TVCH FORUMS HOME . JOIN . FAN CLUBS . ABOUT US . CONTACT . CHAT  
Bomis   Quick Links   TOPICS . TREE-VIEW . SEARCH . HELP! . NEWS . PROFILE
Archive through November 05, 2003

The TVClubHouse: Other Reality Shows: Archives for 2004-1: Average Joe- NBC: starts Nov 3rd.: Archive through November 05, 2003 users admin

Author Message
Enbwife

Tuesday, November 04, 2003 - 6:54 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Neil and I spent the whole hour riveted to the TV laughing our heads off!!! How cruel really to do that to the girl. In the beginning she was on a dream cloud talking about meeting her Prince Charming, then a cute guy gets out of the limo to tease her, then the bus pulls up... urghhhhh! Poor her. I was surprised at who she cut ... some of the more cuter looking guys. I agree they'll put in some hot bachelors to stir things up - those poor schmucks!

Curiouscat

Tuesday, November 04, 2003 - 7:07 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I'll be tuning in again. It'll be interesting to see each fellow's personality come out. This reminds me of The Frog Prince fairy tale. A sucessful man isn't necessarily a handsome man eg. Bill Gates.

Texannie

Tuesday, November 04, 2003 - 8:04 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Couple of observations.....
where the hell was Kathy Griffin? She talked to the Joe's and talked to her after she saw them, but then we never saw Kathy again. Is she being "Alex Mcleod'd"????
I thought it was very cruel and silly to have the "cute" guy drive up first..hey Melina, in case you can't tell this is cute, the next guys are ugly!!!
Zach was an ass..thought he was quitting.
The way the guys looked around at each other and then realized that they were all "not the prettiest" really broke my heart.
It was very uncomfortable listening to them talk to each other.
Didn't Melina look odd doing the goodbye ceremony all by herself???
I think the twist is bringing back the cute guy too..see..we wil get to see how shallow she is!

Mack

Tuesday, November 04, 2003 - 8:33 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
My wife and I tuned in....almost on a whim....and watched the whole show. What a mess! Would love to know exactly what was said to Melana or what they had to promise (pay?) her to get her back in the game. We couldn't help but notice a huge change in her attitude starting with shock and dismay to actually getting into it and, at least on the surface, enjoying the situation. You kind of hope she actually gave these guys a chance and indeed found a connection with some of them. The other side is that this is all a "hoax" supported by editing and directing.

Babyjaxmom

Tuesday, November 04, 2003 - 9:32 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Much to my surprise, it was my DH who wanted to watch this show! He was intrigued by the commercials. I haven't laughed so hard in a long time! The scene where Melana was talking about her king-size bed and the guy she was talking to freaked out and started going "La La La" (as in "I can't hear you") and poured the martini in his ear was too funny! DH and I laughed for about 5 minutes, and I actually cried!

These poor guys aren't used to getting attention from a beautiful girl and you could tell how thrilled they were just to be talking to a woman of her caliber. It was cute, but also kind of sad.

I felt for Melana. It was a cruel joke to pull on her when she thought she'd be meeting her "Prince Charming." I was glad she was able to compose herself (most women would have needed a few minutes--or more--to recover themselves) and really seemed to be a good sport with all the guys. She seemed to be enjoying herself and they were absolutely glowing from her attention.

I couldn't believe the PhD, Tareq, is only 21. I was astounded, though, that someone who obviously is so intelligent could only talk about vegetables when he had his one-on-one time. Apparently he, like the rest of the guys, was reduced to jello when it was his turn for individual time.

I expected this show to be a train wreck, but it was actually very entertaining. We'll be watching again next week!

Pbnj

Tuesday, November 04, 2003 - 9:58 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Cancunkid~~I noticed that bit about contestants being paid too....what I think is that the model looking prince charming that they so cruelly dangled in her face is the paid one....like he's an actor being paid AFTRA scale or something??

As funny as this show was, it is really sad underneath (don't mean to be a wet blanket but *I* wouldn't like being picked for a reality show because I'm a loser.....I noticed the looks of realization when they saw each other like 'yeah, we're the nerds'. Talk about Joe Schmoe....and then when the one BIG guy made the 'L' on his forehead, I was like, *ugh* poor guys. I want to just have fun with it but there is a level of cruelty to it like 'boy meets boy'.

Obviously, I have really mixed feelings about this because it IS fun BUT if Malena (sp) comes out of this with a romantic connection then it will be a really cool lesson in not judging that proverbial book by the cover :) I'd love it if by the time the twist happens (agreed it will probably be hot guys), she will realize that the ugly duckling is more fun and turn them down......I just hope the guys have fun with it.

Texannie

Tuesday, November 04, 2003 - 10:36 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I just didn't laugh at this show, it left me feeling very uncomfortable.

Realfan

Tuesday, November 04, 2003 - 10:57 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I'm also assuming the twist is maybe four more guys--all hunks.

Tom Shales is ridiculous in his article. Give me a break! I'm not watching to see people humiliated, but to see people learn to see.

Back to the show: Zack is a jerk. I hope she loses him soon. If the other guys all said he was, she should trust that. I was surprised she cut some of the better-looking guys. I also hope she cuts the fat one who made the nasty comment about having a one in eight chance of getting gorgeous "***" (bottom). UGH! Talk about objectifying women. Some men have no class.

I, too, noticed the splotchy complexions, especially on the one fat guy. Maybe they were denied stage makeup that some guys usually get on these shows? Or other guys just have better complexions. But why can't they SHAVE?? So many of them just looked sloppy. Haircuts and shaves would do a lot of good for some of them.

I really like two guys: The Toby McGuireish guy, and the quiet accountant geek he introduced her to who does the laundry. I don't know how much he'd have in common with her, though. For instance, she's obviously into exercise. Think most of these guys are? I doubt it.

Pbnj

Tuesday, November 04, 2003 - 11:25 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
y'know, this *could* be an awesome lesson in giving people a chance.....I really want it to end with everyone's eyes opened to the possibility that the so so looking guy/girl has a lot more going on than just looks. Let's face it, we're all going to age/sag and look just so so someday so those who 'get' that it's what's inside that counts are the winners IMO I really hope it turns out like that....that guys we wouldn't give the time of day to turn out to be cool......think a reality show could be that deep??? I dunno but I have hope :)

Sia

Tuesday, November 04, 2003 - 11:44 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Realfan, that's who I was trying to think of: the one guy reminds me of Tobey Mcguire (sp?!).

I was really confused by Melana's shipping off the cute, quiet, chiropractor. He didn't crowd in and drag her off to a corner to get some "one-on-one" time with her, but I'd certainly have kept him. I would have kept the policeman as well.

After reading the article that stated that Melana ran off crying after initially seeing the busload of misfits, I decided that she must have been offered a "twist" of some real hotties later in the show if she'd make for better TV by keeping the least-likely candidates around for at least the first few eliminations.

I was disgusted by the guy who said he wanted some gorgeous a$$. Just plain crude and not deserving of having a spot in a dating show. He's not a guy with a great personality with a mouth and an attitude like that. Who would say that on national TV about a woman he wanted to have fall in love with him? What a jerk!

Zach needs to be tied up and locked in a small, dark closet until the last episode. He's mean, arrogant, and thinks too much of himself. I wish to h@ll he'd been encouraged to walk off the show. Then Melana would only have had to choose three guys to leave.

Tishala

Tuesday, November 04, 2003 - 12:25 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
LOL. I loved Shales correcting the grammar of the NBC press release from "Prince Charmings" to "Princes Charming." He's a hoot.

i think he feels bad cause he knows he could be on the show, too

Watching2

Tuesday, November 04, 2003 - 12:58 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
<<i think he feels bad cause he knows he could be on the show, too>> Tishala

ROFLMAO!!!!!! Oh gawd.... that made me laugh harder than anything I've heard yet! hehehehehe

Texannie

Tuesday, November 04, 2003 - 2:11 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Tish..now..your comment made me laugh! LOL

Yankee_In_Ca

Tuesday, November 04, 2003 - 2:53 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
From NBC's Media Village website:

'AVERAGE JOE' SCORES WAY-ABOVE-AVERAGE PREMIERE NUMBERS
Published: November 4, 2003

THE HOT NEW REALITY SERIES JUMPS 45 PERCENT ABOVE NBC’S SLOT AVERAGE THIS SEASON AND GRABS THE NETWORK’S BEST REGULAR-PROGRAM IN-SEASON RATING IN THE HOUR SINCE MAY 2002

‘AVERAGE JOE’ ACHIEVES THE HIGHEST 18-49 RATING FOR A REALITY SERIES PREMIERE SINCE LAST JANUARY’S ‘JOE MILLIONAIRE’

BURBANK, Calif. -- November 4, 2003 -- NBC’s hot new reality series “Average Joe” got off to a way-above-average start last night, improving by 45 percent on the network’s adult 18-49 average in the time period so far this season. It’s NBC’s highest in-season rating with regular programming in that hour since May 2002 and the highest result for a reality-show series premiere on any network since January 2003.

NBC also romped at 8 p.m. ET last night, as “Fear Factor” scored its highest regular-slot rating since March 24, and at 9 p.m. ET, as the season’s #1 new drama in 18-49, “Las Vegas,” hit its highest regular-slot rating to date.

According to preliminary “fast affiliate-based” in-home viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research, the 10-11 p.m. ET premiere of “Average Joe” (5.8 rating, 15 share among adults 18-49, 11.1 million viewers overall) grabbed the highest 18-49 rating for a reality series premiere since Fox’s “Joe Millionare” bowed on Jan. 6, 2003.

Last night’s “Average Joe” achieved NBC’s highest rating in that time period this season and highest for regular in-season programming since May 13, 2002 (“Crossing Jordan” season finale). “Average Joe” won the highly competitive hour among adults 18-34 and women 18-34 (pending Nielsen updates of these provisional results). From its first half-hour to its second, “Average Joe” built its 18-49 rating by 0.7 of a point (to a 6.1/16 from a 5.4/13).

The 5.8 rating for “Average Joe” is a big gain over both NBC’s average 4.0 in the hour this season and 4.5 last season.

The only two new series to premiere this fall with higher 18-49 ratings than last night’s “Average Joe” were shows that benefitted from much higher lead-ins, NBC’s “Coupling” and CBS’ “Two and a Half Men.”

[continued, but edited b/c off topic...]

Curiouscat

Tuesday, November 04, 2003 - 3:36 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
When Melina composed herself, I think she put her best "beauty pageant" smile on. I have my doubts she was really genuine with the fellows.

I, too, believe some of the guys got sunburnt because they didn't look tanned when they first showed up, so they got fried playing around the pool that day.

I was also surprised by her voting off the chiropractor, but first impressions are important, and he didn't take the time to give one to her. I thought with him being voted off, the PHD guy was going to go too. May be he has a dry sense of humour with the broccoli comment though.

Yankee_In_Ca

Tuesday, November 04, 2003 - 4:01 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I thought the redness was from drinking. I used to have a partner who ... how should I say this ... retained water a bit (!)... and when he drank his nose and upper cheeks went really red like lots of those guys.

Hippyt

Tuesday, November 04, 2003 - 4:56 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Yankee, I think it was a combo of both the sun and the alcohol. These poor guys really needed some sunscreen!

Realfan

Tuesday, November 04, 2003 - 6:12 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Well, isn't this interesting. According to another site, Dennis L., our laundry boy, is an actor more than an accountant.

Check him out. If this is really him (and it must be-- notice he has a degree in accounting and is a hula hoop expert!), he's not nearly as nerdy as he appears.

http://killerreel.com/dennis_luciani/dennis_luciani.html

Maybe the show will end with a "makeover" showing how good her pick looks (or how "love" transformed him!). Not that I don't think he was picked cuz he's nerdy. He's hardly famous, and like many of these reality show people, he's looking for his big break. But I wonder how much is the real him.

Yankee_In_Ca

Tuesday, November 04, 2003 - 6:28 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
That's definitely him. Interesting. Not sure what to make of it, but it's interesting...

Gina8642

Tuesday, November 04, 2003 - 6:30 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I turn into a tomato if I drink, get sun, or get nervous. These men were doing all three - so I'm not suprised they were red. However - where was the make-up and good lighting? And whoever mentioned shaving was right. Boys meet razor - you will look better. Also - these guys weren't dressed terribly well. I remember Erin B. from FLOM saying she didn't wear her own clothes on the show - they were dressed. So, either the dressers on this show picked out poor clothes, or these guys are wearing their own clothes. Either way - it looks bad. What looks good (or even ok) in 'real life' can look hideous on camera. The show seems to be going out of their way to make these guys look bad.

That said - I don't think this show is as mean spirited at Boy meets Boy. There is an element of it here, but it is more subtle than in Boy. Melena is very charming and gracious and seemed to be having a ball as the center of attention - it took all edge off of it for me. I was more put off by some of the icky comments from guys than anything Melena said.

Keepers

Tuesday, November 04, 2003 - 7:09 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Article from www.indystar.com:

'Average Jay' among reality show's 16 'Joes'

By Will Higgins
will.higgins@indystar.com
November 3, 2003

Jay Greenberg's mother taught him early on how to laugh at himself.

It's a good thing.

Greenberg, 34, a native of Indianapolis, is about to become famous. He's among the males on the latest reality dating TV show. It's called "Average Joe," and its premise is: the female is gorgeous, and her suitors -- there are 16 of them -- aren't.

Is the joke on the woman?

Or is the joke on the men?

It's not yet clear. The first episode airs tonight (10 p.m., WTHR ). The show runs for six weeks.

Greenberg, a graduate of North Central High School, didn't know what he was getting into at first. He thought he was auditioning for a new TV show called "Life of the Party." That's what the "Average Joe" producers told him. "Life of the Party" seemed a reachable and worthy objective. Greenberg is personable -- he can tell a joke.

Secretly, the producers had something else in mind. The true aim of the auditions, said producer Andrew Glassman, was to lure "the guys in high school who never got the date with the hot cheerleader."

The show's first joke is this: The female, whose name is Melana Scantlin and whose resume includes Kansas City Chiefs cheerleader and Miss Missouri, doesn't know the real premise. She assumes her fellows are typical reality-show fare -- good-looking. She is standing outside a rented house when the bus pulls up and apparently, as the men exit the bus, the look on her face is priceless. " 'Alarmed' is a good word," says Glassman. "Very confused, I think, and with a degree of honest disappointment and shock."

" . . . Melana must decide how to proceed with the motley crew assembled before her," says an NBC news release hyping the show.

Hoosiers must be very average -- David Lopez of Gary also is one of the 16 "Joes."

Greenberg, who is 5'1" and 250 pounds, mulls "motley" for a moment and says: "I don't think that's far from the truth, really. I'm not sure if it's NBC that did the casting; I think it was P.T. Barnum."

A lot of Greenberg's conversation calls for a rimshot. Following a divorce, he moved to Los Angeles 18 months ago to get into acting and stand-up comedy, to "become famous." He got a job with National Lampoon Inc., which no longer publishes a magazine but recently did produce a made-for-TV movie, "Christmas Vacation 2." Greenberg got a small part in it.

He wants more, and for sheer exposure, "Average Joe" could be a big opportunity.

"When you get a shot to be on TV, most people take it," says Greenberg's longtime hometown friend Pat Brickley, "even though I'd say that, with Melana, Jay's batting out of his league."

"Hey, wait a minute," says Greenberg. "The only types of girls I date look like her. But I've been on only one date in the last 10 years." (Bada bing.)

Greenberg has a son, Matt, from his marriage. Matt is 8, and Greenberg visits him often. He was in town over the weekend to take the boy trick-or-treating. He has no qualms about letting Matt watch the old man go courting, beauty-and-the-beast style.

"I'm not ashamed of most of the things I did on the show," he says.

Glassman, one of two executive producers who conceived of "Average Joe," talks about Greenberg's naked belly-flop into a pool and says it's all in fun.

In an interview, he warily started to describe himself -- "I'm 5'10", I weigh 180" -- but changed course: "The looks of the producers is not material."

Greenberg, on the other hand, did not hesitate to describe himself: "Me, I look like Shrek."

Curiouscat

Tuesday, November 04, 2003 - 7:16 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Not only Dennis, but also John, the assistant director, seems to be "geeking" himself up for the show. When he took off his thick rimmed glasses, he didn't look nerdish at all to me.

Talking about clothes, Tareq (sp.?) looked good in his suit with pale pink tie. Melana did compliment him on what he was wearing. It didn't seem the others were dressing to impress at all.

Rslover

Wednesday, November 05, 2003 - 9:08 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I had said that the guy in the commercial was cute and he (Tariq) turns out to be the smartest (professor at 21, going for his doctorate)too, and ironically the most mature (for being the youngest). Then to my amazement, I see he lives in my neighborhood! No, I don't know him. But, I was very disappointed to see him talking to Melana with his arms crossed (bad body language). Asking about broccoli? Maybe, it was taken out of context.

Dee

Wednesday, November 05, 2003 - 10:54 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Could be Rslover... maybe he started off talking about cauliflower!

Eliz87

Wednesday, November 05, 2003 - 11:33 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Realfan, thank you for the link! These actors are just all over the place on these "reality" shows. As far as the way he looks in those pictures, that just once again goes to prove how wonderful anyone can look with the right lighting and makeup. Now...where can I find a good photographer?? lol