Cover Boy Of The Day - April 5, 2005

[FrancoDiSantisxxx]

I have said this before, but it bears repeating, so I will preface by stating Daddy has always had an admirable role on this site, providing the technical expertise and support which made the site run smoothly and which was rarely apparent, as good technical support should most frequently be.

 

However, since Hoo Boy's unfortunate passing, Daddy has taken a more prominant role (beyond some moderating of the MC) with the editorial content and, as others have noted, there have been some hiccups with the new reviews and elsewhere.

 

My only comment is a simple one: previously, as Hoo Boy himself stated many times, the Cover Boy of the Day was an escort who showed his face in his photograph. While Hoo Boy bent his own rule a few rare times (one good example is Mike Grey, whose eyes were not visible in his shadowed cowboy hat shot), this meant showing most of the face and the eyes being visible as well (i.e., no sunglasses). This is the reason that some well know escorts, such as Rod Hagan and Rick and Derek, have never been "cover boy." As Hoo Boy also often explained it, Cover Boy has no relationship to whether the escort was good or the review was positive (not that it meant this was not the case), but simply reflected his opinion of the best photograph among those that could be considered (i.e., showing eyes/face) from those who had not been cover boy recently. In spite of this, a number of escorts were Coverboys a number of times over multiple months in one year. Kristian is one such example, Devon is another.

 

My point (and yes, I do have one) is that the Cover Boy on April 5th is a body show that barely shows a portion of the lower face, the torso and the individual's taste in denim. There are three photographs of escorts which show their full face, none of whom have been Cover Boy previously.

 

So, apparently Hoo Boy's policy of the last four to five years (to my own personal knowledge) has now changed?

 

 

http://www.gaydar.co.uk/francodisantis

 

http://hometown.aol.com/francodisantis/myhomepage/profile.html

[+ deej]

I'll move this thread to Daddy's forum where he might see it sooner.

[Guest Tampa Yankee]

Things... they are achangin'. In the short term some by design, some by chance. It will all get thought out in a little time. Comments are good to raise issues.

[Guy Fawkes]

As I go through the reviews....Usually one of them makes me sit up and go "Wow!"....and that's what goes up.

 

There is a minor bias toward people that haven't been there before. I tend to go for the subtle shots as opposed to the blantant ones. A nice face shot will always score higher (It's the eyes you know).

 

So, In general it'll be just about what Hooboy did in normal practise.

 

With that all said, Dang that was a nice torso!

 

:+ Daddy

[ErikMcAlister]

Can you clarify something?

You said first that you look for the REVIEW that makes you go "WOW" and later mentioned your criteria for pictures. Are you choosing the coverboy based on his review (which would presumably provide diversity of boys), or based on his picture (which would limit it to your "type")?

[BobbyB]

I'm a little confused, too, Eric. I'm not sure Daddy's explanation actually answered the question. The words were strung together in such a way as to form complete sentences, but I don't believe they addressed the issue. Oh yoo hoo...Daddy! :+

 

- BobbyB

[Chuck50]

Over a period of time I too have seen it change. I seem to like one and then the other. But the bottom line is, it is the person who holds the cards or the purse strings. HUGS Chuck50

[Guy Fawkes]

Q: So, apparently Hoo Boy's policy of the last four to five years (to my own personal knowledge) has now changed?

 

A: So, In general it'll be just about what Hooboy did in normal practise.

 

Daddy

[Guy Fawkes]

After careful consideration, I've decided that a review without a picture is not a candidate for coverboy.

 

After careful review of the past three weeks of coverboys, }( I have concluded that my "type" is male.

 

:+ Daddy

[Chuck50]

Daddy I too like your type MALE. Hooboy had his way. and I am sure that you will have yours too. The hardest thing for us is that they will be as close to the same as possible and that is not always easy. I think you know that so good luck HUGS Chuck50

[ErikMcAlister]

Deleted. There's no reason I should care if the rest of you don't.

[FrancoDiSantisxxx]

>Q: So, apparently Hoo Boy's policy of the last four to five

>years (to my own personal knowledge) has now changed?

>

>A: So, In general it'll be just about what Hooboy did in

>normal practise.

>

 

Actually, you have changed Hoo Boy's practice of the last five year, in selecting a photograph that did not show the escort's face and, in implying, you would do so in the future.

 

Additionally, while Hoo Boy always made it clear that his personal preference governed, he often picked the best photograph from that day's selection -- however he defined "best" -- which was not always an escort who would fit Hoo Boy's own personal "type." While the pictures were not diverse, by any stretch of the imagination, as to age, or skin color, he was concious of this as well and also made an effort accordingly.

 

However, as Erik put it, since most of you do not seem to care, why should anyone else? My desire in posting this is to clarify an erroneous statement of fact, and I have e-mails directly from Hoo Boy and I can point you to threads where he commented as above regarding face shots as well as his selection process.

[Bilbo]

If you were to tabulate over the next three months or so the number of shots like this, and also the relative numbers of the relative "types" used as cover men, Franco, that would not only give you more trustworthy information, it would also give Daddy time for, in nautical parlance, a "shake down cruise." Or, as politics puts it, "a honeymoon period." I will certainly join you in being upset about this if it becomes a regular occurance, but I'm not going to get excited about one occurance early in Daddy's run.

[ErikMcAlister]

Was Kenno the coverboy the last time he was reviewed (3-25) as well? I don't remember, but the photo is familiar to me.

[+ Lucky]

If Kenno, today's coverboy, is an indication of Daddy's taste in men, then I am all for it! Go Daddy!

[noviceny]

"However, as Erik put it, since most of you do not seem to care, why should anyone else?"

 

Guys I have never posted here (Daddy's forum), but it is sad when people get to the point of the above statement. Erik and Franco care about it and they should continue to care, cause it does make a difference to some people. I am not as quick as many of you but I think I understand what is being said here, and I never even thought it before.

 

For those of you who would keep silent because you think no one gives a shit, be aware that you may be able to change minds based on your statements.

[Bilbo]

WEll, OK, we praise this site, rightly, for having brought so many out of the dark closets they had made for themselves, or allowed to be made for them, and into the feeling that this is, or can be, an honorable profession which can be done with your head held high and an admirable sense of service. A place, hopefully a leading place in a trend, where an escort can show his face.

Have you ever told yourself that something or someone was a pain in the back? Tell yourself that often enough and you'll need a masseur. A good, sacred, holy, playful, relaxing, therapeutic masseur. There is power in metaphors.

Show us a cover man with his face hidden often enough and the unspoken metaphor will influence thinking away from where we want it to be.

That won't happen from just one slip. And I don't think that it will happen with Daddy in charge. But we need to keep an eye on it.

 

That said, am I the only one to whom it seems that Daddy cares very deeply about the artistic merit of the pictures. Not that Hoo didn't, but that this question is more important to Daddy, compared to what the picture is showing, than it was to Hoo? I seem to have noticed a greater attention to the play of light. Not just among the cover men, but perhaps also among those competing to be the cover man. Anyone else seeing this or is it only an obstacle delusion of my own mind?

[Guy Fawkes]

Yes...I do spend more time with the pictures than what Hooboy did...But it's actually for a technical reason.

 

The majority of the pictures that I receive are a high definition picture which in a nutshell means that they are huge. If I left it that way, the download would slow to a crawl, and the load on the server would skyrocket.

 

So when the picture comes in, I’ll crop them which tends to highlight the escorts, Resize them which tends to sharpen the picture, color correct as needed which tends to bring out the light/shadow interplay, and then compress.

 

It’s not unusual for 100 kilobyte pictures to drop down to about 25 kilobyte, and over all improves the user download time significantly.

 

I do have a definite preference for pictures that are “Artistic” as opposed to “Pornographic” and that probably shows up in my selections. While obviously, I have biases, I’ve surprised myself in that the majority of the pictures I put up are “Not my Type”, they’re just good pictures. There are just little details that jump out and make the picture special.

 

For example, the latest picture of Rick Monroe (http://www.male4malescorts.com/reviews/ricknyc.html) is beautifully balanced, draws the eye naturally to his basket, where you see these draw strings that are just begging to be untied. The background doesn’t distract and features a nice blend of light and shadow. For me, it’s much sexier than his famous butt shot which is also a superior picture.

 

Should I discard a superior picture just because it doesn't show the face? IMHO, hell no!. But I do have a preference to see the "Mirrors into the Soul" and so they will tend to be much more prevalent.

 

Daddy

[FourAces]

>

>For those of you who would keep silent because you think no

>one gives a shit, be aware that you may be able to change

>minds based on your statements.

 

We're talking about a f-ing picture here not brain surgery. I don't fucking care who the cover boy is ... 99% of the time it isn't anyone I am attracted to.

 

Personally HB had terrible taste and Daddy does too

 

Unless, Daddy says 4Aces you can pick the coverboy (do you really want to see a month of pale skinny white boys, Asians or Latino twinks (?) then you're right I do not care. I spend all of 5 seconds looking at the coverboy the only thing it is good for is to tell me the new reviews are up.

 

Do you really come to this site based on the coverboy? I think the only people that truly care are the escorts becasue they receive a little bit more of the spotlight.

 

And for those who do care, sadly HB is not running the site anymore Daddy is and it's his choice.

 

Change is hard to deal with but deal with it already.

 

RT

[Bilbo]

I really do appreciate the end result of all that work. Congratulations on a job you're doing well.

[kimly982]

RE: Cover Boy Of The Day -

 

Can we petition to have a coverboy removed?

In the name of HooBoy?

[LovesYng]

RE: Cover Boy Of The Day -

 

>Can we petition to have a coverboy removed?

>In the name of HooBoy?

>

 

For someone that's so new to the threads your asking a lot

 

When in doubt I whip it out :+

[Guest Derek Ross]

>For example, the latest picture of Rick Monroe

>(http://www.male4malescorts.com/reviews/ricknyc.html) is

>beautifully balanced, draws the eye naturally to his basket,

>where you see these draw strings that are just begging to be

>untied. The background doesn’t distract and features a nice

>blend of light and shadow. For me, it’s much sexier than his

>famous butt shot which is also a superior picture.

 

Thanks, Daddy. As the photographer for both photos, it's nice to have my work appreciated (especially when the subject is so difficult...ha ha).

[kimly982]

todays CB is the first one in a while that I would even have coffee with, no offense,

[jeddinger]

RE: Cover Boy Of The Day -

 

This thread has raised another interesting question for me; does anyone know how they choose the Cover Boy for Rentboy and other escort sites? I've never seen a posted "policy" on how Cover Boys are selected for this site, so I'm somewhat skeptical about others impressions of what HB did or did not do.

 

At least with M4M we have a message thread where we can provide input and register an opinion. I'm not aware of any such venue on Rentboy or other sites.

 

Don't we also get to vote for Cover Boy of the year on this site?

 

Maybe we could start a new message center thread where we can vote on the Cover Boy each day to see how the results measure up against who was featured. We might be surprised.

 

My "type" is also MALE. :9