sex relationships. And surely we have just as many problems in our partnerships. But let’s face it: there are certain things we do differently and, well, better. (Of course, we’re sure opposite-sex couples could teach us a thing or two, too.)

Really?


Here’s an example of the kind of idiocy they are hawking. Remember this is advice from a gay POV to straight people. Please don’t blame me. I have nothing to do with it.

As gay men, we’re not above asking our boyfriend to bat his eyelashes at the male flight attendant if it means complimentary in-flight cocktails for the next six hours. Flirting can be an excellent way of getting things: discounts, free upgrades, special treatments, you name it.

Can your girlfriend’s cleavage get you an upgrade on your rental car? Great! Can your boyfriend’s sparkling blue eyes and dashing smile charm the hostess into seating you early? Awesome! Allowing your partner permission to work his or her magic on others can actually benefit you, too. And it will keep him or her happy short of having to sleep with the subject of the flirting. So stop acting all jealous and insecure and enjoy the perks of being in a relationship with someone other people find desirable. It won’t last forever, honey.

First, I pay for my drinks, thank you. Second, is this idiot really telling a guy to pimp out his girlfriend in this sexist way to get a better rental car? What about the girlfriend telling the boyfriend to drop his zipper a few inches? This only tells him to bat his eyelashes. I think there’s a difference. When Rose McGowan says gay men aren’t supporting women enough, I’m starting to think she may have a point.

Here’s just the title of one:

 You don’t have to get married. Ever

Well, yes you do, especially if you want to own property, furniture, cars, etc… Getting legally married helps in a number of ways financially, and it even helps if you decide to get a divorce because the laws are written up in a way that make everything pretty much black and white. Without that marriage license there’s no proof of anything. I’m talking about younger people now, not older couples who are on their second or third time around. But even in that case living together has far less advantages than marriage…why we’ve been fighting for gay marriage all this time.


My advice is to ignore everything you read here. The fact is that gay marriages/relationships aren’t all that different from straight ones. There’s even gender politics involved but that’s too complicated to get into right now. And always remember that when you take advice from anyone about anything make sure you’re getting that advice based on someone with experience. I have to wonder how much experience the author of this article has.

I have to admit one thing, which is a little refreshing. At least this one insults both gay and straight people.  The author’s name is listed at the bottom. I’d watch out for this one in the future.

Naughty Gay Pups-Arf!

I have to admit that I’ve always wanted to post something on this topic but I don’t know enough about it to comment, and I tend to shy away from things like because it’s considered so taboo in publishing. So I’m just linking this time.

Woof woof oink! Pups and gear pigs clustered at the Seattle Eagle last Friday for Arf!, a night of kink, fetish, bath house disco and sleazy dance tunes. Zak the Barber and Pup Kai hosted a frisky puppy pile, and DJs Tony Radovich and Nark kept the animals dancing all night.

These days, it seems like gay bars are an endangered species, with all the good old gritty hole-in-the-wall dives closing up shop. Nice to see the gays can still break out their harnesses and work up some musk when the occasion calls for it.

If you don’t get that, don’t be upset. You’re not alone because I don’t get it either.

The rest is here, with photos of men dressed as dogs and other various images that don’t help gay men look at that dignified. Ruff Ruff 🙂

Hollywood Gay Murders

This is interesting because it involves gay men and pop culture. It’s a piece about gay murders in Hollywood that have taken place over the years. There are a lot I know nothing about, but I do remember reading about Sal Mineo more than once. His murder is in here, along with this one I never heard before.

Danny Lockin

Best known for his portrayal of Barnaby Tucker in the 1969 film version of Hello, Dolly!, actor and dancer Danny Lockin’s final performance occurred on an August 21, 1977 taping of The Gong Show, where he and his dance partner tied for first place. To celebrate their victory, the pair decided to go for a drink at The Mug, a gay bar in Garden Grove. Danny was later seen leaving the establishment with a 34-year-old regular named Charles Leslie Hopkins. Hours later, Hopkins called police to say he’d been robbed. But upon showing up at his apartment, cops found the body of Lockin, who’d been stabbed nearly 100 times. Since only six of the stab wounds turned out to be fatal, it was believed Danny had not only bled out but that he’d been tortured and stabbed repeatedly after his death. Despite the discovery of what the press referred to as a “torture diary” (which featured Polaroids of the murder and led authorities to believe the crime was premeditated) at the residence, police had failed to secure a proper search warrant and the book was ruled inadmissible. Hopkins was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to four years in jail.

You can read the rest here. The comments are interesting, too.

Too Hard to Handle



Ryan Kwanten Full Frontal Nudity; Gay Hook Up Apps; Boner in Subway Doors; Gay Superhero Movie

Ryan Kwanten Full Frontal Nudity

While doing a search to check out another post on male full frontal nudity in films I came across this new link to an interview True Blood star, Ryan Kwanten, did where he talks about doing full frontal.

There’s nothing to quote, but the video is interesting because it’s a novelty to listen to Kwanten speak with his native Australian accent which is so different from his accent on True Blood.

You can check that out here. There’s no actual full frontal nudity, but the topic is addressed well by Kwanten.

Gay Hook Up Apps

I’ve posted before about how I don’t think certain gay hook up apps are the safest places in the world. In many cases, I worry that younger gay men can be too trusting, especially if they are from safe rural areas and they are traveling to cities like Philadelphia where they aren’t used to the more realistic aspects of a dangerous, crime-ridden city. I think those are valid concerns. In a very different respect, this next article talks about whether or not hook up apps are harmful to gay culture in a more socialized way. The article discusses a commentary written by some PC know-it-all named Freeman who got published in Time because he thinks hook up apps are ruining gay culture. It’s really something I’m getting tired of listening to.

Freeman claims hookup apps like OkCupid, Tinder and Grindr are destroying gay culture by perpetuating the stereotype that gay men are all a bunch of whores. He also believes the apps encourage “shame-based” relationships. (Of course, it’s only “shame-based” if one thinks being gay is shameful, which Freeman seems to believe, or at least he insinuates it subconsciously.)

“Gay men want those perfect relationships that we see in romantic-comedies, instead of the ultimate fear of our generation: being alone,” Freeman generalizes. “But there is nowhere that is not sex-based to connect.”

The article I’m linking to here questions Freeman’s concerns and makes a few valid points, and I agree with the article. I think Freeman and everyone else at Time should get a life. I got a gift subscript to Time last year and I’m still getting it and I still have to throw it away every single week. They should be more worried about how they’re hurting the environment if they really want to get PC. 

Boner in Subway Doors

Now here’s something I find funny and interesting. It’s not major news, it won’t change the world, but once in a while it’s okay to laugh…at least I hope that’s still okay with the PC police. 

We’ve all been there. It’s five o’clock, the subways are packed with rush hour commuters, you just eye-fucked a stranger across the platform and it’s left you hot and bothered.

You can check the rest out here. I sure do hope that gay culture won’t be destroyed with something like this. You never know. Someone better call Time Magazine and warn them.

Gay Superhero Movie

I’ve written erotic books with gay superheros and they’re meant to be taken as satire and not all that seriously. And there are erotic anthologies out by many LGBT publishers with gay superhero content. There are even a few gay superheros in comic books. But we have yet to see a gay superhero in the movies.

This is slowly starting to happen in comic books, so it’s only a matter of time before we see it happen onscreen, too. In the last few years, queer superheroes have made huge inroads in the Marvel and DC universes. Marvel’s first openly gay superhero, Northstar, recently got married, adding to the growing ranks of LGBT couples in the comic world.

In other instances, such as that of DC’s Batwoman, previously established straight characters have actually been reshaped as gay (this is only logical, assuming comic book writers have been paying attention to the Internet’s penchant for queer fandom). What makes this all the more appropriate, not to mention hilarious in Batwoman’s case, is that she was originally introduced to counter the homoerotic tension between Batman and Robin.

You can read the rest here. I’m not all too familiar with comics or superheros, but I think it would be interesting to see a gay superhero in the movies. In fact, that might be why I was never interested in that sort of thing before. It always seemed so heteronormative I never bothered.

In any event, here’s my story about Captain Velvet, a gay superhero with a few very special talents. It’s not actually a romance, but the ending is about as happy as endings can get.  

Gay Super Hero Story

Captain Velvet’s Velvet Box


by Ryan Field

Big Bad John Gay Parody

Big Bad John Gay Parody

I came across this web site recently and wanted to devote a short post to it because it is a big gay story, with respect to gay culture, and it revolves around the kind of parody I’ve sometimes done with books like An Officer and His Gentleman, or Pretty Man. And when I write posts like this I’m trying to show people who don’t know these things that there is more to gay culture than what you normally read online these days. This is a typical discussion I might have with any number of gay authors during the course of a week…always in private.

There are a few very interesting comments on this web site that all support/explain gay parody in general, and it’s a topic I think gay men find interesting because we’ve been so ignored in music, books, and films for so long we craved something…anything…mainstream that we could call our own. Even the gayest authors of their time like Truman Capote were not able to write anything with gay main characters. The same goes for the gayest performers and actors. Men like Capote did the best they could with books like Breakfast at Tiffany’s and took what they could get during a time when gays were considered either clowns, court jesters, or mentally unsound.

Here’s the most interesting (and true) comment I found in a commentary by Randy Sparks:

This parody was all in good humor, and it became one of the best-requested numbers in my solo act. I quickly discovered that most Gay men had no problem with laughing at the ditty, but any Lesbians in my audiences seemed to immediately take offense, so I was careful where I sang it. I didn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable.

It’s the fundamental difference I’ve always found in writing gay parodies of mainstream films. And it’s a huge problem for some who are not gay men and want to read about us or listen to our music, but not on our terms.

In any event, I’m not going to elaborate on that because this post would never end. But here’s a link to 13 gay parodies of the hit song, Big Bad John, by Jimmy Dean. According to the site, there may even be more. If you click on the small music notes with each recording you can hear the songs to understand how they were done.

Gay culture is evolving and it is changing, especially with respect to assimilation, and I embrace all those changes completely. But that doesn’t mean I’m willing to lose all that we’ve created.

"Gay American" Jim McGreevey; Gay Cruising In Underwear; Drag Face Turn Off

“Gay American” Jim McGreevey

I know I’ll never forgot turning on the TV for a special announcement from Governor of New Jersey, Jim McGreevey, in August of 2004. I just sat there waiting for something else to come on because I thought it would be another boring political speech that would run too long and contain nothing of substance like most political speeches. But when McGreevey said that he was a “gay American” I turned up the volume. That was ten years ago and a great deal has changed since that time. And this link talks about where McGreevey is now, ten years after that unprecedented announcement.

Ten years after he announced that he was a “gay American” and would resign from office after a scandal-plagued stint as New Jersey governor, Jim McGreevey is back in government, this time mostly as an evangelist for prison reform.

McGreevey, now 57, runs transitional programs for those getting out of prison and returning to Jersey City, where the mayor sees him as a policy and political adviser.
 
“This is the ideal intersection of faith and service and government policy,” McGreevey said in an Associated Press interview this month.
 
I remember meeting McGreevey in person once. We had a business in Lambertville, NJ, which is a mile from where we live in New Hope, PA. McGreevey was walking in some kind of parade at the time, which is a big thing for a Governor to do in a small town like Lambertville. Frankly, I knew he was gay just by looking at him that day. Of course had I mentioned that to anyone at the time I would have been slammed hard for making an “accusation.” Times were different, but not all that different in some cases. Make the same remark about any other male politician today and there will still be shame attached to it. That’s what we still need to work on the most. The shame. There’s nothing wrong with being gay. Repeat that until you “get” it. We don’t have to live in a world where there are no labels. There’s nothing wrong with labels unless we attach shame to those labels.
 
You can read more here. The article goes into more detail about McGreevey’s reasons for resigning and coming out the way he did in such a public way. It wasn’t all about taking pride in being gay. I think some of it was. But not all, not by any means.
 
Gay Cruising In Underwear
 
Some of the critics in the m/m genre don’t always appreciate gay culture as it is…and as it always has been. I’m not talking about readers now. I think all my readers, male and female, “get” what gay culture is all about. I’m talking about a handful of rather loud voices who review “professionally” and write blog posts about gay men as if they’re talking about lab rats.
 
Unfortunately, m/m authors can’t dispute any of their claims because the authors would be considered badly behaving authors. But bloggers can do whatever the hell they want, which is the best perk about blogging. One of these reviewers I’ll refer to as the “brightest star in the sky” who reviews m/m all the time with his/her own personal take on how gay men really are is about as far off on real gay culture as Joan Rivers is on fashion. But I think this link I’m posting about right now is only more proof that cruising and the element of danger with regard to gay sex is a huge part of the culture, whether you like it or not. It’s just a fact and it can’t be disputed no matter how hard the asexual crowd tries.
 
Usually when you pass a hitchhiker your immediate thought is to keep going. But, if you were to pass by Char DeFrancesco you would probably slam on the brakes, especially since he’s lost and all he has on is his underwear. In this exclusive photo shoot from Marco Ovando for The Underwear Expert, Char is just trying to catch a ride! He tests which underwear will catch him a ride the quickest by changing it up. There are looks from Baskit to Marco Marco, and then Char slips on some Wood Underwear and finally ends up in C-IN2. We’re not sure if he’ll ever make it home looking like that!
 
You can read more here, and see the photos of Char cruising the highway in his underwear. It all looks like fun and games on the surface, but there’s a deeper meaning here and a strong symbolic reference I could write a book about. In fact, this could be one of the ultimate fantasies for most gay men…yes, even those who try to assimilate the most.
 
Drag Face Turn Off
 
This is interesting to me because I sometimes write stories with characters who cross lines with gender bending. I don’t write them often, but the few times I have (Down the Basement) they’ve received more attention than I thought they would. In this next link an artist took vintage photos of hot, hairy butch men and put them in drag face. The results where what most of us would expect.
 
“I’m doing a series of paintings of vintage ultra macho porn stars, with shaved faces in full drag face. It’s interesting how without the face, the paintings are very erotic and suddenly in face it’s a strange turn off. Just a fun exercise but I’m excited to be showing so quickly in my new city.”
 
This is interesting, too.
 
As a drag performer in San Francisco, I was often made very aware of the power feminine transformation has over our sexual boundaries and comfort zones as gay men. The joke has always been that a boy must be prepared to sacrifice his sex life in order to work in this specific creative medium. And to a certain degree, this can be true. 
 
You can read more here, and see a few photos.
 
Here’s one of the gender bending stories I wrote where the exact opposite of this is true. This little gender bender gets more than his share of attention…and sex…but with straight frat boys who don’t know he’s in drag, not with gay men. The straight guys think he’s a real woman, and the story is not all fiction.
 
Down the Basement
 
by Ryan Field
 
 

Amazon Review:

Ryan Field is top of the class when it comes to cross dressing and female attire erotica and this is one of his hottest. The sense of danger as Rush takes care of the drunken jocks who could suddenly discover his secret and beat him up is palpable as is the erotic tension. The situation is plausible and the ‘surprise’ ending is a nice touch.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

USA 2,014 years old; Joey Stefano; Tim Tebow on ESPN



USA 2,014 Years Old

Evidently, there are some people in the US who think the US is 2,014 years old. I wish I had something more to start out 2014, but so far this seems to be as good as it gets. (Unless you’d rather I link to Joe Konrath’s predictions on publishing again 🙂 I’m personally going to be making a few announcements later this year, as writer, so I can move forward. For the time being, I still have two contracted books in the Glendora Hill series to finish, I’m enjoying writing them more than anything I’ve done before, and I’ll be indie publishing even more fiction this year. I’ll also post more on wedding plans Tony and I have for later this month. We’re booked to go to Vermont, and the place looks great. I’ll post links soon.

In any event…

According to Twitter, more than a few people believe that the United States was formed 2014 years ago, and that New Year’s Day is America’s birthday. There is so much about this idea that doesn’t make sense.

In an update, it turns out a lot of people were joking around. But it does remind me of a few mock interviews I saw during recent important political elections where reporters went out on the streets, asked people who was running for office, and asked basic general information about the candidates. The answers were surprising. A few people thought Sarah Palin was running for vice-President on the Obama ticket. I’m not joking about that.

This bothers me for more than one reason. These are the same people we have signing up for jury duty, and it seems to be getting worse as time passes. I wouldn’t want them as a jury of my peers.

You can read more here.

Joey Stefano

I don’t think I’ve ever linked to this before in previous posts about Joey Stefano. And it comes with an adult content warning, so it’s NSFW. But it’s an interesting article about Stefano, with NSFW photos, and I wanted to add it to my own list of links that I’ve posted about him previously. If you don’t know who Joey Stefano is, and how much he influenced gay male culture in the late 1980’s and 90’s, you can read more about him here. I tried to do a search on the upcoming film about Stefano’s life that’s being produced by Chad Darnell, but couldn’t find anything newer than last summer so I don’t know what’s up with that.

Immaculate Heart Cemetery in Marcus Hook would seem an unlikely resting place for a power-bottom porn star, but this is indeed where Chester native Joey Stefano, né Nicholas Iacona Jr., lays in perpetual sleep. His final resting place bears no headstone, making his presence in the cemetery derelict if not absent.

You can read more here.

Tim Tebow on ESPN

I find Tim Tebow interesting for several reasons, one of which is he seems to attract a certain amount of attention for no apparent reason. Or at least more attention than other professional sports figures in the US. I’m not the only one who feels this way, because now he has a TV show on ESPN that I would imagine is going to be successful.

 According to ESPN, Tebow’s primary role will be as an analyst for SEC Nation, the network’s traveling pregame show that will originate from a different SEC campus each week beginning Aug. 28, 2014.

The article goes on to mention that Tebow didn’t attract much interest in the NFL. But I think the fact remains that he does attract attention in the mainstream and he’s become a regular name in anything pop culture related.

You can read more here.