Ethyl’s Place

And The Winner is...

By Ethylina Canne

photo by David Laffe

What happens in Vegas will NOT be staying in Vegas this January. I’m simply OVER THE MOON to be one of the Red-Carpet Correspondents for this year’s GAYVN Awards presented by Chaturbate. These are film awards presented annually to honor work done in the gay adult industry, for those who aren’t in the know. The best of the best will converge on Sin City for a night to remember. I’m grateful that I got to catch up with my cohost, Sister Roma, and get some inside dish about the industry.

The GAYVNS are back this year, live and in person at Resort World, after 2+ years of being virtual due to COVID. What and who are you most excited about?

I’m most excited to be hosting the red carpet with one of my dearest friends. Her name is ETHYLINA CANNE! Girl we are going to have a blast. I have to say GAYVN put on a couple of great virtual shows. After producing the Miss Pineapple Pageant virtually for two years I know how much work and technical savvy it takes. This year we brought Mx. Pineapple - LIVE to West Hollywood and I have to say there is nothing like a LIVE show! The world is open, and our community is so ready to welcome the GAYVNS back to Vegas! It’s going to be a wild night celebrating our amazing industry. I can’t wait to see everyone - it’s going to be a much-needed love fest of fashion, hugs, kisses, and lots of selfies.

Many people know you as “The Most Photographed Nun in the World” (trademarked by the way) and all your work you have done with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, but you have also been a key player in the Adult Industry for many years. Tell us about how you got into the business and what your current position entails.

My journey into the world of gay adult entertainment began with my friendship with Michael Youens, aka Shante Bouvier. Falcon hired Shante and moved him from Phoenix to San Francisco to work in customer service. We met at 1015 Folsom at a club called Colossus where I was the VIP hostess. Shante was new in town and was standing against the windows in drag. She was wearing these huge hold amulets on her forearms, our eyes locked, and I said, “Get it, Wonder Woman.” We hit it off that night and the next day I drove my scooter over to her apartment with a bag of burgers and fries. That was nearly 30 years ago, and we’ve been virtually inseparable ever since. Shante introduced me to literally everyone in the scene, Chi Chi LaRue, Steven Scarborough, and all the big-time stars of the day; Chad Donovan, Kevin Williams, Eric Manchester, Hal and Vince Rockland, Tom Chase, Aiden Shaw, Jake Andews, and Ken Ryker to name a few. Shante got me a cameo role in Falcon’s 1997 hit “High Tide” and hooked me up hosting adult industry events. It was the connection with Seven Scarborough that changed my role from fan and friend to actual employee in 1998. I owned a magazine in San Francisco called HYPE. It was a free scene-zine and we always needed to put hot guys on the cover to get people to pick it up. I went to visit Steven at the Hot House offices to ask for images and he happily agreed. Shortly thereafter I began to do freelance graphic work for Hot House. Steven eventually hired me full time and I worked my way up to Art Director. While I was still at Hot House sometime around 2005, Tim Valenti at NakedSword was looking for a co-host for a live-format news and talk show. John Rutherford, who was President and CEO of Falcon, recommended me for the job. I met with Tim and Mr. Pam and the Tim and Roma Show was born. THAT was a wild ride! Tim and I literally exploded on the internet and took our show literally everywhere. We filmed live interviews on the floor of AES in Vegas, shot Julie Brown with Chi Chi LaRue at Channel One studios, cruised glory holes at Factory Video, visited movie sets, and hosted red carpets (including the GAYVNs) interviewing all the stars from Jenna Jameson to Kathy Griffin to Margaret Cho. Eventually, when Falcon | NakedSword

acquired Hot House, part of the deal was that I would go to work with Tim. I was Art Director at NakedSword and promoted to Co-Creative Director for Falcon | NakedSword a few years ago. I love the adult industry. I’m extremely proud of the amazing content we’ve produced and I’m so grateful for the friendships and family I’ve maintained in my 20+ year career.

We live in an era where free adult content is available all over the world wide web. Do you think this has hurt the big-name studios or has it made the studios up their game to produce a product that people can’t get anywhere else?

OMG it’s so true! I mean if you aren’t watching porn are you really on the internet? There is no denying that there are a lot of hubs and tubes that provide access to free porn, and they are very popular with people who are casual viewers. But if you’re a real porn fan you can name the first porno you’ve ever seen. You know your favorite models’ names and you know which brands deliver the kind of hardcore action you like. You appreciate quality porn with incredible production values and world-class stars. You know what you want and you’re willing to pay for it. All our brands, Falcon Studios, Raging Stallion, Hot House, and of course NakedSword, have name recognition and a huge fanbase that make our membership sites some of the most successful in the world. We love our fans!

What do you think it takes to become a Porn Star and who are your some of your favorites in the biz? Any tips for someone wanting to get into the adult film world?

I think being a porn star is like being a drag queen or a Sister of Perpetual Indulgence. We are all born - not made. We have a calling that must be answered. Obviously, porn stars must love sex but there’s more to it than that. You must be an exhibitionist who enjoys putting on a show. You must be sexually adventurous and willing to try just about anything - or anybody - in the name of getting people off! You must take pride in your work and always remember that once you film it’s out there forever. Always do your best and own it. You must be confident and thick skinned - porn fans, like drag fans - can be some of the most supportive and loving but will turn on you in a minute. In the words of my friend, the legendary Drag Superstar Jinkx Monsoon, you need to let their evil comments roll off you “like water off a duck’s back.” After more than 20 years in this business I can tell you that no matter who you are or what you’re into, there is someone into you. Looks, physique, cocksize, preferred sexual position, orientation, gender, and sex are all subjective and take a back seat to attitude. If you’ve got the right attitude, you’re golden.

You have hosted events all over the world in your career. Is there any event you haven’t hosted that is on your bucket list?

When I joined the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and painted my first face in 1987, never once did it cross my mind that I would be granted all of the amazing opportunities I’ve had in my life. LifeBall in Vienna, Shanghai Pride, Hustlaball Berlin, Sydney Mardi Gras, Grabbys Europe in Spain, and events all over the US - it boggles my mind. I will say that since Honey Mahogany and I have decided to turn over the reins of hosting the main stage at San Francisco Pride I am now available to host the televised broadcast. Just putting that out there...

A HUGE milestone of turning 60 years young happened this past December! I can’t believe that we’ve been friends for 1/2 your life!!!!! To say your birthday party was EPIC, is putting it lightly! You are busier than ever at the stage in the game, showing no signs of slowing down. What are you most grateful for in life today?

I’m grateful for my sobriety. I had a longtime love affair with crystal meth in the 90s and early 2000s. I wasn’t taking care of myself and had gotten up to almost 300lbs in 2007 when I had a medical emergency. That was the wakeup call I needed. Thankfully I was able to put down the pipe and never look back. When I turned 50, I decided to stop everything, and it has been the best decision of my life. As you pointed out, I have been busier than ever the past 10 or so years and I owe it all to being present, engaged, and healthy. I’m grateful for my drag - being Sister Roma and being of service to my community literally saved my life during those sketchy years and continues to bring me so much joy. I’m grateful for travel and adventure. I’m grateful that I have a career I love. I’m grateful to be part of the LGBTQAI+ community and all the love my community has shown me over the years. I’m grateful for my family who raised me and I’m grateful for my friends who are my chosen family. I’m grateful for my cat Schmitty. I’m grateful for coffee. I’m grateful for everything, Bitch! Literally everything.

Tickets to the award show are available at www.avn.com

See you in Vegas! Joyfully, Ethyl

JUSTIN MARTINDALE

In a Class of His Own

By Alexander Rodriguez

There’s funny, and then there’s Justin Martindale. In a class of his own, he has managed to become an industry favorite fixture in stand-up, podcasting, on-screen commentary, and in the writer’s room. A pop culture and reality TV maven, he can comment and celebrate those genres without making it trashy or grabbing at low-hanging comedy fruit. You never know where he is going to pop up next and he and his work have been seen on Comedy Central, E! Entertainment, Hulu, Funny or Die, and more.

His obsession with all things TV started early, perhaps even from the womb.

I remember running home from school and watching Montel Williams, Jenny Jones, Ricki Lake, and Jerry Springer. It was such a pop culture phenomenon in the 90s. You could get amazing guest interviews, garbage people, awaken your sexual identity, and a psychic named Silvia Browne in one solid afternoon!

This San Antonian, homecoming king, funny man was bitten by the performance bug in high school, quickly earning the esteem of his peers. While the rest of us were getting through voice cracks, awkward dances, and acne, he was winning over hearts through his comedy. (Fun fact: one of his first stage appearances was playing Dracula!)

I was the class clown making students laugh and getting them in trouble. I was also a theatre kid. I also lettered in it during high school and was very competitive in getting the bigger roles in the school plays and used my “theatrical abilities” to always be on the teachers’ good side. Most Humorous was my high school superlative, classically trained actor, and all-around heartthrob. [Laughs]

Even though his confidence was blossoming during those school days, his relationship with his sexuality was not. He was pretty much outed in college.

I went to a Christian school in Texas and always debated my sexuality in my teens. I didn’t know what being gay was, I just knew that it was “bad” and “evil.” I was always teased for being a little different than most boys, but I used my sense of humor to put bullies in their places. In college, I was struggling with my sexuality. I dated all the most popular girls on campus but knew there was something different in me when I saw the boys without their shirts on. I knew a guy in my department on campus that was bisexual (amazing body, piercings, bleached hair - you get it) and one summer he asked if he could move in with me because the dorms were closing for the summer break. Now mind you, I was dating a girl at the time but was struggling with my own identity. One night we had gone out to a local gay bar in super-secret, and I asked him if I could kiss him. We started making out when we got back to my place and one thing led to another and my roommate walked in on us and freaked out and went and told everybody. It spread like wildfire and every semester people were asking if I was gay or not. I wasn’t ready to let everyone know yet, so I went back and forth from being gay to bi to even straight. I was a mess. And finally, my senior year I said to myself, “to Hell with all of these judgmental bigots” and I never looked back.

Justin came to Los Angeles, fresh out of the closet, ready to make a splash. Setting the tone for Justin’s career, his first professional gig was writing for THE Joan Rivers for E! Entertainment’s Fashion Police MET Gala episode. Not too shoddy.

NO PRESSURE. I contacted her assistant Tony Tripoli at the time and asked to put a packet together and they said yes! We all went to Melissa’s house in Santa Monica where a chef was making us all lunch and afterward went to her writer’s room and Joan walked in, all 3 feet of her, as we sat at this round table and someone in the room said, “This is Justin Martindale. He will be joining us today.” She then looked at me and said, “Oh, I know Justin” and winked at me. I died that very day. What a true icon. When that word gets thrown around for just about anyone these days. She then actually went on to use some of my jokes for that episode and it was such an out-of-body experience. The week before she passed in 2014, I was at E! doing a chemistry test for a show that of course never happened, but she passed me in the hallway and asked how I was doing. She remembered me and that was the biggest gift I got from that experience. Since her passing, she’s taught me to be fearless, that’s for damn sure.

Justin was fearless for sure and hit the scene strong and had a presence in writer rooms during a time when being gay was the butt of a joke, not yet approaching the current boom in LGBTQ representation. Did he experience homophobia in those early years?

Photos courtesy of Justin Martindale

Not necessarily towards me but yes, in general. I was working on a game show and the creator said to my face that there were no such thing as gay comedians. I was blown away. Considering I was one, right in front of his dumb, rich face. I’ve experienced it on a comedy lineup getting bumped for straight male comics because “THEY CRUSH!!!” only to watch them crash and burn, and then I’m left to clean up for sure.

When Justin started establishing his personality behind and in front of the camera, his gay contemporaries like Ross Mathews and Guy Branum were being put on TV with monikers like “token gay guy,” the “ambassador of gay,” and even the “gay intern.” Though Justin’s sexuality wasn’t a secret, he escaped being pigeonholed as just the “gay guy.”

Escaped. Great word [laughs], I mean, there’s room for everyone. I just got sucked into primarily straight comedy clubs. I was performing with the big boys and girls nightly and wasn’t used as a prop for straight comics to exploit as a caricature. I always wanted to be myself and not what Hollywood wanted me to be. I like being a little rougher around the edges.

Although not the token gay guy, his comedy has evolved to encompass more of his life.

Honestly, it has gotten gayer. Not in a “Who’s on Grindr? Bottoms am I right?” sort of way but rather me just embracing my voice. I’m more confident on stage now and I use my time to maybe educate people’s percep-

tion of what it is to be a gay person. I love it when straight guys come up to me and fist-bump me and say, “Man that was really funny!” Comedy should be a universal language, not a gay or straight, man or woman field.

As a gay man, does Justin think comedy should be more mindful of being socially and politically correct?

I knew this question was going to pop up somewhere. Look, I think everything is fair game, if it’s CLEVER and FUNNY. I’m not going up there for shock and awe reactions. The world is dark, and people will do anything for a bit of attention and trolls are gonna troll. Comedy is not for everyone, and some people think they are experts on it. I think it’s wise to educate yourselves on the constant evolution of social and political correctness but it’s also ok to make jokes about them in an intellectual and joking manner.

As a podcaster, he is killing it on the audio waves dishing the latest celeb gossip, reality TV tea, and pop culture hit-and-miss lists. He sits alongside Juicy Scoop podcast host, comedian (and Chelsea Handler alum) Heather McDonald. What does Justin love most about doing JS?

The listeners, of course. I just go in there and talk for an hour. The listeners actually DM me on IG and tag me in things that I reference on the show. They stop me on the street and say hello and are just the best. That’s what I want. Just to make someone’s day better.

He and Heather have created a delicious comedy brand with fans greedily eating up each week’s episode. They have literally taken the show on the road and are fast becoming the go-to duo for everything popular.

Heather is like my sister. We go way back during her Chelsea Handler days. Even though I was never on Chelsea Handler, we’ve done the road together and even gone to events together. We just click. She has an amazing heart. She’s an amazing mother and wife and she’s hilarious and can take a joke and never takes herself too seriously. Something I aspire to be one day...a mother and a wife.

Justin’s own podcast, Just Sayin’ is a personal favorite. Breaking down the hottest stories, gossip, headlines, and fashion each week, he features a diverse who’s who of the entertainment world. With all this talk of pop culture, how does he keep it fresh?

I keep it fresh by doing some digging and not relying on those gremlin Kardashians to be every story. Sometimes it is a new series that’s caught buzz, or a weird headline in the news, a TikTok challenge, or fads that are in or out. I can always find out something in pop culture. Working with Heather has helped me with that no problem. I weirdly never get burnt out, I just get over the same people getting talked about day in and out more quickly. (I don’t want to name names but Kanye, Britney, all the Kardashians, Taylor Swift, etc.)

With tons of pop culture “authorities” in the field, what sets him apart?

I think I’m relatable and real. I’m not trying to be the culture; I just live in it already. I have opinions and critiques and don’t want to kiss ass and be one note. Pop culture loves and deserves to be shaken up.

And Justin’s current TV obsessions?

I loved this past season of RHOBH. Kathy’s tequila ALL THE WAY. I loved Queen of Versailles and need a sleepover with Jackie Siegal ASAP. Bling Empire is fantastic, and I love Anna Shay. Would love to go shopping with her any day. I always love Drag Race for sure but there are so many spinoffs, I can’t keep up. I think they’re on Drag Race: Siberia now.

As reality TV has taken over as the programming of audience choice, it has also gotten a bad rap for exploiting people for entertainment. Justin’s take?

Hello, that’s the whole point! I feel like at this point when anyone can be a reality star, you have to know what you’re getting into. There will be production edits and storylines. Someone will be the villain this season. As long as audiences realize it’s just television. I hate when people take it so seriously and start going after these people online and trying to destroy their families and lives. It’s so gross. Toxic fans are the worst.

As for the future of reality TV, Justin has high hopes.

I’m hoping for Squid Game: Housewives Edition. Wouldn’t that be amazing? I’m honestly not sure. Let’s stop following families, that’s for sure. And enough with high-end real estate...it’s depressing. Would love a gay ghost hunters show... I’ll throw that out there.

Justin has other hobbies other than entertainment, although they are still very “Justin.”

I love to cook and be outdoors on a hike or some sort of adventure. I also love reading bad drivers to filth in my car. I’ve also been told that I can say so much with my facial expressions without even saying a word.

With his writing projects, podcasting, and stand-up, what does he want to do more of most?

I’d definitely love to do more TV. Get me on Bridgerton or a fantasy series or movie. Would definitely love to nerd out some more.

We love this nerdy, gay, sassy, fabulous, hilarious comedian. So do many, many fans from the LGBTQ and mainstream community. What is his message to his audience?

Thank you for believing in me and supporting me through this crazy journey and keeping me real. I want to make you guys proud.

You can follow everything Justin on IG: @JustinMartindale

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