Laguna Beach resident Fred Karger talks to the L.A. Times‘ Dana Parsons about his battle to save the coastal resort town's bastion of gay nightlife, the historic Boom Boom Room bar and Coast Hotel.
If you remember, Karger recently took an ad out in Variety pleading with George Clooney and Brad Pitt, once rumored to be interested in the property, to help ‘Save the Boom'.
As a former public relations man, Karger knew what kind of publicity that might get his cause.
Said Karger: “It worked beyond my wildest dreams about getting attention. And that was without any reaction from them. It got a lot of attention. That was my hope, by invoking their names. There are still a lot of people who think they bought it, and this was to kind of further that rumor a little bit and have fun with it. These guys, they kind of kid each other…Brad Pitt is the one who has said he won't get married until everyone can…It was all done humorously. And the ad, which I wrote, was tongue-in-cheek, meant to get their attention and, bottom line, to find a new buyer [for the Boom Boom property].”
Karger's plan just may be working. On Save the Boom's blog, Karger writes “The ad has triggered an outpouring of support and interest in our efforts to find a buyer who will keep the historic Coast Inn and the landmark Boom Boom Room as gay businesses…we have received many calls and emails from potential buyers and press from the UK, Asia, Italy, Canada and throughout the U.S. We have meetings coming up, and have put some of the serious buyers in direct contact with the property owner.”
It can be a blast trying to save a Boom [la times]
Save the Boom [official site]
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Laguna's “Boom Boom” Boys Go Straight To Pitt and Clooney [tr]
Brad Pitt and George Clooney Asked to Help Save Laguna Gay Bar [tr]
