GVD Column/Mickey's Hollywood Hardcore Tidbits 0359

	*Mickey Skee's Hollywood Hardcore Tidbits...*
	Column #59 - May 29, 2003

White Trash dominated the GayVN Show this year, and perhaps that was appropriate considering the venue and the atmosphere. The low-scale awards show was held at the Rage this year - no tuxedos, no fancy pre-shows, no RuPaul singing or Bruce Vilanch telling jokes. It was a very private event - no lavish candlelit fancy party like it used to be in years past either downtown or at the Universal Hilton. And how appropriate then that MSR, whose slogan is "Men Are Pigs" - and a relatively newcomer company - dominated the awards, winning nine total for its sex comedy of horny white trash dudes out in the country.

It won best sex comedy and screenplay along with packaging and overall marketing campaign (for the clever way they sent a bag of trash to the reviewers - causing my assistant to complain about cleaning up my desk because it was attracting bugs!) Rod Barry won the best supporting actor here for his handsome stint as a hick (and there's not too much of a stretch for that one).

White Trash also created some upsets, most notably my buddy Sharon Kane, who is usually a sure win for both best nonsexual or best music or both, and lost both awards to this video (which she was involved with, however). Sharon was off in Belgium with her beau after she made her rare pubic appearance singing at Will Clark's Bad Boys Pool Party in Palm Springs. And Andrew Rosen, who at one point thought he shouldn't be a contender because he's won so many editing awards (Tab Lloyd holds the record, however) lost to Joe Anjou for White Trash. And art direction, which I thought would go to the wild costumes of Zoot Suit (which won best ethnic themed video) went also to White Trash.

In a rare appearance, All Worlds owner Rick Ford accompanied his lad, Rafael, only to watch award after award go to the fledgling company, beating out longtimers like Falcon, All Worlds, Titan and Catalina. It was definitely the night for the little companies.

But this Oscars of Gay Porn wasn't the classy event it has been in the past, and it became a "club event" not unlike the Joey and Carlo Show held at the Palace last year which also gave White Trash its first set of awards last December. And ironically, a former GayVN judge, J.C. Adams, who is an employee now of MSR wasn't even allowed into the event (and heck, I would have let him in despite our longtime rivalry!)

Chi Chi LaRue hosted the show, just like old times when she was hosting the Grabbys, the Probies, the Dickies and everything else in town. A long line of handsome studs tried to read out some of the names to no avail, and winners weren't allowed to make speeches.

A delighted and giggly Caesar won for Blue Blake's Cowboy, tying for best actor along with Josh Weston from Deep South: The Big and the Easy, and Falcon's co-directing effort won best video and Chi Chi took best director again with John Rutherford for that video. It was quite a wonderful double-package, but where was the reclusive Rutherford, who has since retired from Falcon? He was in town, and in fact, I was leaving a message on his cell phone of congrats along with another judge. Here he was in L.A., and he was so uncomfortable about coming to the show, he wouldn't even say goodbye to his old pals on his way out and collect his last trophy. The last time he was seen in public was when he and Chi Chi accepted honors for Falcon's late Chuck Holmes in a teary speech last year.

The best gay performer of the year went to Michael Brandon again, looking skinny as ever, and he tied with Colton Ford, the salt-and-pepper haired stud who confirms to me that he's leaving the business. "It's a nice way of ending my porn career," he says, on his way to a singing career - and he's good!

Others such as Raging Stallion, Lucas Kazan and Bel Ami got completely skunked and deserved to win! TLA Releasing's win went to its alternative release for the DVD version of The Fluffer, by Wash West, who's usually winning lots of awards, but now his mainstream title wins in the gay porn awards.

It was nice to see Bob East for his last appearance for Men of Odyssey, which has gone bankrupt, and yet, his company won for the Mass Appeal 2, best bisexual video, and director Jim Steel won a much-deserved bisexual director trophy. Steel tells me that my half-hearted four star review of his video wasn't merited and that he worked so hard on the video. When he told me the horror stories of what he had to deal with on the set, I figured that Steel should not only win more trophies but be nominated for sainthood!

Paul Barresi brought me a corsage in a very gay move for a straight man, (bi man, whatever!) He spent 10 minutes trying to pin it on me as I slopped down Bloody Marys at the open bar, and I finally said, "Come on Paul, you're Italian. You should be good at sticking it in people." I was kidding, of course.

Adult Video News publisher Paul Fishbein caught his former employee Nick DiMartino and I at the bar. We were, after all, his producers for about a decade for his gay show when it was a big lavish show with lots of mainstream stars in the audience. "Why aren't you inside cheering?" Paul asked. I shot back without a moment's thought saying, "Because we're out here heckling!"

The show was fun, low key and a great party with great food, but little did I know that the next day Paul would authorize the firing of Jeremy Spencer, who put the show on pretty much solo and was my successor for four years as Gay/Bi Editor of AVN! He's being replaced by the capable Doug Lawrence, an old friend from the Adam Film Guide! The show, however, will go on...

- Mickey Skee

Mickey Skee has covered the adult entertainment industry since 1986 and his latest porn fiction book F.U. - Back to School with Mickey Skee just came out by Alyson Books. The Bad Boys of Video series contains secrets of the porn stars is now available only at www.companionpress.com. If you have any question, comments or just want to say, "Hi," you can write Mickey at MickeySkee@aol.com.

GO TO READ MICKEY'S PREVIOUS COLUMNS

Mickey's Books

Bad Boys of Video #3 - Interviews by Mickey Skee - with Kevin Williams on the cover, is now available here online. (224 pages - Over 100 nude photos-including full-frontal. 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" softcover. Price $14.95.)

Is it possible to ask a porn star an embarrassing question? Find the answer to this question and more about this hot new book from Mickey Skee at Bad Boys of Video 3 details!

ALSO AVAILABLE

The Best of Gay Adult Video 2001 - Mickey Skee's Top 100: This is the 4th annual edition. (224 pages - Over 100 nude photos-including full-frontal. 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" softcover. Price $14.95 ) and his other books are only available here online with this link to www.companionpress.com.

Find out more about this new annual edition from Mickey Skee at Best of... 2001 details!

Check Out These Reviews of Mickey Skee's Books

Also Mickey Skee's Hollywood Hardcore Diaries is one of of the topics in Big Daddy's Personal Notes #3.

THIS YEAR'S HOTTEST VIDEOS

HOME