My Dating Dilemma

 

Hello, my name is Geo!  I'm a freelance
photographer & a former radio DJ.  In the
summertime, you can catch me touring the world,
taking pictures that are nothing but certified
coolness.  Today, I'm just looking 4 a girl
who's as beautiful as my hometown
of Anchorage, Alaska."

GEO Bzzz!.JPG (17999 bytes)
TV Show: Bzzz!  ·  September 26, 1996

The Dating Game...

Why doesn't it surprise me that I did more dating on TV than I did in real life?  Maybe, it was because of Alaska's 7:1 girl to guy ratio.  Hm...  Doubt it!  In my personal opinion, 1 on 1 dating in America is so far over-rated that it is pretty much pathetic.  It's nothing but an acting audition filled with 1st impressions.  You rarely see the real person next to you, so watch out...  It's just a game.

I went on 1 "real" date & it was perhaps the funniest misadventure ever told.  Everything that could possibly go wrong, did exactly that.  I don't know.  Maybe, I was up against a lot...  Her ex-boyfriend, her birthday & a high school dance, all in the same night.  Ironically, Heather & I became good friends, but never mentioned that night to anyone...

 

July of 1995...

I was in Pennsylvania with former hype-crusader, Jamie Walsh, when I first tuned into Singled Out.

High energy, embarrassing comedy & of course, Jenny McCarthy?  You know it, true believer, it was powered by The Hype.   I actually left everything in Pennsylvania, just to come to Hollywood to go on that show.  Who knew that I would bump into them two days after I arrived here at a gas station in Hollywood.

GEO Singled Out.JPG (22131 bytes)
MTV's Singled Out  ·  December 27, 1995

I aced the audition & in the end, I got the girl (even though you are guaranteed a girl when sitting in the chair).   Chris Hardwick was such a cool character.  He was also a radio DJ at KROQ at the time, so we did a lot of radio 101 chat during the commercial breaks.  Jenny McCarthy was so caught up in her own hype, that she couldn't find the time to meet me.   On camera, she whispers into my ear: "Don't worry, you got the best one." (referring to my date) & that was it.

Backstage, Aby (my date) & I took some photos together & conversed about our future date.  She lived in Santa Barbara (2 hr. drive from Los Angeles) & actually believed that I was looking forward towards something long distance like that (Please note, I was car-less at the time).  Aby was a definite cutie, but finding a date wasn't the reason 4 my appearance on the show.  In the parking lot, our conversation didn't meet eye to eye & I think she misunderstood me about who was suppose to call who, first.

"...look, never mind.  Don't even bother, okay..." -Aby.

Aby & her friend hoped into their little sports car & zoomed off into the horizon.  I, on the other hand, was left holding an MTV backpack, a long distance phone number & no ride home.  My mother & sister were living here in Los Angeles, so I could've just called one of them to pick me up.  Instead, I decided to walk.  Don't ask me why, but I decided to walk. 

Needless to say, the Singled Out studios in Burbank is a long trek from Hermosa Beach (1 hr. drive).   But, I kept my pace & continued to walk.  I am not sure what my motives were, because I passed several bus stops along the way.  I guess, I had a lot on my mind about my appearance on the show, Los Angeles & my life outside of Alaska.

Then, I came across the radio station 102.7 KIIS fm.  The DJ, Domino, had this show called "Desperate & Dateless" in which ordinary people would go on the airwaves looking 4 dates.  Oh well, here we go again...

I utilized the power of The Hype & went on air looking 4 a date 4 that night!  Truthfully, I was just looking 4 a ride home.   I beefed up my status with my appearance on Singled Out & by inviting the lucky girl to my 22nd birthday bash party in Brentwood the following Friday (featuring the appearance of former Miss USA Runner-Up, Shauna Gamble).   Quite a few girls called up.  It was cool, but I was greedy & tried to have my cake & eat it too.  The other guys on the show bought into The Hype & gladly offered me & ride home.

The PHOTOhype Project - If you ever forget the point of travelling, then this is a reminder of what it's all about.