Subj : MUM AND DAD GAY PORN STORE OWNERS GET NETFLIX DOCO
To : All
From : Major Queen
Date : Thu Apr 16 2020 04:40 pm
APRIL 16, 2020 SOURCE EXPRESS
A new Netflix documentary tells the story of a Jewish married couple who for
over 35 years operated a gay porn store in Los Angeles.
Situated on Santa Monica Boulevard, across the road from Golf Coast gay bar
and a block from Hamburger Marys, the store was a gathering place where the
environment could shop porn movies, magazines and books, as well as meet
others without meeting prejudice.
The store was run by Karen and Barry Mason, a quarrel and Jewish couple with
three children. The kids knew that the parents were running a store, but not
what they were selling and who their customers were. The couple's family,
friends and social circle did not even know what kind of store Karen and
Barry were running.
Circus of Books had its heyday in the midst of the AIDS crisis in the United
States in the 1980s and the couple saw with their own eyes how the
environment and their customers were affected, and not least their own
employees in Circus of Books.
Mum and Dad sell porn, Netflix
Karen and Barry never considered themselves activists, rather as
entrepreneurs who delivered goods to an environment, before the Internet and
digital media destroyed the foundations of Circus of Books, which closed its
doors in 2016.
Karen and Barry's daughter, Rachel Mason, has created the documentary "Circus
of Books" about her parents' store.
This is her debut film and she goes straight to the source, to the least
radical people she knows, mum Karen and dad Barry, and asks how they became
America's biggest gay porn distributors, as well as why Karen Mason reacted
so negatively when one son came out as gay.
Responsible producer on "Circus of Books" is none other than Ryan Murphy,
known for successes like "American Horror Story", "Pose", "Glee" and "Feud".
Jeff Stryker and Alaska
In addition to interviewing parents Karen and Barry, Rachel Mason also has
known names in the documentary, such as porn actor Jeff Stryker (57). Stryker
had his heyday in the 80s and is one of the most well-known stars in gay
porn. Filmmaker John Waters has named Jeff Stryker for "porn's Cary Grant."
In addition, we meet pornographer Larry Flynt, known for publishing the
magazine "Hustler", the drag artist Alaska Thunderfuck, known from the TV
series RuPaul's Drag Race and as the winner of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 2
in 2016.
"Circus of Books" closed its doors in 2016, but that doesn't mean the
premises are empty.
In January this year came the news that the porn queen and drag artist Chi
Chi LaRue has taken over the lease and will open a porn supermarket called
"Chi Chi LaRue's Circus".
