#wiremagcom

By Martin Moore | Photos provided by Rick Twombley & Griff King

Over 700,000 followers, on multiple platforms including Instagram, tune into the adventures on Rick and The Griffopotamus, where Rick Twombley and his hubby Griff King project the splendid wonder of a real-life, loving, gay couple while also addressing important themes such as heteronormativity and masc vs. fem.

“Rick and the Griffopotamus are not for everyone,” Griff concedes, “but a lot of people seem to connect to what we do, and those are the people we do it for.”

Just in time for summer, the duo unveiled their newest venture, the Two Kings Unlimited (a combination of their last names) online retailer that features exclusive Rick and Griff merchandise including pajama onesies, erotic playing cards, a coffee table book and their line of phallic sex toys – molded from the real things. We spoke with the guys from their Atlanta home.

Martin Moore: I just watched your rendition of Mary Poppins’ “The Cover is Not the Book” on your YouTube channel. It’s incredible!  
Rick Twombley: Oh, nice! That is such a fun song, but also extremely challenging. Especially Griff’s part toward the end – a total tongue twister and so fast! We practiced it on a drive from Miami to Orlando, had it on repeat for about four hours, but eventually got it. We really wanted to do it because it’s not only a great, positive song, but one we can identify with. People often assume a lot about us just off what they see online, so “The Cover is Not the Book” is a good reminder that perception is not reality.

MM: Are you, two big burly men, into show tunes?
Griff King: Absolutely! Rick was a professional stage performer for nearly twenty years, with a degree in dance and musical theater. He worked on Broadway, with Cirque du Soleil, Disney and more. I grew up watching movie musicals and Disney with my mom. You’d be hard-pressed to name a musical we don’t know every lyric from.

MM: You guys really seem to have fun together. Is that what makes your relationship work so well?
RT: It doesn’t hurt! If you’re going to spend the rest of your life with someone, you need to be able to be dorks, let loose, and bond over common interests. It’s a great stress-reliever.

MM: What other crazy hijinks do you get into when you’re together?
GK: We love spending time with our close friends, hiking, movie nights, and hosting dinners.  Rick is a killer chef! We love to go out dancing, but we’re equally happy cuddling on the couch on a Saturday night with our cats, Willow and Ripley.

MM: Who wears the crown in the relationship?
GK:In our relationship, we both have strengths where one wears it more than the other. As far as managing our business, Rick is better suited. He’s more organized, business-minded, and has a ridiculously good eye for details.

MM: Whose idea was it to launch your wildly popular social page, Rick and the Griffopotamus?
RT: The idea for starting a joint social media actually came from our friends, especially after Griff’s rendition of “Poor Unfortunate Souls” from The Little Mermaid went viral on Facebook.

MM: Was the idea to make the page a brand?  
GK: The original motivation wasn’t necessarily to be a brand, but just to create a stage to entertain. Even with our sexier posts, we try to incorporate humor, creativity, fun, and a bit of tongue-in-cheek fantasy.
RT: The branding and business side came later when we realized just how much people were wanting to take that journey with us. We started getting requests for calendars and other items.

MM: Are the sex toys your best sellers?
RT: Our sex toy line has now sold out five times! New stock is always coming. We also had a line of onesies designed which are absolutely fantastic and available for pre-order. Calendars and an erotic playing card deck based on a series of photos we did on Instagram are also in production.

MM: Tell us about the coffee table book.
GK: That’s the project we are most excited about! It is an erotic coffee table book, very much inspired by Madonna’s “Sex” book from the ‘90s. We spent the past year traveling to shoot with some legendary photographers like Mike Ruiz, Michael Stokes, and Mack Sturgis. They all captured some extremely mind-blowing and highly NSFW images that we can’t wait to share!

MM: What are your world-dominating goals for Two Kings Unlimited?
RT: The sky’s the limit, really. We have our merchandising and other major projects in the pipeline. We’re continuing to grow our social media platforms, and we’ll continue to push boundaries and show the reality that a genuine, fun-loving married couple can also be sexual beings who are not ashamed about celebrating and showcasing the erotic elements of their relationship.  
GK: We try our best to be role models by living our lives very unapologetically, transparently, and with a huge love of adventure. We want to inspire people who feel trapped or pressured to conform to societal expectations to do the same, embrace their inherent power, and not be shoved into the boxes that society wants them to fit into.

VisitTwoKingsUnlimited.com. Follow on Instagram at Rick_and_the_Griffopotamus.

This was originally published in Wire Magazine Issue 8.2020

By Rafa Carvajal | Photos provided by Toyota Motor Corporation

The Toyota GR Supra A91 Edition nods to the company’s well-known sportscar past with a new two-seater sports-coupe that pushes the limits and delivers upgraded performance, power, agility, and style. The GR Supra A91 features a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine that produces 382 horsepower at 5,800-6,500 rpm, 368 lb-ft of torque, and a 0-60 mph time of 3.9 seconds. The engine is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters and sport pedals. 

Some of the standard options in the A91 include black-painted satin-finish duckbill carbon-fiber spoiler; black/blue Alcantara leather-trimmed sport seats with blue stitching; 500W, 12-speaker JBL 62 High Fidelity surround sound system; and 8.8-in. touchscreen with Supra Command featuring touchpad control, navigation, digital audio, wireless Apple CarPlay, and voice recognition; amongst others. This car boasts a lower center of gravity that has all the parts balanced perfectly, and its ‘golden ratio’ makes it ideal to handle by allowing the immediate driver to road awareness.

The GR Supra A91 is a small aerodynamic masterpiece. You will definitely enjoy an optimum driving experience behind the wheel of this sportscar. Priced from $55,990.

This was originally published in Wire Magazine Issue 8.2020

LUCKY CAT MASK FROM VISTAPRINT
Show off your unique personality with these Neko Cat reusable masks with a replaceable filter system. The bright colors and cute cats show that you have a fun side. $18

MAKALI'I FACE MASK FROM KONA SUPPLY CO.
These machine washable vibrant masks have a flourishing flower print to add some color to the bleak world of masks. They come with a 205-thread-count made of 100% cotton. $14.99

THE SUSTAINABLE MASK FROM CHRISTY DAWN
For a low price, you get five different washable and reusable masks in varying colors. With this color scheme there’s no such thing as ‘plaid’ publicity. $30

THREE PACK OF ESSEX MASKS FROM BONRISU
These three stylish, reusable masks will be a statement at the office. Made from the same posh 100% cotton as dress shirts mixed with a muslin cotton layer, plus a pocket to add a filter. $48

This was originally published in Wire Magazine Issue 8.2020

By Alyn Darnay

I personally did not know what the title of the film 7500 referred to, so let’s start by clarifying the meaning of the title. When a pilot squawks 7500 into his headset, it’s code for “I’ve been hijacked.” The responding signal from air traffic control will be “confirm you’re squawking 7500.” If you say yes, law enforcement will immediately be called to help.

There have been many films about the hijacking of aircraft. Some better than others, but this time the action stays entirely inside the cockpit. That sets up a very realistic and highly claustrophobic drama that plays well on the viewer’s nerves.

It’s not often we see a film abandon rah-rah heroics for what could be the authenticity of a real situation. That’s where this film excels; it’s also where it fails. It appears that when too much hand-wrenching and claustrophobic anxiety continues for too long a time, 90 minutes in this case, the drama becomes too exhausting to be enjoyable. You can respect the director’s ability to follow the story all the way through without breaking the spell, but when the continued actions become predictable, as it does here, boredom sets in and reality flies out the window.

Here’s The Storyline…

When American co-pilot Tobias Ellis (Gordon-Levitt), on a routine flight from Berlin to Paris, steps into the cockpit of his plane and begins his pre-flight checks, he anticipates nothing more than a simple trip to a town where he and his flight attendant girlfriend (Tezel) can be together for a few hours.

Joking with the pilot (Kitzlinger) as Tobias takes off, they prepare for the drinks and sandwiches that are regularly served to them after they reach altitude. However, what comes in with the food are two terrorists who fight them for control of the plane. The pilot is severely injured and Tobias is wounded, but they manage to regain control and lock the cockpit door before the rest of the terrorists can gain entry. What follows is a harrowing cat and mouse game for possession of the plane.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt delivers an excellent performance as a mild-mannered everyman dealing with an untenable situation. He is flawless in his actions and actually makes the film worth the watch. The other performances are also good, even though the characters are more than a bit clichéd.

7500  is available from Amazon Studios starting Thursday, June 18th.

My take…

Even with its obvious flaws, 7500 still manages to deliver a tense terror-filled thrill ride that’s a little out of the ordinary. You might want to check it out.

Written & Directed By: Patrick Vollrath
Cast: Joseph Gordon-levitt, Aylin Tezel, Omid Memar, Carlo Kitzlinger, And Murathan Muslu

7500
Rating: 3 Stars (out of 5)
Rated: R (for violence/terror and language)
Running Time: 1 hour & 32 minutes

Alyn Darnay is a film critic; feedback is encouraged at [email protected].

This was originally published in Wire Magazine Issue 8.2020

By Alyn Darnay

Judd Apatow, a director known for both his edgy comic dramas and his eye for discovering unknown talent, has not been living up to his reputation lately. The King Of Staten Island is a prime example of that. I seriously don’t know what I’d classify this film as. Is it a comedy perhaps? No, because unless I missed something, there isn’t a single laugh in the whole film. OK, so maybe it’s a drama then? Again, no, because the drama is so light you miss that too. I guess I might refer to it as a stoner film, or cotton candy for the school-age set, or maybe even a tattoo tribute film.

Whatever you call it, the film is painful to watch. Maybe that’s the whole idea; make a film for people who want to watch two hours of its main character going through a meaningless, painful daily existence. Now there’s an idea I never again wish to see come to fruition.

I like Pete Davidson, he’s funny, so I’m baffled. On the one hand, you have a talented young comic actor – a mainstay on Saturday Night Live with a large fan base. On the other hand, you have a lost and very troubled young individual, and you choose to tell a loosely based, vapid story of his mental challenges instead of his rise to comic acceptance. That could have been an excellent film. This is not.

Here’s the storyline…

Twenty-four-year-old Scott (Davidson), a weed-smoking slacker, is still living at home with his overworked ER nurse mother (Tomei) on Staten Island.

He dreams of being a tattoo artist, an art form he seems to have little or no actual talent for. He’s quite satisfied sitting on a couch with his buds, getting lost in online games and clouds of smoke, while occasionally hooking up with his childhood friend Kelsey (Powley). When his younger sister (Apatow) heads off to college, and a firefighter named Ray (Burr) starts dating his mother, Scott’s life starts taking a radical turn. Among the many things bothering him about his mom’s dating is the fact that it brings up the painful memory of his father, also a firefighter, who died in a fire when Scott was seven.

These two major developments, and several other minor chains-of-events, force Scott into the world in a way he never expected. Can he survive the catharsis and become a functional human being, or will he get lost in the ‘morass of the lost’?

There is nothing new here; it’s a standard doper film without the usual humor. The fact that Davidson is appealing as a performer, and has some real acting chops, helps the story a bit, but all his charisma doesn’t help the film come far enough to make it palatable for a general audience.

The film was released worldwide on Friday, June 12th.

My take…

If you’re up for this kind of film, by all means, watch it. Personally, I’d rather watch Harold and Kumar Go to White CastleorSuperbadagain.

Directed By: Judd Apatow
Screenplay By: Judd Apatow, Pete Davidson, Dave Sirus
Cast: Pete Davidson, Marisa Tomei, Bill Burr, Bel Powley, Maude Apatow, Ricky Velez, And Steve Buscemi

THE KING OF STATEN ISLAND
Rating: 2.5 Stars (out of 5)
Rated: R (for language, drug use throughout, sexual content and some violence)
Running Time: 2 hours & 17 minutes

Alyn Darnay is a film critic; feedback is encouraged at [email protected].

This was originally published in Wire Magazine Issue 8.2020

By Rafa Carvajal

This week, we introduce you to striking hunk and OnlyFans sensation Joe Wachs from Chicago, Illinois, with some of the hot photos taken last week by Photo Studio Miami.

Rafa Carvajal: Where are you originally from and where do you live?
Joe Wachs: I am originally from Chicago, Illinois and currently living in Scottsdale, Arizona.

RC: What do you do for a living?
JW: I am a full-time paid athlete and model, with currently the #1 biggest OnlyFans page in the United States. I also have multiple brand deals with companies for monthly income and run an online coaching business on the side.

RC: Who is the professional icon that inspires you most? Why?
JW: I don’t have an icon that inspires me the most, but I do look up to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson because of who he is as a person. He is humble, amazing at what he does, and The Rock always shows how thankful he is and gives back to the community. That’s exactly the imprint I want to leave on the people I meet in my career. I honestly look at myself as my main motivation and inspiration because I know I have tons of potential, and as long as I continue working hard every single day, I will have exactly what I want in life.

RC: How do you stay in such great shape?
JW: Nothing but consistency and hard work. I wish there was a magic pill, but it all comes down to training hard at the gym, following your diet 24/7 and keeping up with your hygiene.

RC: What do you enjoy the most about modeling for photography?
JW: I love modeling and everything about photo-graphy. I enjoy being in front of the camera just as much as I love being behind. The biggest thing I like is creating fine art that shows such expression and creates much more than just an image. We are creating a fantasy and it’s amazing to see it come to life.

RC: What is your favorite food?
JW: I’m such an all American guy… That being said, I can never go wrong with a big fat juicy burger and fries.

RC:What is your favorite pastime?
JW: I love scrolling through social media to support my other influencer and model friends. It’s fantastic seeing all of my friends, doing what they love and creating such amazing work! I enjoy seeing all the creativity others have to offer.

RC: What is your favorite place in the world? Why?
JW: I recently traveled to Aruba, and it was a very breathtaking and beautiful place. I am definitely going back soon. As long as I am somewhere with the people that I love and enjoy spending time with, everywhere is my favorite!

RC: What is your current struggle?
JW: Juggling all my business ventures and being able to keep sane. With my goals and ambition, it drives me crazy because I never stop working and never know when to take a break. Now, with business being so good moving forward, I’ve been able to hire a full time assistant to help me run all of my work and take on more as myself and as a brand.

RC: Is there anything else you would like to share with Wire Magazine readers?
JW: Thank you all so much for giving me this opportunity to be on the cover and showcase myself in front of thousands. I also want to thank the amazing photographers Jorge and Abel from Photo Studio Miami for helping create such stunning images. They are now my full-time project photographers who will be working with me moving forward as a team. If you aren’t already, make sure you subscribe to my OnlyFans! I’m currently running a promotion in honor of my first cover and it’s only $3 to join and 65% off. Every single member gets a free video on the house and there is also tons of behind-the-scenes footage from the pictures you’re currently seeing now. Thank you so much.

This was originally published in Wire Magazine Digital Issue 7.2020

[email protected]

APPLE WATCH PRIDE EDITION SPORTS BAND
Apple is proud to support LGBTQ advocacy organizations working to bring about positive change. This rainbow band is assembled by hand from individual strips of colored fluoroelastomer. $49

LEVI’S PRIDE BELT
Levi’s message for pride this year is: 

Use Your Voice! This belt has so much to say with its vibrant multi-colored full-grain leather. $48

PINK SUNDAYS PRIDE DAD HAT
This versatile hat offers the perfect cover up for sunny days when your face needs some shade. Maybe you’re hiding that bad haircut – this cute hat has you covered, literally! $26.50

PRIDE CHUCK TAYLOR ALL STAR
You can never go wrong with a classic Chuck, but the fact that these got pimped out in pride style makes them even cooler. Check out the other pride Chucks while you’re at it. $65

This was originally published in Wire Magazine Digital Issue 6.2020

By Brian Falduto, The Gay Life Coach

Whether it was something you started brainstorming right away or something that occurred to you somewhere along in the quarantined state of the world, “How can I use this time to reinvent myself?” is likely a question you’ve thought about in the past however many weeks or so. We are in the slow but sure process of unfreezing things and that thawing process is coincidentally coinciding with Pride Season. I feel it’s a good time to discuss how the queer community specifically can “come out” of this stronger as our resilient type tend to do after trying times.

I remember when I finally came out of the closet my senior year of college, I wanted the world to stop for a moment. At that time, when the truth about who I was became non-negotiable, I didn’t know that coming out is actually a healing process. I didn’t know that I would have to spend the next chapter of my life battling 14 years of internalized homophobia and discovering a rejected self that was hidden in shame. Instead, I just waltzed into my twenties completely out of tune with who I was and with very little time to figure it out. I had to navigate my new role as a gay man while finishing college, getting a job, ending a relationship, moving into my first apartment, and all the while having to provide status updates to friends and family that were anything but reflective of what was going on inside.

During this healing chapter I didn’t know I was entering, the most important improvements on my relationship with myself have come during the quiet moments. They’ve often arrived right when I’ve started to slow down, or even more often when I’ve crashed and burned from going too fast. They’ve arrived on nights where I was alone with nothing but my own thoughts and feelings to keep me company. And they’ve arrived in the form of hurt. When I look back at some of the perceived tragedies of my twenties, I see that they were actually the biggest moments of growth.

Quiet. Loneliness. Tragedy. Does any of the above sound familiar? Look, we all know at its core that this pandemic is a bad thing with a negative impact. It comes with so many unanswered questions and troubling concerns. But I’d like to propose an additional way of looking at it, and that is as the healing time that I, and perhaps we, have been waiting for.

If you think about what being in the closet is, it’s a form of compartmentalization where we disassociate from aspects of ourselves that don’t feel important or worthy enough to present to the world. Those beautifully valid parts of our being get tucked away in the back of our mind and covered with lies. Then, when the lies get removed, there’s still shame, so then we cover up even more with busy schedules and vibrant social lives and beautiful photos of ourselves posted on Instagram, so that no one has to see or deal with the real core of the problem which generally tends to be a lack of love for ourselves. After all, we don’t know who it is that we are loving because we haven’t had the chance to heal. The amount of instant pride we expect from those that come out as LGBTQ after living an incomplete life is basically what it’d be like to ask a brand new dancer to perform triple pirouettes proudly even though they’ve never tried anything like that before.

If this time of being quarantined has been particularly difficult for you, a good question to ask is, “Why?” And pay attention to what comes up. Is it something you’ve been avoiding? For me, some of the difficult moments have been the uncomfortable ones where I’ve realized how many aspects of myself were still being skipped over with the hustle and bustle of normal life. When these thoughts and feelings get uncovered after years of collecting dust, they can be a bit surprising. And as anyone who’s ever been in a haunted house knows, not all surprises feel good.

I love Pride Season. I love getting my shortest shorts on and coordinating tank top colors with my friends. I love partying and celebrating a part of myself I never thought I’d even acknowledge, never mind flaunt around the West Village. And it’s okay to grieve the loss of all that. But what if this June is a little less about pride and a little more about healing? It is yourself that you should be most proud of anyway so who better to celebrate it with than you. Perhaps if we get a little quiet with ourselves this year, we can be even louder and prouder next year than we’ve ever been before.
 
I wrote this piece prior to the recent current events involving the Black Lives Matter movement. I want to add that I stand in full support of that messaging and I encourage everyone inside and outside the LGBTQ community to get loud and take the action needed against racial injustice. Let us remember, though, what the Lesbian American writer, feminist, womanist, librarian, and civil rights activist Audre Lorde said, “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation and that is an act of political warfare.” On the topic of healing, it’s clear that America needs just as much healing as prescribed above for LGBTQ persons, if not more. Let us make sure we lead that effort by doing that work on ourselves while we stand up for what we believe in. We can be of better help this way as it is physically impossible to pour from an empty cup.

Brian Falduto is an ICF certified LGBTQ Life Coach who is best known for his child actor days as “that gay kid from School of Rock.” Brian has launched The Gay Life Coach Podcast and you can catch his latest life coaching podcasts on his website brianfalduto.com or follow him on Instagram @thegaylifecoach.

This was originally published in Wire Magazine Digital Issue 7.2020

By Alyn Darnay

You rarely hear me fawning over a movie, but when I finally get the opportunity to review a really enjoyable film, well, it’s just great. The High Note is such a film. It hits all the right “notes.” It doesn’t take itself too seriously, it isn’t too heavy, or preachy, or over-wroth with emotion. It just slides right into that “this is fun to watch” category. You might feel like you’ve seen this film before, but you really haven’t. It just feels that way because it’s so dang comfortable and easy-going.

Above all that, the film’s highest note is its music, which throughout is better than almost any recent movie I’ve seen that’s set inside the music industry. The last time I loved a score this much was by Eminem in 8 Mile, and that was a long time ago. The team of songwriter Sarah Aarons and producer Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins turned what could have been a lame series of tunes into an outstanding showcase for the exceptional vocal talents of both Tracee Ellis Ross’ and Kelvin Harrison Jr.

If you didn’t know, Tracee Ellis Ross, who has been a popular lead actress in such Television shows as GirlfriendsandBlack-ish, is in real life Diana Ross’ daughter. Like her mother, she has a wonderful singing voice, but until now hasn’t been able to capitalize on it. This film and its wonderful main song “Love Myself” should change that for her.

Here’s the storyline…

Grace Davis (Ross), a 40-year-old superstar singer whose life has become an endless series of moving from one concert to another, is being pushed into a Las Vegas residency she does not want, by both her manager (Ice Cube) and her record label. Her dedicated and overworked assistant Maggie (Johnson), who aspires to become a music producer herself and is re-working some of Grace’s classic tunes, thinks it’s the wrong move. She believes it’s time for Grace to start writing again and record some new material.When Maggie stumbles upon a talented new singer (Harrison) and convinces him to let her produce his music, a series of events is unleashed that will change everyone’s life forever. Everything in the film echoes what one imagines is the reality of Los Angeles’ glitzy music scene, with its flashy personalities, fast cars, expensive wardrobes, lavish parties, big promotional shindigs, and powerful agents. It’s all there and just a lot of fun to watch. Director Nisha Ganatra has managed to somehow capture the life of a superstar in a most engaging way. It’s a refreshing change from the destructive behavior we’re used to seeing in this type of film. Adding to that, Tracee and Dakota make a great team, playing off each other with such humor and sensitivity, you’re just forced to love them both. The High Note was released on Video on Demand Friday, May 29, 2020. My take… The High Note is a musical treat, with a lot of easy-going soul to it. I think you might just fall in love with this one. Check it out.

Directed by: Nisha Ganatra
Screenplay by: Flora Greeson

Cast: Dakota Johnson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Zoë Chao, Bill Pullman, Eddie Izzard, and Ice Cube

THE HIGH NOTE
Rating: 4.5 Stars (out of 5) 
Rated: PG-13 
(for some strong language, and suggestive references) 
Running Time: 1 hour & 53 minutes

Alyn Darnay is a film critic; feedback is encouraged at [email protected].

This was originally published in Wire Magazine Digital Issue 7.2020

By Rafa Carvajal
Photos by Stas Vokman

This week’s cover story is a photo essay of beautiful Russian model, actor and fitness trainer David Lurs by Moscow based photographer Stas Vokman. It includes some information about David, so you can get to know him a little bit better.

David Lurs

Profession: Model, actor and fitness trainer

Born: St. Petersburg, Russia

Sports growing up: Football, ice skating and Thai boxing

Self description: Creative, hard-working and kind

Favorite hobby: Fitness

Interests: Theaters, clubs, cinemas, traveling and meeting new people

Staying in shape: Hard work in the gym, five times a week

Nutrition tip: Care about what you are eating. Food is the main thing

Favorite photo shoot location: Sea and beaches with a sunset

First photo shoot: Russian photographer Andrew Vishnikov

Favorite food: Salmon

Boxers or briefs: Briefs

This was originally published in Wire Magazine Digital Issue 6.2020

By Nick Sedbrook

Today, Pride refers to the celebrations held in June where the queer community and our allies gather and celebrate in safe public spaces. However, not long ago, pride was seldom a word that a gay person would use to describe their feelings about their own sexuality. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) peoples were not always able to proclaim their identities freely. The queer community has fought hard to ensure that people are respected regardless of a label. But, exactly how far has the Gay Liberation Movement come?

Flashback fifty-one years ago, when police raids were as American as apple pie. People who rebelled against the traditional culture of the ‘50s were subject to discrimination. Like other marginalized groups of the era, gays had a limited amount of spaces to congregate and feel safe. Most of these places were bars – which were not even owned by members of the queer community. However, even in these supposed safe places, police still harassed them. Until one day, patrons of the Stonewall Inn – a gay bar in the Greenwich Village area of Manhattan – decided that LGBTQ citizens deserved equal rights.

That day was June 28, 1969. Ten New York Police Department (NYPD) policemen invaded Stonewall early that morning to perform a routine raid. Instead of accepting things the way they are, the customers in the bar chose to fight back. The scene erupted into more than 500 protestors challenging police authority outside the bar. The next day, multiple NYPD precincts swarmed Greenwich Village to control the protests. They were met with nearly 1,000 rioters proclaiming their distaste for the current system.

The protests continued into the next week. LGBTQ people grew tired of being oppressed. Rather than feeling ashamed, they decided to show Pride.

The Stonewall Inn riots were a series of violent protests against inequality based on sexual orientation. Thankfully, people like Marsha P. Johnson – an African American drag queen – resisted the oppression. The repercussions of the riots reverberated around the country. The message was clear – the LGBTQ community is here. Rather than feeling embarrassed for being different, they chose to celebrate it and fight for their right to express themselves. That night carved gay rights into the tree of the 1960s counterculture.

A year after Stonewall, on June 28, 1970, the first Pride marches took place in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Other cities around the world held similar events to commemorate the historic riots. Since then, most Pride events take place in late June. These celebrations are a way to see how far the queer community has progressed since 1969. So, although there may not be any parades or festivities happening for Pride this year, let’s give thanks that there is such a month dedicated to our community. Remember the people who fought for the rainbow to be worn proudly.

At one point, being gay was synonymous with being a criminal. Never feel guilty for being different, and always show your PRIDE!

This was originally published in Wire Magazine Digital Issue 6.2020

By Brian Falduto, The Gay Life Coach

One of the things that have been interesting during this time is the almost completely opposite counterbalance of struggles that I think people would generally identify with. For example, I suffer from chronic anxiety and have found that a lot of my symptoms have alleviated during this pandemic because, in a way, a lot of the variables of day-to-day life have become more fixed and controlled. My peers who would not normally call themselves anxious are struggling to cope with all the uncertainty and risk. In a similar parallel, I consider myself to be both an introvert and a master at disassociation at times, and my extroverted peers who seem to seamlessly integrate themselves into the flow of things as their standard are now coming up against some new territory that require skills that to me have always felt very familiar and perhaps even commonplace to how I function.

A point I want to make (and I’m not sure everyone who suffers from this will agree with me) is that I wouldn’t trade my anxiety for the chance to not be anxious. I’ve done the work – and I mean a lot of work – on my relationship with that voice inside my head that contains all the wonderful feelings that come with anxiety that are honestly too many to name. And also, scratch that – I haven’t done the work, I’m doing the work. It’s a constant battle. But even before COVID-19 showed me the benefits of the survival tactics I’ve picked up over the years, I knew that there was a sensitive, creative, and vulnerable part of me that my anxiety came about to protect. Sometimes I need to gently ask my anxiety, whom I call Justin, to step into the next room so that I can be present with whatever I’m doing. But Justin is just a part of me as everything else I hold dear to who I am and I’m well aware he’s not going anywhere, so it benefits me more to create space for him.

If you’ve stopped reading because you’re convinced I’m a schizophrenic, that’s fine. If you’re still with me, I shall stop bragging about how many surprisingly adequate tools I’ve found in my toolbox for dealing with the global pandemic, and I want to instead move on to sharing some of what I practice with you because it’s never too late to start building your toolbox. After all, toolboxes are filled with items meant to help with starting a project or fixing up an old one, and it’s certainly true that the world needs some fixing up at the moment and perhaps even a restart. 

Justin is an example of a tool. Even just naming that voice that fills you with fear is a massively productive way of bringing awareness to it. Awareness is the greatest agent for change because it takes a problem that you’re facing and it stops it from creating a tornado of thought inside your head, and it instead allows you to hold the problem in your hand and look at it with some perspective. Right now, the entire world is experiencing a tornado of negative information, doubt and uncertainty, so one can only imagine what is going on inside someone’s brain. What should be understood about anxious individuals is that at any given moment on any given day, and sometimes even for no particular reason, a tornado of worrisome thought can appear out of nowhere. Fishing into that toolbox in response to that hurricane of thought becomes a necessity.

My suggestion for those who are not used to the presence of their Justin in their lives would be to stop fighting him. This is the first time any of us have experienced something like this. It is unprecedented. Of course, Justin is going to try and swoop in and protect us with all these fight-or-flight thoughts inside our brain. Protectors don’t just go away when we ask them to. Ever heard of an overbearing mom or a cop who gives out too many speeding tickets? Sometimes they overstep and, similarly, everyone’s Justin is probably getting a little carried away with his attempts to protect them. But just like the world needs moms and the world needs cops, you need your Justin. So stop fighting him and instead create some space for him.

If you do not have a mindfulness practice or a way to create space around the thoughts that are taking over your head during this time, find your anxious friend and ask them to help you start building a toolbox. I guarantee they know your struggle and they want to help. Choosing to stay in the eye of a tornado of thoughts seems peaceful momentarily, but really you’re just trapped.

Editor’s Note
Brian Falduto is an ICF certified LGBTQ life coach, but he is best known for his child actor days as “that gay kid from School of Rock.” Recently named by PrideLife Magazine as “one of the 20 most influential, outspoken and optimistic individuals on the planet,” Brian wrapped a cross country #PrideTour this past summer inclusive of Sacramento Pride, RI Pride, Brooklyn Pride, Dallas Pride, and more. His Now This News interview has reached an audience of just under 5 million, and he’s had similar reach with his Advocate essay. Brian’s latest single, “Like a Wave” dropped just last month and is now rippling its way through the digital streaming world. Brian is the lead in a new series, Fishing, which will hit the web soon. Additionally, Brian has launched “The Gay Life Coach Podcast,” which will be hosted by Brian and will feature some of the queer community’s most prominent storytellers. Meanwhile, you can catch his latest press and content updates on his website, brianfalduto.com.

This was originally published in Wire Magazine Digital Issue 6.2020

By John Stein | Photos by Jay Fuertez

Nick Stracener is best known to his 200,000 followers on Instagram for wearing close to nothing at all. In real life, however, he wears many hats. In addition to being a social media star, he’s a nationally qualified men’s physique athlete, an international flight attendant, and a DJ/producer whose new remix of Lindsay Lohan’s “Back to Me” was recently heralded by the Hollywood actress. What doesn’t the soon-to-be husband do?Wire Magazine spoke with Nick from his Dallas home. 

John Stein: Before breaking into DJing, you traveled the world as a go-go boy!
DJ Nick Stracener: I’ve go-go danced in Dallas, Chicago, Seattle, Los Angeles, San Diego, Toronto, Oklahoma City, Austin, and a few other cities that I can’t remember off the top of my head. 

JS: Was it fun?
NS:It was a great opportunity to really let loose, express myself, be creative, and come out of my shell. I’m naturally a shy person, but when I’m on stage or on the box, I feel confident. 

JS:Do go-go boys get the respect they deserve?
NS: I don’t think so. These guys spend countless hours in the gym and maintain strict diets year-round just so they stay booked at all the biggest events. It takes a lot of commitment to stay in top physical form all year. 

JS: So, how did you make the jump from the box to the booth? 
NS: I am a self-taught DJ. After putting my second mix on Soundcloud, DILF Party reached out to me to open up for Kitty Glitter in Dallas. That went really well and I was booked for DILF Atlanta and DILF LA and the gigs kept rolling in. Then COVID-19 hit. 

JS:How would you describe your style of music?
NS: It’s a combination of indigenous rhythms with a lot of sultry uplifting female vocals. I want to give you something upbeat to dance to most of the time, but also take you on a journey with slow moments so you can experience different emotions. Music, to me, is therapy and a way to escape life’s biggest hurdles.

JS:Who are your favorite divas?
NS:Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Whitney Hou-ston, J.Lo, and Lindsay Lohan.

JS:Let’s talk Lindsay. Has she heard your remix of “Back to Me”?
NS: Yes, she did! My friend, who knows Lindsay, sent it to her. She sent me a video telling me how much she liked the remix and that she would like to meet me at some point. So yeah, that was pretty exciting. I hope I do get the chance to meet her one day.

JS: What inspired you to remix her song?
NS: I am drawn to Lindsay’s confidence and how she comes across so fierce. She’s an entrepreneur, which is something that I can relate to.

JS: She also battles her share of criticism online. Do you?
NS: I encounter bullies every week on my Instagram. When people are behind a keyboard, they will say anything. It really used to get to me. I’ve gotten better at not taking things personally. The more I ignore, the happier I am.

JS: Are you as bold and confident as you project on Instagram?
NS: Bold, yes. Confident, not always. I want people to know that behind the risqué pictures and the body, there is an actual human being. I have feelings, just like everyone. I am a shy and introverted person until you take a minute to get to know me.

JS:Are you keeping up with your workout routine during these weeks in quarantine?
NS: I’m trying! I found a set of dumbbells on Craigslist and bought some cables.

JS: What’s the deal with wearing the leotard?  
NS: (Laughing) I don’t usually sport women’s clothing, but every once in a while, I do like to create an Instagram post that makes a state-ment. The brand I’m wearing is called EX-SL and it’s a men’s lingerie company. You can be as masculine or feminine as you want. I hate labels. Masculinity is not defined by what you wear.

JS:Tell us about becoming a nationally qualified men’s physique athlete. What did you have to do to achieve that?
NS: To become nationally qualified, you have to place first or second at a show. My first show took place in Houston in 2018. I placed 4th. Shortly after, I competed in Dallas at the Ronnie Coleman Classic. I worked on my posing and tweaked my diet, and took first! It was one of the proudest moments of my life!

JS: How often do you work out?
NS: Pre-corona, I would work out six days a week. Chest is my favorite. It’s also one of the hardest muscles for me to grow.

JS:Do you follow a strict diet?  
NS: My meals usually consist of a good protein, a good carb, and a good fat like avocado. I try and stay away from fried foods and sugar. I drink a lot of unsweet tea with Splenda to satisfy my sweet tooth; definitely a southern thing.

JS:How has the pandemic impacted your job as a flight attendant?  
NS: The pandemic has vastly affected everyone in the airline industry. Personally, I haven’t been able to pick up any extra flying, and that means bills are getting harder to pay and my anxiety has been super bad lately.

JS: You’ve been open on Instagram about your struggles with depression and anxiety.  
NS: My anxiety levels have skyrocketed over the last few weeks. I expected it would. A lot is from worrying about things that are out of my control.

JS:Is your fiancé helping to keep your spirits up?
NS: My fiancé, CX, has been an incredible source of light through all of this. He reminds me how far I’ve come and encourages me to stay positive. We have been staying very busy with our two new fur babies, Oliver and Olivia. They don’t allow us a whole lot of time to dwell on the situation at hand, which has been a blessing.

JS: Where can fans find you during this time of COVID-19?  
NS: I have done a couple of live streams on Instagram and Facebook. I just got some better equipment, so I will be doing even more soon.

JS: Any shout outs to your Miami fans?
NS: I just want to thank all of you for supporting me and my music, and I can’t wait to be back in beautiful Miami real soon!

Visit nickstracener.com. Follow Nick Stracener on Instagram @thenickstracener. A free download of Nick Stracener’s remix of Lindsay Lohan’s “Back to Me” is available now at soundcloud.com/nickstracener/lindsay-lohan-back-to-me-nick-stracener-remix

This was originally published in Wire Magazine Digital Issue 5.2020

By Rafa Carvajal | Photos provided by General Motors

The 2020 Stingray Corvette is Chevrolet’s first-ever mid-engine Corvette and the fastest, most powerful entry one. It delivers new levels of performance, technology, craftsmanship and luxury. The new mid-engine layout gives the 2020 Stingray better weight distribution, and better responsiveness and sense of control with the driver positioning closer to the front axle. It also delivers the fastest 0-60 time of any entry Corvette ever – under three seconds when equipped with the Z51 Performance Package. The Stingray sports a 6.2L Small Block V-8 LT2 engine that produces 495 horsepower of torque when equipped with performance exhaust, which is the most horsepower and torque for any entry Corvette. The 2020 Stingray’s canopy forward stance was actually inspired by the F22s, F35s and other modern fighter jets and Formula One racing, with a cockpit that envelops the driver to match its high performance and aeronautic theme. With Stingray’s center of gravity placed close to the driver’s inside hip, this sports car literally turns around the driver, so it completely changes the perception of vehicle handling and responsiveness. It also has dual trunks with a total of 12.6 cubic feet of cargo volume that can provide you storage for luggage or even two sets of golf clubs. Priced from $59,995.

This was originally published in Wire Magazine Digital Issue 5.2020

By Alyn Darnay

If you’re a film fan, as I am, you know that there are thousands of really great films out there just waiting to be discovered and watched. I’m referring to the truly wonderful films, the ones we never forget, those we unexpectedly stumbled upon made by the most talented of filmmakers; films that we’ve missed, overlooked, or just didn’t know about until they were right there in front of our eyes as we watched. The common denominator of these rare film experiences is that in one way or another the films speak to you, make you feel something on some emotional level, and leave you thinking, or laughing, or smiling, or scared, or even angry.

The curse of finding and watching one of these movies is that once we’ve seen it, once we’ve experienced it and it hits us on that visceral level, we soon begin to hunger for that next visual treat, and the next, and the next. The problem is finding the exceptional films that have us experiencing them in this way is not so easy. I believe an appropriate expression is, “You’ve got to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince.”

I’m not saying all film experiences are or should be like that, nor do they have to be. Though that would be nice. We all have different tastes and what we watch is often driven by our mood at the moment. So, here in Part Three, after already suggesting mostly classic films, I’m considering mood, and putting out another set of movies to watch, but this time they’re of a more escapist style. From high octane thrill rides to complicated heist films and lots of good things in between. They are all available on one or more of the streaming services or on YouTube. So have some fun watching and here we go.

GASOLINE ACTION FILMS

The Driver (1978):Directed by Walter Hill. It’s the story of a getaway driver (Ryan O’Neal), who is pursued by a persistent detective (Bruce Dern).

Drive:A Hollywood stuntman who moonlights as a getaway driver runs into big trouble when he helps out his beautiful neighbor.

Baby Driver: A talented young getaway driver with an ear for music, is coerced into taking part in a heist that is doomed to fail.

Vanishing Point(1971): Kowalski, a long-distance car delivery driver trying to get back home in record time, runs afoul of police in states all over the West. The 1997 remake is not nearly as good as this original.

DIRECTOR JOHN CARPENTER TRILOGY

Assault On Precinct 13 (1976):Officers and prisoners are forced to defend a lonely police precinct under siege by a huge street gang. The original is the best, but the 2005 remake is also good.

Big Trouble In Little China:A tough trucker fights to rescue his girlfriend from an ancient sorcerer beneath Chinatown.

Starman:An alien takes the form of a widow’s deceased husband who helps him escape the clutches of government bad guys.

DIRECTOR RENNY HARLIN TRILOGY

The Long Kiss Goodnight:As an amnesia patient regains her memory, her violent CIA past begins to catch up with her.

Cliffhanger: After a mid-air heist goes bad, a mountain rescue team is forced to help the thieves search for the money they lost on top of the Rocky Mountains

The Adventures Of Ford Fairlane:A vulgar PI hired to find a missing groupie is pulled into a murder mystery in the music industry.

HEIST FILMS

The Sting:Two grifters, Paul Newman and Robert Redford, team up to pull off the ultimate con.

The Score:De Niro, Norton, and Brando plan their biggest heist. Great performances delivered with edge-of-your-seat tension.

The Killing(1956): Five criminals plan and execute a daring race track heist. Great early Stanley Kubrick Film.

Kelly’s Heroes(1970): Clint Eastwood leads a band of soldiers across enemy lines to steal a stash of Nazi Gold.

JUST DOWN RIGHT EXCITING FILMS

Three Days Of The Condor:CIA researcher finds his co-workers dead and must find out why to save his own life.

The Guest: A soldier shows up at the home of a fallen hero, claiming to be his friend. The family takes him in. Shortly after, strange things begin to happen.

The Getaway(1972):Steve McQueen and Ali MacGraw run for the border as ruthless hitmen chase them. The 1994 remake is nowhere near as good.

Rollerball (1975): In a corporate-controlled world, one athlete in the ultra-violent sport defies those who want him out of the game. Make sure it’s this version; the 2002 remake isn’t worth your time.

Once again there should be enough for everyone in this collection of films. I hope they helped make your quarantine hours a little more exciting. Stay safe and healthy!

This was originally published in Wire Magazine Digital Issue 5.2020

ASSAD SHALHOUB

DEREK NEWBORN

ERIC TURNER

CHAD HATMAKER

ALEK DOROKHOV

ANDREW CORVIN

DAVID LURS

EVAN PEIX

DR. PAUL JOHN TALBOT

JUSTAS JESTRUMSKIS

This was originally published in Wire Magazine Digital Issue 4.2020

By Rafa Carvajal | Photos by Andreas Constantinou @andreasconstantinou11

Modus Vivendi has launched its swim-wear collection for 2020, which includes the new Labyrinth Line inspired by Greek Mythology. The line focuses on the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, following a tale of love, betrayal, hope, drama, and, most importantly, freedom. The 2020 collection is all about minimalism with architectural details, and the Labyrinth design will look great at all your sunny day activities after our Stay at Home orders. To peruse the new collection, visit e-modusvivendi.com and get yourself some stunning pieces like briefs, trunk boxers, shorts and towels.

Wire Magazine sat down with sexy models Constandinos Joseph Kyriakides and Sofronis Harpas to get to know them a bit better and see how they feel about wearing Modus Vivendi.

Constandinos Joseph Kyriakides

Rafa Carvajal: How does wearing Modus Vivendi make you feel?
Consdantinos Joseph Kyriakides: Wearing Modus Vivendi makes me feel very sexy with a character.


RC: Any dietary tips for our readers?
CJK: My diet is based on low carbs and high protein and lots of salads.

RC: What is your favorite place to travel?
CJK: My favorite place to travel is the Greek Islands.

RC: Do you shop online or at brick and mortar stores?
CJK: I prefer to buy my clothes at the stores, but if I know my sizes and trust the quality of the brand, online will be heaven.

RC: Do you have any skincare tips?
CJK: I don’t use any products on my skin, haha. I am pure.

RC: What do you do for fun? Stay home, dinner with friends? Parties and clubs?
CJK: It depends on my mood. Spending time with my good friends is definitely more fun.

RC: What is your favorite TV series?
CJK:My favorite series is Game of Thrones.

RC: Do you support any causes?
CJK: No, I don’t support any, but I do help in person when I see a homeless person in the street by either buying them food or giving them some money.

RC: What is your superpower?
CJK: My personality.

Sofronis Harpas

RC: How does wearing Modus Vivendi make you feel?
Sofronis Harpas: Comfortable and sexy.

RC: Any dietary tips for our readers?
SH: I really enjoy being vegan and here’s a tip: fewer carbs, more protein.

RC: What is your favorite place to travel?
SH:Paris.

RC: Do you shop online or at brick and mortar stores?
SH: Mostly online.

RC: Do you have any skincare tips?
SH: Always wear your sun care products!

RC: What do you do for fun?
SH: Dinner with friends, Netflix, and also swimming.

RC: What is your favorite TV series?
SH:Friends.

RC: Do you support any causes?
SH: Causes related to animals such as taking care of stray dogs or cats.

RC: What is your superpower?
SH: Being myself.

This was originally published in Wire Magazine Digital Issue 3.2020

This was originally published in Wire Magazine Digital Issue 3.2020

By Michael Bustamante | Photos provided by HUGO BOSS

BOSS welcomes a new generation for its Fall/Winter 2020 collection. The brand continues to innovate while staying true to its roots of impeccable tailoring. The collection is called “Generations,” and it revamps previous styles at Milan Fashion Week earlier this year. Suits are visible throughout with sharp silhouettes in daring, fashion-forward colors. Outerwear is relaxed and oversized, and is great for many occasions. FW20 is all about wines, creams, grays, lilac and black. Color blocking is also back with colors coming together in a few BOSS looks, drifting away from previous colle-ctions. As for accessories, bags and shoes come in luxurious materials showcasing many of the season’s colors. Altogether, FW20 is a very inspirational collection for BOSS. Out with the old and in with the revamped. Visit hugoboss.com to get yourself a couple of items from this collection. 

This was originally published in Wire Magazine Digital Issue 3.2020

By Alyn Darnay

 By now I’ll bet you’re feeling like you’ve been quarantined for about a year. You’re not alone. The almost four weeks I’ve been at home is beginning to rattle my bones as well. What’s saving me is the fact that I now have the time and ability to stream whatever film I want to watch, whenever I want to watch it. I’m literally programming a mini-film festival for myself almost every night and that’s been a lot of fun.

However, it’s also a challenge. With all the films out there that I’ve seen, loved, and would like to see again, picking just the right film for the day, time, and my mood has really tested my cinematic memory. That’s one of the reasons I’ve created this list, to make it easier for you to find some really great films to watch.

Here in Part Two, I’ve outlined some more ‘should see’ movies, but in a wider set of genres and styles. From westerns to thrillers, they are all available on one or more of the streaming services or on YouTube. As in the last list, they are all worthy of the time you put in watching. So here we go:

COMEDIES

The Ref: Trying to escape a botched robbery, cat burglar Dennis Leary unwittingly kidnaps the world’s most bickering couple to help him flee.

Harold and Maude: This cult classic from Director Hal Ashby is about the crazy romance between a 20-year-old disillusioned rich boy and an 80-year-old eccentric female.

Continental Divide:Chicago reporter John Belushi is sent to Wyoming to cover the story of a wildlife scientist after an attempt is made on his life for writing about corruption in the city. The best fish-out-of-water story ever!

Being There:Another classic from Hal Ashby, this one tells the story of simple-minded Chance the gardener and how he becomes a powerful influence in Washington D.C.

Weekend At Bernie’s: When their boss is killed instead of them, two buddies attempt to make it appear that he’s still alive. It’s a stupid, stupid comedy, that’s loaded with some of the greatest sight gags ever put on film. It even spawned a sequel.

WESTERNS

The Wild Bunch: Director Sam Peckinpah’s gritty classic Western is about a group of outlaws in Mexico whose leader is planning to retire after one final robbery. My personal favorite Western.

Once Upon a Time In The West: Italian Director Sergio Leone’s masterpiece of the Old West centers around the fight over land and a mysterious gunslinger out for justice.

One-Eyed Jacks: Directed by and starring Marlon Brando, it tells the Old West tale of an outlaw betrayed by his partner, and his attempt to exact vengeance after serving years in jail. The film won an Oscar for Best Cinematography and the screenplay was by Sam Peckinpah.

ROBERT DE NIRO TRILOGY

Heat:A master criminal, facing problems with his crew, is planning his last big heist while being pursued by a relentless police lieutenant who has problems of his own.

Midnight Run: A bounty hunter is hired to locate and bring in an accountant, but what he doesn’t know is that everyone from the Mob to the FBI wants him too.

Cape Fear (1991): After his release from prison, a violent sex offender terrorizes the family of the lawyer who put him in jail.

FOUR FROM THE HEART

Peanut Butter Falcon: A Down Syndrome young man escapes his care home to follow his dreams and winds up traveling the country with an outlaw who becomes his buddy.

Lion: After being accidentally separated from his family in India at age five, a young boy is adopted by an Australian couple, but longs to find his real parents.

A Walk In The Clouds: A married WWII veteran, po-ses as a pregnant woman’s spouse to save her honor as she returns to her family’s Vineyard.

East Side Sushi: Juana, a single Latina mother, aspires to become a sushi chef after taking a job in the kitchen of a Japanese Restaurant. You’ll find this wonderful independent film on Amazon Prime.

SYFY

The Thing (1982): A shape-shifting alien assumes the appearance of members of a stranded Antarctic Research team in an attempt to survive.

Blade Runner (1982):An officer is assigned to hunt down and terminate four dangerous Replicants seeking their creator.

Children of Men:In a dying world where women are infertile, an agent tries to help the only pregnant female find sanctuary.

There’s something for everyone in this collection of films. I hope they help make your quarantine a little less tense. As the quarantine continues, I’ll follow up with other lists of films that you might have missed over the years. Stay safe and healthy!  

This was originally published in Wire Magazine Digital Issue 3.2020

By Chad Hatmaker
Photos by Jorge Freire & Abel Cruz. photostudiomiami.com

I remember before heading off to college hearing people mention the “Freshman 15.” I thought it was just a saying, until after my first semester when over half the guys on my hall grew a sizable belly, including me!

It’s easy to overindulge in the wrong types of food and drinks, especially during a time when we are all staying at home with no access to our gym, and all our daily routines changed drastically because of COVID-19. We slowly start to become lazier and our pantries become our newfound love. We grab a bag of chips and tell ourselves we will only have a few, and three episodes deep into The Walking Dead you have polished off a family-sized bag of Lays potato chips. It doesn’t take much effort at all to put on weight. If you eat more calories than you burn, you will put on weight. I want to help you avoid putting on unnecessary pounds during our Stay at Home time by sharing my two-week quarantine workout regiment, grocery list, personal diet, and give you helpful pointers to get your body right.

MONDAY:
Total Body

Push-ups: 4 sets of 15-20 reps

Bodyweight squats: 4 sets of 15-20 reps

One arm row (using milk jug) each side: 4 sets of 10-12 reps

Plank: 4 sets of holding for 30 seconds reps

Crunches: 4 sets of 20-30 reps

Do one set of all five exercises, rest for 20-30 seconds and repeat each exercise until you have completed this circuit 4 times.

TUESDAY:
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

Burpees: as many as you can for 45 seconds
180-degree squat jumps: as many as you can for 45 seconds on the left side and as many as you can for 45 seconds on the right side
Skier lunges: as many as you can in 45 seconds
Shadowboxing: 1 minute
Mountain climbers: as many as you can for 45 seconds

Complete all five exercises, rest for 30-45 seconds and repeat the entire circuit 4 times.

WEDNESDAY:
Total body

Closed grip push-ups: 4 sets of 15-20 reps
Walking lunges (both legs): 4 sets of 15-20 reps
Bodyweight rows (use sturdy object): 4 sets of 15-20 reps
Inchworm walk: 4 sets of 15-20 reps
Reverse crunches: 4 sets of 20-30 reps

Do one set of all five exercises, rest for 20-30 seconds and repeat each exercise until you have completed this circuit 4 times.

THURSDAY:
HIIT

Suicide drills: as many as you can in 45 seconds
Frog hops: as many as you can in 45 seconds
Knees to chest: as many as you can in 45 seconds
Burpees with closed grip push-up: as many as you can in 45 seconds
Stair or box jumps: as many as you can in 45 seconds

Complete all five exercises, rest for 30-45 seconds and repeat the entire circuit 4 times.

FRIDAY:
Total body

Incline push-up (with a chair): 4 sets of 15-20 reps
Single leg squats: 4 sets of 15-20 reps
Pike push-ups: 4 sets of 15-20 reps
Dips (with a chair): 4 sets of 15-20 reps
Heels to the sky: 4 sets of 15-20 reps

Do one set of all five exercises, rest for 20-30 seconds and repeat each exercise until you have completed this circuit 4 times.

SATURDAY:
HIIT

Jumping jacks: as many as you can in 45 seconds
Burpees with a high jump: as many as you can in 45 seconds
Walls sit: 45 seconds
Jump knee tuck: as many as you can in 45 seconds
Tire drill: as many as you can in 45 seconds

Complete all five exercises, rest for 30-45 seconds and repeat the entire circuit 4 times.

SUNDAY:
REST

MONDAY:
Total body

Spiderman push-ups: 10 reps on each arm
Bodyweight squat and step up: 15-20 reps
Side-triceps raise: 10 reps per side
Pull-ups (use sturdy door frame): 15-20 reps
Crossbody crunches: 20-30 reps

Do one set of all five exercises, rest for 20-30 seconds and repeat each exercise until you have completed this circuit 4 times.

TUESDAY:
HIIT

Side hops: as many as you can for one minute
Sumo squats: as many as you can for one minute
Jumping jack with deep squats: as many as you can for one minute
Burpees with wide grip push-ups: as many as you can for one minute
Shadowboxing: for one minute

Complete all five exercises, rest for 30-45 seconds and repeat the entire circuit 4 times.

WEDNESDAY:
Total body

Decline push-ups: 4 sets of 15-20 reps
Donkey kicks: 4 sets of 15 reps per leg
Superman into pulldown: 4 sets of 15-20 reps
Deadlifts (with band): 4 sets of 15-20 reps
Flutter kicks: 4 sets of 20-30 reps

Do one set of all five exercises, rest for 20-30 seconds and repeat each exercise until you have completed this circuit 4 times.

THURSDAY:
HIIT

Burpees into frog hops: as many as you can for one minute
Mountain climbers: as many as you can for one minute
Ladder drill: as many as you can for one minute
180-degree jump knee tuck: as many as you can on each side, for 30 seconds on each side
Crossbody punches: as many as you can for one minute

Complete all five exercises, rest for 30-45 seconds and repeat the entire circuit 4 times.

FRIDAY:

Side-to-side push-ups: 4 sets of 10-15 reps per arm
Summon squats: 4 sets of 15-20 reps
Single leg deadlifts (with band): 4 sets of 10-15 per leg
Calf raises: 4 sets of 20-30 reps
Hip raises with pause: 4 sets of 20-30 reps
Bicycle crunches: 4 sets of 10-15 per side

Do one set of all six exercises, rest for 20-30 seconds and repeat each exercise until you have completed this circuit 4 times.

SATURDAY:

180-degree burpees: as many as you can on each side for 30 seconds each
Sprint in place: as fast as you can for one minute
Frog lunge with push-up: as many as you can for one minute
High knee tire drills: as many as you can for one minute
Shadowboxing and crossbody punching: for 30 seconds each

Complete all five exercises, rest for 30-45 seconds and repeat the entire circuit 4 times.

SUNDAY:
REST

When it comes to nutrition, it’s all about what we put into our bodies that truly makes the difference in our overall health and wellbeing. I personally believe that what you eat, when you eat, and how much you eat are the three most important factors. I have included what I typically eat throughout the week, foods to stay away from, and my personal grocery list for your reference.

This is the typical diet I follow:

BREAKFAST:
Egg whites
Plain bowl of oatmeal with a fruit
Cup of coffee

MID-MORNING SNACK:
Protein shake
Handful of almonds

LUNCH:
Chicken breast
Brown rice
Broccoli

MID-AFTERNOON SNACK:
Protein shake or protein bar

DINNER:
Salmon
Quinoa
Asparagus

POST-WORKOUT SNACK:
Protein shake
Apple

THINGS TO AVOID DURING QUARANTINE:
Allowing food to give you comfort during these times where your mind is wandering
Drinking sugar-filled sodas, coffees and alcoholic beverages
Eating just because you have nothing else to do
Eating late at night
Going back for seconds
Snacking while binge-watching Netflix

FOODS TO AVOID:
Beer
Candy
Chips
Cookies
Creamers for coffee
Donuts
Energy drinks that are not sugar-free
Fried foods
Fruit drinks
Ice cream
Salad dressings (especially high in fat)
Soda
White bread
White pasta

GROCERY LIST:
All natural peanut butter
All white fish
Almonds
Apples
Asparagus
Avocado
Blueberries
Boneless skinless chicken
Brown rice
Carrots
Dark chocolate (in moderation)
Eggs (mostly egg whites)
Grapefruit
Grapes
Green peppers
Lean ground turkey
Low fat cottage cheese
Low fat, low sugar yogurt
Oranges
Pineapples
Plain oatmeal
Protein powder
Quinoa
Raspberries
Red peppers
Salad mix
Salmon
Shrimp
Spinach
Strawberries
Sweet potatoes
Tomatoes
Tuna
Whole wheat bread
Whole wheat pasta
Yams

I’ve had the incredible privilege of helping several individuals completely transform their bodies, kick destructive habits, and educate them on healthy new habits which have allowed them to keep the weight off. I would love to help you triumphantly transform your life. Visit my website triumpanttransformation.com. You can purchase my customized training and nutrition programs where I put together personalized plans to get you to your fitness goals, help you change your life, and address deep-rooted issues which have prevented you from transforming your life.

Follow me on my fitness journey on Instagram @triumpanttransformation. I post workout videos, nutrition advice, pictures from my fitness shoots, showcase my apparel line and offer discounts for my website!

This was originally published in Wire Magazine Digital Issue 2.2020

By Rafa Carvajal
Photos provided by Henrietta’s friends

It is with great sadness that I write this In Memoriam about Henrietta Robinson, a beloved member of our LGBTQ community who lived in South Beach for over 60 years and passed away last week from COVID-19. I was in my office at Q Link Wireless when I heard the news about Henrietta’s passing, and I could not help but to start crying. Once I was able to compose myself, my thoughts shifted to that day I sat next to Henrietta for three hours at the “Cheers” bar downstairs at TWIST and listened attentively, over cocktails, to her wonderful and fascinating stories about her life and the history of South Beach. I will treasure those memories for the rest of my life.

As soon as she turned 18, Henrietta ran away from a very unstable family life in Boston and came to South Beach. Henrietta knew she was gay as a kid and was ostracized by her family and friends, but once she left, Henrietta never looked back. It actually took her family a full year to realize Henrietta was living in South Beach.

What better way to honor Henrietta’s memory and celebrate her life than to let some people who knew her well tell us why she was such a special person – in their own words.

Rafa Carvajal: What is your fondest memory of Henrietta?
Peter Morales: My fondest memory of Henrietta was meeting her in the early-mid ‘90s at the Warsaw Ballroom where she would usually stand on the second floor overlooking the people dancing on the dance floor and enjoying life. She would always say hello to me when I walked by, with a huge smile, and always was full of compliments, and had a positive outlook on life about everything and everyone. She was such a happy and content person.
Nathan Smith: My fondest memory of Henrietta would have to be the times she spent at my bar every Saturday and Sunday night. She would always come early, always have the same seat, and she had a special cup. I bought her many throughout the years, but it was always so important to me that she had a different glass than everyone else. She deserved to feel special and honored. She was an icon and having her sit at my bar was an honor.
David Johnson: One of my fondest memories of Henrietta is how she made her birthday a true celebration of life. It felt as though we were all part of her family there to share in the fabulous festivities! Every year, she made us all feel connected to her life by bringing us together.
Mario Trejo: My fondest memory of Henrietta is from back in 2009. She and Don Chung came over to my house and cooked a special dinner for me and my then boyfriend at the time. She had been asking me to come over and cook for us, when it finally happened Henrietta was so excited and happy to do it. She made us a lobster and pasta dish that was out of this world. I felt honored that she wanted to come over and do that for us. The true essence of a giving heart is the joy they receive from giving and seeing the reaction and appreciation on that person’s face. That was her reward, her joy and her love.

RC: What made Henrietta such a special person?
Joel Stedman: Simply her being her. Henrietta was a constant in many of our lives in nightlife. We attended almost every White Party together, she never missed a TWIST anniversary and every year was a feature in our float presentation for Miami Beach Gay Pride. I enjoyed her immensely. Her smile, her laugh, what amazing stories she would tell. She was that one person you could always walk up to and had nothing but sweet things to say. It is the end of an era, losing both her and Richard within the same year. When it is safe for all of us to get together again, we will have a mad celebration in her honor. Somebody will have to bring the cookies.
PM: Henrietta always glowed and shined wherever you saw her. She was a beam of light with a bright aura. Everyone always wanted to say hello to Henrietta, speak with her, and, of course, have their picture taken with her!
NS: What made Henrietta so special is that she always lived her truth. Henrietta did what made her happy and gave no apologies for who she was. She was and always will be an example for us all to be our true authentic selves.
DJ: Her unique style set her apart from all the rest! Henrietta always had a warm and loving smile to share with everyone. Her iconic personality lit up any room and made everyone feel happy and at ease.
MT: Henrietta loved to give. She was a true giver and she did it better than anyone. She gave from her heart whether it was your favorite dish, favorite dessert, or a Christmas gift wrapped in an envelope. This woman prided herself not only on wearing the best Bob Mackie ensembles and finest diamond, gold and platinum jewelry (all custom made), but also in her giving – and I can’t stress that enough! I remember for Christmas she would give everyone $100 bill in an envelope, and she went to all the gay clubs in South Beach. She made it a point to go to TWIST, Palace, Score and Mova, and give everyone an envelope. You could see the joy on her face as she gave it to you. That was her reward, to see you get excited and happy made her happy. On that she was consistent until the very end. The last thing I remember her making for Nathan, myself, JD, Michael, and many others at TWIST before it closed from the coronavirus pandemic, was brownies (not the fun brownies lol). They were so delicious! We ate them with a fresh cup of coffee from Nathan’s coffee maker. She always cooked or baked weekly and had that, “I can’t wait to give it to them attitude.” She would walk up the stairs in bar 4 with her big Saks Fifth Avenue bag filled with all the dishes she was going to hand out that night, and she did that almost every Saturday without fail! She lived to give. It was who she was.

RC: What else would you like to share with Wire Magazine readers about Henrietta?
PM: Henrietta was always so thoughtful throughout our years of friendship, especially during the holiday seasons with her beyond amazing and delicious lasagnas, baked goods and pies. Several years ago she gifted me a 21-piece “Temp-tations” Ovenware Kitchen Bake Set for cooking and serving since she knew I loved to cook, and that I always cooked for my entire family during the holiday seasons. I cherish and love this cookset so much and think of her every time I use it.

I will miss seeing Henrietta and speaking with her, but I will never forget Henrietta, and especially how she made me feel every time we saw each other.
NS: She loved you all. Nothing made Henrietta happier than when people would approach her for a picture, and she loved hearing your life stories and telling you hers. She loved helping anyone and everyone out, whether it was with a plate of her food, advice or guidance. She wanted the best for everyone. I know she would have wanted all of you to take away from her passing to be safe and stay at home until this virus is under control. Henrietta would also have wanted you to always love each other, but love yourself first and be yourself proudly. RIP Henrietta. I will always love you and your place at the bar will always be there. Sending everyone lots of love and good energy. Xoxo.
DJ: Henrietta loved to check up on me. I must admit I will truly miss the call I
received once a week when Henrietta called just to say hello.
MT: Henrietta touched my heartstrings even deeper than her coming over to my place to cook, bringing us delicious desserts and dishes. It was when my 21-year-old nephew Andrew came from California to stay with me in 2010. He and Henrietta had this incredible instant connection/bond when they met at TWIST, and they would go out to different places like Palace, Score and, of course, TWIST. Andrew would go get Henrietta and take her to whatever bar she was in the mood for that day, and they would have fun. My nephew even convinced her to go to Wet Willie‘s, of all places, and that’s when Henrietta back in the day would drink her rum and Coke with lemon. Andrew always had a blast with her and he would say “OMG uncle Mario, Henrietta is too funny,” with her quick and amazing stories. As you all know, she had great stories to tell. So for all of her great qualities and attributes, her taking my nephew under her wing and vice versa, I will always love her mostly for that!

I also want to share some excerpts from theWire Magazine interview of Henrietta by Thomas Barker from June 2011, when Henrietta was celebrating her 50 year anniversary in South Beach. Visit wiremag.com to read the extended version of Henrietta’s In Memoriam and the full interview from 2011.

At age 19 Henrietta saw her first drag show. At age 22, she dressed up as a woman for the very first time (other than when she was 10 or 11 and dressed up in her sisters’ clothes). She won Miss Florida in 1969 singing, not lip-synching, “On a Clear Day You Can See Forever.” Then, after her favorite uncle died in the early ‘80s, she never wore men’s clothes again! Her outfit became permanent.

“When my uncle passed away, that’s when I said that’s it,” Henrietta recounted. “I started living that way from then on – it was permanent drag from then on! I was gay, of course, and wasn’t ever interested in a sex change or anything.” And nothing Henrietta wears when she dresses like a woman is fake. Her chinchilla outfit, lace or silk gowns, large-carat diamond rings, gold bracelets – they’re all real, just as real as Henrietta.

Thomas Barker: When and how did you arrive in Miami Beach, Henrietta?
Henrietta Robinson: I came to Miami Beach in 1958. My uncle, my mother’s brother, had a restaurant here. I was 18-years-old and never was on my own in my life until then. I lived a pretty sheltered life in Boston. My mother died when I was born. I was raised by my grandmother, my father’s mother. I couldn’t go out and play with other kids and was kept in the house all the time.

TB: How old were you back then? Did you realize you were gay at an early age?
HR: Oh, I was 10 or 11-years-old. I knew I was gay since I loved playing with my sisters’ dolls! I loved dressing up. When my sisters dressed me up, my grandmother would go through the roof! My sisters were a lot older, they were 18 and 20-years-old. I was the baby in the family.

TB: Did you ever imagine the Beach would come full circle to where it is today?
HR: I never thought in my time the gay community would be so free to be who they are and not be hassled by the police. In my day, if you walked down the street and if the police thought you were gay, they had the right to beat you up. They always said you looked at them the wrong way or you touched them. They had no hesitation in throwing you in jail. Now, I love it! Gay life has always flourished here – whether it was underground or above ground; or whether it was 23rd Street or 12th Street. Gays were everywhere and in every profession. Today, I feel so free and it’s such a pleasure! A lot of these young gay kids don’t know what somebody like me has gone through. And they don’t have too many people to learn about the history since all the old-timers are gone.

This was originally published in Wire Magazine Digital Issue 2.2020

By Thomas Barker
Photos provided by Henrietta’s friends

Everyone on South Beach knows famed South Beach Diva Henrietta. She’s the gay guy who is always dressed in drag – whether she’s grabbing a quick bite to eat, taking a bus or taxi to one of her house cleaning jobs, or having a nightcap at TWIST.

And nothing she wears when she dresses like a woman is fake. Her chinchilla outfit, lace or silk gowns, large-carat diamond rings, gold bracelets – they’re all real, just as real as Henrietta.

She’s been a fixture on the Beach for 50 years now, and that’s why she’s celebrating her golden anniversary here! Her two claims to fame are cooking and cleaning, both of which she continues to do incessantly and to perfection. Henrietta made a name for herself as she found her true self in Miami Beach, thanks to a supportive uncle and tons of friends she made wherever she worked.

She ran away from a very unstable family situation in Boston as soon as she turned 18 years old. She knew she was gay as a kid and was ostracized by her family and friends throughout the sensitive years of growing up. So once she left, she never looked back and it took her family a year to realize where she was.

At age 19, she saw her first drag show. At age 22, she dressed up as a woman for the very first time (other than when she was 10 or 11 and dressed up in her sisters’ clothes). She won Miss Florida in 1969 singing, not lip-synching, “On a Clear Day You Can See Forever.” Then after her favorite uncle died in the early ‘80s, she never wore men’s clothes again! Her outfit became permanent!

“When my uncle passed away, that’s when I said that’s it,” Henrietta recounted. “I started living that way from then on – it was permanent drag from then on! I was gay, of course, and wasn’t ever interested in a sex change or anything.”

Henrietta saw the ups and downs on the Beach for five decades – and boy, what history there was and what details she remembers! Hopefully, someday we’ll have a copy of her memoirs since it’s such a rich history that would be important for every gay little boy and girl!

We’re happy that Henrietta maintains her happy, optimistic outlook on life and continues to love the Beach very much – she actually sees a renaissance of gay life here today, saying it’s getting better and better.

So as Henrietta celebrates her golden anniversary, 50 years of life on Miami Beach, here’s just a peek into her life and what made her who she is! Check out her party at TWIST this Friday, Sept. 28 at midnight – and bring an appetite, she says, since she will be offering up some of her most sumptuous tastings!

Thomas Barker: When and how did you arrive on Miami Beach, Henrietta?
Henrietta Robinson: I came to Miami Beach in 1958. My uncle, my mother’s brother, had a restaurant here. I was 18 years old and never was on my own in my life until then. I lived a pretty sheltered life in Boston. My mother died when I was born. When I was growing up, I never got along with my father and he always blamed my mother for everything; they didn’t get along either since she was Italian Catholic and he was Jewish. You just didn’t have mixed marriages back then, it was very strict. Eventually, I was raised by my grandmother, my father’s mother. She took me and my two sisters in, but I haven’t spoken to them in 35 years. They didn’t want anything to do with me since, when they had children, they thought I would molest them since I was gay. That’s what they believed at the time. So my grandmother kept an eye on me all the time. I couldn’t go out and play with other kids and was kept in the house all the time.

TB: How old were you back then? Did you realize you were gay at an early age?
HR: Oh, I was 10 or 11 years old. I knew I was gay since I loved playing with my sisters’ dolls. I loved dressing up! When my sisters dressed me up, my grandmother would go through the roof! My sisters were a lot older, they were 18 and 20 years old. I was the baby in the family.

TB: So how did you finally get out of that horrible situation?
HR: I met this kid next door and he didn’t get along with his father. He wanted to get out since he was fighting with his father all the time. He was going to Florida to live with his grandparents since they invited him to. So he invited me to come with him. He said there was no reason for me to put up with what I had to put up with and nobody would know where I was – we were both 18 years old at the time.

TB: How could you afford it, though?
HR: My grandmother used to give me an allowance, $10 a week and put it in a bank account in my name. Every week, I put money in the account. She never dreamed that I would go to the bank to withdraw it, though! So I sneaked away one day when my grandmother was gone and went to the bank. So the people asked me where my grandmother was and I said it was a surprise, it was her anniversary and I never bought her anything all these years so I wanted to take out $200, and they thought I was a very good grandson. So I went home and snuck out that night with my friend and took off on a bus for Florida. It was a whole year before they ever realized where I was.

TB:What did you do when you arrived in Miami Beach?
HR: I worked in a drugstore on 71st Street at the fountain as a dishwasher – I never worked a day in my life until then! There was a waitress who fell in love with me because her son was in the service in Germany and she said I looked just like her son with blue eyes and blonde hair. So she doted on me and did everything for me. She knew my whole story. Once she got friendly with a lady, a year later, who came to the soda fountain who said: “Oh, I see you have a helper.” So she told her my whole story and she listened carefully. She asked how late we were open and we told her 11 p.m. So a few hours later she came back, but she was with a man. So the man asked my waitress friend, “Could I have the kid wait on me?” And she said “Sure.” So he told me that he understood my mother passed away a long time ago and that I had an uncle in Miami Beach. He was Italian and looked like Edward G. Robinson and was in the rackets. So he asked me if I would like to meet my uncle and live here – and I said, sure, if he’s nice! So he looked at me and said “I’ve got news for you kid, I’m your fuckin’ uncle!” I nearly fell to the floor!

TB: How did you know it was really him?
HR: He took a picture out of his wallet and said “This is your father and this is your mother.” Then he said he had a restaurant around the corner and he wanted me to go there to help his wife who worked there. So I told him I could wash dishes and clean up. He told me to move out of the hotel I was staying in and that I was moving into his house. He had a duplex on 77th Street. That’s when everything started!

TB: What do you mean, “everything started”?
HR: The buses from Hollywood used to connect on 71st Street and the bus drivers used to come into the drugstore because it had air conditioning. One day, one of the bus drivers asked me – he knew right away – if I ever saw a drag show. So one night after work I took a bus to Collins and 163rd Street to go to a drag show – the first time I had ever gone out! There were hotels run by the mafia up there that had clubs run by drag queens. One was the Aztec and they used to have lounges inside. Shows would start around midnight and last until 2.am. It was legal there, but not on the Beach. So there I was all innocent watching drag shows. I became friendly with the bus driver and then one Halloween he wanted to dress me up! And that was it! Once I put on those heels and that wig! That was in 1962 when I actually started drag at age 22. I liked it and started performing there. We always sang live back then. Nobody did lip-synching. I did country and they loved it!

TB: Your uncle knew all about it and didn’t care?
HR: He didn’t give a shit! He was from New Jersey and ran nightclubs and used to make good money off drag queens and gays in the back room of the clubs. The police wouldn’t bother him because he was paying them off just liked he did here in Miami. The police in Miami Beach were all country boys back then and they used to go around and pick up everybody who didn’t live or work on the Beach. That’s why there were no blacks on the Beach. The summertime, they didn’t care, but after November 1 they cleaned up the streets. But one time, I had this cop get smart with me and said I had a woman’s blouse on, it was a European fashion with ruffles on it. And I said no, I didn’t and showed him the store bag where I bought it. And he couldn’t do a thing. Besides, all the police used to come and eat at my uncle’s restaurant whenever they wanted to! He even knew Rocky Pomerance, the famous Chief of Police for Miami Beach in the ‘70s! He used to come around all the time. He was Italian!

TB: What was your greatest memory of the Beach at that time?
HR: That’s when I won Miss Florida in 1969, I sang “On a Clear Day.” That was on Alton Road where the Boston Market is. There was a gas station next door to the biggest gay club around that had a back room, called the Mayflower Lounge, run by the mafia. When you walked through the door, there were two huge ballrooms with two bars on both sides of the room. Everybody was dancing and having a good time – but there was a big light in the room and when it went on, everybody ran to their seats because the cops were coming in. But they didn’t bother us because it was the mafia and they were getting paid off! Then, I learned about 21st Street which is where the gay beach and some bars were. So I learned a lot over the years as I continued to do shows and work at my uncle’s restaurant.

TB: So your uncle had a very positive influence on your life here compared to what you had in Boston?
HR: He always said he didn’t care what I did after work as long as I didn’t stay out too late and showed up for work in the morning. He taught me a lot – like how to pay my rent and all my bills. He brought me all my bills with my name on them, like the electric bill, and I had to pay them every month. Apartments were $15 a month in the summertime and $25 in winter! I was making $40 a week back in 1960. That paid my rent and everything, and I still had money to live on! Of course, my uncle taught me how to cook and I eventually became a chef. I worked for 27 years as a chef in restaurants and I never missed a day in that 27 years! I was the top cook at my uncle’s restaurant and was making $150 a week, which was a lot of money back then. My uncle died in the early ‘80s and the restaurant was sold to Canadians.

TB: What did you do after that?
HR: My aunt had moved up North with her sister because she had a lot of family there, but I didn’t want to go since I knew what to do, I was educated, and had an apartment here. I worked in a few other restaurants, like this huge restaurant called Piccolos on First Street, where Amnesia was. They owned both sides of the street on Washington Avenue. When the owner died, the kids took over and lost everything. They were drunks, gamblers and into drugs. The mother had to sell everything. Then, I actually wound up back at my uncle’s place, Marios. I met the Canadians who owned it who were having problems with their cook and they hired me back. I started making $300 a week! I worked there for another three years when they had to go back to Canada and the restaurant was sold again and called Paesanos. That’s when I went into my own business of housekeeping and catering. That was in the mid-’80s.

TB: How did that start?
HR: I met one of my customers from the restaurant one day while I was looking for another job and she hired me as a housekeeper. Once she saw how good I was, her daughter also hired me, and then their friends and the next thing you know, I had my own cleaning business. And I kept up a catering business on the side, as well when all these people threw parties.

TB: How did you wind up with the name Henrietta?
HR: One of the people at the clubs said I had to have a new name since they originally called me Miss Robinson – after the Simon and Garfunkel hit in 1967. My real name was Milton Henry Robinson. So this friend said, why not Henrietta? That was a nice sounding English name! So I changed my name to Henrietta over the years. That’s when Henrietta started, when I won Miss Florida in 1969 which was held on Halloween. People would line up on Alton Road to see the parade – only on Halloween. The police couldn’t do anything since you were in “masquerade.” It was a 24-hour party, all day and all night! And everybody made their own gowns at the time, since nobody could afford to do anything different. But I saw a gown in a store and I told my uncle “I want that gown for the Halloween party!” So he took me into the store on 71st Street called Parker’s and my uncle bought the gown for me! And I wore my hair shorter, more in a European style while everyone else was wearing long hair, the style of the 60s and 70s.

TB: When did you start to continually dress in drag?
HR: When my uncle passed away, that’s when I said that’s it. I started living that way from then on – it was permanent drag from then on! I was gay, of course, and wasn’t ever interested in a sex change or anything. People always respected me for the way I was – and I always had boys lined up at the door! I had no trouble there! I worked for so many straight people, I became family and all their kids loved me.

TB: Why did you dress in your particular style? Did you model yourself after anybody in particular?
HR: I always loved Dolly Parton! That’s why I wear high blond hair all the time and love Country and Western music! I loved her and Patti Page – I sang her song, “Tennessee Waltz.” And there was Tammy Wynette since I always sang “Stand By Your Man.”

TB: But in terms of drag queens, you’re not like anybody else, like Adora, for example.
HR: Adora is a great artist. There was one lady, an owner of a club up there on Collins who told me if you want to be a lady, act like a lady. Wear nice clothes like a lady, don’t go out on the streets dressed like a prostitute. She told me, “You are a lady” and from that day on I did everything real. All my jewelry is real – real diamond rings, bracelets, and necklaces. I wanted everything to be real like me – nice clothes, nice hair, nice jewelry. That’s how it started for me. When I dress up and walk down the street, nobody blinks. And they know me at Neiman Marcus or Saks when I walk in – it’s “Oh, Henrietta!’ and they drop everything to wait on me. I take pride in all that I do! They all looked after me. People used to always say, "You’re just like one of the girls, Henrietta.” I can tell you stories you wouldn’t believe! One of my customers came walking out of the shower naked the other day in front of me and she apologized. I said, “Don’t worry honey, that doesn’t bother me, but if it were your husband…” She laughed and said, “Well, you can have him!” I went to Jackson one time and they put me in the woman’s ward before they found out about me! The next thing you know, two days later, I have my own private suite. They rushed me across the hall so fast, you wouldn’t believe it!

TB: So when did things start to change for gays on Miami Beach?
HR: After 1969 – the 1970s on. After the civil rights movement. They wouldn’t touch you in 1970. Civil rights and gay rights went hand in hand. Blacks, up until then, were not allowed on the Beach after sunset unless you had a paper saying where you worked and when you worked – or you were trotted off to jail, or dropped off over the causeway and told never to come back. Gay rights started thriving as well – drag queens were walking around all over the place and some were even getting their breasts done at that time. They were going to Mexico to get them done where it was cheaper. Some had entire sex changes done.

TB: What about the influence of the gay community on the Beach?
HR: Everything started to change little by little and started opening up. The straight people had nothing to do with fixing up South Beach – it was the gay community who came here to do that. Only when it was fixed up did the straight community start coming here. You could go up and down South Beach streets and the old people were sitting on the porches of these run-down buildings waiting for death to take them. And the gay community came in, supported the preservation movement, and opened many businesses here.

Then what about the late ‘80s and ‘90s – drag seemed to be everywhere. There was Barios, WPA, Mulberry Street – drag shows were everywhere. I loved WPA and Mulberry Street. That’s when the Beach really turned gay since you also had other clubs like Club Z, Warsaw, Salvation, and then TWIST opened in 1993. It was a great time to be gay on South Beach and it made it easier for all of us. The Chelsea Hotel on 9th and Washington was even owned by a black guy (Vernon Garraway) who bought it in 1989. But the City still looked down on him and it was hard for him to run it. Nothing could ever be owned by a black person on the Beach in the past. But he was really accepting of the gay community and they really liked to go there. Then the gays were pushed out after the police raids on TWIST, 1235, and Groove Jet. But now more and more gays are coming back because they have more money now.

TB: Did you ever imagine the Beach would come full circle to where it is today?
HR: I never thought in my time the gay community would be so free to be who they are and not be hassled by the police. In my day, if you walked down the street and if the police thought you were gay, they had the right to beat you up. They always said you looked at them the wrong way or you touched them. They had no hesitation in throwing you in jail. Now, I love it! Gay life has always flourished here – whether it was underground or above ground; or whether it was 23rd Street or 12th Street. Gays were everywhere and in every profession. Today, I feel so free and it’s such a pleasure! A lot of these young gay kids don’t know what somebody like me has gone through. And they don’t have too many people to learn about the history since all the old-timers are gone.

TB: Who are your best friends here today?
HR: I’m always working so much so I don’t get out that much anymore. But when I do, my best friend is Leo! I love Leo. We became good friends over the years and he’s just wonderful. I don’t have any boyfriends – even though I had many husbands years ago! But I was stupid since I spoiled them and they didn’t appreciate it. I even bought one of them a car! Most of them turned out to be bisexual and the next thing I knew, they were taking off with a girl.

TB: What advice can you give to members of the gay community after 50 years of living here?
HR: I just think it’s wonderful that people can do what they want to do today. People live in very precious, precious times right now. You don’t have to go through what I went through. You should do what you want and be free. If people had to live what I went through, half of them wouldn’t make it! We’ve come a long way. Once people found out you were gay, you were blackballed and you couldn’t get a job. Now retail, hotels, bars, and restaurants couldn’t survive without gays! So don’t be afraid to be yourself – you’ll fit right in on South Beach today!

TB: Did you ever have any role models on the Beach or did anybody here influence you?
HR: Not individual people. What was more important was that when I went out as a woman, people accepted me. This was me, I was a woman now, and that was it – and people accepted me for that.

TB: What’s in store for Henrietta in the future? Retirement? Writing your memoirs?
HR: If I retire, I’m going to stay here and still take care of some of my customers. I’m just going to relax more and travel more. I’m just so loyal to my customers, more than I am to myself! I don’t want to work seven days a week anymore! I know, sometimes I can’t say no, though. And yes, I’m going to write my memoirs! Going all the way back to when I was living with my grandparents and how mean they were to my happy days today on South Beach and all the wonderful people I’ve encountered!

Read Henrietta Robinson’s in Memoriam in Wire Magazine

By Alyn Darnay

Quarantining yourself during the COVID-19 outbreak is unnerving, challenging, and downright boring. Yes, there are things you can do to occupy the endless hours, games to play, friends to connect with online, things to write, and, of course, books and magazines to read. You can also drink, cook and eat food, walk your rooms endlessly, or clean obsessively. There you go, lots of things to do to pass the time with.

Oh, did I forget to mention there are also some decent films to watch? Shame on me! There are some you know, but even better than that, there are some really great films available to stream, movies that are so good they are a reward in themselves just to watch. Films that will suck you in so absorbingly that you’ll lose yourself in them for a couple of hours.

Here in part one, I’ve outlined some of them for you, they are all available on one or more of the streaming services or on YouTube. Some are three-hour popcorn fests, some are trilogies, some are visually beautiful, others have great stories, all are worthy of the time you put in watching. So here we go:

Director David Lean Trilogy

• Lawrence of Arabia: (3 hrs. 48 mins.) The true story of T.E. Lawrence, and how he single-handedly united and led the Arab Tribes against the Turks in WWI.
• Bridge on the River Kwai: (2 hrs. 41 mins.) Another true story, this one about British POW’s building a railway bridge in the jungle, and the men assigned to destroy it.
• Doctor Zhivago:  (3 hrs. 17 mins.) The adventures of a Russian doctor/poet during WWI and the October Revolution.

James Dean Trilogy

• Giant: (3 hrs. 21 mins.) The epic tale of a Texas cattle rancher, his wife, a ranch hand, and all his friends as the decades change their lives. Director George Stevens
• East of Eden: A Cain vs. Abel tale about a young man’s attempt to gain his strict father’s approval while trying to find his place in the world amid falling in love with his brother’s girlfriend. Director Elia Kazan.
• Rebel Without A Cause: A rebellious young man finds friends and enemies when his family moves to a new town. Director Nicholas Ray.

Quentin Tarantino Writing Trilogy

• Four Rooms: Four separate tales by five directors that all take place in a fading Hollywood hotel during New Year’s Eve.
• True Romance: Movie geek marries call girl, steals cocaine, and tries to sell it in Hollywood while the mob chases them. Director Tony Scott.
• From Dusk Till Dawn: Two thieves and their hostages unknowingly take refuge in a ‘south of the border’ truck stop inhabited by Vampires. Director Robert Rodriguez.

Two from Director Tom Tykwer

• Run Lola Run: After her boyfriend botches a money delivery, Lola has 20 minutes to raise and return the money to save him. This movie will constantly surprise you!
• Winter Sleepers: A small town, a man out for revenge, a young couple dealing with life’s problems, and the most exquisite cinematography, make for a most unusual winter tale.

Trois Couleurs (Three Colors) Trilogy from Director Krzysztof Kieslowski

• Blue:A woman struggles to understand life after the death of her famous music composer husband and their daughter.
• White: A divorced Polish immigrant plots to get even with his ex-wife.
• Red: A fashion model stumbles on a retired judge who invades the privacy of others.

There’s something for everyone in this collection of films. I hope they help make your quarantine a little less tense. I’ll follow up soon with a list of lighter films that you might have missed over the years. Stay safe and healthy!

This was originally published in Wire Magazine Digital Issue 2.2020

By Rafa Carvajal

I want to wish you the best during these very difficult and uncertain times. The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has changed our lives in ways that were simply unimaginable a couple of weeks ago. I feel like I am living in a movie sometimes, and my biggest worry is the safety and health of my mom, stepdad, brothers, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, family members, and all my friends. If I was watching our current daily lives and news from around the world in a film, I would find it farfetched and hard to believe. I would probably think that someone had to be really creative to think up such a movie plot. Unfortunately, this is neither a movie nor a dream we can wake up from. 

I implore you to stay safe, and stay at home to protect the lives of everyone you love, and of our fellow citizens. I also want to extend my most sincere thanks to all the heroes fighting the battle against the COVID-19 virus on the front lines. We owe an immense debt of gratitude to the doctors, nurses, hospital staff, cleaning people, first responders and members of our national guard and military who are out there every day fighting the spread of the virus and saving lives. You are our true heroes. Thank you very much for your service and sacrifice!

This week, we bring you our first digital only issue of the year. We did our best to print and distribute Wire Magazine, but the mandatory stay at home orders and closures of non-essential businesses mandated by our governor and local mayors made it impossible to print and distribute our magazine. I also needed to prioritize the safety and health of our staff, so everyone could stay safe at home. For now, we have suspended the printing and distribution of Wire Magazine during the unprecedented COVID-19 national and international emergency. We will print and distribute Wire Magazine in all our distribution points once they reopen and it is safe to do so.

In the meantime, we will be publishing our digital issues every other week starting this week, and continue bringing you our content online on our website, on social media, in our weekly email newsletter and in our videos. We are all in this together, so we want to provide you with interesting and fun lifestyle content that can help you take your mind off the incredible uncertainty and stress many of us are under during these very tough times.

On behalf of the Wire Magazine family, I want to thank you for your continued support of our publication and tell you that we are committed to overcoming the challenges we are all facing to the best of our ability.

Best wishes and good health,

Rafa Carvajal
Publisher & Editor in Chief
[email protected]

“WHEN IT IS DARK ENOUGH, YOU CAN SEE THE STARS.” - RALPH WALDO EMERSON

This was originally published in Wire Magazine Digital Issue 1.2020

By Mike Bahr | Photos provided by AddictedUSA.com

Typically, adult models work behind-the-scenes after their modeling days are over. Not Viggo Sorensen. The semi-professional breakdancer was moonlighting as a cameraman for Bel Ami for a full year before deciding to make the move to in front of the camera. “It wasn’t something I had even considered doing,” he admits, “but I’ve always liked being different, pushing myself to live an interesting life that is unlike anything my friends or anyone else I know is doing.” The ambitious man has lots of things he wants to see and experiences he wants to do while he’s still young and strapping, including fashion modeling. This month, Viggo Sorensen can check one more item off his bucket list. He is the new face and body for Addicted Swimwear’s new Secret collection.

Wire Magazine spoke with the Bel Ami star-turned swimwear model from his home in the Czech Republic.

Mike Bahr: The new campaign is called “Secret.” What is your deepest, darkest secret?
Viggo Sorensen: I’m extremely shy! Seriously! I’m always afraid to approach a guy I would like to date. Also, I’m stupid with trusting the wrong people.

MB:Tell us about your childhood.
VS: I grew up in a small city in the Czech Republic where I still live, actually. I was a very happy kid with my two brothers. We played with our Pokemon cards, bay blades and my all-time favorite thing to do was ride my motorcycle with my grandpa. We lived in a small apartment until I was five, which was hard on my mom because I was a handful, always full of energy. She would go crazy, spending the whole day with me! To get some relief, she enrolled me in sports at a young age. She would send me to train ten times a week in order to calm me down. I would come home and fall right to sleep which made her happy.

MB:Were you trained as a gymnast?
VS: My mom always wanted me to do gymnastics, but no, I never pursued formal training.

MB: Who was your first boy crush?
VS: Honestly, growing up, I was oblivious to things like that. I started my sexual life pretty late.

MB: Are you dating now?
VS:No.

MB: Has being a porn star impacted your dating life?
VS: I would say so. I haven’t dated since I started appearing in films.

MB: Maybe you’re too picky. What do you look for in a guy?
VS: Personality, the ability to make others smile, dedication and a nice-looking body.

MB: Are you enjoying your new fame?
VS: The best part of adult film is traveling, trying new things, meeting new, interesting people and yes, the money.

MB: What’s the worst part?
VS: The worst part is when the chemistry between the guys is simply not working. Then, everything takes so long and it can get very tiring.

MB: You’re known for your flexibility. What are your favorite positions?
VS: An upside-down handstand. I have also done a video where I jerk off while doing a split. That was fun!

MB: Who is your best buddy in the biz?
VS: I feel the closest to Sven Basquiat. We share similar interests.

MB: What kind of hijinks have you two gotten into?
VS: We partied every night at the Maldives Flirt4Free summit. At one point, we were wrestling and he ripped my earring out! I haven’t worn earrings since.

MB: Do you have any tattoos?
VS: None and I probably won’t ever get any.

MB: What superstitions do you believe in?
VS: What goes around comes around. I’m a definite believer in karma.

MB: Beyonce, Billie (Eilish), Barbra (Streisand)… who is the real queen B?
Viggo: Honestly, I only know Beyonce. The other two could be Spanish villages, as far as I know.

MB: Who is the unlikeliest person that you follow on Instagram?
Viggo: Donald Trump is the first name that comes to mind.

MB: What would a film of your life be called, and who would star as you in it?
VS: The Storymaker because I don’t wait for things to happen in my life. I’m the designer of my destiny. Matthew McConaughey would play me.

MB: What makes you smile?
VS: Good food, beautiful nature views, the night sky, and funny people.

MB: What makes you angry?
VS: Stupidity and insincerity.

MB: Who are your heroes?
VS: I don’t have any specific heroes in my life. I look up to people who work hard to achieve their goals and lead interesting, happy lives. If I were to choose from men in the adult industry that I admire, they would be Paul Cassidy, Sven Basquiat, and Alam Wernik.

MB:You find a magic genie in a bottle. What are your three wishes?
Viggo: To find love for life, travel the world, and play sports until I’m all gray.

MB: Which celebrity would you most like to slide into your DMs and why?
VS: Honestly, I would like any and every celebrity to slide into my DMs because I like to get to know interesting people and hear their stories.

MB: You’re about to be hit by a truck (sorry). What flashes before your eyes?
VS: All the things I wanted to do and never took a chance on.

MB: What does your gravestone read?
VS: He lived hard and loved every second of it.

View Viggo Sorensen’s first swimwear modeling shoot at AddictedUSA.com

This was originally published in Wire Magazine Digital Issue 1.2020

By Michael Bustamante | Photos provided by Versace

Versace presented its men’s and women’s Fall/Winter 2020 collections in the same runway for the first time ever in celebration of equality and inclusivity. The brand is known for its freedom of expression and bold choices and Donatella solidifies this with a bold move. “Who is the man and who is the woman of today? The reason I wanted to show my men’s and women’s collections together today is that men and women are equally powerful. It doesn’t have anything to do with gender, it’s that their power comes from a different type of confidence, both from their sensual exuberance and their minds,” said Donatella. There are two things the Versace man and woman have in common – confidence. They are both wildly individualistic and unafraid of making bold choices.

For menswear, the Versace FW20 collection is all about hyper-masculinity with broad shoulders. Head to toe tracksuits have sports references along with netting-backed nylon separates. Also, it wouldn’t be a Versace collection without colorful prints. This time around, the focus is the Virtus V, which has been enlarged and distorted. acid-toned florals and achromic designs are also visible throughout the collection. The collection has bold neon colors that are sure to lift you up during the cooler months. A new sneaker is also introduced, the Trigreca, which will be available in various colors. To shop Versace, visit versace.com. Keep in mind that for the safety of our community, as of now, all Versace stores will be closed until April 10.

This was originally published in Wire Magazine Digital Issue 1.2020

By Alyn Darnay

Directed by: Nat Faxon and Jim Rash
Screenplay by: Nat Faxon, Jim Rash, and Jesse Armstrong
Based on: The Swedish film, Force Majeure
Cast: Will Ferrell, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Zach Woods, Zoë Chao

Question: What do you call a film that’s not funny, not deeply dramatic, and feels like a messed-up effort to re-make a good foreign film? I guess you call it Downhill and label it a ‘dramedy.’

To sum up the Downhillsituation; the filmmakers took what should have been a dream comedy pairing, in this case, the wonderfully talented Julia Louis-Dreyfus and the woe begotten Will Ferrell, and gave them a script whose plot is way too minimal, where laughs are few and far between, and where the resolution is just too sugary American sweet to make the time watching it worthwhile.

When you stand back and look hard at this dud of a film, you have to wonder how a movie with such talented actors, beautiful locations, and breathtaking cinematography; that won’t even play well on Television, ever got the green light to get made. I sure did.

Here’s the storyline…

A married American couple is on vacation at an adult ski resort in Austria with their two young children. On the second day while they take a noon break from skiing at a mountain top chalet to grab a bite to eat, they just barely survive an unexpected avalanche. During the event, the husband (Ferrell) grabs his cell phone and heads for cover, leaving this wife (Louis-Dreyfus) and children behind to fend for themselves.

In the aftermath, the husband’s self-saving reaction to the danger posed to his family by the avalanche opens the door to the possible destruction of their marriage and threatens to also ruin his relationship with his children.

The film is a fairly accurate re-interpretation of Director Ruben Östlund’s 2014 Swedish film Force Majeure, but the original is much better than this version. I wonder why the powers that be in Hollywood ever wanted to re-make that gem of a film, with broad European sensibilities? I guess Hollywood just can’t stop itself from trying to make money off the coattails of great foreign films.

Ferrell is hopelessly miss-cast as the husband in this movie. He’s stiff, never funny, and unbelievable, the exact opposite of all the elements needed to make the role work. On the other hand, Julia Louis-Dreyfus displayed a terrific range of performance and was never unbelievable. Actually, she’s the only reason to give this film some attention. She’s been a comic treasure for decades and her mature acting talent is on full display here.

My take… I can’t recommend this film. It’s a poor copy of an original, and we all know what that looks like. Pass.

Downhill
Rating: 2 stars (out of 5)
Rated: R (for language and some sexual material)
Running Time: 1 hour and 26 minutes

Alyn Darnay is a film critic; feedback is encouraged at [email protected].

This was originally published in Wire Magazine Digital Issue 1.2020

APRIL 

Justas Jestrumskis @justas_jes

MAY

Evan Peix @evanpeix

JUNE

Peyton Elvy@peytonelvy

This was originally published in Wire Magazine Issue 6.2020

By Rafa Carvajal | Photos by Marcos G. Punto

Flamenco Festival Miami returns to the Arsht Center’s Knight Concert Hall with spectacular performances by Miguel Poveda, María Pagés, Manuel Liñán and “Stars of Flamenco” featuring Mercedes Ruíz, Eduardo Guerrero and María Moreno. Flamenco is more popular than ever with artists like Rosalia bringing it forward and making it mainstream. Festival attendees will enjoy today’s most celebrated dancers, musicians, and singers, who will come to our Magic City all the way from Spain. One of those artists is Manuel Liñán, who returns to the Flamenco Festival with a new show, ¡VIVA! The all-male dance company explores gender identity inspired by the flamenco woman. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit arshtcenter.org.

Wire Magazine sat down with Manuel Liñán to preview his new show¡VIVA!, and find out what he enjoys the most about performing at Flamenco Festival Miami.

Rafa Carvajal: Why you are so passionate about flamenco?
Manuel Liñán: It is my way of expressing myself with total honesty. Flamenco is an art that brings together experiences of culture, music, literature, history, movement, dance, testimonies, etc. It’s my life!  

RC: How did you become a flamenco dancer?
ML: It was at school where I began to be attracted to dance. Then, there was a day when I discovered that flamenco was what gave voice and movement to my expression. Through this art, I realized that I could communicate with the world and express everything I felt. It was little by little with love and respect.

RC: Tell our readers about your all-male dance company’s new show, ¡VIVA!
ML:¡VIVA! is a desire that I pursued for years. Since I was little, I have had the need to show myself as I am, and one of those ways is through crossdressing. When I was little, I felt that society did not understand me and ridiculed me, so I started dressing up in secret out of fear of not being accepted by society. Today, I want to make those facts public, the fact of dressing up and also the dramatic burden of thinking you’re going to lose everything.

RC: How does ¡VIVA! explore gender identity through flamenco’s femininity and masculinity?
ML: It’s complicated because flamenco is very set on roles according to gender, and it is something that I don’t understand. When I was little, I was forced to dance as a man should dance, but I also felt the desire to dance like a woman. I felt that I had no options to dance like the opposite sex. I felt limited because my body also wanted to get other movements and options. I simply wanted to have knowledge about everything that both bothered and attracted me, regardless of gender. In ¡VIVA!, we explore ourselves and our way of crossdressing, we do not pretend to be women, nor represent femininity, we simply manifest ourselves as we feel. Giving normality and formality to crossdressing.

RC:How did the idea to create ¡VIVA! come about?
ML: It’s something that I’ve been chasing for years. Now, I feel strong enough to be able to do it without fear or harm. I’ve always wanted to do this since I was little.

RC:What do you enjoy the most about performing at Flamenco Festival Miami?
ML: The public is very welcoming! I feel very good with Miami audiences, I consider them to be very warm. Miami audiences have always received us with a lot of respect and affection.

RC:Is there anything else you would like to share with Wire Magazine readers about yourself, your love of flamenco, or ¡VIVA!?
ML: We just want to dance and dance some more. We are looking forward to being in Miami!

This was originally published in Wire Magazine Issue 6.2020

By Alyn Darnay

Directed by: Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah
Screenplay by: Chris Bremner, Peter Craig and Joe Carnahan

Cast: Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, Charles Melton, Paola Núñez, Kate del Castillo, Nicky Jam, Joe Pantoliano, and Jacob Scipio

As you should know, Bad Boys For Life is the third action-packed, buddy-cop film in the Jerry Bruckheimer/Michael Bay created franchise, and comes out nearly two decades after the last entry. Surprisingly, it maintains the same level of high-spirited, chaotic, action as the previous films, even though this outing moves its main characters into middle age bringing with it all the problems that implies. Michael Bay was supposed to direct this installment as well, but he and Will Smith demand “some of the highest salaries in the film industry,” which meant that the budget couldn’t handle them both. So, the Belgian directing team of Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah took over his duties and did a great job of imitating Bay’s style and adding some of their own sensibilities along the way.

A film, any film for that matter, is only as good as its villain, and this sequel has a great one in newcomer Jacob Scipio. It’s hard to top the machismo of Will Smith, but this guy manages to convince us he’s more than up to the task. There’s a scene near the beginning of the film that pits him against a band of criminals who he decimates in the blink of an eye, letting us know that our boys are in real trouble this time. That feeling never leaves you, it holds true to the very end.

As for Smith and Lawrence’s characters, they’re still the same two bickering, fist-bumping, “Bad Boys” singing, buddies they’ve always been, and their 25 years as Miami cops don’t seem to have mellowed them or dulled their propensity for wanton destruction, racing through crowded city streets, shooting anything that moves, and making light of the consequences of their actions. In other words, perfect anti-hero heroes.
Here’s the storyline…

Miami narcotics detectives Mike Lowrey (Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Lawrence) have been working the streets for two decades and are beginning to feel the effects of age. Just as Marcus becomes a grandfather and decides it’s time to hang it up and retire, someone starts murdering people involved in an old case. Before they can start looking into it, there’s an assassination attempt on Mike’s life. Once he recovers, they decide to work together one last time to bring down the mysterious assassin who seems to have a link to Mike’s past. Their captain (Pantoliano), not wanting to have two loose cannons out on the streets again, orders them to join forces with AMMO, a newly created elite team of the Miami police department. Reluctantly they begin searching for the elusive killer together.

I really liked the cast in this film; they work well with each other and appear to have been chosen with great care. Also, because they’re drawn from character types we’re already familiar with from tons of other films, you understand who they are immediately. This is a smart way to work because background stories on each would have slowed the film down way too much. If you’re missing and long for the action movies of the ‘90s, Bad Boys For Life is just your ticket. It’s filled with big-screen slow-motion explosions, wild car and motorcycle chases, and circular close-up shots of the actors, all set to an overly loud and pretentious film score. My take… if you just sit back and take Bad Boys For Life for what it is, a good action-comedy sequel, you’ll find it one big exciting ride.
Alyn Darnay is a film critic; feedback is encouraged at [email protected].

This was originally published in Wire Magazine Issue 6.2020

By DJ FR8-O

Who doesn’t love brand new music? The exhilaration of hearing a fresh track for the first time. Being mesmerized by the beats and melody of the instrumentation. Listening to the lyrics pouring from the singer’s mouth and feeling like they’re telling your story. It’s an experience we all crave every day, especially when we’ve played that last new song so much that our ears have gone numb to it. As we become more connected to the world through the Internet and its endless roster of music streaming sites, it’s becoming harder for artists to bring something truly original to the table that can outlast the modern listener’s attention span. That might explain why many artists like Sam Sparro are looking to the past to create the sound of the future.

Sparro has always been the kind of artist whose work is ten steps ahead of the curve. When his breakthrough track “Black and Gold” was unleashed in 2008 – with its sultry synth baseline and classic disco vibe – the rest of the industry was saturating the airwaves with pulsating EDM and fist-pumping everything in its path. Since his track didn’t fit the modern music mold of the times, the Australian singer didn’t get as much mainstream attention as his American peers, but it was eventually nominated for a Grammy, an ARIA and an MTV Award, and went on to be featured in several TV shows, films, and commercials. Proof that sometimes “newer” isn’t always better.

After an eight-year hiatus, the openly gay singer is once again bringing sexy back with his new LP, Boombox Eternal. This time, he’s pulled inspiration from some of his favorite records from the late ‘80s/early '90s and paying homage to childhood idols like Janet Jackson and New Edition. From the album and singles artwork, it’s fair to say the 37-year-old has gone beyond the music to take us back to a time when new jack swing was king and you were only as cool as your cassette collection. He’s even gone as far as to release the album on cassette for hardcore fans and audiophiles.

This musical flashback opens up with that all too familiar click and clatter of a cassette tape being slipped into a boombox before exploding into the intro “Vibe Forever.” The ride that follows is like playing a mixtape you might find in a time capsule from three decades ago. Sparro doesn’t just resurrect the past though. He takes what was old and makes it new again. In an interview with albumism.com, he explained “I did so much research about the sound that I was creating in terms of what keyboards and drum machines Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis and Teddy Riley were using (then). I spent a lot of time collecting samples and different sounds from that era and I became very obsessed with sort of recreating it. But what makes Boombox Eternal modern is some of the lyrical content and the production in terms of the mixing and the vocals.”

Before the Internet gave us the power to summon fresh music with the tap of a finger, we sat by the radio for hours eagerly waiting for a brand new track to be inserted into regular rotation. Boombox Eternal rekindles the nostalgia of those days while giving the modern pop landscape a much-needed reboot.

If you’re a recording artist, producer or musician and would like your work featured in TOP TRAX, hit me up at [email protected].

This was originally published in Wire Magazine Issue 6.2020