Considering that he included a concise chapter on the weird history and debauched shenanigans that have taken place at Kilowatt, Stuart Schuffman picked an ideal location to celebrate the release of his new book, “The Worst of Broke-Ass Stuart: 20 Years of Love, Death & Dive Bars.”
“It’s going to be a rock ‘n’ roll good time,” Schuffman predicted. The Oct. 17 shindig includes drag artists, burlesque, circus acts and live music, with Honey Mahogany presiding over the celebration.
The timing seems apt for Schuffman to look back at an era that he’s documented and helped define from the ground up via his website, travels, books, various video productions, and a colorful run for mayor in 2015.
A chronicler of late-night haunts, cheap eats, cultural happenings, activist exploits, eclectic roustabouts, artists and bohemians, Schuffman has managed to maintain his grassroots status, despite building a small multimedia empire.
He’ll probably even emerge from the Board of Supes declaring Oct. 17 “Broke-Ass Stuart Day” with his gadfly Editor-in-Cheap reputation proudly intact.
“The thing I’m proudest about is I get to publish voices that don’t often get heard,” Schuffman said, pointing to a column launched in 2014 by a trans writer that focused on dating while trans. “Another one was about being a Black bartender and weird taboos about race and the nightclub industry.”
Over the years, “Broke-Ass Stuart” has served as a gateway for writers, filling a void left by the demise of the once-thriving alt-weekly newspaper scene, particularly in providing termite perspectives on arts and culture.
“We’ve had hundreds of writers over the years,” he said. “At our peak, we had maybe 15 to 20 regular contributors, and now it’s maybe 10. We pay terribly. We can’t afford to pay more.”
More than any neighborhood, Schuffman has made the Mission his stomping grounds, from the days he could be found at the Lone Palm “when people still smoked inside, though it wasn’t technically legal,” to Dog Eared Books, where he gave his first reading (from a piece he contributed to the magazine “Instant City”).
Positioning himself as an arbiter of affordable services and experiences in an era of gentrification, Schuffman has turned himself into a far-reaching brand. What makes his own work stand out is his sly sense of humor and knack for nailing the city’s folkways.
Describing San Francisco’s high holiday season as “the period between Burning Man and Halloween,” he neatly captures one of our micro-seasons.
“The jury is still out on whether ‘Indian Summer’ is racist or not, but for this brief period, San Franciscans are too busy frolicking to figure out if they should be offended. The jury itself is halfway to Baker Beach as we speak, excited for some nude sunbathing.”
Raised in San Diego, Schuffman was gravitating to San Francisco even before he graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz, in 2003 with a degree in American studies. He had an epiphany when an old acquaintance handed him a business card identifying her as a travel writer.
“I thought, I want to be a travel writer, though I wasn’t sure what that meant at the time,” he recalled.
A quick learner, he launched his zine in 2004 with “Broke-Ass Stuart’s Guide to Living Cheaply in San Francisco.” The website became the Broke-Ass tentpole for a series of projects, including the short-lived IFC travel show “Young, Broke & Beautiful” in 2011, and the YouTube variety show “The Kind of Late Show with Broke-Ass Stuart” in 2014.
“I’m always working on tons of side projects,” he said, mentioning a screenplay that’s in progress. Does he have any regrets? It was surprising to hear that his trademark has become something of an albatross.
“If I knew I was still going to be doing this when I was 45, I might have chosen a different name,” he said. It turns out that advertisers uninterested in San Francisco’s best dive bars don’t necessarily flock to see the attraction of the site. “They say, ‘Why would I advertise with ‘broke’ or ‘ass?’” he said.
The fact that Schuffman has kept “Broke-Ass Stuart” relevant for 20 years in a major accomplishment in itself. In middle age, he’s maintained his own niche by adapting to the inevitable actuarial churn.
“What started off as a zine or a blog, I’ve matured and the brand has matured,” he said. “We still hook up with the SF League of Pissed Off Voters for a voter’s guide. The scale of things is different now. My readership is 35 and older. We’re barely on TikTok. College kids don’t know Broke-Ass Stuart. At one point, I was part of the vanguard; now, I’m the old guy. That’s the nature of the beast.”
San Francisco has become so bankrupt culturally that all we get now are self promoting operators elevated to the level of C-grade local celebrities.
He’s just a guy. That’s his charm.
Stuart plays the “lovable loser” as well as anyone in this town. Then again this is a town that enjoys failure and hates success. He is a modern day Peter Pan, staying eternally 20 years old.
You seem upset about something unrelated.
For gods sake please just go away
I love people who take their own advice.
Good news, you won’t see my ugly ass whoring around on any posters playing the kazoo etc. unless you want to draft me for a novelty political campaign, that is?
Freedom of choice, do what you want to do.
Why choose to hate? What does it get you.
The problem is that a progressive political culture where exchanging “knowing looks” with other progressives about how right they are and how wrong conservatives are appears to be sufficient for them.
Since Stuart came on the progressive scene, progressive political power has evaporated like gasoline spilled on the ground in the hot Texas sun.
I will celebrate by hitting up all the stores on Stuart’s famous December 2020 list: “Which Companies You Should Shoplift From”
Jeez, is ml in the pocket of big broke ass Stuart? What is he Charlie Kirk are we not allowed to talk shit about this guy! He’s annoying!
“ Jeez, is ml in the pocket of big broke ass Stuart?”
OMG… I almost snorted Diet Dr. Pepper out of my nose reading that! 🤣
I heard his interview on KPOO (I think it was) the other day, he’s a lovable character.
STAY BROKE STEW!