Carry On

Tim Gunn on filming his show, "Tim Gunn's Guide to Style."

We had this thing called a Fashion Therapy Kit, and I would present it to our subject on the last day of taping. And I’d give them the book ‘Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality, Taste and Style’, with it already inscribed to her. And the person is, generally speaking, touched by the gift.

So we have a new director, and it’s Episode 6. This new director calls out from the production room, ‘Um, could we do that again and see a little less of the book?’ So I said, ‘Yeah.’ We did it again. He says, ‘No, I’m still seeing too much of the book.’ I said, ‘What’s your issue with the book?’ And he said, ‘It just feels like a little too much self-promotion.’

I paused, and then I said, ‘Self-promotion? This show is based on this book.’ He said, ‘Well, I just want to see a little less of it.’ So we do it again, and he said, ‘No, I’m still seeing too much of the book.’ So I said, ‘I can take care of that.’

I take the book, I walk through the set that is my office, I walk into the dressing room, where there is a window, and I throw the book out the window. I come back to my place on the set, and I say, ‘You don’t have to worry about seeing the book again.’

The crew and everyone is slackjawed. So then I say, because I’m on a roll at this point, ‘Oh my gosh, I see more of those dreadful books on the bookshelf!’ So I go over, I gather all the books up, I walk through the set, through the dressing room and throw all of them out the window. Then I return to my place on the set. So that’s my one diva moment.