AE: Just what are your fashion credentials?
WS: I love to help women. That's my passion, dressing a woman. There's just something about it that's so powerful. They can have so much fun with clothes and accessories, and you can do so much more. You can really make a woman look beautiful.
AE: You recently told a reporter that a 4 1/2 minute YouTube clip took you four hours to edit and shoot. How do you find the time?
WS: I don't sleep at all. I never sleep. I can't even begin to tell you the last time I slept eight hours [at once].
Would you like to eventually move into directing?
WS: No, not at all. It's just something that I have to do.
AE: Your first video for Bravo was about making a wedding cake — loved the pink-on-pink-on-pink motif. Does that mean you're branching out or will your primary focus still be fashion?
WS: No, it's primarily fashion. I still like to have fun and be funny. I did the cupcakes and it got such a good response that I felt there should be a second edition of the baking. The wedding cake seemed like the best thing to make. It was a lot of fun.
AE: I watched your “Closet Edition” of Ask A Gay Man. I loved how everything was arranged by color, style, and sleeve length. OCD much?
WS: Yeah, extremely. I'm an OCD perfectionist. That's why it takes four hours to edit a video! [laughs]
AE: What current trend do you love and which one can't you wait to see die a quick death?
WS: In women, I'm ready for leggings to be done. I can't stand it. I'm ready for it to die. On the other hand, I'm absolutely loving the head scarf right now. It's like my favorite thing. There are so many designers who are exploring great artists. I don't know if you're familiar with Little Edie [from Grey Gardens], but she had no hair and she wore a scarf on her head the entire time. So many designers are actually using her as a fashion icon. It's absolutely amazing. For men, I'm pro man bag all the time. Men don't have trends like women do, but I'm always pro man bag.
AE: Who's the best dressed celebrity?
WS: Stacy London [from What Not To Wear]. Absolutely hands down. She always looks amazing. And Sarah Jessica Parker.
AE: Which celebrity would you most like to make over?
WS: Rosie O'Donnell.
AE: Which celebrity would you most like to make out with?
WS: Jake Gyllenhaal for sure. [laughs] That's an easy one.
AE: We're currently doing our first ever Hot 100 List which is chosen just by gay men. Who makes your list?
WS: I'll give you five. Jake Gyllenhaal, Josh Duhamel, Bob Barker, absolutely. I'd make out with Bob Barker just to say I made out with Bob Barker. Um, I can come up with two more. Just give me a second. See, I can't think of anyone. Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, but I'm just done with them.
AE: Are you single or taken? Has becoming a YouTube star improved your dating life?
WS: Actually, I'm taken, but [fame] has definitely hurt my relationship. I've been in a relationship for a very long time, but I don't know how much longer it's going to last.
AE: I'm sorry to hear that.
WS: Yeah, but it's for the best.
AE: So what's next for you career wise? Do you have any specific goals?
WS: I take everything one day at a time. Honestly, I do. I try not to think too much into the future because you never know what's going to happen. I just try to take one day at a time and ride things out. I don't really have any goals set or anything. I just let it happen.
AE: Thanks so much for talking to us, William.
William fits into straight America's comfort zone with gays
William, Ant, The intern dude - This is the type of gay that straight, Red state America is comfortable with. God forbid tv networks actually present the viewing audience with a gay man that doesn't screech or hurl insults in a non-drama make believe character.
When will they let that tired Queer Eye for the Straight Guy formula go?
Plus, is anybody, straight or gay, really gonna take fashion tips from this guy?
I think this Nick sums it up nicely for the most part
Can't We All Just.....
OK. Rodney King's cliché is waaaay overused but there's a point to it. If there's anything I've learned at my advanced age, it's that the whacked out world would be a helluva lot better off if people with blue eyes would just learn to live with the fact that there's nothing wrong with having brown eyes, and they sure as hell have no business insisting that everybody with brown eyes should buy blue-colored contacts.
The only time it's acceptable to pass judgment on other people, especially in your own tribe, is when their behavior is causing danger or pain to you or somebody else. It's the old "your right to swing your fist ends a foot from my nose" expanded to include self-righteous pronouncements from people who might someday need some tolerance themselves.
Finally, Congrats. It's a fun interview with a young man who seems determined to make Mimosas when life gives him orange juice and sparkling wine. Bravo... as it were.
Sledd of Fame
There are many angles to what GayTVluver and Mad Mick are saying and I've commented on them previously. Americans are comfortable with gay men like Ross the Intern among others because they are weak or considered weak. They are harmless. And with that you can make fun of them without any retaliation because they will go with the flow. Weak man = Joke. Flamboyant weak gay man = Hysterical Joke. Unfortunately that is reality.
I agree with Mad Mick that there is nothing wrong with effeminate men. However Mad Mick is not attracted to effeminate men. Neither is William Sledd. When Josh asked Will who he finds attractive he said all straight men (as far as we know). That is NOT a coincidence. Gay men are not attracted to effeminate men. Gay men are perceived to be effeminate. So gay men are not attracted to gay men. Look at AfterElton’s Hot 100 list, virtually the whole list is of straight men. Many of the people are obscure celebrities so the notion that there are no hot gay celebrities is absurd. Gay men are ignoring gay celebrities in favor of straight celebrities because straight men are perceived as being masculine. Why are some gay men enforcing effeminate behavior within the gay community when they don’t find it attractive? You have gay men deride another gay man for “acting straight” but then when you ask those same men who they are attracted to they will say straight men. You have effeminate behavior enforced among gay men by society that sees the comic value in it and by gay men who see it as gay identity.
hot 100...........
....he just had to say tom cruise. *shakes head*
No, this is not a fem v masculine thing, it's about our portrayl
This is not a fem v masculine issue. The issue is that ALL that we are portrayed as. Quer Eye for the Straight guy was nothing but stereotypes. On reality shows 9 times out of 10 we are selected for being "typical". Lifetime even has a show about picking us out of a group of straight guys based on stereotypes (Gay, Straight or Taken), like some Nazi witchhunt.
The issue is that this is how we are always presented unless it's some fake drama character, like we don't exist in the real world unless we are some bitch, sharp tongued queen with a sense of fashion.
But to William in particular, I can't stand him. Power in dressing up women? I'm sure women are thrilled to think it's their clothes and not their minds that make them powerful.
Fame has hurt my relationship? No...it's not fame. It's that it's not a good relationship you're not willing to work at. He's not a good role model for the gay community, or a good spokesperson.
Ummm, not so much
Evan, don't assume that all gay people are just like you. OK, so you don't like effeminate men? Fine. But don't say all gay men don't like effeminate men. Personally, I'm attracted to guys that are, well, a bit non-masculine.
And GayTVlover, I agree with you that too often we are portrayed as stereotypes because red-state red-neck Americans like their gays to shreik a little. But bad example... have you actually ever seen Gay, Straight or Taken? The premise of the show is that you CAN'T pick out the gay man by stereotypes. Picking between two football players and a dog groomer isn't good television unless the gay guy is one of the football players.
Attraction
Yes, you are right not all gay men are attracted to masculine men. It depends on what you define as masculine. The guys you list as your ten hottest I would say are average as far as masculinity goes. You describe them as a bit non-masculine. So your threshold for what is masculine is higher than mine. The reason why I state that gay men are attracted to masculine men is from data and personal experience. In a survey several years ago gay men were asked if they perferred masculine or effeminate boyfriends. 98% said they perferred masculine boyfriends. Only 2% said they perferred effeminate boyfriends. Looking at everything I experienced with gay men shows me that my views on gay men (in general) are held by the overwhelming majority of gay men. They might not put it as bluntly as I do but they agree.
Gay, Straight or Taken does nothing to improve our...
...image amongst straight. Actually, the show is offensive to men in general. It's men "tricking" a girl into thinking they are something to win money. But asfar as the gay issue goes it's just a tool for them to get ratings. I've seen every episode. Seen a gay couple kiss at the ned yet like the straight couples did? NOPE! Seen any decision so far based on anything other than stereotypes? Nope. The fact that she applies the stereotypes to a straight person doesn't mean a thing. All she's done is just called the straight guy a pussy based on her thinking. And when I say "her" I mean any woman that has ever been on that show.
Missed the show guys? Let me break it down for you like I did on another forum:
"Nice hair? Hmmm."
"Moisturizer? Hmmm."
"He wasn't afraid to touch me. Hmmm."
"He was trying too hard. Hmmm."
"He didn't seem to mind touching (insert name of male instructor here) while we did that task. Hmmm."
"One of these guys is my boyfriend and if you pick him then we will go on your trip."
"What she said."
"OMG! The pressure."
"OMG! I'm so sorry for thinking you were gay!"
Straight couple kisses, gays hug and don't kiss.
Roll credits.
Join us next week for spot the Jew!
Sick and Tired