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From DallasVoice.com Fashion ‘True Colors’ host knows why Obama keeps snubbing our country’s gay friendliest mayor
Why did you join True Colors? I thought it would be fun to promote a really great cause and work with some legendary artists. I grew up roller skating in my basement to Cyndi Lauper. So that’s pretty amazing that I’m working with her now. Do you do a costume change before every single act? Oh honey, I change more than Cher in her last 17 farewell tours. What kind of risqué costume will we see you in while you’re in Dallas? A little Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders outfit. No, I’m kidding. You had a cheerleader outfit from when “Queer Eye” came to Dallas in 2004. I did. I still have my pink-and-brown cowboy boots. I don’t think I’m going to be wearing anything risqué because I’m the host I’m giving it a kind of Vegas spin — so everything is kind of sparkly. And even though it is sparkly, it’s still tasteful. Any “True Colors” horror stories? Because you’re in a different city every night, you get confused. I always ask the crowd how they’re feeling. And in Detroit, I asked “Hey, Toronto! How are you feeling?” And then I was like, “Wait a minute — we’re in Detroit.”
Does the hotel pilgrimage mean you have a trail of groupies following you? I wish. When they first started talking about me participating they said everyone was going to have a bus. I was like, “I don’t have groupies or a band.” So I pictured some guy named Larry driving just me in a bus from Dallas to Los Angeles singing “100 Bottles of Chanel on the Wall.” What bad styles have you seen while looking across the sea of faces from the stage? Outfits that light up. When they combine fashion and glow-stick technology, that’s probably the devil’s playground. Other than that, we’ve had a lot of young kids dressing up in ’80s outfits — like 300 yellow bracelets up their arm or all the Day-Glo pink, yellow and green. I just have to pull them aside and say, “Look, sweetie. It didn’t look good then, and it doesn’t look good now.” But don’t you commend them for trying? Totally. I love that people are getting dressed up and and sporting their vintage Cyndi T-shirts. That I have to commend. It’s a great occasion to listen to music and be informed that this is an election year. That’s right. Cyndi says the most important political decision a person can make this year is to vote. Okay, Carson — what should gays think of Obama when he refuses to have his picture taken with San Francisco mayor, Gavin Newsom? Isn’t that weird? It’s probably because Gavin Newsom is so darn good looking that Obama doesn’t want to look less handsome. Right? If you could wave a fashion magic wand, what do you want people to be wearing at True Colors? It’s about everybody being under one roof. It’s not such a gay thing — it’s a human rights thing. It’s about equality for everybody. So just express yourself and have fun with it — even if it means wearing a horrible ’80s outfit. If Day Glow outfits and throwback ’80s are out, what’s in — for a five-hour outdoor concert in the heat of Dallas Texas? I think cute guys in board shorts and girls in bikinis. With pleats? Without pleats, please. What was the first concert you ever went to? It was probably Wham! 1983 at the Nassau Coliseum in New York. Can you play air guitar? I’m so dorky, I air dulcimer — with Cyndi. Who’s the hottest rock star ever? Probably Jim Morrison In leather pants? Only Jim could get away with that. So could Rod Stewart. If a hopeful groupie was hoping to get close to Carson Kressley, how should they dress? Like Dallas cowboys. In football helmets and jockstraps? Or just tight Wranglers. Either kind of cowboy would work for me. After the show, I’ll probably go to The Round-Up. I always love to go there. Any “hip tips”? Like, what to bring, what not to bring: Bring a great attitude and expect to hunker down for the night. It’s a long show but everyone in it is amazing. How about a lighter to wave while everyone sings “True Colors?” A lighter or a cellphone is just fine. What about a feathered roach clip? I don’t want to endorse drug usage. But when it’s feathered, it’s not just a roach clip — it’s a lifestyle. How will you tailor your hosting duties just for Dallas? I might go more glitzy and Neimans it out a little. How many boyfriends do you have in Dallas? I used to have one, but he moved to Houston. So now I have an opening — ba-dump bump! ‘TRUE’ TO DALLAS
“True Colors” stop in Big D at the Superpages.com Center (formerly Smirnoff Music Centre), 1818 First Ave. June 22 at 6 p.m., gates at 4:30 p.m. Lineup: Cyndi Lauper, The B-52s, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, Andy Bell, Wanda Sykes, Lili Haydn and host, Carson Kressley. $26-$126 214-373-8000 Ticketmaster.com A dollar from every ticket sold goes to the Human Rights Campaign. This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition June 20, 2008.
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