TONIGHT, Wednesday May 29th Candy Sample's back and guest hosting P*rno Bingo in my absence. Yes, because of a work thing this week, I'm missing my own show - but Candy is awesome and she'll be presenting our guest, XXX stud Bryan Slater in a fun-filled evening raising funds for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. There'll be prizes from Boy Butter (mmm!) as well as from Titan Men and Ray Dragon plus other bits and pieces including two tickets to this Friday night's (May 31st) LGBT night at New York Theater Workshop's production of SONTAG: REBORN.
The Will Clark Show feat. P*rno Bingo runs from 9pm to 11pm at Uncle Charlies located at 139 E. 45th Street between Lexington and Thrid on the north side of the street under the bright day glo blue awning. :)
About the AFSP
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)
is the nation’s leading organization bringing together people across
communities and backgrounds to understand and prevent suicide, and to
help heal the pain it causes. Individuals, families, and communities who
have been personally touched by suicide are the moving force behind
everything we do.
We strive for a world that is free of suicide.
We support research, because understanding the causes of suicide is vital to saving lives.
We educate others in order to foster understanding and inspire action.
We offer a caring community to those who have lost someone they love to suicide, or who are struggling with thoughts of suicide themselves.
We advocate to ensure that federal, state, and
local governments do all they can to prevent suicide, and to support and
care for those at risk.
Good morning peeps! Hope your Sunday night was a blast - it was a kind of a channel surfing night in the Clark household as I toggled between Liberace, the Smash series finale and this weeks penultimate ep of Mad Men's sixth season. I have to admit that there was a little bit of a 'can't turn away its so horrifying' aspect to Liberace and Smash has always been my favorite show to hate watch... but it's Mad Men that has my heart (and apparently if the ep a couple weeks ago is any indication, Don would fit right in at this past weekend's IML exgtravaganza).
Anyway, tomorrow night, Tuesday May 28th, you have the second of three chances to catch Molly "Equality" Dykeman's new one woman show THE F*CKING WORLD ACCORDING TO MOLLY in the soloNOVA Festival at the IRT Theater located at 154 Christopher Street - 3rd Floor (long time GLBT theatergoers will remember that Wings Theater used to be located in the basement of 154.. RIP!).
There is sure to be poetry and sure to be foul language and probably lots of references to 'vagiiiina' (naturally) but it'll be 100% Molly (Ms. Dykeman if you're nasty).
The Tuesday May 28th show is at 9pm and the only other performance will be Saturday June 1st at 3pm (that's one of those time slots that you dread as an actor especially if it's a nice day... so if you can't make the Tuesday show, show Molly some love on Saturday - run time is one hour so you can cruise the piers, see the show, and then work your way up Christopher St. starting with Rockbar).
Tickets are $20 ($21.68 with service fee) and you can click here to the Brown Paper Tickets site to get 'em. Molly's show is written and performed by Andrea Alton, directed by Molly Marinik and choreographed by John Paolillo.
You know, I was a guest on Molly's Xmas show and just realized I got a video of the entire audience (and it was packed) saying "Porrrrrrrrrno Bingo!" .. I need to find that! LOL
Ah January 2013 - if you're any kind of regular reader of this here blog, you know that this January was quite packed with non-stop big changes - why, if my life were a TV show, January would have definitely been "sweeps" month - and cogent to the Will Clark Show, I got word that our residence in midtown west would come to an end after 10 challenging months. You can read my whole screed here, no need for me to go into it again. <smile>
In any event, our move to Uncle Charlies meant that I had to let our fabulous Chauncey Dandridge go. And so, as Chauncey had a work thing to be at during our actual last show in the old space, his last show with us was our January 31st show. It was a great show - fun and kooky, just the way I like it with the debut appearance of both drag queen Robusta Capp (who was brave enough and confident enough in me and our show to be one of my first guests in the new space) and a new good friend, Boylesque performer Matt Knife for whom I hosted his Homo Erectus show at Stonewall just two weeks later (I was even so inspired by he and his awesome band of performers that I did a short strip myself as part of the show). <smile and a little blush>
The charity, AIDS Ride South Africa, raised a few hundred dollars for the night and Bryan Urbaitis, the Director and COO of the org came in a Spiderman costume because.. well, why the hell not? <big smile!>
I stood for a moment in complete silence broken only by the note of a single bird and the susurration of the breeze in the wayside grasses. It was one of those moments of happiness and contentment which gave reality to death, since however long we live, there are never enough springs.
P.D. James, Time to Be in Earnest, 2000
It was Monday March 11th and I was on the subway, reading a book that I got for my birthday. It was
a book about finding happiness (Exploring Happiness: From Aristotle to Brain Science by Sissela Bok, 2010 Yale Press) and, at one point I looked up and
sitting across from me was a dark haired handsome stranger. He seemed
very familiar to me but I was also sure we didn't know each other. Funny how you can feel that a person is both familiar and a stranger simultaneously, right?
After a little more reading, I looked up again and wondered if the stranger wasn't porn
star Wilfried Knight. I had never met him but had, in the past, noticed
his Facebook posts and of course I'd heard about the suicide of his
partner of 9 years just a few weeks ago. I don't know why his name
popped into my head but it just did. There was a lot of similarity between the two men - good looking dark haired men with close shaved beards.There was something in his eyes, lost and sad.
I wanted to ask "are you...?" and then thought better of it as if I were wrong I'd embarrass us both and no one needed that. Crowds of people got on and got off and the stranger was gone when the crowds parted. I was at my stop and spent the afternoon with a friend in hospice care and the stranger left my mind as do many strangers who we see and admire on the streets and subways of any city we live in or visit.
But on my way back to Manhattan, I couldn't get Wilfried out of my mind and how distraught his Facebook posts were about the suicide of his partner of 9 years. I don't know what I would do if anything happened to any of my partner or close friends who are my family. I am still not 'over' my mother's death six months ago, and frankly, I probably never will be. And yet I found it weird that I kept thinking about someone whom I've never met.
I got home, got a text from a friend, then read what sounded like a rumor on Queerty and then, shortly after, the article on Towelroad appeared which confirmed the news that Wilfried had killed himself. Soon after that, my email and phone lit up with New York based friends freaking out - we were already on edge after Arpad's suicide a few weeks ago and now this has sent many of us to the panic room (me included). I know just from the conversations I've had already that Wilfried was
dear to many many people who are bewildered that he didn't reach out and
take the loss as an incredible blow.
The life of a male sex worker is a lonely one. Rentboy and Rentmen and websites like it have replaced the traditional escort service whose owner would usually act in a guardian role, yes booking the job and yes profiting from it - but there was also an element of protection that I don't know that guys get anymore. The agency owner would sit down with you when you brought the money in and listen to one's bravado or "life's most embarrassing moments" stories - you'd have a drink or a smoke with them and you'd go home and fall into bed. Not only did they know where you'd be going on a job (it's always a good idea that someone knows where you are in these situations) but they were a touchstone offering advice and friendship. (and yes in many cases a bit of letchery, but harmless in my experience).
During my own years working as a porn actor, I was blessed with many many friends - and while we didn't go to movies or hang out at bars together, they were always constants at private and industry parties as well as the events that I produced.. - people like Mickey Skee, Kurt Young, Dino Philips, Momma, Billy Masters, David Thompson, Grant Wood, Jodie Hart.. and God, so many many more too numerous to list. And having close friends like Matt, Eric, Rob, Andrew and Dan (you know who you are) made the journey fun, celebratory.....even in the bad times (breakups, controversies, passings). I am getting very sentimental just thinking of this.
There is definitely a movement afoot to figure out some way to create a
support system and somehow, someway I think that something will happen - we will talk, we will disagree on how to do it, some will promise to do things and flake, and some will step up - but if next year at this time, we're not talking about porn star suicides so often, we will have made some progress.
It will start as a murmur, a whisper and grow into something that'll leave us all feeling less alone.
Just a quick note this morning remind you all that this Wednesday night at Uncle Charlies, XXX legend
Sam Colt will be joining us for our Rock and Rawhide Bingo night along with singers Matthew Hashimoto and Nicholas Park.
And yeah, we're going to be celebrating my birthday a few days early because well, I like cake and free drinks. :) AB will be back and of course Rock and Rawhide founder Kylie Edmond will be joining us with her sun shiney smiling face.
That's on Wednesday March 6th.
Then, on Saturday March 9th, my actual birthday, I'll be doing a half hour Bingo show at the GLBT business expo at the Javits from 12:30 to 1pm in the Video Lounge. Thanks to Appolonia Cruz for inviting us to join her for part of the day. The Expo opens at Noon and runs to 6pm both Saturday and Sunday. You can go to the Expo website for a discount off the admission.
Good afternoon peeps - just a quick note while I'm rushing out the door (again!) for a fun day on the town with a new friend and a best friend (you'll notice I'm not using the word "old"). But saw that this was posted around the net and just had to take a second to post as well - Betty Bowers is at it again - a brilliantly worded riff on the newly vacated Vatican.
I'm pretty sure that I'm out of the running for Pope too but hey you never know, a dollar and a dream and all. I don't really look good in tall hats but I hear that it comes with a furnished apartment, so I might simply deal (although I have to draw the line at kissing my ring.. there's probably not enough Purell on the planet to make that thing sanitary, I'm just sayin).
OK so right off the bat, I'm sure that up and coming Cockyboy model Antonio Manero knows how to strip just fine. But being the dad that I am slowly becoming (even if there's a little kicking and screaming while time pulls me there!) I felt it my duty to help show the youth of today how to be the best stripper they can be. And yeah, he made a bunch of money in tips. Good God I could open up a school. Can you imagine the song "Go Go Boy Dropout"?
Anyway, I welcomed first time Bingo guest Honey LaBronx to the show on Thursday November 15th - I first met Honey on a subway some months ago while she and drag sister Frostie Flakes performed guerilla style to a boom box playing "It's Raining Men" late one night. Love at first sight by the way. Not "that" kind of love (!) but an incredible appreciation for the balls it takes to get up in drag in the first place and then climb about the MTA late at night and throw oneself into the unknown, knowing that there can be dangerous people on the ride.. On the other hand, it'd probably take a special kind of stupid for anyone to go up against two tall drag queens who have suddenly sown enough good will for a trainload of people to perk up with smiles (how often on the 1 do you see THAT?).
Our beneficiary of the night was BAAD aka the Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance who brought along tix to their holiday show, LOS NUTCRACKERS (and yes I went again this year and, as always, it was just awesome). BAAD has MANY great shows all throughout the year, check out their site and get on their emailing list.
There was a certain celebratory feel in the air on Thursday November 8th as we survived the ugliest, the most contentious election in my lifetime... and while it looked for awhile as though it was going to go to hell (literally if the GOP got in, and this isn't just a mere difference of political opinion - the changes they wanted to make would set this country back 100 years or more), in the end the right guy got in and we all breathed a sigh of relief.
We had a full show featuring one of our most favorite guests - Jazz singer Terese Genecco along with playwright/actor Peter Michael Marino and go go guy sub David Terzian! And we had a performance from our beneficiary, the jazz vocal group Uptown Express.
We raised some money, raised our spirits and auctioned off David's underwear.. what more can one ask for in life? Oh yeah, to wrap ones arms around a hot young guy every once in awhile (and have them reciprocate). :) Click here for the gallery (Photos by AB)
Well, I'm back in town after a whirlwind past week - Last week's Will Clark Show netted the Ali Forney Center $2,000 at the time of the show and I was informed over the weekend that one of our very generous supporters sent in another $1000 to the organization. That's pretty awesome. Thanks again to Witti Repartee, Molly "Equality" Dykeman, Jake Deckard and of course Santa Claus and all who generously gave of their time and support. :)
After the show, I was in Philadelphia for Friday and Saturday hanging out with the Liberty Bears and emceeing their holiday show Saturday night at Tabu. That was a lot of fun. It's all good and fun to hang with muscled up porn stars, but with the bears, I got to eat tater tots (and the burgers at Tabu are literally mouthwatering.. as are the waiters). We raised some bucks for the Bears and I hosted a round of "Porn Idol". It was also great to run into some Facebook friends and some guys that I haven't seen for awhile. (Thank God for name tags). :)
I spent another few days in Wilmington helping a friend hang Xmas decorations. I love having a friend who has a house in the burbs. I get to do all those suburban things that I as an apartment renting New Yorker aren't able to do. It's been years since I decorated a tree that couldn't fit on a table top. OK that's not entirely true but when I walk down the streets of Manhattan and see ginormous trees for sale, I wonder, who has the space for THAT much less the space to store all the decorations that it takes to dress it?
Anyway, back in the city and out tonight seeing a show - hope you all are enjoying your own holiday season so far. Tomorrow night is another edition of The Will Clark Show and I've got two hotties booked - singer Joey Ruckus and the new Mr. Eagle, Arsenio (whose Monday night leather event rocks Rockbar every week). The beneficiary is Housing Works and our guest DJ is DJ Hertz van Rental. Does he come with a pine tree air freshener hanging from his DJ board? We'll find out!
Below is a little Fiscal Cliff humor because at one point, as the little guys, we really can't do anything else but laugh at our impending doom. Seriously if it's not the Fiscal Cliff, it's the end of the Mayan calendar. And if neither of those get us, it'll be tater tots that'll do us in. So just keep laughing, that's what I say. :)
This just in: Carnival CEO and President Gary Cahillhas issued a statement that, contrary to the edict that his VP of Guest Services issued yesterday, passengers on their December 2nd cruise will be able to dress in drag if they choose to. They're also offering up full refunds for those passengers who are now soured on the company for this specific cruise. (click here for my earlier post about this)
They're now pointing the accusatory finger at the gay owner/operated Al and Chuck Travel who put the cruise promotion together in the first place. Al, co-owner of the company, is defending the company saying the cruise was always a 'meet the drag stars' rather than a participatory event.
I'm shrugging here because I'm frankly more invested in catching a corporate machine in a moment of discrimination than I am throwing a gay owned/operated business under the bus. I know that's probably a double standard but I think Carnival can take the hit, Al and Chuck Travel probably can not.
Still, it's a wake up call to the rest of us that while we can pat ourselves on the back that we have American Airlines and Coke and Citibank supporting our gay pride parades and causes, we cannot just sit back and let corporate America give with one hand while stabbing us in the back with the other. That foul smell you detect in the air is the stench of Carnival who want GLBT dollars but also want to placate those on the cruise that want to keep it 'family friendly' - and who can't wrap their heads around that a gay or lesbian couple and their children are also a family.
Yes, it's a clusterfuck all the way around.
If you don't want to spend a week or two in the petri dish (on an RSVP cruise) and don't feel that Rosie's R Family cruise is what you're looking for either, the options seem limited for LGBT travelers.
In any event, I'm kind of now fascinated to find out just how many folks bow out... will update as necessary. :)
Will Clark has been involved with the erotic entertainment industry for 25 years. He has appeared in 48 XXX films, produced 10 Bad Boys Pool Partys and 10 Bad Boys on the Hudson events, 144 nights of "Cocktails with the Stars", 470 editions of "The Will Clark Show feat. P*rno Bingo" (raising a quarter of a million dollars for NY/NJ non-profits), 40 "P*rn Idol" events, as well as hundreds of other events raising funds for LGBT charities. He still emcees, officiates at weddings and makes appearances at bris's and the openings of shopping malls. He is currently in semi-retirement, waiting/looking for the right project to come along.
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