Thursday, October 21, 1999
Naked Cowboy's tour hits local roadblock
BY JIM KNIPPENBERG
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Look who's back in town with no new arrests: It's the Naked Cowboy. Back, but not for long.
The cowboy, a k a John Robert Burck, is the singer who shows up places — Party in the Park, street festivals, Cinergy Field, Tall Stacks — dressed just in undies (briefs, not boxers) and cowboy boots, and armed with a guitar.
Sometimes, he is arrested. Sometimes, he is simply ushered out. Sometimes, he is ogled and applauded.
He's back from a 20-city tour that included Buffalo, Rochester, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. All without incident but lots of coverage, including MTV and local news. (Well, there was this little incident at Tall Stacks when he got home; he was ushered out.)
Oh, he also met and bowled over agent Wayne Gasser, whose Gasser Group signed him and started lining up auditions for all kinds of things from television to stage. Monday he auditioned for Guiding Light but isn't sure what they have in mind. He expects news soon.
Gasser also has spoken to bookers at David Letterman and Jay Leno, whose studios he performs outside of when he's in New York.
RE-INVENTIONS: Oh, so you're supposed to trust this Marc Marsan guy to help you discover Who Are You When Nobody's Looking (Element Books; $14.95)?
Marsand, who once donned a diaper and invited Dennis Rodman to give him a wedgie?
Yeah, trust him because of his track record for thinking innovatively. One of five national finalists in a Mazda-sponsored Think Outside-The Box contest (part of his 5-minute presentation for judges was the Rodman wedgie). Former new products brainstormer (Disney, Gatorade) at Sawtooth think tank and Doug Hall's Eureka Ranch.
Now comes Looking, a book that applies his product brainstorming techniques to life — how to reinvent yourself.
“The idea is instead of trying to figure out solutions to individual problems,” he says, “you develop life strategies and let individual solutions fall in place. From that, you find out who you are, and that's liberating. It's all about marketing yourself.”
Whatever he's doing, he's doing it right. He has a date on The View (11 a.m. today,Channel 9), a commitment but no date from Montel Williams, and feelers but no promises from Oprah Winfrey, who probably won't give him a wedgie.
GOOD LUCK: Meanwhile, down in the Caribbean, Cincinnatians Cammy Dickens, 27, and Mike Weber, 30, are finalists in the Mr. and Ms. Cuervo Nation Pageant.
Cuervo, an 8-acre island in the British Virgin Islands, is owned by the famous tequila company and known to be quite the party spot.
Weber and Dickens earned the right to compete by winning the regional pageant in September at Electra (formerly Sycamore Gardens). Weber competes against five men; Dickens faces six women, including Playboy cover girl Rena Mero who used to wrestle as Sable.
Final judging (beauty, talent, creativity, dexterity) is Friday. Winners get a lifetime supply of Cuervo Margaritas; female winner might compete in Miss Universe Pageant 2000 — Cuervo is going to petition for a spot in the pageant lineup.
Knip's Eye View appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Have an item to report? Call Jim Knippenberg at 768-8513; fax: 768-8330.
