This is a fairly unusual interview in a few ways. Firstly, in that it’s with a young, gay teen escort called Clinton Blackwell.
He’s not your typical Divine Magazine guest and we’re really pleased Clinton agreed to do this. Secondly, it’s a very frank, no holds barred interview from someone who appears to appreciate his worth in the industry in which he works and lives. And lastly, there’s some great advice in here for others thinking of going into the same industry, which could be extremely useful.Divine asked the questions and Clinton responded; no coaching, no leading, no preconceived notions. His replies were a little startling and very honest and we can only accept them as face value and tell you this is how Clinton sees his world and his self-worth. He is supremely confident for one so young and I imagine the life he leads relies on a level of maturity not often seen in someone who is only eighteen years old.
We’d like to show this interview to you and ultimately, our job is to give you the details and let you decide how you feel after you’ve read it. It’s quite an eye opener. It’s also quite long, but we didn’t want to edit or shorten it in any way. Please don’t be offended by the content, but please be respectful if you decide to comment. That’s all we ask. We will be regulating them and anything that does not fit in with our Community Guidelines will be deleted.
Without further ado, let’s have Clinton take over.
Divine – I know you’ve probably been asked this a lot before, but I think to give some context around what you do, I need to ask it again. What made you get into this line of work? It could be a number of reasons – money, the love of meeting new people, travel, of being that special someone in a person’s life just for a short while – what would you answer?
Clinton – This is usually one of the first questions I get asked. I left home when I was 15 and I entered the industry at 16. Needless to say, I grew up very fast so I was 15 going on 25. I never had trouble getting into casinos and other over-18 places from as young as 12, because of how I hold myself and speak. The industry intrigued me. I was curious as to what it was all about. So I began researching the industry and noticed that not only do I have a lot to offer, I also have some unique characteristics, traits, assets and abilities that aren’t found in the industry.
I won’t play down my appearance because I know that I am breath-taking. Let’s pause to give the haters a moment to hate. This self-awareness may make some people uncomfortable and even angry, but it is precisely this self-awareness that separates me from the rest. The money may be nice, but I chose to enter this industry on my own terms and for my own unconventional reasons. And my terms were unambiguous to me. I am stunningly beautiful, with and without clothes, highly intelligent, and I don’t need the money. I have two companies that I run during the day, and they provide me with a very comfortable life that enables me to make my own schedule. I entered this industry to challenge myself as well as challenge the industry. And I did. I was not interested in being in bed 10 times a day with 10 different people. I saw that Americans and Europeans charge an average of $250 and that most certainly did not interest me. What did interest me was who I could meet. Who I could network and connect with. What doors this industry could potentially open for me. What I could learn about life and the world. It’s a real adventure. 90% of the time I spend with my clients is spent outside of the bedroom.
Divine – You are expensive; you make no secret about that. You bill yourself as the ‘ultimate experience’, and ‘the ride of your life’, saying. ‘You will never, ever forget the time we spend together.’ I have to ask, what makes you so sought after, so special? I’ve read the details on your website, and you are indeed a very attractive young man. What, however, sets you apart from other men of your age doing the same thing? You liken yourself to a ‘Geisha Guy’, the highly paid and sought after men who escort women to parties and social events. Is this how you see yourself? http://clintonblackwell.com/japans-geisha-guys/
Clinton -You get what you pay for in this world. A man once commented in response to my rate that ‘you can’t walk into a Rolls Royce dealership expecting to pay Toyota prices’. Coach is cheap, first class is expensive. That’s life. I am exceptionally comfortable charging what I charge. I charge an average of $25 000 for a weekend outside of South Africa. That’s how I value myself and I am not bothered by who disagrees. There are a number of factors that go into my rates;
- I value my time. A regular 3- hour session takes up at least 6 hours of my time. That’s half my day. I am not willing to give of myself and my time for peanuts.
- I aim to cut out 99% of the men who make use of escorts. I never negotiate my rates. My rates exclude all the people I don’t have any desire to see. I am only interested in sophisticated, successful, intelligent men with a wide and vast general knowledge, and the ability to use it in conversation and in practice. 90% of the time I spend with my gentlemen is spent outside of the bedroom. Often times we don’t even go to the bedroom, we just sit and talk and enjoy each other’s minds, exploring and learning.
- If you are able and willing to pay my rate, you are most likely to appreciate quality, high standards and an engaging mind. These are the people I can connect with. I cannot connect with the guy who wanted me to meet him in a car at a gas station or the guy who wanted me to give him a freebie because he felt his looks should suffice. I connect with the man who takes me to the Beverley Hills Hotel and engages me over fine wine and food. The man who takes me to a cheap motel has no respect for me or for himself, so no thank you.
- There is nobody who comes close to me in appearance or in age. Since I am unique, to my knowledge, and the only true teen boy who is also physically enchanting in this industry, there is no way I am going to give that away for $250. That is just stupid business practice.
What makes me so sought after begins with my appearance and age, and the brand I have built around that. My appearance is intoxicating to some. I am the stuff of their fantasies. I am what they really want, but can’t have. What they search for on Google. I am a young, gorgeous boy who loves men. And to top it all off, I come with no complications. It’s a wish come true. That’s the ultimate experience for these men. Once they get past that, my brain keeps up the momentum. I am barely 18, and able to converse with professors, doctors, lawyers and politicians on their level. For many, it is morbid curiosity that draws them to me. I don’t fit the mould. I don’t behave like any other escort. I have limits, standards, rules, and I charge a fortune. This fascinates some and enrages others.
Divine – Do you have any advice for others wanting to do the same thing you do, both from a safety perspective (health and your own well-being) and that of starting out in the business? It must be a daunting thing to decide to do.
Clinton -You have to know yourself very well to enter this industry. You have to respect yourself and know where you draw the line. You can’t enter this industry if you don’t know who you are or what you believe you are worth. You also have to be prepared for what you will learn about human nature.
Here are some of the things you need to remember-
- You will often get asked to take personal risks with your health. You will be asked to engage in bareback and other high-risk behaviour. Do not. Ever. No exceptions, no matter how much they offer or what bullshit story they spin about how you’re the first guy they have been with or how they were just tested. No amount of money is worth your health or life. Trust has nothing to do with this industry. It doesn’t exist.
- Do not ever allow yourself to be abused or disrespected. If the guy in any way demeans you or what you do, bye-bye. Let him go.
- Get your money upfront and count it. Go into the bathroom and count it if you want to be classy. If you are in any way suspicious before you arrive, ask for a 30% – 50% deposit. Some will agree, others won’t, even if they are genuine. Use your best judgement and trust your instincts. I have only ever had one problem with payment so it’s not something that is of particular concern. Most guys have the money ready when I arrive without me having even mentioned it.
- Do not negotiate your standard rate. Obviously extended times and special circumstances can be negotiated, but don’t sell yourself short. Your client is the big winner here and he must pay you for that.
- Many, many guys will contact you knowing they have no intention of actually booking you. They are looking for a chat, whether on the phone or on text and getting a kick out of speaking to you. They will start off by saying they want to book you, but they are lying. Give people 5 minutes of your time to answer any questions they may have, and for you to get a feel for them, but no more. Lots of guys will also try and pull you into a sexually charged chat so they can have a wank on the other side of your text conversation. Refer them to your profiles or website for such things. Don’t allow yourself to be treated like the whore they think you are.
- Remember that most of your clients look down on you, even if they don’t say it. They view you as a worthless whore who is too useless to do anything else but fuck for a living. Don’t ever believe otherwise. They like you and genuinely enjoy your company and how you make them feel, but they have no actual respect for you. They want you for one thing and one thing only, regardless of how you satisfy them emotionally. They actually believe they’re doing you a favour. You need to know this so that when they try and get you to do things you are not comfortable doing, you never, ever have to agree. This is your game, and you make the rules, every step of the way.
- Do not ever send naked pictures of yourself, if that is not the kind of person you are. There is not one picture of me naked in existence. If the guy wants that, he must book and pay. Don’t believe him if he tells you that he needs to see the picture in order to book for this, that, or another reason. There are plenty free porn sites available.
- Despite these “tips” I can confidently say that I have experienced no real problems in this industry at all and I have never been in a situation where I was in any way in danger. I believe my rate contributes to the level of personal safety I experience.
Divine – Why base yourself in South Africa? I imagine you have your reasons, perhaps family, close ties or even the favourable exchange rate. I (Divine Editor Susan Mac Nicol) lived there myself for over thirty years and I imagine you could live anywhere in the world, and get clientèle who wanted your services. Have you ever wanted to move to Europe or the US?
Clinton -I was born in South Africa. I do plan to leave, though, as soon as possible. This was one of my considerations when I decided to enter this industry and then target the international markets. By choice, I have nothing to do with my family at all.
Divine – Your ‘Etiquette’ section clearly spells out your Dos and Don’ts of what you expect to give and get in return. Are most people respecting of this or have you encountered trouble occasionally when people cross the line and ignore the rules? How do you handle this?
Clinton – For the most part the people that contact me are quite respectful. Conversations usually don’t go on that long. My rate is usually the deal breaker. I do get hate mail. I don’t usually respond directly, but I sometimes post the hate mail and my thoughts on my blog. I have had few instances of people really pushing the boundaries, but I cut the conversation short very quickly. I often have guys looking for pictures of me naked. I have guys who want to see me for free as a potential boyfriend. I have lots of 14 and 15-year-olds looking to experiment. I have escorts who want to book me or befriend me or copy me. I have been approached by agencies who would like to put me on their books.
Through all of these people, and there are thousands, I have never actually had a real or serious problem because I never allow anything to get out of hand. I also travel with a bodyguard, which my clients usually don’t even know about. I check in with my bodyguard, who is never more than a few hundred metres from me when I am on call when I arrive, and every hour after that, including a message when I am done and on my way.
A little while ago I went over the 3 hours I was supposed to be with my client. This was at a client’s home so my bodyguard was in the car outside the property. When I failed to check in (it slipped my mind) after the time had expired, my bodyguard took immediate action by honking the horn, ringing the doorbell, banging on the house windows, and generally making a huge commotion which, needless to say, got our attention quickly. On another occasion, a client paid me short, and I only noticed when I got home. I contacted him and asked him to please pay the balance into my bank account. He refused. He will never see me again. You only get one chance with me. You need me, I don’t need you. Appreciate that or fuck off. Plain and simple.
Divine – What will happen one day when you meet a man and fall in love with him? Is this something you see happening (I know you’re young so probably you have plenty of time for this) and if you do one day, do you think you’ll settle down and become a one-man guy?
Clinton – When I meet my mate, I will certainly get married and settle down.
Divine would like to thank Clinton for this interview and for taking part. It’s a fascinating glimpse into a man’s life and chosen career from a unique perspective and while probably controversial in many ways, we hope you enjoyed it, and it provoked some kind of emotional response. After all, that’s what writers and magazines are here to do.
Divine Disclaimer- As usual, we need to get the legal stuff out of the way. This interview has been reproduced from the point of view from the person being interviewed and is not indicative of the Divine views or in any way represents what the magazine believes. We have not met Clinton personally and everything contained in this interview is done in good faith based on the guise of his online persona and website. And before you ask- no, we did not get charged for this interview…