Lead actor Brandon Karson of the popular soft core porn web series, About Him, has announced that he will no longer appear on the show.
In a post on Facebook today, Karson stated, “On this day, I have made the executive decision to no longer work with Signal 23 Television [the production company that produces and distributes About Him].”
He went on to say, “After being used and then blindsided by a sudden change in casting, I finally realized who these people really were. I was not forewarned of the change, and I have YET to hear from the producers that I have in fact been replaced.”
Replaced? Based on that, this sounds like he didn’t actually quit the show, he had already been fired without notice.
We don’t have details on how much Karson was paid to star in About Him. Or if he was even paid at all. We just know that this show made him, and others, black gaylebrities to a subsection of the LGBT community.
For those not in the know, About Him is a black gay web series on YouTube and Vimeo that became a hit (compared to other black gay web series).
![About Him Season 1 Extended Trailer [LGBT Web Series]-3](https://i0.wp.com/cypheravenue.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/About-Him-Season-1-Extended-Trailer-LGBT-Web-Series-3.jpeg?resize=1280%2C720&ssl=1)
After reviewing a couple episodes of this show, I slacked off once I saw the series was leaning heavily into the soft core porn territory. The series aired “Uncensored” episodes for subscribers where fully erect twink penises and gay sexual acts are seen in all their HD glory.
So unfortunately, I haven’t kept up with the details of Signal 23 TV or its’ producers so all I can do is speculate on what Brandon Karson is alluding to in this posting.
Maybe he wasn’t getting paid and started complaining, so they replaced him.
Signal 23 TV’s subsequent LGBT shows now have 30-40% Uncensored Soft Core Porn scenes in each episode. So maybe they are putting pressure on their actors to do more on screen. Sexual things that Karson may have resisted or was reluctant to do. So maybe they replaced him with a more willing participant.
The business move of 2017 for Signal 23 TV may be to recast the show with porn actors and strippers.
Their newest show, Climax, starring porn star Arquez (aka Walter Burch), debuted last month and is already their highest grossing show after one episode.
I had been planning for a while to approach the actors and/or producers of the series for an interview, maybe we’ll get some answers then.
Regardless, I will soon be recapping/reviewing the entire series for Cypher Avenue, as well as many other shows and films that I missed highlighting over the last year.
![About Him Season 1 Extended Trailer [LGBT Web Series]-2](https://i2.wp.com/cypheravenue.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/About-Him-Season-1-Extended-Trailer-LGBT-Web-Series-2.jpeg?resize=1280%2C720&ssl=1)
I have no clue why he got fired but a written interview or audio interview done by you guys featuring Brandon Karson would be dope.
Has this happened yet? No? Pity.
So basically, God told him to do soft core gay porn and now God its telling him he needs to move forward?
:nopekid:
LMFAO I can't and I won't
You know you don't have to, right?
LOL. But he wants to!
Actually I do…Its my job as an editor/writer of this LGBT website.
Let’s not pretend that this is Isaiah Washington being fired from ABC. This is still a youtube show that may or may not even be profitable. He has a youtube interview where he spoke on the sex scenes and he didn’t give the impression that he was uncomfortable about them or was being forced to do them. If he was being forced to do them against his will, I don’t think he would be so upset about being fired. The question I have is did this young man do anything to separate himself from online acting while he had a little bit of fame? Was he trying to capitalize on his internet celebrity or was he content with being gay famous? In any event, Signal23tv isnt CBS so i hardly think it was a breakdown in contract negotiations between agents since none of them have agents and managers most likely. I’m sure it was something petty that led to this. I wish the young actor good luck though.
You think god could take sometime out of his busy schedule of helping out people in the enintement industry and help everyone else out ?
True. But we only have so many black gay celebs and public personalities. Many of their episodes have over 200,000 views…while not Rae Sremmurd music video numbers, its still a lot of eyeballs, especially when you consider Black Gays possibly only make up 4-6% of the US population (if that).
@RolandG this show is making him more $$$ than ever. He got the teasers right and he got all these gays buying the advance episodes with the soft-core porn for $2.99/person. Take that and multiply times 1,000 maybe much, MUCH more than that and you've got yourself huge profits!
Yeah, I wasn't meaning to belittle the impact of the show within the online black gay community. I was making the point that the decision couldn't have been the result of economic factors such as concern with advertisers pulling out because one of your actors is a known homophobe. That outfit is too small for those types of serious business and economic decisions. Remember, I went on a date with creator/director/writer/producer of some of these shows and the way he discussed the production of his shows and others seemed very amateurish. Lots of bitterness, pettiness and unprofessionalism going on. More than most viewers would know. I don't see how any of these young actors can move beyond these types of shows into the mainstream which is why I think Brandon should be happy to be on the outs.
Yeah most of them cannot take this and put in their demo reel unless they want to lower their chances of mainstream bookings. Many of them cannot act. They are simply eye candy.
Yeah I can only imagine. May be good to interview a former gay web series actor. But this goes into a post I was going to write soon specifically about the guys who would choose to be actors in these type of series.
$2.99 X 1000=$2,990. That's hardly striking it rich. Even if you multiply it by 4,000, it's still not enough for even one person to live on comfortably after paying for production. It's just weird to me that no one has been able to crack the super private financials of these online shows. Again, just from my conversations with a couple of people in the industry, they ain't
$2.99 X 1000=$2,990. That's hardly striking it rich. Even if you multiply it by 4,000, it's still not enough for even one person to live on comfortably after paying for production. It's just weird to me that no one has been able to crack the super private financials of these online shows. Again, just from my conversations with a couple of people in the industry, they ain't sipping champagne and rolling in Bentleys. I stand by my initial reaction that this wasn't a business decision. Probably something petty.
Ya'll torture yourselves.
I think an interview with one of these former actors would be insightful. I get the feeling that the setup with these young and black gay dudes is on par with the Chris Stokes and B2K setup. I don't know about the scripted shows but I did have one of the young actors working for my company and he was definitely all over the place. Horrible living situation, family that was not supportive, irresponsible but with dreams of being rich and famous. I tried to talk to him a couple of times to let him know he was headed in the wrong direction but the pull of the youtube and social media clicks was too strong. These young kats have no good role models, no support system and they're out there just winging it thinking they're doing the right thing while somebody is taking advantage of their looks. SMH
LOL. I am just comparing it to other black gay web series who put stuff out for free. YouTube views make $$$ and also his nationwide tour he did for the About Him series makes $$$ too. Is he rich? No. I am sure he and the other actors have other ways of making money outside of the show.
Somewhat. But whether we enjoy them or not, many dudes like these shows. So one of the few Black LGBT websites pretending they don't exist would be a disservice. Especially since the White gay sites barely even acknowledge there are gays of color in the media at all.
It would be cool to get the perspective of someone who used to be a part of such a HUGE black gay web series.
How are the actors making money? Many, if not most, have very little advanced education. Are they selling themselves on the side like pornstars? Maybe getting a few dollars for appearing at a gay club? I'm telling you, i've met a couple of them and the actors are definitely on a shoestring budget at the better end of the stick. You would be hard pressed to find many who have their own place with reliable transportation and a few dollars in the bank. Don't be fooled by the designer clothes on instagram.
LOL not B2K & Chris Stokes!!! Yeah it is sad to see the situation of the guy you worked with. Social media and getting caught up in the ATL lifestyle. As much as @Nick Delmacy & @Ockydub call me a gay socialite, a title which I embrace by the way lol, I cannot allow myself to get caught up.
As an aside, I am tired of seeing these young black gay men thinking some rich man is about to scoop them up. Get real and work for yourself!
Yeah, that's one thing I think about often when I see these young dudes with these great bodies and strong social media presence, like what is their REAL life like? Not just what they present to the public. No one is perfect so I can't act like an old man wagging my finger at them in a judging manor. We all choose our own paths in life…for better or worse.
Not fooled by designer clothes on IG at all. I don't have any active social media accounts right now. I do have FB but no IG or SC. I def know these actors are not making bank. The director will benefit the most. Many of the actors on these series just want their followers up and to get into all the exclusive ATL clubs/parties/events for free. They are more concerned with FAME instead of fortune.
Yeah never be fooled. I've seen posts and talked to other gays in ATL about social media. Quite a few of these dudes posing in pics with men that are too fine for reason are depressed. Those pics are mainly for show and many of the guys they associate with are not their real friends. They cannot trust anyone around them. The men are there to hang out but when ISH gets real, no one is anywhere to be found.
This is probably where I disagree. Even non-gay ppl are struggling financially. Some of them even have multiple degrees (I know plenty of laid off ppl with a Masters). Also, the industry is changing, many mainstream film producers are casting ppl based on how many Twitter followers they have. So if these young gay dudes have managed to make themselves somewhat marketable, that's a plus. Its cool if they wanna do this porn stuff, but I just hope they don't think this will transition them into a legitimate film/tv career working with Shonda Rhimes or Stephen Spielberg.
Couldn't have said it any better big bro. The industry is changing as far as indie content creators. Check out this 4 minute video clip:
As far as the talent casted for these series, social media following really does play a role in all facets of the entertainment industry from those working in film/TV, radio, modeling, and the list goes on.
And yeah, Shonda Rhimes or Stephen Spielberg or Tyler Perry is not checking for them unless they taking acting more seriously than just doing it for the fame.
I wouldn't disagree that there are a lot of laid off people with Masters Degrees. I would say that 99.9% of the young black gay men we're talking about are not in that group. I wouldn't imagine that many of these young actors have such advanced educations. Not knocking them for not having these degrees but pointing out that fewer options causes people to seek the easiest path to financial freedom. It's what leads many young kids, regardless of race, into prostitution and other unsavory means of acquiring money. All i'm saying is there are people who are trying to market themselves the correct way. I read a Forbes article detailing the richest youtube/social media creators and these people were making real bank but they weren't doing softcore porn on youtube. They have control over their sites and images and spoke of guidance they were receiving from reputable people. What type of career guidance are these young actors receiving?
Not so sure on what advice these guys are getting but they are going off of what they know and they are tapping into a market that they are familiar with. Black LGBT. It is a very difficult market to truly monetize from though because the truth is that black people love free ISH.
The people you are reading about are those I have seen on a 60 Minutes special where they discussed how successful people are from their involvement with social media. Those individuals have a broader appeal and are able to tap into much larger markets. These black gay "actors" would have to go leaps and bounds and a couple of loopholes to have the slightest chance at tapping into the markets that many other heterosexual and mostly White social media celebs can easily tap into.
Why all BOLD text though?
LOL I bet it was a mistake
Listen, I was trying to be fancy with another post. You know, learn technology and use the site to its fullest, but it didn't quite work out so i just went with it. LOL
You make valid points but also a lot of generalizing that all of these black gay web series actors are uneducated. That may be the case for some, but def not all. Also, we have to remember that many of these young dudes are from a diff generation than you and I. They don't have the inhibitions that we do when it comes to being openly gay and projecting/displaying thay gayness. I say that to say, many of them WANT to be gay and popular for being gay. As a blogger that whined about media representation for years, I welcome these young bucks with the courage to depict more black gay life in media. It just sucks that most of the opportunities are porn related because gays in general reward that as what we want to see (ie: Oiled up models in Club Flyers and even in HIV/AIDS Prevention ads).
No, for the record, i'm not saying they're uneducated. I'm just saying I don't think they all have advanced degrees as you mentioned which would mean they had an interest in something else outside acting and pursued it far enough to get an advanced degree. For instance, I have another young man, i'll call him J, who works for me and he's an actor who's acted in film and theater and he's very educated but he has a different work ethic than the first young actor, I'll call him V, who only wants to be a singer and saw these black gay webseries as a stepping stone to being the next Frank Ocean. J is from a stable family, comes to work on time, never misses days, over performs, lives alone, has his own vehicle and takes the job seriously. He sees it as a way to support himself while he pursues his real passion. V comes from a single parent household, momma didn't like him being gay, misses work some days and is late on others when he does come, belittles the job as if he's above it and always talked about his views on youtube. Maybe i'm generalizing to a degree since i've not met every young gay black dude out there trying to be on network tv, however, I also know that not many are receiving the proper career guidance. If they are happy being gay famous then more power to them but if they want to be taken seriously, our young black gay men are going about it the wrong way.
I'm also shocked that you welcome these young bucks with the courage to depict more black gay life media. I thought you hated the depictions of black gay life in Atlanta.
I don't hate the courage to get on camera and depict our struggles and sexual desires as black gay men, I just hate that it always has to be based on femininity, dating and sex.
And its all subjective, there's no RIGHT path to making in the entertainment industry. Tyler Perry famously slept in his car while making his plays back in the day, now he owns an island. Kanye West became famous by boasting he was a College Dropout. Yeah, they also happened to be extremely talented and intelligent in other ways, but the point is that piece of paper and a new leased car isn't the end all be all.
And I'm sure your employee J sometimes looks at V's minuscule success in his desired field and gets a bit envious, despite having his own home and car. I mean, yeah I have a full head of hair, over 6 feet tall, my own car/crib, etc…but I still look at some ppl with none of those attributes and get envious because they have something that I don't have but desire to have.
I think we get each other's points.
At the finale screening I attended, the producer said something along the lines of the lead dude not really enjoying the attention he was getting from the show and also being difficult as far as showing up to events. he said it in a pleasant way, but that’s probably what was going on. And he was apparently uncomfortable doing the nude scenes which weren’t planned until the one dude with the big hair pulled his dick out and then it went in that direction.