You all know Falcon stud Al Parker as an icon in gay porn, but in a new GQ online article, author Nathan Tavares credits the late porn legend as helping to birth a legendary style.
Parker headlined Falcon classics like The Other Side of Aspen, Champs and Weekend Lockup, and appeared in a bevy of other hits for the likes of Colt and Bijou throughout his career, which began in 1977. He went on to form his own company, Surge Studios, and continued his career in the adult industry as a producer and director before his passing in 1992.
But according to “How the ’70s ‘Clone’ Look Paved the Way for the Queer Clothing of Today,” Parker also had a lasting impact on gay culture that extended far beyond porn. Parker helped define the “Castro clone” look inspired by archetypes like cowboys, bikers and the Marlboro Man, writes Tavares—who cites Parker biographer Roger Edmondson as another source of the icon’s influence.
Tavares writes that Parker’s “lean-muscled frame started a movement, from fellow centerfolds to guys you’d see at the bar or cruising spots.” The author spoke to art director Frederick Woodruff, who shared: “The over-buffed bodies weren’t that interesting to me…and then Parker, there was something populist about his look. It was like, Oh that’s something with a little work I could attain, and I think that’s why it became so quickly absorbed into the gay community.”
Continues Tavares: “The fantasy of Parker’s imagery played with idea of a working class-looking guy who was just so masculine and horned up that he’d have sex with whoever was around—ideally other clone-looking guys.” He notes that Parker’s porn work “portrayed a label-less sexual liberation never seen before,” and draws parallels to modern day style icon Lil Nas X.
But the author speaks to a designer that says there was another side of the coin, as the look was one of conformity and oppressiveness that only spoke to a specific segment of white men in that era. Nonetheless, the style has enjoyed a rebirth with current designers: “It’s almost as if the label-less freedom of the early Post-Stonewall years—even if it was just a fantasy glimpsed through Parker’s work—is finally coming true, though without the clone look,” writes Tavares. “What we’re seeing now is neither costume nor conformity. Instead, it’s a unified front.”
What do you think of Parker’s vintage style and influence? Read the full article here, and see more of Parker’s hot work with various studios at NakedSword!
Al parker, born Andrew Oaken in Natick MA in June 1952 would be 69 years old if alive today. I met him in 1991 here in San Francisco at a Foreskin restoration support meeting. It seemed he’d always been envious of UNCUT guys and was investigating restoring his FORESKIN and was just starting and getting information the process. He’d hearth of NORM the National Organization or Restoring Men based in the San Francisco Bay Area and stopped by as he was here on other business. He dropped his pants and showed us his progress on his beginning FORESKIN restoration hd begun, very impressive.. He was a short guy although he was portrayed as tall and lanky. Sadly he passed away 39 years of Aids. What would he look like or would he be recognized today if still alive?. One thing about him, he had a great personality and was open , friendly and without a bit of attitude, unlike so many other gay men with attitude who treat each other like SHIT even though they didn’t have the fame and I presume money Al Parker earned.
Al Parker was an icon! My first gay crush.
Al Parker was an icon!
Time was simple when men were just men, and porn was cheesy, dirty, delicious and a crime. Men in that era and porn made in that time were way bigger turn ons.
Chuck Holmes the founder of Falcon Studios employees racist standards and those standards STILL exists today in gay white porn
“Al Parker cited as queer style influencer.”
“The clone look”.
Wow, making things up, are we? What the hell does all of this mean? This is all just an attempt to fit the late Al Parker into an SJW narrative. I wonder what he would have to say about that, if he was alive to talk about it. In fact, I bet that he wouldn’t be very happy to hear the word “queer” being used to refer to him. “Queer”, after all, used to be a slur, before it was consumed by the maelstrom of identity politics and given a whole new meaning.
From Al Parker’s obituary: “his mother half read an advertisement for the Woodstock concert and thought it was to be a classical concert. She sent him there in her Mustang convertible to get some culture at that wonderful event. Surprise – surprise! Drew discovered his love of naked men and was never quite the same person!”
Many of Al Parker’s colleagues @ Falcon not just Al, epitomized that hot “butch masculine look”. It is what made Falcon stand out among the limited gay studios at that time. He and Falcon delivered a product second to none. They had a big hand in acceptance in society.
Parker epitomized the fantasy of a super sexy every man.
He was no clone! He was the seed that made so many of us young men in the 70’s believe we could have a sexual encounter with someone who looked like him.
Very sad he died so young!