Nia Peeples Five nights a week she's TV's Party Machine. In her free time she makes records and movies. What does "Nia" mean? It's short for Verinia. My parents got the name from Jean Simmon's Character in Spartacus. When did you first know you wanted to be a performer? I Knew there was something special about me when I was in kindergarden, because i was asked to teach math to 3rd graders. It wasn't because I was so intelligent, but because I had a real love for people. What was it like working with Janet Jackson on the TV show Fame? Janet was polite but kept very much to herself. I'm glad to see that she's come out of her shell. When I first met her I wasn't aware that she was from the Jackson family. God I was so stupid not to know. What Qualifications do you need to be a good dance-show host? I think Arsenio Hall called me to host Party Machine because I've been involved in both music and television. There's a hip edge to me because I'm a recording artist, and I have the ability to transfer that hipness to television. How did you meeet Arsenio? He says we met at a Jeffrey Osborne concert, but I don't remember meeting him. Do you practice Stanislavskian warmup techniques before each show? No. All I have to do is be spontaneous, really open myself, and allow the energy to flow. Do you have a motercycle? I have a 1987 black-and-purple Harley Sportster. I don't take it out much because the clutch is to big for my hand. What were the last LPs you played? Quincy Jones and Heart. What are your guilty pleasures? I love lingerie, but I don't feel bad about that. I wear garters, that kind of stuff. Not on the outside, because wearing it underneath ia much sexier. Would you ever appear on your show in a rubber bra and fishnets? Well, I like to leave something to the imagination. To me that's sexier. Would you ever make a video on the order of "Justify My Love"? Never. That's soft pornography. Madonna says she has the right to do anything she wants as long as it's between consenting adults. if she wants to share it with everbody else, thats her business. Will any of the songs on your next album have sexually explicit lyrics? No. My opinions might be offensive, but my words aren't. I've already written and recorded two songs with Pat leonard, and now were trying to cook up the rest. What did he tell you about Madonna? He said she can write and record a song in four hours. Nothing takes longer than that. Tell me about your new film. It's a romantic comedy called I Don't Buy Kisses Anymore. It's the first script thats come accross my desk in ages that isn't full of T and A. Do guys hit on you now? Well, the guys who do aren't just anybody. Actually, when you're a celebrity and other celebrities hit on you, it's just the same old thing in a different way. But I never take it for granted that people are hitting on me. I always think people are just being nice. Can you recite any poetry by heart? "I've been lonely, I've been waiting for you, I'm pretending, and thats all I can do, the love I'm sending ain't making it through to your heart." That's very pretty. Who wrote that? Heart.

Interview by Lance Loud.

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