Deafinitely
By Daniel A. Kusner – Life+Style Editor
Aug 21, 2008 – 6:29:34 PM
Queer Texan Martin Ritchie hopes to impress Janice Dickinson. He’s
got one advantage the other models don’t — he can’t hear her
scream
Rejection can’t stop Martin Ritchie from achieving his dreams.
Neither can being hearing impaired nor being gay. Four years ago, the
20-year-old moved from Austin to Los Angeles to start a professional
modeling career and serve as a positive role model for people with
disabilities.
His mom still lives in Austin, and while he never went to college,
Ritchie says if he wasn’t modeling he would have tried to study
dentistry at the University of Texas.
After he moved to Hollywood, he struggled with trying to get his
modeling career off the ground and worked at an Abercrombie & Fitch
store at local mall.
Then he was discovered by the Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency. But
during his audition, Dickinson rejected him — because he had a
“muffin top,” which meant he needed to work on his abs.
He did. And on Tuesday, he’s selected as one of the agencies “new
models,” who gets picked to live in a Hollywood mansion.
Since Ritchie works with an interpreter, Dallas Voice caught up with
him via e-mail earlier this week.
Were you born in Texas? No, I was born in Lakeland, Fla. Although I
feel like I was born in Austin. Austin represents the easy life
we’re all supposed to have — the beautiful view of Town Lake; so
many people running and kayaking under the bridge …
Are you an expert at seducing a guy with your eyes? Probably. People
always came to me and say, “Wow, you have Jane Seymour’s eyes.”
How could they gay community improve how they interact with their
deaf brothers and sisters? Show some good affection, communicate with
them all the time and share your emotional moments.
What’s your idea of an ideal date? Just a simple romantic dinner.
What’s your idea of a date from hell? Broken chairs and tables.
Is sarcasm hard to pick up on? Not really. But it depends on the
person, you know?
What can deaf gay guys do better than gay guys with perfect hearing?
Deaf gay guys know how to use eye contact, which is powerful because
we all communicate through our eyes.
Because you can’t hear, are any of your other senses — sight,
touch, taste — superior? Absolutely! I am very sensitive with my
taste and smell.
Can you hear anything at all? Yes, I can hear in my left ear.
Were you born that way? Yes. Although I felt like I was born hearing
until I was a few weeks old. I really don’t know.
When Janice previously rejected you and told you to shape up, how did
you react? I thought, “Oh, my gosh!” I decided to build up some
muscle mass and, of course, I’ve had to change my attitude.
How did improve your physique? I worked on my arms and chest.
However, I’m still struggling with my abs. But I have this wonderful
trainer I work with, and he’s going to completely transform me. So,
you guys better watch out!
Does Janice scare you? Oh, not at all. I’ve dealt with many people.
And comparing Janice to those people — she is such a sweetheart and
a lady. Yes, she likes to open herself to others all the time. She
showed us that she really cares about us in the house.
If you could have perfect hearing for four hours, what would you want
to do? I would ask my date to go out with me to the beach during the
sunset, where I can hear everything … peacefully. And I would just
tell him to tell me something funny or some love stories.
What modeling assignments have you landed? I’ve modeled for Logan
Milan, and I recently landed a job for Kentucky Jeans. My next goal is
be gracing the Dolce & Gabbana billboards around the world.
If Janice granted you an ultimate modeling wish — you could do
anything you wanted — what would that assignment be like? A
permanent full-time model for Guess and Kenneth Cole.
**TUNE IN Season four of ”The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency”
premieres Tuesday, Aug 26 at 9 p.m. on Oxygen. **
Source: http://www.dallasvoice.com/artman/publish/article_9613.php
—
BETTER IP RELAY – EVERYWHERE! i711.com makes all your relay calls better.
Better web calls. Better wireless calls. Better AIM calls. Why settle for
ordinary IP relay? Go beyond! Try http://www.i711.com for free today!
NEW! Try out our Deaf Network of Texas Calendar! Go to
http://calendar.deafnetwork.com
NOTE: deafnetwork.com does not endorse any of the products, vendors,
consultants, or documentation referenced in this message or. Any mention of
vendors, products, or services is for informational purposes only.
Powered by http://www.CrazyWebHosting.com
If you do not want to receive any more newsletters,
http://deafnetwork.com/list/?p=unsubscribe&uid=23e6b0ac27edebd2b6f52f1354859234
To update your preferences and to unsubscribe visit
http://deafnetwork.com/list/?p=preferences&uid=23e6b0ac27edebd2b6f52f1354859234
Forward a Message to Someone
http://deafnetwork.com/list/?p=forward&uid=23e6b0ac27edebd2b6f52f1354859234&mid=2507
—
Powered by PHPlist, www.phplist.com —