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Turning the Tables on Michael Yo
07-15-2011

It’s official. Michael Yo is a stud.
You most likely
recognize Yo for
his red carpet swagger on E! News, his voice fromY100 in Miami
where he hosts his afternoon drive show, or more recently his gig
as a stand-up comedian. But right now the 6’3”
"half-black brother with a Korean mother" is dressed to the nines
in some form-fitting threads surrounded by a group of well-heeled
Washingtonian women dying for one uninterrupted moment with theChelsea Handler round table regular.
Yo was inD.C. Thursday
night to co-host a private reception with RobertFinfer for GQ’s resident "Style Guy"Glenn O'Brien, to celebrate O’Brien’s
newest fashion tome How to be a Man: A Guide To Style and
Behavior For The Modern Gentleman. We got candid withYo about his
favorite starlets, how his mom inspires his stand-up, and which
celebs rock the red carpet...
On the
importance of school:
"My mom is
Asian and she wanted me to do good at school, so there was some
pressure to be smart. I wasn’t a bad student but I also
wasn’t a great student. My dad knew school wasn’t mything.”
Dealing
with too many concussions playing college football:
“There
wasn’t [sic] a lot of Asians who played sports, like maybe 3
at my school. I wanted to play professional football; when it
didn’t happen, it was the first time I didn’t get what
I wanted. But then a friend got me into radio, I fell in love withit.”
On
sharing a round table with Chelsea Handler:
“E! has
given me so many opportunities, including Chelsea Handler. One day,
the stylist put me in a denim jacket and jeans and they all called
me 'Brokeback Mountain'. It used to stress me out. Now I go
on and I just give my E! perspective. That’s what got me into
stand-up comedy, which I’ve been doing for about 3 months. It
was people from that show who are comedians, who influenced me on
doing stand-up.”
What to
expect from Michael Yo comedy:
“As a
mixed kid, I never knew where I fit in. I have a black dad and a
mom who reminds me I’m Asian too. I’m in the middle. My
stand-up is really just funny things in my life. Like the issues
with my mother’s name in English. I wanted my show to be
about the things I went through growing up. I would love to have a
sitcom someday, a modern day version of life as a mixedkid.”
A
childhood celebrity crush that you’ve
interviewed?
“Alyssa Milano. Starstruck.”
Which
Hollywood celebs do you think have great style?
“Jake Gyllenhall,Justin Timberlake. The Jonas
Brothers dress well. Joe Jonas is
always dressed well.”
Who are
some young Hollywood actors that really impressed
you?
“Rachel McAdams. I have a little crush on
her. Last time I interviewed her, I was just floored. She’s
beautiful and very smart.”
Between
Megan Fox, Minka Kelly, Mila Kunis or the newTransformers girl Rosie Huntington-Whitely, who do you think
would make a great Bond Girl:
“If I had
to pick one? I love Minka Kelly, she’s really
beautiful.”
You
often go to Twitter and your blog to ask followers' opinions on things like
hats, etc. How would you describe your style?
“I’m very laid back, easy, simple. My stylist on E!
takes more chances with my clothes than I would. I like being in a
suit, just not every day."
What’s your favorite style accessory?
“I’m a watch person. I always like to have a watch on.
I love this ElevenEleven watch for the bright colors. I have three
of them.”
On
style coast to coast:
“In
Miami, it’s all about skin, but in L.A., it’s all about
comfort with some nice accessories. I like classy; being in DC, the
way women dress in business clothes but still look nice.
Businesswear is sexy to me.”
Why
criss-crossing the country makes it hard to find a
girl:
“In L.A.,
relationships often turn into contacts. I don’t care if
you’re in the business or not in the business. I’ve
done long distance and it hasn’t really worked out. My mom
told me to ‘date locally’.”
(Image via
Paul Morigi)
Laura Carlson is an entertainment reporter who has covered red carpets in Los Angeles and Washington, DC. She is a slave to celebrity news and has a passion for pop culture. You can follow her on twitter @lauraleecarlson.