AE: What are your favorite characters on the show to play?
JM: One character is Chocolate Pudding in the sketch "Tranny 911." I got to work with Michael Serrato, who played one of his old characters called Heaven. We're great friends, so doing that together was fun. I also did a series as Gay Werewolf, which haven't been on the show yet. I'm a straight guy who once a month, by the light of the moon, turns into a gay werewolf, which is just as retarded as it sounds.
AE: Do you feel that the label of "gay musician" or "gay comedian" has helped or limited your success?
JM: I'm not interested in being anything except a gay comedian or gay musician. That's what I am. I've devoted my life to doing gay stuff. The only way I'm interested in crossing over is if people come to me. And with "Soccer Practice" and the podcast, a lot of people have. But I'm not about changing myself to please a straight audience. I'm about being as gay as possible.
And that means also being as real and as funny as possible, and letting people come to me and discover that. When you're funny, that can happen. My new album, Gays Gone Wild, which comes out at the end of the month, I've declared is the gayest album ever. I was listening to it with my producers who were like, "This is so gay. Oh my God damn!" The titles of the songs include "Girl I F----- Your Boyfriend" and "Bossy Bottom." I even have a song for the ladies called "Don't Fall in Love With a Homo."
AE: What are your thoughts on other musicians, like Mika, who court a gay audience but won't speak about their sexuality?
JM: There's no reason to out everyone in the world. I think seeing Mika onstage or in a video or listening to any of his songs, you're pretty sure that's a gay man. I don't think anyone is doubting it — maybe some 13-year-old who is a big fan. But that's no big deal; she'll find out soon enough.
AE: Now, are you still with Kevin?
JM: I sure am. I'm marrying that boy.
AE: How did you meet and what do you guys love to do together?
JM: I met his roommate a few years ago who said, "My roommate thinks you're really cute." He came to one of my parties in New York. It was magic from then on, really.
AE: It seems like the internet played a large part in your success, in terms of getting your videos and name out there. Do you find it hard as a gay artist to get exposure via the usual channels?
JM: It's always a challenge, especially since I push the envelope and don't want to step back. The internet is how I got started in being famous, and this was before YouTube or anything like that. My success always starts in a grass-roots way. I pushed into TV, and hopefully it will continue that way.
AE: Do you have to deal with censorship?
JM: There's always someone telling you it's too gay. On my podcast, I'm the boss. There are no rules on podcasting. On The Big Gay Sketch Show, they always say, "Be gayer."
AE: When did you come out?
JM: I came out in college. I went to high school in Egypt. It was not a homocentric environment. I knew I was gay. The only role model on TV I had then was Blanche's brother from The Golden Girls, and he was not someone to look up to. I wasn't like, "I want to be like Blanche's brother on The Golden Girls, ashamed of [my] gayness."
When I went to Boston University I was in the acting program, which was like Fagapalooza. I was able to see other gay guys who were well-adjusted — cool, interesting people. And I was like, "That's me." And when I finally had sex with a guy, it all fell into place. It wasn't scary or weird. It was exactly who I am. Coming out made me more myself then ever.
AE: In "Soccer Practice," you lampoon the latent homosexuality in sports. Does that come from your high school days?
JM: Definitely. That is the stuff I find erotic and sexy. "Soccer Practice" was a send up and a celebration of that kind of thing at the same time. I came up with that song when I was visiting my high school, walking on the soccer field.
AE: What other topics are you looking to tackle?
JM: A lot more songs celebrating different types of boys. I have a send up of that asymmetrical boy called "Electroboy Plug It In." And then there's "Don't Fall in Love With a Homo." It goes, "I know he does your hair, takes you shopping everywhere, but he ain't going to touch you down there."
AE: Who are your influences or idols, musically or in comedy?
JM: The people that taught me comedy were a couple of lovely ladies who lived in Miami called The Golden Girls. Watching The Golden Girls really is a lesson in timing and delivery which you can't beat at all. That's my old-school favorites.
I also spent all of high school listening to black ladies screaming in my radio, like Aretha Franklin. My music doesn't sound like them, but it's influenced [by] it. These days the person I like the most is Missy Elliott. I like her style and her creativity and the artists that she works with. I love the Neptunes.
AE: Lastly, what can we expect from you in the future?
JM: We'll be doing a new season of my podcast this summer. I'm also doing the East Village mix tape: the Legend Series. I'm going back to all the New York City night life legends that need to be remembered, like door lady Connie Girl. Princess Extravaganza from the House of Extravaganza and I are doing a track together called "The Pier 1977." She told me all the history of being on the Pier and battling with Willie Ninja. It's a way to bring our culture and history out in a fun, shiny, pop way. And we're crossing our fingers that Logo will greenlight the second season of The Gay Big Sketch Show.
