Arts & Entertainment
The Fyre Festival guy who offered oral sex for Evian water could get a TV show
The openly gay event planner went viral for his candid doc scene
Andy King, the professional event planner who went viral for his commitment to helping pull together the disastrously infamous Fyre Festival, could be getting a TV show.
King, who is openly gay, appeared in Netflix’s documentary “Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened.” In one of the documentary’s most memorable scenes, King describes how he was prepared to “take one for the team” and “suck dick” to ensure Evian water was delivered to the festival.
The scene went viral and spawned numerous memes. In an interview with Netflix, King says he never expected for his story to become so popular.
āIām blown away with the response of the documentary. Completely blown away. Iām now a noun, a verb, an adjective. Itās mind-boggling,ā King said. āI just donāt want to be necessarily known as the blowjob king of the world.ā
Andy King has seen all of your FYRE Fest memes ā and he loves them! pic.twitter.com/mCNgDoHpjW
— Netflix US (@netflix) January 29, 2019
Speaking with Vanity Fair, King revealed that he has received offers for his own TV show from different networks.
āI had three TV show offers this week, from notable networks,ā King said although he wouldn’t spill which networks had reached out.
King already has a potential concept for his show in mind.
āYou see the attractiveness of HGTV today. People love ‘Flip or Flop’ or ‘Fixer Upper.’ Letās just say itās going to be a show about hosting crazy events ā what it takes to make them happen,ā King said.āThere will be cliff-hangers, and youāll get to follow me around and see how I pull them off.”
However, King isn’t interested in expanding into ventures beyond television.
āYouāre not going to see me launching a handbag line or makeup,ā King added. āI think Iām being given a platform that a lot of people, at age 58 especially, donāt get the opportunity to have. And Iām kind of excited about it.ā
The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington performed “The Holiday Show” at Lincoln Theatre on Saturday. Future performances of the show are scheduled for Dec. 14-15. For tickets and showtimes, visit gmcw.org.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Books
Mother wages fight for trans daughter in new book
āBeautiful Womanā seethes with resentment, rattles bars of injustice
āOne Day I’ll Grow Up and Be a Beautiful Womanā
By Abi Maxwell
c.2024, Knopf
$28/307 pages
“How many times have I told you that…?”
How many times have you heard that? Probably so often that, well, you stopped listening. From your mother, when you were very small. From your teachers in school. From your supervisor, significant other, or best friend. As in the new memoir “One Day I’ll Grow Up and Be a Beautiful Woman” by Abi Maxwell, it came from a daughter.
When she was pregnant, Abi Maxwell took long walks in the New Hampshire woods near her home, rubbing her belly and talking to her unborn baby. She was sure she was going to have a girl but when the sonogram technician said otherwise, that was OK. Maxwell and her husband would have a son.
But almost from birth, their child was angry, fierce, and unhappy. Just getting dressed each morning was a trial. Going outside was often impossible. Autism was a possible diagnosis but more importantly, Maxwell wasn’t listening, and she admits it with some shame.
Her child had been saying, in so many ways, that she was a girl.
Once Maxwell realized it and acted accordingly, her daughter changed almost overnight, from an angry child to a calm one ā though she still, understandably, had outbursts from the bullying behavior of her peers and some adults at school. Nearly every day, Greta (her new name) said she was teased, called by her former name, and told that she was a boy.
Maxwell had fought for special education for Greta, once autism was confirmed. Now she fought for Greta’s rights at school, and sometimes within her own family. The ACLU got involved. State laws were broken. Maxwell reminded anyone who’d listen that the suicide rate for trans kids was frighteningly high. Few in her town seemed to care.
Throughout her life, Maxwell had been in many other states and lived in other cities. New Hampshire used to feel as comforting as a warm blanket but suddenly, she knew they had to get away from it. Her “town that would not protect us.”
When you hold “One Day I’ll Grow Up and Be a Beautiful Woman,” you’ve got more than a memoir in your hands. You’ve also got a white-hot story that seethes with anger and rightful resentment, that wails for a hurt child, and rattles the bars of injustice. And yet, it coos over love of place, but in a confused manner, as if these things don’t belong together.
Author Abi Maxwell is honest with readers, taking full responsibility for not listening to what her preschooler was saying-not-saying, and she lets you see her emotions and her worst points. In the midst of her community-wide fight, she reveals how the discrimination Greta endured affected Maxwell’s marriage and her health ā all of which give a reader the sense that they’re not being sold a tall tale. Read this book, and outrage becomes familiar enough that it’s yours, too. Read “One Day I’ll Grow Up and Be a Beautiful Woman,” and share it. This is a book you’ll tell others about.
The Blade may receive commissions from qualifying purchases made via this post.
Out & About
Come unleash your inner artist at the DC Center
Watercolor painting class held on Thursday
āWatercolor Painting with Center Agingā will be on Thursday, Dec. 12 at 12 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community.
In this winter-themed painting class for seniors led by local artist Laya Monarez, guests will learn about watercoloring techniques, be given a demonstration, and allowed to create their own watercolor pieces. There will also be a break for lunch and plenty of snacks throughout. For more details, visit the DC Centerās website.
-
U.S. Supreme Court5 days ago
Trans rights supporters, opponents rally outside Supreme Court as justices consider Tenn. law
-
Congress4 days ago
Protests against anti-trans bathroom policy lead to more than a dozen arrests
-
Opinions4 days ago
Will RFK Jr.ās ideas cause illness and death?
-
South Africa4 days ago
WorldPride 2028 to take place in Cape Town