Customer Reviews

Master of Ceremonies: A True Story of Love, Murder, Roller Skates and Chippendales

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

I loved this book. One of my favorite aspects is how emotionally human and vulnerable Sterry makes the beefcake sex symbol men, men who look so physically invulnerable. Prince Charming I find especially poignant. Even though I had wondered for a while whether Nick was gay, it still comes as a nice shock when the narrator and Johnny discover Nick's gay porn collection (nice touch that it's under tax returns). The romance with Johnny I find sweet and innocent, a nice contrast to the seedy surroundings. It brings to the surface an interesting fact--that beneath showbiz glamour everyone just wants to be safe and loved, and the Chippendales people were trying to mask that fact with sex, drugs, and big muscles. ROLLERSKATES makes clear how flimsy their mask really was while also describing that mask to the fullest vicarious extent. I find it fascinating that Nick de Noia established his company as a place for women to come and let loose, which is precisely what he would never let himself do. I see him as a sad, trapped person as well as a power-hungry tyrant. Sterry humanizes the Chippendales experience while simultaneously showing its faked, raunchy veneer. Each chapter of ROLLERSKATES had me flipping to the next one.
Sterry's unflinching honesty makes the reader trust his narrative perspective completely. I find the part where Johnny has the abortion and Sterry goes to the prostitute searing, sad, and brave to share. What a raw portrayal of how someone lashes out when they are in emotional agony. It seems like a concentration of one of the main themes of the book--that people run from pain they can't control and seek refuge in extreme pleasure. The book is glitzy yet deep. Highly recommended.

"Master of Ceremonies" is the dizzying, tender, and true story of a fledgling actor whose first break results in a two-year stint as the emcee at Chippendales, in this work that is resplendent with seedy glamour, hilarious backstage madness, and unflinching honesty. Sterry chronicles his adventures as a struggling comic after he is hired as the host of the popular all-male strip show Chippendales in the early Eighties. He more than delivers on the promise of his title, and readers looking for sex, drugs, and New York-style debauchery will find it in spades. There is a tabloid-level sleaziness inherent in the material, which Sterry utilizes for maximum entertainment value. He avoids providing direct sociological commentary on the sexual power dynamics at play in Chippendales, preferring to let events speak for themselves. There are two underlying love stories, one between Sterry and a coworker, and one between Sterry and his craft; both enrich the narrative with genuine heart. Sterry possesses an engaging writing style, and fans of his earlier memoir, Chicken: Self-Portrait of a Young Man for Rent, will not be disappointed. Recommended for large public library collections and cultural and media studies collections.- Katherine Litwin, Chicago Library Journal (07/15/2008)

You've kept me mesmerized for over two days. This was a funny, oh so sad, highs and lows emotional ride and it is a book I will perch front and center on the shelves dedicated to very special authors. Why?

Because you took the reader under your skin and into your too often tortured mind, to places many of us have never been, never understood. The love scene with Johnny was beautiful, equally the sad, sad abortion sequence (brought tears to my eyes). Because Johnny, whom I know and love, with those wild brown curls and pouty lips and big, big heart was ever in my mind as I read. (Just so you know, you're not off the hook for the scene with the caramel ho'. Jesus, David!)

I'm glad that you have a little girl, Olive. Seems that even back in "those" days, this was important to you. I'm glad that Johnny continues to be your dear, dear friend.

A heartfelt thank-you for penning this beautiful/ugly story.

Just finished and I thought it was faaaaaaaaaabulous!

Favorite Line: But apparently he's too stupid to understand that, I, the Ugliest Man at Chippendales, am more important to the show than he, the second prettiest.

Favorite Character Description: Nick sees himself as equal parts Julius Caesar, P.T.Barnum, the Marquis de Sade,and Bob Fosse.

Favorite Object Description: An empty pizza box looks like a toothless empty mouth.

Favorite Chapter: The Saddest Girl in the World

Favorite Irony: Chippendales has been replaced by a Bed, Bath and Beyond.

I felt the characters were all well drafted from Nick de Noia to Fingernails with no please in her please. The story was completely engaging. I read the book in three days.

Inflation is a marvelous things. Human beings pumped to the max is a wonder to behold. In their glory days, the Chippendales jacked up the heat to unimaginable throbs. Nostrils bursting with cocaine, muscles ripped with flavor,the private parts elevated altars of glory. One day, we will run out of oil but we'll never run out of lust. Sterry's book is a catapult into the majesty of an era where lust was worshiped. It's a meteoric shower of brilliance. Baby, this book shines. Memoir at its best.

My favorite scene from this book involves a woman who asks one of the Chippendale dancers if she can snort a line of cocaine off his erection. In that one moment, Sterry perfectly sums up this era in the timeline of America. He had the ultimate front row seat in this fantasy world where women - at least for a few hours - were allowed to be as base as men. It's a true story that makes Sex and the City look like an episode of Barney.
---Kemble Scott, author of SOMA

great read. unique experience to see men being sexually objectified. terrific characters and a romp back into the 80s when everything seemed as if it would go on forever and everything was possible. poignant moments between the young self deprecating narrator , master of ceremonies, and other characters, that give heart to the outrageous burlesqueness of the story. the production values of the book easily lend themselves to a 21c team series - Mash meets Weeds meets Real Sex. think about it

I am a big fan of David Henry Sterry's first book Chicken; Self Portrait of a Young Man for Rent which I found out is being made into a TV series by Showtime, so I was really excited to dig in to his next memoir. I was NOT disappointed. It's full of his trademark beautiful and poetic language, crazy amazing characters and the pages practically turn themselves. He really captures a time and a place. And what a time and place it is! Big hair, big music, big men. I particularly was fascinated by his portrayal of Nick de Noia, the charismatic visionary genius behind Chippendales. He's such an amazing contradiction of charm and evil. My other favorite is Prince Charming. That last scene with him and his girlfriend was really heartbreaking. That's the other thing, you don't expect it, there are so many tender, poignant moments in this book, and you really feel for David. He's such a wonderful tour guide through this madness of coke and cash, bulging g-strings and porn star mustaches. He really makes you feel what it was like to be the ugliest man at Chippendales. And much to my surprise, there's a wonderful love story in this book as well. I highly recommend this book. Just make sure when you buy it that you don't have anything to do for the next couple of days, because believe me, you won't be able to put it down.

David Henry Sterry is one of my favorite writers because he tells a story so well (you can't go to sleep until you finish his books) and he plays with language in such interesting ways. Not to mention that he has led an unbelievable life!

This is his new book and it's AWESOME. Not only does he tell all about the sick, dark world of Chippendales Male Strip Club, but he also paints a picture of '80s New York that will be forever emblazoned on your brain.

I loved it!