When bad press turns really BAD...

**AllanahStarrNYC** · 03-24-2006

If you are familiar with me- you will know that I have been involved in a lot of media, both mainstream and adult. Though, I am a shamless self promoter, I just found out about something that was very offensive published about me that I find quite disturbing.

If any of you are familiar with Bizarre magazine-it is a magazine about the bizarre. I have had a pretty good working relationship with them to in the past. They covered my London party, I did a photo shoot for them, and recently I was contacted by a staff writer to do an interview and provide some pictures for an article they were preparing on my now famous sex scene with female to male transsexual Buck Angel.

I gladly provided them with everything they asked, and the writer seemed like a very nice person. In fact, he even wrote me an email off the record, asking me how I had gotten such a 'perfect shaped ass' (his words). To which, I gladly responded as I have nothing to hide about my surgical modifications. This was about two months ago. I get a call about two weeks ago from Buck telling me that the article came out great and I was looking forward to seeing it. Gia (Darling) had mentioned the article to me as well and would be bringing a copy to NYC with her. However, what they both did not realize that the same writer in the back of the magazine had written a 'review' of sorts about the movie (Allanah Starr's Big Boob Adventures').

Now, putting yourself out there for people to judge you, you can expect a lot of criticism and negativity along with the compliments and positivity. I have developed a very thick skin in this business, and am not phased by trash talk. However, this was no review-this was a three page article set to insult me, degrade me, offend me, and make fun of transsexuals in general. I was and still am in shock at this poisenous attack. Especially because the article was written by the SAME person who had such nice things to say about us and the film in the same issue and had been so kind to me through email. After I had donated my time, pictures, and effort to help them, they went and wrote a hideous piece geared at completely making me look bad. REALLY BAD.

Here are some of the intellectual comments that the 'reviewer ' had to say : About me: "looks like a scary 40 year old man in a tartan mini skirt', 'a curious looking man with breasts', (her) penis is a different color like the rest of her body like meat starting to go bad', 'absurdly inflated lips', 'homosexual', (no one) would feature (her) on a magazine cover unless they are doing a feature on vomiting epidemics'. I totally believe in freedom of the press and to write what you wish- but this was no review- it was like this person had a personal vendetta against me. The review basically made fun of everyone in the film- they called Gia, "Pamela Anderson look a like with a man's voice', the made fun of Buck Angel, they called all of the actors gay and hard up for money. This from the same magazine who had solicited my help and had been so supportive in the past. I find that the whole piece was degrading and disgusting to the ts genre and completely bigoted an ignorant. To find me unattractive is one thing, to keep on referring to me as 'a 40 year old homosexual man' is very disrespectful. I have had some bad reviews in my porn career from self admittedly luck luster performances. However, I am extremely confident of this film. AVN gave it an excellent review ( http://www.avn.com/index.php?Primary...tent_ID=257489 ),
everyone has given it good reviews. The movie is selling well as well. The fact is of ocurse that not everyone may not like it, find it boring-what have you. AND THAT is perfectly OK. It is one thing to comment about performances, editing, lighting, a poor film in general- but to pick apart every scene in the most horrendous fashion is no review. This was clearly a hate article disguised as a review. It is a shame that Bizarre supports this form of transphobia and ignorance. If you find this disgusting, as I did, the review was called "Tawdry Tails' and you can write to the editors james_doorne@dennis.co.uk and alex_godfrey@dennis.co.uk and let them know how disturbing this transphobic article is.

And trust me, I just scratched the surface of the they said- when I get the article scanned properly, I will post it.

**chefmike** · 03-24-2006

I'm not familiar with the magazine... why bother even posting the article, Allanah? The quotes you posted show that it's BS from someone with some sort of twisted agenda....fuck 'em...

**khun_diow** · 03-24-2006

A.] Kudos to you for seemingly to not take it personally.

I mean you gotta take a personally slanderous article, personal. That what it is. The publication will publish whatever they can to the target audience in an effort to sell. You have communicated this 'awkward position' quite well. They have the right to print whatever they want, but they we're hell bent on printing 'their ideal story' for their 'target market' and you and your reputation seems caaught up in the middle.

One review/article does not a person make.

You are pretty thick skinned...be yourself...keep doing what you do.....things will work out and it will create an opportunity or two several years later.

Perhaps you can contact the author and write an editorial...once again be yourself.

your attitude is outstanding....remain positive...do not falter to being negative.....the true hustler will make it work.

sorry that you got got.

**AllanahStarrNYC** · 03-24-2006

because- someone could very well post this with their own agenda
i rather publicly acknowledge it- than to try to conceil it

i am not one to hide the good or bad

**GroobySteven** · 03-24-2006

It's actually my favourite magazine and I'm completely surprised by this - it was in the back of the magazine in a review section but normally they show the bizarre and the strange with a wry sense of humour, this was downright venemous and can only have been with an agenda (or the editor missed this piece).
Kudos to Allanah for posting it - shows she's not afraid of covering up people who attack her and it's obvious that we can see it's a homophobic piece.

seanchai

**hondarobot** · 03-24-2006

I've checked out Bizarre magazine a few times, it's retarded for the most part. There's a guy where I work who, for what it's worth, is a very ultra conservative kinda guy (strange at an essentially GLBT nightclub, but it happens). He buys the magazine every month, and tries to get me to read it. If people are unfamiliar with it, it frequently features (in the issues I've seen) pictures of mutilated people, horrible accidents, deformed babies, that sort of thing.

This guy also enjoys watching beheadings on the internet (the Jihad! Jihad! stuff, but of course he hates "them damn evil doers", just appreciates the videos; and I'm certainly not advocating beheadings, I just find his morbid fascinations disturbing).

I only mention his ultra conservative leanings because I've found people of that bent seem to find a perverse interest in the misery of others many times. I don't know why, but that's been my observation over the years.

Bizarre is printed with these people in mind. The loser jocks and such. I'm not sure about the majority of the rest of the magazine, because I never really checked out much more then the idiotic picture spreads my co-worker has shown me.

I'm going to read the article first chance I get (and I have no reason to expect it isn't as offensive as Allanah has said it is), and if it's as suckish as I bet it is, I'll definately email those clowns and call 'em a bunch of jerks.

I hate that juvenile, "anything to boost sales" mentality. It's taking the easy way out and pandering to the mindset of the easily manipulated consumers. Give 'em an inch, they take a mile.

They have every right to publish whatever they want, and people who disagree with it have every obligation to tell them they are fucked up.

**SidChromeAU** · 03-24-2006

Look, I didn't particularly enjoy the film in it's entirety, but it was pretty good. I certainly didn't enjoy the scene with Buck - to me that was a fairly transparent exploitation of the shock factor the scene would clearly generate. Having said all of that, I knew going in that the scene was an integral part of the film. It was my choice to buy it and view it - it's that simple. I don't find Buck attractive, but will concede that he he has certainly pulled off achieving masculinity. I'm pretty sure that he really doesn't want men to find him attractive anyway (although I may be wrong). More to the point, I respect Buck for his choices and the efforts that he has made - as I respect you. I may not agree with some of what you say, but that has no bearing on my respect for your achievements.
I, similarly, respect the other girls here, and TS's in general. There appears to be an unhealthy undercurrent here: good-looking girls are fawned over, but girls that are early in their transition, or just haven't been able to achieve stunning good looks, are outright slated. A recent thread inviting members to post pictures of their most unattractive girl comes immediately to mind, but that was merely the most overt manifestation of the problem.
I'm not claiming to be an expert on TG issues, but these people seem to be missing the point in at least one respect: the girls are fundamentally doing it for themselves. Any degree of feminisation (or in rarer cases, masculinisation) should surely be considered - by them - to be a victory. Few GG's are supermodels, so why should all TG's be? To me, you, Buck, and any and all other TG's are due credit purely for your efforts on your own behalf - not to please me or any other.

**GroobySteven** · 03-24-2006