Man Crush Monday: George Alley

While I’ve been strict in choosing a Philadelphia-based selection of men; I’ve decided to not completely limit my choices to people who are currently alive. I’ve randomly thrown three famous dead Philadelphians into the mix. I live in Old City so I’m apt to get my “History straight and my nightlife gay.” And not to delve too deep into the macabre so early in the list but as another antagonistic Pennsylvanian, Sharon Needles, once sang. “Dead Girls Never Say No.” So let’s take a look at some of Philadelphia’s most enigmatic Men to Crush on Monday.

George Alley

Oscar Wilde said “To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.” If there is one thing I can share, it is this: The less permission or validation you seek from others and the more power you generate from yourself the better time you have in the world. Try to be kind but beyond that take care of being you, don’t worry about how that fits into the world. Let other people do what they want to do and if they annoy you leave and drink some champagne at Parc. Also, I’m engaged to myself on Facebook so it would have been totally rude for me not to have mentioned me.

Benjamin Franklin

I think Mr. Franklin is an alien, so I don’t know if he really qualifies for the “Man” signifier of “Man Crush Monday.” How else can you explain his work with electricity, the printing press and creating a working democracy? Sexually, we would just stick to a bit of gossip and theory over untaxed tea while playing the glass harmonica. I wouldn’t want to get any closer to his untreated syphilis. By the way, I oddly do a lot of shopping at the Franklin Museum Bookstore in Old City, which sells a facsimile of the sunglasses he created. I recommend them for an avant-garde summer 2015 look.

Philip Moore aka Toby Celery

One of the Founders of COLLAGE festival and a mixed-media collage artist. Not only is he my favorite person in Philadelphia, Toby Celery is my favorite ex-boyfriend. The nice thing about an ex is that you’ve already gotten rid of all the tension of being in a relationship, living together, and breaking up, so you can just spend time enjoying life and two different properties. Philip is a complete genius. You should follow him on Instagram @tobycelery.

Walt Whitman

While I’m not attracted to men with untrimmed beards, Walt Whitman’s powerful use of language is quite seductive. These is something almost BDSM about “Poets to Come.” He commands us future singers, orators and musicians to arouse him. Yes, Sir Whitman.

Ricky Chan

Ricky is an extremely talented and innovative stylist at Lakshmi Hair Studio (which is the location for hair in Philadelphia). We are both Cancerians and share a similar love for The Breeders, goth of all eras and playing billiards at The Bike Stop.

Edgar Allan Poe

I myself am strange and unusual Mr. Poe.

Drew Miller

Drew Miller is one of my closest friends in Philadelphia. We share a mutual interest in going to Rouge for brunch, wearing dark sunglasses while shopping at Barneys and looking at photographs of Pete Burns.

Rory Davis

Rory Davis is Drexel Hill’s most important export. We met at a Modern Technique class at Temple and at first I didn’t think he was gay; I just thought he recycled. Many may recognize Rory as one of More Than Just Ice Cream’s star waiters, but he’s moved to San Francisco to do choreography for Peaches Christ, Mink Stole and Jinx Monsoon. He still, however, finds time to liaison at U Bar to drink a few Orange Crushes and play Cocteau Twins albums.

Dave McCann

Perhaps you remember his star turn as “Jack the Porn Star” in the Philadelphia gay web-soap Secrets the Series, where he violently beat an evil drug-pushing director with a camera stand. I once said that Ravishing Rick Rude was the gay hero of the 1980s, and I believe that Dave has the power to be that kind of an ambassador for the modern age.

Andrew Marsh

Mx. Marsh is certainly one of the most exciting vocalists and musicians to reside in Philadelphia. He just recently performed with BalletX and is recording his first solo album. We both like to wear head scarves and sing “Don’t Blame the Crocodile” like Lene Lovich and Nina Hagen. In fact he and I have been recording a dance song about setting off bombs and baking cakes that will be released this summer. BOOM.

Submit Your Man Crush Monday!

Here are the rules: (1) Name five to 10 guys you’re crushing on, and tell us why they have your heart aflutter (2) You and all men involved have to be from Philadelphia (3) Email your crushes to jmiddleton@phillymag.com.