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In The Ricki Lake Show’s last season, the Gay Pimp gave people and spaces makeovers, taught us about “metrosexuality,” and tested out some dubious aphrodisiacs. Today, the man behind the Gay Pimp character, Jonny McGovern, joins Ricki and Kalen to talk about the origins of the Gay Pimp, where his career went after his TRLS appearances, and even sings some of his hit song “Soccer Practice” for Ricki and Kalen! Plus, they discuss the myriad reasons why Jonny would not name a character the Gay Pimp today.

Please note, Raised By Ricki contains mature themes and may not be appropriate for all listeners.

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Transcript

SPEAKERS

Ricki Lake, Jonny McGovern, Kalen Allen

Ricki Lake  00:14

Hello and welcome to another episode of Raised by Ricki, I am Ricki Lake and with me as always is.

Kalen Allen  00:20

Is me, Kalen Allen.

Ricki Lake  00:22

Hi Kalen.

Jonny McGovern  00:23

Hey, Ricky.

Ricki Lake  00:24

it’s so nice to talk to you. What’s going on? Tell me I know, we’re gonna see each other in the flash very soon. How are you feeling about that?

Kalen Allen  00:35

You know, the only reason why I’m staying in LA this longest because of you, because you know me I’m in in and an outy.

Ricki Lake  00:42

I know. But you’re coming over tomorrow. So truthfully, you’ve been extended because we’re doing a little appearance which I’m excited about.

Kalen Allen  00:51

Who’s doing your hair? You got your glam team?

Ricki Lake  00:54

No, I don’t know what I’m wearing. I’m gonna figure it out. That’s like my least favorite thing.

Kalen Allen  01:00

Really? Do you dress yourself?

Ricki Lake  01:02

These days, I do.

Kalen Allen  01:03

Okay, I’m about to take a weekend. Go shop.

Ricki Lake  01:06

I hate shopping. I hate trying out. I’ve lived in momoos and sweatpants. I’m about comfort, you know about just being relaxed. But if you want to want to go shopping with me tomorrow?

Kalen Allen  01:20

Listen if you need somebody to dress you girl.

Ricki Lake  01:24

All right here we can definitely let the right now is the podcast so you don’t need to do it. You know? No one can see me. But I do love your tastes Do you have great taste.

Kalen Allen  01:33

We could talk about it. You know because I could get you some real thickening

Ricki Lake  01:37

The idea that you want me to have a makeover. It could be seen as slightly offensive.

Kalen Allen  01:43

A makeover who said you needed a makeover?

Ricki Lake  01:46

I guess you’re right. You’re right. You’re right. You’re right. I’m projecting.

Kalen Allen  01:50

Ricki, wait, hold on. I just were talking about dressing for access Hollywood.

Ricki Lake  01:59

Okay, okay. Okay, I got sensitive there. I thought you wanted me to that you don’t maybe I’m just feeling a little self-conscious because I never really do anything when I do these podcasts and you see me looking you know.

Kalen Allen  02:10

I like the way you look.

Ricki Lake  02:13

No, I’m not going to wear moomoo on Friday and I will come up with something cute. I’m just this is where I’m at. I totally like love and accept myself today as I am and I think I look great. And I feel great. I mean, all of that is true. And I still get a little you know, when it comes to like having to like dress up for an appearance. It’s a drag. It’s a drag. But I’m even one of those people like I you know a lot of talent like likes to sit in a makeup chair and get their makeup done for hours on end and I hate it. I hate it. I can’t sit still I want it done as fast as possible. If everyone else is happy with the way I look, I’m totally good with it. I’m not someone that has to like, check. You know, I’m not maniacal about how I look interesting. And I gotta come up with something good to wear, I’ll figure it out. I’ll figure it out when we’re done. But you know speaking of makeovers. We have someone on today that was on back in the olden days on Ricki Lake Johnny well, back then he was known as I know, it doesn’t sound politically correct to say but he was the gay pimp. Does that offend you that that title now?

Kalen Allen  03:28

No, not really. It’s a questionable title. I don’t know if I would necessarily call myself a gay pimp. That’s a little concerning to me. But you know, to eat just own.

Ricki Lake  03:39

Well, his name is Jonny McGovern, his actual name like he was on in the later years, I think the last couple of seasons of the show. And it’s gonna be fun to go back in time with him and see what he remembers. See, you know where he is now. And what we bring him in? What’s that?

Jonny McGovern  03:59

Hello gorgeous. Just a few. Just a few little years.

Jonny McGovern  04:05

This is Kalen, Kalen Allen. Hi, Kalen, nice to meet you.

Kalen Allen  04:10

Nice to meet you. How are you?

Jonny McGovern  04:12

I’m doing good. Happy to be with you guys today.

Ricki Lake  04:14

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for joining us, Johnny McGovern. Are you still known as the gay pimp? And where did that come from?

Jonny McGovern  04:25

I’m not currently active as the gay pen. But it was a character I was embodying at that time. When I when I started to work on your show. I was doing songs sort of dirty gay songs. I was feeling very empowered. As a young gay man after sort of living, you know, kind of closeted for my whole teenage years and then even being closeted in acting school for a little bit. And I had moved to New York and I came out I was feeling gay and I was singing gay songs and doing gay stuff and the gay pimp was kind of like an empowering a you know, gay hero.

Kalen Allen  05:01

So where did it start?

Jonny McGovern  05:03

I was doing like a downtown midnight musical that I wrote called the wrong fact to fuck with, which was the gay pimp versus Eminem. It was right when Eminem first came out and was kind of dropping the F bomb everywhere. So of course, what isn’t an artist on the Lower East Side due to protests will write a musical where gay pimp who is a magical gay pop star battles Eminem, at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Ricki Lake  05:30

I mean, duh.

Jonny McGovern  05:34

And I started the songs from that little tiny musical started to pop off and I started performing all around New York, kind of giving you a Britney NSYNC style performance where I would wear like rhinestone jeans and a backup dancers dressed in soccer players and drag queen cheerleaders. But we were doing it at tiny little bars, where the stage was like a cardboard box. And eventually that discovered by a Broadway producer who paid for a music video to be shot, and then that ended up being huge playing on MTV around the world. And I sort of had a side career as a pop star and it got me an entree into the world of Ricki Lake.

Ricki Lake  06:14

So is that how we found you?

Jonny McGovern  06:16

I was doing like an Off Broadway run of the show called gay pimp and the dirty gay teen pop superstars. And one of your producers came to see it.

Ricki Lake 06:25

That’s awesome. So you were on the show back in like 2002 was your first appearance?

Jonny McGovern  06:30

I think it was whatever was your very last year. So what was that? Like?

Ricki Lake  06:34

Oh, 2003.

Jonny McGovern  06:37

Yeah, I was there. I caught it right at the end.

Ricki Lake  06:41

Right when we close our doors.

Kalen Allen  06:43

Do what video was on MTV, soccer practice. It had gay things in it?

Jonny McGovern  06:58

Oh, yeah. I mean, you know, you know how little NAS X was doing the dance in the shower with everybody I get I did that in 2003 in this video. It was like huge, especially MTV, Europe, MTV Asia. Like, I went to Japan and I was treated like a real pop star. And I was like, some guy living on the Lower East Side being like, wow, this is pretty great. I was a comedian and it was kind of a joke. And then it became something real for a couple years. It was pretty great.

Ricki Lake  07:28

Was there any backlash at that time? It just seems like that would never fly today. Right?

Kalen Allen  07:33

Yeah, that’s what that’s what I think it will fly today. But I’m just I’m more surprised that it was flying then that’s what I’m trying figure out.

Jonny McGovern  07:40

Well, you know, it was like a really weird time. It was before YouTube. And the video became a hit in video bars around the country, which would Kaling you’re like me, I was like, What the heck is a video bar, but it’s like all the gay bars that played videos nonstop. And so while I was living sort of my regular life, it sort of became this sort of grassroots sensation because at that time, there was no in the in the video Kalen I’m, it starts in a locker room with sort of all these straight jocks changing and out of the midst of the showers, comes me dressed in rhinestone jeans, a t shirt that says gay pimp and sunglasses. And I started singing a song that sort of equates all manly and straight type sport and army and whatever activities to gay sex. So there was no buddy doing that at that time. There certainly was no pop music video, where the lead was sort of like thrown straight guys around and doing dances in the shower and being extremely gay. You know? Gay power it really is what it was.

Ricki Lake  08:47

Could you sing a little bit of it or say some of the lyrics for us?

Jonny McGovern  08:50

Yeah, yeah, I mean, it’s like it started the part where I come out of the mist is goes hey, dude, I was thinking we could go do, something dirty. And then of course goes is sorta like soccer practice with the water polo team do some track and field on the football grain go to the locker room, do weight training named, it will be real hot if we join the army soccer practice. So got it became a crazy sensation and really changed my life.

Ricki Lake  09:30

Okay, I’m gonna just be frank, did you make a lot of money doing that?

Jonny McGovern  09:32

I mean, the money to be made on that one was on like merch and like touring. It gave me a whole career of recording music and making music videos that I did for like 10 years. So it while it did that song individually did not make me rich. You know, right now, Ricki, if I had that hit at this time, I would be on every talk show. I’d be everywhere.

Ricki Lake  09:53

Instead you’re just talking to us.

Jonny McGovern  09:55

Well, I’m here and I’m grateful for those, but I mean, at that time people were like the internet. I don’t know. I don’t think so this internet thing. So I tend to be about 10 years early to stuff Ricki, but it’s okay.

Ricki Lake  10:10

Yeah, you’re ahead of your time.

Jonny McGovern  10:13

In so many ways.

Kalen Allen  10:15

So were you were you signed to it a label?

Jonny McGovern  10:18

No, it was a fully independent thing. I had a manager and it was just like, I don’t even know if you can put the song on iTunes at that time. It may be just was happening then.

Kalen Allen  10:27

So were you making royalties off of it?

Jonny McGovern  10:30

Well, yeah, I got that money. Yeah.

Kalen Allen  10:31

Okay. So, approximately, how much do you think that was offered this one song?

Jonny McGovern  10:37

It wasn’t enough to last me for quite a while.

Ricki Lake  10:42

Okay, kids, we need to take a quick break, but we’re going to be right back. Let’s talk about your first time on my show. What’s your recollection of it? I don’t really have one.

Jonny McGovern  11:05

Because Ricki, you are you are halfway out the door. At that time. You are ready. You are ready to go.

Ricki Lake  11:12

Did I have a bad attitude. I hope I had a good attitude.

Jonny McGovern  11:16

were a you are a sweet angel. But you were definitely like, let’s go.

Ricki Lake  11:22

Yeah, well, here’s the thing. I was going through a divorce, I remember was that last season of the show. That was like a really tumultuous time personally for me. It was super stressful. I had to move my kids back to New York after moving out to LA because we did one more season of the show. So yeah, I was definitely not in the best spirits then. But yeah, go back to you. What do you remember?

Jonny McGovern  11:45

I mean, it was wild, because I really didn’t know what to expect. And it was I had not met you. I met you on stage. Like in when we were doing the show. And I was like, there she is. And you were like, wow, it’s Ricki just like on TV. I can’t remember what it was. It was kind of like improv would show up. I didn’t really know what was happening on the show that day. And they would be like okay, today you’re diving through trash cans, and Chelsea because it’s trash or treasure.

Ricki Lake  12:16

Oh, I remember trash or treasure. It all comes back to me like a dream.

Jonny McGovern  12:21

Yeah, the most dramatic one Ricki was when you had the people from the Hillsboro Baptist Church on the show. And before the show, the producer came to me and said Ricki does not really want to talk to them. So you’re gonna have to take control of this segment. And so I had to go on stage and I was supposed to sit next to them. I remember going out pulling the chair away from them. And they started quoting Bible verses which of course is not something I can really come back with very hard.

Ricki Lake  12:55

Me neither.

Jonny McGovern  12:56

But I remember being like Well, look, I have this letter from Jesus and it says gay is okay love Jesus and the crowd cheering right to commercial, this is the life for me.

Ricki Lake  13:14

That’s amazing. You mean the Westborough? He was on in season one with me and he since he was on again, I can’t like having a brain fart because.

Jonny McGovern  13:32

You and I were both very tense about having to talk to them. And I was like well here we go. This let’s give it a go.

Ricki Lake  13:39

Let’s do you remember giving Heather be a makeover. Heather B from the real world.

Jonny McGovern  13:43

I don’t know if I gave her a makeover.

Ricki Lake  13:45

You guys did, you gave somebody we went on the street.

Jonny McGovern  13:49

We did makeovers. Yeah. I loved Heather B was and I really got along we really clicked yes. She was so sweet. We did makeovers we went to people’s houses and gave the house a makeover. I mean, I was living the dream or if you doing that show it was such it was such an entree.

Ricki Lake  14:07

Should we show a clip of that? Boy, do you remember this Jonny, you remember bringing Dance Studio? I do. It all comes back like a dream. You look like a baby Jonny.

Jonny McGovern  14:47

I was fat at this time, Ricki and look out that I was. Wow. Wow. Wow.

Kalen Allen  14:51

I’m trying to figure out what was the lesson. What we trying to teach Coco?

Jonny McGovern  15:00

I think CoCo was needed was trying to be classier I guess classier. Full makeover. I’m not sure exactly what we were teaching her in that segment like how to dance in a non-sexy manner.

Ricki Lake  15:18

I think Kalen we were trying to fill an hour of television.

Kalen Allen  15:22

Yes, exactly. I guess though, cuz I was like, What is this segment?

Ricki Lake  15:26

Yeah, but we had fun. Heather B, Kalen you would love I want to get her on here because she’s really funny. And she’s had the original cast to the real world. And she’s just Super Down to Earth. And I love her. Are you in touch with her, Jonny?

Jonny McGovern  15:43

I haven’t talked to her in a long time. But I have such great memories of that time with her. And she was so sweet. Of course, I had watched her on the real world and it was just like, dreamy, like, at this time, Ricki, I was like a lower East Side comedian. You know, soccer practice had kind of popped off. But it was before the internet. I barely even checked my email in this era.

Ricki Lake  16:04

Before Queer Eye. Right? It was way before Queer Eye.

Jonny McGovern  16:07

I think it was like right around that era where gay stuff was really kind of popping off. So that’s one of the reasons that soccer practice became so big was, there really wasn’t a lot of content that was gay guys, you know, not sort of as the gay assistant or the sassy friend. And so that was all kind of like popping off at that time. So the fact that I was on TV, people still talk to me about it. Talk about seeing me on Ricki Lake, you let me perform soccer practice on your show. I mean, that was a really amazing time. It really gave me my first taste.

Ricki Lake  16:41

Yeah. And your name, I mean, being known as the gay pimp. I mean, that name could that fly today?

Jonny McGovern  16:46

It was, you know, it was a different era. And it was really about that reason why it was the gay pimp was kind of like taking something sort of, obviously, it was like the hip hop influences of the pimp being cool, but making it into something tough and cool. That was gay, which just I didn’t really see a lot at that time. And that was really sort of wide that, you know, people reacted to that character was that it was a gay guy sort of in charge, in all situations, not subservient to straight people or masculinity in any kind of way. So it was very early. I don’t know if that would be, you know, everyone’s a little more sensitive these days. I might not have named at the gay pimp at that time. Yeah, exactly. Believe me. There’s plenty of dragging.

Ricki Lake  17:31

You would have been canceled.

Jonny McGovern  17:32

I don’t know.

Ricki Lake  17:33

I didn’t know what you meant by that. What does that mean, you could have been dragging?

Jonny McGovern  17:40

The people would have a critique of everything. There was no social media at that time. So the only response I was getting from that kind of stuff was from you know, from people in real life.

Ricki Lake  17:51

Have you watched we’re here? It’s I mean, it’s my new favorite show.

Kalen Allen  18:02

Every time we have an interview with somebody she brings up.

Ricki Lake  18:06

Just, there was some parallels that I felt right. It’s like by you being out there. You know, you’re changing the stereotype and getting people to think differently about something that they know.

Jonny McGovern  18:19

Yeah. I mean, I know all those I know all the girls from we’re here because of hate Queen because I talked to hate queen, which I did for eight seasons, Hate Queen is a talk show that I did, it’s a of course inspired by my time with you, Ricky. It started off as a YouTube sort of YouTube series. And then it blew up big enough to be picked up by Netflix for a couple seasons. That’s amazing. And then it played out around the world on out TV. It was sort of like Johnny Carson, for, you know, the LGBTQ is me. And my co-host was a trans drag queen named Lady Reg. She was kind of like Ed McMahon, and I was like a dirty gay Johnny Carson. And we came out right around when drag race was really blowing up. And all those girls knew me from my music videos. So I ended up RuPaul was actually the very first guest of the show. And that’s what hell and that was a time when Kalen you could get report on the show. Like I could send RuPaul an email and be like, hey, you want to come on? Because RuPaul was always really supportive of all my work.

Kalen Allen  19:25

Can you talk to us about Big Gay sketch show?

Jonny McGovern  19:28

Yeah, that was like the first LGBTQ sketch comedy show. On television. It was on logo, the first gay network, and it was produced by Rosie O’Donnell. And it was my next TV gig afterwards, maybe like two years after I wrapped up on Ricky. We did three seasons of it. Kate McKinnon from SNL was in the cast. Billy Eichner was one of the writers. So it was like definitely a you know as a moment, logo at that time didn’t really have an audience, and they were it was before drag race kind of really put them on the map.

Kalen Allen  20:04

This was before drag race, because drag race is on VH1 now.

Jonny McGovern  20:08

Yeah. Well, it started off on logo for the first like, seven years, I think. But I mean, like, I remember in our last season, we did like a parody sketch of drag race. And that aired as the commercial before drag race. And that’s the thing that people like remember the most from that show. Because people saw it all the time when they were really going with drag race. But yeah, it was a great opportunity. I mean, to work with Rosie O’Donnell and other TV diva. I know you guys have had her on the show. She was so great. And she got she pretty much handpick the cast. Such a great person who really created the biggest sketch show to give up incoming gay comedians a chance. And I’ll always really appreciate her for that.

Ricki Lake  21:00

Absolutely. All right, let’s take a break. We’ll be right back.

Kalen Allen  21:15

so was the Ricki Lake Show your first time on television?

Jonny McGovern  21:19

Yeah, yeah, that was my first that was the first time I was anywhere. I mean that that. Until then, I had been the video was the biggest thing. But then, thanks to Ricki, I really had something for my reel. And I was able to, you know, get other jobs and keep moving through the entertainment industry.

Kalen Allen  21:38

So what kind of things did you learn from being at the Ricki Lake Show? Because I think this is special because you continue to work in television after this. So what kind of things did you take from your experience at the Ricki Lake show that helped you to be able to continue a career?

Jonny McGovern  21:54

Well, I mean, the fact that you would sort of show up to the show, and then find out what was happening and then do it within like an hour or two, is really how things work when you’re doing that kind of programming. So it definitely like taught me how to work in front of the camera be quick deal with an audience deal with, you know, you when you’re making over real people, there’s a lot that’s their actual life and their emotions and you know, all that kind of stuff. So dealing with the people who were the guests, seeing how a talk show worked seeing Ricki Lake work in front of the camera. I mean, after the what was that year 13, or something like that, Ricki. So I mean, like, it was similar to when I got to see Wendy Williams do it in front of the camera, you just get to see like somebody who knows what they’re doing so well. It’s like a master class, and working the camera. And that was one of the things I really got from you. It’s like, I got to see how you work with the audience worked with the staff worked with the whole thing. I mean, it was really incredible.

Kalen Allen  22:59

Okay, so then my question to that is, because when you consider that to be a time thing, because of you coming in at the end of the Ricki Lake Show, by this time, Ricky Done, done a whole bunch of shows, you know, for the last 11 years on a daily basis, and the reason why I say that is because I also say the same thing when people ask me about like watching Ellen host, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, you know, I was like, what should be doing it for 19 years, you know, and I started in season 16. So I’m like, when you done it, and you get into this, it almost feels like a machine. It’s like routine at that point. Oh, yeah. So say you book a show. And now you get in front of a camera. Because I think now I’ve gotten to this point as well. Do you feel as though as soon as the cameras on you and somebody says action? You’re able to tap right back into that? This space?

Jonny McGovern  23:44

Oh, definitely. I mean, like, that’s what you learn from watching the masters of TV at work. And you get to, you know, like, you see how they can play to the camera purely to the people in real life and make the people at home feel like they’re talking to them. There is an art to it. I mean, I know you know how to do it. Kailyn obviously, Ricky knows how to do it. And it was definitely something that I started to learn how to do on the Ricki show.

Ricki Lake  24:07

Yeah, I remember I had double pneumonia when I was had to do the show. Like, there was one year not that year. But like earlier in the season, it’s like we had, you know, I had all these people showing up to do this show. I was not going to scrap it. So I just push through. And yeah, like when, you know, the red light goes on, and you just turn it on.

Jonny McGovern  24:23

And the thing people forget is that like, everybody’s job is revolving around you. Like there’s so many people working on the show. I mean, I know that’s why you did that last season to keep everybody that had been working there for so long in their job. And like, you know, that’s a big responsibility.

Ricki Lake  24:42

I felt I mean, that was really a hard thing because I you know, I can’t say I ended the show, but we came to a mutual decision that we didn’t move on. And I did you know, I mean there were people I remember we I had we had to like wrap party in there crying and I did feel really responsible in a lot of ways my assistant that I love Michelle boxer, I didn’t want to lose her. I didn’t want it to end. But I needed to move on. Like I needed a next chapter. And it was a hard thing to walk away from, but I never really looked back. You know, I was grateful for the opportunity and the relationships I still have with the staff. And I have to say, when you if you were on during that last season, I needed your type of show to kind of cheer me up because my personal life was really difficult at that time. So you know, I appreciate it. You do you want to you want to see another clip of you in action? This one I think is you and some other reporters, quote, unquote, tried out some sexual enhancement products. I don’t know. I don’t know what that’s about.  My gosh. Do you remember that?

Jonny McGovern  26:31

Not at all that one I do not remember. But I am wearing the t shirt line that I started after soccer practice. That was like dirty gay skater boy, obviously, it’s very 2000 whatever with that sideways trucker hat. Oh my God. And that was what it was like, because that was like just it was kind of like improv comedy. Really. And I was trying to just make you laugh. Ricky like, that was the most important thing. Like, just to amuse Ricky.

Ricki Lake  27:01

Did I think that was a genuine laugh that I gave you were? You’re very funny. I’m sorry for what we threw at you back then. I

Jonny McGovern  27:07

loved it. It was such a great training ground.

Kalen Allen  27:09

Did the character have a southern accent? Where was he from?

Jonny McGovern  27:14

I mean, it was just very vaguely it felt powerful to me at that time. Like it made me feel like Foghorn leg or something like that. So that that sort of just got down.

Ricki Lake  27:25

You have a great voice. So were you single during your time on my old show, like did your dating life change by being on the show?

Jonny McGovern  27:41

I did have a boyfriend at that time. But at that time, my day job was throwing nightclub parties. So I was a party promoter at night. And that’s sort of how I paid the bills before TV started to pick up and the music video had me touring and stuff like that. So I was surrounded by hot guys, all the time in nightlife. So there was no noticeable change. But also there was no like, Grindr again, without social media, you just were in the bubble that you were in like.

Ricki Lake  28:15

Was it a better time? What do you think? Do you look back at those days fondly? Without all that technology?

Jonny McGovern  28:22

I think for the thirst in me for the fame, it would have been way better to have social media because I could have capitalized on everything so much more than I was able to, but for personal life. I mean, as somebody who worked in nightlife for all those years, I’m very glad there was no cameras, no phones. During that era, I would take photos on like those disposable Kodak cameras. And like, after I left New York, I found like a huge bag of all of those cameras and have them developed. And let me tell you, there was a lot of inappropriate stuff on the camera.

Ricki Lake  29:04

Hey, Kailyn, what do you think your career would be without social media for you back then? I mean, I have no doubt were you around, then you would be successful. But do you think it would be different thing?

Kalen Allen  29:15

I’d be a producer. Really, I think I would just go and produce. Either I’d be a producer or I definitely still would have been performing in some capacity, you know, working on Broadway auditioning and stuff like that. But I think I would just found another job in entertainment, you know, right. Right. I still think I would have been fulfilled by that.

Ricki Lake  29:34

Yes, I agree. I think you would have been on my show with me.

Kalen Allen  29:38

I can see. I actually I strongly I definitely would have been at the Ricki Lake Show.

Ricki Lake  29:45

Well, it’s kind of like we get to do it. Yeah, kinda. In a way the difference. So what are you doing now Jonny? What’s happening for you now?

Jonny McGovern  29:54

So many things. I mean, I just had a it’s so funny. Like, I haven’t really put out an album in many years, but this year, one of my songs a song called Man Areas became a huge TikTok trending sound and ended up getting 12 million plus plays on Spotify.

Kalen Allen  30:39

Do you got money for that?

Jonny McGovern  30:43

Yeah. And believe me, I was not sure because, you know, it takes months for the money to roll and, and people were like, you must be rich. It’s everywhere. And I was like, But honey, the checks are coming in, and they still are coming. That was a gift, the sound they took the first like five seconds of the song and it became something that first girls were dancing to. And then somehow it became connected to the alligator called Monty from Five Nights at Freddy’s. And that became a thing. And suddenly it was everywhere. The part of the song that became a hit was it goes, this goes to the strippers and the fucking porn stars and those 16 motherfuckers show and shit on the bar. That itself went crazy. So a song that came out 10 years ago, suddenly is paying the bills and got, you know, a whole new audience to start streaming my older music. So that was fun. And then now I’m actually just I just filmed the second season of a show that I created, executive freezed and directed, called GoGo for the gold. It’s a reality competition show for GoGo boys. They do challenges based on things that gogo boys would have to do. And what GoGo boys now that their social media stars also have to do so. You know, typical reality show fun stuff. And it all builds up to the final strip down in the show came out last summer on our TV and was their number one new show. So just shot season two, which was like a major upgrade. And I’m in the middle of post-production on that it’ll come out next summer. Yeah, it’s really fun.

Ricki Lake  32:28

I’m so proud that I was part of your journey in becoming who you are and doing what you’re doing.

Jonny McGovern  32:35

I’m so grateful to you, Ricki, you were such a you for you were so lovely to me. And it was so great to see somebody who had just made it happen and was working it in front of the camera and your grace with the staff. And there were so many great things that I learned from you. And you know, they’ll always have my heart for that. And I’ll never forget, Ricky, when after the show was over world of wonder had did a show called totally Geyer on VH one, and they did a segment on me and you went and got interviewed just about me for that. And that was just so touching that you took the time to talk about me on that show and do that interview that it really meant a lot and I’ll never forget it.

Ricki Lake  33:21

Thank you. It’s such a pleasure. The gay pimp. Did you did you get your feathers ruffled when you heard that term that he was known as that?

Kalen Allen  33:36

When I heard it, I was like, no, what the hell is this? But now I will say but it did give that in the interview. It’s interesting that it’s a character because even watching clips, I was like, does the accent to this? Like, I was like, what is the persona? You know what I mean?

Ricki Lake  33:53

I couldn’t tell who’s the man and who’s like the what is it? No, he was he was super entertaining. He was a presence on the show. And, you know, I think he’s super entrepreneurial. Like he used that. I mean, he made those. So I mean, really, I mean, not unlike you, right? I mean, what you’ve done. It’s, it’s really, I mean, he’s, I love that he gives me a lot of credit. It’s really nice of him. But no, I thought what he did, you know, with those shows and the songs and traveling around the world, good on him.

Kalen Allen  34:26

I know, I was actually pretty shocked when he told the MTV story. I was kind of shocked that I was like, and this was paid on TV. You know, because, it’s hard to you know, I pulled it up on the side because I had to see what was happening in the video and I was looking, I was like, okay, I see it’s not too crazy.

Ricki Lake  34:45

It sounded crazier than it actually is.

Kalen Allen  34:47

Yes. I think it’s pretty mild. I was expecting you know, there is a man and a jockstrap or whatever, but other than that, it didn’t get too crazy.

Ricki Lake  34:56

That was as risky as it got. But it got him to Japan. It got him all over the world. if I had a nickel for every time okay, I’m just getting thank you so much for joining us for this time. We had a lot of fun. I hope you did too. Kalen tell them what they should do if they like what they’re hearing.

Kalen Allen  35:17

You gotta like you gotta follow you got to respond. You got to read you got to review you got to tell you I teach your uncle’s because it’s your baby daddy’s your baby mamas. And you kids.

Ricki Lake  35:26

Oh, and subscribe if you like yeah, subscribe. You’ll get the episodes just every Thursday. That’s when they drop. Anyway, we hope you join us next Thursday. See ya.

CREDITS  35:36

Please do and we hope to have you join us next time. Bye so long. We love it. We love the feedback. And thank you so much. We hope you’ll be listening next time. Thanks for joining. One last thing, there’s even more Raise By Ricki with Lemonada Premium. We do our premium episodes AMA style where you get to ask me anything. And earlier this week you asked me what was the moment I actually felt famous and it was so fun to answer that and remember that night. Now if you want to find out what my answer was, you should subscribe to Lemonada Premium right now in Apple podcasts. Raised by Ricki with Ricki Lake and Kalen Allen is a Lemonada Media Original. This show is produced by Claire Jones and Nancy Rosenbaum. Our associate producer is Tiffany Buoy. Our senior director of new content is Rachel Neill, VP of weekly production is Steve Nelson and our executive producers Stephanie Wittels Wachs, Jessica Cordova Kramer and DeRay McKesson, and the show is mixed by Johnny Vince Evans. Music is written and produced by Jellybean Benitez, Jason Peralta and Jay Coos for Jelly Bean Productions.