A form of loincloth worn with a cape by an Aztec ruler, circa 1500

A loincloth is a one-piece male garment – sometimes kept in place by a belt – which covers the genitals and, at least partially, the buttocks.

History and types[link]

Loincloths are being and have been worn:

• in societies where no other clothing is needed or wanted
• as an undergarment or swimsuit
• by the farmers in paddy fields in Sri Lanka, especially when they are working with mud

The loincloth or breechcloth is the most basic form of male dress, often worn as an only garment. Men have worn a loincloth or breechcloth as a fundamental piece of clothing which covers their genitals---not the buttocks---in most societies throughout human history which disapproved of genital nakedness. The loincloth is in essence a piece of material, bark-bast, leather or cloth, passed between the legs covering the genitals. Despite this simpleness of function the loincloth takes many forms.

Aztec Indians wore loincloths with or without other garments

A breechcloth, or breechclout, consists of a strip of material – bark, cloth, leather – passed between the thighs and secured by a belt. A loincloth is a long length of cloth, passed between the thighs and wound around the waist in one of many fashions to cover the genitals with decency. Breechcloths and loincloths are garments of dignity among those who traditionally wear them. The styles in which breechcloths and loincloths can be arranged are myriad. Both the Bornean sirat and the Indian dhoti have fabric pass between the legs to support a man's genitals

A particular style of loincloth (more typical of tropic regions) consists of a single long strip of bark-cloth or woven cloth. This was used by the inhtabitants of the Austronesian speaking area of Southeast Asia and Oceania, where it was known as chawat [cawat], sirat, bah, bahag, maro or malo. The cawat/maro style loincloth is an important cultural marker of the region.

Various cultures in tropical Africa wore or still wear loincloths, often as (nearly) the only traditional garment for every day use. The loincloth of Southern African Bushmen, called xai, is a piece of skin roughly T-shaped with long ties at the corners of the arms. The free end is pulled in back and tucked under the ties.

The ancient Egyptians, both men and women, wore loincloths as underwear, the men beneath their kilt-like schenti. These loincloths consisted of fine linen cloths in a triangular shape with ties at the two corners. The base of the triangle was placed at the small of the back and the ties tied in front, then the point or apex was drawn between the legs and tucked under the string, exactly the opposite of the Bushman fashion.

A similar style of loincloth was also characteristic of ancient Meso-America. The male inhabitants of the area of modern Mexico wore a wound loincloth of woven fabric. One end of the loincloth was held up, the remainder passed between the thighs, wound about the waist, and secured in back by tucking. (Local names: Nahuatl maxtlatl, Mayan ex.)

Australian Aboriginal dance group wearing loincloths made from modern materials on stage at the Nambassa festival

In Pre-Columbian South America, ancient Inca men wore a strip of cloth between their legs held up by strings or tape as a belt. The cloth was secured to the tapes at the back and the front portion hung in front as an apron, always well ornamented. The same garment, mostly in plain cotton but whose aprons are now, like t-shirts, sometimes decorated with logos, is known in Japan as etchu fundoshi.

Some of the culturally diverse Amazonian Indians still wear some ancestral type of loincloth.

In most of (sub-)tropical continental Asia, types of loincloth such as the Indian lungi, often unisex or with a close female counterpart, remain in use as traditional dress, especially among the rural peasant communities, while city dwellers tend to adopt western style costumes. An elaborate, decorated form is also worn as the only garment in certain martial arts, such as Kerala's Kalarippayattu; like the aptly named boxer shorts, it must allow the fighters free, even acrobatic movement.

Japanese men traditionally wear (formerly always) a loincloth known as a fundoshi. The fundoshi is a 35 cm (14 inch) wide piece of fabric (cotton or silk) passed between the thighs and secured to cover the genitals. There are a hundred ways of tying the fundoshi, and in the modern age, men are coming to enjoy using patterned cloth for their fundoshis.

Men of Indo-European culture, Greeks, Romans and Scandinavians, wore the loincloth more or less habitually. (Women wore a fuller version, with ties before and behind, "bikinis" called a "perizoma", as depicted on the mosaics at Piazza Armerina.) An ancient version of the loincloth, the breechcloth, was found in the Alps on a ca. 2000 BCE archaeological find named Ötzi the Iceman.

After the fall of the Roman empire, the loincloth disappeared in Europe. Trousers of one kind or another, which had been considered a Celtic oddity in the Ancient Mediterranean cultures, were prescribed for men.

Connotations[link]

When Westerners once again came into contact with loincloths elsewhere, they viewed it as an exotic and indecent garment, possibly because the wearer's buttocks were partially exposed. The connection of loincloth-wearing with "backwardness" became even more pronounced in the 19th century heyday of colonialism and industrialisation. Often the only garment black male slaves in the tropical colonies were permitted to wear was a scanty breechcloth, while even working class in the West wore at least a shirt and trousers.

During the Second World War, Allied prisoners of war in the harsh Japanese camps often had nothing but a breechcloth to wear.

At present the loincloth is nearly extinct as normal male wear in the industrialized world, except in certain contexts in Japan. However, in some cases it is worn as part of tribal - or national dress, either for the benefit of tourists, by tradition or as a statement. It is occasionally worn in jest by naturists on the village square and near the port of the naturist village Ile du Levant, where by law some cloth must be worn.

See also[link]

• Breechcloth
• Fundoshi
• G-string
• Kowpeenam

References[link]

Notes

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External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: loincloths

• The Loincloth of Borneo
• Loincloth images, information and tie instructions

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Thomas Richard Christy Jr (born April 1, 1974) is an American musician and radio personality who currently works on The Howard Stern Show. Christy began to work on the show after winning the "Get John's Job" contest on July 1, 2004.^[1] He is known for his prank calls, song parodies, personality, and stunts performed on the radio show. He is also a stand-up comic and an actor, appearing in and directing several independent films.

Christy is a professional drummer, and a former member of metal bands Death and Iced Earth. He is currently working in his own project, Charred Walls of the Damned.

Childhood and early music career[link]

Christy was born in Fort Scott, Kansas in 1974 and grew up in the nearby city of Redfield, a small town with a population of 140, according to the 2000 census. His father is a Vietnam veteran.

Christy was inspired to play drums after hearing Alex Van Halen's drumming in the Van Halen song "Hot for Teacher".^[2] When Christy turned 10 years old, he began to play drums in the Uniontown, Kansas elementary school band. He played snare drum for a year until his parents bought him a 3-piece Gretsch drum set from an antiques dealer in Arcadia, Kansas. After school, Christy would practice to Van Halen, Twisted Sister, Kiss and Quiet Riot records.

While living in Florida, Christy continued to work as an electrician for Phillips Electrical Contracting in Orlando.^[3]

Later music career[link]

In recent years, Christy has played drums for Caninus, and he announced after signing a record deal in May 2009 that he planned to re-enter the heavy metal scene, forming a new band called "Charred Walls of the Damned". Their first single, Ghost Town was premiered on The Howard Stern Show in November 2009 and is currently in rotation on Sirius XM Satellite Radio.^[4]

[edit] The Howard Stern Show

Christy first appeared on The Howard Stern Show in October 1999, where Stern would play voice mail messages that Christy had recorded about co-host Robin Quivers. His debut message was featured on the Labor Day Weekend special in 2006. Christy would continue sending in messages but it was not until April 24, 2003, when the show would broadcast from the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, where Christy made his debut appearance. Christy unsuccessfully played a round of blackjack to win a date with a porn star.

In 2004, John Melendez (then known as "Stuttering John") left the radio show to become the announcer for The Tonight Show. Stern announced a "Get John's Job" contest which pitted ten Stern fans and contributors against each other in competition for Melendez's vacated position. Each contestant was given a week to display any talents they could bring to the show, after which the listeners cast votes for their favorite over the Internet. On July 1, Stern announced Christy had won with 30% of the listener vote, with Sal Governale being runner-up with 24%; both Christy and Governale joined the show by September.^[5]

When Stern moved to Sirius XM Radio in January 2006, he gave Christy his own show that would air semi-regularly throughout the year. On May 15, 2006, porn star Hillary Scott was the first guest on Inside the Porn Actors Studio on Howard 101, an hour-long program which parodied the television series Inside the Actors Studio, with Christy filling the role of James Lipton.

Between 2005 and the tour's demise in late 2009, Christy also performed in The Killers of Comedy Tour with fellow Stern castmembers across the United States and Canada.

In 2006, Christy hosted a program on Sirius XM channel Hard Attack called "Richard Christy's Heavy Metal Hoedown".

After the 2009 Thanksgiving holiday, Christy returned to the show suffering from swelling and severe pain in his foot. It was later diagnosed as gout, which is extremely rare in someone as young as Christy. The pain and swelling quickly receded after treatment, and he announced on December 17, 2009 that because of his fame and his frank on-air discussions about the disease, a gout awareness organization had requested that he become a spokesperson for the disease, and he had agreed.

On the December 17, 2009 Howard Stern Show, Christy announced that not only had he showered the previous day, but that he also became engaged to his long time girlfriend, known on the show only as "Kristen the Intern".^{[citation needed]}

Prank calls[link]

Richard makes several of the show's popular prank calls, often working in conjunction with Sal Governale. Many of the calls involve the use of soundclips, though Richard also calls as characters that he voices, including:

• "Rusty Rivers" - Rusty often makes perverse sexual comments, and often prattles endlessly about the weather, regardless of the theme of the show that he is calling.
• "Nervous Mark" - Nervous Mark calls in to talk shows, claiming to be nervous about being on the air. He can never get his point across because he is always stuttering and stammering. The character's full name is Mark Dell'Stevenson, as mentioned during a prank call to Joe Franklin.
• "Rod Stiffington" - Rod is the co-host of the fictional "Jack 'N' Rod Show," where Sal acts as his co-host, Jack Mayhoffer. On the Jack 'N' Rod Show, unwitting guests debate members of the Wack Pack, talking to soundboard clips, or are interrupted over and over by various noises (station jingles, drums, etc.). Jack 'N' Rod have also made calls where they entice their victim to participate in demeaning contests in order to win non-existent prizes.
• "Ethel Mertz" - Ethel is a befuddled grandmother who gets into long-winded stories about her grandson, quilts, and the game of chess.
• "Norma Stitz" - Norma is much like "Ethel Mertz", only her name is a comedic play on large female mammary glands.
• "Simon Buckingham" - An English gentleman, originating as a deliberately unconvincing impersonation of Simon Cowell (to tease Eric the Midget), who frequently uses English phrases such as "tea and crumpets" and "smoking fags."
• "Head Fag at the Playgirl Mansion" - A young man in great interest of Stern staffer KC Armstrong, Christy's earliest character to emerge on the Stern Show through messages left on their voicemail.

Among the most frequent victims of Christy's calls are shows on the public access Manhattan Neighborhood Network.

Another of Richard's Pranks is to call in to radio swap shop programs called Tradio. Listeners of Tradio can call in and buy sell or trade items over the radio. Richard along with Sal call in and tag team the tradio hosts with onslaught prank calls. Most often calling traido with fake names like "Dick Bukkake" etc. and placing false items for sale like a "robin quivers colonic kit" "BlumpkinPie" or "a cup of Milton Berle's urine" causing the host of the call in show to become offended and hang up only to them call back 10 seconds later.

Notable radio stunts[link]

• On June 8, 2006, during the Artie Lange roast, Sal Governale and Christy had their temperatures taken rectally by Robin Quivers. Governale and Christy held hands during the "examination" and then chased each other around the studio with their soiled thermometers (which are now rumored to be taped to the door to their office).^[6][7]
• On April 6, 2009 It was reported that Richard would perform fellatio on a man if it would mean Seth MacFarlane would come on the show as a guest. Although Richard denied this claim, he reluctantly agreed to Howard's offer that he allow porn star Nick Manning to ejaculate on his back for the chance to meet MacFarlane. Later on in the show, Richard asked that Sal be the one to do the stunt instead, to which Howard agreed but Sal did not.^[8]

Movie and television career[link]

Christy has said he once dreamed of a movie career after he saw Brad Pitt, from nearby Springfield, Missouri, in the film Interview With the Vampire. He even hung up posters of Pitt in his New York apartment, and worked at a computer store owned by Pitt's parents.^[9]

Christy made his directorial debut in 1995 with "Evil Ned 3 - The Return of Evil Ned 2 - Electric Boogaloo". The film was a low budget horror-comedy shot for only $250.^[10] His next movie, Leaving Grunion County, is about a small town mechanic who ventures to the big-city to pursue his dream of becoming a country-western singer. Recently, he has completed his latest feature, "Majestic Loincloth", which is set in the time of Vikings.

Along with Governale, Christy starred in, co-wrote, and co-directed the 2006 short film Supertwink. Supertwink premiered on Howard Stern On Demand, and was reviewed by Richard Roeper, who panned it.^[11] Christy also appeared in Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay playing the role of a Ku Klux Klansman.^[12]

In July 2007, Richard was cast in his first television role. He will play "really creepy guy at end of bar" on Rescue Me.^[13] Richard has also announced that he recorded voiceover work for the Adult Swim show Metalocalypse.^[14]

Christy has been attached to the movie Body Farm, a Pittsburgh based film by Bridge City Films set to begin production in November 2008.

Christy and Governale are both characters in the 2009 horror novel, Castaways, written by award-winning horror and crime novelist Brian Keene.^[15]

In 2009, he appeared as Caleb in the Redneck Slasher Albino Farm and presented his movie at Fangoria Trinity of Terrors.^[16]

Discography[link]

With Acheron

• Anti-God, Anti-Christ (1996)
• Necromanteion Communion/Raise the Dead (1998)

With Death

• The Sound of Perseverance (1998)
• Live in Eindhoven (1998)
• Live in L.A. (Death & Raw) (1999)

With Control Denied

• The Fragile Art of Existence (1999)

With Burning Inside

• The Eve of the Entities (2000)
• Apparition (2001)

With Iced Earth

• Horror Show (2001)
• Tribute to the Gods (2002)
• The Glorious Burden (2004)

With Leash Law

• Dogface (2003)
• Cunninglinguistics (2007)

With Charred Walls of the Damned

• Charred Walls of the Damned (2010)
• Cold Winds On Timeless Days (2011)

In addition to these bands, Christy has performed live shows with Dream Theater,^[17] Tiwanaku, Rick Renstrom, Syzygy, Bung Dizee, Incantation, Public Assassin, Wykked Wytch and Demons and Wizards.^{[citation needed]}

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Howard Stern official website
• Richard Christy at the Yahoo! Directory
• Howard Stern Wikia A Howard Stern Wikia Project – "Hey"

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2011)

Gordon Scott (August 3, 1926^[1] – April 30, 2007) was an American film and television actor known for his portrayal of the fictional character Tarzan in five films (and one compilation of three made-as-a-pilot television episodes) of the Tarzan film series from 1955 to 1960. Gordon Scott was the eleventh Tarzan starting with "Tarzan’s Hidden Jungle" (1955) . He was "discovered" poolside offered "a 7 year contract, a loin cloth, and a new last name.^[2] "

Early life, education and military service[link]

He was born Gordon Merrill Werschkul in Portland, Oregon, one of nine children of advertising man Stanley Werschkul and his wife Alice.^[3] Scott was raised in Oregon and attended the University of Oregon, located in Eugene, Oregon, for one semester.

Upon leaving school, he was drafted into the United States Army in 1944 serving as a drill sergeant and military policeman until he was honorably discharged in 1947. He then worked at a variety of jobs until 1953, when he was spotted by a talent agent while working as a lifeguard at the Sahara Hotel and Casino, located on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada.

Career[link]

Due in part to his muscular frame and 6-foot-3-inch (1.91-metre) height, he was quickly signed to replace Lex Barker as Tarzan^[4] by producer Sol Lesser. Lesser had Gordon change his name because "Werschkul" sounded too much like "Weismueller".^[5]

Scott's Tarzan movies ranged from rather cheap re-edited television pilots to large-scale action films with high-production values. In his early Tarzan films, he played the character as unworldly and inarticulate, in the mold of Johnny Weissmuller, an earlier Tarzan portrayer. In Scott's later films, after a change in producers, he played a Tarzan who was educated and spoke perfect English, as in the original Edgar Rice Burroughs novels. Scott was the only actor to play Tarzan in both styles.

Fearing he would become typecast as Tarzan,^[6] Scott moved to Italy and became a popular star of what were known as sword-and-sandal epics, featuring handsome bodybuilders as various characters from Greek and Roman myth.

Scott was a friend of Hercules star Steve Reeves, and collaborated with him as Remus to Reeves's Romulus in Duel of the Titans (1961). Scott also played Hercules in a couple of low-budget productions during the mid-1960s. His final film appearance was in The Tramplers (filmed in 1966; released in the United States in 1968).

Personal life[link]

Scott was married apparently three times, including once to his Tarzan co-star, actress Vera Miles, from 1954 to 1959. He had one son, Michael, born 1957, with Miles, and possibly several other children.^[7]

His first marriage was with Janice Mae Wynkoop, of Oakland, California. They met when he was a lifeguard at Lake Temescal, located in Oakland, California. The couple married in Reno, Nevada, in 1948, and had one child, Karen Judith Werschkul (born August 26, 1948), before divorcing in 1949.

For the last two decades of his life, Scott was a popular guest at film conventions and autograph shows.^[7]

Death[link]

Scott died, aged 80, in Baltimore, Maryland, of lingering complications from multiple heart surgeries earlier in the year.^[8][9]

He is buried in the Kensico Cemetery, located in Valhalla, New York.

Filmography[link]

Tarzan films[link]

Other roles[link]

See also[link]

	Biography portal
	Film portal
	Television portal

• List of Italian actors
• List of people from Maryland
• List of people from Oregon
• List of University of Oregon alumni

References[link]

This article uses bare URLs for citations. Please consider adding full citations so that the article remains verifiable. Several templates and the Reflinks tool are available to assist in formatting. (Reflinks documentation) (October 2011)

External links[link]

• Gordon Scott at the Internet Movie Database
• Gordon Scott's final newspaper interview
• Gordon Scott tribute http://www.erbzine.com/scott/