The Adam Sank Show

MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT: As many of you already know, I will be ending the podcast on Dec. 31, 2022. 

This was not an easy decision. For five years, I've given my blood, sweat and tears to make the ASS the most entertaining, informative, filthy, fun-filled show that it could be. We've broken news – as when Sanjaya Malakar came out as bi, and when Dolf Dietrich and Jack Mackenroth broke up (and then got back together). We've had some of the greatest entertainers in the U.S. on the show, including but not limited to Wilson Cruz, Bianca Del Rio, Charles Busch, Drew Droege, Michelle Buteau, Jeff Hiller, Suzanne Westenhoefer, Scott Lowell, Peter Paige, Peppermint and Lypsinka. And we've laughed our asses off. 

But I feel we've gone as far as we can with the show. And frankly, with my day job, corporate comedy gigs and assorted personal interests and passions, I no longer have the bandwidth or the resources to continue delivering the kind of show we do. And I don't want to half-ass it. 

I am grateful to so many people who made this podcast possible, most of all Derek Hartley and Romaine Patterson of the Derek & Romaine Show. They gave me this platform, along with total artistic freedom, and supported it from Day 1. Please subscribe to their show and other wonderful LGBTQ podcasts at DNRStudios. 

The inimitable J.B. has been our board operator for nearly all of our 260 episodes, and the show would not have been the same without his singular personality, his honesty and his humor 

My beloved frost-pig, Ryan Frostig, was by my side as cohost for the majority of episodes, and our on-air chemistry was magical. Over the past year, that seat has been occupied by the adorable and multitalented Steve Chazaro , aka everyone's favorite chubby chorizo. I love you both and treasure our friendships. 

Our amazing guest-cohosts – including but not limited to Joanne Filan, Chris Harder, Tarik Daniels, Joey DeGrandis and Drew Lausch (who also served as our permanent last-minute-fill-in guest) – helped create some of our most memorable episodes. 

Most of all, I'm grateful to anyone and everyone who ever listened. I feel like we've been engaged in an intimate, weekly conversation since 2017. I hope that conversation continues, both on social media and in future creative endeavors, whatever form they may take. Please feel free to call and leave a voicemail with your thoughts and feelings about the show before Dec. 17 at 804-825-5277 (804-TALK-ASS). 

Finally, here's what you can look forward to between now and the end of the year: 

Dec. 17: Live episode featuring travel writer Ivan Quintanilla of Traveling IQ 

Dec. 24: Our holiday special, featuring musical performances by Sanjaya Malakar, Tom Goss, Cynthia Lee Fontaine, Erika Amato, Patrick Bodd and our very own Steve Chazaro. 

Dec. 31: "Best of ASS: Sanks for the Memories": A fond farewell and look back at show highlights over the past five years, plus listener voicemails. 

With love to and gratitude for you all. 

–Adam

It's been a minute. Updating this blog on a regular basis has proven to be a challenge for me, especially as my work life – as in my actual job, not the podcast – has become far more intense than it used to be. So rather than trying to catch up on everything that's happened since my last post, I'll just let you know the latest.

On the most recent episode, I sat down with Richard Pryor, Jr. for an amazingly candid and revealing interview. In fact, it was so revealing that I sent out a press release after the fact:

________________________________________________

Richard Pryor, Jr. Sheds New Light on Sex Abuse Allegations against Comedian Paul Mooney 

Son of legendary comedian Richard Pryor also discusses his father’s own fluid sexuality with Podcast Host Adam Sank 

Nov. 14, 2022 (New York City) – In a new and exclusive interview on the Adam Sank Show Podcast, Richard Pryor, Jr., the eldest son and namesake of the comic trailblazer, clarified his response to a report that the late comedian Paul Mooney was one of the men who sexually abused him as a child. 

In his 2019 memoir, In a Pryor Life, Pryor Jr., now 60, wrote about multiple instances of sexual abuse he suffered as a minor. But he didn’t name any of his abusers in the book. 

Shortly after the book’s publication, a former bodyguard for Richard Pryor, Sr., Rashon Kahn, claimed in an interview that Mooney had had sex with Pryor Jr.,  leading Pryor Sr. to put a million-dollar bounty on Mooney’s head. Jennifer Lee, the widow of Richard Pryor, Sr., then repeated that allegation in a tweet. 

Through his publicist, Mooney denied the accusation in August 2019. He died two years later, in May 2021, after suffering a heart attack. 

In Pryor Jr’s interview on the Adam Sank Show podcast, the host asks him if, given Mooney’s passing, Pryor Jr. now wishes to confirm that Mooney had been one of his abusers. 

Pryor responds: “Generally when people speak up about someone who has passed and talk about what they’ve done – especially someone as popular as Paul Mooney – that person who was the [victim] is attacked. Because they say that [the deceased] person can longer defend themselves. ‘Why didn’t you say something when that person was around?’ So to avoid retribution because of that, that’s why I haven’t said anything, even after he passed away.” 

Reflecting on the media attention that followed Kahn’s naming of Mooney, Pryor Jr. says: “At the time, when it all came out, it floored me. People were like, forcing me to say something, and that even made it harder for me to say something because of that.” 

Richard Pryor, Jr.

Sank also asks Pryor Jr., who is openly gay, about his father’s own sexuality. In a 2018 interview, music producer Quincy Jones claimed that Pryor. Sr. had once had an affair with Marlon Brando, a report echoed by Jennifer Lee. And Pryor Sr. himself had joked onstage about his sexual encounters with men. 

On the podcast, Pryor Jr. denies the Brando rumor but confirms that his father was open about his varied sexual experiences. “I don’t know if he was bi or experimenting, but I know he did – has done – [sex with men] before. He’s never shielded anything, really, from us. I remember he had a relationship with a transgender performer called Sir Lady Java back in the day. And I remember her being at the hospital when he had his burn incident [in 1980]. It wasn’t anything that was hidden from us.”   

Richard Pryor, Sr. died from a heart attack in 2005 at the age of 65, after years of battling Multiple Sclerosis. You can listen to Richard Pryor, Jr.’s full interview with the Adam Sank Show here. The interview begins about 35 minutes into the episode.

____________________________________________

I urge you to listen to the entire episode, which also features Tarik Daniels filling in for Steve. 

Tarik will be back with us again this coming Saturday, Nov. 19, when we interview one of my oldest and dearest (and hottest) friends, Emmy-nominated choreographer-turned-film director Brian Thomas. Brian's first film is an incredibly powerful documentary entitled Amy's Victory Dance, and it tells the story of Amy Jordan, a dance who overcame overwhelming odds – including blindness and a horrific bus accident – to survive and thrive. I honestly think it's going to nab an Oscar nomination.

Director Brian Thomas

Brian will also talk to us about what it was like working with Michael Jackson – and his take on those notorious child sex abuse allegations. 

As always, you can listen to this episode the moment it first airs by subscribing to the Adam Sank Show at DNRStudios. You can listen to all episodes beginning a week after they premier HERE.

Thanks as always for listening.

Much love,

Adam

Yikes – I'm so behind on this blog. And we've got a lot of catching up to you. But first, my review of "Bros," the first gay rom-cam ever released by a major studio:

First, I don't know that I've ever identified more with any movie character than Billy Eichner's Bobby Leiber. (Holly Hunter's Jane in "Broadcast News" is now a distant second.) 

Leiber is a gay, white, horny, Jewish, New York City-based podcaster who went to grad school for journalism. He talks too much, complains about everything, has no filter and is a hopeless romantic masquerading as a cynical misanthrope. 

My favorite exchange of the whole film is when Luke MacFarlane's Aaron exclaims, "You're intense!", and Bobby replies, simply: "Yes." 

It me. 

Bros Before Hoes

So it's hard to objectively evaluate a film that I sat through mostly wide-eyed, gasping, flooded with memories of experiences nearly identical to those I was watching play out on the screen. At least for me, "Bros" gets a lot of things exactly right. 

It also gets some things wrong. Eichner is clearly aware of the fact that he's a white cis guy asking us to care about his story at a time when more marginalized queer communities, including trans folks and queer people of color, are rightfully demanding that we pay attention to theirs. 

Eichner and his screen alter ego acknowledge this over and over again in the film, as if to say, "Look at how woke I am! I can see my own privilege!" And yet, nearly every non-white and/or non-cis character in "Bros" feels like a token to me. When Bobby sits down with a group of close friends for dinner, they collectively come across as a casting sheet, rather than an authentic friend group. I could literally hear the pre-production conversation in my head: "OK, we need two black gay guys, one Asian gay guy, one white trans guy, one cis straight woman..." etc. 

The same is true of Bobby's colleagues on the LGBTQ+ Museum board, although they at least get to have some personality traits that go beyond their gender, racial and sexual identities. It's also true-to-life that such a board would be carefully assembled to represent diverse queer communities. But I don't know anyone who selects their friend group using the same criteria, and I'd be suspicious of anyone who does. 

In spite of those blind spots and a few awkward scenes that could have been left on the cutting room floor, "Bros" succeeds for me. It is not only a thoughtful and provocative discussion of urban queer life – and especially dating life – in the 2020s, but most of the time, it's also hilarious. I had at least a dozen LOL moments, especially during the movie's Grindr chat scenes and the celebrity cameo-packed ending. And I found myself genuinely moved at the end, even though I knew what was coming, as dictated by the standard rom-com formula, which "Bros" both mocks and celebrates. 

The casting is also a kick, with every straight character played by an out queer actor (save for the celebrities who play themselves). That casting is itself a bold statement about Hollywood's traditional casting of straight, cis actors in queer roles. It's also a very funny running joke. 

Finally, I was thrilled to discover that no fewer than FOUR performers we've had as guests on the Adam Sank Show podcast appear in the film: Jai Rodriguez, Julia Scotti, Rick Crom and Alex Ringler (whose naked ass has never looked better). 

"Bros" isn't perfect, but it's the most fun I've had at the movies in a long time. Go see it.

Happy Labor Day, A.S.S. Fans!

As most of you are off from work today, it's the perfect time to get caught up on some podcast listening! DNRStudios subscribers can listen to our latest episode, featuring renowned comedian Emma Willmann.

Emma joined us in studio – it's always a treat when we can have someone live and in person – and the first thing she did was whip her shirt off and use it as a towel to wipe up some spilled coffee. (Lest you get too excited, she had a tank top on underneath.) Anyway, she was HILARIOUS. And so easy to talk to, opening up to us about growing up in rural Maine, her first lesbian experience, how she first got into stand-up and why she's no longer into Demi Lovato. Honestly, the half-hour flew by so quickly that I was shocked when I looked at the clock and realized it was time to go to "A.S.S. Me No Questions." Emma's episode goes wide on Saturday, Sept. 10, and when it does, you can listen to it HERE.

Touched by a Lesbian

If you can't wait until next Saturday, available free now is last Saturday's episode with social media superstar On Mekahel, founder of Mounderwear, and his equally hot husband, Dave. These guys were extremely candid with us, which was quite refreshing, given Dave's prison record. He shared with us how it was that he went from an upper-middle class upbringing to the world of drug trafficking... and how he survived a year in state prison. I also asked On, who met Dave only three weeks after the prison sentence ended, whether he was wary of beginning a relationship with someone who has a criminal record. Really, really interesting stuff. You can listen to the whole episode HERE.

I wouldn't mind having either of them as a cell-mate.

Next Saturday, we'll be live in studio with one of our favorite guests, hot straight guy-comedian Kevin Israel. (He's the voice that says "Give a warm round of applause to my friend and yours, Adam Sank!" in our current show opening.) I can't wait to gaze upon him once more!

Until then, thanks as always for listening.

Xoxo Adam

Wow, what a week! When Sanjaya Malakar agreed to be a guest on the A.S.S., I knew there'd be some interest from the media. For several months, back in 2006, Sanjaya was one of the most famous people in the world. EVERYBODY was talking about him – from late-night hosts to radio DJs (most notably Howard Stern) to standup comedians, including yours truly. I also knew that his coming out publicly as bisexual for the first time, which he and I had discussed during a pre-interview, would make some of the gay blogs.

What I was NOT prepared for is that this episode would make headlines across the world.

There's no way I could list all the publications, websites, blogs, TV shows and radio stations that ran the story, but here are some the bigger outlets that did so:

• USA Today
• NBC News
• The Today Show
• Extra!
• People
• Entertainment Weekly
• Us
• Billboard
• The Daily Mail (London)
• The Sun (London)
• The Advocate
• The New York Post
• The New York Daily News
• Buzzfeed
• LGBTQNation
• Instinct
• Queerty 
• Yahoo News

People... People Who Need People...

I was obviously THRILLED by all the great coverage from these media titans. But actually, my favorite article about us was on Heavy.com. I feel like the author, whoever she/he/they are, really got the importance of the interview, which was not just Sanjaya's sexuality but the bullying he received on American Idol from the loathsome Simon Cowell. 

I am also endlessly tickled by the fact that the first 30 minutes of the episode, which thousands of new listeners will hear, was one of the filthier discussions we've ever had on the podcast. Now everyone will know that J.B.'s "thick cakes" require at least nine inches of dick. LMAO!

So after our biggest episode ever, what do we do for a follow-up? Enter On Mekahel and his husband, Dave.

Um... Woof

Yeah, yeah, I know – a couple of hot thirstraps with a huge social media following. Who cares? Well, trust me when I tell you that they BOTH have fascinating stories to tell. And they're truly great guys. I can't wait to speak with them tomorrow (Saturday, 8/27). DNR Studios subscribers can listen live at 11AM ET. 
 

Finally, I feel like our episode featuring Daddy Cream aka Jovon Joseph got overshadowed by all the Sanjaya hoopla. Jovon was a TERRIFIC guest, and his episode is now available for free to all. Listen to it HERE.

Thanks as always for listening.

xoxo Adam

Hey, kids. Big A.S.S. news this week. In fact, it was so big that we released the episode to non-subscribers five days earlier than usual and sent out a press release, which goes as follows:

Sanjaya Malakar, Iconic American Idol Finalist, Comes Out as Bisexual 

Former Teen Idol Tells Discusses His Sexuality and Simon Cowell’s Criticisms with Podcast Host Adam Sank 

Aug. 22, 2022 (New York City) – In a new and exclusive interview on the Adam Sank Show Podcast, one of American Idol's most iconic former contestants, Sanjaya Malakar from Season Six of the long-running reality singing competition, comes out as bisexual. Sanjaya also speaks publicly for the first time about the treatment he received from former Idol judge Simon Cowell and from Internet bullies... and well as what he's up to these days. 

Sanjaya, now 32 and a pastry chef living in Montana, was only 16 when he first auditioned for the TV talent show in 2006, alongside his older sister, Shyamali. Although Cowell and the other judges – Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul – initially deemed the shy teen to be sufficiently talented to put him through to the top 40 round, Cowell soon soured on Sanjaya and began berating his singing week after week, at one point describing it as “utterly horrendous.” At the same time, Internet bullies across the country were incessantly blasting Sanjaya, even sardonically encouraging people to vote for him on a Vote for the Worst website. 

“I definitely had quite a bit of verbal abuse from stepdads growing up,” Sanjaya tells Sank during the 40-minute interview. “So I was really good at letting it kind of wash off my back. Obviously, it affected me. But more than what Simon said, what was perpetuated online by haters… like, the people that loved me were so balanced by people that were literally starving themselves until I got cut from the show. So that effect that I had as a child on that many people had way more of an effect on me than the things that Simon was saying.” 

Sanjaya speaks candidly with Sank about his struggles with overnight fame/infamy, even addressing the infamous “ponyhawk” hairstyle he sported in the Top 10 round, which launched a thousand late-night jokes. 

“I would literally go to Dean, the hairstylist, I would go to his studio the day or two before, and he’d have like four of five mannequin heads with wigs on them with hairstyles and be like, “What do you think?”, Sanjaya tells Sank. The week that the stylist came up with the ponyhawk look, Sanjaya says, “My mom went in and was like, ‘This is ridiculous. My son is not a joke. I’m not going to have him walking around like a fool.’” But according to Sanjaya, executive producer Nigel Lythgoe ultimately convinced Sanjaya and his mother to go ahead with the hairstyle, saying it would be a “media phenomenon.” 

Toward the end of the interview, Sank asks Sanjaya if he’d like to go on the record about his sexual identity, a source of great speculation when his season was airing. “I identify as bisexual,” Sanjaya tells him. “At the time, I did not know, which was why it was so weird for me… I was raised by women, I was in theater, I had a hard time figuring out how to interact with young boys… Everyone [kept] telling me that I’m gay, and I’m like seven. I’m like, I don’t even have any attraction to anyone, so why are you telling me this?” 

At the time that his Idol season aired, Sanjaya says he was in the midst of a long-term relationship with a young woman. “I was exploring my life as a child, and then American Idol happens, and everyone’s like ‘He’s gay.’ And I’m like, ‘Well, now I have to say “No.’ Because at this point, they’re forcing me to make a decision, and to define myself… I grew up in a time when being called ‘f-ggot’ in school was the worst thing that could ever happen to you.” 

Sanjaya went on to tell Sank that even now, he hasn’t discussed his sexual orientation with his parents. “At this point, I don’t care what people know of my sexuality,” Sanjaya says. “If I got into a serious, long-term relationship with a guy, I would bring him to my family, and they would be like, ‘Oh, cool.’” 

People can hear Sanjaya’s full interview with the Adam Sank Show here. 

Powered by DNRStudios and nominated three times for a People’s Choice Podcast Award, the Adam Sank Show is a hilarious weekly podcast in which comedian Adam Sank, co-host Steve Chazaro and producer J.B. Bercy talk LGBTQ news, pop culture, politics, sex and whole lot more. With celebrity guests like Wilson Cruz, Bianca Del Rio, Rocco Steele, Dolf Dietrich, Scott Lowell, Suzanne Westenhoefer, Peter Paige, Charles Busch, Peppermint, Honey Davenport, John Fugelsang, Davey Wavey and Lypsinka. To hear episodes live and throughout the week they first air, subscribe to the show here. For more information, visit www.adamsank.com.

Hey, Fam!

As I mentioned in the last post, tomorrow (Aug. 13) at 11AM ET, DNRStudios subscribers will get to hear our live interview with adult video star Daddy Cream, also known as Jovon Joseph. Jovon/Daddy is about to drop his second memoir, entitled "Life After Marriage."

He sent me an advance copy, and honey, it is JUICY. One of the things I admire so much about this guy, aside from his beautiful penis, is that he is an open book. From living with HIV to his troubled relationship with his daughter's mom to his quickie marriage and ultimate divorce, Jovon isn't afraid to put it all out there, without shame or fear. In other words, he's the PERFECT podcast guest. I can't wait! (Also, J.B. is quite excited for this episode. And by excited, I mean erect.)
 

I'm Going to Ask Him About That Cute Dr. Seuss Tattoo on his Tummy

In other show news, our episode featuring Tye Blue, director of "Titanique," is now available free for all HERE. One listener who seemed to enjoy it quite a bit is Kevin, who left the following review:

Tye Him Up 

Bravo Adam! 

I have been a fan of you and the show for a long time, but never felt that I had to tell you what a great job you’re doing. That’s until I heard your interview with Tye Blue, you always have great energy with your guests, but it was especially sultry during your time with Tye. Please tell me you were able to get some alone time with Ty. 

Thanks for the great podcast! 👏👏👏 

_______________________

So did I wind up getting a date with Tye? You'll have to listen and find out!

Finally, I'm super-duper-extra excited about next week's interview with Sanjaya from American Idol. It occurred to me the other day that he will be the first guest we've ever had who's instantly recognized by his first name alone – like Cher or Madonna. Literally everybody over the age of 25 knows who Sanjaya is! And now he's gonna tell ALL, exclusively on the A.S.S. Get ready.

As always, thanks for listening.

xoxo Adam

Happy Friday, fam! 

Just two more days until we find out whether the A.S.S. has been nominated for a Podcast Award. I'm on pins and needles! BTW, now's a good as any time to make sure you're following us on all our various platforms:

• Facebook: The Adam Sank Show
• Instagram: adamsank
• Twitter: adamsank
• TikTok: adamsankofficial
• YouTube: adamsank

Speaking of YouTube, we may be doing a video edition of the A.S.S. sometime in the near future. Stay tuned.

And speaking of the near future, I'm always excited to talk with the various actors, comedians, singers, activists and other talented folk that we're fortunate enough to have on the pod. But I am particularly jazzed about some of the guests we have coming up in the next few weeks. 

Note: I don't usually announce guests more than a week in advance, because people's schedules change, conflicts arise, shit happens, etc., and I don't want to jinx anything. But fingers crossed that the following folks appear as scheduled:

Aug. 6: Kelly Mantle – Kelly may be best known as a contestant from Season Six of RuPaul's Drag Race, but they were an established actor long before that, having appeared in major shows like NYPD Blue, Just Shoot Me, Judging Amy and The New Adventures of Old Christine. Their career has continued to blossom since Drag Race, including appearances on Lucifer, Modern Family and The Browns. We pre-recorded Kelly's episode last Saturday. They have a really fun, laid-back vibe, and it felt like I was talking to an old friend I've known for years, though it was our first time speaking. Plus, their uncle was Mickey Mantle! DNRStudios subscribers can listen to the episode beginning tomorrow (Saturday, 8/6) at 11AM ET.

Kelly on the Telly

Aug. 13: Daddy Cream aka Jovon Joseph – One of J.B.'s favorite porn stars! I've been wanting to get Jovon on the show for a while. Aside from being ridiculously sexy, he's got a very interesting story, which he's completely open about telling. Here's a teaser: The year he turned 18, he went to juvenile hall, had a baby with a woman and made his first gay porn video. You want to know more, right? I certainly do.

Um... Yum.

Aug: 20: Sanjaya Malakar -Yes, THE Sanjaya – iconic former American Idol finalist from Season 6. For years, I've been wondering, what ever happened to Sanjaya? I finally reached out to him, and we became social media friends. He's a total sweetheart with zero fucks left to give, and he is ready to tell ALL – from his personal life to the hideous treatment he received from Simon Cowell. I cannot wait for this one.

The Ponyhawk that Launched a Thousand Clips

Aug. 27: On and Dave Mekahel – On Mekahel is an Israeli model, reality star, clothing entrepreneur and social media superstar with over 2 million Instagram followers. He's got quite a story to tell, but so does his equally humpy husband, Dave, who once served time in prison for drug trafficking. We're going to devote most of the hour to these two. 

I'm Going to Ask if They're Looking for a Third

Good stuff, right? A reminder that you can only hear these shows live and throughout the week they first air by subscribing to the Adam Sank Show at DNRStudios. The rest of you can listen a week later on Apple Podcasts and most other streaming platforms.

Thanks for listening, and much love.

xoxo Adam

I'm alive! This despite a nasty super-flu that knocked me on my ass for the better part of last week. It wasn't Monkeypox or COVID... but it was bad. Suffice it to say, I fell behind on my ASS-blogging, but I'm back and happy to tell you what's been happening on the pod lately.

First, the Dallas Steele episode has generated a lot of buzz, as I expected it would. It's available for free now, so give it a listen HERE. (As George Michael would say, "Listen without prejudice.")

Speaking of George Michael, we recently had as our guest celebrity biographer James Gavin. James has written a fascinating and exhaustingly researched new book about the late, great British pop star entitled George Michael: A Life. Reading it brought me immediately back to middle school and reminded me just how many massive hits George had, both with Wham! and in his solo career. I can honestly say that the video of "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" (1984) awakened something sexual in my 13-year-old self. And by the time the "Faith" video hit the airwaves in 1987... featuring a bearded, sunglassed George in a black leather jacket, shaking his perfectly round rump... well, I was fully on my way to Homotown.

God, he was beautiful.

Sadly, as James tells it, the joy that George brought to me and millions of others was not something he often felt himself. Plagued with self-doubt, the pressures of living in the closet, significant personal loss and, ultimately addiction culminated in his untimely death at the age of 53 in 2016. You can listen free to my interview with James (and the rest of the episode) HERE.

On a much lighter note, this past Saturday we had in studio Tye Blue, the director and co-creator of NYC's current musical-comedy smash, Titanique. The show imagines what would have happened had Celine Dion been a passenger aboard the fated ocean liner... and lived to sing about it. It's truly one of the funniest things I've ever seen, and I spoke with Tye about how it all came together... and what Celine herself thinks of it.

I also asked Tye out on the air. You'll have to listen to see how that went. DNRStudios subscribers can hear the episode all this week; the rest of you will have to wait until this coming Saturday, 8/6, when it'll be available HERE.

She's Queen of the World!

Finally, some odds and ends:
 

• Steve Chazaro finally returns to the pod as co-host Aug. 6. Woo hoo!
• Nominations for the Podcast Awards are now closed! We'll know Aug. 7 whether we were nominated. Stay tuned, and fingers crossed!
• We have some iconic guests coming up... prepare to have your minds blown.
• We've seen a tremendous growth in listenership over the past several months. I couldn't be more thrilled, but... and it's a big butt... we can't take advantage of the growth unless every one of you leaves a review on Apple Podcasts. Please take a few minutes and do so today. I'll be forever in your debt! 
   

Make sure all you sexually active gay and bi men get your vaccine for Monkeypox, aka Schlong Covid, ASAP. Thanks, and love to you all!

xoxo Adam

(Extra points for anyone who gets the title reference.)

Some weeks back, I posted about an ethical dilemma I was having with regard to booking a huge-dicked and seemingly nice but possibly right-wing porn star. Well, I did it. The porn star in question is Dallas Steele, and his episode is currently available for DNR Studios subscribers and will go wide (like his penis) to the rest of you on Saturday, July 23.

In the end, I'm so glad I decided to have Dallas on; his interview turned out to be one our most compelling ever.

And the view ain't bad either.

Dallas has an unusual backstory; for 23 years, he worked as a local TV news reporter and anchorman before shucking it all for adult video work. We talked about that – but things got a lot deeper, as Dallas revealed an unhappy childhood, including an adolescent suicide attempt, and the horror, many years later, of finding his own longtime partner dead of suicide.

After those revelations, we turned to his politics. Contrary to popular belief, Dallas is not a Trumper. He's not even one of those feckless third-party voters; he voted for Biden. Nor is he an anti-vaxxer, though he does have some anger toward the CDC over what he sees as regulatory overreach. We touched on that, as well as on the Black Lives Matter movement, about which his views are nuanced. 

I came away from the interview feeling like Dallas is a good guy whose heart is in the right place, even if he's been influenced somewhat by right-wing tropes. One of the things he said on the show is that he likes having conversations with those who hold differing political views to his own. I believe him, and I think the result was some great radio. I look forward to hearing what you guys think of the episode.

One performer with whom I'm in general agreement, politically and comedically, is Julia Scotti. The openly trans comedian, who made it big a few years back on America's Got Talent, has a hilarious new album out called Primal Cuts. On a recent episode of the A.S.S., we talked about the making of the album, how her comedy has evolved over the years... and how she feels about Dave Chappelle's virulently anti-trans material. 

Beam me up, Scotti!

On the same episode, guest host Logan Hardcore and I discussed a list of famous historical facts that are absolutely wrong! (Here's a teaser: Napoleon wasn't that short. And contrary to what Logan thinks, he's not a tri-flavor ice cream.)

You can listen to the entire episode HERE.

In less fun news, I've been talking a lot on the show lately about monkeypox. It's real, guys, and it's here – especially if you're in New York. I have three friends who have been suffering with excruciatingly painful lesions on their anus. You do NOT want this. The vaccine distribution system has been a disaster so far, but please, as soon as you can, get vaccinated. And maybe refrain from humping for the time being, as difficult as that is when it's summertime and everybody's feeling frisky.

Finally, nominations are still open for the Podcast Awards! As a reminder:

1. Go to www.podcastawards.com. 
2. Register as a nominator and voter. It's fast, free and easy, and they won't spam you. Make sure you click the box agreeing to become a voter as well. 
3. Nominate Adam Sank Show in the PEOPLE'S CHOICE and COMEDY categories. (Note – it's listed without the "The" – just "Adam Sank Show.") 
4. Nominate Derek & Romaine or If These Ovaries Could Talk in the LGBTQ category. 
5. Nominate whomever you'd like in the other categories. (If you're not familiar with the shows in a given category, just select one at random.) 
6. Go back to the site anytime between Aug. 8-Sept. 13 and make sure you vote for A.S.S. and Ovaries in the categories in which we're nominated!

And keep those reviews coming! Thanks as always for listening.

xoxo Adam