The Man Behind Levi's Spread

Since the the story broke last month that Levi Johnston would showcase his manhood in an upcoming issue of Playgirl, gay tongues have been in constant wag mode. The public will finally see what Bristol did when the images appear on Playgirl's website next month (an actual print issue, featuring a collectible poster in the middle, comes out in January). Daniel Nardicio is the man helping Johnston globally embarrass Sarah Palin -- the New York City party promoter was recently hired by Playgirl to revamp the image of the 36-year-old magazine, now mostly an online brand. His first suggestion was reaching out to Johnston, and the deal was just made final late last week. Nardicio, not one to mince words, talked to Advocate.com about Johnston's business and how he hopes to get Pete Wentz to show himself off (again).

Has the photo shoot happened?
No, it happens on Friday. We just signed the contract Thursday night, in fact.

Have you firmed up the location shoot?
We're doing a setting in one of the New York hotels. We're doing three scenarios. Another is going to be an athletic, gym vibe. Because at the end of the day, gay men love locker rooms. The other setting is going to be studio. A little bit more closed.

Have you spoken to Levi? Is he anxious?
No, not at all. That Page Six story [in the New York Post] was an absolute lie. They're douche bags at Page Six. They're absolute trash. They tried to goad me into saying something outrageous. Of course, I know they're owned by Rupert Murdoch and completely right-wing and pro-Palin. So I'm not going to really say anything. So then they say, "We hear his dick is small." If his dick is small, I'm not going to be telling Page Six.

So, would you be telling The Advocate?
Neal, is this the moment where you ask yourself, "Where is my life going?"

A little bit. But it is fascinating how much attention Levi Johnston stories get on Advocate.com.
It's because he's hot! And it's political. But to answer your question, I know it's a healthy-size American male penis. Frankly, I'm treating it like I would any lover -- I like to be surprised. Knowing I'm going to bed with a guy who has a giant cock is kind of fun, but it's also fun to be like, "What could this be?" But even if Levi had a micro-penis, we'd still photograph him.

What is the fascination with Levi?
You have to remember, I do nightlife in New York City. Then in August I decided to start my own marketing and PR firm, and my first get was Playgirl. They hired me and a week later I got Levi. I told them this was going to play out like the Romans throwing two warriors into the Colosseum -- Sarah Palin and Levi fighting publicly as people are cheering them on. It's exciting, and it helps that she's really hot in her own way, and he's really hot in his own way. We're bloodthirsty. And the fact that he's so classic, rugged, all-American, boner-inducing hot makes it all worthwhile.

Does working for Playgirl feel much different than throwing parties?
My friend just wrote me and said, "You're loving this [publicity], aren't you?" I said, "Of course." When you're doing a party, 90% of your energy is getting the word out and trying to get people to come to your event. Now I click send and ABC is on the phone; The Advocate is calling me. Now people want me.

Is Playgirl now going to be directed more to men than women?
For years they've grappled with, "Are we gay? Are we straight?" I said, "Does it really matter?" Sean Cody's models aren't straight; I've slept with some of them. Lesbian porn is not made with lesbians. Porn is about fantasy. People want us to say we're gay. Why would I say that? I read these awful comments on blogs where people say, "Playgirl should come out of the closet!" It's not a human being. Magazines don't need to come out of the closet. Playgirl is a classic American brand. Most people I know have an association with Playgirl from when they first saw it as kids. It helped a lot of people I know come out of the closet. Why should it all of a sudden decide it's only for gay men or for straight women? It's for people who like cock, period.

Do gay men and straight women have similar tastes in naked men?
I think the world has become homogenized. For instance, everyone thinks Ashton Kutcher is hot. Everyone thinks Zac Efron is hot, whether or not you think he's effeminate. Women thinks he's a heartthrob, and gay men would bone him in a second. There's a univeral hotness. Whereas Playgirl was kind of stuck because the women who were working for it were old and they thought that Fabio-looking characters with long-flowing hair and uber-tans, like those red tans, were really hot. So once the magazine folded I got the opportunity to jump in because all those women were fired and I said, "Let me take the website in a whole new direction, and that's Levi."

What other men will you be pursing for the magazine?
Quentin Elias -- he's a French pop singer who's actually already done some porn modeling. Really beefy, really big beautiful lips. Very different from Levi, but he's also has a bit of a fame element to him. I just go for who I think is hot. I would love to get Pete Wentz; we've already seen his dick. Also, Joseph Gordon-Levitt. I love him, and I know him. He's what I call "adorkable." I started dating and now I'm heavily seeing a Playgirl model because he's so adorkable.