Before I get into this strange and troubling post, let me stress what this post is NOT about.
Back in the 1980s, when I worked the Denver religion beat, I did several stories that involved a local congregation in the Metropolitan Community Church. The MCC is a denomination that is best known as a home for LGBTQ Christians and their families.
What I learned was that -- at that stage of its development -- the MCC was a complex institution, in terms of the theological orientations of its members. Yes, there were some New Age-style people, but there were way more clergy and members whose background was in liberal Protestantism (think United Methodists or old-line Presbyterians). And there were evangelicals and charismatics who remained evangelicals and charismatics, other than their views on sex.
So this post is not about a news report slamming the MCC. It is also not a post claiming that it is normal, somehow, for a MCC member/leader to have a secret life involving dangerous sex. Alas, anyone who follows the news knows that "double life" sin can be found, every now and then, in lots of conservative flocks (think Catholics, Orthodox Jews, Baptists).
Now, to the story itself, with kinky details left out. For The Hollywood Reporter, this story is a window into the life of a major "player" in the movie industry, a senior vice president at William Morris Endeavor Entertainment.
The religion angle isn't important. My question: Could journalists do justice to the religion angle, without smearing this man's church? Here's the dramatic double-decker headline. Note the word "ritual."
Death in a Hollywood Sex Dungeon:
How a Top Agency Executive's "Mummification" Ritual Ended in Tragedy
Here is the story's overture, with no religion angle in sight:
For nearly three decades, Skip Chasey, one of Hollywood's top dealmakers, led a delicate balancing act of an existence. One Sunday last November, it all came tumbling down around him.
That something tragic had occurred became known to his many friends the following morning, when on Nov. 20, 2017, Chasey posted a troubling Facebook message: "I've just experienced a traumatic loss that necessitates my having to withdraw from the madding crowd and grieve for a while," he wrote. "I'll be back, I promise you, but for now I must tend to myself and a few others as well."
The post received 130 notices of support and condolence. No one questioned what happened, or to whom. Certainly none of the messages expressed even an inkling that the traumatic loss in question occurred as the result of a sex ritual gone horribly awry -- one in which Chasey oversaw the mummification of a partner in plastic wrap, who then proceeded to expire in front of him.
To say Chasey leads a double life would be an understatement -- not that he makes any secret of it.
Right there.
Right there is the issue that makes this story so disturbing, other than the deadly details of the ritual itself. This was not a secret double life. Key parts of this story were not hidden away:
... In his personal time, Chasey is Master Skip -- a respected figure in the Los Angeles leather scene. Google his nom de dungeon and dozens of links and videos turn up, including an entry on Leatherpedia.com. ...
Chasey has fashioned himself into a sadomasochistic spiritualist and community leader, leading workshops on how "leatherfolk [can] merge sex and spirit." His résumé touts a starring role in the 2005 documentary Pup, which chronicles his involvement in the "pup play" scene (in which a "handler" and human "puppy" interact for sexual gratification); his certification as a grief counselor; and his invitation to address, as Master Skip, a "crowd of nearly one million at the Millennium March on Washington."
So what role did "spirituality" and the "merger of sex and spirit" play inside the personal dungeon of Master Skip? In this case, the coroner's report noted that this space was "equipped with padded floor tiles, a St. Andrews cross, a ladder back chair, a padded examination table and a metal cage. Racks on the walls contain numerous floggers, paddles, crops, canes, leather masks and hoods and ropes are noted in the room."
A "St. Andrews cross"? In this case, I assume we are not talking about a flag. As for the rite itself, involving gaffers tape, plastic, chains and other gear, here is the crucial detail concerning Doran George, a UCLA professor:
At 6:20 p.m., Chasey noticed that George was "not reacting properly." Upon closer inspection, he realized George was not breathing at all. ... An autopsy report filed on Nov. 22, 2017, concluded the immediate cause was "sudden death during recreational mummification bondage."
So that's that. There is no need for a significant discussion of the role that faith and "spiritual" concepts played in this tragedy.
However, blogger Rod (The Benedict Option) Dreher noted that Master Skip has posted his biography online, with this headline: "Leathersex & Spirit: Living an Authentic Life -- Master Skip Casey." This text notes:
Master Skip presently serves on the Theologies Team for Metropolitan Community Churches and on the board of directors for Butchmanns, Inc., a non-profit educational organization dedicated to self-actualization through the mindful use of physical practices and the conscious exchange of personal power for spiritual awareness.
Actually, it appears that his work on the MCC Theologies Team ended in 2012.
As for other crucial details: No charges have been filed. Also, Casey continues his work as a Hollywood executive.
My journalism question is quite simple: It would appear that Casey's religious beliefs and, well, his teachings, were right out there in the open.
Did the editorial team at The Hollywood Reporter -- when breaking this exclusive story -- make the right decision to bury the religious elements of this story (which were available with one or two clicks of a mouse)? Did this UCLA professor die during what, for both men, was a religious experience of some kind? Perhaps The Los Angeles Times will cover this story?
Just asking.