AE: Did you find any irony in the fact that such a big deal was being made about the "gay" swimsuit being so shocking and revealing while the other team was off at the Playboy Mansion surrounded by women in skimpy suits, including Hefner's three girlfriends? Is there a double-standard there?
CS: [laughs] Right. It's a complete double standard. Is a reward at the Playboy Mansion fitting for the show? Probably not. I wouldn't go to the Playboy Mansion. I wouldn't take clients to the Playboy Mansion. I think there are cooler things you could do to engage the viewers of the show without going to Hugh's Grotto.
AE: What sort of reaction, if any, did you get from the other candidates about being gay? Was it ever an issue at all?
CS: No, I don't think it was. In fact, there were a lot of them who were very inquisitive, who wanted to know more about my life, my relationships, what my parents thought, how things were. There was nobody on the show who was like, "Oh, I have to stay away from that guy." They were very supportive, to be completely honest with you.
AE: Do you feel being African-American affected how you were treated at all?
CS: Um... [laughs] That's a good question. Somebody said to me yesterday, you had two strikes against you already, and I said what are the strikes? You're gay and you're black. Oh, yeah! [laughs] You know, I think we all hope that the answer is no. We pray that the answer is no. Do we know that for sure? No. I can't tell you that I thought that for sure. I've gotten a lot of questions about “do you think it's good for the show that two black people got fired back to back?” Does that make Trump Co. racist or this or that? Personally, I think it's just business, but in the public's eye, it doesn't look good for the show.
AE: What made you decide to go on The Apprentice? You have a successful marketing and promotions business that you started from scratch. What were you hoping to get from the experience?
CS: Actually, [laughs] my partner Kenny made me to do the show. I've said I did it at gun point. He said, "I think you'll do good. You're smart, you're brilliant, you can think of things no one else can think of." I said, "Kenny, no, I've got clients. I've got a company. I don't want to lose any business that I've already developed."
What did I think I would gain from the show? I really thought I'd get the opportunity to go and showcase my skills, but that wasn't the case. I never got to show the fact that I really enjoy marketing. I enjoy what I do and I get it, but I never got to tell America that.
AE: Which big twist this season was the biggest shock: the project manager staying on until the team lost, the winning project manager sitting in on the boardroom, or the losing team living in tents?
CS: For me, the big shock was sleeping in tents. I've never camped a day in my life. My idea of camping is a nice cabin in the mountains with cable TV, jacuzzi, AC, the whole works. A tent every day? On a cot? Port-a-potty? Showering outside? That's not a deal at all.
AE: Would you do anything differently if you had it to do again?
CS: I think the answer is no. At Onyx [Carey's company], we don't overlook people. To overlook the gay consumers that Trina Turk had, I think, is wrong. So no, I wouldn't do it differently. If anything, I'd stand up and speak louder about it. I think maybe I failed to do that. Maybe I failed to say, "Trump, you're wrong in the sense that there is a market and you need to think more highly of the buying power of our community." That part I'd probably do differently. But I think the shorts would be the same, the outcome would be the same.
AE: What's your opinion of Trump's feud with Rosie O'Donnell?
CS: The Trump and Rosie Feud: A Nation Divided. That's what I call it. I think there were some very harsh things said on both parts. I think it's unfair to poke fun of somebody because of their waist size or what they look like or who they are. If you're going to get into a feud with somebody, make sure it's all factual information, it's not personal. Trump is such a class act that it only hinders him. People may think he's hateful and homophobic at that point when he stoops to that level.
Whose side am I on? I'm neutral, in the middle, but leaning towards Rosie. I think she started it. I wouldn't do that. As the executive producer of his show, if he chooses to make a decision about letting somebody have a second chance, my God, that's his choice. At the same time, I think it's unfair and probably not right to call people fat and that you'll have your girlfriend take somebody else's girlfriend. It's kind of low.
AE: On your MySpace page, I see your number two friend is Omarosa. Are you guys tight?
CS: [laugh} Me and Lady O, we are down like four flat tires. Love her. To death. I mean to pieces. She is great. Yeah, we're good friends. We talk often. She's has, and I hate to use this term, but she's got a gay mafia that she's allied herself with. We all run in the same circles. She's definitely very supportive of our community. I appreciate her as a friend. Lady O. She's not as mean as people think she is. There are people I know who are bigger bitches than her. [laughs]
