ThePhillyBlunt

Cecelia The Cuddler: Inside the World of Professional Cuddling

February 3, 2020 Business, Healers 38:45

In this episode we sit down with a professional, certified, cuddler named Cecelia. Cecelia is a student who pays her bills cuddling people. Yes, cuddling.

We have become an isolated society with the help of electronic devices, headphones, in-home entertainment options like Netflix and Hulu, and online gaming. Human touch has become harder for many of our population to experience. A recent study by The Guardian found that there is a growing population of individuals who have no human interactions outside of the workplace. For these folks, they do not talk, let alone touch, another person between the end of the work day Friday and Monday morning.

As a result, many individuals are deprived of any meaningful human touch. That’s were professional cuddling comes into play.

Cecelia informs and educates us on the history of professional cuddling, her training, and her clients. Safety is a major issue for many and having someone cuddle you without the pressure of sexual interactions can often help.

We also discuss how she deals with clients who may become aroused during sessions and cuddling clients with poor hygiene.

Cecelia is a Philly-lifer from Northeast Philly, near the Roosevelt Mall. She is very candid about her journey to professional cuddling, which started as an exotic dancer right out of high school.

This is a fascinating interview about a world most of us know nothing about or have never heard of.

We conducted this interview at The Post at 30th & Chestnut Street, which happens to be the same location as our two-part interview with John Bolaris.

LINKS:

Cuddlist.com

The Post

Cecelia Instagram

Joan Myers Brown: The Mother of Philadelphia Dance

January 20, 2020 Artist, Entertainment, History 36:20

Joan Myers Brown is a Philadelphia icon. She has done more for the world of dance in Philadelphia than anyone and she’s our guest on this episode.

Ms. Brown was born in Southwest Philly during the 1930’s. She’s a self-proclaimed “Woodland Avenue Girl.” A high school gym teacher saw her natural talent for dance and encouraged her to take dance lessons. She wanted to be a ballet dancer, but none of the ballet schools at the time took Black students.

Ms. Brown ended up working as a touring nightclub dancer performing with the likes of Pearl Bailey, Duke Ellington, Nat King Cole, and Sammy Davis, Jr. and talks about how segregation impacted her life back then in the 1950’s.  

In 1960, Ms. Brown decided to open her own dance school to provide black students the opportunity still not available to them at traditional ballet schools.  Ten years later, in 1970, when Ms. Brown noticed her students weren’t getting positions in dance companies or productions, she started her own dance company, which is now known as Philadanco!

60 years later, Ms. Brown is still teaching children the fundamentals of dance and her dance company,   Philadanco!, is revered around the world having toured dozens of countries, performing in front of sold out crowds.

Ms. Brown has won countless awards, including three honorary doctorates, a Master of African American Choreography medal from the Kennedy Center, a 2019 Bessie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Dance, and the 2012 National Medal of Arts presented to her by President Barack Obama.

President Barack Obama has said of Ms. Brown: Joan Myers Brown has made] an artistic haven for African-American dancers and choreographers to innovate, create and share their unique visions with the national and global dance communities.”

LINKS:

PHILADANCO!: www/Facebook/Instagram/Twitter

Anthony Moore: West Philly Comedian Making it in NYC

January 10, 2020 Artist, Comedy, Entertainment 41:00

Anthony Moore has been doing comedy for less than a decade, but his resume is better than plenty of veterans on the Philly comedy scene. The St Joe’s graduate has appeared on Kevin Hart’s show Hart of the City, become a regular at the Comedy Cellar, and traveled throughout Europe entertaining the armed forces. 

The interview was interesting and wide ranging. Anthony is from West Philly but moved to New York in 2015. He talked a bit about how different the comedy crowds are in the two cities: “New York taught me to be more universal. The crowds here (Philly) might be a little more tougher, but I know how to relate so well because I know the crowd is either gonna be from Philly, Jersey, or Delaware. Where in New York, I don’t know where they gonna be from…when I’m in the City I might be performing for a family from Texas that’s sitting next to a family from South Africa. So that just made me step it up a lot, just figuring out how to relate to all of these different cultures.”  
 
Anthony has performed with some of the biggest names in comedy, guys such as Kevin Hart, Louis CK, and Aziz Ansari. He talked about the experience of having to come on after a major star. “I remember the first time I had to follow Kev, and I was like terrified. But then, going up, that was like one of the best sets I’ve ever had. Because the crowd energy was just so high.” 
 
He talked about what he misses in Philly, how Instagram stars have changed the comedy game, and how he bombed at Fergie’s the night before his taping of a Kevin Hart special. 
 
We had a lot of fun with this one. Anthony is a laid back and fun dude to hang out with, and I think anyone listening to this will quickly jump on the Anthony Moore bandwagon. Shout out to New Wave for being such a great place to record the show. Thank you for listening. We’ve got some great guests lined up for 2020, and we’d love to hear more from you guys: who do you want us to sit down with? What do you want more or less of on the show? And what Philly Blunt questions do you want us to ask? We’ll be sure to give you a shout out if we use any of your questions. And be sure to review and rate us on itunes. It’s a big help for our ratings and rankings. Cheers!  
 
LINKS:
ANTHONY MOORE: www/Instagram/Facebook/Twitter
 
NEW WAVE CAFE: www/Facebook/Twitter

Jerry Blavat: Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, Geator with the Heater, Boss with the Hot Sauce

December 19, 2019 Authors, Entertainment, Music, TV/Radio 1:07:43

Philadelphia is not a city of celebrities. It’s a city of legends. And we were lucky enough to sit down with one of the biggest legends of all. Jerry Blavat grew up in South Philly, and by age 13 he was a star dancer on the original (pre Dick Clark) American Bandstand. A few years later, while still in high school, he was valeting for Don Rickles. His story only gets wilder from there, and features appearances from Sammy Davis Jr., Chuck Berry, and Angelo Bruno. 

In 1960, he started working in radio. With a show still on WXPN, he’ll be starting his 60th year on radio in 2020. While on radio in the 60s, he gave himself the nickname “The Geator with the Heater, the Boss With the Hot Sauce”. The nickname Geator has stuck, and it rings out all over Philadelphia. Older Philadelphians know him from his legendary dance parties, where kids from all over Philadelphia came together to get down. Millenials know him from the parties he puts on at Memories at Margate, where he still keeps the crowd dancing every Friday and Saturday night. 
 
At age 79, the tireless Geator is working as hard as ever. As we were setting up for the interview, he was on the phone, discussing with his business partner what songs Peaches and Herb were going to be singing at his big Disco, Rock n Roll, and Soul show at the Kimmel Center on January 25th. He’s got the weekly show on WXPN. He’s got the summer gig at Memories. He makes appearances at the Thanksgiving Parade each year, as well as at the Mummers Parade. He’s part of an annual Malt Shop Cruise. I asked him if he ever thought about retiring, and he told me that his followers would get too mad at him, so he can’t. Think about that for a second: at age 79, Blavat still has enough diehard fans that he simply can’t retire. 
 
This is a highly entertaining and far ranging interview. He discussed his friendship with Sammy Davis, an INSANE story about Chuck Berry, and how he and Dick Clark started as adversaries but became good friends. What an honor it was for us to sit down with a true Philly legend, and to hear some of the best stories we’ve ever heard on the show. Whether you’re a fan of the Geator, or just a fan of great music, or just like to hear great stories, you’re going to enjoy this one, guaranteed. 
 
LINKS:
Jerry Blavat: www/Facebook/Book
O’neal’s Pub: www/Facebook/Twitter

Rich Medina: Philly’s World Renown DJ & Producer

November 27, 2019 Artist, Entertainment, Music 49:55
Working a lucrative but soul-sucking corporate job in Philadelphia in the mid-90s, Rich Medina knew he wanted more from his life. He had been moonlighting as a DJ, and decided to go all in. It was a risky proposition. But it was one that ultimately paid off, as 25 years later is one of the most beloved DJs on the planet, playing everywhere from Miami to Melbourne. 
 
In the late 1990s, Medina and Cosmo Baker started a regular party called The Remedy. In the early 2000s, Rich began hosting The Open in NYC with Q-Tip. He also began introducing audiences to Fela Kuti, the father of Afrobeat music. His Jump n Funk parties, starting in 2001, soon took him to Atlanta, LA, and San Francisco. Word of his skill and just as importantly the fun he brought to the dance floor spread, and he is now a true globetrotter, playing shows in cities like Tokyo, Amsterdam, and London. 
 
But he’s not limited to DJing. He also has begun work as a professor at Lincoln University, he’s on the advisory board to Cornell’s renowned hip-hop collection, and he’ll be teaching a class at the Barnes Foundation next spring. He’s also well respected as a spoken word artist and as a writer, having contributed articles to magazines such as the Fader and Complex Magazine.
 
He talked to us about his early days in Philly in the corporate world (“A job with a Fortune 500 company was like handcuffs”), the motto for life he learned by playing basketball (“Put the rock in the hole or sit the fuck down. That’s everything.”) and his family heritage (“I’m mixed up with slave blood and native blood. I’m a real American.”) 
 
Not surprising when speaking to such a Renaissance Man, this is a varied and far reaching interview, from hoops to religion to race to politics. You’ll learn about Afrobeat, what it’s like to travel in Europe as an American in the Trump era, and whether he has to play different songs to get the crowd moving in Philly than he plays in Miami. 
 
Hope you enjoy the latest interview. Thanks as always for listening, and if you could do us a solid and rate us on itunes, we would be much obliged. Enjoy!
 
LINKS:
Rich Medina: Instagram/Twitter

Dirty Frank’s: The Bar, The Myth, The Legend

November 15, 2019 Entertainment, Food & Drink, History 55:51
There are few bars in Philadelphia that are as universally beloved as Dirty Frank’s. Located on the corner of 13th and Pine since 1933, it is a veritable Philadelphia institution. No-one understands that better than current co-owner Jody Sweitzer, who has worked at Frank’s since 1992 and owned it for the eight years. We talked to Jody about how she landed in Philadelphia, how the bar got its name, and why her bartenders are all women. We also had a chance to talk to some Dirty Franks regulars like Cheetah, one of the fastest bike messengers in town, Eric who first came to Dirty Frank’s while on acid, and Three Finger Bill, who has worked the door for over 20 years. It’s a great look at a historic bar renowned for its characters, and some of the characters themselves. 
 
Sweitzer and her business partner Brad Pierce took it over in 2011, joining a storied lineage. They are only the 5th owners the spot has ever had, made more remarkable when you consider that it opened over 85 years ago. According to legend, it opened the month BEFORE Prohibition ended. That outlaw spirit lives on today. As Philly scribe Drew Lazor described so perfectly in a 2018 Vice article:

Even when Dirty Frank’s changes, Dirty Frank’s doesn’t. Stuck in its ways in the most reverential sense of the phrase, it’s a seam in time, providing safe passage to an older, odder Philadelphia. A gleaming oasis of weird in a town beset by 21st-century slickening, it’s always made people its primary business, no matter who those people are.

 

In truth, Frank’s has always had a “type,” but the profile was not built using banal criteria like sex, race, religion, education or income. It instead takes a shine to individuals who can’t be neatly filed into the natural order, and don’t wish to be—a “crossroads for errant individualists,” as the Philadelphia Inquirer put it in 1982. Curious conversationalists tend to do well.

Hope you’ll give it a listen. It’s an important part of Philly history, and Jody’s passion for the place is palpable. She is not someone who takes her job lightly. If you enjoy it, do us a major solid and give it 5 stars on itunes. If you want us to be in your debt forever, leave a positive review. Cheers! 
 
LINKS:
Dirty Frank’s: Facebook/Instagram
Dirty Frank's owner, Jody, doing post-show shot with Greg and Johnny
Dirty Frank's regulars and podcast guests Eric (left) and Cheetah (right)

George Anastasia Tells All About the Philly Mob

October 22, 2019 Crime, Entertainment, Writers 41:05

This episode is tailor-made for any fan of true crime. George Anastasia probably knows more about the Philly Mafia than any other civilian. He covered the Philly Mob and local organized crime for over thirty years for the Philadelphia Inquirer and is currently doing video updates with Dave Schratwieser for PhillyVoice.com.

George discussed how a guy from Dartmouth with a degree in French and no journalism education ended up at the Philly Inquirer and how covering the Atlantic City beat led him to a career covering organized crime.

George sheds light on the history of the Philly Mob as well as what he knows about power struggles and specific incidents. We discuss the future of the Italian mafia and competition from other organized crime groups like the Russian mob and what their differences are.

We recorded this one at the Kitchen Consigliere in Collingswood, New Jersey. Kitchen Consigliere is owned by chef Angelo Lutz, who is George’s friend and ended up doing some time for incidents of his past life.

LINKS:

George Anastasia: Philly Voice

Kitchen Consigliere: www/facebook

Ange Branca – Bringing Malaysian Food and Tradition to South Philly

October 7, 2019 Food & Drink 44:34

This Episode we sit with Ange Branca owner-chef of Sate Kampar on East Passyunk. Ange tells her story of growing up in a small village in Malaysia and coming to the states to pursue a career in business. Unable to find any authentic Mayalsian restaurants in the area and growing disinterested in the corporate world, Ange decided to drop out, gather a bunch of family recipes, and open a traditional Malaysian restaurant in South Philly. It wasn’t easy at first. Ange had to educate Philly on Malaysian traditions such as sharing the meat portions and not the rice bowls and that not all rice dishes come with chop sticks. Apparently some folks are really adamant using chopsticks for any cuisine remotely Asian.

Philly Mag considers Sate Kampar a top 50 Philly restaurant. Previous Philly Blunt guest, Inquirer writer Craig LaBan said of Sate Kampar: There are a few places in the city where crossing the threshold is like traveling across the globe. Saté Kampar is one, transporting on the ambrosia of Malaysian skewered meats sizzling over coals. In 2017 Sate Kampar was a James Beard Semifinalist for best new restaurant in the country.

Reef was unable to make this recording so another The Philly Blunt alum, Fergie, sat in as a guest host since Ange selected his pub, Fergie’s as the location for this episode.

LINKS:

Sate Kampar: Instagram
Fergies: www/Instagram

Cheri Honkala: Homelessness, Heroin, and Helicopters

September 25, 2019 Activist 42:58

It’s not often that we interview a guest a few hours after their arrest, but then again, Cheri Honkala is the only guest we’ve had who’s been arrested over 200 times. Quite possibly Philly’s biggest badass, Honkala simply refuses to take no for an answer from our largely ineffectual local government, which has done nothing to address our city’s 25% poverty rate. When Honkala finds a homeless mother, and a city that doesn’t offer any help, she doesn’t ask for it, she demands it. It’s is impossible to measure the impact she’s had on our city, the countless lives she has saved, and the members of our local government she’s stood up to. She was once a homeless mother, and she has never forgotten the people who helped her, and she has therefore dedicated her life to helping others. 

Not only does she help our city’s most vulnerable citizens, she also gets them politically active by way or her organization, PPEHRC (pronounced P-Perk). Furthermore, she was the Green Party’s 2012 Vice Presidential candidate alongside Dr. Jill Stein. She holds nothing back in this interview, not her disdain for Republicans nationally or Democrats locally. This is a good interview, and an important one. 

LINKS:
Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign: Instagram/Twitter/Facebook
O’Neals Pub: www/Facebook/Twitter
 

Alexandra Cutler-Fetkewicz: Culture and Coolness with the Strings Diva

September 11, 2019 Artist, Business, Entertainment 40:59

This episode we bring you a little culture and coolness. Alexandra Cutler-Fetkewicz was a bit of a child prodigy on the violin. She landed at the prestigious Eastman School of Music in Rochester where she eventually earned a Masters degree. A drunk driver almost ended her career. Ironically, it was a grandchild of the founder of the Eastman School of music that struck her. Doctors told her she’d never play professionally again and to find a new career. They were wrong.

Alexandra went on to a successful violin career playing with the likes of Brandford Marsalis, Elvis Costello, Jill Scott, Peter Gabriel, Earth, Wind, & Fire, Harry Connick Jr., Rod Stewart, Julie Andrews, Styx, The Who, and more.

She currently holds a tenured position in the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia and she is also Founder and CEO of Philly Music Labs, which specializes in connecting high-quality, genre-crossing musicians to new audiences and other like-minded musicians and artists.

We discuss her musical inspirations and how to make Classical Music and the Orchestra more accessible to a larger audience. She also educates us on the values of classical musical instruments, which we had no idea could reach upwards of $250,000.

We recorded this episode at Front Street Cafe in Fishtown. Front Street is a favorite of Alexandra’s because of the food and their support of the local arts scene.

LINKS:
Alexandra Cutler-Fetkewicz
Philly Music Lab
Front Street Cafe