The Jay McCarroll Interview

In preparation for the upcoming season of Project Runway, we have a little treat, of sorts, for you. It's my extremely odd, perhaps-something-I-dreamt, somewhat disturbing phone interview that I had with Season One winner Jay McCarroll. Here's how it came about: my boyfriend is friendly with Jay's publicist, Nancy Kane (who happens to be a lovely woman) and, when she heard I was writing about the show for Television Without Pity, she offered me the chance to speak with Jay on the eve of the premiere of his special, Project Jay. What follows is our conversation. Unless I really did dream it, which, I don't know, crazier things have happened. Jay McCarroll: This is the most retarded thing I've ever done. I was just in a radio interview and we were on the 36th floor and I couldn't get reception, then I couldn't hear you and then my battery died so now I'm using someone else's phone -- [big breath] -- so, what's going on? TWoP: Nothing much. How's it going? I'm here. I'm alive! I'm good. You and I actually met very briefly-- [at the premiere party for the second season]. I know. You were wearing coral or orange, and you have long brown hair. It's not long. I guess it was long-ish, at the time. [I have no idea why I was arguing about this. But, even at its longest, I haven't had hair that could be called "long" since 1997. I think I was wearing orange. But, again, who fucking cares?] Chin-length. [For real, it wasn't that long. I hate myself.] So, your show's coming up tomorrow night. Are you excited? [hesitates] Uh, yeah. I'm more kind of consumed with making a drag queen her outfit [Jay McCarroll-outfitted drag queens adorned the premiere party for the show] and listening to the RSVP stories and just getting prepared. My sister's coming in from out of town, so I'm just kind of like inundated with the little details. And I've seen the show a hundred times, so it's not anything new to me. Did you have any creative control over the edit? No. Nothing at all. Was it similar to your experience on Project Runway, where it was just you doing your thing and them following you around? Yeah, um, a little more involved, of course, because I was just the subject matter. Whereas, there was no trying to align me with Wendy [Pepper] to walk somewhere or something. So, it was a more personal experience, I guess. I didn't have like any say or anything. But I was also kind of like, "Where do you want me to stand?" Whereas on Project Runway, they never told you to do anything. They just kind of had to capture what they captured when they captured it. I know the people on the site are excited for the show. On Television Without Pity? I fucking love it. I just read the Project Runway threads, which are always great. The readers are always fucking so smart on there. My sister and I -- that's our favorite message board. Yeah, they can have some pretty strong opinions. That's true. Well, they bring up things that you never think about. Like, it's like they study every possible second. Yeah, they can analyze and discuss the smallest detail, down to facial expressions. They study that shit. So, I have a few questions that I thought might interest our readers. First, I feel obligated to ask you about Wendy Pepper. Oh, Wendy Pepper. She's a pretty effective reality TV star, isn't she? I'll say. It seemed like she was continually rewarded for bad behavior. Oh, kind of, yeah. I agree. She's, um, I would venture to say that she's probably bipolar. She definitely has something clinically wrong with her and there's more to her story than you know, that I'm not really at liberty to talk about. There's a secret side of Wendy. I remember from the finale of the first season, she was a part of the Peace Corps? Yeah. She was in the Peace Corps. She studied literature or something. Yeah, like, went to Tibet. Yeah, interesting. That doesn't really jive with, kind of, the Wendy that we saw. No. Well, that was my entire point with her. You know, "Why aren't you showing people the real you?" I don't know. She didn't see it that way, I guess. Okay. So, now I feel bad. You feel bad for her? I never really considered that she may have some sort of like, imbalance. Well, I don't know if she does for sure, but I'd say that she probably does. It seems really obvious when you say it. She's so clearly two different people. Did you see her on the poker show? I did. Yeah. Totally wild. It was scary. Making out with old men, winning-winning, by the way. She's perfect for poker though, isn't she? They were frightened. The whole game -- it's about lying, that game. So, are you in Pennsylvania or -- I'm in New York now. Do you live here now? Yeah. Well, how do you like it? It's sufficient. [laughs] It is what it is, you know? It's exciting, I guess. I've never been one of those, um, "Oh my God, I've gotta live there. I love New York" kind of people. But... it's frighteningly tall. Yeah, the buildings are so high. And, it's dirty. And, there's too many people. And, I'm scared when I'm underground. Or above ground. But, other than that, it's great! Are there any particular places where you see yourself living? In the world? Yeah. Oh, I'd love to live in Amsterdam. I've lived there before. So, I noticed from the show that you were in the drum corps in high school. Is that right? I was in marching band. Drummer? I was in percussion, yes. I was a saxophonist. [I don't know. I just thought there might be some interesting band geek gold to mine.] Ooh. And you had to blow that horn. I wasn't very good. I bet you are now, huh? I guess I've improved. [Did I just get harassed?] Crazy. And you played the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz? How are you finding out all this information? Dude, it was on the TV show. There were like snapshots of you. Oh yeah. Okay. I was like, "God! What are these people writing about?" Yeah, I did play the Cowardly Lion in the high school play. Okay, let's talk about the runway shows. Yum. So, when you were in the runway shows, did you have to wait for the judges -- [loud talking from Jay's side of the phone connection] Why I decided to walk through Times Square during an interview is beyond me. Yeah. Were you just walking through Times Square? Yeah, I'm here now and now I can't hear anything. Uh-oh. Okay, so you were saying with the runway judging or something? Did the judges think of the stuff they said to you off-the-cuff? Or did they -- Oh no, totally off-the-cuff. Really? Yeah. Is Anne Slowey normally that bitchy? I like her. She's totally snarky but super-down-to-earth. And Nina Garcia too. Same thing. Really down-to-earth -- oh, boys! Um, really down-to-earth and... I'm sorry. I wish we had talked at like two o'clock because then you would get a much better interview. Now it's late and I can't think of answers. I'm in the middle of Times Square. Well, we'll make it quick. So, about your line. I read somewhere that it's going to be available in 2007. Is that right? Yeah. I have a show this September, this Fashion Week. And it'll be in stores Spring 2007. Do you know which stores? Oh, I have no idea. Hopefully, someone will pick it up and all that good stuff. Um, I'd like to go mass market. [to a fan who recognizes him] Hey! Okay, sorry. Are you having some fan action? Yeah. Kind of. I don't like to walk through -- every time you go to Times Square, shit like that happens. Well, yeah, 'cause it's the armpit of the planet. It is the armpit of the planet. Yes. Is that what you said? Yeah. Now, you turned down the Banana Republic mentorship. Yep. Exactly what is a Banana Republic mentorship? Um, it's not an internship. You're not working for them. And, um, you're just kind of maybe getting guidance. They like had connections to production or, like, um, just any of the resources they have or use, they'd be willing to give the numbers away and share those resources. Which is kind of weird. But, at the time I was meeting with them -- it was March. And I had no idea what the fuck my life was about in March. So, I didn't take advantage of it. It was nothing personal. Like, I met with them and they seemed like perfectly nice people and... they were fine. It was just bad timing. Now, I heard something about a Jay imposter. Yeah. Oh my God, there's horses in here! Sometimes the cops are on horses. That's so crazy! I was just walking! You don't ever just see a horse in the middle of fucking New York. Um, what was I going to say? What was the question? Hello? You had an imposter. Oh, the imposter. Yeah. That was actually happening during the filming of the show last season. And, I just saw him again at Heatherette and he has no qualms about it. Like, he comes right up to me and is like, "Hey, Jay! It's you! It's Jake!" Jake, his actual birth name is "Jake," gets into parties as me. And he tries to be me. But, he wears -- he's like the worst imposter of me. Because he wears like colored glasses and he's huge. He's like probably 6' 5" and, I don't know, three bucks? I don't know. But it's not me. I have this guy that's representing me and he's much more of a queen than I am too. So, it's like, kind of scary. What did you say when you met him? Well, I'd heard about him. And his friend was -- ooh, sorry. I just bumped into some hot guy. Oh, I'm so excited. Um, his friend was like, "You know my friend Jake? He pretends to be you?" And I was like, "What?" He's so fucking weird. And then, I like cornered him kind of and I'm like, "Yo, if you're getting into parties as me, just try to be the nicest me you can." So, I don't know. Well, I want to wish you the best of luck. Oh, is that it? Yeah, that's it. I'm gonna see you tomorrow night as well, at the premiere. Unless you're not going to be there. Oh, I'm totally going to be there. If you can think of any more questions, ask me tomorrow night and I'll give you some good drunk answers. Sounds good. I give you permission.