On the Set: Stripper Grams

ENCINO, Calif.—Mick Blue is tapping into his funny bone. For his newest behind-the-camera exploit for Zero Tolerance, he’s bringing a decidedly off-the-wall vignette concept to life in a hillside mansion above Encino on a typically warm and sunny SoCal Sunday. The idea in and of itself isn’t especially off-the-wall: a collection of strippergram sketches in which the stripping leads to more intimate services rendered. But these are not your typical dial-a-dancer scenarios. In the one at hand, Rocco Reed is the hired entertainment. His shtick: doing a cowboy act complete with a galloping entrance on a horse. Except his "horse" is actually just a stuffed horse head on the end of a stick ... and not only does he seem to think it's the real deal, he apparently lives his life in full cowboy character at all times. Mick shows us set-up bits they shot earlier in the day of Rocco riding his beloved steed (“Betsy”) along the beach and down the highway. When he shows up at the residence of his client, Ann Marie Rios, Rocco soon finds out that the services she has in mind are not quite what he came ready to provide. She greets him in a leather getup brandishing a riding crop and a pink strap-on dildo fastened into place. Cowboy Rocco being a little slow on the uptake, he doesn't immediately register Ann Marie's intentions. When she exclaims, “Your ass is mine!” he politely clarifies, “No ma'am, what you got here is a horse, not a donkey.” A moment later, reality does hit him; he attempts to make a hasty escape on Betsy, with Ann Marie giving him chase all over the house. She finally corners him and shoves him onto a couch, hopping on top of him so he can't get away. After a quick break so Ann Marie can freshen up for the action, Mick briefs them both on what he wants from them for the softcore they'll be shooting first, and it's simple enough: some reverse cowgirl followed by spoon with a FIP (fake internal pop). Ann Marie cautions Rocco: "I haven't taken my birth control for a few days, so don't make a mistake—18 years is a long time." Thankfully, no mistakes get made, and in short order, it's time for the hardcore. Mick instructs his players, "I just want good energy, just have fun. The most important thing is to keep it natural." How “natural” it is that a goddess like Ann Marie Rios would be resorting to a cowboy-vest-wearing gigolo for sex is another story, but hey, this is make-believe, people. Just go with it. Stripper Grams is available now from Zero Tolerance Entertainment. Pictured: Ann Marie Rios, Melanie Rios and Kagney Linn Karter. This article originally appeared in the April 2010 issue of AVN magazine.