The Ideas of March

Monday, March 03, 2008 by
Since you all apparently can't get enough of him, we're renaming the blog Project SissyBear.

Okay, no. But we DO have a link to a must-read interview with him at AfterElton:


AE: Was it nice to represent a gay person on TV — obviously you’re a big guy — who’s not the cookie-cutter type of gay guy?
CM: Yes! [laughing very loudly]

AE: How was getting along with Christian for you?
CM: It’s funny. I have to say that now I defend Christian to people all day long. They come up to me and say, “he’s so annoying!” And sure, he’s annoying. Fine. But he is very talented and he’s soooo funny. And underneath all that stuff, he actually has a really good heart. They portrayed him as being maybe a little more annoying than he really is, and they didn’t show him doing all of his really funny stuff and just talking. He’s very interesting. He’s had a lot of very interesting experiences for a 21-year-old. And he’s just kind of magically brilliant. Where did that come from? He’s 21!

AE: And what’s Rami really like?
CM: Rami, to me — and I’ve said this to him — is like the little brother that I never had. I don’t know why Rami and I hit it off so much. They’ve shown that close-up of us holding hands in the reunion show over and over again. And I’m wearing an “R” around my neck in that episode, so people were like, “Chris and Rami are dating!” I'm like, “Oh, pleeeease.” Rami has the most gorgeous boyfriend on earth, so everybody can just get over it. But I don’t know… He and I just really hit it off on a really affectionate level. There was just no reason to hate each other. We got that. If we’d hated each other, it would have been a waste of energy.

AE: I loved the episode when Roberto Cavalli was the guest judge and he praised you effusively. What was going on in your mind when that was happening?
CM: It was overwhelming. It was like, “this is now serious.” I mean we’ve had some really great judges, but it was Roberto Cavalli, for God’s sake! And when the judging started and he said that he envisioned me showing in Paris and all that, I was just shaking. And I was crying — they didn’t show me cry as much as I did on that episode — but I was just overwhelmed by the fact that someone like him saw what he saw in my look. I put it all in there and I was happy that he saw it.

AE: And in this last episode, did your use of human hair hurt you?
CM: I’m not sure. Probably, but that doesn’t matter to me, because it’s not always about winning or losing a competition. It’s about being true to yourself and your creativity, and also just showing people that the idea in life is to take some risks. If you don’t, you’re never going to change anything. And I thought it looked amazing on television. Whether they disagreed about whether it’s usable and wearable, that’s their perspective.

AE: And can you tell me anything about Jillian? What’s she like?
CM: The great thing about Jillian — and I wish this had happened sooner — she finally started letting go a little bit. As the show progressed, her character came out more and more, and I think near the end, people are seeing, “Oh, look — she’s actually very funny.” She’s very clever and well-spoken and she’s not just quiet and meek. She doesn’t want to talk and joke, like I do. That’s just her work style.

AE: What’s been the craziest fan moment you’ve experienced?
CM: Well, I don’t know if I can say… I will say that I’ve been shocked by the amount of emails I’ve gotten from men who want to go out with me! And who think I’m really cute and who want to lick me from head to toe.

AE: I have to say, too, that I loved how the show had so much fun showing you in drag, showing those shots of you as Wonder Woman or Cruella…
CM: Let me tell you, the day after the prom challenge where they showed so many pictures of me in drag, my website got 60,000 hits.


[Photo: G. Gershoff/WireImage]

69 comments:

Thombeau said...

I. LOVE. CHRIS.

Thank you, and good night.

Sharon said...

Chris is absolutely adorable. Thanks for the link.

Crow Winters said...

God I love Chris.

Anonymous said...

LOVE. LOVE. LOVE.

Just when I think I couldn't love him more, he outdoes himself AGAIN.

Suzanne said...

I hope he wins an Oscar one day for those "costumes" of his!!!! He is the PR designer I would most want to hang out with!!

Anonymous said...

Chris was my favorite from the start.
Not that I EVER wished Jack any ill, because I liked Jack, too, and hope they bring him back next season, but I was SO happy when they decided to bring Chris back.
There are just some people who make you smile, inside and out, and I can't think of a more fun time than visiting with Chris and his friends in the friends' apartment!!
-----StkrShock

Anonymous said...

Fantastic interview. I LOVE it! Thank you SO MUCH for the link.

Anonymous said...

Chris is definitely my favorite. That is a great interview.

Anonymous said...

OMG, his insight into the judges is ... Kind of brilliant:

Heidi: Views the garments as a model (or a woman): would she want to wear it;

Michael Kors: Views the garments as a designer (who sells clothing): how would it sell to the public;

and Nina: Views the garments as a fashion editor: how would it look in Elle Magazine;

That covers all angels, no?

That's prtty brilliant. I never thought of it that way.

Anonymous said...

Chris is someone I would love to hang out with. I'm so happy we got to see a little bit of his brilliance on TV. Thank you boys, thank you Bravo!

stmkent said...

"I’m not sure. Probably, but that doesn’t matter to me, because it’s not always about winning or losing a competition. It’s about being true to yourself and your creativity, and also just showing people that the idea in life is to take some risks."

This is going to sound terribly cheesy, but I think a wonderful project would be Chris doing talks at GLBT youth groups and showing that being different and daring is a good thing. He's the perfect example of what can happen when a person works hard and is true to himself. Lurve him!

bitchesdye said...

I love sissybear so much. I hope he's taking some of those offers and having the time of his life!

Anonymous said...

Love the interview. Love the "Beware the ideas of March" reference. You guys have the cleverest post titles.

Anonymous said...

"bitchesdye said...

I love sissybear so much. I hope he's taking some of those offers and having the time of his life!"

I hope so too. He deserves every bit of the recognition he has received and more.

Anonymous said...

THANK YOU!
What a fantastic interview! It made me cry a little, I love Chris so much...

DolceLorenzo said...

"Let me tell you, the day after the prom challenge where they showed so many pictures of me in drag, my website got 60,000 hits."

Good for you, SissyBear!!!!!!
Best wishes, darling!

Hutchlover said...

Well speaking as a straight, married female. I want to like him from head to toe!

Mom said...

I was one of those 60,000 hits!!!

and "Ideas of March" -- brilliant. Somebody was paying attention in either English 11 or Latin 4.

Anonymous said...

I loved Chris March before reading this interview, and I love him even more now. It also really makes me hate Jack Crackenroth so much more now for his disparaging comments about Chris in that Advocate interview. He tried to make it sound like Christian didn't like Chris very much either, and we all know now how untrue that is. Shame on you Jack!!

Ms Sangrail said...

Yay! Love you, Chris!

Anonymous said...

Dear TLo,

O, you Shakespeare/Mother Tongue savants, you've happily played upon my "second" language and the Bard. Well done and much appreciated!

Thanks for providing us with the lovely AfterElton interview of a lovely fellow. SissyBear is mature, charmingly self-deprecating and sounds to me like he's got his head on straight. Uh... that's not the right cliche, is it?! He's grounded, even as his imagination soars.

Loved his work, think he should have been a finalist, but hope he will enjoy much success and acclaim going forward.

All the best,

NDC

PhantomMinuet said...

He is just precious. And I mean that in the best possible way. :-)

GothamTomato said...

"Chris said: ... although I’m always walking down the street in Chelsea!"



Well, I'm always walking down the street in Chelsea too, but I haven't run into Sir Sissybear. I'll have to keep my eyes peeled.

Great interview. But now that he's said that he can't say what his craziest fan moment has been, I really want to know the answer.

--GothamTomato

Lisa said...

I love me some Sissy Bear.

Thank you for posting this TLo.

Anonymous said...

GothamTomato I agree, I want to know what that craziest fan moment was too.

And when Chris said Almodovar was one of the inspirations for his collection, a light bulb went off in my head and I thought why didn't I realize it before. It makes sense.

Whatever yout think of his clothes, the man has got class

Frank

Anonymous said...

I love him. We need more of him.

Anonymous said...

"There are just some people who make you smile, inside and out, ...
-----StkrShock"

Yup! Chris is definitely one of those! I'm thankful he was brought back into the competition so that we could get to know him better.

Anonymous said...

Yea Chris!!

What a great guy!!!

Fantastic interview!

Thanks TLo!!


Herdgirl72

Washington Cube said...

When I saw Chris' collection, my first thought was "Auntie Mame" during her roaring twenties Chinese monkey fur phase. Roz Russell could have rocked that hair.

Mame Dennis: Well, now, uh, read me all the words you don't understand.
Patrick Dennis: Libido, inferiority complex, stinko, blotto, free love, bathtub gin, monkey glands, Karl Marx... is he one of the Marx Brothers?

[Patrick reads a list of words he doesn't understand]
Patrick Dennis: ...Neurotic, heterosexual...
Mame Dennis: Oh, my my my my, what an eager little mind.
[takes the list]
Mame Dennis: You won't need some of these words for months and months.

Auntie Mame: Run along to Ito and tell him to bring me a light breakfast - black coffee and a side car. Oh, oh. And a cold towel for your Auntie Vera.
Patrick Dennis: Is she in the guest room again?
Auntie Mame: Since Sunday, dear. Now run along to Ito and hurry my tray, darling. Your Auntie needs fuel.

Auntie Mame: Life's a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death!


http://www.nytimes.com/
slideshow/2007/08/22/fashion/
20070823_ECCENTRIC_SLIDESHOW_6.html


Chris has GOT to start designing for film. He will soar.

Rainwood said...

I hope that lots of good things come true for Chris. He deserves them. He's kind, he's funny, he's humble, he's talented. It's nice to see so many people respond to that. If everyone had only been able to vote once for fan favorite instead of a gazillion times, Chris would have won in a landslide. You go, Sissybear!

Anonymous said...

And that's WHY we love him.

He's generous toward everyone. He's mature enough to enjoy every minute of his fifteen and probably to make it lead to something else.

What a wonderful man.

Anonymous said...

As another fan of The Chris, I would love to see him roar on to huge success because of Project Runway. And Project Rungay.

He's so gracious and sweet, and crazy creative! A great package. Love for Chris.

Casey said...

A lovely interview with a lovely man. And his website is terrific.

Kanani said...

There's something utterly professional about Chris. No histrionics, a minimum of bitching, an attitude of lets get it done. On top of this, he has the ability to make everyone else laugh and feel good.

I'll stick by my prediction: someday there'll be a retrospective of his career at the Met. It'll have theatre and movie costumes, couture and also clips from PR4.
He's got a wide range, beyond anyone's imagination.

Anonymous said...

Aww..the cute little sissy bear!! I love Chris!! =)

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this great interview! Chris is such a sweetheart. I love his sense of humor.

Anonymous said...

Chris is wonderful, unconventional, irreverent, intelligent, and funny. Thanks for the link, guys.

Anonymous said...

I heard the models, including Marcia, loved working with him.

Anonymous said...

Awesome interview!! I read (i forget where) that Chris just got an offer to do costumes for a movie and also an offer to design a wig store in New York. He'll go far, I'm sure.

Anonymous said...

Anything like Project Runway is definitely a life-changing experience. Chris got to show at Bryant Park. That's a unique opportunity.

TFLS said...

What a nice man. He was my favorite from day one. I wish him well.

Thanks for the link.

Anonymous said...

What a lovely guy. Easily the most mature interview I've read with someone on PR.

Anonymous said...

Count me on the Sissybear Love Bandwagon! His grace, humor, talent and wonderfully warm laugh caught my attention right away. He makes people happy just by being himself, which in my opinion, makes him a winner. I know he will have much success!

The Java Junkie said...

Ditto, Tami. He's just a genuinely sweet, super talented guy.

Mom said...

Chris is proof that you don't have to be a jerk to be a memorable and interesting participant on PR! His interviews should be required reading for all future participants.

Anonymous said...

Unlike most other people here, although I enjoyed Chris, he was never my favorite designer (that's Christian). But this interview was wonderful and charming and very insightful. I wonder if he ever considered starting his own burlesque show incorporating some of the costumes from his portfolio. I think it would be hella fun. Whatever he does, I wish him oodles of success. I didn't necessarily swoon over his final collection on the whole, but I can't help but love anyone who cites Almodovar and Sweeney Todd as influences. I loved what he said about Christian and Rami, too, and how it cut through the reality show doodoo.

Anonymous said...

Chris is just wonderful. He comes across as child-like without being childish, generous, confident, appreciative and, as someone else said, very grounded. You can't help but adore him.

Lizzy poo said...

Chris is going to go so far because he is not strictly a fashion designer. His options will be much wider than his fellow contestants. I think he is just going to be part of pop culture - more so than any other contestant.

Over the last 4 seasons, Christian IMHO is the only contestant who could become a serious designer. He just have to be really careful with the choices he makes. This industry is sooo tough.

Lizzy poo said...

One other thing. In a month or two - once all of the PR analysis has been completed, I wouldn't mind AT ALL, if Chris became your new best friend and you blogged about him. Just a thought.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the link, poodles! I had so much fun reading his interview. I just want to hug him and go out shopping with him.

YvesPaul said...

Head to toe, you say?

Anonymous said...

I love Chris too, he is so refreshing. I really think the fan favorite contest must have been rigged, because how could you not love Chris. Christian, bless his heart, isn't that lovable.

Chris should be doing costumes for broadway shows and movies. I don't know why those fashion snobs (Garcia, Kors and Gunn) think that costume is a dirty word.

Anonymous said...

Now that we know more about Chris and hear his comments about the other designers, it makes me really wonder about Jack's snarky comments that came out about him a few weeks ago.

Anonymous said...

thanks for sharing the interview with us. I think he is awesome and I wish him all kind of success in his career, he definitely deserves it.
I was happy to see he was inspired by Almodovar, and he should know that some people (like me) appreciated his use of human hair in his designs, I thought it was a "ballsy" move and it looked beautiful.

Anonymous said...

After seeing all the collections on your site... I must say if he had removed the hair or edited it way down Chris could have won. He is very talented.

Anonymous said...

I love Chris and his work. He should be going to Bryant park and should be the winner.

The duchess and Nina were clearly biased against Chris, either that or the producers didn't want a fat guy in the ads as their winner (why they think Jeffrey looks better is beyond me). This is of course, opinion. My opinion and I am biased because I love Chris and I love his work.

I think they need a changing of the guard next year. New Judges. Nina and the Duchess are too jaded by now.

Anonymous said...

I think Chris is a costume designer--and that's a good thing. I'm not sure he'd really be happier putting together sportswear lines or catering to Bill Blass socialites. In that way, I understand the judge's decision.

I hope that Chris gets opportunities from the publicity--film, maybe custom work. I'd actually hate to see his free spirit dragged down by marketing/trend concerns.

As for the interview--Chris just seems like a true gentlemen--in or out of drag.

Anonymous said...

Plait me! Braid me! Brush me! Wash me! Just pay attention, damnit, cause I love you Mr. March. I'd so be your fag hag.

Nuttin' but good wishes his way. Truly, a mature, kind and thoroughly professional person.

Anonymous said...

I know that you did not mean it in a bad way at all, so please don't take it like I am attacking you, but I am personally tired of the term "fag hag".

Isn't there some new term that us gay boys can come up with to denote our beloved female companions?

Fruit fly has been done, but I can't think of anything else.

Anonymous said...

Fabulous interview! Chris is the best!!

Anonymous said...

hey zander,

how about "fairy godmother?"

StrangelyNormalSteph said...

SissyBear>>>>Jack. That is all.

We love you Chris!

Anonymous said...

Chris is incredibly talented and truly a most genuine human being. His creative output was more than the Duchess, Nina and Heidi could handle, and that's their problem(whoever suggested new judges is on the mark). Chris will do quite nicely without their help.

After reading this section, he has more best friends than anyone. hedda, you can go shopping with Chris after he goes shopping with me!

Anonymous said...

You guys have my vote for Project Sissy Bear. I just LOVE him!

BigAssBelle said...

i could not possibly love my sweet SissyBear any more. not possible. j'adore!

but . . .

Rami?

GAY?

thud. i had no idea. i need to take my gayger counter in for a tuneup.

did y'all know this??

Anonymous said...

I think Rami's semi-closeted- he keeps referring to his boyfriend as his "very special best friend."

Anonymous said...

I'm totally willing to accept some other affectionate moniker denoting straight female friend of gay man. Fairy godmother is good, but like fag hag, it suggests women of a certain age and look only have such friends.

"Lady in waiting" perhaps? Maybe we should just drop the context altogether and just use the utterly descriptive "friend" (although it doesn't quite describe the peculiar dynamic of these relationships.)

Hephaestion said...

Like Chris, I am a very heavy gay man, and seeing him on television has been a surprisingly moving experience for me.

When I saw him, I realized something I had never consciously thought of before: That I have never ever seen another very heavy gay man on TV before... aside from Big Gay Al on the South Park cartoon show.

It is quite wonderful to finally "see myself" (or someone like me) on TV for the first time in my life. I don't think a straight woman or a heavy straight man or anyone else can understand what it is like to have never EVER seen yourself represented on TV before. It made me cry.

I have no insecurities or sadness about being a heavy gay guy that I needed to overcome. But it is still stunning to finally simply see yourself on TV... and to see how audiences respond. And it is very energizing to see all the love people have expressed towards Chris. I love all of you who have done so. God bless you all.

Anonymous said...

I didn't think he was consistent during the season, but his collection rocked. I still can't believe he was passed over for Rami. Bah humbug.