July 13, 2009

Celebrity Drag Commercial For Palm Springs

This past weekend I spent in Palm Springs creating a commercial to enter in contest with a $1,000 prize. The assignment was to help promote Palm Springs as a tourist destination and as a production center for gay television. It stars Wenda Watch and a hunky blond stripper we met at the bar the night before. Check out the finished product above.

Wenda Watch convinced me to drive 8 hours each way in hopes of winning that big prize money. I was skeptical from the start, but I figured it would be a small turn out so we would have a good chance to win.

The temperatures were in the range of 108-118 degrees while we shot Wenda in drag with three pairs of panty hose in the blazing sun. In between, we had to attend seminars, search for props, ride around to shoot locations, and finally edit it all together. The entire trip was rush, rush, rush, then jump back in the car and drive another 8 hours to get home. I hardly got any rest on my "vacation".

We didn't win the contest, but it was nice to get away for a few days. The commercial contest was part of a convention to inspire more gay TV production in Palm Springs, so they held a couple workshops, too.

The first was a photography workshop by Tom Bianchi. Listening to him tell about his amazing life experiences was almost worth the trip right there. It's inspiring to hear a successful artist who is able to do what most of us only wish we were able to do creatively - and get paid for it! Therein lies the rub. I know a million artists running around creating great things, but only between shifts carrying plates. Tom Bianchi has been success his entire life, gets to work with beautiful men (and doesn't pay them!), and has 19 books out.

The other workshop was by another living legend, Bruce Vilanch. It's supposed to be a writing workshop, but was really just a chance to hear his amazing celebrity stories. And he has a million of them! Some interesting tidbits about Bruce Vilanch:

-He used to babysit Chastity Bono, and they later both appeared on Celebrity Fit Club.
-He's writing a book on how he wrote for the three worst shows in the history of television, The Brady Bunch Variety Hour, The Donnie and Marie Show, and the Paul Lynde Halloween Special.
-Paul Lynde was funny and charming after one drink, but by the second drink, he was a mean old queen.
-Bruce Vilanch wrote the script for Michael Jackson's "This Is It" Tour. (BTW, did you hear it got cancelled?)
-When he was 14, Bruce Vilanch played Joel Grey's father in summer stock.

During the workshop, a cute guy asked Bruce, "How do you know when to have sex with someone to get ahead?" Everyone treated it as a joke, but the next night, the two of them were seen walking back to the hotel together.

And here is a funny Paul Lynde story. He was on a plane drunk and annoyed by a crying baby. He walked back the mother of the baby and told her, "Either you make that kid shut up or I'm going to fuck it."

Needless to say, Paul Lynde never flew on Western Airlines again.

Posted by lavenderlounge at 1:46 PM

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