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TV ClubHouse: Archive: CUPID (ARCHIVES): General Discussions
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Dahli

Thursday, September 18, 2003 - 08:14 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Good post Skypilot... I would have to agree with you.

Pbnj

Thursday, September 18, 2003 - 08:24 am EditMoveDeleteIP
agree...good post skypilot. As for Robert being 'calculating' I'd have to say no, he isn't (IMO) but he is pathetically unaware. He just didn't seem to 'get it' Lisa had no interest in him whatsoever...she was just being polite. I felt for the guy even tho he creeped me out with the underwear thing :) Hank bothered me more...lots more.

Sweetbabygirl

Thursday, September 18, 2003 - 08:52 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Lisa and <Hank> will last long enough for her to discover his other side....that said, I'm so glad this show is over!!

P.S. I wish Brian McFayden hadn't interrupted Joe, so that we could have heard Laura's reaction, I'm sure it would have been priceless.

Warrenn

Thursday, September 18, 2003 - 09:12 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I don't think that the ending was rigged. It made a lot of sense to me and what what I thought would happen based on how I think people would vote:

Dominic: He's cute, but no chemistry and no relationship possibility. Almost nobody would vote for him.

Evan: They had chemistry, but not a strong relationship. A few people might think they would make it so they would vote for him.

Robert: Nobody really thinks it's going to work out, but it makes for good tv. All the pranksters vote for Robert.

Hank: All the people who believe in true romance vote for Hank.

So there were pretty much two voting groups: the pranksters and the romantics. The fact that Robert made it so far means there were a lot of pranksters. At the end I was wondering which group was bigger and it looks like there was more romantics. That's pretty much how I thought it would be.

It might have been cruel, but I think the pranksters saved this show from being a complete yawnfest.

Skypilot

Thursday, September 18, 2003 - 10:19 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Because I hadn't seen most of the shows, I didn't see the underwear thing until the finale. THAT was creepy and sleazy. Maybe Austrians are a bit more open about sex and sensuality. I don't know.

Jkm

Thursday, September 18, 2003 - 11:06 am EditMoveDeleteIP
From: http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazette/news/local/6801573.htm


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

Posted on Thu, Sep. 18, 2003

Real Cupid's arrow flying 'really slow'
By Ryan Tipps
The Journal Gazette

Love was in the air on the set of the CBS reality show "Cupid," but wedding bells were not ringing.
Hank Stepleton, a 1996 Culver Military Academy graduate, was surrounded by friends and family Tuesday night as America picked him to be Lisa Shannon's groom during the TV show's finale.

Stepleton balked at the opportunity, though, saying a wedding on national television was not the way to go. He offered to give Shannon the wedding of her dreams - when the time is right.

"All men are the same about weddings," Stepleton said in a phone interview Wednesday. Women are more exacting in what they want, he said.

CBS would have given the couple $1 million had they gotten married Tuesday and stayed together for a year.

Throughout the courting process, the Fort Myers, Fla., native was a favorite in the contest - and of Shannon's. Shannon's two friends, Laura Restum and Kimberly Tarter, often praised the tanned, smiling Stepleton while Shannon herself never hid her affection for the 25-year-old options trader who now lives in Chicago.

Stepleton frequently credited his family for shaping him into the person he is today.

Being one of eight children had helped him through difficult times in life - including the death of his mother when he was 6 and his father about nine years ago.

Despite their affection, his family wavered early on in their support for his game show odyssey, but eventually came around.

"Initially they weren't too thrilled about it," Stepleton said. "As it went on and I started doing well, I think they really loved it."

While Stepleton's charm, quiet romanticism and toothy grin became staples of his TV dates with Shannon, hints of his Culver alma mater were always apparent.

Stepleton often sported his gray Culver football T-shirt while hanging around the house, but it was his gold Culver class ring that was most prominent during his tender moments with Shannon.

He says he was proud to show his loyalty.

"You give four years to that place (Culver) ... I feel like I earned it more than anything."

Though Stepleton was the favorite among the American voters, he was often openly at odds with the other nine finalists.

"If I don't like them, I don't fake it," Stepleton admitted.

But he claims his confidence never faltered.

"I'll show you what I got - this is me. I'm not going to be intimidated (by the other suitors)."

Weathering the rough times is a part of competition, he said. As a standout high school athlete and a baseball player at the College of Charleston in South Carolina, he's familiar with pressure.

"It was a good experience, but there were parts of it that I hated. But meeting Lisa was worth it," he said.

He may not have been ready for the grueling schedule and limited visits, though.

"One of the worst parts was that I never got to see Lisa," he said. "We'd get to hang out for about two hours at a time, and with all the regulations of the dating game show, they would cut us off. That was the worst part about it."

With a wedding on hold and the show's $1 million prize out of reach, Stepleton and Shannon both look forward to spending time together and seeing what the future will offer.

The couple says a vacation is in the works, which they hope will fuel their budding romance.

"We're going to take it really slow," Shannon said by phone Wednesday. "We're really excited about finding each other and getting to know each other, because we've had little chance to be ourselves."

Skypilot

Thursday, September 18, 2003 - 11:23 am EditMoveDeleteIP
"...we've had little chance to be ourselves."

Uh oh. That's all I'm going to say.

Crazydog

Thursday, September 18, 2003 - 11:41 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I'm hoping he meant to say "we've had little chance to be by ourselves," but I wouldn't doubt it if he meant it the way it was written.

I've never understood why everyone was so gaga over Hank. I think it says a lot about you if you can't get along with other people, even if they are the competition. I believe Robert when he said that Hank had a glare of hate behind his eyes.

For Hank, I think it was more about winning than about being with Lisa. If he had wanted to be with Lisa and was sure, he could have gone through with the wedding. He dreams of opening up a vineyard or whatever it was - that money certainly could have helped the two of them. I think he was more afraid that it won't work, so that's why he hesitated.

And what does he mean when he says that "all men are the same about weddings." Is he saying that no man wants to get married and all of them get cold feet? I disagree with that. I don't need him speaking for me.

Skypilot

Thursday, September 18, 2003 - 12:17 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
When he said "all men are the same about weddings" I think he meant that men don't care about all the fancy details of a wedding and would just as soon get married in jeans and a t-shirt. Although, that is also debatable.

It really piqued my interest when I heard Robert talk about the hatred in Hank's eyes. Why so much hatred for a bunch of men who are competing for a woman that Hank himself acknowledges he hasn't really gotten to know? I agree with you that it was so much more about the competition for Hank.

Jkm

Thursday, September 18, 2003 - 01:15 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
By Francesca Donlan, fdonlan@news-press.com
Published by news-press.com on August 26, 2003


If one of the guys on tonight’s reality show, “CUPID,” looks familiar there’s a good reason.


One of the remaining seven suitors competing for the love of a woman on CBS’s relationship reality show is Hank Stepleton, who grew up in Fort Myers. RELATED INFORMATION
Watch Hank Stepleton tonight at 9 on “CUPID,” CBS’s relationship reality show, or log on to www.cbs.com



“He’s a really good friend of mine and I feel like I’m forced to watch it,” said Eric Whitehouse, dean of academics at Southwest Florida College. He and his wife, Kerry, will watch the show tonight at 9 and then phone in their vote for Stepleton.


“He has a lot of friends in the area who are watching too,” Whitehouse said.


It’s the only way friends and family can keep tabs on Stepleton since he’s sequestered while the show airs.


Stepleton, 25, was an options trader in Chicago before the “CUPID” cast found him working out at the gym and gave him a pass to be on the show, Whitehouse said. The other bachelors auditioned.


“CUPID,” a reality series from “American Idol’s” Simon Cowell, challenges America to vote on a husband for Lisa Shannon, a copywriter for an advertising agency in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. The series began July 9 and next week will mark its eighth episode.


Shannon and her two best friends crisscrossed the country auditioning potential suitors, and whittled them down to 10 candidates. In the 13-week series, Shannon will date the finalists and America will ultimately vote for Shannon’s potential husband. The bachelor with the least votes gets dumped on national television each week. So far three men have been given the boot.


One of the first things Stepleton showed the television audience in July was a photograph of the first shark he caught at age 7 with his father in Fort Myers.


Stepleton and his family moved to Fort Myers in 1986 where he attended Orangewood and Allen Park elementary schools. At 14, he earned a scholarship to Culver Military Academy in Indiana, but always came back to Fort Myers on breaks.


His mother died when he was 6 and his father died when he was 16, Whitehouse said. He has eight siblings who are very close.


“He’s a great guy,” Whitehouse said. “He’s really overcome a lot.”


In last week’s episode, Shannon described him as one of her favorites. But this show is not about who Shannon wants for a husband — it’s about who America wants her to marry.


Once viewers cast their final vote, it’s up to Shannon and the winning bachelor to decide their fate. If he proposes, she accepts, and they stay married for one year, the couple will share $1 million.


Since the reality series is live, Stepleton is sequestered in a bachelor pad in the Hollywood Hills and his communications are monitored by the CBS public relations department.


He answered these questions from The News-Press by fax.


Q&A

Q. What do you want to say to get all of your buddies inspired to vote for you?

A. I hope my friends are watching the show and thinking, “Yeah, that’s the Hank I know.” I’m going to continue to be myself and hopefully that will be enough to win Lisa and America over.


Q. What’s it like being a TV star?

A. Honestly, I’m not a “star” by any stretch of the imagination. People probably won’t remember my name a couple of months from now.


Q. How would you describe your experience being on “CUPID” thus far?

A. There are pluses and minuses to everything in life, but I would say the pluses outweigh the minuses at this point. Lisa being the biggest plus. Not being able to talk with my family and friends is the biggest minus. No matter what is said, either good or bad, you have to take (it) with a grain of salt and hold your head up high.


Q. Do you have a lot of fond memories of this area (Fort Myers)?

A. Fort Myers is where I call home and it’s one of the reasons I’m the person I am today. I love it! I would like to move back someday.


Q. Is there a lot of pressure being one of Lisa’s favorites?

A. There is no pressure being one of Lisa’s favorites. I just try to be myself and hopefully that will be enough.

Crazydog

Thursday, September 18, 2003 - 01:17 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Oh, that makes more sense Skypilot. But I'd still disagree with him. I might not care as much about certain details of the wedding, such as particular flowers or napkin colors, but it doesn't mean I don't care at all.

And I agree with you exactly about Hank's hate. If he was so sure that he was the right guy for Lisa and that she was right for him, then he didn't have anything to worry about. All he had to do was to impress her himself on his dates. It's not like anything they do at their dates would affect him. She might be impressed with them as well, but if she is, there's not much he can do about it. No reason to hate them. They are there for the exact same reason he was.

Skypilot

Thursday, September 18, 2003 - 01:40 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
"They are there for the same reason he was."

This gets to the heart of one of the things I don't like about him. I think he resented them for being there giving him any competition at all. There's a sense of entitlement there that I found offensive.

Kmjm

Friday, September 19, 2003 - 07:32 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Gosh, I don't think we really know anything about any of these people!! I like the fact that Hank was recruited for the show, however, it's a good sign. I just refuse to comdemn him on such a flimsy basis.

I think I got my entertainment value out of this show. The original tryouts were especially hysterical. I found the dates and eliminations amusing. Did y'all really expect "True Love" to happen? Lisa to actually marry someone chosen for her by public phone-in? COME ON!!!

The cheesy wedding at the end was embarrassing- I'm glad it didn't happen. I agree with those who said that a major part of what was wrong with the show is that they tried to pack too much into an hour and left a lot of loose ends. They should have had a longer finale.

Hoosiergirl

Monday, September 22, 2003 - 06:05 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Did anyone catch Simon last night talking with Joan Rivers on the red carpet? She asked if Cupid would be back next year. He said more than likely next summer.

Ladybug007

Tuesday, September 23, 2003 - 02:22 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
VIEWERS 6.7 million

WHAT HAPPENED Courteney Cox Arquette look-alike Lisa Shannon bit at exec producer Simon Cowell's offer to let America marry her off with a potential $1 million dowry.

WHY WE'RE SPLIT Lisa was sort of whiny, her two yenta BFFs were sort of naggy, and ratings were sort of saggy. On the flip side, at press time, America had rallied in chat rooms to vote through some serious losers. ''No, I cannot marry Robert [if he went the distance],'' Shannon says of the country's sadistic favorite. ''So if Robert is the last man standing, and that's a huge possibility, then I don't even know he would propose. It's obvious there is nothing between the two of us.''

LASTING CONTRIBUTION TO THE GENRE America is a cruel matchmaker.

Tappy

Tuesday, September 30, 2003 - 04:47 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
ANY NEWS ON THE HAPPY COUPLE OR DID THEY DROP OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH ???