dickhouse

last call: opening night of earl parker's photo show

Needless to say, working at Dickhouse could be perceived as one of the strangest jobs on the planet. But for this Canadian transplant, not only has it been the most positive work experience of my life, it was a chance to put the faces behind the names that I was partially raised by: the writers and photographers at Big Brother magazine with one of the highlights being getting to work alongside Earl Parker, Master Journalist, in the jackassworld.com offices. Earl worked quietly in his own corner, writing and cracking jokes under his breath, and of course smoking cigarettes. Late at night and on weekends it was just Earl and I for the most part; working and drinking coffee late into the Hollywood twilight.

After we stopped working at jackassworld, I'd see Earl in Hollywood a lot, walking around, shooting photos, and that was something I could really relate to. Not a lot of people walk in LA, and if you do you see a whole other side of the city that most people choose to ignore. But not Earl. He captures the beauty and reality of the people who work and call the "Walk of Fame" their commute, their stomping grounds, and sometimes even their home. It's the furthest thing from the red carpet you can get, but the most honest perception of the people that truly run this town, despite of stature, cameras, and lights. A real true Hollywood story.

I was glad Earl agreed to letting me curate this show. I can't wait to see what he sees over the coming years, and most importantly, read.

His show Pop Culture Sucks is open for two more weeks at the Burgundy Room Gallery (1621 1/2 Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood, CA, 90028; open after 8pm). —LG

Photos left to right: Jeff Tremaine with some guy he worked the door with in Washington DC at some bar; Josh Lingenfelter stands in harm's way with Knoxville's oft-Photoshopped friend Bryce; four-fifths of the OG Big Brother magazine staff—Marc McKee, Tremaine, Earl Parker, and Rick Kosick—with johnny-come-lately Knoxville.

Photos from left to right: A thumbs up from Tony Hawk, a former "washed-up" skater from the pages of Big Brother magazine in 1993; Naomi and Knoxville; Rose and blue periods ... check.

Photos clockwise from upper left: B.A. Backassus; Yeti Beats and Squeak E. Clean, upbeat as usual; Street Bike Tommy points out the ärt in the art; could Erik Roner possibly be pondering a tramp stamp cover up with a photo of Earl's?

Photos from left to right: The women from Venus and the men from Mars, Dimitry Elyashkevich and Chris Casey; A self portrait of the artist as a middle-aged man; former Big Brother editor McKee and former Big Brother scan boy Bret Banta steep in the burgundy aura.

P.S. Thanks to Knoxville and Tremaine for making this possible, and thanks also to Sean garrison and Kate Power—without your help I'd be still crying in a corner. 

(Photos by Johnny Knoxville, Rick Kosick and Ryan Rich; Hollywood, California 2012)

canadian transplant lands beer commercial spot

It doesn't take a Perry Farrell to point out there's nothing shocking at all about this post title. Canadians go together with beer like the Irish go together with whiskey, and where you find one you're bound and begorrah to find the other. However, it does take a good "Where's Waldo?" aficionado to spot said Canadian in said beer commercial spot. But, if you've an eagle eye for spotting the likes of say Johnny Knoxville or Stephanie Hodge in Coyote Ugly or Crash Richard of the world famous Deadly Syndrome as that freaky fuck of a Santa that was featured in some random wireless product (that now escapes me) print ad campaign back in December of 2008, then perhaps you've got this pinched up like a frightened anus. Hmm... sorry about that. Sometimes I don't even see those coming. Anyway, in the spirit of sportsmanship, let's start you off with this: "I spy with my little eye a Lauren Graham." There. Now you do the rest. I'm tired and, frankly, a little distressed after my own little mind's eye pictured that reluctant rectum a few sentences back.

music video: "spark" by data romance

Stop getting off on Mr. Green Jeans, Captain Kangaroo, and start boxing your ears to the latest music video directed by Lauren Graham: "Spark" by Data Romance. And if you're feeling convivially trivial see if you can spot a few cameo faces familiar to the Dickhouse family—in particular a boy once made famous for his ability to blow up inflatable backyard pool toys and get in Rick Kosick's way. Amateur!

mike judge, interviewed by johnny knoxville, pt. 3

Every pot of water has its boiling point and so did every episode of Johnny Knoxville's One Bourbon, One Scotch and One Beer. The escalating cackle of Knoxville's was always a sure sign that the wheels on the bus were not going to be going round and round mush—mush?—much longer, not to mention the charming sporadic dribbles, as plainly evidenced in the finale to Mike Judge's inquisition.

Curiously, post-interview, his stuporendous state was still able to hold and focus an iPhone on this photo of me, Rick Kosick, Lauren Graham and Mike—a souvenir of production time and money well spent.

Now that you've had a few solid licks of Mike's supreme wit, prepare yourself to swallow it whole with the long-awaited return of Beavis and Butt-head on MTV tonight at 10/9 C!

(Photo by Johnny Knoxville; Los Angeles, California 2009)

Part 5:

Part 6:

and the oscar award nominee is ... mr. brainwash?

JACKASSWORLD PREDICTS OSCARS! The first thing I filmed when I moved to LA was an art show that I accidentally stumbled upon in the building of my new job at jackassworld.com. Well, it was kinda hard to miss; it filled a warehouse. It was the biggest gallery space I’d ever seen, not to mention a huge team of people swarming about daily constructing robots out of TVs, a giant bag of Chinese food, piles and piles of books, and an overwhelming amount of paintings, graffiti and, well, you name it. ART!

Who knew a mere jackassworld.gone video on a polite little French man named Mr. Brainwash’s first art show would turn out to be the a major event in the Academy Award-nominated documentary film for this years Oscars: Exit Through the Gift Shop, directed by mastermind mystery street artist Banksy.

I appreciated Brainwash’s dedication and general excitement for the show. He was as sweet as pie to me. And no matter how the film tears open the last then years of his life, character, and the audiences conception of art completely, this man truly believes he is an artist.

If you’ve seen the movie—which is fantastic—then I’m sure you have your own opinion on what the film means, what the “F” art means, and hopefully feel further enthralled into the upward spiral that is Banksy’s mind.

Don’t forget to recycle your videos, kids.

LG

http://www.laurengrahamfilms.com/

[Ed. Note: No, my name is not Ed, it's Sean (or "Cliver" as most would call me aside from my wife), and I just wanted to add an addendum to what Lauren said above regarding Mr. Brainwash's art show. It was seriously huge as shit and filled with lots and lots more shit than you could ever think artfully possible. For months, day-in-and-day-out on our way to/from the jackassworld.cave in 2008, we repeatedly passed through a long hallway plastered with its screen-printed, stenciled and/or spray-painted works and a courtyard filled with varied sculptures of Warhol-like "POP" proportions. I was so sick of seeing all this "art" that in the end I didn't even bother to attend the oddly huge opening night for "Life is Beautiful" and this artist I'd never once heard of in all my life's arty outings. So much for my chance encounter with a potential Oscar-winning film! Especially since jackass was once again snubbed by the Academy for its trailblazing cinematic effarts in 2010.]

photos of the day by lauren graham

Normally I'm not what you would call the most sentimental person, but that's really only my half-ass callous exterior speaking. Just like everyone else, my hardened little heart does tend to thaw during the holiday season—despite the frigid 40-degree cold snap we've been experiencing in Los Angeles the past week—as I look back on the year and reflect upon the way we were for the time that was ... and goddamn, what an awesome time it was.

Our filming years tend to be the most exciting, happy, stressful, and fun-filled that I've ever had the pleasure to live. It's like a family reunion that goes on for months and months that you never want to end—and believe me, at times it feels like it is never going to end—but then it abruptly does ... and that's always one hell of a shock to the system.

This past weekend, as birds were slaughtered left, right and center in the voracious name of thanks, that shock began to set in deep when Lauren Graham sent me a folder of images she'd taken with her "hipster-fucking-Holga" on a visit to the set while we were filming the open and close to jackass 3D. Most all of the people portrayed in this selection of photos are dicks, but they're also some of the finest dicks I know and I'm proud to have had them as my extended family (with a respectful nod to the late Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.) for the past decade—some even longer than that.

Now if you'll excuse me I have to go to the bathroom. I don't know if it's an allergic reaction to sentiment or what, but whenever I emote it gives me a wicked case of the runs. —Sean Cliver

Want to know more about Lauren "LG" Graham? Click and learn: www.laurengrahamfilms.com

(Photos by Lauren Graham; California 2010)

music video: "LA girl" by fatlip and yeti beats

Here's another semi-trivial bone thrown out to former patrons of jackassworld.rip, many of whom are sure to recall the varied video works of Lauren Graham. Well, Lauren recently directed and edited this music video for Fatlip and Yeti Beats, drawing upon the local faces and places of Los Angeles for authentic color, and we think she did an awesome job. Word. Or in the more colloquial words of Lauren... Whee!