Whether he’s Obama’s linguistic interpreter Luther, a black bar mitzvah performer, a dragalicious babe or a bro at the bar Key, along with partner Peele, are ready to bring the gut-busting hilarity.

The Ride caught up with Keegan Michael Key between tapings for the show and he talked about, among other things, Key & Peele, coping with “crainial flatulence” and if he got crunk upon hearing the news about his Comedy Central show.

The Ride: Hey Keegan-Michael! Thanks for the taking the time to chat. Congratulations on the new show! What was the first thing you did when you heard you got a show on Comedy Central and did it involve any nudity?

Keegan-Michael: Check this out! I had been on time for every moment of the preliminary process, every moment! Then the day we got the call I was on a lengthy hike with my stepson and completely missed the call! We came home, did some abs and then when I was making a protein shake.

Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key of Comedy Central's 'Key & Peele' (photo: Comedy Central)

I finally checked my answering machine and saw there was a message from one of my follow producers. So I ran upstairs in a single bound, mind you, and checked my phone. There was a text from my manager and all it said was, “DUDE!!!!!!!!!!!” I couple of screaming jags later and some riotous jumping up and down with my stepson, and the rest was history. There was some nudity later, the celebratory variety, you know, that happens in the boudoir when you tell your wife you got a job.

The Ride: What should we expect to see on Key & Peele or should we be prepared for anything and everything?

Keegan-Michael: You should be prepared for anything. There is a healthy dose of racial humor, but also some bizarre stuff and some super silly stuff. We go all over the place!

The Ride: You are working with you partner in comedy, Jordan Peele, a fellow Madtv alum. But even the best of buddies can get on each others nerves. What are three things that are not so great about Jordan? You know, like ‘He chews with his mouth open’. Well, does he?

Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele of Comedy Central's 'Key & Peele' (photo: Comedy Central)

Keegan-Michael: Jordan is so completely chill, that I am hard pressed to find one thing. But when we were writing the pilot, his glasses were jacked up. I mean he really needed a new pair and it made me crazy, how many times a day he would have to put the lenses back into the frames. I just wanted to scream, dude we got a job, get some SPECS!

The Ride: I know you do improv with my friend actor Jordan Black in a show he created called The Black Version (Yes, I’m name dropping…because I can). Have you ever experienced a brain fart when you’re doing something like that? How do you combat cranial flatulence?

Keegan-Micheal: The only time I seem to experience cranial flatulence (that is awesome, by the way) is when I get hung up on how funny everyone else is being tonight, or is the audience going to like me tonight? I should be thinking about what is happening in the story right at this moment and nothing else. The best way to “get rid of the gas” as it were is to really focus on the last thing that was just said, or concentrate on how to enhance the story that we are telling. It’s never completely terrifying, because we always have each others’ back.

The Ride: Back to the Past: Loved MADtv. How fun was it to work on MADtv? Or maybe it wasn’t fun, you tell me.

Keegan-Michael: Hmmm. For me it was 98 percent fun. Honestly. As an actor, I was fulfilled, because I consider it my job to interpret comedically what the writer create. As a writer, sometimes it could be frustrating because you don’t always get your scenes on the show no matter how funny you think they are. With Key & Peele, we get to do virtually anything we want.

Keegan-Michael Key (photo: courtesy of Keegan-Michael Key

The Ride: Everyone remembers their first…I think…Do you remember the first time you got a laugh? What did you do to get it?

Keegan-Michael: I could not tell you the exact moment, but it would have been in middle school. The first moment I can remember distinctly, would be in my college improv troupe. Having that sense of fun and control and having the audience in the palm of your hand. That will never leave me. Oh yeah, in middle school I was at the babysitter’s, you know those after school programs, and we did a production of Wizard of Oz in the basement. I played the Scarecrow and every time I fell down the other kids laughed. But, the crucial moment is always the second time you fall down. If they laugh that second time, you’re on to something.

Now for a Bit of Randomness

Shaken or stirred?

Every day I am stirred, by my Boxer. But I like it rough, so let’s go with shaken.

Butts or Boobs?

Hands down, butts. Or should I say, face down.

Weave or Wig?

I like the classics, I’m gonna say wig.

Lil Wayne or Lil Kim?

Lil Wayne and if you watch the show you will see why.

My favorite Atlanta Housewife is_____________

There’s got to be someone named Lakeisha, right? I’ll just go with Lakeisha.

The Ride: Finally…Fill in the blank, “All I ever wanted________________”

Santa may have left you the present you never asked for. The Tooth Fairy put pocket change under your pillow.  But the glitziest of them all, The Glam Fairy, promises to leave you both looking good and feeling great.

The Glam Fairy , a.k.a. Alexa Prisco, after spending some time working her smokey eye magic at the Gatsby Salon on Style Network’s Jerseylicious got a chance to spread her wings on the spin-off series Glam Fairy whose season one finale airs this Sunday, January 15 (8 p.m. Eastern).

Glamming it up with Alexa at the Glam Factory, Glam Fairy central, are salty wardrobe stylist Glamo, hair stylists Sharie Manon and Briella Calafiore, makeup artist Jessica Romano, assistant Alexa ‘A2′ Hand and Alexa’s gay bestie and her everything, Jon Kutlu.

The Ride made a stop to chat with Jon about the show, GBFFs, why he goes at it with Glamo and how he met The Glam Fairy.

The Ride: Hey Jon! Thanks for taking the time to chat with me. What’s it like to be on a hit show?

Jon: It’s very surreal! Most of the time, it completely slips my mind that I’m on TV. I only remember when it’s time for a new episode or when someone comes up to me for a picture. It’s a feeling I can’t describe. But I love it.

The Ride: What’s it like being on reality TV? The question always is, “Is it really ‘real’ or is it really ‘scripted’”?

Jon: Being on reality TV is a huge risk for anyone to take; we’re basically putting our lives out there for the public to appreciate, ridicule, judge, etc. However, if I can make at least one or two people laugh, then it’s all worth it. It’s totally real, and sometimes that can be scary…because some things are just so unbelievable, but they do happen.

Jon Kutlu of Style Network's 'Glam Fairy' at the Glam Factory (photo: courtesy of Style Network)

The Ride: And speaking of really ‘real’ as in ‘really contentious’, what do you think is behind the beef between you and your arch nemesis Glamo?

Jon: I don’t really sit and think too much of the beef between us two. Glamo is Glamo, and I am me. Are we ever going to get along? Probably not. You know those people who just meet other people and the second they meet them, they know they’ll never be friends? It’s like that…but maybe a little worse.

The Ride: By the way, did you know Glamo before the show?  If so, what was your first encounter like? Did your sharp tongues do any damage?

Jon: Glamo and I used to bump into each other at gay clubs in NYC and on almost every occasion there was always some sort of issue…It’s at that point where I’m just like, “Leave me alone.”

The Ride: You’ve been BFF’s with Alexa for a while. How long have you known each other? Tell me about the first time you met Alexa and all of her over-the-top fabulousness.

Jon: I met Alexa 8 years or so ago in college. I walked into class and she was the only girl in the room with blond hair and a designer handbag. I knew she was the person I wanted to sit next to. I know it sounds superficial, but I was 18 you’re allowed to be superficial between the ages of 18 and 23. I sat next to her and she took a liking to my pants and asked, “Are those linen-blend?” And the rest is history.

Alexa Prisco and Jon Kutlu of Style Network's 'Glam Fairy' (photo: courtesy of Style Network)

The Ride: What’s one thing we would be surprised to learn about Alexa?

Jon: She is an AMAZING cook.

The Ride: What’s one thing we would be surprised to learn about you?

Jon: I’m psychic with strong intuition and I interpret dreams and read tarot cards.

The Ride: I need a gay BFF because I need help in so many ways I can’t even count. What are three things I should be looking for in a GBFF?

Jon: Honesty, bravery, and shopping skills.

Okay, now for A Bit of Randomness…

(Fill in the blank) is a girl’s best friend.

I’m a girl’s best friend — diamonds are just the accessories that come along.

Less or More?

More fun, less work.

Me or You?

Together  *smiles*

Barbie or Ken?

Neither — RoboCop!

I can’t get enough of (fill in the blank)

MADONNA.

Jon Kutlu of Style Network's 'Glam Fairy' (photo: courtesy of Style Network)

The Ride: I know you are pretty busy with being Alexa’s GBFF and working at the Glam Factory, but is there anything else you’re up to?

Jon: I’m deep into spirituality and running at the moment. I’m trying to get myself better on both a spiritual and physical level. I’m also doing photo shoots and trying to get into more modeling.

The Ride: Back to the show: I love folks who interact with their fans and you do a wonderful job of that. If you could hold a fan appreciation event, what would it be?

Jon: I get to be a fan’s best friend for a day.

The Ride: What is one thing or one moment that you’ll remember about this season of Glam Fairy?

Jon: In a fun sense, it would be when I asked Glamo how much he paid for his face during our footballers episode. In a real, deep sense, it would be the moment when we were transforming the drag queens and they helped to transform me as well and becoming more open with my mom.

Thanks Jon!

To hang out with Jon on Twitter, click here or on Facebook.  To learn more about Style Network’s Glam Fairy, click here.

Wicked Fit is about former pageant participant and current fitness club owner Boston’s Katie Boyd, HCIC (Head Chick in Charge) of Katie Boyd’s Miss Fit Club, who when it comes to her tart and salty tongue, doesn’t always exercise much restraint — but that’s what makes her all the more fun to watch.

Katie gets her sauciness directly from the source, her Portuguese mom, Terry, who along with other members of the KB (Katie Boyd) crew — three sassy girls (Two and a half really. Not a half a girl, but just half as sassy) and one buff boy — work with Katie to help her grow her business.

The uber-busy Katie took time out of her schedule to chat with The Ride about the show, being dragtastic, and why size doesn’t always matter.

The Ride: Hey Katie! Thanks for taking the time to chat with me. I adore you and the KB (Katie Boyd) Miss Fit crew. I hope you had as much fun doing the show as I’ve had watching it. Has being on reality TV been a barrel of laughs or one big pain in the butt?

Katie: It’s defiantly been extremely fun! If we could sell the bloopers reel for this show, we would make millions because the cast is so funny! It has its trying moments trying to run my business while trying to be on point for filming. But, at the end of the day, I wouldn’t change it for the world!

The Ride: You’re living a diva’s dream. How did you come to have a show centered around you and all of your fabulousness?

Katie: I think the reason why people were attracted to me and making a show centered around me is because I’m real and I stand for what I believe in. I’m very outspoken and I will never change for anyone.

Cast of 'Wicked Fit' (L to R) Markus Ricci, Monique Jones, Katie Boyd, Terry Boyd, Monica Pietrzak (photo: wickedlocal.com)

I also think because the concept of my gym is so different, not just because the pink equipment and lady eccentric, [but also] because I just don’t fit the norm of a trainer. I’ve had my struggles with my body image and people can relate to that. People want to watch shows about people with attainable lives and my life is defiantly attainable. I’ve worked very hard to get where I am. The generation of people who are watching the show at the end of day appreciate me and what I stand for.

The Ride: File this under ‘People Say the Darndest Things’. Let’s talk about Omid (Maxey), that darling *cough cough* queen of a man who helped you with some of your promotions like your pop up pageant (Brilliant idea!) and your fitness video, who said you looked like a drag queen.

The amount of control you exercised was admirable. I would have given him my best verbal pimp slap (verbal because I’m not trying to break a nail or catch a charge). Your response was that you considered it a compliment of sorts. What is it that you love about drag queens?

Katie: I’m obsessed with drag queens because they are proud of who they are and not afraid to show it. Life is too short to be living it by how other people think or expect you to live. So if everyone explored their inner drag queens, the world would be a more harmonious place.

Katie Boyd of Style Network's 'Wicked Fit' (photo: E! Online)

The Ride: If you were a drag queen, what would be your drag name?

Katie: Downtown Brown!

The Ride: Omid also brought up the subject of your weight saying that you don’t exactly look like someone in the fitness business, which is populated with itty bitty babes and buff boys. Once again, you exercised a great deal of control in your response. Should size matter when it comes to being a fitness instructor?

Katie: I don’t think it should because I would probably kick half of the trainers asses that are a size 0. A trainer doesn’t have to be ripped to be in shape. A lot of men and women all over the country wake up miserable everyday because they will never look like models in magazines. I lived like that for almost my entire life — trying to be perfect. [When] I was thin, people would say I was anorexic or too skinny and now I’m a normal size, people call me fat…So you have to just be happy the way you are meant to be.

Katie Boyd of Style Network's 'Wicked Fit' (photo: NBCUMV.com)

The Ride: You have a budding love interest on the show, Matt, who’s everything you never wanted in a man but yet you find him attractive nonetheless. You are known to say some pretty wild things but what’s the craziest thing a guy who’s trying to get your attention (a.k.a. holla at you) ever said to you?

Katie: “Is that Windex in your pants? Because I see myself in them!” Let me tell you he got a margarita corneal burn that night at the bar!

The Ride: You’re also known for prepping pageant hopefuls. What are some major misconceptions about pageants and the girls who participate in them?

Katie: People think it’s more like a hobby and that the girls are dumb. To be honest, these girls are some of the smartest women on the earth! They aren’t just beautiful, most of them have graduated from the most prestigious schools! They train for these pageants like an athlete.  They eat, breath and sleep pageantry from training, to eating every 2-3 hours, to perfecting their walk, to their styling, interview preparation, talent, hair and makeup. A lot of work goes into it; it’s not just about looking beautiful. [And they do it] while holding down a full time job and going to school. How many people can honestly say they do those things?

The Ride: I read that you are starting an anti-bullying campaign. Very cool! How are you going to stop haters from having their way?

Katie: One of the best things that could’ve happened to me was to be bullied after the show came out. I actually was never bullied in my life until now — for my deep voice, my weight or whatever else it may be — and now I can relate to people who have been bullied on a daily basis. I want to travel and go into schools and talk about my experience and also would like to gear kids’ stories in school towards this in hopes that they can stand up and defend themselves.

The Ride: I’m not into beefs. I’m a vegetarian. When should you hold your peace and when should you give someone a piece of your mind?

Katie: I’m more of a cut somebody out of my life kind of girl. I used to be very confrontational especially when someone would talk about my family or my friends. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned that the only people that matter to me the most in my life are my family and close friends. Sometimes silence is the best medicine.

The Ride: Since it’s all about me all the time, I’m a skinny broad with back fat. How the hell did that happen? Seriously, how did that happen and how can I make it go away?

Katie: Anytime you’re thin and you have excess skin, it’s because you need to weight train. Women do cardio until the cows come home thinking it will make them thin and yes, it will, but that’s not what will form muscle. You still need to weight train!

Katie Boyd of Style Network's 'Wicked Fit' (photo:ManyNews.info)

Some Randomness

Chicken or fish?

Fish

Candy canes or candy corn?

Candy corn!!

Miss Piggy or Elmo?

I’m the brunette non-puppet Miss Piggy, she’s hot!

How do you like your eggs?

Over easy!

Favorite fairytale?

Sleeping Beauty because sometimes I’m so tired I wish I could prick my finger on a spindle and fall asleep for a little bit.

The Ride: Back to the show: I think saw you and your mom, Terry (who is the awesomeness, by the way) say on Facebook/Twitter that you have Wicked Fit fans in Australia. What is it like to have fans in foreign countries? Oh hell, what is it like to have fans, period?

Katie: I think it’s so cool that our show is international. Australian people and people overseas have more of my type of sense of humor. It feels so great for people to understand me and enjoy how my mind works.

The Ride: What’s your favorite quote?

Katie: Two of my favorite quotes are “Never eat more than you can lift” and “Let your haters be your motivators!”

The Ride: Finally… ‘All I want for Christmas (fill in the blank)’

Katie:  …is a Swarvorski Crystal-covered merkin [smiles]. No honestly…I just want my family and friends to be together and enjoy each other.

The Ride: Thanks Katie!

To connect with Katie on Twitter, click @KTBoydBoston. On Facebook, click here.

And for all the facts on Katie Boyd’s Miss Fit Club, click here.

Related Article

Wickedly Funny Monique Jones of Style Network’s ‘Wicked Fit’ (Update)

Wicked Fit (Update: New Time/Same Day: Sundays, 12 a.m. Eastern), which features Boston’s own Katie Boyd, owner of the Miss Fit Club gym, will exercise your funny bone without working your nerves.

Katie’s crew includes her beefcake personal assistant Markus Ricci, pageant hopeful Sola Okenla and beefing BKFs (Best Friends of Katie) PR gal/Miss Connecticut 2009 Monica Pietrzak and trainer-in-training Monique Jones who delivers delicious one-liners like Domino’s delivers pizza.

The Ride caught up with pageant veteran Monique who has just finished working with hopefuls vying for the Miss Massachusetts USA and Miss Massachusetts Teen USA crowns. She talked about the show, her own Todders and Tiaras-type experience and the craziest thing she ever witnessed backstage at a pageant.

The Ride: Hey Monique! Thanks for taking the time to chat with me. Love Wicked Fit and your wickedly funny one-liners.  How do you like being on reality TV?

Monique: Being on the show has definitely been a trip! It’s kind of like being in a never-ending pageant…A lot of makeup, cameras flashing and costume changes, and I wouldn’t change it for anything!!!

(l to r) Monica Pietrzak, Katie Boyd and Monique Jones of Style Network's 'Wicked Fit' (photo: Courtesy of Monique Jones)

The Ride: What are some of the unexpected pluses and minuses of it all?

Monique: The pluses are that it’s a great opportunity that not everyone has the chance to experience. I learned a lot about myself during this process and how far I could really push myself. I also learned what it’s like to function off of no sleep! The only minus would have to be the blogs. No one wants to read about the nasty things people say about you. I liked it better when people just talked trash behind your back!!!

The Ride: You and Katie go way back and seem to go together like red beans and rice or a glass of wine and good TV (I lead a boring life.). When did you first meet and what’s the secret to your lasting friendship?

Monique: Katie and I met waaaaaaay back in the day while competing in beauty pageants together. I think the best thing about our friendship is that we’ve never been jealous of one another and we’ve always been so supportive of each other. Katie and I are very honest people and if you don’t have anything nice to say, come sit by us! [laughs]. Our honesty and loyalty to each other is very important to us and I’m very lucky to have a best friend like her.

The Ride: Aren’t you guys in business together — like a tanning business?

Monique: Katie and I co-own MoKa Tanning together, which is a spray tan business we started together when Katie opened the gym.

The Ride: How’s business?

Monique: Business is great! This is our busy time of the year; pageant season keeps us pretty busy.

The Ride:  Tanning Question: Is there a fine line between being tannerific tan and OMG Oompa Lumpa?

Monique: It’s not a fine line darling, it’s a neon sign that says, “Don’t go there girlfriend.” When you start to look like a new Crayola crayon, it’s time to seek help…

Monique Jones of Style Network's 'Wicked Fit' (photo: Tess & Houser Photography)

The Ride: You’ve been in pageants. Were you and your mom all toddlers and tiaras or did your start out much older?

Monique: I started competing in pageants at 4 years old and my God was I a mess! For talent, I twirled around the stage to Lionel Richie’s Ballerina Girl. I had no idea what was going on. I was the only kid who didn’t receive an award…Not even best nose picker!!!!

The Ride: What’s the craziest thing that you have witnessed (or have been a part of) backstage at a pageant? I’m assuming it involves somebody’s wig getting snatched.

Monique: I once saw a girl use butt glue (body adhesive) on her lady bits to prevent a “camel toe” in swimsuit!!! I still can’t believe that seemed like a good idea to her…

A Bit of Randomness

SpongeBob or Elmo?

Neither, I’m grown…

Nicki Minaj or Lady Gaga?

I guess I’ll go with Lady Gaga, I love to dance and she has some hot beats.

Fake or Real?

Depends on the subject. Handbags? REAL!!! Tans? FAKE!!!

Favorite Candy?

Reese’s Pieces

Which Barbie are you?

Her brown friend, Teresa…And I would be Diva Teresa

If your life was a soap opera, what would you call it?

Crowns and Glory

The Ride: I love your tips on MyStyle.com.  What three things do you always carry in your purse?

Monique: Lots of Chanel lip gloss, Chanel No. 5 and extra earring backs.

Monique Jones of Style Network's 'Wicked Fit' (photo: Tess & Houser Photography)

The Ride: Back to the show:  Markus, Katie’s assistant, is some major eye candy and you two have some wonderful chemistry. Are you just going to just look or are you going get a piece of that?

Monique: [laughs] A lady never reveals her game plan!!!

The Ride: Not necessarily sweet is your relationship with Monica. Why do you think you two seem to butt heads?

Monique: I think we’re both very strong, intelligent women and we both enjoy being the alpha female. She may have won the crown, but I ALWAYS win the argument!

The Ride: It’s nice that Katie’s mom and your mom are on the show. They are so cool! How is your mom handling being on TV? Heard the other night on the AMAs (American Music Awards)  Nicki Minaj’s say that her mom has gotten herself a publicist and is looking to do a gospel album. Has your mom gone Hollywood yet?

Monique: My mother hates watching herself on television! I think she looks beautiful, and I think it’s awesome that she gets recognized. I’m pretty sure that my mother enjoys being in the background and helping me pick out my clothes.

The Ride: What’s the greatest advice your mom ever gave you?

Monique: My mom gives me advice ALL the time…Even if I didn’t ask for it!!! Her best advice throughout the filming process was to be true to myself.

The Ride:  I told you guys that I love that you’re repping B-town. Don’t shoot me, but I’ve never been to Boston. If I was to visit, what’s one place that I must see?

Monique: Katie Boyd’s Miss Fit Club, obviously!!!!

The Ride: I love how you show love to your fans. What do the Wicked Fit fans mean to you?

Monique: Fans of the show are a vital part of our popularity and the show in general. I really appreciate when people who watch the show have such positive feedback and genuinely enjoy us and the show. Love you guys!!!

The Ride: What should we expect to see in upcoming episodes?

Monique: In the upcoming episodes you can expect, more drama, Cupid shooting his arrow, sweat, tears and glitter…Lots of it!!!

The Ride: What’s your favorite quote?

Monique: “A lady will always get by.”

The Ride: Thanks Monique! You Rock!

If you want more of Monique, connect with her on Twitter (@MoKaTanning) or Facebook (click here).

And for my review of Wicked Fit, check out this excerpt from the Carla Ray’s Reality Check podcast.

Related Article

Work It! Q&A with Katie Boyd of Style Network’s ‘Wicked Fit’

As I have recently discovered, Zoila seems to have a side hustle as a member of an underground rap group, Mama Z and the Cleaners, who are currently on their Drop the Mop Tour (not coming to a city near you).

If Weezy (a.k.a. Lil Wayne) can drop a single wearing spotted jeggings and a face only his mother could love, then Mama Z can do it wearing her brand new face and wielding a mighty broom.

There’s room enough in the rap game for everyone.

Just kidding, Fab Ones.  But wouldn’t it be cool if Zoila did have her own rap group.  I imagined that her first song would be one in which she sets the record straight about Jeff discovering, what he believed, was at least a week’s worth of her dirty laundry on the floor of her closet.

Well, that’s my lyrical “homage” to Zoila. I’d love to hear yours, if you have one.  If you don’t, create one of your own. I’d love to hear that as well.

Hope you haven’t been fried, dyed and laid to the side by the crazy hot temps we’ve been having. While I’ve been inside basking under the coolness emanating from my air conditioner, I decided to let my voice be heard…like, for real. Hence, my decision to start a podcast. I may be a little late to the podcast party but we can still have fun anyway. Virtual drinks on me!

Called, Carla Ray’s Reality Check, it will feature news and my views on the goings on in the all too messy world of reality TV. (UPDATE: Reality Check is on Facebook. Feel free to “like” if you’d like.  Click here for the page.)

In the spirit of The Ride, this is just another stop along the journey.

Rest your weary eyes and take a listen to the Carla Ray’s Reality Check demo.  Who’s getting checked this week? Basketball Wives 3.

So what do you think? Inquiring minds — okay, this inquiring mind — wants to know. It’s all about me giving you my best and making that best better and better with each podcast.  To follow, Carla Ray’s Reality Check, click here.

Tami Roman, "Basketball Wives" (photo: Courtesy of RealityAired.com/VH1)

UPDATE

Reality Check just celebrated it 20th episode. *throws confetti and toots own horn*  Who got checked?  Krafty Kris Jenner is up to her no-goodness foisting upon us the newest season of Kim & Kourtney Take New York. Enjoy the messy madness!

Twenty fashion design hopefuls, the largest group in the reality TV show’s history, will be sewing, cutting and clawing their way to the grand prizes in season nine of the famed Lifetime series.  If you happen to tune into the premiere episode which airs on July 28 at 9 p.m. (Eastern/Pacific), don’t get too attached to any one designer; you just might get your feelings hurt. Four of them will be eliminated at the end of the episode.

*cue “It’s a Small World”*

On which I’m certain was a very cold day in March, I spoke with Project Runway season 9 contestant and Minneapolis native Danielle Everine for Examiner.com.

Here are excerpts from that interview, The Art of Fashion and Designer Danielle Everine:

Like a sculptor using fabrics as her media, Minneapolis-based fashion designer Danielle Everine creates art for the human form.

“I pursued a fashion degree while studying in London. I returned to Minneapolis to study the art of fashion at the University of Minnesota,” said Everine. “Focusing on sculptural clothing, I developed a place where I could exist in fashion and in the art world. Much of my work there concentrated on the subversion of oppressive beauty standards.”

Like many local designers, so it seems, Everine works full time squeezing in design and sewing time when she can.

Recently, Everine talked about beginning, the Danielle Everine woman and who the woman, Danielle Everine, is.

Danielle Everine (left) and model (Photo: Courtesy of Sarah White)

Who is Danielle Everine?

Danielle Everine is an artist and designer living in Minneapolis. Preferring to work from abstract concepts, themes of gender, conflict, strength and vulnerability often take form in her garments. She pairs fine materials, intricate construction and classic tailoring. The well-cut garments offer a dual utility suitable for formal commitments as well as a cycling lifestyle. Favoring natural fibers, the clothes have an ease that recalls a bygone era. Silk, linen, wool, cotton and leather dominate her fabric palate.

Who is the Danielle Everine woman?

A woman who appreciates feminine tailoring. She is as delicate as she is alley cat.

From Danielle Everine's "Pale Rider" collection (Photo: Courtesy of Danielle Everine)

What does she cook for brunch?

Eggs Florentine

How do you come up with the titles of your collections?

The Pale Rider collection (shown last year at a joint runway show with [local] designer Raul Osorio) embraced traditional Wild West styles while converging with biblical imagery of Revelations, the last book in the New Testament. The supernatural imagery and iconography described in this book relate to western films.

The horses, riders, clouds and sky are represented in the west. The fear of death and need for bravery was nigh, these people journeying west at times felt as though God was ending the world. Channeling the iconic heroine Annie Oakley, who could out shoot Jesse James, this collection is a celebration of feminine virtue far beyond domestic life.

From Danielle Everine's "Pale Rider" collection (Photo: Courtesy of Danielle Everine)

Inspired by the classic western starring Clint Eastwood, the title Pale Rider evokes vulnerability, fortitude, the Wild West and one of the horsemen of the apocalypse.

When you design, how do you begin?

I begin with an abstract concept I’m drawn to – heroines, Wild West, gender roles (and how they play out in clothing), delicacy and vulnerability. I combine it with a limited method of construction, fabric and materials and color palate

Where are you your most creative?

Inspiration is all around me. Anywhere I can be in my own mind for a while.

Continue reading on Examiner.com The art of fashion and designer Danielle Everine – Minneapolis Fashion | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/fashion-in-minneapolis/danielle-everine-article#ixzz1S5EyTe7L

For more about Danielle Everine on MyLifetime.com, click here.

Not the one that says you are the winner of a million dollars. Nor the one that says you should give up your worldly ways and follow capital H-I-M.

It was that other call, the one that says your services are no longer needed.

When the popular DJ was summarily dismissed from her job, it came as a shock to both her and her fans.

Jill Tracey may have left the building but she was far from gone.

Jill got a chance to broaden her fan base, this time not by playing songs or exchanging quips, but by revealing her vulnerabilities on the third and final season of the Emmy-winning daytime reality TV show, Starting Over. On the groundbreaking series, several women from different walks of life agree to live in a house together and with the assistance of life coaches, work to develop the tools to transform their lives.

Jill’s life coach was none other than the famed one-time Oprah protege, Iyanla Vanzant.

Today, Jill is on to the next one; this time with a new show on a new format, something of her own making —  The Jill Tracey Show. A  great time filled with cool tunes and easy like Sunday morning conversation, Jill, her crew, and special guests give you something to laugh about, think about and snap your fingers and bob your head to.

Jill also serves up the 411 on the 305 (a.k.a Miami) on Hot 105 FM.

With a penchant for cupcakes and straight talk, Jill is set to prove that success is sweeter the second time around.

The Ride caught up with the diva-in-waiting and she was gracious enough to “spill the tea” about Iyanla, reality TV shows, and her new love, The Jill Tracey Show.

The Ride: Hey Doll! (Channeling my inner Kardashian, which happens to be Khloe). Thanks for taking the time to chat with me.  Since I saw you on Starting Over years ago, you’ve been a friend in my head (channeling my inner Wendy Williams now). So nice that we’ve been able to meet via cyberspace primarily through Twitter and our mutual love of reality shows. More on that later. It’s awesome that we finally had a chance to connect!

Jill: It’s funny how God connects “like spirits, hearts and minds like that!”

The Ride: You’ve returned to radio after a long hiatus, this time in a bit of a different form, via podcasting. How has new media/social media changed radio?  And what is it like to be back?

Jill:  Wow.  It’s created a new lane really.  A new avenue for people with ideas to get creative and have their voices heard.  For the brave, it’s a place to sail your own ship.  You know that saying, “Bloom where you are planted”? That’s exactly what social media allows you to without waiting for a suit somewhere to validate your existence!  It’s heaven to be back in the chair…

The Ride: So what’s the 411 on The Jill Tracey Show?

Jill: It could have also been called The Conversation – but it wasn’t as sexy [smiles].  The show is really about how real love, life and information(411) is shared, dissected and becomes instrumental in change through good conversations.  It’s like that conversation with your best girlfriend over coffee where you solve the debt crisis, a cure for world hunger and find a new stylist for Nene all before lunch.  When you listen, I want you to feel like you’re eavesdropping on a really great conversation…

The Ride: I love your crew. You roll pretty deep. Tell me about them. What does take to be a member the Jill Tracey crew?

Jill: Thanks!  You’ve gotta have a clearly defined point of view, a great sense of humor and be fearless about the things you believe.  We don’t all agree.  In fact,  sometimes we are on so many different pages you wonder how we all got in the same book!  But the common factor is that we respect each other and really want to offer the audience the best of who we are.

Courtesy of Jill Tracey

The Ride: On Starting Over, Iyanla Vanzant, was your life coach. Was it like working with her? If I recall correctly, she was pretty hard on everyone.

Jill:  Iyana Vanzant is a BEAST and I mean that in the very best way.  She is that doctor/mentor/friend that when you say “I want to change and I need your help,” she takes it to heart and does NOT let you go until you do. I really have a hard time talking about her without tears welling up because she was brave and fearless enough to show me the error of my ways, yet compassionate and gracious enough to hold my hand to help me change. She is my angel on earth, rose colored glasses firmly in place [smiles].

The Ride: What did you think about her appearance on Oprah? I like Iyanla but I thought she did not come across very well — a little needy, and perhaps a bit kooky. Personally, I was quite surprised.  Was this the real Iyanla or an imposter who pulled off some kind of body snatching for a day?

Jill: You know I honestly felt the same way. It was like,”Huh”?  But deep inside I GOT how she GOT me so well after I SAW what happened between she and Oprah. Make sense?  I saw that we had some of the same experiences when it comes to not feeling worthy of the professional praise because of personal experiences that were marred by people who in public say they love and adore you, yet in private treat you like…dog poo.  But it was painful to watch the second show for sure because it made her seem like she was this big flake and when she left Oprah she just fell off the side of the earth.

Photo: Courtesy of Jill Tracey

The Ride:  Any advice to someone thinking that s/he would LOVE to be on a reality TV show?

Jill: HA!  It’s a lot!  There are very few shows out there that are about healing like the show I was on — about coming home a better person.  IF that is the case, and you’re ready to commit, DO IT. There is really nothing like it, being able to submerge yourself into changing your life totally without having to pick up the kids, argue with your boss and deal with your day to day life.

But just KNOW that you know have a jury of the world deciding who and what you are and you have to be careful not to get caught up in defending yourself when to get out of the fishbowl ’cause everyone’s view is different and none of their opinions really have anything to do with you.

The upside of that though is the hundreds, sometimes thousands of people who reach out to you saying how seeing you be courageous and facing your fears has helped them.  I received email and letters for every corner of the world.  I made friends in Israel and Poland and South Africa with people who watched the show and connected with my story.  That was, is amazing.

The Ride: Just curious. I know you love to watch reality TV, I think nearly as much as I do.  I would think for you it would be like knowing how your favorite sausage is made or what really goes on in the kitchen of your favorite eatery. It’s like once you know how things or done or made, it leaves a bad taste in your mouth.  Why DO you watch?

Jill: That’s funny!!  But true! I watch now with a different eye for sure.  Like I know that those chicks on the Bad Girls Club are playing to camera and trying to flirt with the camera guys and girls, running around half naked…It’s such a fishbowl you forget the entire world is gonna see that foolishness! And those competition shows they tell you not to break the 3rd wall but believe me, when you see a fight or someone fall out and then the next shot you see them in the confessional talking about it, that’s all practically scripted.

The Ride: Do you watch with greater insight or is there a willing suspension of disbelief?

Jill: Greater insight… [smiles]

The Ride: Speaking of Oprah, (I know we weren’t but just play along, thanks), if you owned OWN (The Oprah Winfrey Network), what would we see?

Jill: What a great question! Mornings I’d have a [The] View-ish live show w/ Oprah in the Barbara role, and lifestyle shows a la Nat Berkus, I would do new season Starting Over at noon followed by a new show with Barefoot Contessa cooking in celebrity homes, Chuck’s Day Off from the cooking channel Maybe Roseanne in the afternoon…Wow that’s just daytime…Oprah’s got a ton on her hands to revamp that…

The Ride: I heard you are a cupcake-nista. If someone gave you the chance to create your own signature cupcake, what would it be and what would it be called?

Jill: The Best of Both Worlds and it would be a black and white cookie turned into a cupcake with dulce de leche icing in the center!

The Ride: What’s your favorite cocktail?

Jill: Margarita, I think. Partial to a Dirty Martini as well.

The Ride: Of the Bravo housewives, whose team are you on?

Jill: I would have to say Team Maloof.  Adrienne is a few years older than me but we are the same sign (Virgo). She’s very level headed, always wants to be the one to calm everyone down. She parties like a rock star and she’s richer that ANY of those hookers.

The Ride: Back to the future.  What’s next for The Jill Tracey Show?

Jill: Well, we want to partner with stations around the country to run the show.  In the big picture, I want to create a new lane with how listeners and viewers interact with their programming, becoming a part of the programming and creating content in the truest sense of having a conversation with our audience.

The Ride: Thanks so very much Jill!!

To connect with The Jill Tracey Show and get the 411 on news, views, The Question of Day, and upcoming shows, click here.

*UPDATE*

“Update”, “newsflash”, whatever you want to call it. Here’s the big news. According to Jill Tracey who has been in touch with Iyanla Vanzant, Iyanla will have her own show premiering on OWN (The Oprah Winfrey Network) in the fall.  A full circle moment indeed.  And stay tuned for the interview on The Jill Tracey Show in August.

The indie soul songstress who has performed with such artists as Jill Scott, Mint Condition and Ledisi has, with her sound, declared her independence from the confines of contemporary music genres and the expectations that go along with them.

Julie Dexter’s jazz infused soul is a welcome respite from the often rough and ragged R&B and hip hop soul fusions.  It’s high-minded without being highfalutin.  Dexter, who is classically trained, clearly understands subtlety in all of its forms.  There will be no talk of “panties” and what might be done with them or to them. (Yes, I’m looking at you Trey Songz).  Mother, (who happens to be a mother), has respect for herself and her audience.

Her song “Come On Over’ on her latest album, New Again, is an invitation to sit, relax and enjoy while it soothes your mind, body and soul as you will be able to listen for yourself.  But before you do, I invite you to get to know Julie further.

The Ride: Hey Julie! Thanks for taking the time to speak with me. Is it “Julie”,” Miss Dexter”, or “Just Call Me ‘Fabulous’”?

Julie: Julie’s fine. [laughs]

Julie: Jazzy soul dipped in roots and reggae.

Julie: That list could actually be way longer. There are basically songs that have touched me at some point in my  life, either musically or lyrically. I can remember where I was when I first heard all the songs on that list.

Photo: Courtesy of Julie Dexter

The Ride: Speaking of making it on the list, how did you choose songs for your latest album, New Again?

Julie: I had about 30 songs to start with and had to choose 12 songs and went with what I felt were the strongest songs. I tried to pick a selection that I felt was varied musically enough to keep the listener interested and still had a message that they could get something from.

Julie: I love God, homeschooling and sushi.

Photo: Courtesy of Julie Dexter

The Ride: Complete this sentence: When I sing I am…

Julie:  …in a zone where I feel I can spread wing and fly.

The Ride: What inspires you to sing?

Julie: Life, people, relationships (mine and other people’s), my children.

The Ride: Who would you like to sing a duet with?

Julie: Omar

Julie: Both have a country vibe (in a good way), lots of trees,  people are generally polite.  Not so dog eat dog like in the big cities like London and New York.

Julie: My fans are real people from all walks of life who love and support THE MUSIC. Some of them are young folk and some of them are older with kids of their own so they want to hear something positive. They want to come out and experience a good show. They want to be elevated, uplifted, made to feel good inside. They want to see and hear musicians soloing. They want to feel like there money has been well spent.

The Ride: If you were a cocktail, which one would you be?

Julie: Cosmopolitan

Julie: I would want to put an end to child abuse.

To hear more from Julie Dexter, check out her website, www.JulieDexter.com

Itinerant preacher of the church of  “get off your ass and do your own thing,” reality TV star/fashion maven, NYT bestselling author and now Dr. Phil correspondent, Kelly Cutrone was in the Twin Cities a few weeks ago at the University of Minnesota Bookstore to spread her gospel. If people can have church in a parking lot, why not a bookstore?

Kelly stopped by U of  M on her way to they holy temple/cathedral of shopping, the Mall of America.  Robed in black from head to toe and wearing high-heeled wedge shoes looking like something from the closet of Gaga (who knows more than anyone that the higher the heels, the closer to God), Kelly spoke to a standing room only crowd during the often brain-numbing finals week.

Fashionistas, followers, neophytes and others hung on her every word.  Kelly opened the service with a brief reading from her latest  tome, Normal Gets You Nowhere.

Kelly Cutrone at the University of MN Bookstore for "Normal Gets You Nowhere" (photo: Carla Ray Thompson)

After her first book, If You Have to Cry, Go Outside, she was instructed to write the 10 Commandments but realizing it had already been done and fearing a lawsuit for copyright infringement (just kidding, but imagine that), she decided that to write another Good Book.

Here’s some of what the Good Reverend Doctor High Priestess Mother Goddess Kelly Cutrone had to say:

Normal People aren’t Super Heroes/Heroines

There is a lot of pressure on people, especially 20-somethings, to be “normal”. People who are world changers aren’t normal. She cited Amelia Earhart, Rosa Parks and Harriet Tubman as those who she considers “not normal”.

When I Grow Up, I Want to Be…

First you have to figure out what you want your life to look like. If you want to be a stay-at-home mom and are not too keen on traveling, working on fashion may not be for you.  If you want to leave the office by 7 p.m., perhaps you should live in LA and not New York City.

So you’ve decided that working in fashion would give you life.  It’s a big, highly diverse/segmented industry. Kelly gave many pointed examples of where you could fall on the spectrum and what you might be doing once you land there.  According to Kelly, high end fashion folks can spend up to 15 hours on the color blue. Yes, the color blue.  If you are interesting in evening wear, check out Oscar de la Renta and Carolina Herrera.

Whatever you do, by all means, intern first. At the very least, you will learn what you DON’T want to do.

Kelly said that you figure out what you are by knowing what you are not. Smoking pot made her know that she was not a pot head. Beings raised as Catholic made her realize that she was not a Catholic. “To thine own self be true,” said Kelly.  “We are a unique blueprint from the divine.”

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

Kelly tries to preempt failure by making good choices.

“I don’t believe in failure. I believe in decisions. Nothing is ever a bad decision. No decision ever goes to waste.  I do everything I can not to have regrets,” said Kelly. “Both failure and success are temporary.”

With that said, sometimes you have to allow people to fail, to learn the lessons the hard way (especially if they are unwilling to listen to sage advice). Get out of their way and allow them to hit the wall. There will be great lessons in the pain.

Questions to Ask, Rules to Live By

When evaluating what to do, what not to do, Kelly asks herself: “How much time ? How much energy? How much money will be spent and/or earned?”

After living life off the cuff, she has now implemented a 3-day rule.   Also, she makes no major decisions during Fashion Week and listens to trusted advisers including her Mom who, although she has no real business experience, Kelly says she’s quite savvy.

Kelly Cutrone at the University of MN Bookstore for "Normal Gets You Nowhere" (photo: Carla Ray Thompson)

And One More Thing…

Tell your lovers your sexual fantasies. According to Mother Kelly, there’s not thing wrong with letting people what you want, what you like — even in the bedroom.

Kelly Cutrone at the University of MN Bookstore for "Normal Gets You Nowhere" (photo: Carla Ray Thompson)

Kelly Cutrone’s no Mother Teresa or Saint anything but she was gracious, approachable, and knowledgeable.

And from the long line of folks waiting to have a not-so-private audience with her and a signed copy of her Good Book, it was clear that the Gospel according to Kelly is reaching souls.