Anniversaries are always a good thing, no matter how you look at it. Especially, when they feature insanely hot bears, cubs and their admirers all under one insanely hot roof. This type of anniversary celebrates the 12th year of the iconic bear party known as Furball, which is doing it in style next Saturday night, April 2nd, at Santos Party House in downtown Manhattan. [Read more…] about Furball 12th Anniversary Hits Up Santos Party House April 2nd
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Get To Know The Handsome & Thoughtful Marcus Isaacs
Its always a good thing when you can find a duality in the industry that you work for and be successful in doing so. This can be said about adult film star Marcus Isaacs, who has built quite the impressive reputation in his nearly three years of being in the industry. With an industry that has such a high turnover rate, Marcus’ popularity seems to continue to grow due to a multitude of factors such as good looks, charm, personality and being able to perform on camera. He also rides the line very well with many different top studios and has been a fan favorite of many for the past couple of years.
I met Marcus a couple of years ago at a mutual friends housewarming party where I was first introduced to how enigmatic & sweet this guy really was. I recently caught up with him at a local Crunch where the talks of doing this interview surfaced and he was completely game. Marcus talks about his time in the industry, his inspirations that got him there, his surprising take on the bareback side of things, and where he sees his hopeful future. Take a look.
So tell me what got you into the adult industry in the first place?
Actually Morgan Black was the first person to talk to me about what the benefits would be, and that it would change my life. At the time, I was just starting to go to the gym after not going for a couple of years, and to be honest I always had this inkling to be notorious and have a bit of fame and I knew that would be a way to experience that. Also, I’m a very sexual person so I saw it as a way to seal things in time so that when it’s all said and done and I’m 50 or 60 I would always have those videos to look back on, and not the amateur ones but the ones produced by studios and projects that I worked on so I could say that I was part of that world.
And I’ve always loved porn and porn stars so I kind of wanted a little bit of what they had going for them and be desired by fans and people alike, travel a bit and of course have sex with really hot guys. It’s as simple as that.
Did you have any inspirations in the adult world besides Morgan that drove the desire to be in that world?
I was a huge Damien Crosse fan at the time; I remember he was a huge inspiration for me. The inspiration was any porn star that was really freaky but came across as organic. I would see scenes with him or back in the day with Lucas Entertainment when Chad Hunt was with them and even the old Colt Models, just kind of wanting to be extremely sexual on camera and have people see that it wasn’t acted. Damien exemplified that type of organic behavior and its definitely inspired me when I do my scenes.
You are in the industry where there is such a high turnover rate, yet you remain relevant and more popular than ever. How have you been able to manage that over the course of three years?
I never was exclusive to a studio, so I think sometimes when someone goes really high that people get a little tired of seeing them over and over again in one particular venue. It’s kind of like a hit song; it gets tiring after a while. I know for me that I was never exclusive, and never solely did condom porn and worked with a lot of studios but always had the thoughts in the back of my mind with sticking to one type of porn or one studio in that it would have been better for my career. But at the end of the day I really like that I wasn’t with one studio or something for a long time and then did whatever after. I’ve worked with so many studios and that has helped my longevity due to being versatile. What I mean by versatile for example is that there are a lot of stars that won’t do bareback, they are against that, so it enables me to be open to working with a lot of studios based on what they are promoting and not be stuck to one specific genre.
Are there any particular scene partners or scenes that stick out to you as a favorite since you started?
The best time was my video “Breeding Marcus Isaacs” with Treasure Island Media. I felt so honored that Max Sohl did an entire collection of scenes based on myself. I was really humbled by it. I was really appreciative of that whole thing so I think that was the most memorable project or group of projects because that was six or seven scenes and then the last scene of the movie was an entire group scene with me in the middle. I don’t think a lot of stars get to have a video that has their name on it, so that was really kind of the biggest thing for me.
Are there any guys you would love to work with?
Obviously Damien Crosse but two other guys who I think are really hot and would love to work with are Rogan Richards and Shay Michaels.
So what’s your take overall on the industry today?
I guess it’s ok, I don’t watch a lot of porn. If I do watch porn it’s either bareback and/or straight porn. Although the men in big studio condom porn are beautiful, the scenes are extremely inorganic and boring to me. It’s rare that you find a gay porn actor that looks organic on camera. The big studios are boring, and the talent is lackluster. The positions are all the same too, and half the time the bottom isn’t even hard. Its one thing to be hot but you have to make it look real and portray the fantasy you’re trying to get across well.
So there seems to be more and more stars nowadays doing a good mixture of condom and bareback. What has been your experience with doing so since you began your career?
So I was a little calculating when it came to doing bareback. My first scene ever was a threesome with Treasure Island Media that consisted of me, Morgan Black and Dominic Sol. At the same time I had scenes scheduled with Titan Media, so I went to Titan and did those scenes letting them think that they were the first scenes they I did but in actuality they were with Treasure Island. As soon as Titan found out that I did those scenes, they chopped me off and said that I couldn’t work with them. Besides that incident, I actually did condom porn for a while, working with some of the top studios like Raging Stallion and then worked my way into working with the bareback ones as well. It hasn’t hindered my opportunities though.
So seeing as you have done a good amount of bareback porn, there are people out there that are critical of that particular part of the industry because they think it brings more negativity to the gay community overall. What is your take on it?
I think it’s just a matter of what people choose to look at; I don’t think the medium is really the effector here. Whether they see it online or come across a lot of people in their life in the age of pRep that aren’t going to want to have sex with a condom either, it is still going to be there. The influence is still going to be there if they choose to look at condom or bareback, or go to a sex party where everybody doesn’t want to use a condom. Porn shouldn’t be looked at as what influences someone’s decision making, someone’s education should do that. It is simply a fantasy.
In doing my research on you, you also have done escorting for Rentboy for quite some time now. What do you think, in today’s day and age where you can find someone that would be into you in a click of a button, do people actually want to pay for an experience like that?
The reason is because, I think Grindr and Scruff and these apps are so difficult sometimes. Guys can be such jerks, hide behind their phones, play games and not be serious. They aren’t very nice to each other so I think a lot of times these guys who hire Rentboy’s just want a professional. There are no games, they show up when you want them to and they give you the fantasy that you are looking for. These apps can be so much work in terms of the back and forth, is this guy serious, is he just enjoying this type of thing with no end result, it can be maddening. So going through something like Rentboy is simple and time efficient while getting what you want at the end of the day.
You are based in Manhattan like a lot of other guys in your industry happen to be nowadays. Do you ever plan on relocating?
It’s interesting you say this because I was talking about this sort of thing with my boyfriend the other day. I have been in Manhattan for 18 years now and the thought of relocating elsewhere is something I would consider. There are reasons of course, but a change of scenery wouldn’t be such a bad thing.
What are you hopeful for in your career going forward?
I think I got another solid year in me with this industry. I would love to continue working with great studios and hot guys, like the scene I just did with Rocco Steele. That is the type of scene that had such chemistry and a connection, so if I could do a few more scenes like that and be memorable then that would be perfect. I love doing really organic and beautiful stuff and hope to do that as my career goes on.
Jason J. Carter- On Drag Race, #SayWhat?! & More
Reality TV is the mainstay of television today, albeit it everything from housewives to little people to little people who are housewives. So what happens when luck and fate combine and you fall into being on the biggest reality show for four consecutive seasons- Rupaul’s Drag Race? No hunties, we aren’t talking about Michelle Visage’s Lace Front (No T, No Shade Miss Visage). We are talking about the uber handsome and insanely talented Jason J. Carter, who along with his equally stunning comrade Sean Morales has been part of the wildly successful show for four years in a row as the show’s Pit Crew. Now if you aren’t familiar with the show (which if you aren’t, you are basic. #sorryaboutit), Jason’s role on the show is to assist in many of the mini challenges and some of the main challenges for the drag queens competing to be America’s Next Drag Superstar.
As someone who has been a big fan of show since the get, I have also come to admire Jason for not only how handsome he is but how much he adds to the show as the “Pit Crew” themselves have really gone out and branded themselves in the process. I did my research on him and found out there is much more to this man than just a pretty face. Since his inception on RPDR, he has developed an award-winning TV mini-series called “#saywhat?!” which divulges into what is hot in pop culture currently, as well as making his stance in the modeling and acting world. I recently sat down with Jason to discuss his booming career, what his thoughts were of the most recent Drag Race season, and how he was able to find love in what some may think is a not so hopeless place. Take a look.
So even though Drag Race has made you famous, you had to start somewhere to get to where you are now. How did you get into the entertainment profession?
I used to host TV shows back from my hometown, Albequerque, NM and was also a Disc Jockey there. I uprooted myself to Los Angeles and focused on becoming a dancer, which was what brought me there originally. From there, I got into doing a ton of music videos and dancing with artists from the likes of Lady Gaga to Eminem. After that, I began teaching as a dancer in LA and progressed from there.
Besides Drag Race, you and a bunch of other extroverted folk developed a series called #SayWhat?! Tell me a little more about this.
#SayWhat?! (follow us on Facebook) is a bunch of different hosts (myself, Starr Session, Nicole Seidman and Jill Anenberg) coming together to talk about everything that is going on in pop culture. We all watch TV, see what is going on online and have a great knowledge of what is current in the world of entertainment. We say what people are thinking and take a a step further. The show is currently being distributed as webisodes online. The studio we use to film is in my house, so all the content you see is done in my home. Definitely something that all your readers should check out as we try to bring a different and unique take to each episode we develop.
Being a web series can have its perks as other one’s like Lisa Kudrow’s “Web Therapy” was picked up by a major network. Do you hope for the same for #Saywhat?!
That would be fantastic, but the future of television and viewing stuff is no longer on TV. Online is the future of media. Being picked up would be exquisite but online has more interaction with fans and ultimately more views. 5 years ago 1 million plus viewership was a flop, now it’s a success because people aren’t watching TV anymore. I want to build my brand online first because I’ll be more successful that way, however the sky is the limit for me so anything is possible.
Let’s talk about how you got involved on RuPaul’s Drag Race. What was the audition process like?
I jumped on for Season 3 of the show. I was a dancer, and was teaching a dance class in Hollywood and one of the producer’s friends was in my class. They approached me and said. “I have a friend who is looking for people for this reality show, are you interested?” I responded, “What show is it?” They wouldn’t say what it was. I gave her my info, emailed the pictures which they forwarded to the producer. After that I didn’t hear anything. Then after a while they reached out and said they liked my look and wanted me to come in for an audition. Thankfully I was off that day and went. They told me to bring some underwear, and I was like wait “Is this some gogo boy shit- casting couch?” I got over my initial hesitation, I went in, did my thing, and got cast.
There are a lot of people out there who really just see the Pit Crew as eye candy and don’t bring much to the show itself. What do you say to those critics?
I tend to not agree with how people feel that way. If you look at the show, there are so many people who have been able to brand themselves outside of RuPaul and the queens that compete on it. People like Mike Ruiz, Michelle Visage and Santino have been able to brand their name heavily due to the show’s popularity. The Pit Crew themselves have been able to make a name for themselves, especially this past season when two became four where Miles Davis Moody and Simon Sherry-Wood joined us. It strengthened our presence both on and off the show, and even myself and Miles did the CoverGirl video for RuPaul in the past year just to name one thing. At the end of the day, its all encompassing and benefiting the show and making it the success that it is today.
This past season saw New Orleans native and current New Yorker Bianca Del Rio snatch the Season 6 title. Being around the girls all season, do you think she was the strongest competitor to win the show this time around?
Absolutely. Bianca’s family is from my hometown of New Orleans and I couldn’t be happier that she won. She is a true example that you don’t need to rely on editing for the show to make you a hero or villain. If what you are giving them is naturally you then it makes for great television. Willam from Season 4 did the exact same thing, same goes for Latrice Royale. Adore would’ve been a fantastic winner as well, but she is a winner in her own right by breaking Billboard Records and becoming a huge star based off of that and many other things. The great thing about Drag Race is that you don’t necessarily need to win the show in order to become a star. I am a huge fan of Shangela and really admire how she has branded herself and in doing so has become one of the most successful queens to ever have been on it. And she wasn’t even in the top three so that says a lot about her drive and ambition.
I know you have been in love for multiple years with this one wonderful guy. That’s pretty impressive because even one year is 10 years in the gay world, so tell me a little bit about your relationship and how you guys met.
It’s funny, we actually met online. No not on something like Grindr, it was more of a fitness website. He reached out to me in their chat room, and after talking for a little while we ended up meeting for lunch. From then on we became inseparable. We have flaws just like any relationship, but I knew from the get go that he was a special guy and the way he has treated me has just been incredible. We are committed to each other and have a deep appreciation and understanding for one another as well. I just know that he is the one.
So it sounds like you have a lot going with the web series and Rupaul’s Drag Race. Anything else you wanna add?
I’m just happy being where I am now and am happy with what I have accomplished so far. The show has opened many doors for me but at the same time I am proud of how self sufficient in getting myself to where I am. As I have said before, sky is the limit for me and I am just happy to see what is next.
Dating In The Gay World: Extinct… or Evolving?
Is the “Meet Up” the new Dating?
As we enter into a new calendar year and fresh hopes for what is to come in each of our lives, something that seems to be a constant “Resolution” that many single people, both gay and straight, make is the thrill of dating someone and falling in love. In today’s day and age of how technology rules the world, it seems to be that getting to that point of said love is much different than when our parents were growing up. Back then, the norm seemed to be you meet someone at a bar or a mutual friend’s party, get set up on a blind date, and so on and so forth. These types of situations don’t seem to happen as often as they used to. Just last night, I was at my friend New Year’s Eve party and I met a really great gay couple who explained that they met on Grindr, and had difficulty telling their boss because even though the boss was gay it isn’t exactly something that you want known that you met someone on something that most consider to be a hook up site. But the thought does prevail, is online apps like Grindr, Scruff and Growlr the new way to meet a significant other in the gay world, or are there some people out there that still believe in the traditionalist ways of hunting for a mate where you go on an actual date with them and see where it goes? Let’s examine this for a second.
I myself, have been in both situations where I have asked a guy out online and in person. The problem I have with online stuff is that I tend to cut to the point after talking with someone for a couple of hours on there, because quite frankly you can have all this great conversation and it never leads to anything. Usually I will say, “So, when can we go on a date?”. I have had men quite shocked when I ask that, and when I ask why they usually say that they haven’t been asked on a date in so long. Same thing if it was in person at a gay bar or party. So what gives? This is where I went all Carrie Bradshaw and turned to my friends for advice. The responses that I got were quite interesting and diverse when it comes to dating in the modern world, and spoke true in regards to how each person sees this ever present aspect of our lives in our 20’s and beyond.
Many of the responses that I got came from this- We hang out first, and then see what happens. “I think people date when things are more concrete. Personally, I’m the type to say “let’s hang out” rather than “let’s go on a date”. It’s usually less pressure on both parties and when things progress then then a more formal “date” happens”, said one friend. Another one echoed something similar. “It seems guys are more interested in meeting up first, something casual like grabbing a beer. There after if a connection is made then a date seems to happen.”.
Question with both of these responses is, would we think the same way if technology didn’t get in the way? We live in a world today where we can pretty much custom order a date or a boyfriend due to these apps, and ignore the creeps and guys you aren’t interested in by simply not responding or even blocking them if need be. Would we have the same reaction as above if it was more traditional as it was 10 or 15 years ago? Or is it simply a defense mechanism that we place on ourselves in case the guy with the really hot photo and seemingly interesting online persona turns out to be something completely different and that way makes it easier to divulge how you want to move forward with this person?
Then there are friends who say that technology has really screwed up the whole dating concept in general. “I think technology dilutes the entire dating process…it speeds it up dramatically. Long gone are the days of courting someone; most guys in our community have a plethora of options for “dates” and therein lies the problem–make something so easily attainable and it loses its allure,” says one friend. Another one had something similar in mind- “I think with texting and Facebook and Internet in general, a lot of the interactions we used to do early in dating we did face to face, we now do via technology. Dating as we knew it 20 years ago is over.” Check out this article which talks about younger guys talking about online dating as a reference to all of this.
So where do we find a comfortable line in the dating world when it comes to how we approach someone? Is it taboo all of a sudden to simply ask someone on a date, or has the ever popular “meet up and see what happens” take over and be the way of the future? Is dating extinct… or is evolving?
What do YOU think?
Scruff, Grindr, Growlr- The Best Messages. Ever.
So this article is certainly not a diss to any of these three apps- I think they are all great in their own way and whether you are looking to make friends, a relationship or a hot one night stand I would recommend choosing one, two or all three in most cases. But let’s keep it real here- there are some bat shit cray cray people on those sites. And since I have been on them for the past couple of years, I myself have gotten some pretty award winning messages that would hopefully make you ROTFLOL (not that I expect you to fall out of your chair and do this, but it would be nice). That being said- here are the best of the best, the crem de la crem, of my gay app world 2.0.
I prefer a pocketbook personally.
Fat girl night.
Fuck Christina.
I’m Martha Fucking Stewart.
Seriously if you work here chances are you are going to get to at least 2nd base. Just bring me home something.
SOMEBODY STOP ME!
Salmon.
HEHEHEHEHE NAY!
Seriously.
So to recap here I look like a huggable Justin Timberlake who has stature. Sure.
Someone google what a Naked Chairmat is so I know what i am.
What are some of the best ones you’ve gotten? Hope this all made you laugh a little and not take these apps too seriously as these guys haven’t anyways.
Why Scruff > Grindr, for so many reasons
I have discussed in past articles why Scruff on a man is really essential in the first place. Yet there is an app for all smart phones and iPad’s that exist as well and has the same name. For a couple of years now, Scruff has become the go to app for gay men to meet each other, be it for friendship, dating or the casual hook up and it’s popularity rivals and sometimes beats the original gay icon app, Grindr.
Grindr isn’t bad per se. To me personally, it is a very minimized version of what you can get out of a gay app. It is a simple photo (that is being put loosely as some of the photos are trees or odd body hair) and a basic description of what the guy is looking for. Mainly, it is a hook up app. There is nothing wrong with that at all. Also, from what it seems the aesthetic seems to be one note as well, but that is just from my viewpoint.
Scruff to me has such a variety of options and you can really put yourself out there in more ways than one. Several guys that I have met off of there have actually turned into really great friends and you can use the site for more ways than one. They have great features from promoting your own business (I used to do it with my Examiner profile), and a variety of men with mainly the background of why Scruff is called Scruff.
Unlike other sites, Scruff accepts everyone on there. You can really get to know a person based on the description of your profile, and even though some are vague, some really happen to be interesting and thought provoking. There are ones that make you see past what they look like and you can form a conversation based off of mutual interests being jobs, movies, music, etc. In comparisons to Grindr, I think that if you want a successful app you have to be detailed in how you organize your profile in order to engage the user in wanting more than just clicking on the picture.
So survey says? For me, Scruff it is. If you haven’t tried either of them, and are curious to see what they are about, try them out. See for
yourself what is better for you. As stated in previous articles, this is just my opinion. Happy Hunting everyone! Oh, and this is hands down the best message I have ever gotten anywhere, gay or not.