In the second episode of "Danny Will Die Alone," a hilarious new web series now streaming on Dekkoo, Danny (Jack Tracy) a 39-year-old single gay man, is about to sing at a gay bar in New York City. But first, he stands outside in front of the bar topless in order to convince people to enter the empty bar to see him.
While outside he strikes up a conversation with a good-looking thirty-year-old. The two flirt and the man kisses Danny. A few minutes later as Danny stands before the mike to introduce his song, he spots the thirty-year-old making out with someone else.
"I think I hate gay people," Danny says to the drag queen who works at the bar.
"Girl..." says the drag queen, as she rolls her eyes.
The episode, which lasts all of eight and a half minutes, is funny because it rings so true. According to Tracy, who created, wrote, edited and directed the series in addition to starring, "Danny Will Die Alone" came about as a result of his horrific dating life.
"I noticed a real change after the pandemic in the quality of the apps and how many successful dates I could get," Tracy said in an interview with the Bay Area Reporter.
"I don't know if it's the apps, the culture, my age, but everything seems to be a bit more unhinged. Plus, the fact that they are now dominated by poly and open couples, so finding a single person actually looking for a relationship is so much harder. When you do find one, let's just say I've encountered a lot of strange behavior. I thought they would make good stories."
According to Tracy, all the stories are based in truth, though some are embellished more than others. The subject of the show now comes up when he's on real-life dates, with people asking him if they're going to be in an episode.
"Most don't," he said. "Usually, the ones worried about it have nothing to fear."
Tracy admits that it's exhausting to wear so many hats, but that he's good at multitasking and has a great team for support.
"At this stage of my career, it's the only way it gets done," he said. "Dekkoo has been a godsend with financially backing the series. Before this, it was just me and my paycheck. So, the more I do, the more I can spend on actors, crew, and locations."
He added that he's getting a lot of mentions on social media, as well as some really sweet DMs and emails. Tracy has been getting a lot of requests for more of Danny. Most have been saying that they find the series funny, particularly his facial reactions. Quite a few of his Instagram reels have gotten huge engagements.
"I'm very proud of this series," he said. "I hope people will see this and think, 'Wow, it's not just me.' Danny is certainly judgmental and no peach himself, but I think a lot of people will see these scenarios and recognize them from their own dating lives. I always found the humor is in the specific. But above all, I just want the laughs."
'Danny Will Die Alone' is currently streaming on Dekkoo. www.dekkoo.com
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