That’s surprising that you had never seen the show before.
No, I don’t really watch a lot of TV to begin with. I’m very selective. So I’m just never home to watch [Project Runway]. I’ve caught bits and pieces of it but I never sat through a whole show. I really enjoyed it.
So what happens behind the scenes of Project Runway that we don’t see on TV?
Well, it takes a really long time to film that whole [judging] sequence. It’s in this very hot room because they turn off the air-conditioning. Everyone is really, really hot and dehydrated. I think that’s the hardest part.
So, since you’re selective about TV, what do you watch?
Well one of my favorite shows in its second season is Mad Men. I’m really enjoying that show. I’ve been watching Keith Olbermann on MSNBC. He’s kind of my favorite person in terms of news right now. I’ll kind of channel surf on cable and watch a movie, but Mad Men is the only show I watch religiously right now.
You did a recent interview with Camille Paglia where you discussed the historical contributions of gay men to our culture and you both lamented the lack of culture recently. Are gay men as influential as they once were?
I don’t think that [the gay influence is] so deliberate [anymore]. I think [gay] people are much more part of day-to-day life and not so isolated, like, "I’m gay, you’re straight." I think that’s kind of the beauty of the world right now – people are cross-pollinating.
So, because gay people are more integrated into the mainstream...
And I think the mainstream is more open to the gay influence. I don’t think it’s as, like, "I’m gay and I’m over here on the fringes." It’s like, "I’m gay and I’m really a part of the whole world." I just think there’s a lot more acceptance with [gay people], such as the emergence of gay marriage and so many gay people having families and kids. It’s a different mindset than 10, 15 years ago.
In the same interview, you mentioned that you deplore the word “lesbian.” Why?
I don’t like the sound of it. It’s not so much what it means. I just wish there was a sexier word for gay women.
So it’s like an aesthetic thing.
It’s an aesthetic thing. Exactly.
So is there another word you prefer?
I just don’t like any word. I just like people who are interesting and captivating and sexy and fun and original so I don’t like to put any titles on who they are sexually. It just limits everybody.
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