• Santino Rice is having a yard sale. THIS WEEKEND. We can't imagine what he is selling! Please take pictures and send them to us. And don't buy anything that smells funny. [SantinoRice]

• Speaking of Santino, Project Runway is casting again. [Bravotv]

• …and so is the upcoming movie version of Hairspray. John Travolta and Queen Latifah are already cast. Could you be next? April 1, Baltimore; April 8, Las Vegas. [HairsprayMovie]

• Gay author Keith Boykin on BET-J's all-black The View. Except without Star Jones, because she is a total bitch already has a job. And how many BET's are there? [WashBlade]

• Oak Park, IL issues a proclimation welcoming the Gay Games events held there. Oak Park is one of the original "gay suburbs" of America, sitting right outside Chicago. We've been to Oak Park, and seriously–they have the most well-manicured lawns you have ever seen. Apparently, when you live in the suburbs but don't have any kids to take to soccer practice, you have lots of free time to do things like trim your yard by hand with scissors. Oak Park is also the largest concentration of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture; go to the Games, take a FLW architecture tour, and think suburban Midwestern thoughts. Sounds like fun, doesn't it? [GayWired]

• And on a happy note, a major adoption agency in NYC backs gay adoptive parents. At least the smart people are on our side. Not that intelligence matters in America these days. [Philly Inquirer]

• Heather Reznor, pr whiz for Michael Lucas, interviews Kara Janx. We love both of these girls. [Heather Fink]

• Mental note: We too want a Santino Rice birthday cake. [Santino Rice]

• Surfers have always been gayer than cowboys. [Towleroad]

• Let’s all collectively pray for an Amanda Lepore television show. [Brace-Face]

• A legend returns to blogging. She’s old school, bitches. [Jihky]

• Arjan reports on yet another incarnation of Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love.” And it’s cute. [Arjan Writes]

• Surprise! Johnny Weir loves D&G, LV, and Cavalli. [Washington Post]

• Speaking of figure skating, could it be true: Santino Rice designing skating costumes again? [Manhattan Offender]

• Maybe not, but he was hilarious on Regis & Kelly. [Santino Rice]

• And lastly, a correction to a post yesterday about the NO/AIDS Task Force. The organization was not wiped out by Katrina and is one of the only viable HIV/AIDS organizations in New Orleans. [NO/AIDS Task Force]

• After Elton covers the media coverage of Johnny Weir. [After Elton]

• That darn “homosexual agenda” is everywhere. This time it’s creeping into sex ed classes. [Christian Science Monitor]

• Dan Renzi’s readers caption Santino Rice. Good Stuff. [Dan Renzi]

• Further proof that God exists: Star Jones may be out at The View. [Yahoo]

• Renee Zellweger will kiss a woman in the upcoming Bridget Jones film. It’s not the first time. She was married to a girl for a while. [Yahoo News]

Bradford Shellhammer phones in a Project Runway recap:

Ok so Rich, Will Wikle, and I ventured to Bryant Park this morning for the Project Runway final show. Seen: the Heatherette Boys, Kara Saun, Jay McCarroll, Austin Scarlett, Debra Messing, Michael Kors, Nina Garcia, Anne Hathaway, way too many Queer Eyes, and Heidi Klum.

Like last season the top four designers showed their collections, though one of three has already been eliminated. Below is my recap of the final show.

Daniel Vosovic: Daniel V. is clearly the favorite to win and the reaction from the crowd was insane: They went B-A-N-A-N-A-S. What for, I don’t know. On the show his work has been strong and the most consistent of the group. But the mop-headed hipster let me down big time. His clothes were boring. The colors were safe. The fit was horrible. Many dresses puckered and wrinkled and his beautiful finale dress fit so badly that you could slide your hands in the gapes on the models back.

Kara Janx: Kara was the day’s biggest surprise. Who would have known she had a personality! Seriously, she was spunky and almost rock-and-roll. Her collection was the most wearable and colorful of the bunch. The color-blocked dresses fit perfectly. The colors recalled Jay McCarroll’s winning collection from last year, but much more sensual and refined. If she makes the top three, she is clearly the one to beat.

Chloe Dao: Poor Chloe. I was expecting this to be a fight between Daniel V and Miss Chloe, but sadly her collection was the worst. Gone were the cute, feminine blue dresses and what she showed was way too fussy and at times offensive. There was a lot of visible boob and I am not talking about the sexy, D&G sort of way. It was like night of the living prom dresses with exposed nipples made from bad curtain fabric. Not a chance to win.

Santino Rice: Many think Santino is the next eliminated and his speech before the show kind of alluded to that theory: he spoke about PR in the past tense. But if he is indeed still in the running I think he impressed everyone in the room. He did not “Santino” anything! The colors were muted, the fabrics flowing, and his over stylized design sensibility was checked at the door. What were left were sleek, elegant dresses that were everything Santino is not: understated and pristine. It could be his.

It is either Kara or Santino. And if I’m wrong, then blame Nina Garcia.

You know how much we love Santino Rice, Project Runway’s talented and aggressive scene-stealer from this season. Santino does a mean impression of Tim Gunn, the fashion director for Parsons. Mr. Rice has solidified his comic genius; he has recorded a version of Nine Inch Nails’ classic “Closer.” And he’s done it in Tim Gunn’s voice!

Just listening got us closer to God

Closer To God [Santino Rice]

Nick Verreos is Project Runway’s sassy front-runner. The funny Californian recently told Bradford Shellhammer how he really feels about Santino, why he dislikes celebrity designers, and why Kark Lagerfeld looked better chunky.

We both worked for FIDM. What was your experience like at the school?
Several years ago, they asked me to come in and speak to the students , as an alumnus of the school who had "succeeded" in the industry. The response was so positive, that consequently, they asked me if I had time to teach some classes part time. I did, and I discovered that I enjoyed teaching the students and "giving back" all the knowledge I've acquired so far working 12+ years in this industry.

No surprise that I sort of enjoyed being "on stage." The feedback I get from the students is that they find my methods and instruction to be refreshing and rewarding at the same time. Overall, I love teaching, it just takes up a lot of time(outside of class) and sometimes it can be really annoying to deal with students that are there for the wrong reasons: rich kids who have been told my their mommy or daddy that they have “great style” or they can “put outfits very well together,” etc. As well as the current phenomenon of “celebrity designers,” which leads kids to think that it really doesn't require hard work and struggle to do well in the gritty Fashion Industry and that it can happen overnight. I sometimes wish the school would do more of a selective /weeding out process BEFORE they got to us.

Do you read blogs? If so which?
When I have time I do. I am humbled by the support and positive feedback and comments that most of them say about me. Some of my faves are Queerty of course, Blogging Project Runway, Television Without Pity, and Four Four is pretty funny! The whole "whickety whack" and "Uncle Nick" threads are slaying me!!!!!!! Wish I would have made a T-shirt with that written on it!

Also, my friends are always sending me stuff that is being thrown out there in the electronic atmosphere. Good and bad stuff. Fashion and designing/creating fashion is very emotional for me, so to read people's critiques of what we do, which for me comes from my heart—can affect me emotionally. It's especially difficult when I read or hear comments from people that have really no knowledge of what we go through, and the time constraints, etc. My sister, a former Miss Venezuela and a model, used to say the following to people: "If you are not a Make-up Artist, don't talk about my make-up; if you are not a Hair Stylist, don't talk about my hair; and if you are NOT my brother, don't comment on the clothes that I am wearing." But I know that people feel compelled to put in their two cents, heck I used to do it as well, after watching America's Next Top Model or other shows like that. Needless to say, I don't do it anymore, my outlook and views have changed: I have become the commented-on, not the commentator!

After the jump Nick tells us about his relationship with Santino.

CONTINUED »

We continue to love this season’s Project Runway. Santino Rice’s dress designed for Nicky Hilton was a hit and we had to say goodbye to Guadalupe. Her dress, basically, sucked ass.

We don’t have the memory like we used to so we’re going to turn you on to a couple other sites that love Project Runway even more. Some of you may remember Rich’s detailed, catty, and oh so funny posts concerning America’s Next Top Model over at Four Four. Well, he promises to do the same for Project Runway. But drats! His DVD drive is busted and won’t be ready until next week.

He suggests in the meantime reading Blogging Project Runway. That site is fine, but lacks the images and bitchiness that we’ve grown to love from Rich. After all, we did fall in love with his site only after he read us for filth. Be sure to check his site out next week for your Project Runway recap fix.

Falling Off The Runway [Four Four]
Redemption [Blogging Project Runway]

photos by Adam David Cohen

Reality television shows usually have room for one or two big personalities in each series. This season’s Project Runway, which unbelievably we’re loving more than season one, is full of those personalities. However, Santino Rice definitely steals the show. The Los Angeles designer caught up with Bradford Shellhammer to discuss the show, his sexuality, and who really was the world’s first supermodel.

What are your New Year's resolutions?
To live, to learn, to love, and to leave a legacy! Persevere, keep trying new things…to keep evolving. To change my world!

Some of the self-proclaimed "faggoty boys" from the show told us 
you're this season's Wendy Pepper. Why would they say such a thing?
My mom says they're just jealous, but she's been saying that to me since I came out the snatch! I think those guys were just being "cute," they know damn well that I’ve got talent and I’m the real deal. I think it's funny though, really man, nothing's sacred, including me! I'll take the piss out of myself before I let some bitter opinionated faggots try to read me!

Is Janice Dickinson really the world's first Supermodel? Do you care?
I'd say what about Veruschka, Penelope Tree, and Twiggy! What about Lauren Hutton, Cheryl Tiegs, Jerry Hall…….Patti Hansen!!!!! I'd say and think of a lot of other names before her file came up in my brain! But god bless her. Shit. People gotta eat and as far as her 15-year-old audience is concerned, she could tell them she invented the "blow-job" and no one would really question that! And yeah, I guess I do care, I’m a caring kind of guy!

What designers do you consider inspirations?
Any designer who is creating their vision, creating a body of work, I find them hugely inspirational. Yohji Yamamoto is the shit! I love him, and I’ve seen many successful collections by many designers and you can't help but store some of that in your memory bank.

Which do you absolutely hate?
Hate is a pretty strong word, especially directed toward someone who's actually doing something with his or her life, I hate idleness, and I hate mediocrity! I can't justify hating on another artist, regardless of what I think about their shit!

After the jump Santino tells us whether he's into guys or girls.

CONTINUED »

• Continuing the trend of blogger t-shirt lines, Trent over at Pink is the New Blog has unveiled a new shirt, which is available in really gay pink. Don’t worry, Queerty will soon launched a line of cocktail dresses and handbags.

• Gay.com has the rundown on the first episode of Project Runway. We like all the contestants remaining, but we’re still sticking to our initial gut reaction. Our money is on Santino Rice.

• The Plain Dealer, Cleveland's largest newspaper, has repeatedly wanted to include our pal Brian’s faggotyassfaggot.com in their weekly blog write up. But they won’t because of the name, though they “printed the word ‘fag’ or ‘faggot’ in 48 articles over the past ten years.”

• The Queer Eye backlash continues. Even The Gays are over it.

• Cool Hunting has compiled a holiday gift guide and we’d like one of each. Please.