It's 6:55 p.m. on a rainy night in Burbank. In moments the curtain goes up on The Wanker Show, a provocative radio program broadcast exclusively on KSEXradio.com, a 24-hour sex-talk radio station.
Behind the control panel/desk is the MC of this nocturnal circus of sexual folly. He goes by a solitary moniker, which is equally silly and enigmatic.
Wankus - a name that means many things to many people.
The Wanker Show is heard weeknights from 7 to 9 p.m. Pacific Time, though Wankus, pulling a Johnny Carson, only hosts Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Talented Chef Jeff hosts the remaining two weeknights. Wankus is also the KSEX program director, which keeps him quite busy.
Tonight Rebecca Love, who, along with Lisa Sparxxx, Katie Morgan, Michele Raven, and Cytheria rotates as guest host, or "co-ho," joins Wankus.
The two-hour show is a high-octane fusion of dirty talk, brash statements, frat house humor, and nudity. Stocky and goateed with inviting eyes and a devilish grin, Wankus spins lightning fast from topic A to topic B. With impeccable timing, his clever remarks and hilarious zingers shoot out like a possessed tennis ball machine.
His voice is smooth like Scotch, with a hint of Casey Casem. Wankus' disc jockey experience is evident in his delivery - perfect for introducing Zeppelin tunes or busty porn stars. The voice of "Prowl" on the FOX TV cartoon The Transformers, he can instantly summon a riotous cast of characters with great vocal flexibility.
Though the show often seems to be in a state of chaos (highlights tonight include a rap session and Rebecca Love fucking herself with a dildo), Wankus is always in control of what happens in the studio or on the infamous green couch that's seen its share of bodily fluids. (Note: The green couch has since been retired in favor of a red one with a yellow love seat - think Sesame Street-meets-strip club.)
Sitting in his office post-show, Wankus morphs back into Wayne C. Lewis. Like David Banner and The Hulk, the two are never far apart.
A true raconteur, Wankus/Lewis regales exciting tales of the music/radio business. You might not guess, but at age 16 he was offered the keyboardist gig for Rick James' band (yep, Super Freak); or that his high school R&B groups in New Jersey opened for Meatloaf and Bon Jovi. More recently, Wankus has been a popular DJ in Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, and New Orleans, plus had a nationally-syndicated show.
His story is tailor-made for a bestseller. Go ahead and the write the movie script while you're at it.
Part comic and part pundit, Wankus is the adult industry's most captivating voice.
The Beginning
"I came in cocky because I'd come from a major radio market. So I walked into a studio that was full of - I like to say - 'Radio Shack equipment,' banded it together to have a show. I'm used to, if I wanted, calling the promotions director of a radio station and saying, 'I want a Mack truck on 4th and Broom at 7 a.m., and on the side I want a painted picture of me and my co-ho that says, "Wankus likes boys,"' - it would be there. Here was a whole different world. If I had a broken microphone, I had to hold the phone to make it work."
The Blueprint
"When I started I knew nothing about the porn industry. There are still things I learn every day. But I knew the radio industry. So my focus was, 'How do I make this sound like a real radio station?' I did that by incorporating adult stars. I learned a lot from Jacklyn [Lick]. And by learning the Internet from people like YNOTBob, I started to get a grip on porn and the Web. It's two different worlds, and some people don't realize it."
The Character
"Wankus is an exaggerated Wayne. There's a lot of Wankus that's not Wayne... there's a lot of Wankus that's really Wayne. I'm gonna bring up a really random example, [so] don't take this literally: In the movie Bird Cage, Robin Williams' character says, 'I'm 40 years old and I'm a fag. It took me 20 years to admit it, but at least I know who I am.' That's how I feel. Not that I'm a fag - make sure that's clear. But I feel like it took me so long to realize who I am, what I'm all about... I mean, the wise guy, the cracks and that stuff, that's me. But it's meant in fun. Sometimes I'll get on my show and rant: 'You fucking asshole, cock-sucking piece of shit.... ' I don't talk that way to my friends. I don't talk that way to enemies. I might have some points in that conversation that I'm really sincere about. But I'm putting on a show. And when you challenge me, the New York comes out, because I grew up on the East Coast, and I'm the kinda guy that I'll be on the ground bleeding - you could be kicking me in the face - I'll still find a way to win the fight."
The Show
"Take away the FCC and mix Howard Stern on cocaine. That would be The Wanker Show. I've been doing it for three-and-a-half years, and some people have said, 'Oh look, here's a guy trying to be like Howard Stern.' I have respect for Stern, but I'm not trying to be like him. We have a similar-style show because we feature adult entertainers, and we get crazy, but [mine] is uncensored. It's everything he probably wishes he could do; but I think he enjoys having some restriction because it gives him something to mess with. It's a situation for me to be my wacky, crazy personality without being barred from doing what I normally do."
The Popularity
"Part of it is longevity. People say, 'Oh Wankus, look at you, you built KSEX,' and, ya know, I really didn't build KSEX. I stayed the longest. I struggled through not being able to pay my rent and did side jobs to stay alive because I believed in what KSEX could be. But the people who have come here and given their time, for so little money, based on a dream that this could be something big... that's what built KSEX: people dedicated to doing their shows, people who give a shit about what we're doing, [people who] believed. People like Mike Rick who had the KSEX dream. He hired me because he knew the Internet, but he didn't know radio. He wanted to incorporate his success in the adult Web business with a radio guy. We continue in his honor."
The Controversy
"I don't set out to be controversial. When I'm on the air, I set out to be myself with a performance edge. Then that becomes controversial. The more you get a little popular - and please, don't think I think I'm super popular; but with listenership, more people paying attention, more adult news sites reporting on you - the more controversial you get, no matter what you do."
The Net
"I'm gonna give you my personal opinion. Three-and-a-half years at KSEX - and I'm talking KSEX, not the sister companies - we've not seen a profit once. We have not even broken even once. We've spent and spent. The reason is because we know what we're doing has a shot. We're charting a course. Our business plan was that we're gonna do whatever the hell we have to do until we can go beyond what we want to do."
The Rule
"I think the adult stars come in and feel more comfortable around me, because I'm not a fan. There are DJs here that I still yell at on a daily basis, who act like fans when big name stars [come in], drooling over them. I say, 'Dude, fucking grow up. Put on a professional show and stop.' You're here to interview them and give them promo. When they're done, send them home. If they're flirting with you, and they want to stick around, fine, but don't fucking push the issue.... Rebecca Love called me out one night. As a joke I always say, 'Yeah, after the show you'll blow me.' Nine o'clock... show's over, and Rebecca goes, "Okay, I'm ready." And I'm like, 'For what?' 'To blow you,' she says. I'm freaked out, like, 'What?!?'"
The Future
"We'd like to do KSEX East from noon to 6 p.m., which, for the East Coast, would be 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. We kinda ignore the east, because we can't do it earlier, 'cause girls are on porn sets, traffic, whatever. That's our goal within the next couple years. Most importantly, we're going to have - by year's end - a DVD series. We'll have at least three KSEX DVDs produced by Adam & Eve. You'll get to see all the on-air and the behind-the-scenes stuff at KSEX, plus what goes on in the back room, the boss' office. Some really hot shit."
