This veteran adult star-studded broadcast was supposed to be closing night at the Zephyr Theatre of The Deep Throat Sex Scandal, the wonderful David Bertolino play about the little 1970s movie that was made on a shoestring, grossed over $600 million and kicked off “Porno Chic”—which is, of course, still kicking—and harder than ever. The good news is that this must-see play, which we originally saw on Opening Night, got extended another three weeks (so get your “Deep Throat Sex Scandal” tickets here or call 800-838-3006 ). So my show turns into a tribute to the play and the film’s leading man, the real-life Harry Reems, aka Herbert Streicher (August 27, 1947 – March 19, 2013), who just passed away at the age of 65 a few days before the broadcast.
Harry Reems was an honorably discharged U.S. Marine who came to be the “poster boy for the Sexual Revolution,” star of “Deep Throat,” “The Devil in Miss Jones” and many other loops and early adult films. At the height of his fame, he was arrested, convicted and forced to fight for our Free Speech rights against President Dick Nixon and the attempts of his “Moral Majority” henchmen (like Charles Keating) to censor and destroy the budding porn industry. A New Yorker busted by the Feds in the state of Tennessee for getting a consensual on-camera blowjob in a film he made in Florida, Reems went through legal and personal hell. Nevertheless, he managed to fight back and win, getting his conviction overturned. Though he received help from such luminaries as Alan Dershowitz, Warren Beatty, Shirley MacLaine and Jack Nicholson, the battle took its toll on his career, his health and his psyche. Of course, the nefarious Nixon got his just desserts, forced to resign in disgrace, busted by a Watergate informant ironically and appropriately named “Deep Throat.”
In the 1980s, Harry retired from adult show biz, got sober, married, and became a born again Christian. He set up shop as a real estate agent out in Park City, Utah, first under his original given name, Herbie Streicher, and then under his porn name, which turned out to be better for business. He may have expressed ambivalence about his adult film life but, as we learn from several of the guests who knew him, he really didn’t have as harsh feelings towards the industry as may have been reported. Sure, the stories that have come out of the whole experience were not all positive…but overall, this show is an uplifting and edifying tribute to the free spirit that symbolized the Sexual Revolution and fought rather successfully for our rights to speak out and consensually express our sexuality through porn and other art forms.
FEATURED GUESTS
Hyapatia Lee: The first of the iconic adult film personalities that we chat with on this show is actually the first female porn star I ever met in my life! Over 20 years ago, before Max and I even got married, I met Hyapatia when we were both interviewed by Geraldo Rivera, of all people! Hyapatia takes her name from the female philosopher and mathematician of ancient Egypt, Hypatia, to which she added the “a” of “Hya” to make it her own, and more in tune with her Native American heritage. Much of the knowledge and wisdom associated with the Egyptian Hypatia was lost when the famous Library at Alexandria was burned down. Hypatia herself had been literally ripped apart by a rabid early Christian mob in a Medieval example of puritanical, anti-female insanity. Today, Hyapatia writes for High Times Magazine, dances, sings, and performs, working to counter that close-mindedness that seems to have been dogging the human race from ancient times, thru the 1970s, and up to today. Though her personal memories of Harry Reems are kind of fuzzy, she loves being part of the cast of The Deep Throat Sex Scandal in which she has played the prize cameo role of the ticket taker.
Tom Byron: One of the many veteran porn stars and celebrities who have performed the male cameo of the Judge in The Deep Throat Sex Scandal, Tom worked a bit with Harry Reems way back when, and remembers referring to him as “that guy”… the guy that was putting porn and free speech rights on the map, taking a bullet for all in Tom’s industry. When I ask Tom why he wanted to be a porn actor, he gives me the answer that a lot of the guys, and girls do: you could act, and you could have sex. Makes sense!
Paul Thomas: This show turns out to be not “just” a tribute to Harry, but a little trip down memory lane for me, since Paul is another one of the first porn stars I ever met. We were introduced on the set of the film “Sore Throat,” a take-off on the classic, of course, directed by Ron Jeremy and also starring Christy Canyon and a horse, at the home of my old friend John Clark and his dearly departed ex-wife Lynn Redgrave. Paul is the star, and I play the non-porn role of his Christian mother shaking my Bible at him. We’ve run into each other a few more times over the years, including at Sex Week at Yale 2010, when he scandalized many by screening clips from some of his porn films in the Yale Law School. Paul (who also plays the cameo Judge in The Deep Throat Sex Scandal) went on to become a multiple award-winning adult film director, working with such established companies as Vivid. Despite his success, Paul has always been a bit of a brooding artiste, so I’m not surprised when he confesses that, kind of like Harry, he separates sex from his spiritual life (unlike most of the folks here). Paul tells me that sex is and should be dirty… it should involve drugs, nastiness, things that are forbidden. Quote: “If you’re not doing something that fills you with guilt afterwards, you’re doing something wrong.” I can imagine that would get exhausting after a while, so it’s no wonder that Paul is retired from the adult biz, and sings with the Agape Church. He remarks that “there’s no conflict, but… there is.” So as he sits next to Rebecca Bardoux, and is feeling wholeness and love, he lets us know he doesn’t want to have sex with her, but to hold and kiss her. When it comes to actual sex, he’d rather “bring in the midgets,” watch her have sex with her husband (if she was married), watch his own wife do it with someone else. Interestingly, this is what Paul did with Harry Reems’ first wife. Apparently, Harry was as much of a ... as he was an exhibitionist, and relished the cuckold role with Paul as the bull. Is that “dirt”—or just sperm wars in action?
Rebecca Bardoux: I first met Rebecca, another female icon from the illustrious cast tonight, when I interviewed her for Playboy, then had her on DrSuzy.tv a few months ago in Binders Full of Women. Last week, she played the Cashier in The Deep Throat Sex Scandal, taking on the female guest star spot that brings surprises every week. Rebecca joins our dialogue about spirituality vs. sex, saying that there are many ways to have great sex, dirty, spiritual and otherwise. Quote: “When you find someone you really like, you don’t want to just have sex with them.” To me, the keyword is “just.” Another keyword that comes up during our conversation is “porno,” a word that Rebecca wants to get rid of altogether. But I think it could be positively redefined, kind of like the way Slut Walks have redefined the word “slut.” So…who’s up for a Porno Walk?
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