Well, let’s start with the obligatory pitch. There’s not really much to say, and most of it will come out in the questions, but I’ll give the quick history.
The first gunge story I wrote was when I was about 15, although I’ve forgotten most of the details, and I’ve moved back and forth to uni since, so I’ve no idea if I still have it. Don’t worry, it comes with the obligatory “first attempt” warnings, and will never see the light of day.
Also around the same time, I had a crazy idea of writing a story (non-wam related). It was never going to go anywhere, but it did provide what may be a familiar backdrop to my stories. If you ever saw the notes, you’d probably recognise some of the characters, and settings. Again, never going to see the light of day.
Now, on to the first story I posted. Back in January 2009 (at uni by this time), after seeing some other attempts at stories posted on ECGunge at the time, I decided to just write one overnight (to be honest, I had some half finshed pieces which weren’t going anywhere). The result can be viewed in this blog’s archive, but the upshot was, my confidence rose, and more stories followed.
After a particular situation that we shan’t talk about, I posted stories on this blog instead. I then “borrowed” an idea from ECGunge, which people loved, and The Gunge Grand Prix ave.(can I trademark that?) was born.
That should give you the basics. I’m happy to take any questions (in fact this would be a boring post if I didn’t get any questions) that you may have. Thank You.
The standard opener that I put to everyone: what were your experiences of mess growing up and when did you realise that your interests were a bit unusual?
The short answer in five words: Holly Willoughby, Every Saturday Morning.
I don’t really remember much about the early experiences. I remember watching Noel’s House Party and Get Your Own Back, but they were very much in the sense they were probably meant to be watched (ie. a bit of fun and revenge respectively). It was only when I was a teenager, and Ministry of Mayhem was on that things started to change. I remember seeing Holly Willoughby gunged at the end of one show, and I felt a sense of intrigue and curiosity. And so I watched each week, disappointed by the guys getting it, and excited by the girls getting gunged. I also remember when they introduced the Thank You Desk, I was eager to see Holly’s turn at the desk.
Roughly around this time, my family got broadband for the first time. Among the first set of searches I made browsing in Privacy (something I would never have got when dial up removed use of the phone) was gunge. There was parental control, so some sites were inaccessable (a la UMD), but I did find myself at ECGunge, and it’s gallery of pictures, from which I was hooked. From here, it grew into the fetish it is today (so those moral guardians who say porn ruins us may have a point).
If anyone in the real world ever asks me about this though, all they get is the short answer.
Why is it that the world never remembered the name of Johann Gambolputty de von Ausfern-schplenden-schlitter-crasscrenbon-fried-digger-dingle-dangle-dongle-dungle-burstein-von-knacker-thrasher-apple-banger-horowitz-ticolensic-grander-knotty-spelltinkle-grandlich-grumblemeyer-spelterwasser-kurstlich-himbleeisen-bahnwagen-gutenabend-bitte-ein-nürnburger-bratwustle-gerspurten-mitz-weimache-luber-hundsfut-gumberaber-shönedanker-kalbsfleisch-mittler-aucher von Hautkopft of Ulm?
Because Johann Gambolputty de von Ausfern-schplenden-schlitter-crasscrenbon-fried-digger-dingle-dangle-dongle-dungle-burstein-von-knacker-thrasher-apple-banger-horowitz-ticolensic-grander-knotty-spelltinkle-grandlich-grumblemeyer-spelterwasser-kurstlich-himbleeisen-bahnwagen-gutenabend-bitte-ein-nürnburger-bratwustle-gerspurten-mitz-weimache-luber-hundsfut-gumberaber-shönedanker-kalbsfleisch-mittler-aucher von Hautkopft of Ulm never wrote anything that was published. If he’d got up once in a while, people might have actually known who he was.
You’ve written a lot of stories, on this site and ecgunge too, which of them do you consider to be your best work?
I’m not really sure I could say what my best work is, the quality is something that can only really be jusged by the masses. Some I would say were better than others, but I couldn’t really pinpoint which ones were the best.
However, I do have a few favourites that I like for other reasons. I really enjoyed writing the “You are Kelly/Emma“, the double story from tow different perspectives. It’s probably the first time you see me writing personality traits into the girls, showing some of what I like and such. I also loved “The Ramp“, a format which simply shone, although as some versions have shown, choosing the right mix of celebs can make or break the story. “Howdie Partner” is also one I’m fond of, a bit more of the complete story in some ways.
But if you really pushed me for my favourite, it would be “Stacey’s Story“. Originally based of a story I found on one of the pages found this way —>, albeit it being male wam and the victim almost craving the humiliation, I formed the details while on holiday in France, and developed a story where the main gungee was completely humiliated in an unfair way, rather than the usual “not sure, but what the heck” attiditude most of my characters had. The gunging mechanism was a great design (so of course I kept it and put it in Kelly and Emma’s stories), and the first person viewpoint was alway fun to write. Ultimately though, I’ll always love Stacey’s Story for the simple reason that it was the first story I wrote on this blog. Without Stacey’s story, I may never have captured the writing bug again. I may have been known as simply as the guy who ran the Gunge Grand Prix. For that, it will always have a special place in my heart (even more so than my actual first story or first published story).
What are/were your inspirations for your stories and characters?
The main characters that usually turn up everywhere (Kelly, Eddie, Emma, Peter and Sophie) were from that failed story attempt I mentioned, although they developed as the stories were churned out. In truth, their personalities are pretty much reflections of my own personality. In fact i split some personality points up to try and separate Kelly and Emma from beign simply me in different bodies (For example, Kelly doesn’t care much for football, but loves to wind Emma up, therefore she’s an ABU. Kelly hasn’t let Emma forget the ending to last season, and the resulting gunging she gave her). Most other characters come from stereotype, fitting a particular scenario with characters.
As for inspiration for the stories and the gunging mechanisms within, the first thing you’ll find a fair few of my stories that are basically plagarism (I mean flattering a favourite scene or story). Some are obvious (the Industrial Zone tank, the GGP), others less so (“The Mud Nymph” was based on a mixture of Dirty Muse and a porn scene that turned up on the UMD once). After that, getting to my original ideas, I usually look at stories that haven’t been done before, or at the very least, I haven’t attempted in some way. That’s why I don’t do simple x or y votes, I have to go for something more elaborate. The other thing to consider inspiration is whatever is currently topic du jour for me. For example, I wrote Howdy Partner after playing Red Dead Redemption for the first time, while I wrote “Sophie and the Blue (and red and green) gunge” after downloading a scene from Glamourgunge (My first paid for download). I’m sure other bits of inspiration creep in, but that’s the gist of it.
FSF: The archive of Holly Willoughby WAM moments?
Really? Name one favourite scene? That’s impossible. Too many to choose from. Besides it’s not like I’ve ever been able to say my favourite scene from anything, look at my favourite story above, and I’m much more attached to them.
Besides, that should be on the front page, everyone should be talking about their favourite Holly Willoughby scene.
Interesting. How does this blog page work can someone inform me please cause I am a new member of word press
Well it looks like you’ve worked it out. Are you asking to become an author?
How do I inform you guys if there is a scene from a tv show or movie to post up that is really good? Also who do I tell cause I cannot upload anything to the site. My computer will not allow me to do so.
You can use the WAM alerts and Finds pages to post alerts and finds. As for uploading to the site, you need to become an author, and it is only possible to upload text and pictures. There isn’t a way to directly upload video (one of the major weaknesses of this site) but you can upload/add videos from YouTube etc. Anyway, I’ve sent you an author invitation to accept or decline at your leisure.
Thank you. It’s my first time blogging and I was unaware of how it works. Appreciate it.
Well, It looks like poeple are all interested in the stories. Is no one interested in anything else that I’ve done?
Well, what else have you done?
He won a school talent contest at age seven with a magic act described by audience members as “adequate” and “certainly better than that bloody awful tapdancer” but nobody ever thinks to ask about that, do they? No it’s all WAM WAM WAM with you people…
I was hinting at the GGP, you know, there’s plenty of juicy goosip I could reveal about it (although only if asked the right question). I’m sure your not bothered about what I got up to at uni or such, but the GGP? Right here man!
Oh, and it wasn’t a talent conest, it was school play. I can’t do magic.
Will there be a GGP 2013?
Yes.
Which has been your favourite GGP year thus far?
I’d say 2011.
2009 was done on ECGunge, ran by Manufan, and worked on a different system (or put bluntly, I wasn’t involved in it, I only wrote one of the winning stories).
2010 did not exist.
2012 drew upon the experience of 2011, and while it had it’s fair share of ups and downs, it ran very smoothly.
But to be honest, 2011 will always be my favourite. It was the first one I ran (you never forget your first), coming out of a small “We did this once, let’s try it again” idea, which people imediately took to. There were many mistakes, many things that taught lessons for the next year, such as the night I stayed up putting up polls, then went to Birmingham to graduate, no idea of the mess I’d left behind. The “Mila Kunis Incident” (which played on my mind as I watched her interview with little Ant and Dec), as well as Brucegate come to mind. The whole “see a problem, take a decision” mindset being charge allowed me to do. The editor status that I got, especially being so new to the blog at the time (I haven’t abused it, not that much anyway). The fact that one of my favourites won (while I liked Kaley Cuoco, she didn’t take favourite status for me until the final. Karen Gillan took it a good few rounds earlier).
Those are my personal reasons, reasons which mean no year should ever overtake it. There are however two general reasons that can make or break a GGP year, both outside of my control:
1. The Favourites coming up against each other, being knocked out until a true winner emerges.
2. The quality of stories that follows.
Going by the last few years, there’s no reason 2013 won’t deliver. There may not be any twists and turns as such, but you know it’s always worth watching to see if someone will emerge from nowhere in there year (a la Karen) or just pull it together their year (See Kaley Cuoco).
What is your name an abbreviation of?
My name (so no, I’m not putting it here).
You are WWE star Paul Michael Levesque (a.k.a. Triple H) and I claim my five pounds!
Er, no. (although if I was, would I really reveal it?)
Just to point out, I was at uni very recently, and I’m very much British. I can’t fight for owt.
He probably can’t either. Or is that breaking kayfabe?
What is the appeal of WAM to you?
Besides the obvious?
It’s hard to say. Nostalgia definitely comes into it, memories of those Saturday mornings. Then of course there’s the fun side of things, the playfulness of gunge and such. Humilation plays a role, not necessarily of the girl, more the destruction of the pretty outfit and such. There’s also the shiny sexy woman, or the thick slime pouring over her, covering her up and such.
Like I said, it’s a hard thing to really describe. In some ways, the only thing I can really say is “It just does.” I’m yet to really try it out for myself, either as the gunger or the gungee. The truth is, I like it, I’m turned on by it, and I spend time thinking about it.
Ultimately, in a meta sense, being a small part of the community, writing the odd story, watching clips and such, that is something that helps give a purpose and such. Being a known person around these parts is very satisfying, especially since I’m not the most talkative person around.
And if you can make any sense of that above, please tell me, because all I’m getting is a bunch of random ideas.
Right, I think my interview has run its course. So, who’s next?