It must be a slow news day – Gene is headlining Bill Margold ramblings again. Every 3-4 years, like clockwork, Margold needs to flex his fingers and vocal cords. I guess as he grows older, his growls increase exponentially like his collection of stuffed teddy bears – which he should be glad can’t talk back.
But now Margold went way over the line.
First, Bill wants to CHARGE people to be members of the XRCO? Based on what little, if any, payment reviewers of adult fare make…is he crazy? Most can’t afford it and write reviews for little payment – or often for free. And if they can’t afford it, kick them out? Seriously? And even if the approx. 50 members did pay a fee, if wouldn’t be close enough to cover the expenses.
Bill lives in the past – back when William Rotsler hand-cut the trophies and the awards occurred in any place they could talk into having it (usually on a slow night at the club or wherever). When it was given over to me in 2003, it was still back at the Century Club which, I believe, they had to since demolish. The XRCO, now in its 28th year, is held in the same complex that includes venues like little events like uh…the Oscars, has a real red carpet with a step and repeat, a press room, gobos, programs, around 40 trophies, a great web site, social media networking, occasional stage acts, big-name industry co-hosts every year, a publicist – and it is STILL a free industry-only party! I could go on and on but enough is enough. Bill, it isn’t the 1980’s any longer. Do I get paid to do this? Nope! Do I always at least barely break even? Not always – a few years sponsors were few and far between and I paid whatever bills were left over out of my own pocket. Has anyone ever said a word of thanks or appreciation? Nope.
Margold says “the XRCO was never meant to be some kind of clandestine organization “with secret handshakes and members licking each other’s assholes.” I have no idea what he is talking about. Every nomination is submitted by XRCO members and decided upon STRICTLY by their suggestions. Bill, for someone who isn’t even a voting member of the XRCO – or even an adult CRITIC (XRCO DOES stand for X-Rated CRITICS Organization…). And licking assholes? I’m not sure whose asshole you have been associating with…
And I do take offense at you calling me a whore and saying I will sell out to anybody. You, of all people saying that – is funny! Aside from the one mistake I made with accepting a sponsorship with the company which owns .xxx – which I have accepted responsibility for and explained that it was a mistake – I’m calling you on this one, Bill – name even ONE person I have ever sold out to! Bill, over the years I’ve seen you put your foot in your mouth on occasion – but this time you somehow bent over backwards far enough to get both feet firmly wedged in there!
Bill doesn’t know who MILES LONG is? And he says that I am out of touch with the industry? Uhh, Bill…I believe that Miles is also in AVN’s Hall of Fame…
Bill doesn’t know, or at least doesn’t appreciate DEN – universally considered the most prolific and most loved adult reviewer of all time (who died last year after writing over 26000 reviews!).
On the phone Bill tells me all of the people who should be in the Hall of Fame – and in the next breath comments that maybe we should cut DOWN on the number of inductees? Before I took it over there were a few years when they didn’t give out ANY Hall of Fame awards.
Bill’s comment about Belladonna suggested that ten years isn’t long enough in the biz to be considered for nomination – he even want so far as to suggest that it be another ten years beyond that! Apparently he either wants to be the only person at the Hollywood Awards Party to be still around who remembers the people – or wants most of the Hall of Fame awards to be given posthumously?
Bill mentions that the XRCO was “given” to me. Did I ask for it? No – the XRCO asked me. Why? Because I AM in Ohio and they knew that I would keep the XRCO totally unpolitical and be unswayed by “influences” and keep the nomination and voting process pure and pristeen. And that I am honest. And that is the way it has been since Day One. Aside from you complaining that not everyone you suggest is in the Hall of Fame (yet) or some made it in w/o your pious approval, a few people who try to sneak their way into the awards show, and about 3 performers who yearly toot their own horn and ask to be considered – I have NEVER had ANYONE voice a complaint prior to my mistake of not recognizing the name of the parent company of .xxx . OK, nobody other than you. And South – for starting this thread.
Bill – the bottom line is that the XRCO is not yours to take back – so you can’t have it! And judging by all of the phone calls and e-mails of support I have gotten in the last few days by MANY people in the industry, your voice certainly does NOT speak for the adult industry.
db
P.S. I’m trying to make this good. I’m considering refunding their sponsorship fee (which will result in my needing to take out 2K against my home equity loan to cover show expenses). I really want to make this right for everyone, and if this is what it will take to do so, then I will have little choice.
2 Responses
3/26/2012 11:43 AM PST
Steve Nelson Proposes: XRCO Problem Solved – Dirty Bob Out as Chairman; Tod Hunter In
Steve Nelson writes: To avoid further damage to an already faltering institution (The News Rack – XRCO 2011 http://www.ainews.com/story/19413/) I will stick my neck out and propose a solution to the problem the XRCO is suffering from by being run blindly from the Midwest.
I propose that we, voting members of the XRCO, ask Tod Hunter [pictured to serve as XRCO Chairman. Since Jared Rutter stepped down as Chairman the shows have suffered. I know of no other person as fair, honest, and diplomatic as Jared – except for Tod Hunter. If we ask as a united organization I’m sure Tod would accept the responsibility.
Tod has served the Adult Industry in many capacities in his long career as a journalist, and is a prolific writer and reviewer. He has his thumb on the pulse of the Industry first hand, and knows what’s going on in all respects including attending most events personally. He knows more people in the Industry than anyone I know, and it’s on a face-to-face basis.
I further propose the following:
Bob Krotts stays in the XRCO. Bill Margold will advise us on the Hall of Fame, but not control it. The voting will be more transparent to members; we will know how many votes were cast for each nominee. We will VOTE on the Hall of Fame. We will VOTE on Heart-on girl and who is to host. We will have a better website.
Members should talk freely with each other. Decisions like new categories will be voted on. In other words, the voting members will have a say like they did when the XRCO was formed.
It’s up to us in the XRCO to take charge of our organization and not let it crumble while we watch. Who is with me? Please write to me at [email protected] and show your support.
Bill Margold: Let Dirty Bob Stay in Ohio to Spin Like a Top in Tedium
–Gene Ross
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Tell you the truth, if I were reading Dirty Bob’s cards, which I’m not, I’d say he’s not going anywhere as far as the XRCO is concerned.
Steve Nelson, who’s hardly what you describe as a political animal in this business or a psychic, today suggested that time was ripe for a change at the top, and that Tod Hunter might be the General Custer to head the beleagured critics’ organization last charge.
[With the way the DVD business is going, there’s nothing left to critique or charge.]
Nelson may have been agreeing with Bill Margold, one of the organization’s founding members, who said it was time for the West Coast to take back control of the XRCO. http://www.adultfyi.com/read.php?ID=53653
Dirty Bob obviously didn’t like what Margold had to say and countered with a few dexterous swipes of his own. http://www.adultfyi.com/read.php?ID=53655
As Nelson was composing his sonnet to the wilting rose that is Dirty Bob and XRCO, Margold was adding a few postscripts about how Dirty Bob’s wrapping himself in the “cloak of sanctimonious piety”.
Using Margold’s words against him, Bob decided to tear into Margold with a stern lecture and strong rebuke. The subjects ranged from Margold’s lack of understanding about current XRCO economics to the Les Miserables finale about how Bob would have to take out two grand against his home equity loan to foot the bill for expenses if sponsorship money was returned to .XXX domains.
“What does Dirty Bob want?” asks a befuddled Margold.
“Maybe it’s sainthood. St. Dirty Bob, c’mon on.”
Margold was also amused that Dirty Bob took umbrage to the suggestion that the XRCO has now become this clandestine, fez-wearing good ‘ol boys network that practices secret handshakes and mutual salad tossing.
“He took that way too personally so probably he’s squirming right now and needs some Preparation H,” laughs Margold.
Contrary to what Dirty Bob believes or doesn’t, Margold has nothing against .XXX domains, but the worst aspect, says Margold, is that no one goes into the XRCO Hall of Fame any more without the blessing of AVN. Or at least that’s what Margold’s been led to believe.
“You call that not selling out? Dirty Bob writes for AVN. That is the quintessential sellout. You think if I or [Jim] Holliday were in charge and someone told us what to do, we’d do it?”
Equally amusing, says Margold is Dirty Bob’s argument that director Miles Long belongs in the XRCO Hall of Fame because AVN inducted him in January.
“That is the least justification in the world for putting someone in the XRCO,” states Margold.
“AVN puts people in now like ju ju bees. They ladle people in. And Dirty Bob’s also defending Den as the most beloved adult reviewer of all time? I don’t think so. And it’s now 26,000 reviews the guy did. What is he, McDonalds?
“It was 25,000 reviews last week. Just because he dies, now he’s the most beloved? What a crock of shit. Utterly insane. The guy did not review. He compilated. So did the guy who did The Blue Book. So did Bill Cates.
“I’ve got many more sincere erotic cinematologists than whoever this Den was. He wrote stuff like, ‘So and so was an unknown black man.’ That’s not a reviewer. A reviewer takes his own life and writes it into whatever he’s dealing with and there contrasts from the soul.”
As if he were making self-styled improvements to the XRCO Hall of Fame, Dirty Bob in his screed also points out that over several years there were no inductions as if to suggest it was a deplorable condition that should have been changed.
“That tells you he doesn’t understand the Hall of Fame,” Margold argues.
“Do you think Baseball’s obligated to put in anybody if they don’t want to? Is Pro Football obligated? You make it special if you make it less. There are nine people going in this year, and nine is way too many. Which goes back to the whole Belladonna situation which I’m glad Dirty Bob dragged into it.
“What I told Belladonna was not meant as an insult. I think she’s spectacular and she’ll be around for 8 or 10 years to be inducted when she should be.”
But if you’re looking for a cause celebre, what rankles Margold probably the most, was Dirty Bob’s refusal to accept Tony Montana into the XRCO Hall of Fame.
“Tony Montana didn’t go in because Dirty Bob told me that nobody liked him. How could he make that blanket statement about Tony Montana? That’s a stupid statement. If you had seen Tony in Las Vegas when I put him in Legends of Erotica he held that audience in his hands and they were howling.
“In fact I’d like to have him as host of the XRCO but not with Dirty Bob around. And I’m not getting rid of Bob. I’m leaving him in Ohio where he belongs, spinning like a top in tedium.”
On a final note, Margold explains that he gave Dirty Bob the chairmanship of XRCO even though Dirty Bob insists it’s not his to take back.
“Well, yes it is,” says Margold who, of the five original founders, is the only one who remains in place by attrition.
“And I was stupid enough to believe that when Holliday didn’t want it for the time being, I could give it to Bob and get it back. That was part of the conversation, by the way, and he absolutely agreed that he would give it back. But then when I came to get it, he refused because it keeps him in the limelight.”