NOTE: This letter is from Raoul Duke and has been printed without alteration or censorship of any kind. He makes some very interesting points and it is printed her for open discussion. Response from Egoist, Lockwood, Ponante or anyone interested is welcome. Let’s just keep it respectful and on topic.
Thank you, Roger
RAOUL DUKE WRITES:
An Open Letter to Egoist Entertainment
Dear Brian and Jennifer,
Words cannot express the outrage I feel at the latest incident involving your “star”, Kurt Lockwood.
Hitherto, I had been content to engage in my own private boycott of Egoist, watching in amused schadenfreude as other porn fans did the same, over Mr. Lockwood’s unprovoked assault on journalist Gram Ponante. More amusing still was your company’s inexplicable defense of Mr. Lockwood’s thuggish behaviour, your improbable decision to retain Mr. Lockwood on your company’s payroll, and your incomprehensible insistence that Mr. Ponante referred to Mr. Lockwood as a “fag,” despite the fact that repeated searches of Mr. Ponante’s writings failed to turn up the offending adjective. Given Mr. Lockwood’s well-known and oft-documented “backdoor proclivities,” it is not surprising that someone called your “star” a fag. But it wasn’t Gram Ponante. All in all, it has been an amusing couple of weeks.
Until now.
On March 11, 2007, your “star” was interviewed by Steve Javors of XBiz, during the course of which, Mr. Lockwood was quoted as saying:
“There are guys dying in Iraq and some people are worried if I pushed Gram or not. It’s ridiculous”
Excuse me?
I’ve heard some egregious statements in my time, many from your “star,” but tell me what right does a violent, dildo-taking Bi-polar narcissist have to compare himself in any way to the dead in Iraq? The “nearly over eleven hundred women” (sic) who were paid to have sex with him that he brags about so often? Being given an Honorable Mention for “Orgasmic Analist,” an award normally reserved for women? His legendary combat skills, as demonstrated during his recent assault on a free press? His demonstrated negligence as a Dog owner? His refusal to wear a shirt? His “choo-choo tattoo?” Brian, Jen, please tell me, what right does this steroid-pumping twink have to compare himself to these Honored Dead?
I lost a family member in Iraq last month. He was killed when his helicopter was shot down over Anbar. He was a great guy, and a terrific uncle. He joined the Marines right after 9/11, like so many other New Yorkers. Never shirked his duty. Even extended his tour by six months so he could go to Iraq with his unit. He could have stayed in Okinawa and come home in April. But he refused to abandon his Brothers, and chose to face the same danger they did. He was killed less than two weeks after his arrival in Iraq, while on a rescue mission to pick up wounded Marines. Mr. Lockwood’s comments are a despicable insult to his memory and the memory of the 3,195 other brave man and women who gave their last full measure of devotion defending their country. It’s reprehensible. It’s intolerable.
And it won’t be taken lying down.
Since you’ve repeatedly defended Mr. Lockwood’s indefensible behaviour, I’m going to go out on a limb and presume you’ll continue to do so. Such bunker mentality has not been seen since the latter days of the Nixon Administration, but no matter. The walls came crumbling down for Tricky Dick, and they’ll come crumbling down for you. I am going to wage all-out war on Lockwood, Egoist and yourselves personally. It will not stop with the millions of Porn fans you’ve alienated, who are already inclined to boycott your company over Lockwood and your inexplicable defense of his behaviour. It won’t stop with distributors, or on-line and brick-and-mortar stores. It will not stop within the industry at all. I will bring in Veterans Groups. I will bring in Gold Star Mothers. I will bring in Politicians. Yes, I will bring them in. What do you think their reaction will be when they find out a violent, ‘roid-popping, Meth-Abusing, Back-Door taking Twink has publicly mocked American War Dead? What will you do when investigators from ten Congressional Committees start swarming all over your studios and offices? What will you say when the rest of the industry blames you for the heat coming down? If you haven’t already made yourselves pariahs, just you wait. I may even lobby the Mental Health community for Mr. Lockwood’s commitment and forced medication, which seems to be the only way to protect society from his deprivations, and Mr. Lockwood from himself. In short, I am going to open the proverbial can of Whoop-Ass on you, unless the following conditions are met:
1) The immediate termination of Mr. Lockwood’s employment;
2) Your immediate repudiation of Mr. Lockwood’s behaviour and statements, including the incident with the building manager, the incident with Mr. Ponante and the disparagement of the Troops;
3) Your immediate, public and [i]sincere[/i] apology to the building manager, to Mr. Ponante, and to the Families of the Fallen Troops;
4) Your immediate, public and [i]sincere[/i] apology to the Industry as a whole, for your role in dragging the industry through the mud, your unprofessional and inexplicable behaviour, and your continued enabling of Mr. Lockwood’s Thuggish conduct; and
5) Your pledge to join with the numerous other directors and producers who refuse to work with Mr. Lockwood in an effort to Blackball him from the industry permanently.
It’s a shame that you’ve let things come to this pass. I was perfectly content to simply watch the train wreck as it unfolded, laughing to myself as the excuses for Mr. Lockwood’s behaviour grew more and more surreal. But then he had to open his mouth, insult those who, in life, were better men than he will ever be, and bring your company to the edge of an abyss. In only a couple of weeks, you’ve managed to alienate millions of fans, make an enemy out of a prominent journalist, become the laughingstock of the industry before you’ve even released a title, and, now, brought yourselves to the brink of all-out war with a sick Irishman who knows more about motivating interest groups, public relations and rousing rabble than you will ever know about pornography in your combined lifetimes. This is the price you pay for your denial. The problems continue to haunt you until you either address them or they destroy you. Make the right choice: Axe the Twink; repudiate; apologize; join with the others. Before your “star” becomes your undoing.
Very Truly Yours,
Raoul Duke
