Interview: Christopher Gutierrez, September 18 2007, Ohio US
Christopher Guiterrez, or AskHeyChris as many know him, is much more than the ‘shit talking internet celeb’ that his many haters seems to view him as. Today, Christopher is an established author with two books under his belt- ‘On the Upswing of Life, Love, Regret - True Tales of Mayhem and Awesomeness’ and ‘A Life Deliberate - Memoirs of an Unbreakable Boy’, one spoken word CD, titled ‘The Dirt of an Electric Boy’, two more books in the works, and a DVD. On the second leg of his US book tour, so perfectly titled the ‘Make Your Mark’ tour, I got a chance to speak with him.
Megan: How's your tour going?
Christopher: Dude, it's awesome so far! I can't believe this is my life!
Megan: That's great! What's your favorite city so far?
Christopher: Um, each city really has a different reason why I like. Certain people are more responsive; some people are more warm when I enter the room; certain people are [laughs] screaming and clapping when I enter the room, and sometimes it might not be a whole lot of people, but, um, people tell me amazing things, and some people might expose more of themselves in each city. It's not really an issue of who's better, but I place I really absolutely love being is Ferndale, which is outside of Detroit, which is like my favorite place- I love going there, it covers all the bases, and I always leave there feeling good, which I've never actually done a speaking and left there feeling, like, 'oh God that sucked', because even if there's only six kids, you still show up and know that those six kids are there for you - it doesn't matter if there's six kids, or six hundred.
Megan: So [laughs], do you have a least favorite city? Probably not after that explanation!
Christopher: Right, because really anywhere that people show up, I'm gonna look forward to being there.
Megan: That's really awesome. Why did you originally start your live journal?
Christopher: Really it was just to answer questions- almost a tongue in cheek thing. It started out as a joke, until I realized that people were actually reading it! Then I started taking it a bit more seriously.
Megan: Who are some of your biggest influences?
Christopher: Wow, um...
Megan: It could be a book, musical artist, some random dude?
Christopher: Everything from the people who started Dischord Records - Jeff Nelson and Ian MacKaye, because they did it because no one else would do it for them, and that was one of the biggest influences of the 'do it yourself' ethics. Um, I also really like what Henry Rollins has done with all his stuff, because he said 'I don't care if nobody is going to put out my books - I'm gonna do it myself'. I also really respect anybody who says what they're going to do, goes through with it, sticks by it, and still believes in just as passionately as they said it when it's years later down the road. Also, a lot of my friends influence me, a lot of them helped me take this plunge into all of this, and they've helped me the whole time.
Megan: Favorite band of all time?
Christopher: Wow..my favorite band of all time? That's like asking me to pick my favorite kids! Um [laughs], here's the thing, my favorite record of all time is 'Never Mind the Bollocks', by the Sex Pistols; I'd choose that if someone were to put, like, a gun to my head. Others I'd listen to until the end of time, because I can say that confidently because I've listened to them for the past 20 years, are Black Flag, the Dead Kennedy's, T Misfits, Minor Threat, American Nightmare…, those are the bands that just pop off the top of my head, and yes, I will never let them fade, and they're always on my iPod no matter what.
Megan: Who's your favorite band of right now?
Christopher: Right now?
Megan: Well, yeah, because we've all got favorite bands that we'll never leave, and then the rest kinda move around.
Christopher: I really like the new Modern Life is War record. Um, oh... Right now... Well, I've been making that girl [points to the Ferret] a lot of Modern Life is War. I guess it really changes, since last month it was Tiger Army, and now I don't listen to it so much since I have this new album now, which is so awesome.
Megan: Wow I can't say I've ever heard of Modern Life is War.
Christopher: They're pretty good.
Megan: I'll have to check them out.
Megan: What's your favorite reality TV show, since I've noticed you've mentioned a few of them on your LJ.
Christopher: Right now? It's, um, Rock of Love or The Pick-up artist, both of those shows are so awesome.
Megan: I love Rock of Love!
Christopher: Oh, wait, is it Monday?
Everyone: No, it's Tuesday.
Christopher: Aw, fuck. I thought something else was on tonight.
Megan: It's definitely Tuesday because The Hills was on last night!
Christopher: Oh God, I cannot stand that show!
Megan: No one likes it except me!
Christopher: I hate it, I can't understand why anyone would watch it, I'm really surprised it's even still on.
Sherri and the Ferret: Agree!
Christopher: [laughs] What else... I can't wait for the new 'I Love New York' that's coming out, the new Surreal Life is coming out - Peter Steele from Type O Negative will apparently be on it.
Megan: That should be interesting.
Christopher: Yeah, VH1 has currently taken the crown of the reality TV shows! First it was MTV, then it got handed off to Bravo!, and then it got to A&E, and now it's VH1!
Megan: And now Sherri's question, What's your worst habit?
Christopher: My worst habit? [laughs], Wow, I say 'you know' a lot. Uh... [turns to the Ferret] What do you think?
Ferret: Can I pick three?
Christopher: Yeah, what's your top three?
Ferret: Nail biting, hair twirling, and saying 'you know'.
[All laugh]
Megan: So nails, hair, and 'you know'?
Christopher: That's it. Oh my god, one night she counted 30 'you knows' in one show!
- Cab comes -
Megan: I guess one more question since the cab is here.
Christopher: Ok, go for it.
Megan: Where would you like to be in ten years?
Ferret: Married!
Christopher: Uh, what? [laughs]. Um, in ten years... Wow. I already feel like I've been given so much out of this life, and for me to want anymore would feel like I'm being greedy. But I would like to see how far I could take this without compromising or sacrificing my art - and hopefully being the same person I was before all this, and not get to the point where I can't appreciate this as much as I did before.
Megan: Wow, that was a really good answer
Christopher: Was it? Good!
Megan: Yeah, that'll definitely work. And again, thank you so much for doing this tonight!
Christopher: No problem, you're very welcome.
For more information, or to buy Christophers’ books, visit askheychris.com, askheychris.livejournal.com, or www.myspace.com/deadxstopstreetteam.