SS: Have you ever received “hate mail” from an animal rights activist? If so, How did that go?

TH: Luckily, no hate mail from Animal Rights people. And the video has been on the net for about 3 years, so I think it's too late anyways.

SS: How did you manage to stimulate yourself for the scene?

TH: Actually...I really didn't. Maybe it was because I was drunk and my friend, the camera guy, was a guy, and I like guys and he was watching my masturbate? I dunno...it felt kinda stupid really, but I just did what I thought I had to do. Also we took a travel DVD player and I took some porn, but since I'm a cheap ass and my gay pornos are burnt DVD's, they didn't play on the DVD player so I got stuck rubbing pig intestines around my ass. That actually did feel good...

SS: Where did you happen to acquire a cow head?

TH: My friend, who's idea it was (the camera guy) ordered it from the local Mexican meat market. It took like 5 days to special order it and we originally wanted a pigs head but it was like 4x' s more expensive and it would have taken longer to receive also (I don't know why). And before we shot, it was in his fridge for like 5 days, because it wouldn't fit in his freezer...so it probably wasn't that sanitary...oh well. lol

SS: Has anyone in your family seen the film?

TH: That's a funny question. My boyfriend of 5 years at the time wanted to break up with me because he was sooo disgusted by it. I kept trying to explain to him that I used to do this before I met him and it's just performance, not something I'm into. He still to this day hates it and talks shit about it, but we're still together. We've moved on, it's not that big of a deal, I don't think it's anything to make a fuzz about at all. But he's raised Christian, I was raised Catholic though (guess that sums it up, huh?) lol Anyways, I know my little sister has seen it, she's 16 right now and she was 14 when she saw it. She looks up to me, she knows me, she knows how I am... and she hasn't told my parents about it, even she knows not to tell them because they are really strict Mexican Catholic Old School Traditional... so even she knows not to tell them because she'll get in trouble to watching it. She's a smart girl. I have an order sister too, she's actually a teacher at my High School (she was training when I was in school) and we haven't talked about it, but I'm sure she's seen it too. And if my parents do see it, I think they'll be over it. I don't think I can surprise them anymore, they kicked me out of my house 4 days after graduation after searching my room and finding a photo shoot set. It was either "burn these pictures or get the fuck out of our roof" and I really loved that photo shoot, it was my 2nd one, though illegal cuz I was 15 and nude in them, but I decided to leave. And my dad came back 2 min. later with boxes and told me to start packing. 4 days later, they begged me to move back, but I had discovered the Hollywood party lifestyle, so I chose to stay living on my own. (I did have a job and I was couch hopping)

SS: Did any particular actors, film makers, or films influence you during the production of Putrid Sex Object?

TH: Ummm...maybe just Divine and John Waters. And maybe my friend Lenora Claire. I've kinda looked up to her since she's started out young and in Hollywood and in the same scene just like myself.

SS: Do you have any plans for acting and possibly directing films in the future? If so, what are some ideas that you have?

TH: I don't have any plans other than just being in more underground "cult" films like this. I hope to be in more and I hope be like the "next" Divine, not necessarily her, but along the same lines. "Future Cult Icon Thistle Harlequin"...of course I love Edith Massey too, and well John Waters and I have the same birth date, that's ironic.

SS: Do your see yourself as someone that may start a new type of subversive art in regards to film making and beyond?

TH: Nah... There's a lot of Japanese porn out there that's pretty gross, like with eels and stuff. I've seen other stuff with guts too, after I made this film. Unless we come up with something totally new, but it seems like everythings already been done, and I'm not down to fuck live chickens. That's really disgusting (to me) so is getting fucked by a horse. I stay away from any animal genitals. It grosses me out when I see my hairless cat licking his cock, he sticks it out and it's all pink and pointy.

SS: What are your other interests besides film and modeling?

TH: I'm a professional body piercer. I'm into the Occult, into the paranormal, taxidermy and postmortem 1800's Victorian funeral memorabilia type of stuff, I have the most beautiful coffin in my bedroom and it's been used too. I like racist jokes (but I'm not racist-- those are just the funniest) & jokes about stereotypes. I like opiates too..oops is that too much info? Oh and I love vintage gay porn!

SS: How did you get into modeling and come up with your Thistle character?

TH: I kinda came up with Thistle, I liked it and got it from this "gothic" poetry magazine from back when I was a teen (95) cuz the drawing of the goth boy on the cover looked like me (skinny frail boy) and it's been my nickname every since. I then came up with the Harlequin part about a decade later when I was trying to make a "club kid" name for myself. An online friend helped me pick it out, and it just fit. The rest is history. It's became my character. When I go out to clubs and bars and well just in general in the club scene, especially the deathrock scene, everyone knows who I am, they know me by Thistle Harlequin. I started young.

SS: Thanks for your time, Thistle. Any last statements you’d like to say to any aspiring fetishists or potential leaders of a new form of art?

TH: Say NO to Drugs!