Sources of a Macho Dancer's Name

Just a fictional book, of course

There's a little game to find out your screen name when you become a porn star, aka porn star name. It says to use your first name's pet and the name of the first street you lived on. Another variation is to use your middle name and again, the first street's name. So a porn star named "Doug Pennylane" may have had a dog named Doug (how creative) when he was six and lived on Pennylane Street.

Unknown by many gay bar goers, macho dancers in Manila also have screen names. Do you expect that a dancer named "Rayver" is actually using his real name printed on his birth certificate? Rayver Cruz, maybe yes. But the real world could be harsh to these men, thereby protecting at least their real identities with a stage name.

So where or how do these macho dancers get their names? Definitely not their nicknames called by their mommies at home, like "Boy" or "Goyong" or "Dong." And getting one is not as difficult as generating a porn star's name. Here are the common sources:

1. Name of his child

> It's a readily available name, especially to the 20-something year old unmarried macho dancers who used their sex functions at an early age. Or to those without kids yet, they already have a name in mind, that's cool enough to name their future children. Maybe a macho dancer thinks "I am doing this job for my children, and I want to be reminded of that." So as he enters the gay bar, to protect his own identity, he'll just use his child's real name. Smart.

2. From a list of names

> In one gay bar, a list of possible names is given to the new applicant for him to choose. If the name is taken already by another dancer, he would need to select another one. The applicant can even mix and match the names in the list. So don't be surprised to hear a "Mike Jordan " or "Brian Kobe" being called out to the stage to perform.

3. Assigned by the bar or any manager 

> Sometimes the gay floor manager thinks of an appropriate name for the applicant -- usually something that's memorable and sounds hot, hunky and delicious. Knowing how these managers can get somwhat too playful, I won't be too shocked if I'd meet a macho dancer named "Jumbo." Or maybe, even "Jutez", short for "dyutay", for that matter. 

4. Celebrity look-a-like

> Certain dancers' claim to fame is how they resemble certain celebrities -- Piolo, Dingdong, Sam, Aljur. That's why some of them use a variation of their kamukha's name: "Lloydie" or "Jun Milby" or "Jestoni" or "Amado". Even those who don't even look like the actor's half brother's cousin just want to be associated, even by a teeny bit, to the popular name. So when a certain "Jericho Anderson" comes out on stage and looks like your neighborhood sari-sari store tambay named Junjun, expect the tweezed eyebrows of gay men to be raised.

5. A former friend's name

> Either he really liked his classmate or neighbor or ka-tropa's name or he felt so much hatred for that person. Good luck to the real owner of the name. If the war-freak husband of a matrona would go on a manhunt for his wife's macho dancer kabit, the hired goons would look for, not the macho dancer, but to the classmate or neighbor or ka-tropa na walang malay.


6. Japanese derived

> Kenji, Hiro, Yoshi, Katzui, Aki, Akihiro, Kazimiro... All these names have a specific clientele in mind: East Asians, specifically the Haponesa or Koreana, who spend lots inside a gay bar. I knew a dancer whose stage name in Manila is the same as his Japanese name when he was working as a dancer in the land of the rising sun. Another guy had a name that was suggested by his former Japayuki girl friend. The other Japanese derived names? Maybe from watching too much anime cartoons.

7. Variation of his own name

> This one is quite easy to do. Think of another name that still uses the first letter of your first name. Like the hunky name "Brad" for someone whose name is "Boring."

8. Popular American names (but not quite)

> You only hear these names on American TV shows or movies or on Hollywood gossip tabloids, and not on the streets of Manila. You'd be impressed at first to hear their names once they introduce themselves to you. But once some of them spell these out as you type their names in your phone book, you'd raise your eyebrows for "Chaze" or "Brenth" or "Calvyn" or "Asher" (The DJ got us falling in love, again?).  

9. Unique cool-sounding names

> Marz (like the planet, or disco). Xando (like the fat-burning drug). Jefferzon (like the former president). Red (like the color). Uno (like the number). Burnz (like the sunog). Dykez (like the lesbian). Their intention: to stand out and be memorable with an uber hip name. May not sound, or spell, cool to you with all the x's and z's, but it definitely is for them.

10. Some even have a last name!

> Dancers from a defunct gay bar were known to adopt not only a new first name, but also a last name. Common last names used, not only by the dancers in this gay bar, are mostly Pinoy pop-culture or showbiz heartthrobs. I've heard of 3-4 Baldovino hostos working in one bar (named after Jovitt). And also the two Cuenca's already, working in two separate bars. Brothers of Jake perhaps?

If you ask macho dancers for their real names, of course they will tell you that their stage names are the real ones. Some may be saying the truth, but most will eventually reveal theirs once they get to know you more (after rounds and rounds of expensive MD drinks). Some even use their stage names as their Facebook profile accounts, which are way cooler if one's real name is perhaps "Apolinario Matabungkay."

Not only do gay bar employees have stage names, but some customers also do. Same as the MDs, it's to protect their own identities of course, especially if they're at a sensitive or important position in their companies or industries. I also have my own gay bar name (which is a secret in this blog). But do know that I am not using my invented porn star name. If so, you'd be hearing of a "Magnum 110" being a frequent gay bar patron.  

GB Goer
Learn more: Lessons from Gay Bars in Manila
http://machosandhostos.blogspot.com/
email: char.affairs@gmail.com