Peter Fever – Time To Get Your Temperature Taken

by Kevyn

Who is Peter Le and where has he been all of my life? If they ever start mass producing men like they do with this man, you can bet I would sell my unborn baby to a cult to be the first in line to get one.  I recently had the pleasure (and how pleasurable it was) to interview the all American-Vietnamese Peter Le, who has been making headlines within the LGBT and Asian-American community, as well as breaking stereotypes, barriers and my hymen.

Thanks to my good friend (who will further be known as the Blonde Ninja), I was able to sit down with Peter Le for nearly two hours, which is roughly about the same amount of time I spent on his website, Peter Fever, doing “research”.

Yes… research.

Ever since news broke out about a new reality show that would be the Asian-fied version of another show, Peter Fever started spreading everywhere. What made him stand out (and also a certain part of my body) was Peter’s other business.

A business that may be controversial to some, but in all actuality, it’s a business with a mission that Peter stands firmly behind. Something I wish Peter would do to me… on a picnic table; which, ironically, was where we did the interview at Griffith Park on a beautiful sunny LA afternoon. So I pulled out my Mickey Mouse journal and just got right down to it.

Q: Okay, describe Peter in 3 words.

Sexy, clever, athletic.

Q: I agree, especially with the first one. How did you get started in entertainment?

I started modeling in 2001, as a freshman in college at Fresno State majoring in Psychology. And that was also the year I modeled for Playgirl and that started everything. Then I took a break for five years but I got back into it about 3 years ago and started my website and everything else.

Q: Yes, your website… I’ve seen it.

Do you have a subscription?

Q: [Uncomfortable laughter for about 5 minutes] — So, what’s the mission of your website and who you are as a person?

To show sexy Asian men.

Q: Why?

Because sexy Asian men are….sexy.

Q: Indeed. You’re very much tied to the LGBT community and you commute between LA and SF a lot. What’s the biggest difference between LA and SF?

Well, the SF gay community I feel is more reserved than the LA community. LA is more flashy and promotion based.

Q: Speaking of the gay community, I’d say a large portion of your fan base is gay. Can you talk a little bit about your relationship, specifically, with the LGBT community?

My best friend is gay and there is just so much support. Like Lady Gaga and Bette Midler, the support you get from your gay fans is like nothing else out there.  I want to show everyone, not just the gay community, that Asian men are sexual and confident with themselves. I feel that no one out there is doing what I’m doing. I want to show that you can use what you are given to your advantage.

Q: Are most of your fans here in America?

Most of them are in China and other Asian countries. I know China blocks my site so my fans have to go through a 3^rd network  to see me.

Q: So your website/blog is done all by you?

Yeah, I have a couple people help me, but I write the blog and do the Youtube videos all myself.

Q: Ah nice. And you came up with the name Peter Fever?

Yes. My name, Peter, was inspired by the kid’s book Peter Rabbit. My birth name is Chuong, but being the first generation Vietnamese in America, as well as being one of the only Asian people in elementary school, I wanted to fit in. They would say, “Chinky Chuong!” and they would pull their eyes back with their fingers. And what was weird was that even my other Asian friends would make fun of me too! And in high school, it felt like being Asian was a disadvantage, and I’ve been on a mission ever since to change that. So that’s why when I did Playgirl, it was a big step saying that Asian men can be sexy in the mainstream.

Q: I feel the same way. So you want to promote a positive image for Asian American men?

Yes, for both Asian men and Asian American men. What’s sexy for an Asian American man hasn’t been defined. I hope to broaden people’s minds of what is sexy for Asian American men.

Q: Well put. So, now that things are moving forward, what do you want to do for 2011?

I want to start building my empire. I want to take over the internet and the world. I also want to travel, not be too tied down. I want to go to Japan, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Malaysia. I collaborate a lot with Guy Tang, another really good friend of mine. We both want to portray a positive image of Asian men.

Q: Yes, I have done “research” on Guy Tang as well. So if someone out there wanted to be the next Peter Le, you wouldn’t see that as a competition?

No, not at all. If we both want to portray Asian men as being sexy and desirable, I’d see it more as a collaborative opportunity than a competition.

Q: I would love to see that collaboration… But what makes Peter Peter? What is it that makes people drawn to you?

I’m totally unfiltered. I talk about everything on my blog and in my videos. I want to be a role model for everyone. I’m a free spirit and I encourage everyone to be themselves. I want to show that there should be no stereotype, that you should be who you are. People always try to fit me in a box, and I don’t fit into any boxes; I don’t even fit into one box.

Q: You could fit into my box….

I’m sorry?

Q: Nothing. So, what are you most attracted to in a person? I know on your website you talk about hot guys and hot girls. What do you like the most?

A nice piece of ass. I’m an ass man.

Q: …Hot. I need to take you to Rage here in LA. You would seriously get eaten alive.

[Laughter]

Q: No seriously. The boys would carry you into the dance floor and like a swarm of ants you would disappear beneath all of them. Anyways, what are the symptoms of Peter Fever?

It’s contagious. You would have to wear diapers from the massive amount of liquids that will be coming out of your body.

Q: Sweet Jesus.

So, Kevyn, do you have Peter Fever?

Q: [Giggles uncontrollably like a Japanese school-girl]…Yes.

Peter Le and Me. I immediately made it my profile picture to make everyone jealous.

There you have it. A written Kevyn-fied version of what happened between me and Peter Le. He’s a nice guy with a very set vision on what he wants to do with his career. He knows what he wants to promote and he’s going to do it his own way and won’t let anyone tell him otherwise. After meeting Peter Fever in person, I can honestly say that having Peter Fever isn’t a bad thing. Peter is doing something that I could never do and I think it’s good thing to show that Asian American men can be sexual beings in the media.

All in all, I would much rather have Peter Fever than any of the other fevers out there (Typhoid, Rheumatic, Beiber).

I hate having my temperature taken, but if it’s Peter Fever I have, I’ll gladly get it taken over and over again…

…In the biblical sense.

All photos courtesy of Peter Fever