Sophia Mounds interviews Wankus on The Wornderful World of Porn

1. Why did you start your own talk radio show?

I come from a radio broadcasting background. I did successful morning shows in Los Angeles (K-Earth 101, KLSX, KIBB) as well as in New Orleans, Santa Barbara and a nationally syndicated show heard on broadcast radio station in New York, Philly, DC, Detroit and Dallas. For the first few years of my broadcast career I really enjoyed it. The basics for hosting a radio show, actually have a strict structure in regards to formatics, however in the earlier years of radio (up until the last few years I was active with an FCC license), the radio medium was designed to encourage hosts to use their personalities and creativity on the air when presenting their shows to fans. Our freedoms as personalities still had to fall within the guidelines of the proven formula and clock management basics, but within that frame of on-air theory, we were really able to express ourselves and it was a very fun and satisfying gig.
Unfortunately, with the merger of some of the biggest companies buying out all the little guys, followed by the commercialized, DJ and format micromanaging, broadcast radio hosts were stricken of the most important thing that listeners tuned in every day for…them! All of a sudden, I was getting off the air after four hours of delivering everything I had and be passed office to office for my daily critique and new rules and show changes that I no longer had any say in. It’s normal as a morning radio guy to have to meet with the PD every day in large markets, that’s fine. But when the General Sales Manager calls me into his office and tells me I have to stop doing a regular feature because a sponsor is offended, I start getting a little unappreciated.

At the time I had my morning show in Los Angeles, the largest radio market in the world, I took the Arbitron ratings among all other morning shows from 38Th place to 8Th place. I was ahead of Rick Dees, just behind Mark and Brian and Howard Stern. Out of 84 rated stations in this town, that’s a very impressive achievement and it wasn’t just a one ratings period fluke. It was consistent.

When you’re achieving that kind of level of success and some sponsor starts dictating your creativity and making you change who you are, it starts to get on you. Especially because this sponsor is advertising with you based on your impressive audience size and success.

Then add in the latest crazy in radio, the “consultant”, who listens to your show from his home via ISDN in Idaho and by telephone critiques all your efforts with hokey and small market suggestions, that the boss wants you to implement. This of course is an asshole, who never did mornings in a big market and ain’t even workin’ on the air right now. He failed as a DJ and designed a role for himself, that molds personalities, who essentially DID make it with bad habits and bland attempts delivering.

You put all that into one day at the office and the fact that society has become so P.C. , enough to make me want to scream racial epithets just to feel rebellious, yea, it was time to move on. (laughs)

So while you probably didn’t expect a full on radio 101 sermon, now you have the deep details as to why I walked away and went back to voice work for commercials and television. My most notable one was for the TV show, Transformers on Fox where I was one of the leads, Prowl, the police car/Auto-bot. At the same time, I was living a much slower pace and also had the time to coach Little League at first to help a friend, then later cuz I really loved it.

I had the 7-8 year old kids, which are the perfect age. At the beginning of the season, they don’t know shit. By the end of the season, they look like little mini ball players and knowing they got that from you, is a pretty cool feeling.

Regardless, it was through coaching, that I was pulled into the crazy porn world. Yes, the Little League! LOL

One of the fathers, (Michael Rick/Cybersynergism) came up to me and asked about my broadcast radio background, asked if I could make his dirty little URL he bought (KSEXradio. com) sound like a real radio station. I told him I could, but wasn’t interested in any micromanaged, creative position. He responded that I could do whatever I wanted…and so began Wankus and KSEXradio.

2. How do you really feel about porn?

I honestly am very supportive about the idea of pornography as used as fun, light and sexy entertainment. I believe fantasy is something we all need, in all the areas of our lives and if porn can help couples enjoy sex more, singles learn new tricks or masturbate to things they enjoy, as opposed to going out and acting on some of these things in a non-acceptable way, it’s great. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of things in this business that make me sick. Swirlies, puking, rough and degrading shit, that’s beyond walking the line, etc…..yeah….I could do without that.
However, being a strong supporter of freedom of speech laws, if all parties consent, in a mother shaking her head kind of way, I still support those scenes as well. Legal, law abiding, etc.

3.Do you like what you do?

I love what I do. At times I wish I had the budget I used to have in broadcast radio, so I could really go nuts with bits, features and promotions, but sometimes having a much smaller budget, forces you to be more creative.

4. Has the porn industry changed your life?

The porn industry has definitely changed my life! (laughs) Some for the better in regards to a new education and awareness of how the business really operates (in many cases much more respectable then I thought), in other cases in a disheartening, sickening manner that I’m not very proud of. I could make this conversation an even bigger sermon, then my radio talk, so I’ll leave out the lengthy response, until we do a follow up interview. (smirks)

Financially, this business, and mostly because of the novelty role I play in it, has actually caused me to step backwards in terms of personal growth, but I’m still trying to find ways to reinvent my role and profit to a more respectable degree.

However, some of the best people with the best character and substance I met in this business. Sadly, some of the worst as well. In my nearly 10 years in this biz, I will proudly mention by name a few of my closest friends and people that make positive contributions to this biz. Those long term friends who I feel deserve extra props include Monica Mayhem, Nicki Hunter, Cleopatra, Soxxx, Ginger Lynn, Mark Davis, Jason Sechrest, Flexx, Powder, Guy Capo, Mike Quasar, Felicia Fox, Tim Case, Dan Davis, Cindi Loftus, Gene Ross, Don Benn, Robert Lombard, Dave Cummings and Katie Morgan. Again…these are people I’ve known practically my entire time in the business. There are MANY more of more recent times, way too many to mention. Unlike the Wankus of old, I’ll refrain from mentioning those I could do without! (laughs)

5. Are you the same person you were when you started?

Absolutely not. I’ve always been the loud mouth wacky personality guy, even from my years in mainstream radio and television. But the early years of the biz I was much more of a loose canon and naked girl star struck. Now I’ve found a nice niche’ in where I can let it all out on the air without the back-end desire to be “the guy”, without the perv desire to get “serviced” by a hottie and moreso just focus on good, entertaining content and then forcing myself to have a normal, NON PORN personal life as soon as work is over.

6. Is there anything you regret doing that you did while involved in porn?
Anything I regret? (laughs) I’m known as one of the most vocal, loud mouth, say it as he thinks it guys in the biz. I beat myself up at least once a week for taking something too far on the air or in a bit. Aside from double checking myself though and beating myself up for making comments that even I don’t approve of at times, I don’t have too many regrets at this age anymore. Moreso experiences I learn from.
I performed in over a dozen porns as male talent, dozens more as a character actor. I don’t regret shooting porn as talent but didn’t like it. It’s not my thing. Not something I ever wanted to be known for and in half of those scenes I struggled hard just to get through the scenes. Gained a lot of respect for successful male talent in the process though. I don’t really regret it but if I had the choice again…I’d probably not really go down that avenue.

7. How do you feel about Max Hardcore’s sentence?

I never liked the things Max did on film. Totally not my kind of porn. However, knowing off camera for many years we became peers that respected each other in regards to “you do your thing, I do mine” and while his on air shit was kind of over the top for my tastes, supposedly from what girls that worked for him told me, they were given detailed info in advance of those scenes and had every chance to walk away if they didn’t like what was planned for them. But like I said earlier, whether I agree with that kind of entertainment presentation or not, it still falls under freedoms of expression. And if a judge and 12 people in Tampa say that he can’t legally express himself that way, they they better start investigate the writers of Death Wish, Clockwork Orange and any other “fantasy” production that has similar or worse messages.

And when that happens and those folks start going to jail…I will have a very tough time keeping the incredible proud patriotic dedication I’ve always had my entire 40 years in this country. Cause at that point, we’re no long the USA!

MORE ABOUT WANKUS: Ten years into radio and before his career in the adult entertainment business, Wankus re-started his musical career, touring as keyboardist one year with the legendary 50’s R&B group “The Platters,” and some ‘gigs’ with members of The Gap Band, The Time and Parliament Funkadelic. Further, he has written theme music for The Rikki Lake Show, The Hollywood Reporter Annual Key Art Awards program and a series of congratulatory promos/national commercials for Helen Hunt aired Internationally when she won her academy award in the mid 90s. Also a voice over actor most notably recognized for his role as the voice of “Prowl” on the popular FOX cartoon, Transformers (Robots in Disguise).

Formerly engaged to adult film star, Tyler Faith (TylerFaith. com), and the former creator and director of the debunked, KSEXradio. com. Currently Wankus has created a new product more television driven at RudeTV. com, the stepchild of the popular community site, Rude. com. A show host on Smell My Finger, 5 nights a week with Co Ho’s Jessica Bangkok, Nicki Hunter, Shay Lynn, Monica Mayhem and Esperanza Diaz.

Also seen as a host on scattered PPV shows, Playboy TV and various live hosting events, most notable, Porn Star Karaoke at Sardos Bar. A weekly party Wankus started over 5 years ago.