- WHAT WOULD YOU BRING
As the new MuchMusic VJ, what would you bring to much?As a comedian with a sharp wit, a keen eye for social commentary, and a love of meeting new people, I KNOW i'd make the audience as well as the artists I interview feel at ease while making them laugh and having a silly, fabulous time together! I'm all about asking questions that most people would shy away from asking, I can make anyone feel comfortable, and there's no such thing as an awkward moment for me! (Unless I'm the one creating it. ;)) Great television and great interviewing means allowing unexpected, cheeky things to happen and embracing a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants attitude! It's all about fearlessness and fun! And if things get a little edgy and an interview takes some surprising twists and turns...well, I live for that sH%t!! :)
- DESCRIBE YOU
How would your friends describe you?The first thing they'd say is that I'm really good at making people laugh. Then they'd say I'm a raging alcoholic with a gambling problem and a sex addiction! (Kidding!!) Seriously though, I think my friends would talk mostly about my sense of humour and say that I'm a practical joker. They'd also say that I have an amazing ability at retaining utterly useless facts. Did you know that the longest single commercial flight in the world is from Singapore to New Jersey? Why would anyone from SIngapore want to go to to New Jersey? Good question. I also think my friends would say that I'm outspoken and always brave enough to stand up for what's right. If I witness someone doing something awful or mean in public...they're gonna wish I wasn't around! I just want us all to love one another!
- IF YOU COULD INTERVIEW ANYONE
If you could interview anyone, who would it be and what would you ask them?GOLDIE HAWN! She's my favourite person on earth! Hilarious, beautiful, silly, surprisingly wise and spiritual, and did I mentioned HILARIOUS! I would ask her to impart all her years of kooky wisdom on me and then I'd ask her if we could spend one magical day together partying in Vegas. I imagine she would say yes without a second thought. And I would die a happy man.
- CHANGED YOUR LIFE
Tell us about a song, artist or album that changed your life.MIKA! Talk about a talented, beautiful, one-of-a-kind man with a completely unique musical style! When he first came onto the scene I remember thinking 'This is the kind of music the world needs!' His happy, clever lyrics and addictive, upbeat sound just make you feel so good - and THAT is what music should do! The summer his first album came out, I was traveling with my cousin and it is the only cd she had in her car - we listened to it every single day all summer and I never got sick of it!
- TRENDS
What are some big trends or issues affecting youth in Canada.I think that bullying and homophobia are still really big issues for youth everywhere; particularly since so much of it is happening online now, and is therefore less apparent to parents and teachers. But it still happens in all areas of our everyday world. Not long ago I went to buy a new phone and was called a 'fag'....by one of the employees at the retailer! In Toronto! I was shocked. Luckily I'm old enough and have enough of a thick skin that it didn't cause me any emotional or psychological harm. But that employee definitely messed with the wrong fag! I reported that garbage immediately. But when it happened I thought - 'what if that had been said to a vulnerable teenager, perhaps already suffering with depression?' The end result could have been much worse for the teen in that case. And that's why this is still a big problem. That's why kids still commit suicide because of this and that has to end.
- MUSIC EXPERIENCE STORY
What is your best music experience story?When I was 15 years old I skipped the first day of grade 10 to go to a Björk concert on the Toronto Islands. I thought that lining up at 9am for a 7pm show was perfectly reasonable and I was right! I wasn't even the first one there...I was third! So I befriended the first two people in line who came all the way from Kansas and we had ourselves a ball! And when the show began we were front row, centre! It was incredible!!! Björk sounded just as amazing and kooky in person! She had numerous costume changes, each more outlandish than the last, she drank wine throughout her performance, and there were fireworks going off behind her with a view of the Toronto skyline in the background! It really wasn't just any ol' concert - this was a full-fledged sensory experience! Concerts like that don't happen every day, and it's a tremendous memory I won't soon forget!