Porn star's fundraiser far from typical political
event
Melody "Mimi Miyagi" Damayo, a Republican candidate for governor
and former porn star, passes out patriotic party favors at her
Friday karaoke fundraiser for her gubernatorial campaign.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Melody Damayo couldn't decide
what karaoke song to sing. "Oh, I know - 'She Bangs! She Bangs!'"
the former adult film star said, laughing. "Just kidding."
Damayo, also known by her stage name, Mimi Miyagi, says her run for
Nevada's top office is not a stunt or a joke, but the consequence
of a passion for politics. On a Friday evening last month, a
fundraiser for Damayo's campaign proved to be far from your average
political event. The candidate wore heaps of silver jewelry,
six-inch black high heels, a men's-style shirt unbuttoned to reveal
her capacious bosom, and a headband to hold back her waist-length
black hair.
On a Friday evening last month, a fundraiser for Damayo's campaign
proved to be far from your average political event. The candidate
wore heaps of silver jewelry, six-inch black high heels, a
men's-style shirt unbuttoned to reveal her capacious bosom, and a
headband to hold back her waist-length black hair. It was one of
the more demure outfits for a candidate whose campaign signs show
her lying on her back, feet in the air, (b r e a s t s) barely
covered by a flag-motif top -- and who can be seen in much more
revealing detail in an extensive catalog that includes "Deep Throat
6," "She's the Boss" and "Oriental Lust."
The Friday night fundraiser was a never-before-seen mix of local
Republican Party stalwarts, Damayo's adult industry pals and
several bargoers just there for the regular karaoke at Barbeque
Masters Tavern, on Sahara Avenue and Decatur Boulevard. Damayo
worked the room like a veteran politician, handing out campaign
stickers. She also offered lap dances with a wide, pink-lipsticked
smile. "I'm here to witness history," said John Hambrick, chair of
the Clark County Republican Party, who brought his wife as a
"chaperone" to the event. "No gubernatorial candidate has ever done
this before." He was referring to karaoke.
Hambrick said the party has received complaints about Damayo's
candidacy, especially since she appeared in the Boulder City
Damboree parade on July 4. There was nothing the party could do
about that, he noted. Similarly, the party couldn't refuse to link
to Damayo's campaign Web site from the party's site, just like any
other Republican candidate. "We went over it real good," Hambrick
said of Damayo's site. "There was nothing we could ban her for."
The night began with a limbo contest. The DJ, T.J. Hampton, gave an
introduction.
"Before we get started on limbo, I wanted to introduce the sexiest
candidate for governor, with an even sexier brain," Hampton said.
"The next governor of Nevada: Melody Damayo!" Damayo's short speech
would be the evening's only political stumping. "I want everyone to
know that I'm here to bring back the roots of the Republican party:
freedom, freedom of speech, freedom to party, free enterprise,"
Damayo said. "Now it's time to limbo!"
Damayo, 33, is a native of the Philippines who calls herself a
pioneer for Asians in the adult film industry. She quit porn with
the 2003 film "Happy Ending" and now is taking acting roles in
independent films. She also continues to support herself as an
exotic dancer. "I'm a girl from a small village in a Third World
country who came here to realize a dream," said Damayo, who has
lived in Nevada for 13 years.
Her first involvement in politics came in 2004, when she was a
volunteer on the re-election campaign of President Bush, she said.
"That's when I realized that this is what I wanted to do with the
rest of my life." According to county election records, the 2004
general election was the first time Damayo voted in Nevada. Damayo
recognizes that many may be interested in her primarily for
reasons other than politics, but hopes she can win them over with
her ideas.
"I'm kind of like the spokesmodel for politics right now," she
said. "That's fine. Anything to get people to hear the message."
Damayo and two friends got up to sing. Not "She Bangs," after all,
but Madonna's "Material Girl." It was a typically garbled,
out-of-tune bar karaoke performance -- except, perhaps, for the
amount of writhing. Kevin Child, a Republican candidate for county
recorder, was also trying to drum up votes at the event. Damayo's
was among the votes he hoped to earn, Child said: "She's a
Republican and she lives in Clark County. As long as she doesn't
make me take my clothes off, I'll be fine." It wasn't clear whether
there were many votes besides Damayo's to be gained at Friday's
event.
Aside from a few county Republican officials, including the bar's
owner, party Financial Director Jim Pressler, most of the 50 or so
attendees said they weren't registered with a political party or
were Democrats, making them ineligible to vote in Damayo's primary.
Local attorney Christopher Carr had come to see Damayo but said he
wasn't registered with a political party. "I'm waiting to hear what
she has to say," he said. "I don't have very strong feelings for
Gov. Guinn."
Informed that Guinn won't be on the ballot, Carr said, "Oh, then
that's easy. She's the only candidate I know." Pharmacist Dan
Brooks had come to karaoke with his friends but was enjoying the
political show. Also not registered with a political party, he said
he appreciated the injection of fun into a political process that
is too often dismal.
"Mimi's a very likeable person," Brooks said. "She's maybe not the
most eloquent (speaker), but she seems like a sweetheart." Then,
grinning at his own cleverness, he added, "She's a (b r e a s t) of
all the issues." Brooks and his friends exchanged high-fives for
that quip. The winner of the evening's limbo contest, 27-year-old
bartender Julie Ann Suarez, was more skeptical. Suarez, too, had
come to see friends, not to engage in politicking. "Her main claim
to fame is being a porn star," Suarez said. "It's partly the
media's fault, but I don't think she's doing much about it."