1 00:00:15,264 --> 00:00:22,464 Speaker 1: Pushkin. I'm Michael Schulman, and I wrote Ballad of the 2 00:00:22,504 --> 00:00:25,144 Speaker 1: Oscar Streaker for The New Yorker and it's the story 3 00:00:25,144 --> 00:00:28,464 Speaker 1: of the Week. Five weeks before the two thousand and 4 00:00:28,544 --> 00:00:31,704 Speaker 1: nine Oscars, I got a call from Hugh Jackman's producer. 5 00:00:32,744 --> 00:00:35,184 Speaker 1: Jackman was hosting the show and he wanted to know 6 00:00:35,224 --> 00:00:37,984 Speaker 1: if I would be one of the show's writers. Like 7 00:00:38,184 --> 00:00:40,984 Speaker 1: so many things in my career, I figured somebody just 8 00:00:41,064 --> 00:00:44,184 Speaker 1: made some kind of mistake. I figured I was just 9 00:00:44,264 --> 00:00:47,584 Speaker 1: a last minute addition to a huge group of talented 10 00:00:47,704 --> 00:00:50,864 Speaker 1: variety show writers. So I flew to New York City, 11 00:00:50,904 --> 00:00:52,784 Speaker 1: where we went to work out of a conference room 12 00:00:52,824 --> 00:00:56,984 Speaker 1: at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. When I walked in, I 13 00:00:57,064 --> 00:01:01,184 Speaker 1: saw just three other guys, all my age, all of 14 00:01:01,184 --> 00:01:04,424 Speaker 1: whom were hired the same week that I was. There 15 00:01:04,464 --> 00:01:06,864 Speaker 1: was no head writer. There wasn't even a whiteboard. It 16 00:01:07,024 --> 00:01:09,024 Speaker 1: was just the four of us looking at our computer. 17 00:01:09,944 --> 00:01:13,784 Speaker 1: It was bizarrely casual. In fact, we spent most of 18 00:01:13,784 --> 00:01:16,264 Speaker 1: our time trying to figure out how much room service 19 00:01:16,304 --> 00:01:19,544 Speaker 1: we could order without getting in trouble. Hugh Jackman would 20 00:01:19,584 --> 00:01:21,624 Speaker 1: come in for a couple of hours each day, telling 21 00:01:21,704 --> 00:01:24,384 Speaker 1: us how great our ideas were and hugging us and 22 00:01:24,464 --> 00:01:28,024 Speaker 1: letting us try on his eighteen thousand dollars plastic wolverine claws. 23 00:01:29,144 --> 00:01:31,584 Speaker 1: What I learned is that even though it's the highest 24 00:01:31,664 --> 00:01:35,264 Speaker 1: rated entertainment show of the year, the Oscars is a 25 00:01:35,344 --> 00:01:39,864 Speaker 1: pretty thrown together operation. I've written for sitcoms that you've 26 00:01:39,904 --> 00:01:43,904 Speaker 1: never heard of, and we got way more notes, end 27 00:01:43,944 --> 00:01:48,664 Speaker 1: time and money to make those shows. So I'm never 28 00:01:48,704 --> 00:01:52,104 Speaker 1: surprised when chaos ensues at the Oscars, whether it's announcing 29 00:01:52,184 --> 00:01:55,384 Speaker 1: La La Land instead of Moonlight as Best Picture, Will 30 00:01:55,464 --> 00:02:00,744 Speaker 1: Smith slapping Chris Rock, or my very favorite, the nineteen 31 00:02:00,904 --> 00:02:10,704 Speaker 1: seventy four Streaker. Writing is hard. Who's got that kind 32 00:02:10,744 --> 00:02:14,064 Speaker 1: of time when you're already busy trying to de Joe 33 00:02:14,224 --> 00:02:17,504 Speaker 1: Stein until it turns on a mic made it twiddles 34 00:02:17,504 --> 00:02:20,464 Speaker 1: and knob because a journalist Frand has got in that 35 00:02:20,664 --> 00:02:25,544 Speaker 1: dual job. Part oftory single story. Just listen to smart 36 00:02:25,664 --> 00:02:41,664 Speaker 1: people speak, conversation, feeling information is a story up. With 37 00:02:41,784 --> 00:02:45,144 Speaker 1: the Oscars coming up this weekend, I figure how better 38 00:02:45,184 --> 00:02:48,024 Speaker 1: to cover the awards than to dive into the best 39 00:02:48,064 --> 00:02:51,384 Speaker 1: thing that's ever happened at them. In nineteen seventy four, 40 00:02:51,624 --> 00:02:54,384 Speaker 1: a man ran across the stage at the Academy Awards, 41 00:02:54,904 --> 00:02:58,664 Speaker 1: but naked. That was the last that most people heard 42 00:02:58,664 --> 00:03:01,184 Speaker 1: of him. But it turns out that was only the 43 00:03:01,224 --> 00:03:05,304 Speaker 1: beginning of a much weirder story. The guy who streaked 44 00:03:05,304 --> 00:03:09,304 Speaker 1: the Oscars was a former Ronald Reagan speechwriter turn earned 45 00:03:09,344 --> 00:03:13,424 Speaker 1: to this kind of gay liberation performance artist. He was 46 00:03:13,464 --> 00:03:16,344 Speaker 1: like the Zelig of the history of gay rights, popping 47 00:03:16,384 --> 00:03:18,864 Speaker 1: up at the murder of Harvey Milk, hanging out with 48 00:03:18,944 --> 00:03:23,264 Speaker 1: Robert Maplethorpe and interviewing John Waters. He lived a life 49 00:03:23,304 --> 00:03:28,344 Speaker 1: full of stunts, pranks, and pornography until one money making 50 00:03:28,424 --> 00:03:33,464 Speaker 1: scheme ultimately led to his death. Michael Schulman wrote about 51 00:03:33,504 --> 00:03:36,504 Speaker 1: all this for The New Yorker. Michael, thank you for 52 00:03:36,584 --> 00:03:40,664 Speaker 1: coming on and telling us about this crazy story. Thanks 53 00:03:40,664 --> 00:03:43,264 Speaker 1: for having me. It was nineteen seventy four, which is 54 00:03:43,784 --> 00:03:46,584 Speaker 1: pretty much It's an inflection point in society, right like 55 00:03:46,864 --> 00:03:51,344 Speaker 1: the Vietnam War had ended the year earlier. Absolutely, yeah, 56 00:03:51,504 --> 00:03:55,704 Speaker 1: it was a very unstable, strange, slightly unhinged and electric 57 00:03:55,864 --> 00:03:59,344 Speaker 1: moment in American life, and the Oscars kind of reflect that, right. 58 00:03:59,344 --> 00:04:02,904 Speaker 1: They've got like two cool hosts and two old school hosts. 59 00:04:02,904 --> 00:04:05,384 Speaker 1: They have four people hosting and one of them is 60 00:04:05,704 --> 00:04:10,344 Speaker 1: David Niven. So this is like an old school British actor. Yes, 61 00:04:10,504 --> 00:04:14,344 Speaker 1: a very dry wit and not to divulge the content. 62 00:04:14,464 --> 00:04:18,504 Speaker 1: So this year's most Important Envelope is a very important 63 00:04:18,544 --> 00:04:22,024 Speaker 1: contributor to world entertainment. So it's the end of the 64 00:04:22,024 --> 00:04:24,904 Speaker 1: Oscars night and they're about some injuries Elizabeth towered to 65 00:04:25,664 --> 00:04:29,744 Speaker 1: give the best picture Oscar when this sort of amazing 66 00:04:30,104 --> 00:04:32,784 Speaker 1: thing happens out of nowhere, right, So David Niven is 67 00:04:32,824 --> 00:04:36,784 Speaker 1: gearing up to bring on Elizabeth Taylor and behind him, 68 00:04:37,624 --> 00:04:41,704 Speaker 1: all of a sudden, a thirty something year old man 69 00:04:42,864 --> 00:04:47,184 Speaker 1: runs across the stage, totally nude, but he's so casual 70 00:04:47,344 --> 00:04:50,024 Speaker 1: and calm about it. He just looks like he was 71 00:04:50,104 --> 00:04:52,104 Speaker 1: supposed to be there. He kind of just seems to 72 00:04:52,104 --> 00:04:55,184 Speaker 1: know where the camera is, flashes the peace sign. He 73 00:04:55,304 --> 00:04:59,624 Speaker 1: just seems so cool. Yeah, and then he's gone. David 74 00:04:59,704 --> 00:05:02,104 Speaker 1: Niven did not exactly know what was happening at first, 75 00:05:02,144 --> 00:05:05,104 Speaker 1: and you kind of see him react and figure out 76 00:05:05,144 --> 00:05:08,544 Speaker 1: how to play this moment because the audience is rumbling 77 00:05:08,664 --> 00:05:11,584 Speaker 1: and I'm not sure what to do. Sort of nervous laughter. 78 00:05:12,024 --> 00:05:15,224 Speaker 1: The band plays, which is an odd reaction like it's 79 00:05:15,264 --> 00:05:26,584 Speaker 1: a parade, and everyone applauds. It's a very odd reactor. Yeah, 80 00:05:26,624 --> 00:05:30,104 Speaker 1: weird energy and it's sort of awkward. And then David Niven, 81 00:05:30,264 --> 00:05:34,264 Speaker 1: to his credit, immediately gets the energy and focus back 82 00:05:34,304 --> 00:05:37,224 Speaker 1: in the room by saying two things. He says, first 83 00:05:37,224 --> 00:05:39,984 Speaker 1: of all, ladies and gentlemen, that was almost bound to happen, 84 00:05:40,624 --> 00:05:42,984 Speaker 1: and so that gets people laughing. And it was bound 85 00:05:42,984 --> 00:05:45,504 Speaker 1: to happen because it was a nineteen seventy four was 86 00:05:45,544 --> 00:05:47,504 Speaker 1: like the year of the streaker, right, they were everywhere. 87 00:05:47,664 --> 00:05:50,104 Speaker 1: It was true, it was almost bound to happen because 88 00:05:50,344 --> 00:05:53,264 Speaker 1: streaking had been such a popular fad and had gotten 89 00:05:53,664 --> 00:05:56,624 Speaker 1: bigger and bigger, bigger. It had started several months earlier 90 00:05:56,984 --> 00:06:00,144 Speaker 1: with like a housewife running through the valley and then 91 00:06:00,264 --> 00:06:04,264 Speaker 1: suddenly there that's how streaking starts. Yeah, yeah, there was 92 00:06:04,664 --> 00:06:07,744 Speaker 1: figured it was like college kids. Well it became a 93 00:06:07,944 --> 00:06:11,744 Speaker 1: major college kid fad, like you know, the entire student 94 00:06:11,824 --> 00:06:15,264 Speaker 1: body of the University of Georgia had fifteen hundred and 95 00:06:15,304 --> 00:06:17,624 Speaker 1: forty three people streak a cost campus. And then people 96 00:06:17,624 --> 00:06:20,984 Speaker 1: were streaking football games. It was infectious. Streaking was just 97 00:06:21,024 --> 00:06:24,144 Speaker 1: a thing that people did, but only for six months, 98 00:06:24,624 --> 00:06:26,704 Speaker 1: and so by the time he got to the Oscars 99 00:06:27,224 --> 00:06:29,664 Speaker 1: in April nineteen seventy four, it had been going on 100 00:06:30,064 --> 00:06:32,464 Speaker 1: for a couple of months and people actually sort of 101 00:06:32,504 --> 00:06:35,024 Speaker 1: expected that someone might try to streak the Oscars. So 102 00:06:35,064 --> 00:06:37,904 Speaker 1: when David Niven says this was almost bound to happen, 103 00:06:38,984 --> 00:06:41,744 Speaker 1: that wasn't just a line like that was kind of true. 104 00:06:42,344 --> 00:06:45,304 Speaker 1: So that gets people laughing, and then he pauses a 105 00:06:45,384 --> 00:06:48,544 Speaker 1: moment and then has this perfect one liner. Probably the 106 00:06:48,624 --> 00:06:51,144 Speaker 1: only love that man will ever get in his life 107 00:06:51,184 --> 00:06:57,064 Speaker 1: was by stripping off and showing his shortcomings. The dick joke, 108 00:06:57,624 --> 00:07:00,704 Speaker 1: well done, incredible, and that just gets everyone back and 109 00:07:00,784 --> 00:07:04,464 Speaker 1: it's this perfect save. And did people at home actually 110 00:07:04,504 --> 00:07:08,984 Speaker 1: see his penis? The cameras managed to avoid, you know, 111 00:07:09,704 --> 00:07:12,504 Speaker 1: the sweet spot, So yeah, that was some quick thinking 112 00:07:13,064 --> 00:07:15,864 Speaker 1: and how did this guy pull it off? This sounds 113 00:07:15,864 --> 00:07:20,024 Speaker 1: like an impossible thing. I actually spent an Oscars backstage once. 114 00:07:20,264 --> 00:07:23,224 Speaker 1: The Oscars had me like live blog or something, and 115 00:07:23,264 --> 00:07:26,424 Speaker 1: it's I was on the wings. It's pretty well regulated 116 00:07:26,464 --> 00:07:28,904 Speaker 1: back there, Like I don't I don't see what I mean. 117 00:07:28,984 --> 00:07:32,464 Speaker 1: I'm sure, I'm sure the streak had them tightened the security. 118 00:07:32,504 --> 00:07:36,024 Speaker 1: But basically he got a press pass from a friend 119 00:07:36,184 --> 00:07:41,744 Speaker 1: he came in and he sneaked backstage. He later said 120 00:07:41,784 --> 00:07:44,264 Speaker 1: that he was so nervous about all the wires he 121 00:07:44,304 --> 00:07:46,664 Speaker 1: thought he was going to get electrocuted, but he waited 122 00:07:46,744 --> 00:07:50,464 Speaker 1: because he wanted to wait until the final envelope. And 123 00:07:50,504 --> 00:07:52,624 Speaker 1: then when the time came, he took off his clothes 124 00:07:53,104 --> 00:07:57,104 Speaker 1: and he broke through the cyclorama, you know, the psych 125 00:07:57,184 --> 00:07:59,824 Speaker 1: that was part of the set, and he just ran 126 00:07:59,864 --> 00:08:01,304 Speaker 1: across the stage and then he was on the other 127 00:08:01,344 --> 00:08:02,944 Speaker 1: side of the stage, and he thought he was going 128 00:08:02,984 --> 00:08:07,384 Speaker 1: to be apprehended by security guards, but instead the academy 129 00:08:07,624 --> 00:08:09,944 Speaker 1: press people found him and brought him to the press 130 00:08:10,064 --> 00:08:15,544 Speaker 1: room to do interviews. So their immediate reaction was, let's 131 00:08:15,544 --> 00:08:18,304 Speaker 1: hear more from this guy. Yeah, we want to know more. 132 00:08:18,944 --> 00:08:21,504 Speaker 1: Who are yea? So he never got arrested or in 133 00:08:21,504 --> 00:08:25,704 Speaker 1: any trouble for this, Nope? And who is he and 134 00:08:25,824 --> 00:08:28,744 Speaker 1: why is he doing this? So the streaker's name was 135 00:08:28,864 --> 00:08:33,384 Speaker 1: Robert Opele. He was a kind of gay man about 136 00:08:33,424 --> 00:08:36,944 Speaker 1: town and sort of wild child. He is an interesting 137 00:08:37,064 --> 00:08:39,904 Speaker 1: life that led him to that moment, right because he 138 00:08:40,064 --> 00:08:44,104 Speaker 1: grows up conservative right right? Yeah, you know, he had 139 00:08:44,224 --> 00:08:47,944 Speaker 1: a very suburban, middle class family. He was in the 140 00:08:48,024 --> 00:08:50,864 Speaker 1: boy Scouts, not just in the Boy Scouts. You report 141 00:08:50,904 --> 00:08:52,584 Speaker 1: that he was an Eagle Scout, and then he did 142 00:08:52,744 --> 00:08:55,984 Speaker 1: Order of the Arrow, which is like for the like 143 00:08:56,064 --> 00:08:58,304 Speaker 1: one percent of people who love the Boy Scouts so much, 144 00:08:58,344 --> 00:08:59,784 Speaker 1: you don't even to know more about the Boy Scouts 145 00:08:59,784 --> 00:09:01,624 Speaker 1: than I do. I've never touched the Boy Scouts, but 146 00:09:02,064 --> 00:09:04,464 Speaker 1: you should not touch Boy Scouts. That's been a whole problem. 147 00:09:04,704 --> 00:09:07,264 Speaker 1: But I for my first book where I tried to 148 00:09:07,344 --> 00:09:08,904 Speaker 1: learn how to be a man to raise my son, 149 00:09:09,384 --> 00:09:11,104 Speaker 1: I had never done the Boy Scouts because my mom 150 00:09:11,104 --> 00:09:13,464 Speaker 1: thought it was a fascist organization. So I went and 151 00:09:13,584 --> 00:09:16,104 Speaker 1: got my first badge into a sleepover with the Boy Scouts, 152 00:09:16,144 --> 00:09:19,424 Speaker 1: where I learned about all this. Wow. So he yeah, 153 00:09:19,464 --> 00:09:22,024 Speaker 1: I mean he was this straight a student, this overachiever, 154 00:09:22,224 --> 00:09:24,944 Speaker 1: Robert ople you know, he was the student body president 155 00:09:24,984 --> 00:09:27,304 Speaker 1: and all that kind of stuff. He tried to join 156 00:09:27,344 --> 00:09:32,344 Speaker 1: the Peace Corps and teach teach English in Thailand and 157 00:09:32,464 --> 00:09:35,264 Speaker 1: he studied tie and he was about to go and 158 00:09:35,304 --> 00:09:38,984 Speaker 1: then the Peace Corps basically kicked him out because he 159 00:09:39,024 --> 00:09:42,664 Speaker 1: was gay. And then what years that basically that's like 160 00:09:42,784 --> 00:09:45,944 Speaker 1: mid sixties, early to mid sixties, and then he wound 161 00:09:45,984 --> 00:09:50,944 Speaker 1: up working for um Reagan's gubernatorial campaign in nineteen sixty six, 162 00:09:50,944 --> 00:09:54,624 Speaker 1: which was obviously a very conservative campaign, but he was 163 00:09:54,704 --> 00:09:57,504 Speaker 1: fired because he was gay. Again, there was a press 164 00:09:57,544 --> 00:10:00,424 Speaker 1: leak that said that there were homosexuals in this campaign 165 00:10:00,744 --> 00:10:02,304 Speaker 1: and they got rid of him. So he was what 166 00:10:02,384 --> 00:10:05,184 Speaker 1: was he doing for Regan? Speech writing? He was a 167 00:10:05,264 --> 00:10:10,424 Speaker 1: really smart, like straight laced, straight and narrow kind of guy. 168 00:10:10,664 --> 00:10:15,584 Speaker 1: And then after nineteen sixty six he was transformed by 169 00:10:15,664 --> 00:10:18,984 Speaker 1: the hippie movement, the sexual Revolution, and he emerged in 170 00:10:19,024 --> 00:10:23,184 Speaker 1: the early seventies as this hippie, wild child, crazy man. 171 00:10:23,664 --> 00:10:26,744 Speaker 1: Do you think that's because he got kicked out of 172 00:10:26,784 --> 00:10:29,384 Speaker 1: the conservative world for being gay and this was the 173 00:10:29,384 --> 00:10:31,864 Speaker 1: only world that was available to him. Yeah, I think so, 174 00:10:32,024 --> 00:10:36,224 Speaker 1: because he obviously was on this conservative path and was 175 00:10:36,304 --> 00:10:38,144 Speaker 1: just shut out of that world over and every again. 176 00:10:38,184 --> 00:10:40,744 Speaker 1: But also the times changed in nineteen sixty nine, there 177 00:10:40,824 --> 00:10:44,424 Speaker 1: was of course Stone Wall, which really changed when it 178 00:10:44,424 --> 00:10:46,624 Speaker 1: meant to be gay, and he sort of found his 179 00:10:46,664 --> 00:10:50,864 Speaker 1: place in this new gay liberation movement. Makeson decided to 180 00:10:50,904 --> 00:10:55,184 Speaker 1: do this streaking bit at the oscars. Well at the time, 181 00:10:55,224 --> 00:10:57,064 Speaker 1: he said, it just occurred to me that it might 182 00:10:57,104 --> 00:10:59,864 Speaker 1: be an educative thing to do. You know, people shouldn't 183 00:10:59,864 --> 00:11:02,304 Speaker 1: be ashamed of being nude in public. Besides, it's a 184 00:11:02,304 --> 00:11:04,224 Speaker 1: hell of a way to launch a career. Yeah, that 185 00:11:04,304 --> 00:11:06,864 Speaker 1: last part sounds like the truth. Yeah, I mean yeah. 186 00:11:06,864 --> 00:11:08,784 Speaker 1: He was a little bit of attention seeker, you know, 187 00:11:09,184 --> 00:11:12,104 Speaker 1: to show up at like the Gay Liberation marches dressed 188 00:11:12,144 --> 00:11:14,944 Speaker 1: as a character named mister Penis who was supposed to 189 00:11:14,984 --> 00:11:17,664 Speaker 1: be a cousin of mister Peanuts. Was it like a 190 00:11:17,664 --> 00:11:20,144 Speaker 1: Penis with a monocle? Yeah, it's just like a giant 191 00:11:20,184 --> 00:11:23,224 Speaker 1: penis costume. And then after he streaks, he gets fired 192 00:11:23,344 --> 00:11:26,464 Speaker 1: from his job. He's working for the Los Angeles Unified 193 00:11:26,464 --> 00:11:30,544 Speaker 1: School District as helping to figure out ways to teach 194 00:11:30,744 --> 00:11:33,904 Speaker 1: English to kids who come to LA without speaking English. 195 00:11:34,024 --> 00:11:36,504 Speaker 1: They fire him for streaking. They immediately were like, your 196 00:11:36,544 --> 00:11:41,664 Speaker 1: services are no lunger needed. But he managed to hang 197 00:11:41,664 --> 00:11:44,144 Speaker 1: on to his fifteen minutes of fame and suddenly everyone 198 00:11:44,144 --> 00:11:46,224 Speaker 1: in Hollywood was really interested in him. He went on 199 00:11:46,264 --> 00:11:49,344 Speaker 1: the Mike Douglas Show, he did a comedy show in Philadelphia, 200 00:11:49,464 --> 00:11:52,384 Speaker 1: like a stand up show, where someone streaked him. Oh 201 00:11:52,424 --> 00:11:55,664 Speaker 1: so someone showed up at his event to streak him. Yeah, 202 00:11:55,704 --> 00:11:57,704 Speaker 1: but he kind of what I love about Robert ople 203 00:11:57,824 --> 00:12:02,824 Speaker 1: Is that he was really funny, Like, right after this happened, 204 00:12:02,864 --> 00:12:05,944 Speaker 1: he launched a sort of fake campaign for president, and 205 00:12:05,984 --> 00:12:08,224 Speaker 1: this was, of course the same time that Watergate was 206 00:12:08,264 --> 00:12:11,024 Speaker 1: all going down. He created his own party called the 207 00:12:11,104 --> 00:12:17,144 Speaker 1: nudelb Party, and his platform was total transparency, and his 208 00:12:17,544 --> 00:12:21,424 Speaker 1: campaign slogan was not just another crooked dick nice So 209 00:12:21,504 --> 00:12:24,304 Speaker 1: he was like he was pure comedy, but he really 210 00:12:24,344 --> 00:12:28,464 Speaker 1: also had a sincere belief that nudity should not be shameful, 211 00:12:28,624 --> 00:12:32,584 Speaker 1: and that sexuality should not be shameful, and that the 212 00:12:32,744 --> 00:12:36,224 Speaker 1: way to dispel the shame was to take off your clothes. 213 00:12:36,744 --> 00:12:41,544 Speaker 1: So he's living in LA and he's got a nemesis 214 00:12:41,624 --> 00:12:45,784 Speaker 1: in LA, the LA Police chief at Davis. That's right. 215 00:12:45,824 --> 00:12:48,944 Speaker 1: I mean, Davis was a real homophobe. You know, the 216 00:12:48,984 --> 00:12:53,064 Speaker 1: police were really constantly cracking down on you know, homosexuals, 217 00:12:53,064 --> 00:12:55,824 Speaker 1: and there was just constant harassment in LA for the 218 00:12:55,824 --> 00:12:59,984 Speaker 1: gay community there. So not long after the Oscar streak, 219 00:13:00,304 --> 00:13:03,104 Speaker 1: there was this LA City Council meeting to discuss whether 220 00:13:03,144 --> 00:13:05,944 Speaker 1: they should put a ban on nudity and the public areas, 221 00:13:06,024 --> 00:13:10,864 Speaker 1: and Robert Opele showed up again nude walked right up 222 00:13:10,904 --> 00:13:13,744 Speaker 1: to a police Chief Davis held up at peace sign 223 00:13:13,784 --> 00:13:16,584 Speaker 1: again and asked is this lewd? But he went to 224 00:13:16,664 --> 00:13:19,144 Speaker 1: jail for this. Yeah, he was sentenced to four months. 225 00:13:19,944 --> 00:13:22,464 Speaker 1: He did four months in jail for taking off his 226 00:13:22,544 --> 00:13:25,304 Speaker 1: close at the Atla City Council and zero for being 227 00:13:25,424 --> 00:13:27,904 Speaker 1: naked at the oscars. Four months in jail seems like 228 00:13:27,904 --> 00:13:30,504 Speaker 1: a lot. Well, don't mess with police Chief ed Davis 229 00:13:30,504 --> 00:13:33,264 Speaker 1: in nineteen seventy four, and then he runs through city 230 00:13:33,264 --> 00:13:35,784 Speaker 1: council in La, right. Yeah, when his presidential bit did 231 00:13:35,824 --> 00:13:38,304 Speaker 1: not work out well, he started a writing campaign for 232 00:13:38,344 --> 00:13:41,344 Speaker 1: city council. It was sponsored by a committee called FAGS 233 00:13:41,384 --> 00:13:46,064 Speaker 1: for Unseating Civic Knuckleheads. Take the first letter of each 234 00:13:46,104 --> 00:13:49,224 Speaker 1: one of those words and you get fuc K, And 235 00:13:49,384 --> 00:13:53,144 Speaker 1: mostly was trying to remove at Davis from office. And 236 00:13:53,184 --> 00:13:57,984 Speaker 1: then while he's running he somehow gets arrested again. So 237 00:13:58,024 --> 00:14:01,704 Speaker 1: he showed up to the Christopher Street West Parade, which 238 00:14:01,744 --> 00:14:04,184 Speaker 1: is basically the Gay Pride Parade from that time, a 239 00:14:04,304 --> 00:14:08,824 Speaker 1: dressed as mister Penis. So there was some disagreement within 240 00:14:08,864 --> 00:14:11,704 Speaker 1: the parade committee about whether they wanted this kind of thing, 241 00:14:12,224 --> 00:14:15,824 Speaker 1: and the game movement then as now really was sort 242 00:14:15,824 --> 00:14:21,344 Speaker 1: of caught between conformity and assimilation and seeming respectable and 243 00:14:21,784 --> 00:14:26,504 Speaker 1: undermining heteronormative standards. And obviously Opel did not care about 244 00:14:26,744 --> 00:14:29,584 Speaker 1: good behavioral respectability. And so he shows up as as 245 00:14:29,584 --> 00:14:32,384 Speaker 1: this penis character and the parade ejected him and he 246 00:14:32,424 --> 00:14:35,064 Speaker 1: was handcuffed and just spent a few hours in jail. Right, 247 00:14:35,104 --> 00:14:39,104 Speaker 1: there's this the rift in the in the gay community, 248 00:14:39,264 --> 00:14:42,024 Speaker 1: like you said, exists now between do we fight for 249 00:14:42,064 --> 00:14:46,704 Speaker 1: acceptability or do we let our freak flag fly? Oh exactly. 250 00:14:46,744 --> 00:14:50,824 Speaker 1: I mean that's that's been a perennial tension within those 251 00:14:51,264 --> 00:14:55,464 Speaker 1: queer rights going up through gay marriage, like do we 252 00:14:55,544 --> 00:14:58,104 Speaker 1: want marriage? Do we want to partake in the institution 253 00:14:58,144 --> 00:15:02,184 Speaker 1: of marriage like everyone else? Or is marriage too heteronormative? 254 00:15:02,224 --> 00:15:04,824 Speaker 1: And you know, but do we want to maintain a 255 00:15:04,944 --> 00:15:08,584 Speaker 1: kind of separatism and a more radical lifestyle? You know, 256 00:15:08,624 --> 00:15:10,544 Speaker 1: I think it was it was that same kind of tension, 257 00:15:10,584 --> 00:15:14,344 Speaker 1: but the mid seventies version of it. So he's sort 258 00:15:14,384 --> 00:15:16,784 Speaker 1: of famous now from the streaking and he's made the 259 00:15:16,824 --> 00:15:19,664 Speaker 1: most of it. And then he becomes the editor of 260 00:15:19,664 --> 00:15:23,104 Speaker 1: a gay porn magazine in Los Angeles. How does that 261 00:15:23,144 --> 00:15:25,584 Speaker 1: go for him? Oh? Yeah, this magazine is called Finger 262 00:15:25,824 --> 00:15:27,824 Speaker 1: And when I was researching the story. I was in 263 00:15:27,864 --> 00:15:33,664 Speaker 1: San Francisco at the GLBT Historical Center there and I 264 00:15:33,784 --> 00:15:38,744 Speaker 1: found copies of Finger, which is very raunchy. It's like 265 00:15:39,704 --> 00:15:42,544 Speaker 1: straight up to total smart. But there was one The 266 00:15:42,664 --> 00:15:44,984 Speaker 1: thing that I found in these archives that was like 267 00:15:45,584 --> 00:15:49,664 Speaker 1: a total gem is that in one of these issues 268 00:15:49,704 --> 00:15:53,304 Speaker 1: of Finger, he wrote an editor's letter, like a welcome letter, 269 00:15:53,384 --> 00:15:57,624 Speaker 1: that was basically his manifesto of nudity. So he said, 270 00:15:57,664 --> 00:16:01,144 Speaker 1: the thrust of my messages undress. As long as cover 271 00:16:01,304 --> 00:16:03,744 Speaker 1: up is part of anyone's mental set, he or she 272 00:16:03,824 --> 00:16:06,904 Speaker 1: will be diminished in his efforts to be totally self actualized. 273 00:16:07,384 --> 00:16:10,184 Speaker 1: Undressed goes far beyond simply urging one to remove the 274 00:16:10,264 --> 00:16:13,384 Speaker 1: clothes from one's physical person, but that can be a start, 275 00:16:13,784 --> 00:16:17,544 Speaker 1: a visual statement of innocence, an external sign of one's 276 00:16:17,584 --> 00:16:23,584 Speaker 1: intent to exorcise hypocrisy. So he's a real believer in 277 00:16:23,744 --> 00:16:28,704 Speaker 1: nudity in addition to the gay right stuff, yeah, and 278 00:16:28,784 --> 00:16:33,264 Speaker 1: a believer in sexuality, that human sexuality should not be shame. 279 00:16:33,384 --> 00:16:37,584 Speaker 1: He goes on in that editorial to write more about Catholicism, 280 00:16:37,584 --> 00:16:39,864 Speaker 1: and I think you see some of his conservative upbringing 281 00:16:40,504 --> 00:16:43,384 Speaker 1: coming through and his sense of rebellion against kind of 282 00:16:43,504 --> 00:16:46,424 Speaker 1: Catholic morality. And so he's work. Why is it called 283 00:16:46,464 --> 00:16:53,104 Speaker 1: finger the magazine? Why wouldn't it be is your imagination? Well, 284 00:16:53,104 --> 00:16:55,384 Speaker 1: the next gay magazine he works. Fore, it's called Drummer, 285 00:16:55,424 --> 00:16:57,424 Speaker 1: which I figured is some other gaye lane to remind 286 00:16:57,464 --> 00:17:00,984 Speaker 1: on't now. Yeah, I don't know why it's called Drummer, 287 00:17:00,984 --> 00:17:03,744 Speaker 1: but Drummer was. It was like the Bible of like 288 00:17:03,864 --> 00:17:07,704 Speaker 1: gay snm. It is a leather magazine, and he was 289 00:17:07,744 --> 00:17:13,184 Speaker 1: writing about like the cycle sluts, which were leatherman on motorcycles. 290 00:17:13,664 --> 00:17:18,064 Speaker 1: And then the magazine gets rated by nemesis Ed Davis 291 00:17:18,584 --> 00:17:21,264 Speaker 1: at some point. Right, Yes, that's right. So the LAPD 292 00:17:21,424 --> 00:17:25,304 Speaker 1: was really harassing the people a Drummer, and they actually 293 00:17:25,304 --> 00:17:28,744 Speaker 1: held a charity S and M slave auction, and a 294 00:17:28,784 --> 00:17:32,184 Speaker 1: police chief Davis tried to prosecute the publishers on charges 295 00:17:32,224 --> 00:17:35,704 Speaker 1: of slavery, oh, of actual slave slavery, like, oh, you're 296 00:17:35,744 --> 00:17:39,824 Speaker 1: having a slave auction, slavery is against the law. Did 297 00:17:39,824 --> 00:17:43,624 Speaker 1: that work? No, of course, it's in the oticulous, but 298 00:17:43,824 --> 00:17:46,624 Speaker 1: it did sort of harass the magazine out of la 299 00:17:46,904 --> 00:17:50,824 Speaker 1: and they moved their operations to San Francisco. And that's 300 00:17:50,864 --> 00:17:53,144 Speaker 1: part of the reason why Robert ole himself moved to 301 00:17:53,144 --> 00:17:59,864 Speaker 1: San Francisco. In San Francisco, Robert Opele would reinvent himself 302 00:17:59,904 --> 00:18:03,064 Speaker 1: as an art gallery owner and connoisseur of gay photography, 303 00:18:03,544 --> 00:18:07,904 Speaker 1: robbing shoulders with Robert Maplethorpe, John Waters, even Harvey Milk 304 00:18:08,624 --> 00:18:13,064 Speaker 1: until he rubbed shoulders with the wrong guy, which is 305 00:18:13,144 --> 00:18:19,024 Speaker 1: podcast speak for murder. But first, our advertisers want to 306 00:18:19,064 --> 00:18:22,864 Speaker 1: sell you a very fine artist in leather harness. I'm 307 00:18:22,944 --> 00:18:32,824 Speaker 1: just kidding. It's probably meand's just three years after he 308 00:18:32,904 --> 00:18:36,304 Speaker 1: streaked the Oscars. Robert Ople's basically been run out of 309 00:18:36,344 --> 00:18:39,784 Speaker 1: Los Angeles and he finds a place where everyone and 310 00:18:39,864 --> 00:18:43,584 Speaker 1: their hardcore porn magazines are welcome. Yeah, if you had 311 00:18:43,744 --> 00:18:47,624 Speaker 1: any means to move from wherever you were and you 312 00:18:47,624 --> 00:18:49,904 Speaker 1: were gay, you went to San Francisco in the seventies, 313 00:18:49,984 --> 00:18:52,824 Speaker 1: right absolutely, And this is where we get the explosion 314 00:18:52,864 --> 00:18:55,624 Speaker 1: of the Castro. Droves of people were coming from around 315 00:18:55,624 --> 00:18:57,904 Speaker 1: the country, and gay people from around the country were 316 00:18:57,944 --> 00:19:00,784 Speaker 1: coming from their little towns and going to the Castro 317 00:19:00,904 --> 00:19:03,384 Speaker 1: because they knew that in San Francisco they could be 318 00:19:03,464 --> 00:19:06,744 Speaker 1: themselves and have a community. Even in the early nineties 319 00:19:06,744 --> 00:19:08,464 Speaker 1: when I was in college of the Bay Area. We 320 00:19:08,464 --> 00:19:11,344 Speaker 1: would i fy the Castro and it was it was 321 00:19:11,424 --> 00:19:14,744 Speaker 1: scary as hell. It was like Pete Townsend's rough boys, 322 00:19:14,824 --> 00:19:17,904 Speaker 1: gay like leather and it just felt like everyone was 323 00:19:17,904 --> 00:19:20,584 Speaker 1: looking to fuck or fight like it just scared the 324 00:19:20,624 --> 00:19:22,504 Speaker 1: hell out of me. Well so, actually, when when Robert 325 00:19:22,504 --> 00:19:25,544 Speaker 1: Opele got there, he found the even rougher gay neighborhood 326 00:19:25,544 --> 00:19:28,944 Speaker 1: which was South of Market or Soma, which was like Castro, 327 00:19:29,064 --> 00:19:31,944 Speaker 1: was where the sort of the young pretty boys were 328 00:19:32,144 --> 00:19:37,184 Speaker 1: like going disco dancing. Soma was the leather community that 329 00:19:37,344 --> 00:19:41,904 Speaker 1: was like hardcore leather. So that's where Robert Oppele found 330 00:19:41,984 --> 00:19:44,384 Speaker 1: his place. He moved there in nineteen seventy seven, you know, 331 00:19:44,384 --> 00:19:48,384 Speaker 1: and this was of course before the AIDS epidemic. So 332 00:19:48,864 --> 00:19:52,384 Speaker 1: there was just an aspect of hedonism and possibility and 333 00:19:52,904 --> 00:19:56,264 Speaker 1: the dating scene where you could actually find people to 334 00:19:56,384 --> 00:19:58,744 Speaker 1: date if you were a gay man, and it was 335 00:19:58,944 --> 00:20:02,664 Speaker 1: a place that was totally sexually liberated. Yeah, you wrote 336 00:20:02,664 --> 00:20:06,544 Speaker 1: in your piece about this guy Jim Stewart who approached 337 00:20:06,624 --> 00:20:09,784 Speaker 1: him with this crazy line. Oh well, so Jim Stewart 338 00:20:10,064 --> 00:20:12,944 Speaker 1: was one of the leatherman in Soma and he had 339 00:20:12,944 --> 00:20:16,664 Speaker 1: an erotic photography business in his apartment and he wrote 340 00:20:16,664 --> 00:20:19,544 Speaker 1: a memoir called Folsom Street Blues, where he wrote about 341 00:20:19,584 --> 00:20:23,504 Speaker 1: how one day after Robert Oppele arrived, he found Opel 342 00:20:24,264 --> 00:20:27,824 Speaker 1: in a Knockingham's door and Jim Stewart says, why do 343 00:20:27,864 --> 00:20:31,024 Speaker 1: I think I know you have we fucked? And Opele said, 344 00:20:31,144 --> 00:20:36,104 Speaker 1: I streaked the Academy Awards, so many ways to be 345 00:20:36,184 --> 00:20:38,904 Speaker 1: known and mister district at the time. Yeah. But the 346 00:20:38,944 --> 00:20:41,424 Speaker 1: reason that he was there seeking out Jim Stewart was 347 00:20:41,464 --> 00:20:45,184 Speaker 1: because he was opening an art gallery, an erotic art 348 00:20:45,184 --> 00:20:49,064 Speaker 1: gallery in South of Market called Faye Way Studios, and 349 00:20:49,144 --> 00:20:54,544 Speaker 1: he was looking for artists to display there. Fayway being 350 00:20:54,664 --> 00:20:58,744 Speaker 1: a punt. It's a pun on Faye Ray from you know, 351 00:20:58,784 --> 00:21:02,224 Speaker 1: the girl from Kong Kong movies in the thirties, the actress, 352 00:21:02,904 --> 00:21:06,424 Speaker 1: but also Faye y as in you know, limp wristed 353 00:21:06,504 --> 00:21:10,664 Speaker 1: Fae Gay stereotype. But that was right. He's a photographer, 354 00:21:10,784 --> 00:21:13,224 Speaker 1: so he's opening art gallery that's going to show a 355 00:21:13,224 --> 00:21:17,104 Speaker 1: lot of photography, I imagine, which is how he meets 356 00:21:17,224 --> 00:21:19,904 Speaker 1: Robert Maplethorpe. Yeah, I mean so. One of the things 357 00:21:19,904 --> 00:21:24,584 Speaker 1: that's so incredible about Opal's post streaking life is that 358 00:21:24,664 --> 00:21:28,304 Speaker 1: he kept rushing shoulders with these other famous people from 359 00:21:28,544 --> 00:21:31,664 Speaker 1: countercultural history, and one of them was was Robert Maplethorpe, 360 00:21:31,664 --> 00:21:35,064 Speaker 1: who was very young and not well known at the time. 361 00:21:35,184 --> 00:21:39,064 Speaker 1: He had barely cracked California. He was really a New 362 00:21:39,144 --> 00:21:44,864 Speaker 1: York artist who was producing these homo erotic, very boundary 363 00:21:44,864 --> 00:21:50,504 Speaker 1: pushing photographs, and Opele put some of his work in 364 00:21:50,904 --> 00:21:53,744 Speaker 1: Fayway Studios. Was it one of the first places that 365 00:21:53,784 --> 00:21:58,864 Speaker 1: Maplethorpe was shown in, certainly in California? Wow, So Robert 366 00:21:58,864 --> 00:22:00,784 Speaker 1: Opel's kind of a big deal in this scene. Yeah. 367 00:22:00,864 --> 00:22:03,904 Speaker 1: I mean, this was like a storefront gallery, but it 368 00:22:03,984 --> 00:22:06,384 Speaker 1: kind of became a hot spot where people would go. 369 00:22:06,504 --> 00:22:09,664 Speaker 1: And at the time, gay art in Santichi's had mostly 370 00:22:09,664 --> 00:22:13,624 Speaker 1: been shown like in restaurants, in clubs, places where people 371 00:22:13,664 --> 00:22:17,424 Speaker 1: are not necessarily looking at the art. So to have 372 00:22:17,464 --> 00:22:23,824 Speaker 1: a gallery that was dedicated to erotic, rough gay art 373 00:22:24,104 --> 00:22:27,704 Speaker 1: was pretty broundbreaking. Okay, So he's on one extreme of 374 00:22:27,744 --> 00:22:30,504 Speaker 1: this gay rights movement in San Francisco, But there's a 375 00:22:30,544 --> 00:22:33,504 Speaker 1: whole other part of the gay rights movement in San Francisco, 376 00:22:33,544 --> 00:22:37,024 Speaker 1: which is like the Harvey Milk part, which is Harvey 377 00:22:37,064 --> 00:22:39,864 Speaker 1: Milks wearing the three piece suit and he's running for 378 00:22:39,984 --> 00:22:43,544 Speaker 1: the Board of Supervisors in San Francisco. What does Opal 379 00:22:43,584 --> 00:22:45,224 Speaker 1: think of Harvey Milk at that point? You know, it's 380 00:22:45,264 --> 00:22:48,304 Speaker 1: really interesting because I saw Harvey Milk is almost like 381 00:22:48,384 --> 00:22:50,904 Speaker 1: a mirror image of Robert Opel, Like they sort of 382 00:22:50,904 --> 00:22:54,464 Speaker 1: had parallel pass They had both started out in you know, 383 00:22:54,544 --> 00:22:58,944 Speaker 1: sort of conservative politics and then sort of became these 384 00:22:59,024 --> 00:23:02,304 Speaker 1: wild child hippies and then wound up in San Francisco. 385 00:23:02,784 --> 00:23:06,304 Speaker 1: But whereas Opal was opening an erotic art gallery, Harvey 386 00:23:06,344 --> 00:23:11,304 Speaker 1: Milk cut his hair, got his suit, ran for political office, 387 00:23:11,744 --> 00:23:15,464 Speaker 1: and he was projecting a much more again like respectable 388 00:23:16,064 --> 00:23:21,224 Speaker 1: image of gay culture and gay gay influence. But Robert 389 00:23:21,264 --> 00:23:25,144 Speaker 1: ope was really into Harvey Milk. And there's this one 390 00:23:25,184 --> 00:23:28,704 Speaker 1: story where he actually walked into Milk's campaign office, which 391 00:23:28,744 --> 00:23:32,264 Speaker 1: was at Harvey Milk's camera shop in the Castro, and 392 00:23:32,544 --> 00:23:37,024 Speaker 1: he offered a campaign poster that he had created, and 393 00:23:37,064 --> 00:23:39,544 Speaker 1: it was a picture of a woman with an exposed 394 00:23:39,584 --> 00:23:44,144 Speaker 1: breast and she was piercing her left breast with a 395 00:23:44,144 --> 00:23:47,744 Speaker 1: pin that said Harvey Milk for Supervisor. And he kind 396 00:23:47,744 --> 00:23:49,584 Speaker 1: of left it there, like in case you needed it, 397 00:23:49,624 --> 00:23:52,184 Speaker 1: here's an idea for a campaign poster, and of course 398 00:23:52,304 --> 00:23:54,624 Speaker 1: that is absolutely the opposite of what they wanted to 399 00:23:55,344 --> 00:23:58,224 Speaker 1: for Jack. You know, it was just pushing that boundary, 400 00:23:58,304 --> 00:24:01,184 Speaker 1: pushing that envelope. That's not what the Milk campaign was doing. 401 00:24:01,184 --> 00:24:04,784 Speaker 1: They were appealing to the labor unions and trying to 402 00:24:04,824 --> 00:24:08,464 Speaker 1: expand their voting base beyond just the gay men and 403 00:24:08,504 --> 00:24:12,784 Speaker 1: the castro and that's how he eventually won. And then 404 00:24:12,904 --> 00:24:15,784 Speaker 1: not long afterwards, of course, Dan White, one of the 405 00:24:15,824 --> 00:24:20,424 Speaker 1: other council members, assassinates Harvey Milk after he wins. Dan 406 00:24:20,504 --> 00:24:25,264 Speaker 1: White was this former policeman, very clean cut guy, conservative, 407 00:24:25,424 --> 00:24:29,824 Speaker 1: representing a very conservative, whitebread district in San Francisco. He 408 00:24:29,904 --> 00:24:33,344 Speaker 1: was elected in the same election as Harvey Milk, and 409 00:24:33,384 --> 00:24:36,704 Speaker 1: they were colleagues and there's a sort of long tangled 410 00:24:36,744 --> 00:24:39,104 Speaker 1: history to how Dan White got to this point. But 411 00:24:39,144 --> 00:24:41,984 Speaker 1: then he showed up at city Hall, climbed in through 412 00:24:42,024 --> 00:24:46,544 Speaker 1: a window with a gun and assassinated the mayor, George 413 00:24:46,624 --> 00:24:50,664 Speaker 1: Muscone and Harvey Milk right in city Hall, and Diane Feinstein, 414 00:24:50,784 --> 00:24:54,184 Speaker 1: who was their colleague, had to come out and tell 415 00:24:54,264 --> 00:24:57,184 Speaker 1: the press the murderer is Dan White. I mean, there's 416 00:24:57,264 --> 00:25:02,864 Speaker 1: video of this. It is jaw dropping, and this really, 417 00:25:03,424 --> 00:25:06,144 Speaker 1: I mean upsets everyone in San Francisco, especially in the 418 00:25:06,184 --> 00:25:10,264 Speaker 1: gay community, but it really motivates Robert Opele. Oh yeah. 419 00:25:10,304 --> 00:25:13,424 Speaker 1: Immediately there were all sorts of conspiracy theories swirling and 420 00:25:13,544 --> 00:25:16,144 Speaker 1: you know, how could this have happened or the cops 421 00:25:16,144 --> 00:25:18,104 Speaker 1: in on it. There was a lot of suspicion, and 422 00:25:18,264 --> 00:25:21,544 Speaker 1: rightly so, because the San Francisco Police Department was constantly, 423 00:25:21,544 --> 00:25:25,344 Speaker 1: you know, cracking down, rating gay bars and you know, 424 00:25:25,384 --> 00:25:28,264 Speaker 1: taking people into the park and clubbing them with nightsticks. 425 00:25:28,304 --> 00:25:31,344 Speaker 1: So there was just a lot of tension. And the 426 00:25:31,464 --> 00:25:34,304 Speaker 1: murder of Harvey Milk, who was one of the first 427 00:25:34,344 --> 00:25:38,984 Speaker 1: openly gay elected officials in the whole country and really 428 00:25:39,024 --> 00:25:41,944 Speaker 1: the mascot of this community. I mean that it just 429 00:25:42,584 --> 00:25:46,224 Speaker 1: blew everything wide open. And even more so when Dan 430 00:25:46,264 --> 00:25:50,504 Speaker 1: White was put on trial and given relatively a slap 431 00:25:50,544 --> 00:25:54,024 Speaker 1: on the wrist. If the gay community was devastated before 432 00:25:54,544 --> 00:25:58,464 Speaker 1: because of the assassinations, the verdict is really what turned 433 00:25:58,464 --> 00:26:02,344 Speaker 1: that into complete rage. And so there was a night 434 00:26:02,424 --> 00:26:06,304 Speaker 1: called the White Night Riots where the entire castor community 435 00:26:06,384 --> 00:26:09,224 Speaker 1: just was ripping up cars, setting things on fire, and 436 00:26:09,304 --> 00:26:14,904 Speaker 1: the SFPD reacted by raiding gay bars, beating people. It's 437 00:26:14,944 --> 00:26:19,144 Speaker 1: a legendary night in the gay rights movement? What does 438 00:26:19,184 --> 00:26:23,504 Speaker 1: Opel do? So he was very involved. He appeared at 439 00:26:23,504 --> 00:26:26,984 Speaker 1: a benefit for some of the protesters who've been arrested, 440 00:26:27,064 --> 00:26:30,984 Speaker 1: and you know, he was on one hand telling friends 441 00:26:30,984 --> 00:26:32,264 Speaker 1: that he was going to write a play about what 442 00:26:32,384 --> 00:26:36,144 Speaker 1: really happened to Harvey Milk. And he started developing this 443 00:26:36,664 --> 00:26:40,064 Speaker 1: plan for something he was going to do, a kind 444 00:26:40,064 --> 00:26:42,424 Speaker 1: of performance art piece where he was going to go 445 00:26:42,544 --> 00:26:46,104 Speaker 1: to the Gay Freedom Day Parade and stage a pseudo 446 00:26:46,184 --> 00:26:49,424 Speaker 1: event called the Execution of Dan White. He had a 447 00:26:49,424 --> 00:26:51,504 Speaker 1: friend who looked just like Dan White. So the ideas 448 00:26:51,504 --> 00:26:54,184 Speaker 1: they would dress someone up as Dan White and that 449 00:26:54,464 --> 00:26:57,944 Speaker 1: Opel would appear as a leather man and publicly execute him. 450 00:26:58,344 --> 00:27:00,984 Speaker 1: There was actually a poster for this event at the 451 00:27:01,024 --> 00:27:03,984 Speaker 1: parade that said, what would happen if a queer gay, homosexual, 452 00:27:04,024 --> 00:27:07,464 Speaker 1: perfect cocksucker faggot shot and killed an X cop? Would 453 00:27:07,544 --> 00:27:10,704 Speaker 1: he get away with murder? And he does this performance 454 00:27:10,704 --> 00:27:13,904 Speaker 1: and it makes the evening news, right. Yeah, So at 455 00:27:13,944 --> 00:27:17,504 Speaker 1: the Gay Parade that year, nineteen seventy nine, the United 456 00:27:17,584 --> 00:27:21,464 Speaker 1: Nations Plaza and Opele introduced himself as the character Gay 457 00:27:21,584 --> 00:27:25,904 Speaker 1: Justice like in an allegory and then he quote unquote 458 00:27:25,944 --> 00:27:29,104 Speaker 1: executed this look alike of Dan White, and do you 459 00:27:29,184 --> 00:27:32,384 Speaker 1: get in trouble for this? They immediately got death threats 460 00:27:32,424 --> 00:27:38,384 Speaker 1: at his gallery. The organizations of the parade strongly advised 461 00:27:38,424 --> 00:27:40,544 Speaker 1: him against doing it, but he did in any way, 462 00:27:40,784 --> 00:27:44,104 Speaker 1: so it did upset people. So then, and this was 463 00:27:44,264 --> 00:27:47,264 Speaker 1: maybe the most surprising part of your very surprising piece. 464 00:27:47,784 --> 00:27:52,384 Speaker 1: Robert Opele gets a girlfriend. Yeah he does. You thought 465 00:27:52,384 --> 00:27:54,504 Speaker 1: that was the most surprising part, Huh, I mean it 466 00:27:54,584 --> 00:27:58,144 Speaker 1: did so okay. So this was this woman, Camille O'Grady. 467 00:27:59,024 --> 00:28:03,384 Speaker 1: She is like a super punk and she had come 468 00:28:03,424 --> 00:28:05,864 Speaker 1: from New York where she was in a punk band. 469 00:28:06,024 --> 00:28:08,664 Speaker 1: She knew Robert Mapplethorpe and also dated him, so she 470 00:28:08,704 --> 00:28:12,024 Speaker 1: had well gay boy friends. So Kamila Grady ended up 471 00:28:12,024 --> 00:28:14,224 Speaker 1: in San Francisco. She got there at the end of 472 00:28:14,264 --> 00:28:16,984 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy eight. Maplethorpe and told her to look up 473 00:28:17,544 --> 00:28:19,664 Speaker 1: Robert ople So she goes to the gallery. They have 474 00:28:19,784 --> 00:28:23,984 Speaker 1: this like four hour mind meld, and soon they're dating 475 00:28:23,984 --> 00:28:26,104 Speaker 1: and they're kind of tied up the hip and Camille 476 00:28:26,104 --> 00:28:29,024 Speaker 1: actually moved into the back of fay Way Studios, which 477 00:28:29,064 --> 00:28:31,544 Speaker 1: I had a little apartment, and they're basically living together, 478 00:28:32,824 --> 00:28:34,704 Speaker 1: and all this is happening so quickly. This is only 479 00:28:34,744 --> 00:28:37,464 Speaker 1: a couple of years after the streaking, right, yeah, this 480 00:28:37,504 --> 00:28:40,904 Speaker 1: is nineteen seventy nine, so five years after the streak. 481 00:28:41,824 --> 00:28:44,024 Speaker 1: And they make a little movie together called Fuck You 482 00:28:44,104 --> 00:28:49,384 Speaker 1: Santa Claus, which did that win in the Oscars. No, 483 00:28:49,504 --> 00:28:51,304 Speaker 1: but they do have a Nomini this year called My 484 00:28:51,384 --> 00:28:53,864 Speaker 1: Year of Dicks. So I feel like maybe Robert Opelethorpe's 485 00:28:54,544 --> 00:28:59,584 Speaker 1: you know, long influence has been felt. And he's interviewing 486 00:28:59,624 --> 00:29:03,464 Speaker 1: like John Waters and Divine for this proposed cable station 487 00:29:03,624 --> 00:29:07,024 Speaker 1: that he's trying to create, and he decides he decides 488 00:29:07,064 --> 00:29:10,504 Speaker 1: to fund that by selling drugs. Right, I mean, first 489 00:29:10,504 --> 00:29:12,824 Speaker 1: of all, I loved that he was, of course in 490 00:29:12,864 --> 00:29:16,304 Speaker 1: the same meal you as John Waters and Divine. Of course, 491 00:29:16,584 --> 00:29:19,424 Speaker 1: why wouldn't he be. He just loved that sort of 492 00:29:19,944 --> 00:29:26,544 Speaker 1: down a dirty, can't be outrageous. John Waters over is 493 00:29:26,544 --> 00:29:30,544 Speaker 1: opel very charming, delightful. Every footage, all the footage I've 494 00:29:30,584 --> 00:29:33,184 Speaker 1: seen of him, he's funny. He just had so much 495 00:29:33,664 --> 00:29:37,784 Speaker 1: spark and energy and conviction. He had political conviction behind 496 00:29:37,784 --> 00:29:39,984 Speaker 1: all this stuff, but he always sort of laced it 497 00:29:40,024 --> 00:29:46,544 Speaker 1: with humor, with outrageous rival humor, and he's selling drugs. 498 00:29:46,984 --> 00:29:49,624 Speaker 1: New he's been doing this whole time. The people who 499 00:29:49,704 --> 00:29:52,864 Speaker 1: knew him seemed to think that he had he started 500 00:29:52,904 --> 00:29:56,264 Speaker 1: selling drugs to kind of fund his activities. He was 501 00:29:56,304 --> 00:29:59,464 Speaker 1: selling PCP or angel dust and Opel would take it 502 00:29:59,544 --> 00:30:02,464 Speaker 1: himself and he would sort of run through the streets 503 00:30:02,504 --> 00:30:04,984 Speaker 1: naked a little bit of a throwback to his streaking days. 504 00:30:05,344 --> 00:30:08,864 Speaker 1: And Camille, his new girlfriend, Camille Grady, was very much 505 00:30:09,064 --> 00:30:11,304 Speaker 1: against this whole thing. She was very worried about him. 506 00:30:11,344 --> 00:30:13,704 Speaker 1: She would videotape him while he was on PCP and 507 00:30:13,704 --> 00:30:15,504 Speaker 1: then show him the next day to say like look 508 00:30:15,544 --> 00:30:17,984 Speaker 1: you and the night like curled up in a ball, weeping, 509 00:30:18,144 --> 00:30:22,304 Speaker 1: like this is not cool. And so what happened on 510 00:30:22,344 --> 00:30:26,584 Speaker 1: this night of July eighth, nineteen seventy nine, So this 511 00:30:26,664 --> 00:30:30,024 Speaker 1: was two weeks after the execution of Dan White. This 512 00:30:30,264 --> 00:30:34,104 Speaker 1: all happened within three weeks. Oh yeah, So July eighth, 513 00:30:34,184 --> 00:30:37,544 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy nine, O'Grady went out to a club called 514 00:30:37,584 --> 00:30:40,744 Speaker 1: The Plunge and Opel was not feeling well, so he 515 00:30:40,784 --> 00:30:43,064 Speaker 1: was back at the gallery. So Camille was with a 516 00:30:43,064 --> 00:30:47,344 Speaker 1: friend called Anthony Rodgers, who his nickname was Harmodius, And 517 00:30:47,584 --> 00:30:50,024 Speaker 1: so Camille and Harmodius are at this club and she 518 00:30:50,144 --> 00:30:53,624 Speaker 1: was very into sort of spiritualism, and she said she 519 00:30:53,664 --> 00:30:56,784 Speaker 1: had a premonition and she said, Anthony, we've got to 520 00:30:56,824 --> 00:30:59,184 Speaker 1: go back to the house. They get back around nine 521 00:30:59,224 --> 00:31:03,704 Speaker 1: pm to Fayway Galleries and while they're there, there's a 522 00:31:04,264 --> 00:31:06,944 Speaker 1: buzzer that rings at the front door. They go to 523 00:31:06,984 --> 00:31:10,864 Speaker 1: the door and income these two really rough licking guys 524 00:31:11,664 --> 00:31:14,504 Speaker 1: and one of them pulls out a handgun. The other 525 00:31:14,624 --> 00:31:17,944 Speaker 1: has a sought off shotgun, and they demand money and 526 00:31:17,944 --> 00:31:21,504 Speaker 1: they demand drugs, and one of them puts the muzzle 527 00:31:21,584 --> 00:31:24,424 Speaker 1: of the shotgun right on Camille's neck and says, give 528 00:31:24,504 --> 00:31:29,064 Speaker 1: us the money or I'll kill her, and Opal unwisely 529 00:31:29,424 --> 00:31:31,384 Speaker 1: fought back. He said, you'll have to kill us all 530 00:31:31,424 --> 00:31:34,624 Speaker 1: there's no money, and then he keeps saying get out 531 00:31:34,664 --> 00:31:37,024 Speaker 1: of my space. And that's just the kind of guy 532 00:31:37,104 --> 00:31:39,584 Speaker 1: he is. He was not taking any ship from anyone, 533 00:31:39,664 --> 00:31:41,824 Speaker 1: and he's not afraid of David Niven. He's not gonna 534 00:31:41,824 --> 00:31:44,544 Speaker 1: be afraid of these guys. Well, I mean you should be, 535 00:31:44,544 --> 00:31:47,704 Speaker 1: because David Niven isn't going to kill you except with 536 00:31:47,784 --> 00:31:51,664 Speaker 1: his dry wit. So that the first guy with the 537 00:31:52,464 --> 00:31:54,984 Speaker 1: shotgun says, I'll blow your head off, and he fired 538 00:31:54,984 --> 00:31:59,264 Speaker 1: a warning shot up in the ceiling. Opel says, get out, 539 00:31:59,304 --> 00:32:01,864 Speaker 1: get out. He says, you're gonna have to shoot me. 540 00:32:02,464 --> 00:32:06,504 Speaker 1: And meanwhile Camille and Harmodius Anthony Rodgers were tied up 541 00:32:06,704 --> 00:32:10,304 Speaker 1: in the back and they hear a shot and then 542 00:32:10,344 --> 00:32:13,184 Speaker 1: they hear a thud, and that is the murder of 543 00:32:13,384 --> 00:32:18,504 Speaker 1: Robert ople the two gunmen, they leave, Camille and Harmodius 544 00:32:18,784 --> 00:32:21,944 Speaker 1: untie themselves, go out into the gallery and see Robert 545 00:32:21,944 --> 00:32:26,704 Speaker 1: Opele bleeding from above his eye and taking his last breaths. 546 00:32:26,704 --> 00:32:29,024 Speaker 1: How big a story was this murder when it happened, 547 00:32:29,264 --> 00:32:31,544 Speaker 1: It was really big in the gay press. So in 548 00:32:31,624 --> 00:32:34,344 Speaker 1: the Bay Area Reporter there it was front page news. 549 00:32:34,904 --> 00:32:38,264 Speaker 1: And part of what happened immediately after the murder is 550 00:32:38,304 --> 00:32:41,824 Speaker 1: that the gay community thought that this was somehow a 551 00:32:41,984 --> 00:32:46,184 Speaker 1: big plot, and that was it was a political assassination essentially, 552 00:32:46,264 --> 00:32:50,264 Speaker 1: because remember it had happened two weeks after his performance 553 00:32:50,344 --> 00:32:53,904 Speaker 1: art about Dan White in the gay parade, and Milk 554 00:32:53,944 --> 00:32:56,624 Speaker 1: had just been killed. Milk had just been killed, the 555 00:32:56,664 --> 00:32:59,984 Speaker 1: mayor just been killed. The cops were raiding people like 556 00:33:00,104 --> 00:33:02,904 Speaker 1: San Francisco was having a milk debt, and so everyone 557 00:33:02,944 --> 00:33:05,824 Speaker 1: was very conspiracy minded, and in a way rightly so, 558 00:33:06,024 --> 00:33:09,544 Speaker 1: like crazy things were happening, absolutely mind bending things happening. 559 00:33:09,824 --> 00:33:13,104 Speaker 1: And so the gay community saw the killing of Robert 560 00:33:13,104 --> 00:33:16,824 Speaker 1: Ople as this couldn't have just been a stick up 561 00:33:16,824 --> 00:33:20,504 Speaker 1: for drugs, like this had to have been a political assassination. 562 00:33:21,144 --> 00:33:23,544 Speaker 1: Who were these guys? These guys turned out to be. 563 00:33:24,384 --> 00:33:27,584 Speaker 1: Maurice Keenan was the man who actually shot Robert ople 564 00:33:28,024 --> 00:33:30,744 Speaker 1: and then Robert Kelly was his accomplice. I don't want 565 00:33:30,744 --> 00:33:33,344 Speaker 1: to be murdered by a Maurice. I want a much 566 00:33:33,384 --> 00:33:36,744 Speaker 1: tougher want a much tougher name on my murderer. You know. 567 00:33:36,744 --> 00:33:38,544 Speaker 1: One of the things that I found out a lot 568 00:33:38,544 --> 00:33:40,224 Speaker 1: about but really didn't have room in the story for 569 00:33:40,544 --> 00:33:42,824 Speaker 1: was just sort of their background and what led them 570 00:33:42,824 --> 00:33:48,784 Speaker 1: to this moment. They basically Maurice was absolutely on a 571 00:33:48,824 --> 00:33:51,464 Speaker 1: crazy drug binge. He was on a just a paranoid 572 00:33:51,784 --> 00:33:54,024 Speaker 1: frenzy that had lasted days that it came out of 573 00:33:54,104 --> 00:33:56,744 Speaker 1: the day before he had shot his own dealer because 574 00:33:56,744 --> 00:34:00,264 Speaker 1: he thought that he was working for the man. Maurice 575 00:34:00,384 --> 00:34:03,584 Speaker 1: Keenan was tried in the early eighties and he was 576 00:34:03,784 --> 00:34:07,584 Speaker 1: sentenced to death, and he spent many years on death row, 577 00:34:08,184 --> 00:34:10,864 Speaker 1: and then years later or in an appeal, his sentence 578 00:34:10,984 --> 00:34:14,064 Speaker 1: was downgraded to life in prison. And is he still 579 00:34:14,104 --> 00:34:16,984 Speaker 1: alive on death threat in prison in California somewhere. I 580 00:34:17,024 --> 00:34:19,424 Speaker 1: wrote him a letter in prison. He never responded. So 581 00:34:19,584 --> 00:34:22,064 Speaker 1: you not only wrote this story about the Oscar Streaker, 582 00:34:22,104 --> 00:34:24,824 Speaker 1: you also wrote a whole book about the Oscars called 583 00:34:24,904 --> 00:34:28,184 Speaker 1: Oscar Wars. What would you say is your craziest Oscar story? 584 00:34:28,344 --> 00:34:31,104 Speaker 1: You know? I have been there covering it when the 585 00:34:31,224 --> 00:34:34,304 Speaker 1: Envelope makes up happened with Muland I was there for 586 00:34:34,384 --> 00:34:37,384 Speaker 1: the slap last year, and oh you were there for 587 00:34:37,424 --> 00:34:40,184 Speaker 1: the slap? I was there. Yeah, I saw it happen 588 00:34:40,264 --> 00:34:43,064 Speaker 1: from the cheap seats up in the balcony. I saw 589 00:34:43,104 --> 00:34:47,744 Speaker 1: it happen live on TV. And I remember being shocked 590 00:34:47,904 --> 00:34:50,624 Speaker 1: at the audience reaction and the fact that the audience 591 00:34:50,704 --> 00:34:53,984 Speaker 1: was so eager to keep this show going and pretend 592 00:34:54,024 --> 00:34:56,544 Speaker 1: it didn't happen. What was the feeling in the theater? 593 00:34:57,064 --> 00:35:01,184 Speaker 1: Absolute bewilderment a lot of people, but everyone pretended it 594 00:35:01,224 --> 00:35:04,664 Speaker 1: was no big deal. No, no, people were just it 595 00:35:04,704 --> 00:35:06,184 Speaker 1: was like it was just shocked, you know, what it 596 00:35:06,224 --> 00:35:08,944 Speaker 1: felt like. It felt like when you're in a bar, 597 00:35:09,064 --> 00:35:12,304 Speaker 1: are in a very violent brawl breaks out, or two 598 00:35:12,304 --> 00:35:15,304 Speaker 1: people are yelling in a restaurant or something like, you 599 00:35:15,304 --> 00:35:18,184 Speaker 1: know something where you're in a public place, there's some 600 00:35:18,464 --> 00:35:21,424 Speaker 1: this element of like danger and unpredictability. And some people 601 00:35:21,584 --> 00:35:23,864 Speaker 1: even there thought that it might have been, you know, 602 00:35:24,184 --> 00:35:27,024 Speaker 1: a comedic bit. I didn't because as soon as I 603 00:35:27,064 --> 00:35:29,664 Speaker 1: heard him say, get my wife's name out your fucking mouth, 604 00:35:30,184 --> 00:35:32,104 Speaker 1: I thought, why you can't say that on TV? And 605 00:35:32,144 --> 00:35:35,304 Speaker 1: he sounds extremely angry. I can hear this all the 606 00:35:35,304 --> 00:35:37,664 Speaker 1: way in the balcony. I could hear him yelling, and 607 00:35:37,704 --> 00:35:40,904 Speaker 1: I was like, this man just had a moment. But 608 00:35:40,984 --> 00:35:42,984 Speaker 1: you know, it's funny to bring it back to the streaker. 609 00:35:43,024 --> 00:35:47,184 Speaker 1: I mean, doctors always has an element of unpredictability because 610 00:35:47,464 --> 00:35:49,304 Speaker 1: you don't know who's gonna win. But then there are 611 00:35:49,304 --> 00:35:52,424 Speaker 1: these moments that are just in their own echelon of 612 00:35:52,984 --> 00:35:56,224 Speaker 1: absolute crazy, unpredictable things. And you know, I think the 613 00:35:56,264 --> 00:35:59,864 Speaker 1: slab is up there with the streak, with sashing little feather, 614 00:36:00,064 --> 00:36:03,344 Speaker 1: you know, declining the award from irlon Brando, the envelope 615 00:36:03,344 --> 00:36:05,544 Speaker 1: mix up. You know, these things that just happened. They 616 00:36:05,584 --> 00:36:08,864 Speaker 1: become the story of the evening. Michael Schulman, you wrote 617 00:36:08,864 --> 00:36:11,184 Speaker 1: the Ballad of the Oscar Streaker for The New Yorker. 618 00:36:11,584 --> 00:36:13,904 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for talking to us. Thank you 619 00:36:13,904 --> 00:36:18,224 Speaker 1: for having me. It's really fun. So who knows, maybe 620 00:36:18,264 --> 00:36:21,104 Speaker 1: this year there'll be another streaker or a slapper where 621 00:36:21,504 --> 00:36:23,944 Speaker 1: someone to make the Oscar is a tiny bit interesting 622 00:36:24,304 --> 00:36:27,064 Speaker 1: to give us something to actually talk about the next day. 623 00:36:28,184 --> 00:36:32,984 Speaker 1: But let's be honest, most years the Oscars suck. It's 624 00:36:33,024 --> 00:36:35,384 Speaker 1: like a sports event where instead of watching the game, 625 00:36:35,664 --> 00:36:39,504 Speaker 1: someone just shows up on screen and announces a winner. Worse, 626 00:36:39,864 --> 00:36:42,864 Speaker 1: the mood in the place is awful. You start out 627 00:36:42,904 --> 00:36:45,544 Speaker 1: with a bunch of nervous people and then halfway through 628 00:36:45,664 --> 00:36:47,744 Speaker 1: it's just a bunch of pissed off people who didn't 629 00:36:47,744 --> 00:36:50,144 Speaker 1: win their awards and don't want to be there. But 630 00:36:50,304 --> 00:36:53,224 Speaker 1: you know what, there is something I actually look forward 631 00:36:53,264 --> 00:36:56,984 Speaker 1: to every Oscar's Night, and that's reserving a table at 632 00:36:56,984 --> 00:37:03,024 Speaker 1: a restaurant in Los Angeles that's normally totally booked. At 633 00:37:03,064 --> 00:37:06,064 Speaker 1: the end of the show, what's next for joel Stein? 634 00:37:06,224 --> 00:37:10,624 Speaker 1: Maybe he'll take a naver poke around on our show 635 00:37:10,624 --> 00:37:14,864 Speaker 1: Today was produced by mo La Board and Nishav Bencutt. 636 00:37:15,584 --> 00:37:19,664 Speaker 1: It was edited by Lydia Gencott. Our engineer is Amanda 637 00:37:19,744 --> 00:37:24,744 Speaker 1: kay Way and our executive producer is Katherine Girado. And 638 00:37:24,784 --> 00:37:27,664 Speaker 1: our theme song was written and performed by Jonathan Colton 639 00:37:28,064 --> 00:37:30,664 Speaker 1: and a special thanks to my voice coach Big Emeric 640 00:37:30,944 --> 00:37:35,304 Speaker 1: and my consulting producer Laurence Elasnick. To find more Pushkin podcast, 641 00:37:35,744 --> 00:37:39,544 Speaker 1: listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 642 00:37:39,624 --> 00:37:42,984 Speaker 1: listen to your podcasts. I'm Joel Stein and this is 643 00:37:43,024 --> 00:37:45,424 Speaker 1: the story of the week. Do you think if you'd 644 00:37:45,424 --> 00:37:47,504 Speaker 1: been in San Francisco during this time, you would have 645 00:37:47,544 --> 00:37:50,184 Speaker 1: been involved in any of this? God, I would love 646 00:37:50,224 --> 00:37:53,544 Speaker 1: just think a day in nineteen seventy nine San Francisco 647 00:37:53,624 --> 00:37:56,144 Speaker 1: in the castro. I don't think I would be involved 648 00:37:56,144 --> 00:37:59,064 Speaker 1: in like the leather scene. I don't think I can. 649 00:37:59,104 --> 00:38:01,904 Speaker 1: I really have the stomach for that. But maybe I 650 00:38:01,944 --> 00:38:04,464 Speaker 1: would have been a castro boy. Who knows? You know, 651 00:38:04,584 --> 00:38:06,784 Speaker 1: after only having talked to you for about an hour 652 00:38:06,824 --> 00:38:08,624 Speaker 1: and a half, I can tell you that you would 653 00:38:08,624 --> 00:38:14,584 Speaker 1: have been solved in none of this. I like disco. 654 00:38:14,664 --> 00:38:18,024 Speaker 1: I've been I've gone a disco danced. Oh my god, 655 00:38:18,064 --> 00:38:21,184 Speaker 1: that's I've gone and disco dance loved. I would have 656 00:38:21,344 --> 00:38:24,024 Speaker 1: thrived in the disco age, thrived