THE 3 BITS is a new queer web series generating lots of buzz, with the first episodes already receiving ink in Buzzfeed, the Huffington Post, the Advocate, Curve, Towleroad, Newnownext, Indiewire, Bedford & Bowery, and the IFP. It’s already been hailed as Quentin Tarantino meets “The L-Word.”
Photo by Max Freeman
dapperQ: Tell our readers a bit more about THE 3 BITS.
Mars: The show follows three siblings, Henry, Roman and Madison Bits. I play Roman. The show is part gay sitcom, part noir drug drama, and part mommy blog on crack. It’s unpredictable, unconventional and uncensored.
THE 3 BITS is a fantasy — the situations are outlandish. But everything comes from something in our experience — the worry that someone on grinder might be a killer, the desire to have an orgy without the know-how, that mom who is trying desperately to prove she’s still a party girl. The Roman storyline talks about issues you don’t really get on TV. In one episode, Roman thinks her girlfriend is embarrassed about her vagina’s appearance and Roman tries really hard to get a good look. For all the talk about what is desirable in a penis (length, girth, curvature), nobody ever talks about what makes a vagina beautiful. In another episode, Roman explains why she doesn’t want to use a silly-looking dildo.
The show is entirely independent. We make it with the help of a talented cast and crew, many of whom are donating their time and talents or working on the cheap because they love the project. [You can donate to their Kickstarter here]
dapperQ: Roman rocks some amazing style on the series. How would you describe Roman’s style aesthetic?
Mars: When thinking about Roman’s style, we wanted to recall the style of gangsters and mafiosi in the movies — but we wanted it to feel current and queer. So it’s dark, and it’s expensive, and it’s a little flashy. All the women in Roman’s former crew dress almost exclusively in black and white — we wanted them to have a distinct style that A) looks fantastic and B) helps the viewer mentally associate them. It’s also an homage to The Warriors, with its various gangs and their uniforms.
Roman via Curve
dapperQ: Has it been a journey defining your own personal, off-camera style?
Mars: I’ve definitely seen a dramatic change in the way I dress in the 10 years since I came out. I know some people who feel really comfortable in women’s clothing and men’s clothing and everything in between, and I kind of admire that — I wish it matter less to me than it does. But for myself, I avoid really “feminine” looks but I’m also not (I think) super-butch. I like to think my style is pretty close to gay man. I shaved my head a few years ago, which I think makes some people think I’m much more butch than I am. I think the cut is elegant and spare — I think some people read it as extreme or radical or punk, but to me it’s really not any of those things.
Photo by Max Freeman
dapperQ: Have you experienced any challenges when it comes to dressing dapper queer?
Mars: I don’t really think that I have. Maybe it helps that I don’t have an office job, so I don’t often bump into ignorance every day. My colleagues and clients and friends are generally into the way I dress. I can’t remember the last time someone said something nasty about my style.
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