Archive through February 17, 2003
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TV ClubHouse: Archive: Joe Millionaire: Archive through February 17, 2003

Pamy

Saturday, February 15, 2003 - 01:40 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I really think the twist will be that Zora is worth over a million because in a preview it looks like Evan is shocked

Babyjaxmom

Saturday, February 15, 2003 - 05:16 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I have a terrible feeling that the "shocking twist" is not going to be so very shocking, and we'll all be here after the show next week ranting about how we've all, once again, been deceived by Fox TV.

Puttergirl, LOL! Zora (or is it Sarah?) is having Paul's love child!

Surealityjunkie

Saturday, February 15, 2003 - 06:43 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Don't quite know how I found this article, but I thought it was very interesting and shed a little light on who Zora is. She seems to be a very well liked lady... :)

The link:

http://www.nj.com/tv/ledger/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-0/1045293406208760.xml

The article:

In Lambertville with 'Joe Millionaire's' girl nex tdoor

Saturday, February 15, 2003

BY MATTHEW J. DOWLING
Star-Ledger Staff

Inside Bell's Tavern in Lambertville, the mark of Zora is etched on the small chalkboard above the hostess station. It simply says "Go Zora."

The travails of 29-year-old Lambertville beauty Zora Andrich on Fox's latest mega-hit reality show "Joe Millionaire" has set this tiny Delaware River town abuzz, particularly at Bell's where she was a regular.


"Everybody is supporting her," said Pam Anderson, the barkeep at Bell's Tavern. "She should win. She's beautiful. When she walks in here, everybody's head turns."

Andrich lives above the cozy but classy neighborhood bar and restaurant located on a Lambertville side street, though potential suitors should be advised she is currently nowhere to be found.

Andrich returned a few weeks ago after taping ended for the show, but has since been whisked away to avoid media intrusions and other unwelcome contact as the show reaches its climax Monday night with faux millionaire bachelor Evan Marriott making his selection.

"When she got back, she was really being hounded," said Lynda Kadezabek, a longtime waitress at Bell's Tavern. "She was getting flowers and telephone calls. One of the cards said, 'If you want a real date, call me.' I don't think she expected it to be as big as it was."

Andrich is well known throughout the town and the neighboring community across the river of New Hope, Pa. She has worked as a substitute teacher at South Hunterdon Regional High School, as a sales representative at a Lambertville gym and at several local bars.

"She subbed in my school when I was in eighth-grade," said Toni Antenna, 16, of Lambertville, who also waits tables at Bell's. "It's an extremely small school. The guys were always asking if she was working."

Count Kadezabek and Antenna among Andrich's biggest supporters. Kadezabek brought a copy of last week's show to Bell's Tavern on Wednesday evening in case any of her coworkers missed the episode, which recapped the entire selection process.

"She's a down-to-earth, great person," Kadezabek said. "She's not phony, she's not pretentious. She's even more beautiful in person."

Kadezabek said she believes Andrich got involved with the "Joe Millionaire" show through an agent. Andrich has been trying to jump-start her modeling career, she said.

Kadezabek admits she has mixed feelings about whether she wants Andrich to "win." The premise of the show, which draws viewers from more than 12 million households each week, is to fool the 20 contestants into vying for the affections of Marriott, who they believe recently inherited $50 million.

Tomorrow's season finale is expected to feature Marriott's selection between Andrich and the other finalist, Sarah Kozer, from Los Angeles. Then the lie -- in true Fox fashion -- will be revealed.

Fans of the show are quick to point out that Andrich separated herself from the pack by being less interested in talking about Marriott's non-existent bank account. And she shied away from making overt sexual advances toward Marriott to curry favor.

Andrich is originally from Boulder, Colo., where she was the homecoming queen of her high school class in 1991. She received a bachelor's degree in sociology from Rutgers University in 1997 and has worked as an aide for at least two elderly people.

People who know her say that the way she has been portrayed on the show is a good representation of her in real life.

"Personally we think she's going to win because she doesn't care about the money," said Kira L., a waitress at Havana, a trendy nightclub and restaurant across the river from Lambertville in New Hope, Pa. "She's a nice girl."

Andrich was among the Tanqueray girls who worked the steamy Havana crowd during summer promotions for the liquor company, according to Havana bartender Danielle Papendick.

Papendick admitted she's addicted to "Joe Millionaire" and has reveled in the wild rumors that have resulted from the show, which promises a shocking ending.

"I heard on the radio that the twist is Zora is the millionaire," Papendick said laughing. "I thought, 'Oh my god, no way.'"

Despite some of the obviously false rumors about the show, Papendick said she can't resist chatting about the impending finish with her customers -- an obvious part of the show's lure.

"I can't help it, I can't help gossiping," Papendick said, pondering for a moment before offering her own juicy tidbit on why she thinks Andrich doesn't wind up with Marriott -- win or lose. "Somebody who's in here a lot is supposed to be her boyfriend, but don't quote me on that."


Matthew J. Dowling can be reached at mdowling@starledger.com or (908) 429-9925.


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Copyright 2003 The Star-Ledger. Used by NJ.com with permission.

Surealityjunkie

Saturday, February 15, 2003 - 07:00 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I am on a roll tonight... :) This is a "things that make you go hmmmmm" article. You'll see what I mean when you finish. :)

The link:

http://www.canoe.ca/Television/feb15_joe-sun.html

The article:

Saturday, February 15, 2003

Joe's lost Mojo

By KEVIN WILLIAMSON -- Calgary Sun

She's thrilled Joe Millionaire lost his Mojo.

Melissa Jo (Mojo) Hunter -- one of 20 women who vied for the affections of Evan Marriott a.k.a. Joe Millionaire -- says she didn't learn the prince is really a pauper until she saw an advertisement for the hit reality series.

And her reaction was?

"I just laughed hysterically," says Hunter, who was the fourth last to go. "I just thank Evan for getting me out of that situation of being the last girl standing."

As die-hard fans and casual TV viewers alike know, "the last girl standing" is the lucky (or unlucky) gal who Marriott picks and is then informed the dashing millionaire is really a $20,000-a-year construction worker. The two-hour finale airs Monday 9 p.m. on W.

"I would have dated Evan regardless, but it's hard to have a successful relationship when it's based on a lie. Evan is a great guy. Maybe something could've happened."

And maybe it has. The two have recently been seen together in Indianapolis. Asked what the status of their relationship is, all Hunter will say is: "I don't think I can disclose that."

Hunter landed on Joe Millionaire after responding to a casting call for actresses who wanted to find romance in an exotic locale. Once there, producers told them Marriott had just inherited $50 million. Hunter says she and some of the other women were suspicious of Marriott's finances all along.

"Some girls are smarter than others," Hunter says, citing how little business know-how Marriott had.

"I thought if he'd already inherited $50 million, he'd have some kind of idea what kind of businesses he'd want to start. Even terms like 'venture capital' you'd think he'd know more than he did. Evan is extremely funny. He's a great person to be around. The only difference between us, the thing that might have caused us problems, is that I think I'm a little more ambitious. And when I tried to talk business with the guy, he didn't understand what I was saying."

Hunter -- called "a dark-haired temptress" on fan websites -- was ditched after "the hat incident," in which her wide-brimmed monstrosity kept knocking Marriott's noggin.

"If Evan had just asked me to take it off, I would have," she says. "I can't believe it was that much of a spectacle. All he had to do is ask me to take it off."

Still, Hunter can take comfort in not being outed as a foot-fetish film star as Sarah Kozer was.

"And she had the nerve to call me a name on national TV. Now look who's talking. Some people can be nice to your face and then something else behind closed doors."

Of course, being dumped did wonders for another reality-TV rejectee. The Bachelor's Trista Rehn ended up hosting the spinoff The Bachelorette. If there's a sequel, Hunter says she's up for the gig: "I'd do it definitely. I'm single. (Marriott's) only one guy. There are a million guys out there."

Cyn

Saturday, February 15, 2003 - 08:13 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Evan and Paul Hogan did great on MAD tv tonight. Click it on or watch it when it hits your time zone. i was laughing.

John32070

Saturday, February 15, 2003 - 08:15 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I just saw Evan and Paul on MadTV. Evan was hilarious. He lampooned himself perfectly.

Kitt

Saturday, February 15, 2003 - 09:37 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I'm about to be very vague here, but I saw the last part of a trailer for Monday's show, and the clip was of Evan sounding very paranoid, talking to the people who seemed to be the editors (the people he spoke to on the roof top when he said he felt bad about lying to the girls). He says something like "someone's keeping something from me here and I want to know what it is". Sounds like whatever the big twist is, Evan's not in on it. I'll watch out for the trailer again, and see if I can see the rest of it.

Whoami

Saturday, February 15, 2003 - 09:49 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
"Hunter landed on Joe Millionaire after responding to a casting call for actresses who wanted to find romance in an exotic locale."

At least they admitt they cast the show with actresses! And they still call it "reality?"

Ketchuplover

Saturday, February 15, 2003 - 10:16 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
The twist is that Paul is really a millionaire!!

Pamy

Sunday, February 16, 2003 - 12:05 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Kitt..that's the preview I saw, that is why I think Zora will turn out to be worth over a million, or it could be he heard the producers talking about offering someone a million

Curlyq

Sunday, February 16, 2003 - 01:39 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Why does that article above say that Mojo is called the "dark-haired temptress"? Wasn't she blonde? I remember Evan kept calling her the "blonde bombshell." Or were they confusing her with the other Melissa?

Froggiegirl621

Sunday, February 16, 2003 - 04:58 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I just want to restate my original guess for the big "twist"...i think after Evan chhoses his girl, the girl decides if she wants to stay with him or not. If she decides to stick with him, the producers throw in the wrench and say she can either stay with Evan or take a million dollars. That way we get to see if she's money hungry or not...

Puttergirl

Sunday, February 16, 2003 - 05:47 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Ooh, I like the way you think, Froggie. There would be no decision to make here- a million bucks or Evan... hmmm.... $1,000,000

Seamonkey

Sunday, February 16, 2003 - 07:03 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
heck.. any amount vs Evan... I might even pay him to go away.

Mygetaway

Sunday, February 16, 2003 - 09:32 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Since the first hour is a recap show, I think I'm going to tape it so I can watch it and FF later..

Rabbit

Sunday, February 16, 2003 - 10:04 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I am betting the twist is that the women knew about the lie. That Evan was the only one duped, oh make that Evan and the viewers.

Crazydog

Monday, February 17, 2003 - 06:55 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Rabbit, that's a good idea. Especially since it said they were looking to cast actresses.

Bakerygirl

Monday, February 17, 2003 - 08:07 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Evan is on the View right now.. They are talking about the twist and all he said was we would like it. Star asked him about the slurping and moaning in the woods, his parents on the in the audience so he said no comment. They are being pretty hard on him, he is blaming everything on editing. Not too much info told.

Babyjaxmom

Monday, February 17, 2003 - 08:10 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Rabbit, interesting theory. I can't wait to find out what the twist is. I hope we're not disappointed!

Here's an article that was in today's SF Chronicle (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/02/17/DD236792.DTL):


"Caught in a lie, and loving it"

Tim Goodman Monday, February 17, 2003

-----------------------------------------------------


Would Abe Lincoln have told a lie if 24 million or so people wanted to hear him repeat it every Monday night? And what about the demographics, Abe? Despite the silly hat, Wall Street would have loved you. Tell the lie, Abe. It's what Americans want to hear.

Sorry. Rambling.

"Joe Millionaire," built on a lie, concludes today, President's Day. Sort of. More on that in a minute.

Tonight, the smash midseason reality series -- unfolding over two hours -- will reveal whom Evan picks. Will it be Sarah, the transparent gold digger who, up until a couple of weeks ago, was hiding a fairly productive movie career in the undervalued ball-gag and duct-tape genre; or Zora, slightly prudish, who loves horses and other animals more than money, and who collects a check by being a substitute teacher?

Fox couldn't have scripted this ending any better. What? Did somebody say scripted?

Call it trash, call it rude and manipulative and stupid. Call yourself addicted if need be, or repelled and dismissive. But people are watching. "Joe Millionaire" was this season's out-of-nowhere gigantic (some might say ungodly) hit -- averaging well over 20 million viewers per episode. A couple more like this and you won't see another sitcom for 15 years. That "Joe Millionaire" has captured the imagination of the country is no longer a story. But there might be something cryptically revealing in the fact that so many people have fallen in love with a show based on a lie -- that Evan is worth $50 million and just looking for the right damsel to share it with.

Oh, that Fox. Letting the country -- but not the 20 women who started in this charade -- in on the joke. Evan's not rich. He's a $19,000-per-year construction worker. Come out on Mondays, America, and see the gold diggers and cat fights.

Did we ever.

And now, people can't wait to see the look on the face of Miss Duped 2003. What, he's broke? No chateau? No jets? No $50 mil? Pan in for the close-up. It unfolds tonight. That kinda-sorta finale reference at the top? Seems there's another hourlong special Sept. 24 called "The Aftermath," which will reveal what happened after Sarah or Zora got the news and had to live with it for a spell.

There's also this nagging suspicion that the twist the country will tune in for won't be the last one it gets. Perhaps Fox gives Evan a million dollars -- or more -- right after it gets the can't-miss ending it wants: A) gold digger collapses in tears and anger, slaps Evan for lying to her; B) schoolmarm says she doesn't mind, that love was all she wanted.

Cue the music, drop the confetti, present the check.

Something like that.

And what does Fox get from all of this? Tons of cash. A lot more than $50 million, that's for sure. It also picks up significant ratings victories against rival NBC. It survives February sweeps in much better shape than it would have been without this real-life Gaston making the ladies glisten.

And what does the viewing public get, over and above what it really wants here, which seems to be some prime-time comeuppance for cash-crazed hootchies? Well, what message do you think 24 or 26 million loyal viewers sends to the network?

Make more reality shows. And hurry.

But that sad lament has been written here many, many times. New advice: Just deal.

Maybe those people already hooked on "Joe Millionaire" -- and there are plenty of them who still won't fess up to the tawdry thrill of it all -- will just turn off the TV after it's all done, pleasantly appeased, having been entertained far more than expected since signing on, with some curiosity, many weeks ago.

Outside of the twist -- and double twist -- that might be coming up tonight,

what makes "Joe Millionaire" worthy of continued discussion is the simplicity of the idea (devilishly so) and how fortune, in the guise of events outside the show, contributed to its immense Nielsen numbers.

As a premise, Fox merely took "The Bachelor" and turned it on its head. Not that the network disdains the find-your-soul-mate-in-prime-time hootenanny. It damn near minted the genre with "Who Wants to Marry a Multimillionaire." (Think back now to how quaint it was that Fox was actually ashamed of itself, when news broke that the would-be groom, Rick Rockwell, probably wasn't that rich and anyway, there was a restraining order on him from his previous girlfriend. Boy, those were the good old days of network decorum.)

Credit Fox for seeing the simplicity and evil genius in letting the public in on this current joke (he's broke) before the carnival even came to town. It knew that "Joe Millionaire" could never be done again. It was a one-off bit of high concept.

That hooked potential viewers immediately and was an easy sell for promos. Then all the rumors started flying about Evan actually being rich (some thought he was heir to the Marriott chain, which only shows how flawed truth is on the Internet). Curiosity drove viewers and whole Web sites (and, in turn, celebrity-crazed magazines and entertainment TV shows) to dig up the fact that Evan was an underwear model for five seconds, that he had a minor scrape with the law ever-so-briefly.

At Fox, all they did was sit back and rub their hands together. Controversy may not be good for established stars, but it's gold for reality programs. That's why nobody at Fox felt Rockwellian panic when it was learned Sarah had been in bondage films. Two words: ratings spike.

There's something fascinating about witnessing the swirling entropy of reality programs while you simultaneously wish for them (or most of them) to die. Fox will follow "Joe Millionaire" in March with "Married by America," which seems far less creative, less disagreeably admirable.

Let's not begrudge Fox the success of "Joe Millionaire." There's not even much sense in being ashamed for liking it. This whole new world order in television with the domination of reality makes it easy to lose your moral compass while making it hard to be consistent.

My feeling is there's room for franchise shows -- "Survivor," "American Idol," "The Amazing Race," if they're done well. I have less interest in those other franchises, like "The Bachelor," "Big Brother," "The Mole," "Fear Factor, " where the conceit or the execution bores me to tears too readily. It's the proliferation of the truly lame one-offs -- "Are You Hot?," "I'm a Celebrity --

Get Me Out of Here!" -- ad nauseam -- where you have to make the judgment call. Is this show plainly terrible and embarrassing and a pox on television, or is it a particular slice of sullied genius, where I can have a laugh along with the rest of America and not have an existential headache in the morning?

"Joe Millionaire" falls into the latter category.

Here's hoping he picks Sarah, who likes her wine "not too grapy" and isn't afraid to get a little mud on her feet, because Cinderella isn't why millions of people are watching.

Pagal

Monday, February 17, 2003 - 09:05 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I'm with Rabbit on this one. I think the girls knew all along that he wasn't a millionaire.

Crazydog

Monday, February 17, 2003 - 09:23 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Somehow Evan's assertion that we're going to like the twist makes it even worse. I don't think he has any idea of what we like. I think it's going to be a big dud. And why am I not surprised that like every maligned reality contestant before him, he is blaming the editing. For once I would like to see a disliked reality contestant own up to the behavior which incurred the dislike. If you didn't do it, it can't be edited in.

Realfan

Monday, February 17, 2003 - 10:00 am EditMoveDeleteIP
<<Hunter landed on Joe Millionaire after responding to a casting call for actresses who wanted to find romance in an exotic locale. >>

Wow, that's interesting. Makes me a lot less "worried" about the girls, you know? It's a job. Also, I heard some of the girls were told to play up the bitchiness (her friends said Melissa did--take it with a grain of salt), so it makes sense. Main thing the girls would want is to be remembered (like Jerri from Survivor 2). And Sarah's worked in fetish films, and Zora wants to be an actress. Only one that's weird is the doctor lady earlier--but then, she wanted a guy to support her, so maybe she also wants to be an actress. I know I don't want her for my doctor!

Crazydog

Monday, February 17, 2003 - 10:16 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I think it's likely that some of them are actresses and some of them were really in it for the dating aspect. As far as Katie goes, they were probably specifically looking for someone who was Asian to fill the minority quotient, and someone who was a professional. They got both in her.

Ginger1218

Monday, February 17, 2003 - 11:15 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I actually liked Froggiegirl's idea.

Zachsmom

Monday, February 17, 2003 - 11:26 am EditMoveDeleteIP
just wanted to be the 1000th post :)