Were there any specific game show hosts you drew inspiration from?
Not really. Maybe, slightly, Price Is Right, like old-school Price Is Right? Because I used to love that as a kid, which you know [is] interesting. I feel like that and maybe slightly Jay Leno, I guess, with the chin.
It felt really ’70s. The name too: Brock Stockton. Did you come up with that?
I knew that I didn’t want it to be me because this isn’t me. God forbid anyone think that that is me acting like that or being absolutely deranged for the entire skit. It’s definitely not Benny but Brock Stockton. We had a few others. I probably can’t say them now because legal didn’t approve, unfortunately. Brock Stockton, that to me felt he’s real. He’s living and breathing.
He lives in Palm Springs somewhere.
Oh, he’s frying in Palm Springs, absolutely.
Anything else to add about the partnership with Visible and the No Straight Answers series?
They gave $50,000 to SAGE, which I really respect in a huge way. Not just doing a Pride cash grab but instead really trying to make something meaningful. I feel like there’s so much that we can learn from older generations, and I think unfortunately we’re seeing that history is repeating itself in a lot of ways. That’s true now more than ever, but that choice to me makes this such a special campaign. [It’s] very community-driven, which excites me.
How are you feeling this Pride? It’s an intense time, to put it lightly.
There is no doubt that it is a scary time to be out and queer. So I think the more public figures, companies, [and] brands that are championing queer people and supporting us, it is definitely the time to speak the fuck up. If you aren’t, I think you’re a part of the problem. I feel a little bit fired up, clearly.
There’s a part of me that I feel so grateful to have this community, and I feel so honored to be a part of it. This whole experience helped me feel that. It’s so scary, the comments that I see every day. And this is coming from a white cis man. I do know what some of the other comments are towards the trans community. It’s hard not to let all of it weigh very heavy on your heart at a certain point and start to feel disappointed in humanity. There are really incredible people that I think are championing us, and this community is not going anywhere.
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