LGBT

Rupaul’s Drag Race Finale Party At Stage 48

So Kitty Girls, Rupaul’s Drag Race has completed yet another season under its belt this past Monday night. The fashionable and irreverent Violet Chachki took home the season 7 crown over the dark horse & sleeper of the competition Pearl and the funny, campy and stylish Ginger Minj. Although the actual finale that aired on LOGO Monday was taped from a previous week, the real crown was presented that night at Stage 48 right in Hell’s Kitchen. This isn’t the first time that Drag Race has held events for RPDR there, and is the perfect venue for this type of a show.

Even with the weather being as shitty as it was, fans and press alike showed up in droves to celebrate the season that was with several of its incredible contestants. In the press room, some notable guests outside of this years contenders included Season 5 and 6 winners Jinkx Monsoon and Bianca Del Rio as well as legendary New York City drag queen Lady Bunny who arrived in her signature oversized blonde bouffant.

Rocco Steele, Katya — Credit to: Rocco Steele

Other big time players that showed up was entrepreneur & big time adult film star Rocco Steele and his buddy (and scene partner for Raging Stallion’s Clusterfuck 2) Boomer Banks, who performed a number with the ever so beautiful and polished Miss Fame.

So out of the fourteen girls from this past season, only a couple weren’t in attendance. Jaidynn Dior Fierce (which is a huge bummer because I really enjoyed meeting her at the premiere), Kandy Ho, Tempest Dujour, Max, Sasha Belle and Jasmine Masters were not in attendance. To be honest, out of that group the only ones I would’ve been interested in talking to would’ve been Tempest, Max and Jaidynn as Kandy brought nothing to the show, Sasha is boring and Jasmine did enough for herself to make her a villain throughout. Sorry, not sorry.

As for the girls who did show up to the meet and greet in the press room, I was surprised by how some were and not so surprised by how some behaved. First off, Pearl didn’t show up for press. I don’t get it. You are a freaking finalist, why aren’t you talking with the people that will write about you ESPECIALLY with you having an album coming out? Wasn’t really thrilled about that as I have attended finale parties in the past and the top three are always there. When it comes to Violet, I still have the same thoughts that I did when I met her at the premiere party- frazzled and not overtly nice. You don’t need to be, however she just seemed scattered and didn’t really stop for too long to let anyone really interview her. I am happy that she won, however these are things I will remember about her as you have to be amicable to a certain degree in order to make it far in anything with this industry. Just food for thought.

Ginger was absolutely incredible. She is beyond nice, hysterical and we had a great conversation about the season and so much more. I do feel as if she should’ve won the prize as overall she was consistent in my facets throughout the season, however I am still holding out hope that a big girl wins the prize eventually. Still not over Latrice losing S4. For as much shit as she got thrown at her this season, Kennedy Davenport couldn’t have been sweeter as well as poised and beautiful all at the same time. To be labeled the villain of this season when you didn’t really do anything villainous must be rough on a person, but she seems to be taking it in stride and was a fabulous person to chat with that night.

Trixie Mattel was hysterical as always, looking like a Katy Perry “Last Friday Night” inspiration decked in pink and wearing these incredible rollerblades. The makeup was overdone but in true Trixie style looked great on her. If Katya was in the final three I have no doubt that she would’ve won Miss Congeniality. Speaking of Katya, she looked ravishing in her black ensemble while sipping away on a red bull and giving everyone a big belly laugh with her great sense of humor. Finally, Mrs. Kasha Davis was a delight to talk to and I hope to see more from her in the future (especially if there is All Stars 2).

The night consisted of performances from the top six as well as the crowning moment where Violet was presented with the check for her win from Bianca Del Rio. Although many thought this was a lackluster season, the girls really did turn out some great performances and reminded us as to why they were cast on the show in the first place. Here is to hoping that S8 knocks it out of the park!

Ryan Shea, Manhattan Digest — Credit to: Ryan Shea

For more info on Drag Race, check out LOGOTV.com.

Get To Know The Handsome & Intelligent Bryan Knight

by Ryan Shea

It is rare for me to be taken aback by someone who is so physically desirable that its hard for me to comprehend words when speaking to said person. When that persons intelligence, wit and humor equal the aesthetic, it is even harder. That is how I see the gifted, handsome and absurdly smart Bryan Knight when I met him a couple of months ago at the 2015 Hookie Awards here in New York City.

Bryan, who has lived in New York for quite some time now, has a lot on his plate. One of the best masseurs out there, to the point where he won an award for it at the 2014 Hookies, he spends his time keeping clients happy and people turned on as he has made quite the name for himself in the adult industry. On top of that, Bryan is an incredibly gifted artist who is making his name in that particular field known as well. With all this going on, Bryan sat down with me to talk all about it including how he got started, his weirdest encounter with a client, thoughts on barebacking, art, and so much more. Take a look.

So Bryan, what got you into the masseur business in the first place?

After I finished my first internship in upstate New York, I responded to a Craigslist ad for a carpenter. I arrived at the funeral home at 10 in the morning in the middle of desolate nowhere. An older gentleman in a candy-striped shirt, pink suspenders, khaki pants and snow-white hair answered the door. He looked innocent enough. He told me that the carpentry job had already been done and I was disappointed. Then he said “Would you be willing to give me a massage instead?”

So, we went to the embalming room. I made sixty bucks, and it was amazing. It didn’t bother me that there was a dead body in the cooler next to us. As he’s rising from the slab, he says, “You are really good at this! You should do this for a living.” So, I took his advice to heart. Ten [sessions] became a hundred and grew. By the thousandth session, I realized I had started a career. And last year I won Best Masseur at The Hookies.

Sometimes when people do massage on their ads it can also parlay them into doing the full blown escort experience. When did that part of your career begin?

Most visitors want real therapeutic work, but they want a hand job at the end. This was just something they could not get where they were told they were supposed to go. Afterwards, about two years into it, both my parents lost their jobs. I felt very strong obligations to help them and help myself be independent. Escorting offered the promise of a lot more money with a lot less effort. So I tried it out. Then it became part of who I am and how I take care of myself.

If you had to choose, what do you prefer more- the masseur side of the business or the escort side?

The massage aspect I am excellent at. I try to be the best at this. Escorting was much more than the physical act I realized, so it was harder at first. I’m getting better at it now by understanding and really connecting with people. Not just because of the physical act but creating an experience and memories that they want. They want to look back fondly on these amazing times and want to feel happy. They won’t remember my face or what we did but they’ll remember how they felt about themselves and the whole experience, and that is what the escorting business is doing for clients in the long run.

You say you are getting more comfortable with the escorting situation; however has there ever been a situation with a client that was completely out of your comfort zone?

A very famous movie producer hired me three times, and on the fourth time he was drugged out of his mind. We didn’t do anything; we just sat alone in a dark room for four hours. Then I went to leave and wanted to be paid, and he started putting me down. Like really, really trying to tear me down. I wasn’t worried so much about a physical threat, but the fact was someone essentially went crazy. He was one person one day and a completely different person the next day. That was really scary.

He made all sorts of non realistic threats when I left, without getting paid. It wasn’t the worst, I wasn’t hurt, it was just a waste of an evening which I have had before. Very rarely though.

The biggest danger I face is emotional assault. There are haters out there. Hate is not something that just rolls off your back. You have to wash it out or it settles in your skin and makes you sick.

Most people however are awesome (or at least neutral)l so they don’t really care or bother me. The bad ones made me depressed or discouraged especially early on when I couldn’t talk about what I did. When I started I didn’t tell many people when I came out about it but now I am open with most people.

If the domino effect continues with the masseur to the escort, chances are that some guys then lead themselves into the adult industry on camera. Is that something you are doing right now?

Yes I am. I’ve done a total of 11 scenes since 2010. Four for Bear Films, five for Tyler Reed and one for New York Straight Men & 1 for Gentleman’s Closet (which was just sold to Trenton Ducati.) For Gentleman’s Closet, the guy was under my foot and I was stomping on him. That was one of my favorite videos ever. There was little cock shown but it was fun! I didn’t know how sexy it would be to put on men’s stocking and garters. I thought only Skye Woods can do that and get away with it.

Manhattan Digest, Bryan Knight — Credit to: Chris Reed

11 scenes is impressive however over the course of 5 years seems minimal. Why is that?

Right now, porn is fun. Porn is good promotion. I want to do stuff that looks good and that is fun. I have had experiences on film where it was work, and I thought “I could do better”. Not like Raging Stallion or Titan Men, which is really staged. I’ve heard that their working hours are really long. My primary concern is- do we have good chemistry? Is it fun? Can viewers share the fun? I just did a video with Scott Reynolds, which is not a typical lineup. However, the chemistry was authentic and the viewers really like it. Most people who commented on my say that was their favorite video.

Do you have any particular directors or actors in the industry that you would like to work with, and why?

I love Mike Cruise (www.rentmen.com/mikecruisenyc). He’s a sweetheart. Him and I get along so well. Dallas Goodbar, who is also working with me on my comic books, is a really nice guy and we can do some fetish stuff together. He has a great dry sense of humor. Chris Roberts is someone I wanted to do the son-daddy-coach roleplaying scene with him forever. He’s so good at it, and I would consider him a master in his field. I like my bottoms ranging from lean scruffy college-guy otters to big belly powerlifters, to muscular bears out of a Bara comic. I also would like filming with more men of color, because I love seeing the contrast on film. Leo Donato and Tyson Tyler are the first sexy men of color that come to mind.

Barebacking in the adult industry- yay or nay?

Have you seen any of my videos? They are all bareback, except for the solo and fetish videos. I did my first video with my boyfriend which was bareback. We did it for fun, but I figured I would be excluded from most of the major studios afterwards.

Mainstream studios tend to be avoid performers who shoot bareback for a couple of reasons. For instance, straight people still blame gay people for AIDS in one form or another. They see guys doing it without condoms and hate us, or at least implicitly blame us. “Oh, those guys are doing it and doing exactly what got us in this trouble in the first place.

Bareback sex between men is also interpreted to mean some sort of irresponsibility or morally reprehensible behavior than between a male and female. There are all these ingrained biases that the porn company perpetuates they think that if they cater to the audience. They believe they make more money by excluding actors who do bareback by minimizing their liability.

The bareback porn is emerging more on an amateur level because that is what men want to see. They are tired of being told they can’t have sex the way they want to. Realistically there is this amazingly pervasive ignorance of what it means to have STD’s and live with a long-term disease. Most guys today cannot conceive of having every other of their friends die and disappear and not know what happened during the 80s and 90s. They cannot conceive of that. So because they do not have direct experience with what happened, they assume that “Oh it’s not going to bother me, it is manageable”

The other thing is- it is still a human rights issue. Gays try to gain acceptance in the government by pandering to the straight crowd saying, “Hey we are just like you. We deserve the same rights as you but we just have same-sex relationships.” Bareback and all the stigmas around the practice is not in alignment with that message. So, at least publically, bareback is still rejected.

We are still fighting for marriage equality and other rights, so people don’t kill us or bully us and we don’t lose our jobs over it. Opponents use bareback sex as a weapon against us, even if it’s absurd. The gay political community wants to remove any tools that our opponents can use.

Ultimately? I think it’s about self-choice. You can reasonably assume that a legal adult who consents to the activity also takes responsibility for educating themselves about the risks involved with the activity.

Bryan Knight, Ryan Shea, Manhattan Digest — Credit to: Bryan Knight

Just from being in your apartment I can tell you are very creative. There is a lot going on visually from my standpoint. What else do you have going on in the world that is Mister Bryan Knight outside of what people know you most for?

Unofficially, I am producing comics. I have six artists in different stages of different projects. I’m actively looking for more artists and colorists as well. I am not going to say what the projects are but if you are tired of Grindr and Scruff, the next comic book project is just for you.

I want to do memoirs of male sex workers in the industry in comic book format. There is only one book, only one, that I know of called “Rentgirl.” I felt the author could have brought more to the table. It was bold for its time however I think I can do better- both male, female and in between.

I’m working on a children’s comic as a gift for my boyfriend, and our friends love it. Our relationship has lasted because we blame all our problems on our imaginary pets. The laughter has gotten us through some hard times together. This comic is our love letter.

Long term, I would accept other writers and turn their work into graphic novels. My escort clients are seeing this artwork and saying “We want our erotic fantasies personally illustrated”. So my artists are getting bumps in their business through me.

So these are so many different outlets that make Bryan ultimately Bryan. What is your favorite of all of them?

As I grow and expand and I am able to handle more. Massage helps me heal people and relaxes me. Escorting is exciting. Comic Books allow me to record experiences from the first two and create art that people relate to because it is authentic. These three activities are part a single cohesive process.

In conclusion- what are you hopeful for a year from now?

Most of my life is the way that I want it to be. I’m actively developing books, savings for a home, bodybuilding, and a number of things. There are times where I need to slow down and appreciate it and not work so hard. Just to enjoy what I have. As I get older I am sure I will slow down a little bit but that will come.

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One On One With The Talented & Intelligent Eddy Ceetee

by Ryan Shea

It is always good to catch a star on the rise, and that is exactly what I did when it comes to the handsome and super intelligent Eddy Ceetee. Eddy, who currently resides in Boston, has become very well known in such a short period of time due to his presence at one of the best (if not the best) studios out there right now- Titan Men. His chiseled body and warm smile has delighted fans for months, enough to earn him a Best Newcomer nomination this past weekend at the annual Grabby Awards in Chicago. With all that is going on with him, Eddy sat down with Manhattan Digest to discuss this and so much more.

Eddy Ceetee, Manhattan Digest — Credit to: Michael Charles

So tell me how you got into the industry in the first place?

I’ve always thought about it and something I did research on. I was bartending in Providence at Ego where two very known stars, Jesse Jackman and Dirk Caber, were guests there. I started talking to them and they said I would be perfect for it, which I obliged and then they got me in contact with Jasun Mark (Director for Titan Men). I had an interview with another company which I didn’t feel as good about it as I did with Titan. I felt completely comfortable there.

When I talked to Jasun he was pretty much opened to whatever I wanted, even the contract I was signed to was tailor made for that sort of thing. A couple of months later I flew to Los Angeles to film my first couple of scenes, and it has been great ever since.

So in my opinion, Titan Men’s models always seemed to be the most physically fit and look natural while doing so unlike other studios where the guys can look borderline plastic. That being said, has health and fitness always been in your life or did it spur when you joined the industry?

100 percent been about health and fitness. I remember the day I got my drivers license was the same day I got a gym membership. I was always skinny, especially in high school, and I knew I always wanted to be bigger and more muscular. If you look at pictures of me over the years I have grown and changed and I just like that I am able to manipulate my body in anyway that I want and I get results right away. There aren’t many things in life that you can get results instantly and I feel like with my body that I have gotten to know it so well so I can manipulate it and make it grow and do these changes.

Health is something I also take very seriously. I don’t know what it is because my parents let us eat whatever we wanted growing up, but I knew in the back of it I wanted to be healthy. Coming into this business I was already muscular and knew I had the body and I say that with pride because I am at the gym 7 days a week. I put the gym before a lot of other things in my life. I wasn’t born like this and want to be able to keep this momentum going for as long as I can.

So did you have any inspirations that got you into this industry?

My favorite is Francois Sagat. I like what he has done with his career and he has made something out of it. If there is a way of being classy in this industry, I feel like he did it.

Manhattan Digest, Eddy Ceetee — Credit to: Michael Charles

So I know you are still new in this industry so your first scene wasn’t too long ago. Can you tell me about it and what it was like?

I was actually very nervous! For some reason though, it felt right. My biggest fear was I was going to go into this and regret it and when I came out of it not doing so, I knew it was the right thing.

My first scene was with Nick Prescott, however for whatever reason Titan didn’t release that as my first. I think they wanted the big shock and Nick Capra has been around for 10-15 years so I think it was a great decision there to put that as the first scene as it got me out there more. It was amazing. Nick and I connected right away and we hung out after it was over even with us being together for six hours straight. I have heard from a lot of other guys in this industry that the first guy they have a scene with they develop a connection with. You are putting your all out there and having someone to share it with so I think that is what that experience was.

So your background tells me that you grew up in Lebanon until you were 10, then moved to Connecticut and have been living in Boston for the past couple of years. As someone who is out and proud, was it difficult for you growing up to come out regardless of your geographical location?

I didn’t think about anything gay before I came here. I don’t remember anytime before I was 10 where I felt like I had a gay moment. I always had crushes on girls. Around 14 I started having feelings for men, but I still dated girls and had a girlfriend throughout high school. Originally, I didn’t want to accept what was going on and deal with those feelings so I would try to not think about it. The first time I was with a guy was when I drove two hours away for it and convinced myself that I wasn’t going to like it and then I’ll forget these feelings. Turns out I liked it and never went back to women. Dabbled for a bit, but never completely back. I’ve been with different types of people and am open about it. I think I’m just human so if I feel a certain way about someone why not just go with it?

A lot of guys who work in the business also wind up doing escorting on the side or as a duality type of thing. Is that something you would consider?

I did it for a while, I just don’t know if it’s my thing. I have nothing against it at all, but it’s not for me. I don’t feel comfortable doing it, but I’ve done it here and there and it just didn’t feel right. For me. Everyone wants attention, love or to feel important, so a lot of these people who hire escorts- that’s what they want. You are pretty much helping these people feel better about themselves. So I don’t think there is anything wrong with it.

I ask this in all my interviews regarding barebacking in scenes. Would you ever do it?

I feel the industry is heading to be completely bareback, but it’s something I don’t want to do now. I’m a big advocate of safe sex, and from my experience with some of the fans that contact me that are 18 and 19 years old and some of my clients is that they are simply uneducated. If they see bareback all the time, they think it is going to be more OK to do it. It is not. People forget that this is real life as well, and even though you may be taking care of yourself the other person might not. Sex is supposed to be fun and happy, you just don’t want to be worried about diseases and other stuff out there. If you can avoid getting some of this stuff, why not?

I just don’t want to do it because its putting the wrong message out there- for me. I have friends who do it and have nothing against it, however I am educated enough in my personal life that I will not do that. I don’t want to put it out there for the younger gays to think its OK to do that without the education behind it.

Do you have a particular actor or director you want to work with?

I know he doesn’t really shoot anymore but I would love to do a scene with Francois. I put all these interviews out there hoping he would hit me up, but he hasn’t! I just think hes awesome and love the photography that he does, its very artsy and weird which I love.

A lot of people who come into this industry are flashes in the pan, where they are hot for a minute and then are out the next. How do you plan on elongating the Eddy Ceetee brand and going the distance in this industry?

I already feel like I’m different than most of these people because I am thinking outside of the sex in the scenes and not just the now moment. I believe that no matter how you get a voice, use it in a positive way. That is what i am going by. My favorite quote is, “aspire to be admired”, so if you present yourself in a certain way, people will want to cling onto you.

If you are in the Boston area, check out this great event that Eddy will be apart of!

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The Urban Bear Weekend Takes Over New York City

by Ryan Shea

Bears galore this past weekend (and not just in my bedroom) as the 7th Annual Urban Bear Weekend took over New York City. This is my fourth year attending this event, and I do have to say that coming from an area that is so highly concentrated with the bear community that it continues to get bigger and better with each year. Organized by the talented and woofy Robert Valin, the event itself starts on Thursday and culminated last night.

Although I didn’t attend each and every event, I did have a bunch of friends do so and for the most part the reviews were quite positive. Beginning on Thursday night, the event kicked off at with their Stache Bash Kick Off Party @ Julius Bar & Grill, followed by Code + Kink—The Urban Bear Leather/Fetish Party @ The Eagle NYC. Not much of a fetishist myself, but the Eagle party was really a great way to start Urban Bear Weekend as it had a ton of people in attendance with their own fetishes on display aesthetically.

The Urban Bear, Manhattan Digest — Credit to: The Urban Bear

Friday’s big event is the uber-popular Underbear happening at one of the biggest bear bars in the world- Rockbar on Christopher Street. With a line down the street, this was one of the three biggest events of Urban Bear weekend, where bears of all sizes stripped down to their skivvies and enjoyed a good old fashioned hot time with each other on the dance floor and throughout the bar. I had a great time there with a group of friends, and really enjoyed the multiple dynamics of all the men in attendance.

Saturday during the day was a little lighter, as several bears banned together and went The 9th Ave International Food Festival NYC which occurred between 42nd and 57th street on 9th avenue. The event was sort of like a carnival on pavement, per se, with several local vendors from entertainment, food, clothing and so much more putting their stock out on display for the masses. The Honey At Large Dance Event was the big event that happened on Saturday night, taking place at Slake on West 30th Street. With music by the super talented Bill Pfeiffer, the high energy party started around 10:30 and kept the crowd going for hours on end.

Sunday was the last and final day for Urban Bear Weekend, and they didn’t go out quietly. My favorite event of the entire weekend is the 7th Annual Bear Fair, which happens on Little West 12th Street between Washington Street and 10th Avenue. This is probably the most relaxing of all the events as it is a simple get together with the bear community to drink some beer, have some great street food and enjoy the great weather and each other. There were performances by the incredibly talented, handsome and hysterical Peter Bisuito (My Big Funny Peter, picture right) and drag queen Ms. Ermine Muff. It was also DJ’d by one of my favorites- Chauncey D, who spinned a great amount of modern and classic tracks. Peter and Ermine were great MC’s throughout, with their great comedy routines and contests like the Best Beer Belly. After that there was beer blasts at Eagle and Rockbar respectively, which were great ways to close the weekend out.

Overall, it was a great weekend here for the bears in NYC and I am looking forward to seeing what they bring next year. For more information on Urban Bear, check out their official site.

There Is Nothing Wrong With #Dadbod… Or Any Other Bod

by Ryan Shea

Well, here we go again society. Another trending topic that will no doubt go away after a while for most people, however this particular issue comes up time and time again with no end in sight. This is the #dadbod, or dad bod, however you want to word it. A simple article written on a site called “The Odyssey” in which a woman discusses her roommate’s fondness for a particular type of body on a man which is described as- a nice balance between a beer gut and working out. The dad bod says, “I go to the gym occasionally, but I also drink heavily on the weekends and enjoy eating eight slices of pizza at a time.” It’s not an overweight guy, but it isn’t one with washboard abs, either.

Now, no shade here to the opposite sex, but this really isn’t news if you are in the gay or bear communities… or both. This type of body is one that has been desired for decades upon decades and is a lot of the reason why men fall into the bear community in the first place. Growing up, a lot of the bear inspirations had this particular bod, which I refer to as “Huskular”, and we identified with the sexiness these men carried that allowed us to then figure out the type of man we want to emulate and be with both in and out of bed. Men like Christopher Meloni, Chris Pratt, Jason Segal and so many others have had this type of body and have also developed a great juxtaposition with males and females alike for their physical attributes on top of so many other things.

Here is the problem though with this- it has opened up a forum where we as gays are once again judging each other on what type of body each individual should have. Some men that have posted about this said that trying to achieve having a dad bod is quote “lazy”, ‘uninspiring” and “pathetic” in many adjective type terms. Others have embraced this type of movement and stated that “you should ultimately be happy with the skin you are in”. Granted the former of this argument is a personal trainer, so no doubt they don’t ever want to tell their clients to achieve this sort of thing, however many people would look at the critiques and read “judgement”. It is kind of like that mother of three a couple of years back who did the “What’s Your Excuse” type of thing. Regardless if it is meant to come off in a positive light, there are people out there who are sensitive or read things the wrong way (I have before) who will see it as “body shaming”.

I recently asked my friends this- Is having a regular guy bod, or ‪#‎dadbod‬, really that bad of a thing in the gay world? Do we feel we have to push ourselves to have a better body due to societal standards? Thoughts? These are the myriad of responses I received-

We definitely do! I’m not saying it’s right, but there is in reality an extremely high focus on what you look like as the initial attraction. That’s not to say given time personality won’t ultimately win over however initially there has to be a sexual attraction.

So to me, #dadbod is a guy that is balanced. likes the gym, but doesn’t obsess about macros. It just means that you have more time for other things. so my guess is #dadbod just str8 skinny/gay fat? Because I find that gay guys obsess more about carbs than anything. Why is that? Because gay media is still obsessed about the unrealistic ‘spornosexual’ image and I think #dadbod is a great counter stereotype, something people can realistically aspire to because let’s face it, once you’re over 30 most men can’t really have abs without eating salads all day and working out 2x a day. Who has all that time?

There’s someone out there for everyone. The trick is not over thinking it or worrying too much about it. You’ll drive yourself crazy and spiral.

I’d prefer a guy with a regular bod or dad bod over a guy that’s all muscled out. When I’m at the gym of course those guys make for great eye candy. The body that I want and the body that really makes me swoon on another guy would be a combination of a dad bod and muscle. I like a guy with a nice belly, big upper body and a nice set of legs to support it all. To each their own though.

I think that a majority of the gay world is very shallow and mistake skinny for attractive. They don’t think regular bodies ad normal bodies as attractive. And they don’t care about personality.

Clearly, it really is to each his own in so many different attributes. Granted my opinion is be happy with your own life and not focus on what other people say you should do or think of you in that sense. I relay a lot of it to that Kacey Musgraves song “Follow Your Arrow”. Just follow your arrow wherever it points. Want that muscular body that you desire to be and be with? Go for it. Happy to attain the huskular type of look that suits you and your suitors? Yay for you. Just be happy, and healthy and don’t overdo it. That’s all.

Thoughts?

Easton Mountain Celebrates 15 Years Next Weekend!

by Ryan Shea

The older you get, the more you realize that time really does go by quite quickly. In Easton Mountain’s case… it has been 15 years that they have been in service and providing the LGBT community with an amazing getaway from the norm with community building at its finest! With the warm weather kicked into high gear, Easton Mountain is celebrating their 15th anniversary in style with a huge 3 day event coming up this Memorial Day Weekend!

In an event called “Celebrate 15”, the weekend will be full of workshops and activities including a day-long outdoor concert and cook out, pool games, a Quincenera-themed cocktail party, outdoor sports & contests and a sit down dinner and presentation on Sunday night. Sounds like a wonderful time for me.

If you need to brush up on what Easton Mountain is all about, you can check out my original interview that I did months back right here. I once again sat down with one of the weekend’s leaders Wil Fisher to discuss the anniversary, what is in store for the upcoming weekend and hopes for the members who show up to any of the events. Take a look.

Wil you must be so excited that this is your 15th anniversary! Can you believe Easton has been around this long?

It’s an incredible milestone for this organization, and I’m so impressed and proud of the folks who have worked tirelessly to keep Easton alive and well.

Easton Mountain, Manhattan Digest — Credit to: Dave Dietz

Do you have a particular fond memory of the past 15 years that has stuck with you?

I’m fairly new on the scene compared to many other Easton folks (I first came to Easton 3-years ago). I definitely have fond memories tho. It’s remarkable to see all the people come through Easton and experience it’s magic. One of my favorite experiences is getting to see countless men come here and for the first time in their lives feel comfortable enough to try drag! Needless to say, our “Glamorama Drag Closet” is a popular feature here..!

What is the one thing you hope each and every individual has gotten out of this?

I hope all people who come to Easton get to experience the power of community. Community offers space for folks to feel safe, celebrated, connected, and loved. That experience can be life-transforming, and it is beautiful to witness.

Tell us about your upcoming 15th anniversary celebration, what is in store?

We are going to have an incredible weekend honoring our past, celebrating this milestone occasion, and looking ahead to our future. The weekend will showcase workshops that embody our mission and values at Easton. It will also feature an outdoor concert and cook-out, and a fabulous sit-down banquet with drag hostess Increda- Bubbles, speeches, performances and a dance party to follow!

Anything else you want to add?

Folks can still sign up for this exciting weekend, or just come for the banquet. We are excited to share this celebration with the entire LGBT community!

For more information on Easton Mountain, check out their official site.

Rupaul’s Drag Race Season 7 Coronation June 1st In NYC!

by Ryan Shea

Yes hunties… another season of Rupaul’s Drag Race is quickly coming to an end. The show, which started a little later than usual this year with a ton of changes including Untucked available only online, new judges and other thangs… will crown its winner on June 1st at 9pm on LOGO. Even though the finale is taped on the actual network, the real crowning will take place the same night right here in New York City!

With the final five being the strongest the show has had in recent seasons- Pearl, Violet Chachki, Ginger Minj, Kennedy Davenport and Katya as well as top six finalist Trixie Mattel will all be performing that night at Stage 48 (605 West 48th Street) where the winner will be revealed. To add even more fabulousness, the crown will be presented by last year’s winner (and best if I may so myself) New York’s very own Bianca Del Rio. The evening will begin at 8pm with a live viewing of the final episode followed by the official crowning of “America’s Next Drag Superstar” and check presentation. Then the winner and top five drag finalists will perform live, lip-syncing their way back into our hearts.

“It’s your last chance to see all your favorite girls from RuPaul’s Drag Race’s Season Seven together on one stage,” say Brandon Voss of Voss Events, the company producing the event. After the coronation, New York drag legend Lady Bunny will be on hand as the in house DJ and keep the party going all night long.

So whether you are rooting for the fierce fashions of Violet, the campy humor of Katya and Ginger, the little engine that could Pearl or the best Snatch Game impersonator this year Kennedy, chances are you will have a fun time and really find out who will win this race and continue on in the tradition of making this the best damn reality show on television.

For more information, check out Voss Event’s official website.

One On One With The Talented & Brutishly Handsome Colby Jansen

by Ryan Shea

When it comes to physical presence and good looks, you really can’t get better (in my opinion) than Colby Jansen. Colby has done a phenomenal job in the adult industry becoming one of the top performers in his field due to his great looks, ability on camera, as well as developing a huge fan base outside of the lens. Hairy, muscular with a great smile to boot, his versatility in his Men.com scenes have shot him to an all time high with his presence in the gay world and has proven that you don’t need to be a flash in the pan and last longer than most people do in this particular industry.

Already with 5 plus years under him, he currently has his sites set on aspects not only in the adult industry but also in the health & fitness world as well. I recently met him at the 2015 Hookie Awards in New York City, and was struck with his friendly demeanor, charismatic attitude and chiseled good looks which meld together in one amazing package (no pun intended). I stayed in touch with him and finally got a chance to interview him last week when he attended one of the biggest gay events in the world- The White Party in Palm Springs, California. Colby opens up about how he got into this industry in the first place, his thoughts on why our community judges the B in LGBT, why his favorite scene partners are not alike at all and his surprising turn as to what is next for him. Take a look.

Thanks for sitting down with me Colby! So tell me a little bit on how you got yourself into this industry.

I was getting divorced, actually, and dating this girl who happened to be a stripper in DC. Evidently she was doing porn and going to Phoenix to do a scene. She had trust issues with the other guys apparently and wanted me to go with her. I obliged and went with her while she did a shoot, and during that time was approached by someone to do porn myself. The guy pretty much said, “You want to make some real money”? I ended up doing a bunch of scenes for Amateur Straight Guys, which was alright because doing gay porn compared to straight had a much higher dollar value so I made more money in that aspect. This was about six or seven years ago. I was in the industry for a brief time and moved out to LA with my wife Gia then back to Buffalo and decided the industry wasn’t for us and went back to our normal lives.

During that time I was struggling at a crappy job, and financial concerns became an issue. I then decided to get back into the industry full force and it took off bigger than I ever thought it would.

Just for the record here, because there is a lot of back and forth about this on the blogs and stuff, what do you identify yourself sexually as?

Well, I don’t like to label myself as a bisexual, yet it seems that would be a lot easier for many other people to understand. Mainly, it is sex that I like and I just go with it. I have found that in the LGBT community that the B part is actually forgotten about. In group settings, people have a hard time really believing that someone can be bisexual and will constantly question you regarding falling onto one side of the fence. If we want to be an actual community we need to accept each other for who we are and not spend our time judging and being mean if someone doesn’t fit the norm.

Colby Jansen, Ryan Shea — Credit to: Ryan Shea

When I met you at The Hookies I found it was quite telling that you presented the award for Best Bear/Cub as you embody a lot of what that culture is as you have a “real man” type of build to you. Do you see that becoming a staying trend in the industry? What is your take on that?

There is a real look, but there is also a chemically induced look that a lot of the guys have, muscle wise. A lot of them work very hard on their bodies, don’t get me wrong, but I have a big chip on my shoulders when it comes to guys who use chemical enhancers to get their body where they feel it needs to be. When I was playing football there were guys who were cheating and using all of that stuff, so I’ve had a history of that around me. Then again, there are guys who work their bodies and don’t rely on that. I pride myself on being natural and honestly have been baffled at the positive response that I have gotten in this industry based off of that.

I mean, are you really that shocked though? When I posted the photo of me and you at the awards I was not that surprised by the amounts of comments and likes from all different types of men who have a huge affinity for you. What do you think that is?

I think it has a lot to do with personality. There are a lot of guys who are only friendly and nice to a particular subset of gay men, which doesn’t work with me. I go out of my way to be nice to all different types of people and that in turn makes you approachable. If you are walking around with a smile on your face, people are going to want to talk to you. They see that you are a warm person. If you are walking around with duck face or a scowl then who is going to want to talk to that? No one.

Colby Jansen, Manhattan Digest — Credit to: Colby Jansen

You are of course married to the beautiful Gia Darling, who is a well-known figure in the trans community. Bruce Jenner just recently became the face of that community due to her hugely watched interview with Diane Sawyer. What was both your takes on it?

We actually haven’t really talked about it yet because when the interview came out I was in Palm Springs. I know for a fact that everytime we go to the stores and we see all the gossip magazines, Gia’s heart breaks for her as she gets what she is going through. I only get recognized if I go to a gay bar or what not, she has cameras following her 24/7 so the anxiety level must be through the roof and for her to do what she did is going to be really big for the community in general. What our hope is now that Bruce has done this is that is shifts the public’s perception on the trans community as not just being a sexual fetish for certain people and that they can actually move through society normally without judgment.

So you have been a Men.com exclusive for quite some time now. Have you ever thought of branching off and working with other largely based studios?

I mean, I don’t think you can get bigger than Men.com when they are coming out with new movies every single day. I am very comfortable with where I am with them and really love all the people there. At this point, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

You have done numerous scenes to many people’s liking over the years. Do you have particularly a favorite scene that you have done and why? Also, who would you like to work with that you haven’t yet?

There are two particular men that I really enjoyed working with that happen to be on complete opposites of the spectrum. One is Tyler Sweet, who I did two scenes with- “Crotch Rocket” and “Son Swap”. That was pretty great. The other scene I loved was with Dirk Caber, who was also in “Son Swap”. Two guys that are on completely different ends of the spectrum in terms of looks and age, both extremely attractive guys- it really just depends on the person and the chemistry that I have with them.

When it comes to other performers, I’ve always liked Jake Bass. I’ve always saw him as a super sexy Montreal guy who is really hot. Paddy O’Brien is someone I have always wanted to work with as well as he looks like a lot of fun. We have never met though, he films over in the U.K. whereas I am based here in the states. I get over there maybe once a year and our schedules haven’t worked out, so hopefully sometime in the future we can arrange something.

A constant that I have asked in interviews with other stars like yourself is about the prevalence of bareback porn that is happening in the industry. What is your take on that and is that something you would ever consider doing?

I’ve been approached to do it and I simply won’t. I’m negative and take pRep and all, I just don’t want to put myself in those types of movies. People mimic what they see on these movies and it may have a negative influence on the younger generations out there.

You recently got a lot of coverage due to a scene with Men.com where you read lines from Shakespeare while having an “Autoblow 2” sex toy attached to your manhood. I watched and was impressed and amused throughout, yet turned on of course. Please tell me that was real and you weren’t acting?

God no, that wasn’t acting. Even though the scene itself was only three minutes long, I had been using the Autoblow a little bit beforehand to get myself going hehe. You can see how flush I became, I was awfully pink. They also did me a big favor by giving me the hardest passage to read, which made the whole thing that much more interesting.

A lot of men and women in the industry go beyond the starring aspect and actually make their stage name a brand in many different facets. Is that something you want to do as well?

That happens to be something I am doing currently through Team Beachbody which I have linked to on my Facebook and Instagram. I am a Team Beachbody coach, and that includes all the P90X and Insanity type of workouts. On Facebook I have groups of 10 people and help them move through the 21 day fix which is a good way of losing 10-15 pounds in 3 weeks. It is a really good thing for anybody who wants to shed a bunch of pounds or who wants to reset their eating regiment. It is a portion control thing with a meal replacement shake called “Shakeology”. That is what I am moving towards and within the next couple of months I will be coming out with my own line of protein shakes and some creatine types that can help people achieve a weight level that they are comfortable being at while being healthy throughout.

In conclusion, what is a good end goal for you in this industry?

I guess my ultimate goal is to keep doing what I am doing but branch out so there is a lasting type of effect. That is where my motivation is with the weight loss and the healthy eating type of thing, because there is nothing cooler than getting an email from someone who says that I was their inspiration for getting fit and being happy while doing so. I’ve had people send me all types of great messages and that is the kind of thing that is my driving force in doing all of this.

Colby’s Links:

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

Get To Know Actress & Author Kimberly Amato

by Ryan Shea

Author. Actress. Outspoken LGBT Activist. Just some of the words you can describe for the uber talented Kimberly Amato. There isn’t much that Kimberly can’t do in today’s day and age. Write a super impressive novel (Steele Resolve) with many more to come? Check. Star in a popular YouTube series? (Nic & Kimmie Show)? Double check. Kimberly has kept herself quite busy in her acting and writing career over the past ten years, and has a lot more to come in the future. Check out our exclusive interview we did with her at Manhattan Digest.

What inspired you to get into acting in the first place?

It was so many things, but primarily it was the idea of being someone other than myself. I could have any job, hobby, name, family – but I didn’t have to be Kimberly. I could explore the world from the set of any production.

Do you have any particular actor/actress, movie or TV show that really was the driving force in getting you into this particular industry?

Jodie Foster. She has such a way about her and her work ethic. Her ability to showcase her talents in so many different roles was inspiring. As I got older and read more about her, I was more fascinated. She’s a brilliant woman who moves me to spread my wings and continue fighting for my career.

Your IMDB profile is very impressive. What has been your favorite role you have taken on so far and why?

I loved playing “Raven” in “Under The Raven’s Wing”. The writing was great, availability to improv was supported and it was the most versatile character ever. During one day of shooting I went from calm to angry to emotionally drained – it was awesome.

A ton of debate has been going on lately regarding female roles in Hollywood, and how they are expanding beyond the stereotypical types. What are your thoughts on that?

I think it is a bit of a double edged sword. I do happen to see more roles for women that are out of the mold – but they are being played by younger women. The older actresses are more on television and have more “classic” roles handed to them. We can be anything, but at a certain point we are no longer viable for an action hero character. Men are afforded longevity in areas like that. It’s also interesting that when women are cast in these tougher, more action based roles – they are brought down by men only referencing their beauty. Most recently two stars of the Avengers referred to the Black Widow as a whore. In jest or not, it sets a precedent to younger people.

Another example is actress/activist Angelina Jolie speaking to the U.N. on the crisis in Syria. The Syrian U.N. Ambassador, Bashar Ja’afari was asked his opinion on her speech – he said she was beautiful. No matter how many roles, directorial successes women seem to have or expand into – it always comes back to how we look and not who we are.

Do you have a particular actor, actress or director you are dying to work with?

Joss Whedon, Jodie Foster and Angelina Jolie – they bring such rich stories to the screen with well-developed characters. Not to mention, I have always wanted to play an action hero or a vampire hunter.

You are also an author of a book called “Steele Resolve”. What is it about?

It’s about Jasmine Steele, a detective who had her life going in the right direction. She was happy with her job, even through it was a detour from her dream. She had the love of her life and was planning to take the next step. Then she got a call that all families dread. Her brother was murdered in a car accident. Her life fell apart. She’s raising her nephew and had no room to deal with her grief. She lost connections with friends, her work suffered and she lost her soulmate. Now a series of murders all relate back to that fateful night. She has to find a way to figure it all out before someone else she loves dies.

Would you consider doing more novels in the future?

Oh yes! I am currently working on Melting Steele – book 2 of the Steele Series. I would love to continue writing the Steele Series for as long as the fanbase allows. Beyond that I have several other books and screenplays outlined just waiting to be put to page – er computer screen.

You are also part of the LGBT community. What was your take on Bruce Jenner’s revelation this past week?

I was very thankful that someone with more visibility actually stood up and expressed themselves. I will be honest and say I have friends on Facebook that I would love to see documentaries on. Bruce was courageous yes, but he has money and support. Many others out there are alone and we need to see them as well for a more rounded view of the issue.

What strides do you think we still need to take overall as a community?

We need to change the negative views that we are deviants, rapists, pedophiles and whatever else people say. We need to speak of the reality with factual based arguments and not fight one another. After Bruce Jenner spoke, people were asking me about what sport he should be allowed to play and what bathroom he should use if he doesn’t get a full sex change operation. They asked me about how he could identify as straight if he felt he was a woman. Some of these questions came from supporters and members of our community. The answer is simple – It doesn’t matter. We live in a society with a need to categorize everything. We are not criminals, we don’t need a registry – we need acceptance. If we can change that, maybe we have a chance, but we must stand as one. I’d like to think this is all possible.

Anything else you have going on in 2015 and beyond you can share?

I do have Melting Steele and Breaking Steele on my to-do list and I have been auditioning as much as possible. Other than that, I am working on my webseries endeavor with Nicole Stiegelbauer called The Nic & Kimmie Show. We are planning to shoot more episodes this summer.

Kimberly Amato’s Official Site

MRF Wants You To “Go To The Gym” In His New Video & Song

by Ryan Shea

Who doesn’t love a viral video craze? Who can’t wait to see what the song of the summer is? I’ve got both of them for you right here! Boston native and jazz aficionado Mike “MRF” Flanagan has just released his insanely catchy song “Go To The Gym”, with an emphatically awesome video to go along with.

“Go to the Gym” is a fun uptempo cut with Sax Ostinato from MRF, a New Orleans style drum feel and a layer for stepping from Justin Waithe who chants on the chorus. Lead vocalist Lisa Bello put her MC skills onto this track, and the music video takes us from being a misfit in the yoga class, to gym stereotypes, to a step team and even a “Newsie” influenced barbell routine. This song showcases a hard-hitting, high energy fun side of the trio in which they utilized completely different abilities than we saw in the soulfully beautiful, heartbreaking radio single ‘Trying”. You can check out the video in its entirety RIGHT HERE! If you think Kanye’s “Workout Plan” was fun, you haven’t seen anything yet. For those who aren’t in the know, here is more about this diverse and powerful trio.

MRF, Lisa Bello & Justin Waithe topped the iTunes charts in 2013 with MRF’s sophomore album “Mob Music”. In addition to being nominated for 5 OUTmusic awards, they landed on the initial 57th GRAMMY Awards voting ballot for Best R&B Album this past year. You can check out my previous interview with MRF here. Mike was nice enough to sit down with Manhattan Digest about “Go To The Gym” and his future goals with the brand that he is building.

Hey MRF, thanks for sitting down! Tell me about the concept of “Go To The Gym” and how it came about?

Thanks, Ryan! My pleasure. I knew I wanted to do a song called “Go to the Gym”. I would catch myself singing that as a chorus and felt it was time to bring it to life. Lisa, Justin and I have so many different tricks up our sleeves, I knew this one would allow us to bring out some that people hadn’t seen from us before.

Your music is pretty much known for being a bit more soulful and relaxed yet can be powerful in the sense ala “Trying”. What made you want to do an uptempo type song?

It really boils down to knowing that we could make this kind of song. I wanted to make a hit geared towards radio that would get catch the attention of everyone young and old. Lisa’s, Justin’s and my songwriting is always based off of our experience and being that we all fall into the category of gym head, I knew we would have a lot to bring to the table with this one. Justin is a Zumba instructor in his spare time. Lisa has been an athlete her whole life and I like to pick things up and put them down.

Has the thought of ever doing a parody type video crossed your mind before?

I like to work at the surface of parody but not cross all the way into it. I’m kind of relying on our fans for that actually. We hare hoping to start a campaign where people who hear the song or see the video will make Instagram videos, or FB or Twitter videos of themselves doing a crazy exercise, dancing, lip synching, vogueing, stepping etc. and post it with the hashtag #GoToTheGymWorldWIde We want this to catch on and even get other celebrities doing it. Actually if someone could hit up Michelle Obama, that would be fantastic. 😉

Where did you draw inspiration to do this sort of video?

I wanted to give people a good time that everyone, no matter what their relationship with the gym, could relate to. This song isn’t geared towards one demographic of people, there’s something in it for everyone. We see Lisa making a mess of a Yoga class, guys that are way too serious, working out in flip-flops, the novice that tries to go all out right away, but most of all we see people having a good time. And that’s kind of what I want the song to inspire people to do is not be intimidated by a gym, just go enjoy yourself and who cares what you look like stating off.

I’ve been working out in gyms since I was 14. I also worked front desk at gyms for about 8 years. Ive experienced from Equinox to mom & pop and everything in between. I had a lot of inspiration to draw from given all the crazy stuff I’ve seen over the years. But also, I drew from the talent of my dream time (Lisa Bello & Justin Waithe). Their talent amazes me more and more with every new venture we work on. I knew I wanted Justin to step on the track and then lead a step team. I knew that after I laid down the instrumental and Justin laid down the chorus, that Lisa was going to SPAZ on her verses. That’s my favorite part about us. I know what to provide and get a sense of what the outcome is going to be but I’m always aware that it’s going to be 10 xs more than I could have even envisioned.

What was the process of filming like for this?

We did a 12-hour day of shooting and crammed in as much as we could. Scheduling with that many extras, the company and the musicians makes for a lot of constraints so we had to bang it out in one day. We filmed at Iron Force in Natick, thanks and shotout to Mike Cassavant. Surefire Creative Studios shot and produced the video. Each of us had roles in choreography and we really helped push each other through the day. Honestly it was a BLAST and I would do every minute of those 12 hours over again tomorrow.

Do you have high hopes that this will catapult the MRF brand to a higher level?

I would love for this video/song to explode and have that direct people who don’t know about us to our music/content. I still want the Mob Music album to reach as many people as possible and our new stuff is going to be even crazier!

Do you have plans to attend and perform at Bear Week again this year?

I will be there 🙂 I’m performing everyday that week actually. I’ll be at Tin Pan Alley Mon – Fri 4:30 – 7:30, the Bear Week Jazz Brunch on that Friday as well from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM. This is something I do every year!

What else can you share with our readers about what’s next for you?

We have our next single ready to go. We did a very Mob Music cover of “I Can’t Make You Love Me” and that will be out at the end of May. Look for that video as well. I’d also say that a new album should be on the horizon for early fall.

For more information on all things MRF, check out his official site.

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