Sunday August 5th, 2012 - Rosemont, IL
Any time I get a phone call from Mike Preston, it could lead to high adventure. I got one today asking if I’d like to tag along on a remote film shoot for his TV show ‘Psychobabble’. Whenever I’ve gone in the past it’s usually been to hold a camera, but today I received a major promotion.
Today my assignment was to appear in costume as The King of Uranus at ‘Glamourcon’ in the Crown Plaza O’Hare in Rosemont, IL to interview a room full of Playboy centerfolds, porn stars and scorching hot babes of all degrees. Wow, twist my arm! I was there in half a wink of Uranus.
I’d do anything as a friend to help Mike, but this was something he could have auctioned off on Ebay and probably raked in some major coin. I was flattered he would call me, and it all sounded great in theory – but I still have no idea exactly who or what the character of the King actually is.
It’s still in the experimental phase, but the only way to get an accurate idea of what works is to get out there and let it rip. I brought my cape and crown and royal garb and sunglasses and put it all on in the bathroom at the hotel and emerged as the King of Uranus - not knowing what to do.
There’s another character on the show that goes by ‘Disco Rick’, a slick talking pimp looking character who wears a white suit, wide brimmed hat and enormous sunglasses. He’s a very good guy, but not a performer by nature. Mike wanted me to come along and punch up the funny a bit. I felt a tad uncomfortable for a few minutes, but then I decided to just roll with it and have fun.
Nobody else knows who The King is either, so there was no pressure on anyone. It was the two of us and Mike with a camera, and we wandered the room looking for people to interview for the TV show. To my utter surprise, nobody turned us down. Everyone was delighted to talk with us.
One world class babe after the next came over and Rick and I interviewed them with a straight face. Lucky for me I was born with a quick wit, and I was able to crack off a bunch of one liners that cracked the women up. Many of them were just Uranus puns, but they worked like a charm.
After a while, I started to get used to it and really had fun. Everyone there got it, and it wasn’t creepy or uncomfortable at all. One thing that really helped was an interview with adult film star Seka, someone I’ve known for years. She knows Mike too, and knew it was me in the costume.
She played along with it, and I was able to make her laugh out loud several times. She attracted attention from across the room from everyone who saw her laughing, and our credibility went up about 1000% after that. Seka has always been a sweetheart, and one of my favorite people. She’s very intelligent and funny, and she’s always been a fan of my comedy. Today was no exception.
This really helped with the development of the King as a character. I still don’t know the exact way I’m going to pull it off, but getting out in front of people and ad libbing funny lines without a script sure helped my confidence. People love the concept, and it does attract attention. It was a great way to test it, and I owe Mike a humongous favor. Free your mind, and Uranus will follow!
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