Papa Can You Hear Me ....???

[Godiva]

The History of Escorting.....

 

When did it start and how did it get to to become such an organized industry with websites and mags devoted to it? I came out more recently compared to some of you others so all I had to do was select from Hooboys menu. But what did you guys do.. Before the websites.... Before the Gay Magazines... Before Escorts.. How were men meeting men..?

 

How were you getting laid!!!!

 

 

A few years ago (5) to be exact.. in order to get to my old job I had walk through this dimly lit park to get to to my place of employment. As I innocently walked through every night, I would notice guys sitting in the parked cars sometimes flashing their lights. Others times there would be 2 or more guys in the cars. I really had no clue what was going on..I over heard 2 police men who work out at my Gym weeks later talking about how they would go to this park and flash the lights on their unmarked cars. Some patrons were arrested and some were told to leave the area with a slap on the hand.

 

.......so I ask this from merely a historical point..How did this all come about..? Was it the bath houses that I have only heard about..Was it at the gyms..? Was it at Fire Island..? Did it began in California and migrate to NYC or the other way around. It would be interesting to hear how some of you hired tricks, prostitutes, escorts or whatever they were called then. Did escorts post in the mags first than on the internet or the other way around.. ? Were mailings sent out to prospective clients ;-) I Wanna Know..

 

 

 

with all there is why settle forrrrrr

just a piece of aaaaaaaaaaaaassssssssssssssssssss

 

Papa I can hear you ..Papa.... Papa......

Papa watch me FFFFFFFFFFFFFFuuuuuuucccccckkkkkkk

[Losgatan]

Godiva,

 

As somebody who’s been hiring off-and-on for nearly forty years, I guess that I’m as qualified as anybody to take a crack at your question.

 

As a 21-year-old in Philadelphia, my first experiences revolved around three venues, all of which were frequented by what we then called “hustlers.” The most exciting was a movie theater called the Century which usually showed foreign “art” films – many of which had homoerotic themes. There was a section of seats, right side, near the front which somehow became reserved for those looking to buy or sell. Sitting there alone would almost always attract someone to the adjacent seat and the games would begin (knee brushes, elbow brushes, crotch grabs, zipper pulls, outright jacking). After a few whispered sentences, the deal would be struck. To add to the excitement, the place was also frequented by plain-clothes cops. And yes, I did get hauled in once – but my gay uncle lawyer managed get me off with a small fine.

 

Just a few blocks a way was an artificial ice skating rink. It was actually located below street level in one of the concourses for Philadelphia’s suburban station. A men’s room was just a few steps away. The game was to stand in the concourse, pretending to watch the skaters through the plate glass windows. Inevitably, somebody would amble by, give a suggestive glance, and head for the men’s room. If you were interested, you followed and met up with the guy at the urinals. After comparing equipment, you’d head back out to the concourse and discuss business arrangements (sometimes you’d get a freebie).

 

And finally, there was “hustlers’ block” which, at the time, was on Spruce between Broad and 16th. Almost every evening you could count on finding a half dozen guys or more loitering around the entrances to the Allegro and Westbury bars. In the summer, they would often be shirtless and in very tight shorts or trousers – there was no doubt about what they were up to.

 

Fast forward 10 years to the San Francisco Bay Area where I was transferred by my employer. This was 1968, before the Internet and before AIDS. “Polk Strasse” was in full swing and there literally scores of guys loitering at the street corners, hanging out in the adult book stores, or sipping beers in the hustler bars. B.A.R. (Bay Area Reporter) was already being published and, as now, was chock full of ads for masseurs and models.

 

I once responded to an ad placed by three Asian masseurs. It turned out that they were pimping for an ever increasing group of newly arrived guys from Hong Kong, Korea, Thailand, and Viet Nam. I must have met several dozen of them over a period of several years. “Jerry,” the ringleader, was very business-like. I could count on a telephone call every week or so describing his newest “find.”

 

By the early eighties, the street scene was winding down. And, the electronic scene was just getting started. And, believe it or not, AOL was at the forefront. Steve Case, marketing whiz par excellence, realized that his new baby was especially attractive to gay men trying to connect. (It’s not an exaggeration to say that we put AOL in business.) In those years, AOL not only tolerated but encouraged gay-friendly content. There was an escort bulletin board, libraries containing thousands of homoerotic (if not XXX) photos, personal ads, and, of course the chat rooms.

 

Through AOL I met my first “regular” escort, a young Korean-American living in Santa Cruz. We communicated exclusively through email and had dozens of encounters over the next four or five years.

 

Of course, AOL has since become much more straight-laced, but now that the Internet is here, who cares?

:9

[Guest Spunk]

>The History of Escorting.....

>

>When did it start and how did it get to to become such an

>organized industry with websites and mags devoted to it? I

>came out more recently compared to some of you others so all

>I had to do was select from Hooboys menu. But what did you

>guys do.. Before the websites.... Before the Gay

>Magazines... Before Escorts.. How were men meeting men..?

>

 

I don't feel that escorting has become more organized because these men now have access to web sites and slicker magazines. In many instances it's easier to find a prostitute with the weapons you mention... yet the media will always change with generations and the advancement of technology.

 

In the old days there were zines and the Advocate's infamous pink pages. Also, people had the option of using their local cruising area just as they do now.

[+ deej]

<<Before the websites.... Before the Gay Magazines... Before Escorts.. >>

 

Before escorts?

 

Honey, it ain't called the world's oldest profession for nothing. ;-)

 

Long before anyone heard of a PC, guys were buying and selling. The venues have changed, but bodybuilders still have "sponsors". The David Geffens of this world still have their "house boys".

 

Even in the sleepy midwest college town I grew up in, commerce was going on. I remember how my folks whispered in hushed tones about the girl who lived down the street (who I'd grown up with) when she was picked up for solicitation. They were shoked beyond belief when I responded "well at least she wised up -- in high school she was giving it away". :+

 

The current venue of choice is the internet, but I wonder what the next shift will be. We're already seeing some of the escort sites charging for contact information. I doubt they're doing much business, but sooner or later somebody will get the business model right.

[Guest NakedTony]

>The current venue of choice is the internet, but I wonder what the next shift will be...

 

I honestly wonder if "virtual" sex won't be the next venue. Imagine being able to slip on a body suit with sensors that can simulate the feel of fucking or sucking your latest fantasy guy while watching him perform on DVD!! Or, perhaps, you could have a virtual one-on-one in an on-line pay site.

 

Is HooBoy considering these options in his strategic plan for this site? :+

[Guest Ant415]

Log,

Thanks for the post, it is fascinating to hear about gay life over the years.

 

You mentioned "Jerry" the ringleader or pimp. Is he Asian as well, often goes by name of "Mother", small studio near Nob Hill with a Buddist Shrine decor? Is so, he is still active.

[+ deej]

>I honestly wonder if "virtual" sex won't be the next venue.

 

People are actually exploring this now. When I was at InterneXt in Vegas (an adult webmaster trade show) I saw a demo of a hybrid cock pump/sleeve that is tied to a computer playing a DVD of a blowjob filmed from the recipient's point of view.

 

Just from putting fingers in the sleeve, it seemed remarkably realistic.

 

They only had females on the giving end but I was standing there with four gay pornstars who were more than willing to do their own DVD. The manufacturer was taking phone numbers. }>

 

>Is HooBoy considering these options in his strategic plan

>for this site? :+

 

HooBoy is ALWAYS looking for ways to improve this site. ;-)

[Losgatan]

>Log,

>Thanks for the post, it is fascinating to hear about gay

>life over the years.

>

>You mentioned "Jerry" the ringleader or pimp. Is he Asian

>as well, often goes by name of "Mother", small studio near

>Nob Hill with a Buddist Shrine decor? Is so, he is still

>active.

 

He's the one! I haven't been in touch for a couple of years so don't know if he's still active. I'll send you the last phone number I had for him via a private message.

[Godiva]

Hey Losgatan...Thanxs for the info..I too was fascinated and intrigued. I remember visiting NYC and walking down 42nd street..that was before "Mayor G" cleaned it up. All those XXOO Sex shops and dancin bars. Is that where men in NYC met other men??

 

And like my "crusin parking lot" that I had to cross..Did anyone have those types of meeting places in your towns??

 

Losgatan..do you miss the old days sans the police but the drama of not knowing. Was the sex better than the now point and click routine?

[Losgatan]

>Losgatan..do you miss the old days sans the police but the

>drama of not knowing. Was the sex better than the now point

>and click routine?

 

Godiva,

 

I guess the best answer to this is to say that my needs have changed over the years. Sure, there was a time when the “thrill of the chase” was part of the fun – a time when quick sex was all I expected from the guys I hired. Most of the time I saw these guys only once and rarely did I want a second encounter.

 

If you’ve read my reviews and other posts here, you already know that I now prefer an escort who can provide companionship as well as sex. And, I believe the Internet makes it far easier to find the guys who operate at that level. Thanks to the reviews here, the escort’s web site, email exchanges, and probably a phone call or two before the first meeting, I can be far more discriminating about my hires that I ever could in the past. And, once I meet a guy that fills my needs, I want to continue seeing him and, hopefully, build on the relationship through shared experiences over an extended period.

 

So, for the past two years, I’ve been very lucky to be the client of a truly special person (he prefers that I not mention his name in the message center). Although we meet fairly infrequently (every other month), we both do our best to turn each occasion into an adventure. We’ve traveled together several times, enjoyed some wonderful theater, and sampled some of the best restaurants in the country. And, to keep the sex interesting, we now frequently set up 3-ways with other escorts.

 

Hey, it works for me. If you want something different, go for it.

[Godiva]

Bath Houses

 

Deej or Losgatan...or whoever knows..

 

What were "Bathhouses and where were they located?

 

Whenever I hear the term... Athens Greece Come to mind..

.......and that ain't a bad thing either:*

[buzz]

RE: Bath Houses

 

Ah, Godiva.....the bath-houses! Wonderous temples of delicious anonymous man-on-man sex.

 

I first started going to "the tubs" (AKA "the bubbles") when I was in grad school in New York in the very early 60s. These establishments were truly, literally, bath-houses dating from the time when many flats in NYC did not have what we now call "mod cons." As the installation of up-to-date plumbing progressed, these places lost the clientele who came simply to get clean and depended more and more on the men who had always come hoping for a discrete quickie. There were also the "Turkish baths" which were places for guys to sweat out over-indulgence in alcohol and also to get a massage (the real thing, no release involved). By the late 50s and early 60s, our team had pretty much taken over the St. Mark's Baths on the Lower East Side and the Everard (usually called the Ever-Hard) Baths in the west 30s.

 

The ultimate NY gay bath-house was in the old Ansonia hotel and apartment building on the Upper West Side. It got started shortly before Stonewall and the sudden explosion of "gay chic" following Stonewall made the place wildly popular. That's the place where Bette Midler got her start and where I remember the great Metropolitan Opera singer, Eleanor Steber, singing one night for a "black towel night". You had to be in formal wear or a black towel.

 

The bath-houses had private rooms and dormitory accommodations as well as steam rooms and other play spaces. STDs were rare and AIDS was in the future. Many nights these places were all-night orgies. I have fond memories of taking a dozen or more dicks in a few hours lying face down on a bed in the dormitory of any number of bath-houses -- in New York, San Francisco, Paris, Amsterdam, Copenhagen. I remember taking my lunch-hour in Paris, from time to time, in a gay sauna. Usually I would get fucked about 10 times in an hour or so. Sheer heaven!

 

In the 1970s entrepreneurs opened places that were designed as gay sex palaces...some were quite grand. Many featured complex mazes where the idea was to get utterly lost and totally enveloped in anonymous orgiastic sex. You got to know EVERY part of men's bodies EXCEPT their faces.

 

The bath-house was one of the symbols of gay liberation. Gay men were at last free to indulge themselves in what they thought was a relatively safe environment.

 

But AIDS made promiscuity life-threatening and the bath-house phenomenon began to die out. There are still some bath-houses or gay saunas operating in a number of cities, especially in Europe, and they can still be great fun if you keep safety in mind.

 

:9

[Guest Musclebearshare]

RE: Bath Houses

 

>The ultimate NY gay bath-house was in the old Ansonia hotel

>and apartment building on the Upper West Side. It got

>started shortly before Stonewall and the sudden explosion of

>"gay chic" following Stonewall made the place wildly

>popular. That's the place where Bette Midler got her start

>and where I remember the great Metropolitan Opera singer,

>Eleanor Steber, singing one night for a "black towel night".

> You had to be in formal wear or a black towel.

 

And lest history forget, Midler's accompaniest on those gigs was Barely Manenuf (er, Barry Manilow). The name of the place, BTW, was the Continental Baths.

 

Michael

[buzz]

RE: Bath Houses

 

Thanks, Michael. I do remember Barry Baby...and I guess I was having a senior moment forgetting to add the famous Continental name.

 

There were many nights of sheer magic there.

 

:9

[Godiva]

RE: Bath Houses

 

Hey Buzz and Michael..

 

Thanxs for the history..By the way do any of these places exsist today? Do you think "Bath Houses" could ever come back in a more responsible way?

 

It sure sounded like a great way of meeting people.

 

 

Godiva

[buzz]

RE: Bath Houses

 

Glad to share, Godiva. The bath-houses were wonderful. Some still exist, I believe, but at my age "unclothed" is not the best way for me to find a partner. I look elsewhere.

 

I believe the Watergarden is still operating in San Jose, CA, but I believe all of San Francisco's tubs have closed. Also I don't know if New York's East Side Club and the Wall Street sauna are still operating. The Wall Street place was wonderful at lunch-time when the hunky young financial studs would be there for a quickie...or cocktail hour, for that matter, when the closet cases came in for a quick romp before heading to the burbs, their wives and 2.3 kids.

 

I haven't checked out the places in Paris like the Key West but there were several fine places. Likewise in Amsterdam. In Japan, there are a few left but they refuse to let non-Japanese in now, since the onslaught of AIDS. Bangkok has a couple of truly fine bath-houses. The saunas in Rio are sheer heaven.

 

You should check the Damron guides....or other reliable guides.

 

Thanks for your interest; I've enjoyed rambling on about places where bliss was so readily available!

 

 

 

Will they come back? Probably not, at least in their old form. Gay life is so much more open now, thank God, at least in the bigger cities. A lot of the hunkiest guys pick each other up at gyms. There are more open forums for meeting gay men, and AIDS has rightly frightened people about anonymous, multiple sex partners.