LAST EDITED ON 08-02-05 AT 09:25 PM (EST)LAST EDITED ON 08-02-05 AT 09:02 PM (EST)
LAST EDITED ON 08-02-05 AT 08:59 PM (EST)
I didn't realize it until I checked my contract, but I'm apparently obligated to be Nathan's lackey now that he's the winner. And Nathan wanted this thread, so here it is, despite how uninteresting most of our lives are. I'll also rant a little and give some opinions. Cuz that's how I roll.
I, Jason, the skinny one, am about to begin my third year at University of Georgia Law School. Since the show, I went back to school, spent the summer working at a law firm, and little else. I'm still single, as always, but for the first time interested in dating.
Average Joe changed my life, but not in the corny way you usually hear about. Rather, I've turned my diet around 180 degrees (after some basic cooking lessons from Arthur): given up the fastfood, t.v. dinners, and sugars that I was raised on, and replaced them with a small fortune in protein powders and meal replacement bars (when you're as much a hardgainer as I am, "eating a sandwich" doesn't do the job; I've probably spent a grand just in tubs of powder and bars). I go to the gym regularly (Nathan gets a real kick out of that) and am up to 146 lbs from the 125 I weighed on the show, while dropping my body fat a couple percentage points. I'm still skinny as hell, but closing in on normalcy. If I can figure out a way to grow a few inches, I'll go get my teeth bleached and a haircut that costs more than $10 and come back as a hunk in Average Joe 5.
And since Nathan gets to clear the air a little, so now shall I. I'm not as naive with dating as it seemed, but that's what the producers wanted, so that's what I gave them. Truth is, they asked me about my dating history, I told them I had none, they assumed it was because I was a sweet quiet kid always concentrating on my studies, and to get on the show, I let them believe that. We were on the bus to the mansion for about an hour before the casting director said "Jason, you're NOT AT ALL like what I thought you were..." Having seen that on all these shows, contestants make it further than seems logical (see: Dante), I assumed the producers had some say in who stayed and went, so put on the innocence just a little; in all other areas, I was myself.
I also feel I was one of the best players at dodgeball, despite what made t.v. There was one game where I knocked out five hunks, including winning the game by hitting Craig in a one-on-one at the end; I was extremely proud of that, and wish it'd have made the air. I'd have rated myself third best after Clay and Greg (who had a cannon for an arm). I have about two months of wrestling experience from way back when, and legitimately took Josh down.
I think Anna was a sweetheart and wish people wouldn't give her the hard time I've seen around the net. Truth be told, I wasn't really attracted to her (I live in Athens, GA - if you've ever been here, you'd know I'm spoiled by a town full of ridiculously cute girls; it's funny how all my friends outside of Athens thought she was hot, but all my friends in Athens thought she was so-so). As I told my friends, I thought she was cute, but not "I should be competing for her on national television" beautiful. I never caught anything that we had in common. One of the first things she told me was that she hates football and doesn't care for most other sports - that about ended any possibility right there; I live for sports. But I was having a great time and am uber-competitive, so I wasn't about to leave on my own. It was all about eating well, drinking, not working, hanging out with some really cool guys, and spending a little time with a girl who was really sweet and fun.
And after all the time I spent out there and three weeks on the show, this is the only mention I got outside of sites like this, and that was after some self-promotion and a little rear-end-kissing, in an article by a sports-writer I like who ruminated on Average Joe each week.
http://msn.foxsports.com/cycling/story/3852476That good enough for you, Nate? Any questions?
Jason! Thanks for letting us know how you are!You have been kind enough to drop by and give us your opinions occasionally and we appreciate it. You've got some great snark, there. Please feel free to rant.
It's great that you're keeping up with what you wanted to do in the first place and didn't get diverted.
As far as questions go...
1. The night that the hunks showed up and C&M trashed the Joes' rooms...what really happened and how long did that actually take?
2. How many games of dodgeball were there and what was the final tally?
3. Why are there never trivia challenges or puzzles or something? What does it say about the producers that the challenge intended to give the Joes the advantage is an eating contest? OK, don't answer that. I'm pretty sure I know the answer already.
4. What's the worst part about living in a house with a whole load of cameras recording stuff all the time? Is there a best part?
Oh, and here is some *lvoe* for you, since I failed to adequately express that before.
No, that's not a typo; it's a peculiarity of these boards. *shrug*
So have you seen the Off-Topic Sports Forum?
1. Heck if I know - I was upstairs meeting some of the new guys. But it seemed to go down just as it did on t.v., only with Carson even more pissed off and a lot more cursing.2. Best of seven, they won 4-1. Massacred the first game because they all outran us to the balls. Josh then gave himself up the next few games, running up, getting creamed, and passing balls back, and we held our own for most of the rest of the games.
3. I wish there had been some trivia challenges - finally would have given me a chance to stand out. But tests don't make good t.v., I reckon.
4. Worst part of living in the house was no t.v. or internet or phone - as a sports fan during baseball season and football preseason, this was tough for me. I had no problem with the cameras being on all the time. The cameras didn't change how I acted. I said a few things that I'm thrilled didn't make t.v., but wouldn't have been too big a deal if it had. Best part was the food and drinks and not working all day.
Thanks for the love.
Hi Jason, there are two types of Average Joes:1. The typical normal, regular guy. Decent looking, but not model gorgeous; decent build, not steroid filled six pack abs freak.
2. Societally challenged, strange looking, and either a glandular problem, bad breath, scabies, or all three.
I thought it was pretty obvious you were the first type.
Also, I think many of us here really liked Anna and thought she was sweet. I'm pretty certain I watched the show more closely than MOST posters, since I summarized two episodes (which means I watched them about four times!). I REALLY liked Anna and had a tough time finding a way to bash her.
Hope you stick around and answer questions that will give us insight to the whole Reality TV process, and if you have time, you might enjoy chiming in as just a poster instead of a former reality TV star.
Thanks, Icey!
Thank you for the update, Jason. Do you have any new pictures of you somewhere online that we can see?It seems like you are happy and you're having a good time. Congratulations.
Best wishes,
Tara
LAST EDITED ON 08-04-05 AT 09:45 AM (EST)Another great guy cast on this show. Thanks Jason for being here to let us know what really went on and giving us insight.
Let me offer you some encouragement (although you sound like a confident guy). I was like you about being skinny and never gaining weight no matter what I did. I am now in my late 30's and I can tell you this. I was 6' 3" 145 most for most of my early 20's. Now I am 6' 3" and 185. As you get older you will naturally gain weight. I tried those darn protien drinks but they are SO expensive. You'll put the weight on soon. Just don't go overboard one day it will catch up with you.
Oh, yeah and ignore other boards like NBC. They are not monitored like this board is. A lot of those people just like to bash people because they are losers in life. Some of them are like teen age kids an d the maturity is very low on some other boards. Funny thing is they should have a show with you Average Joes competing against those morons for the girl. You guys would win.
Anyways, good luck in you career in law and keep in touch.
LAST EDITED ON 08-04-05 AT 10:51 AM (EST)LAST EDITED ON 08-04-05 AT 10:49 AM (EST)
Jason, interesting comment on Dante. I don't care if you are an underdog or not you can't tolerate someone with such poor hygiene and obnoxious social skills. Some people really need to get a clue and quit playing up the "nobody ever loved me angle". I used worked with a guy who would come over and sit at your desk and eat a bowl of cereal being as gross as possible. He, by the way, was 45 and never dated.
The thing that bugs me about AJ is that they picked some truely average dudes, (I mean that only in the pinup model sense) like Arthur, Josh, and yourelf, and add in those guys who were way below the bar with Dante and Igor. A few of the hunks were pretty average in my opinion also.
In my opinion it is good casting and if you think about it Dante was good casting. I have hinted at it before - it is apparent that the producers of this show keep the most interesting guys around a little longer. Remember David Daschal???? It has happened in past episodes where you can't fanthom the girl keeping someone around and they are there almost to the end. I am sure there are certain guys that the producers tell the girl that she has to keep up til a certain point. Dante is a great guy and I am sure he is right for someone but never in a million years would someone like Anna and him hook up. It's not a 'prejudice' thing either. People with like personailities are more likely to be attracted to each other.
Daschal was actually an actor wasn't he? I thought he was mainly performing a role but I may be wrong about that.
I saw him as a extra in a couple of movies,David Daschal
I saw him for like half a second at the beginning of Mean Girls.
LAST EDITED ON 08-04-05 AT 10:58 PM (EST)I did not know he was an actor. So I had a look around.
David's imdb.com listing:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1542353/
So how many Joes were actors this time around? I'm going to guess at least 2, maybe 3.
Damian, profession listed as "Professional Fundraiser".
Chuck, profession listed as "Waiter".How about the other waiter? Dante?
Hey RavenChant! Did I say "Welcome" to you yet? Saw you in OT too. Hi!
>LAST EDITED ON 08-04-05
>AT 10:58 PM (EST)
>
>I did not know he was
>an actor. So I
>had a look around.
>
>David's imdb.com listing:
>
>http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1542353/
>
>So how many Joes were actors
>this time around? I'm
>going to guess at least
>2, maybe 3.
>
>Damian, profession listed as "Professional Fundraiser".
>
>Chuck, profession listed as "Waiter".
>
>How about the other waiter? Dante?
>
>
>
>Hey RavenChant! Did
>I say "Welcome" to you
>yet? Saw you in
>OT too. Hi!
>
What about Rocky?--Donna :~)
There were a few, but I don't think I'm going to answer that question - I don't want y'all thinking people were acting when they weren't.
Its true that a handful of us on this season are actors. But by actors, I mean, we do have blip scenes on TV or in movies and we score the occaisional commercial, but nobody (really, NOBODY) could live off of what we make in that capacity. We're actors, but we're unsuccessful, probably kind of crummy actors. Good actors wouldn't be seen on a show that shows off so much of you as an actual person, it ruins your image range, even if you do become more popular as a trade-off. For example, if Arthur got a role as Michael Keaton's long-lost brother in a movie (which is a movie I actually would watch, incidentially), it would be harder for people to disassociate Arthur's character with the real Arthur. (Unless of course, Michael Keaton's brother in the movie happens to talk and act just like Arthur, in which case I REALLY want to see this movie, just for the karaoke scenes).I'm actually being too harsh on us, but to address your comment, the careers we listed really ARE what we do. Until something better comes along. Hope that clears things up a bit.
Damian
Oh, and Jason, did you ever confess that the chocolates you gave Anna were actually leftover wedding favors from like a year before? That was hilarious!
Thank-you, damian! I was curious, so I asked.In fact, I had written a whole blurb about how those "Before They Were Stars" shows always have a few clips of now-famous actors on "The Dating Game", "Wheel of Fortune" or "Hollywood Squares". Reality show = game show.
I wish I could remember what I wrote...but then I deleted it because the post was getting long and I do tend to run on at the keyboard.
My deleted point was that this is nothing new.
Average Joe Meets HollywoodNEW YORK (AP) -- NBC and Fremantle Media announced today that the movie "Average Joe: The Later Years" will start shooting this fall at the new Tribeca Film Studio.
The cast is made up of all reality stars from all seasons of the popular reality dating show, except for one cast member. Gary Keaton, long-lost brother of actor Michael Keaton, will play the role of Arthur Apicella (from NBC's Average Joe: The Joes Strike Back).
In an interview Thursday on syndicated TV show "Access Hollywood," the 55-year-old brother of Mr. Mom and Batman said, "When I met Arthur at a karaoke bar in NY and heard him sing Sinatra's "She Shot Me Down", I immediately called Robert Dinero and my brother Michael Keaton and told them we need to make a movie."
He added, "The world needs to see where these guys could wind up in let's say, 20 years."
Apicella, when asked why he was not cast in the movie, said "it would take away from his karaoke adventures", a pasttime he loves.
That's to bad that Aurhtur himself isn't in the show. He was one of my favorites. Hope you keep enjoying the karaoke Arthur.
HAHAHAHA!!!Great one, Arthur. "She Shot Me Down" was the best song Sonny Bono ever wrote, which is not saying much, but I digress.
D.
He called Robert De Niro? I take it he's going to play Gino? Does that mean Elijah Wood is coming in to play me?And the chocolate wasn't a YEAR old... only two months.
LAST EDITED ON 08-08-05 AT 09:55 PM (EST)Its a year old NOW. You don't really think she ate that shite, do you, Elijah?
Well sure, everything that was on the show is a year old NOW. It got me through the first cut, she ate it, and she loved every bit of it.
>Well sure, everything that was on
>the show is a year
>old NOW. It got me
>through the first cut, she
>ate it, and she loved
>every bit of it.
>I figured SOMETHING got you through it. You're overwhelmingly humble modesty wasn't enough for her, I guess. You could have just taught her how to hack your way into the nbc voting site, I know the rest of us sure were impressed.
Hacking? What am I, in Mensa? Don't hate the player, hate the game. I'm sorry that you ended up in twelfth, but I don't know jack about computers, no hacking took place, and I voted one time, so you can't claim I drove up the scores.
Whoa. Those steroids must be kicking in. Just having some fun, bro. But its nice to know that you keep track of everybody's ranking on the boards. Stay busy with it.Hate? No hate from this side. A lot of others claim you drove up the scores. Hate the message, not the messenger. And for not knowing jack about computers, you seem to post on them quite easily. You might be Mensa yet.
All the best,
D.
LAST EDITED ON 08-18-05 AT 11:10 PM (EST)Mensa's really gone downhill when the ability to point, click, and type can get you in. I can google too - think they'll make me president?
Sorry, I didn't realize that a group of reality board hackers broke into your account and made that claim. My bad.
LAST EDITED ON 08-19-05 AT 09:18 AM (EST)You may be on to something here. Maybe they are the same "group of hackers" that illegally jacked up your NBC score. Next, you'll be out with O.J. looking for "the real killers". Good luck with all of that. Worthy endeavors, all.
Apology accepted. But really, theres no reason to be sorry, you can't help being so cognitivly limited. You have other abilities to focus on, like web-forum harrassment, which you have a real future in, if you keep applying yourself. You might want to tend to your paranoia-based defense mechanism, though. It kind of makes you look like a schmuck.
Happy Googling!
For someone who's quick to point out how smart he is, you sure do a poor job of exhibiting it in your posts. But you have other abilities to focus on, like "professional fundraising" (in GA, we tend to just call it "panhandling"). Last time I checked, you came into my thread to talk smack. So maybe you should stop posting here and go back to starting anonymous threads about how awesome you are.
For someone who's quick to point out how smart he is, you sure do a poor job of exhibiting it in your posts. But you have other abilities to focus on, like "professional fundraising" (in GA, we tend to just call it "panhandling"). Last time I checked, you came into my thread to talk smack. So maybe you should stop posting here and go back to starting anonymous threads about how awesome you are.LawSchool, I presume that you are smart enough to read and understand the complete guidelines for this site -- especially the part about bashing other posters. FWIW, reality-show contestants are fair game for bashing in their role as reality-show contestants, but not in their role as posters on this site.
If you continue to bash other posters, your account to post here will be suspended.
LAST EDITED ON 08-19-05 AT 06:01 PM (EST)I have read the guidelines, Aya, and it says no personal attacks. Anything in my post that could be considered a personal attack is only in response to in an earlier personal attack.
Nathan asked me to start a thread saying what I was up to. I did. People asked me questions. I answered them. That was the purpose of this thread, not to have someone I don't know come on to make lame accusations and call me a shmuck. I did not see a rule that says I cannot ask someone to stop posting in a thread I started - obviously he doesn't have to, but I made the suggestion because I don't appreciate being bashed. If he stops posting in the thread or being rude, then there won't be any further problems; I have better things to do than fight on the internet. I have even less interest in web drama than does my mama.
I do apologize to you, Aya, for breaking the rules of your forums.
Thank you, AyaK for following up on this.
Stop acting like a little girl Dam, you sissy.
D....I think you are taking this thread a little too seriously BRO!
Thanks for the update, Jason.Glad to hear you are doing well, and that the show was a positive experience for you.
She nice, the Syren.
LAST EDITED ON 08-04-05 AT 07:43 PM (EST)LAST EDITED ON 08-04-05 AT 07:40 PM (EST)
Trust me, the last thing I worry about is what people I've never met and have only seen me on t.v. think about me. I'm about as sensitive as a brick when it comes to criticism. I came across one board before the show even started that said I was skinny, looked like jailbait, had gross teeth, and some other stuff - I pretty much just agreed and went on with my business. And I don't mind looking so young for my age - it should come in handy a few years down the line. But dang - 6'3, 145? That's a frame that was just begging for you to put on some pounds. The men in my family have a history of being really skinny and then putting on weight too, but only because of the massive amounts of beer they drink - I thought I might take a different approach.
No, I don't have any recent pictures. I'm either uglier than I like to believe or not at all photogenic - either way, I don't care to have my picture taken.
And I agree - obviously there are the people brought on that are average, the people brought on for entertainment value, and in this case, in my opinion, Josh was the ringer that they thought might win the show. I knew him for about ten minutes before I figured he was the guy to beat.
By the way, since Nathan gets to promote all his artwork all the time, if any of you are lawyers or are married to lawyers, put in a good word for an average Joe. I'm not just a reality t.v. superstar; I'm also pretty darn good at this whole law thing.
My brother is a lawyer in Phoenix Arizona,he is doing really well.Good luck with law school and passing the bars.
LAST EDITED ON 08-10-05 AT 01:45 PM (EST)I know there are several on the boards that work in the law field in some way...I can recall several people mentioning that watching "The Law Firm" might be too much of a busman's holiday for them. Who knows?...maybe you'll make a pretty good connection with someone. When you are talking to people from all walks of life and lots of different locations, networking is just the smart thing to do. Good luck to you.
Edited to Add: I have a feeling that you may get some CLIENTS out of being here...some seem to be the type to need a lawyer in a few years.
I don't know about it being a holiday, because just as a student, watching that show is incredibly frustrating. On the other hand, it also gives me a lot of confidence - if people that have been lawyers for as long as some of the contestants can be so unbelievably bad at what they do, I shouldn't have too much trouble.
Hey this is Jessica. My first posting to this site. It is funny I came across it since I am sitting here watching it right now. It is the episode where they went on the yacht for the first group date. From what I have seen so far I think you seem like a real down to earth guy and I think you really sold your self short from what I have read through these posts. I think it is fabulous that you have continued to be who you are and continued to follow your dreams. Take care and I do hope to see a post from you again soon.
Toodles
Jessica
Toodles