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Thursday, December 12, 2019
A Vintage Vantage: 1985
Ralston Hale
In 1985; The Color Purple was released, the world reacted to new coke, Bobby was killed on Dallas (only to reappear in a shower a year later) and the world watched Live Aid concerts in Philadelphia and London raised over 50 million for famine relief in Ethiopia. 1985 was also a great year for Colt Men, check out highlights from the 1985 calendar on PAGE 2 HERE:
Buck Hayes on his Santa throne, December 1985
In 1985; The Color Purple was released, the world reacted to new coke, Bobby was killed on Dallas (only to reappear in a shower a year later) and the world watched Live Aid concerts in Philadelphia and London raised over 50 million for famine relief in Ethiopia. 1985 was also a great year for Colt Men, check out highlights from the 1985 calendar on PAGE 2 HERE:
Buck Hayes on his Santa throne, December 1985
The Merry Widowers
No, today's 12 Days post isn't about Cameron Mathison. The actor is however, part of a pretty horrific holiday trend on Hallmark.... The Dead Wives Club!
There are many story tropes that run through Hallmark holiday films. There's the small quaint town, the beautiful woman returning to help a friend, parent, book store or museum. There's that Christmas event, some how unplanned and without a host, even thought Christmas is just 10 days away. There are candy cane factories, lightly falling snow on Christmas even and of course, all those dead wives.
Hallmark movies, are really horror flicks disguised with garland and tinsel. First off, the gay sidekick is stuck in the antique store closet, always forced to act straight, and romance the female best friend of the female lead. Those quaint little towns have an underbelly, one inhabited by residents reminiscent of the Stepford Wives. They're always happy and smiling as if their bodes have been taken over by an evil group of alien elves.
And what about those dead wives, how did they all die. Most times they don't say, but I suspect it might be those horny six pack wielding widowers. The widowers are of course always hot, yet somehow, haven't slept with anyone since their wives have died. They've devoted themselves to their children, their jobs, their holiday light displays.
A Christmas to Remember (2016)
An emerging celebrity chef in NYC, is having a meltdown on the set of her Christmas Homestyle show. Desperate for a break from the "stress of her success" she takes a spur of the moment vacation in a remote Colorado town. On the way to her chalet she crashes and suffers amnesia. A kindly widower with young children, still grieving for his dead wife, takes a dazed Jennifer to his home and they wind up having magical and healing holiday experiences that both transform and heal them all.
Cameron Matthison
My gut tells me these home alone husbands are more sinister than they first appear. My gut tells me there's an underground club where unhappy husbands from around the world are recruited, move to the town, then trained on the easiest way to off your lady without being caught....
Christmas Getaway (2017)
A travel writer takes a Christmas vacation, but finds herself double-booked with a widower, his mother, and his daughter at the holiday site.
Travis Van Winkle
Of course it makes sense Hallmark would want widowers. They illicit immediate sympathy from both the viewer, and the hot new ad executive in town for the holidays. They want children in the movie for those scenes with Santa, but don't want a mom around to damper the inevitable romance.
Christmas in Evergreen (2017)
When a veterinarian sets out to have the perfect Christmas, she assumes it’s going to be with her longtime boyfriend. But when a storm shuts down the airport, she crosses path with a widowed doctor and his daughter
Teddy Sears
You also want your male romantic lead to seem damaged, but only a wee bit damaged. Many of the male leads are in their thirties and forties, and making them a widower, means not having to explain why they're not married, love holiday decorating and avoid all things sexual. Offing their poor wives makes the writers job so much easier.
Nostalgia Christmas (2019)
'Anne's annual holiday visit to the small town in Maine where she grew up is somewhat bittersweet this year. With her dad set to sell his toy store and retire from his wood-carving career, and the town’s lumber mill up for sale, this will probably be her last Christmas there. But when Anne is drafted and paired with handsome local widower Keith McClain to co-chair the town’s Christmas celebration, she begins to question what she really wants in life.'
Trevor Donovan
I started two Christmas films last week, one with Trevor Donovan, and one with Adrian Grenier, both playing widowers. I didn't finish either flick, but watched enough to catch the underlying horror and tragedy at the core of so many Hallmark holiday films. Be warned, if you meet a hot widower in a quaint Christmas town, sleep with one eye open...
Christmas at Graceland: Home for the Holidays (2019)
World-traveler Harper returns to Memphis for the holidays and nannies for wealthy widower Owen while awaiting news about a job overseas. As they grow close, Harper encourages Owen to break out of his routine and spend more time with his children, while Owen encourages Harper to have confidence.
Adrian Grenier
Shattered Assumptions: Britten by Lights On Studio
'I had long hair for a few years but it made wearing latex difficult so now I keep it shaved to make getting into outfits easier.'
I don't know about you, but when I meet someone, especially someone over 25, I tend to assume the way they look is how they've always looked. Now of course, if I really thought about it, I would know that the persons skin, their hair and weight may have been drastically different in the past, but we tend to assess a person by how the look when we take our first visual.
It's yet another of the many reasons never to judge a book by it's cover. It's not that Britten's cover isn't incredibly hot, he has a great body, beautiful hazel eyes, and an erotic ease with the way he moves in front of the camera. All that being said however, when Lights On Studio's Tom Nakielski sent on his work with Britten, I saw a stunningly beautiful bald man.
I assessed that Britten had been hairless for awhile given how well he wears it. Britten's clean shaven head just seemed to blend so perfectly with the rest of his clean shaven body. His look was slick, and there was a visual harmony in Britten's appearance from head to toe. I thought maybe he was ex-military, possibly a soccer player, and thought he even might be a teacher. All of this, I mostly wrongly assumed from his beautifully shaven head.
After Tom sent on Britten's images, he sent on his Model Mayhem page link, and suggested I check out his port. Well, if you check out the image below, (from AlexaArt Photography) you'll understand why I was kicking myself or the many assumptions I'd made upon first glance... Britten's portfolio was full of images of him with long flowing locks, as well as many other shots with his hair at various lengths.
I of course shouldn't have made any assumptions, but at the same time, both Britten's look and aura changes so dramatically from image to image, look to look. Being able to transform is a definite asset for a model. I wouldn't have guessed that the 'free spirited rocker' I see in the image above, also looks in other shots, like he's channeling a serious but sexy Walls Street investor or corporate lawyer.
It was Britten's various looks that also drew Tom to his portfolio. Tom was set to visit an a long time-time friend in Cleveland, but before heading out, checked to see if there might be some models in the area who might be available for a shoot. Tom's friend has a beautiful home, with great spaces for photo opportunities and he agreed to let Tom utilize his house for a couple of photo sessions while he was in town.
'I was surprised when he arrived bald. I knew he cut his long hair but didn't expect a shaved head. I Loved the look! Britten is a great looking bald man, not to mention his beautiful physique.'
Tom shares that Britten was very comfortable in front of the camera, something that always helps to make a session go smoothly, and be more enjoyable. Tom says that Britten did exactly what he loves skilled models to do, take his suggestions, but also add their own touches and personality into the poses and creative process. Britten also expressed having a very positive experience working with Tom during their shoot. He was especially impressed with Tom's professionalism, no to mention his sharp eye for composition.
'Britten had no issues laying on a cold cement walkway covered in moss. Having such a cooperative model always is inspires me to be more creative. He suggested that on a future shoot he wears latex. Looking forward to seeing how creative we can get with that!'
So that latex... It doesn't necessarily go with my initial assumptions, but look forward to what Britten and Tom create! Latex, leopard skin thongs... who is the real Britten? Originally from Virginia, Britten grew up, not playing soccer, but training in martial arts. Although not a teacher as I thought possible, Britten did earn a degree in English literature and journalism after spending a few years abroad after graduation. In his free time, in addition to spending time at the gym, Britten likes to relax by playing the guitar.
Now there is one stereotype that hot guys with long hair have to deal with, mostly from all those hot long haired Chippendale models from the nineties. Britten does indeed have some experience waving all that hair around on the dance floor when he was stripping, but says he doesn't get many opportunities to strut his stuff on stage these days.
Instagrams that Inspire: Kenny Brain
Some of you may remember Kenny Brain from Big Brother Canada 2. The Newfoundland born contractor and sometimes model made a big impression during his season on the reality show. If you checked out my posts from the season, (HERE:) you may remember Kenny loved hanging out, and in, his underwear while the camera's rolled.
Although most reality shows check 'the box' by casting one, maybe two token gay contestants per season, I loved that Kenny didn't fit into the show's usual stereotypical role.
Colt Calendar: 1985
Andy Miller
Gene Valenti
Earlier in Autumn, while on the hunt for Halloween images, I began looking for old Colt Calendars. Although they began before the 1980's, and continued long after, for me, the 80's were some of the best. The 80's seemed the only decade they shot calendar shots to co-inside with Valentines, Halloween and Christmas. It also featured some of Colt's hottest hunks.
Ralson Hale
Ron Keys
Ben Cody
Troy Yeager
Jesse Ditmar
Chris Ingram
Tony Dressler
Doug Weston
The twelve months...
Snowy, Flowy, Blowy,
Showery, Flowery, Bowery,
Hoppy, Croppy, Droppy,
Breeze, Sneezy, Freezy.
George Ellis
Gene Valenti
Earlier in Autumn, while on the hunt for Halloween images, I began looking for old Colt Calendars. Although they began before the 1980's, and continued long after, for me, the 80's were some of the best. The 80's seemed the only decade they shot calendar shots to co-inside with Valentines, Halloween and Christmas. It also featured some of Colt's hottest hunks.
Ralson Hale
Ron Keys
Ben Cody
Troy Yeager
Jesse Ditmar
Chris Ingram
Tony Dressler
Doug Weston
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