Author Topic: The Bachelor 13th Edition  (Read 127326 times)

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Offline georgiapeach

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Re: The Bachelor 13th Edition
« Reply #125 on: January 28, 2009, 01:56:58 PM »
heeee....Tell us how you really feel, Will!  :bags 

:funny:
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Have RESPECT for each other, regardless of opinion. This of course includes no flaming/insulting other users and/or their posts.

Offline RealityFreakWill

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Re: The Bachelor 13th Edition
« Reply #126 on: January 28, 2009, 02:54:56 PM »
heeee....Tell us how you really feel, Will!  :bags 

:funny:

LOL, Peach! I think I pretty much said it all when it comes to her!


Offline RealityFreakWill

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Re: The Bachelor 13th Edition
« Reply #127 on: January 29, 2009, 01:39:03 AM »
Sneak peek of Episode 5 2/2/09


Offline RealityFreakWill

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Re: The Bachelor 13th Edition
« Reply #128 on: January 30, 2009, 09:10:49 AM »
From etonline.com

Megan Parris says she got mixed signals from Jason Mesnick, so she was really surprised when he cut her from the competition on Monday night's "The Bachelor."

In a phone call today, Megan says that what viewers didn't see was that she was the last bachelorette to speak with Jason before the Red Rose Ceremony and she says he told her: "I still want you here. Don't be afraid that you haven't gotten to know me yet. There is still plenty of time for us to get to know each other."

So it came as a shock to her that he sent her home. She tells ET, "I think I made a much bigger connection with my fellow women on the show. I don't think I made a connection with Jason. I think he made an initial connection with a few of the girls right off the bat, but then when he saw emotions running high with them, he basically stuck to what he knew."

As for why he did what he did, the 25-year-old single mom says "it is no worry of mine," but she does say that the fact that she has basically spent the last two years in solitude -- during her pregnancy and while she has been caring for her 18-month-old son -- didn't help.

"I felt going on the show that I was socially inept," she admits. "I was so nervous and they keep handing you cocktails. I don't go out much anymore. I don't have much of a tolerance for cocktails. So the first night for me was something I would do all over again."

But that is the only do-over that Megan would wish for. While she does profess an interest in a career in broadcasting, she says that if she were asked, she would decline the opportunity to become "The Bachelorette."

"I don't think I could do that. I would feel like a 'ho," she tells ET.

As for predicting who Jason is engaged to, she responds, "I have no idea how it ends. I think so highly of the gals who are left, I couldn't tell you who I would want to win. I definitely think it could work out for Melissa and Jason."

Offline RealityFreakWill

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Re: The Bachelor 13th Edition
« Reply #129 on: January 30, 2009, 12:17:55 PM »
Chris Harrison on The Ellen Degeneres Show



Offline tory

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Re: The Bachelor 13th Edition
« Reply #130 on: February 01, 2009, 11:35:12 AM »
 :jumpy: :jumpy: ty ty will for the vid's and i totaly feel the same way about deanna omg rember when the big baby that she is did not get enought att when she went down to c the boys at there shack , huuuu that is when i did not like her any more. and yea what a bitch for sure...i do hope jason ends up with melissa she is soo cute , that is the one he gave the date card too right in the vid u posted?/ i like her the best..
tv junky needs help!!!!!

Offline RealityFreakWill

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Re: The Bachelor 13th Edition
« Reply #131 on: February 01, 2009, 12:14:54 PM »
The Bachelor made it on The Soup this week...



Offline tory

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Re: The Bachelor 13th Edition
« Reply #132 on: February 02, 2009, 04:55:08 PM »
ty will that was funny i love the soup. i keep for getting to dvr it i was doing it on my tv up stares and i took that dvr bk. ok over share.. ty for reminding me.. :waves:
tv junky needs help!!!!!

Offline RealityFreakWill

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Re: The Bachelor 13th Edition
« Reply #133 on: February 03, 2009, 01:10:25 AM »
Chris Harrison's weekly blog:

Episode 5:

Let's jump right in with some political views this week. Kidding people, settle down. Kay, I love your enthusiasm, and thanks for answering questions for me. But as I used to joke back when I was a sportscaster, don't let facts get in the way of a good story. I need to assist you on a few of these "answers" you gave out. After the rose ceremony, the girls are taken back to a hotel. Usually they get back to the hotel early in the morning so they get some rest and then go home that day or the next. We don't keep contestants in town until much later in the show. The girls bring their own dresses for dates and rose ceremonies. If you really pay attention, and it appears many of you do, the girls often wear the same dress twice or borrow each other's for dates and ceremonies. Obviously, if the date entails the girls getting new gowns then it's up to the talented Carrie Fettman (he's handled our wardrobe on this show since season 2) to get their sizes and get them fabulous clothes. We also help the two girls get dresses for the final rose ceremony. We do offer makeup and hair for the first couple of rose ceremonies but many just do their own. One of my many, many talents is walking out and clinking a glass. I have broken one glass in all my years of skillfully tapping a knife or backwards spoon (a couple times we haven't been able to find a knife, so they gave me a spoon that I turned around. I told you I had skill) on the champagne flute. It was last season and Deanna and the guys got in the hot tub during a cocktail party. They were pretty far away and it was loud, so I had to tap it harder to make it louder...well on the second tap it broke. Being the pro I am, I quickly recovered and finished the job. One last question to answer this week about becoming friends with the bachelors and bachelorettes. One of the greatest aspects of this show for me is how many new friends I have made. I would list them all but there are too many and I would hate to leave anybody out. My wife and I have remained close to Trista and Ryan and are excited about the birth of their second child. We were honored to attend Andrew Firestone's wedding last July and look forward to the birth of their first. Gwen and I consider Andrew and his wife Ivana to be very good friends of ours. I know it's a TV show but these are real people we're dealing with, and its been a pleasure getting to know them.

As you could probably tell, I woke the girls up early to give them the news that they were off to Jason's hometown of Seattle this week. They literally rolled out of bed and onto the couches. I always love when they moan and groan when I get them up early. I remind them that I drove home after the rose ceremony, got up at 7 A.M., got the kids ready for school, showered, got dressed, drove back to the house, and them memorized the message we wanted to tell them. We all stayed at the Fairmont Olympic hotel in downtown Seattle. It's always nice for the girls to move out of the house and get a change of scenery. The girls were put in the presidential suite. The one-on-one date with Melissa really demonstrates why this season is so good and why it is so unique. We've obviously never dealt with a single parent calling off a date like that before. It added a little realism into a very surreal situation. I think it also showed a lot about Jason's character that he would change the date to accommodate Ty. I also very much respected his decision to tell Mel that it's too soon to introduce any of the women to Ty. I think you can see just how protective Jason was of Ty during this process. I got to see it all the time but I was glad you guys got to see the relationship between this father and his son. Melissa handled the whole ordeal like a pro and scored major points with Jason on this date.

The group date took the women to a local radio station. I've done many interviews with Jackie and Bender over the years on Kiss FM in Seattle. They are married and are always a blast to be interviewed by. Jason spent his time with Molly walking around downtown Seattle. This walk took quite some time to shoot, so Steph and Jill were left to sit and wait until they returned.

Naomi finally got her first one-on-one date this season. I'm glad she got this time alone so her head didn't explode. In the middle of the date, we cut back to the girls in the suite listening to Stephanie talking to her daughter Sophia. This was cute and all, but what was on Melissa's face? Pretty bold move going on national television wearing a mud mask. I will say her pores look fantastic! Back to Jason and Naomi climbing a huge rock wall. Then they settle in for a romantic fireside fondue date in the middle of the REI store. Naomi took full advantage of her one-on-one time and finally seemed to relax a little bit. It's tough for these women when they know the other girls are getting quality time and forming a strong relationship and you're not getting that time. I know it may seem trivial watching from the outside but it's intense for these women living through this. One really funny behind the scenes note from Naomi's date that you won't hear anywhere else: When the sea plane landed and pulled up in front of them, Naomi walked up and said "Cool, I've never ridden in a helicopter before." The sad news we had to break to Naomi is that she still hasn't!

Jason surprised the women the day of the rose ceremony by stopping by to talk to Jillian. He took her to a little coffee shop just outside our hotel that had the best pastries. It's kind of cliché, but looking out of the coffee shop over Jason's shoulder is another coffee shop (Starbucks), the only thing we were missing was Green Day.

I was really happy with how much of the deliberation you got to see this week. This gave you a glimpse of not only how long we usually talk but also how in depth our conversations are. This was by far the best deliberation site we've ever used. Jason and I sat on the back porch of his house, right on the water. The shots you saw from far away were from our crew who were shooting off the bow of a ski boat floating in the sound. I was constantly impressed with how well Jason knew these girls and how intuitive he was. He really seemed to understand them and what they were going through. Jason's house was only about a ten minute drive from the Fairmont hotel, which is where the rose ceremony was held.

The actual ceremony was held in the presidential suite. The hotel management secured the floor for us and only our crew could come down to the side of the eleventh floor where we were shooting. The ceremony was held in the main room of the suite and we set up our control room in the master bedroom. After I talked to the girls, there wasn't a lot of room for me to maneuver, so I walked into the dining room behind Jason and sat behind the china cabinet so I would be out of the shot. Usually during rose ceremonies I go into the control room so I can see and hear everything that's going on. But the later we get in the season the shorter the ceremonies become, so I stay close and at the ready to deliver those magical words you all yearn so much to hear each week..."Ladies, Jason this is your final rose." (Gives me goose bumps even typing it...just magic.) Below I'll get into the true facts behind the most famous line in all of television (okay, maybe that's a little far). Jason let Stephanie go in one of the most emotional, painful rose ceremonies I've ever sat through. Jason summed it up best in his impromptu, eloquent speech after the rose ceremony. Steph was very well liked by the cast and crew and she left quite an impression on us all. Deep down I think Jason just wasn't sure he saw a future with Stephanie and felt going to her hometown and drawing this out any further wasn't fair to anyone, especially Steph and her daughter Sophia.

Next week we head to hometowns but come back to Seattle for the rose ceremony. Just wait till you see Jason and the drama in big D! Now let's deal with the 500 pound elephant in the room. I started saying "this is your final rose tonight" from the very beginning. It was in the script. It was put in not as a math aid but rather as a dramatic scene setter. Over the years, I admit it has become cliche and even a bit funny. I always enjoy walking out during the first rose ceremony of every new season and delivering this line. There's something about it that really makes the people on the show realize "holy crap, I'm on The Bachelor and I'm at a rose ceremony." At first it's a novelty and it's entertaining, but when the numbers dwindle and we're down to five girls like this week and only one women is going home, all of a sudden the mood changes. When I walk out you can hear a pin drop and you can see the look in the eyes of the girls who don't have roses, and they realize after all this they could now be going home alone. I thought about getting rid of this line as it became a little tired, and during Charlie O'Connell's season we did leave it out, but it just didn't feel right and so we brought it back. It is definitely the number one thing people say or ask me about out in public. It's hard to put into words but it's just one of those things, like roses and the word amazing, that just belongs in this show and as long as I'm around it will remain. One final note before I bid you farewell this week. Some mentioned that you saw me on Ellen last week. I would have given you a heads up in last week's blog but it all happened pretty fast. Ellen is a huge fan of our show and has always been so good to us. She gets a special copy of our show the weekend before it airs so she can watch it and talk about it on Monday's show which airs on Tuesday. I have done a ton of these shows over the years and I think it's safe to say Ellen is the best at what she does. She's smart, funny and actually listens instead of just worrying about what her next question will be. Yes, I have a small professional crush on Ellen but I feel like we're all close enough now that I can tell you these things. Sorry it was all Bachelor talk this week. We'll deal with the economic crisis and the state of politics in Illinois next week. Until then "People, Chris, this is your final rose tonight." 

Offline RealityFreakWill

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Re: The Bachelor 13th Edition
« Reply #134 on: February 03, 2009, 11:07:47 AM »
Jason's weekly blog on people.com

Bachelor Jason is Sleepless in Seattle

Jason Mesnick took a swing through his hometown of Seattle on this week’s episode of The Bachelor. Mesnick, 32, talks about stepping out on his own turf, the realities of parenthood and the heart-wrenching decision-making that went into narrowing his playing field to four.

This week I got to take all five women to my hometown of Seattle. I was excited to spend time with them on my turf. I was also excited to be back home, albeit briefly, with my boy, Ty. The woman with Ty was my sister-in-law Leslie. She and I are so close she is more like a sister than a sister-in-law.

I got to experience what it’s like to reside in some prime Seattle real estate. Living on the water was so much fun, although I would wake up in the middle of the night at times and feel like I was in a water bed. It was really the opportunity of a lifetime as I’ve always been curious about living on a houseboat.

I have traveled all over the world and I will tell you the thing I love most about Seattle is Ty. Period. Although when I take all of my favorite things about my travels, which include water, mountains, people, culture and scenery — Seattle has it all. If you can get past the rainy winter the rest of the year is absolutely beautiful.

I have really experienced a lot of what my hometown has to offer, but I have always wanted to go on a seaplane and I finally got the opportunity to do so with Naomi. We flew over the Puget Sound, the Space Needle and even my house. It was truly “AMAZING.”

Melissa really was so easygoing. Even though I had to cancel my date with her, she was completely up for the change of plans. I really felt bad because I wanted to show her what Seattle had to offer. But Ty was sad at the thought of me going out for the night. Being a dad, I knew Ty was my responsibility and I was just really happy that she was so cool about not going out for the night and taking it easy with me at the house.

Kissing the girls in front of each other was really awkward, although it was really easy to tell the difference. Each girl is so different from one another and if it was my choice I really wouldn’t have done it in front of the other girls but it was what it was.

Casual is my style. If I had it my way I would be in a suit as little as possible. My date with Naomi is something I would really do. We had so much fun and I think Naomi really got to see the real me.

The rose ceremony was the toughest one yet because once I realized I was sending Steph home, it was truly heartbreaking. Steph has been through so much in her life and is really one of the most incredible people I have ever met. Even though I knew I had to say goodbye to her, it was incredibly tough. For Steph to have the outlook on the world the way she does tells us all really what she is made of. I was so emotional and just told the rest of the girls even though Steph and I weren’t meant to be she is one of the most incredible people I have ever met.

I am really excited for the hometown visits. This is really where everything changed for me last season with DeAnna and I know it will be the same this year. Naomi, Jill, Melissa, and Molly each have huge hearts and that was my ultimate goal finding my final four girls. I am not nervous at all. I’m just excited to see the girls in their own element.


Offline RealityFreakWill

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Re: The Bachelor 13th Edition
« Reply #135 on: February 03, 2009, 02:22:05 PM »
JASON TAKES AN EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER RIDE, CROSSING THE COUNTRY
TO JOIN THE FOUR REMAINING BACHELORETTES IN THEIR HOMETOWNS
AND FINDING HIMSELF ON THE HOT SEAT WITH THEIR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS,
ON ABC'S "THE BACHELOR," MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9


Episode 1306" - The stakes are high for Jason as he leaves his Los Angeles home for an exciting, emotionally-charged journey across the country to visit the final four women's hometowns. Jillian's family secret is revealed; Molly's quirky and conservative family puts the Bachelor to the test; Naomi is mortified by the turn of events on one of the most bizarre hometown dates ever, and a huge disappointment awaits Jason when Melissa's parents fail to meet him. Finally, a confused Jason must make one of the most difficult decisions of his life, sending one woman home in tears, on "The Bachelor," MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9 (8:00-10:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.

Family is very important to Jason, so he's looking forward to having the final four bachelorettes take him home to meet their families. First, Jillian gives Jason a romantic tour of a winery in Kelowna, British Columbia. She opens up and reveals a long-held family secret to him, one that gives him greater understanding of her behavior. But how will it affect his decision? Her family welcomes him with open arms, but the real test occurs when Jillian's grandmother pays a surprise visit.

On his next stop, Molly treats Jason to a few rounds of golf on her favorite course in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and a romantic picnic. She is adamant that she won't get involved with a man without her parents' approval and prepares him to meet her conservative sister, dad and quirky mom. When the family puts him to the test, Jason realizes how different his family is from hers.

In one of the craziest hometown dates ever, a baffled Jason finds himself in Lake Elsinore, California, giving a eulogy at the funeral of a dove, as directed by Naomi's mother. The humiliated Naomi can only look on, and when the dust settles, her father expresses his concerns about his daughter's relationship with the Bachelor. Then her mother corners Jason to discuss past lives and spirituality.

Jason's final hometown visit takes him to Dallas. After an intimate picnic by a lake, Melissa drops a bomb: Jason won't be meeting her parents. He is crushed but meets her best friends instead - two married couples. Will this have any bearing on his next choice? At dinner, her friends share the failure of Melissa's past relationships, citing the wrong men they feel she has dated.

With only four women and three roses, Jason makes one of the most difficult decisions of his life, dispatching one broken-hearted bachelorette in tears as he prepares to take the final three women on fantastic overnight dates to New Zealand.

Offline tory

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Re: The Bachelor 13th Edition
« Reply #136 on: February 03, 2009, 03:02:08 PM »
ty will i love to read chri's blogs i look fw to reading them here every week , he seams like such a nice guy..jmo
do u have the utube of ellen i would love to see it..i had the feeling the sparks we not there with steph, who dou thinkhe will end up with?? i think mellisa or naomi maby  i don't have a clue they allway edit a certain way to make u tink u no and boooommm u r so wrong.. got to love it ..keeps u on ur toes.
tv junky needs help!!!!!

Offline tory

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Re: The Bachelor 13th Edition
« Reply #137 on: February 03, 2009, 03:14:54 PM »
ps wil i just looked bk andsaw u had posted the ellen vid. i was cominting right after it on the vid u posted befor the ellen one . did not want u to think i was totaly out of it lol :jam:
tv junky needs help!!!!!

Offline RealityFreakWill

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Re: The Bachelor 13th Edition
« Reply #138 on: February 04, 2009, 09:53:28 AM »
Sneak Peek for Episode 6, 2/9/09

Credit with thanks to regibob


Offline RealityFreakWill

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Re: The Bachelor 13th Edition
« Reply #139 on: February 06, 2009, 08:36:48 PM »
From people.com

The Bachelor’s Stephanie: Jason and I Were Just Friends

February 6, 2009

Stephanie Hogan, 34, was the last single mom standing on The Bachelor and after spending a week in the Seattle hometown of Jason Mesnick, she was sent home to Huntsville, Ala., and her 4-year-old daughter Sophia. The medical marketing rep talked on the phone with reporters about her friendly connection with Jason, his emotional goodbye, possible playdates for Sophia and Jason’s son Ty and whether she’d do The Bachelorette.
– Carrie Bell

As a widow, a single mom and someone who didn’t watch The Bachelorette, you were a unique contestant in the show’s history.

How did you end up on the show?

My sister and her friends watched The Bachelorette and thought Jason would be a match for me. He seemed a lot like my ex-husband. So, I wrote him a detailed letter … but thought it might be too stalker-ish to send it directly to him, so I sent a letter and a classy four-leaf clover paperweight to his father … I talked to his dad on the phone for 30 minutes and said, ‘If you feel like we would be a match because you know him the best, just Fed Ex this to him and tell him to give this girl a shot.’ Next thing I knew … my phone rang and it was the producers asking me to audition for the show.


Did you see your elimination coming?

I had my reservations because I felt like we connected on emotional levels and through our children and mentally. He saw the way I mother Sophia and I think he was attracted to that. But we were more friends. When he walked in the room, did he absolutely overwhelm me and do I think I did that for him? No. You have to have that.


Were you heartbroken?

I am really okay. I trust that I will find someone and it’ll be better than ever. You can’t just lay in the bed and not keep living your life. Take some healing time but then you have to put yourself back out there.


What did you make of the incredible things Jason said about you at the final rose ceremony?

That really overwhelmed me. I was very thankful. [I had] that feeling where you feel your heart beating out of your chest. I thought the girls liked me but I didn’t realize that they would be so emotional [when I left].


Do you think you and Jason will be friends?

No doubt we will. I had such a bond with Jason. He is an incredible man. Even though we didn’t have that physical connection or chemistry, I still think our friendship will remain strong. There are many avenues we could connect on like being single parents and having children the same age.


Maybe playdates for the kids?

Dude, I think that would be so much fun.


Who are you rooting for now?

I’m just going to have to watch the hometown dates and see how he connects with the families. He asked for one piece of advice off camera as he was putting me in the limo and I said, “You marry the family. See where you fit in.


Had you gotten to the hometown date week, what might yours have entailed?

We would have probably just hung out around my home. We probably would have barbecued. We have a pool and hot tub out back. We probably would have cranked up the music, had margaritas and let the kids run around.


Does Sophia understand what you were doing with the show?

She doesn’t know she was on TV. She hardly watched — she’s very busy. During last week’s episode where I made my exit, she was outside in the garage painting. I wasn’t going to say, ‘You sit in here and watch this.’ I want her to be a child. I want to be furthest from a stage mama.


At what point will you be ready to date again?

Tomorrow. Yesterday.


Would you consider being The Bachelorette if they asked?

Nobody has said anything about that to me. I would have to see where I am in my life. I hope some good fellas will come out of this and I could be dating somebody at that time. If it was serious, I would probably remain with him. If I were single, I’d probably say “yeah.

Offline RealityFreakWill

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Re: The Bachelor 13th Edition
« Reply #140 on: February 07, 2009, 01:03:09 AM »
President Obama has a speech on Monday @ 8pm so the schedule for The Bachelor has been changed for this time slot and will air it in the full two hours from 9 to 11 pm, EST.

True Beauty will not be aired.

Offline marigold

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Re: The Bachelor 13th Edition
« Reply #141 on: February 07, 2009, 03:57:51 AM »
 :lol:  one heck of a teleconference

ABC Television Network

PRESS RELEASE 

TRANSCRIPT FROM THE JAN 29 "THE BACHELOR" TELECONFERENCE WITH ELIMINATED BACHELORETTE MEGAN PARRIS

Paulette Cohn:    Good morning Megan.

Megan Parris:    Hi how are you?

Paulette Cohn:    I'm good. So what's with the women this season? They seem to be really feisty.

Megan Parris:    Really, actually we're not. It was such a good bunch of girls. I think that we only saw a bit of animosity you know towards the end of the night or on the wee morning hours on the nights of the rose ceremonies, which are really stressful days for everyone.

    Um, but in reality it was such a relaxed, fun bunch of women that we just had so much fun together hanging out at the pool and um, and we had family dinners and somebody woke up and made breakfast for everybody every morning. We all took turns. It was a great experience with great girls.

    Not really actually too feisty.

Paulette Cohn:    So in hindsight do you really think you made a connection with Jason or do you think you get caught up in the competition on the show?

Megan Parris:    I do not think I made a connection with Jason. I think I made a much bigger connection with the fellow women on the show. I don't think I made a connection with him. I think that he um, made an initial connection with a few of the girls right off the bat and then when he saw that the emotions were running high from them, he basically kind of stuck to what he knew. And um, he and I didn't get too much time together. So, no, I didn't feel too much of a connection.

Paulette Cohn:    Okay, my last question and then I'll let other people ask you. If you could do it over again would you change anything?

Megan Parris:    Yes. I would - the first night was horrible for me. I think what people don't realize is that I have spent basically the last two years in solitude. I have - I left my home at Virginia Beach for the past eight years and came to Pittsburgh where my parents still had a house. My father works out of DC and my mother works out of Charlotte so I was here by myself with an infant baby and I knew no one um. So I felt going on to the show that I was socially inept.

    I had basically not been social for almost two years during the pregnancy and then after the pregnancy. So the first night was so rough for me and um, I think I was just so nervous and they keep handing you cocktails, and I don't go out much anymore. I don't have too much of a tolerance for alcohol, so the first night for me is definitely something I would do all over again.

    I would go into it with much more confidence um, and just security with knowing that my son was okay and not just missing him so much. So that's one thing I would definitely change. Anything else, no probably not because I had such a great experience.

Paulette Cohn:    Okay and one last question, I'm sorry. I just occurred to me. If they ask you to be the Bachelorette and you got to pick the guys, would you be up for that?

Megan Parris:    You know what? I really would like some type of career in broadcast. But I feel like - and I would like to have the experiences that come along with being the Bachelorette. I don't think I could do that. I would feel kind of, like um, a ho.

Paulette Cohn:    Okay great, good answer. Thank you.

Megan Parris:    For lack of a better word. I apologize.

Paulette Cohn:    Thank you so much.

Megan Parris:    Sure.

Operator:    Your next question comes from the line of John Bracchitta with Reality TV World.

John Bracchitta:    Hi, how are you doing?

Megan Parris:    Fine, thank you.

John Bracchitta:    Prior to the rose ceremony on Monday you expressed concern that you hadn't gotten enough alone time Jason. Were you concerned at that point that you might not be getting a rose?

Megan Parris:    I was concerned and actually, this is something that we didn't see. It was very good conversation between Jason and I. I was actually the last girl to speak with him right before the rose ceremony. And we only got to see one minute of it, but I expressed to him that I was kind of starting to be stressed out and wasn't as secure as the other girls as far as it goes with my position there in the house.

    And he said, "I'm so glad you're here. You know, you're such a positive energy in the house." And I said, you know, "That first day at the pool party when you pulled me aside and said, 'Megan I want you here. You would have gotten a rose anyways,' - I really appreciate that Jason."

    And he said, "Well, I want you to know that I still mean that. I still want you here. Don't be afraid that you haven't gotten to know me yet. There is still plenty of time. I was one of the guys who got to know DeAnna last."

    And he reassured me and said, "I was just like you. I got to know the guys first and wanted to have fun with the guys. And then get to know her," and he was like, "So I respect, you know, that you want to do that. You want to get along with the girls in the house and have fun. But just know that there is plenty of more time for us to get to know each other."

John Bracchitta:    Okay so that conversation lifted your spirits then because obviously you were - you said how much you didn't want to leave after you didn't receive the rose.

Megan Parris:    Right. And that is also why I said upon my exit that I was extremely confused because I had just spoken to him and he had basically reassured me of my spot there and he said, "Don't worry. There is still plenty of time." And he asked about what he could potentially see coming on my home town dates, my great little town of Sewickley and of Pittsburgh, and we talked all about that. And so he had kind of set me up for thinking that that was coming.

John Bracchitta:    Okay. And going back to the first episode, based on your reaction after the results of that first twist vote, it seemed like you were pretty surprised to receive the highest number of votes from the other bachelorettes is that accurate?

Megan Parris:    Yeah, I guess it was pretty accurate. Um, like I said before, that's at about gosh, six in the morning. So, um, it was way past my bed time, but I think along with just being stressed and tired and not even wanting to be there that late, I was just dismayed. It was hurtful. I mean rejection is always hurtful among people that you think you are you know having a good time with.

    So I think that yeah, that was a pretty natural response.

John Bracchitta:    Okay, and you kind of said that you haven't been out so kind of you were - it was kind of odd being back out in that kind of situation. Were there any specific things that you thought rubbed people the wrong way?

Megan Parris:    I think that I - I think that I just - I really had my guard up that first night. And I, um, just because of what I have been through the past two years with my son's father and um, his surrounding company, I have a bit of an edge about me with strangers now.

    And, um, I think that we really got to see that the first night. I think that it was nothing more than a defense mechanism and I think that whether or not you know, I wanted more than anything just to have fun with these girls that I just - it wasn't very easy for me to open up that first night. I was just really skeptical of the whole process, so yeah.

John Bracchitta:    Okay, and Jason had seemed to make it pretty clear that being a single dad he wanted to find someone who would be able to relocate to Seattle because his son was there. Given that you were a single mother too, would there be any custody visitation issues or problems at all that would have complicated relocating for you?

Megan Parris:    I actually have full physical and full legal custody of my son. His father has no visitation rights so - and funny enough I was actually just weeks fresh off of my custody battle before I went to LA to do this. It was all very last-minute for me. I flew from the finalist weekend to Virginia Beach for the custody battle in court or the court case I guess.

    So no, there would be no issues as far as where I could go and where I can't go. I did however express to Jason that I have commitment issues, which was probably pretty stupid of me to say. But um, you know and I dubbed myself 'the runaway bride' which is a bit extreme. I was engaged to my son's father but backed out before my son was even born. But I definitely let him know that I was an independent person and that I was Deacon's only parent and I was fine with that.

John Bracchitta:    Okay and (there's) another quick question and (then I'll let) people get into it and ask other questions. The show made it seem like you voted for Melissa in that first vote thing is that true?

Megan Parris:    I did because she is so cute and so fun. And she was in my limo and I thought, "Wow, this girl and I have a lot in common." And she is just - I mean I love her and I'm thinking, "You know what? She is probably my biggest competition." So that's how I voted.

    And she knows that and I think it's nothing but a compliment to her because she is just such a fantastic girl. She is so sweet and grounded and she has a lot going for her. So yeah, I did vote for Melissa and I was very open and honest about that.

    So - but like I said, it really shouldn't be taken as anything but a compliment.

John Bracchitta:    Okay great.  Well thanks a lot for everything.

Megan Parris:    Sure.

Operator:    You next question comes from the line of Debbie Chang with BuddyTV.

Debbie Chang:    Hi Megan, thanks for talking to us today.

Megan Parris:    Sure.

Debbie Chang:    So, I wanted to know um, what things about Jason did you like the most.

Megan Parris:    Well, um, one thing I will say is um, I realized you know, with my son's father that seeing a man who loves his child so much is a very attractive thing. And I didn't have that with my ex, and so seeing a man who just loved his son so much and put his son first, it was definitely the number one most attractive thing about him because I have a lot of respect for men who, you know, obviously can do that.

Debbie Chang:    And what did you like the least about him?

Megan Parris:    About Jason - I felt I couldn't read him. I felt like every conversation he had with all of us was kind of the same. So, I couldn't really I - I don't know I felt like he was - I don't know. I really can't put finger on it. But I just feel like as far as the conversations go he just was not giving that much and watching it in hindsight he wasn't really giving that much to anybody. I didn't like that all the conversations were the basically the same.

Debbie Chang:    And then during the group date this week, everyone seemed to get really upset watching Jason kiss the other women and how did you feel about that?

Megan Parris:    I didn't really care because I didn't have any emotions invested at that point. So for me it just - I mean it was acting, too, and I totally got caught up into the acting thing. Growing up, I watched you know, a soap opera or two with my mom when she was a stay-at-home mom, you know, when I was a little girl. So I love soap operas. I don't watch them, but I just love them. They are hysterical.

    So being on that General Hospital set was so exciting for me. So I think instead of me being bummed out about him kissing the other girls or getting ahead with the other girls and making progress with the other girls, I was just living in the moment being appreciative of where I was and what I was doing and knowing that was a once in a life time opportunity. So that probably is why it didn't bother me.

Debbie Chang:    Okay and I have one final question. Do you think it's really realistic to meet and fall in love with someone over the course of like eight weeks on national TV?

Megan Parris:    I will tell you I was probably one of the biggest skeptics going into this. For me it was all about the experience. For me, it was the most, um, probably extreme way to get a fresh start into the dating world. And I do think it's possible because I can relate it to when people who might work in the same office building or work together fall in love or when celebrities or movie stars fall in love on movie sets.

    You know, it happens very quickly because it's such an intense process and it's so pushed. I mean this is speed dating on steroids. So I do think that it is possible. But I really think going to be that one-in-a-million type deal like Trista and Ryan where I think we all saw from the start that he was just a phenomenal guy, and she's a great woman, and they would have been perfect together.

    But I think finding two people that phenomenal and putting them in the same circumstance is very rare.

Debbie Chang:    Okay, thank you so much.

Megan Parris:    Sure, thank you.

Operator:    Your next question comes from the line of Gina Scarpa with RealityWanted.com.

Gina Scarpa:    Hi, Megan. Thanks so much for doing this.

Megan Parris:    Sure.

Gina Scarpa:    So, on the first night I think it was maybe it was Melissa joked about having her wedding dress upstairs. Dose it surprise you how quickly these girls get attached to the idea of marrying a guy they don't even know?

Megan Parris:    Yes, it does. But you know what? What I always told myself in the process you know, when I would maybe start to get irritated with it, we are all different, we all come from different places, we all have different ideas of what love is and we all have different relationships that make us the way we are, you know.

    And, um, I think that's it's kind of cute and sweet to see that Melissa could so easily have feelings for someone and it's very genuine, I feel. I wish I could be that way. Unfortunately, I can't. I did think it was odd, but I still respect it.

Gina Scarpa:    And when you were there do you think it was obvious to you who Jason had a connection with and who he didn't?

Megan Parris:    I thought that it was very obvious from the beginning who he had a connection with and who he didn't. And now in hindsight it's the most outgoing girls, the girls who are so easy to just open up right away. Which is something that's not easy for me.

    And Jillian - I mean look at her. She is like the funnest thing in the world. She is so fun and so cute and spunky and she could probably meet anyone you know and just talk their head off for an hour and that is such a great quality about her. And so, I knew that right that away he had a connection with Jillian and knew right away after his date with Molly that he had a connection with her because I think he really takes to woman who are forward.

Gina Scarpa:    Last question, do you think that a single mother like Stephanie who is still in the competition still has any advantage over anybody else?

Megan Parris:    I actually still have the mindset that the single mothers on the show were at a disadvantage. Just because psychologically and emotionally for the child it's a lot to do to them. And all the mothers on the show and Jason we all love of children more than anything and I know that for all of us it would very difficult to just kind of have that immediate like, "Oh we're moving in. We're all automatically a family." It's just a lot more baggage, I think in general. So I don't think she has an advantage.

    I think her personality, her loving and compassionate and caring personality certainly is an advantage over any other woman. But I don't think that the fact that she is a mom is because I think even before she had a child she was just a nurturing soul.

Gina Scarpa:    Okay, thanks so much. I appreciate your time.

Megan Parris:    Sure.

Operation:    You next question comes from the line of Tom Rose with Fancast.com.

Tom Rose:    Hello, Megan. Thanks for talking with us today, especially since you're not feeling so well.

Megan Parris:    Oh, it's okay.

Tom Rose:    I was sorry to see you go because I thought you had the most fire, I would say.

Megan Parris:    I'm a little firecracker, what can I say?

Tom Rose:    Yeah, I think even right from the beginning it was obvious that you were sort of on display there. Now, you said that the drinks were flowing that night and you would have changed that. What is it like there when it's happening? Do you have to ask for a drink or is it  refreshed for you automatically? How does that work?

Megan Parris:    No, there is no asking for anything. When you are being filmed, everything is just flowing. I mean it is like flowing, flowing, flowing. It's in your hand when you don't even want it to be.

Cathy Rehl:    But it is up to the woman to decide if they want to drink or not.

Tom Rose:    Of course, you can always say no, right.

Cathy Rehl:    You don't have to - I mean it may be put in your hand, but you don't necessarily have to drink.

Megan Parris:    Right.

Cathy Rehl:    Some of the women do have you know aren't used to, you know, drinking a lot and some of them have had problems because they aren't really you know they are not taking that into account. They are not even thinking about it when they're so busy with the party.  They are nervous, and they are trying to make an impression.  So, it's not just as easy as there is a drink in your hand.

Megan Parris:    Yeah.

Tom Rose:    I noticed on the set of General Hospital, too, there were drinks. Were those alcoholic drinks?

Megan Parris:    Yes. I know some of those girls had already had intimate moments with him. With me, I was the one who was reading my scene and read through it and was like, "Oh my goodness, how do y'all's scenes end?" Because I was so scared when I saw that mine ended with a kiss.

    So um, I think, I mean I know I needed a little liquid courage like, I think all the other girls did too. So you have to understand like there comes a point where some of us who are more real, just don't care that cameras are on. Like I'm not going to put on a perfect pageant princess face all day just because there are cameras around. I'm going to be myself and I'm going to live it up.

    You know this was like a vacation I never got. For me this was like a paid vacation. In college I never got to go on a spring break. I played two sports in college. I had two majors. I worked my butt off, and so I never got that really fun young trip you know and especially now, being a single mom that's not going to happen.

    So to have the opportunity to go and live it up for a little bit and beyond a nice little paid vacation, I totally took advantage and I don't think there is anything wrong with that. I have real responsibilities at home. I can't pick up and go to bar or to happy hour to meet my girlfriends after work. I have to take care of a baby 24/7. So, um, I think when the other girls have that type of freedom in their day-to-day lives and I don't like, nor did Stephanie, we definitely like lived it up.

    So Cathy was right. I mean nobody tells you to do anything, but yes it is available all the time.

Tom Rose:    Okay, now on the General Hospital I thought you showed the best acting chops there. How was that for you?

Megan Parris:    It was so much fun, and I don't even think they showed the best of it because I had my lines memorized and I had so much fun with that scene. In my scene I was like an angry wife or something.

Tom Rose:    Yeah, you were great.

Megan Parris:    And I really got into that and they didn't show that .They didn't show the whole scene. It was a pretty long scene, but Jason was kind of scared. He was like, "Wait. Can you really yell like that?" Like what? it was kind of funny.

    But I - the reason that kiss that they showed on the show was so intense was because all the girls were watching and my scene was the second to last scene. So, I could see they were getting upset and the General Hospital director kept saying, "Cut. Do this again. Cut. Do this again." So I had to kiss him a bunch of times until we got it right you know, until we got it just as passionate as they wanted it. So that's why, the last time I just went for it because I thinking in my head, "I cannot do this again. These girls are going to kill me."

Tom Rose:    Had you done any acting or anything like that in your life?

Megan Parris:    No, I hadn't but I really enjoyed it. I loved it. I would love to do it again.

Tom Rose:    Did you get any feedback from the crew like, "Hey you're pretty good. Why don't you try out?" or something like that?

Megan Parris:    Yeah, all the girls were like, "Megan seriously you need to be on a soap opera." I was like, "I know."

Tom Rose:    Can that happen? Can you do anything Cathy?

Cathy Rehl:    It's not up to me.

Tom Rose:    I just (make the point) that you actually had some real skill there. Congratulations on that.

Megan Parris:    Thank you.

Tom Rose:    So how do you become a lacrosse coach?

Megan Parris:    I played lacrosse collegiately. I'm a three-time All-American. So um, having been just a nationally ranked player and being a decorated athlete, I was sought after, after college to do private lessons. And when I returned to my home town here my old high school was more than happy to have me come back and work with the girls. And it was just a blessing. It was the most rewarding thing I've ever done.

Tom Rose:    That's fantastic. And I just really want to ask you the last thing would be do you have a prediction or is there somebody you'd like to see end up with Jason?

Megan Parris:    You know what? I have no idea how it ends and um, I think so highly of the gals that are left that I just - I couldn't tell you what I - you know who I would want to win. They all deserve the best. I definitely see that it could work out between Melissa and Jason.

Tom Rose:    She seems to be the like the (unintelligible) favorite (unintelligible) guy. There's a guy who picked her out in a video or something, you know? Have you seen that?

Megan Parris:    No.

Tom Rose:    Yeah, well, it's a big thing going on where he freeze-framed everything, but you know we still want to see things (spin) out correctly. But so now, with Nikki did you - she was very hard to open up. I mean what was your interaction like with her?

Megan Parris:    Nikki and I were very close. From day one, I was very close with Steph and Nikki. They were just my cheerleaders. After that first night when we moved into the house, I obviously felt like crap about myself. I felt like these girls hate me. They have totally the wrong impression of me. Like I you know, and I apologized profusely, and we all got really, really close. Right off the bat that next morning Nikki was just so sweet and so kind and just made me feel like a million bucks and the same with Steph.

    So my interaction with Nikki was all positive. She is really not as uptight as she comes across. She is a super sweet, super considerate person and just only wants the best for everyone. I don't think she can ever say a bad thing about anybody. I really don't. So I do understand why it was hard for her to open up, because she has only been in one serious relationship. But she is a great person.

Tom Rose:    On this last show, it seems like creativity was the key. How did you feel when they told you you had 30 minutes to put a song together?

Megan Parris:    I loved it. I thought that was so fun. Obviously if you heard me sing, I have a horrible voice. I'm like the last person on the earth that should be singing anything. But, um, when I sing to my son at night, he cries. So that's how bad it is.

    But these girls a lot of them were scared and were like, "Oh my goodness, I cannot do this." And I was just like whatever um, and we just had fun with it. It was a really fun day because it was finally just casual. It was finally just no big dresses, no makeup - well, except for Steph. But it was just a cool, relaxed day like - I don't know. I was totally into it.

Tom Rose:    It looked like you had fun. Thanks a lot for talking with me today.

Megan Parris:    Sure, have a good one.

Operator:    Your next question comes from the line of Rob Owen with Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Rob Owen:    Hi, thank you for doing the call, Megan.

Megan Parris:    Hi, you're welcome.

Rob Owen:    You're a native of Pittsburgh, you said?

Megan Parris:    I am. I was actually born in Virginia, moved to Winston-Salem, and then around the time I was eight-years-old moved here to Pittsburgh.

Rob Owen:    Okay, so not a native, but you grew up here.

Megan Parris:    I grew up here, yes.

Rob Owen:    And what high school did you attend?

Megan Parris:    Quaker Valley.

Rob Owen:    Quaker Valley. And what year did you graduate?

Megan Parris:    I graduated in '01.

Rob Owen:    In '01 okay. And for college did you go Roanoke?

Megan Parris:    I went to Virginia Wesleyan College.

Rob Owen:    Virginia Wesleyan okay. And what year did you graduate there?

Megan Parris:    '06.

Rob Owen:    Great, now given what you said about Jason sort of - it sounded like he was maybe leading you on a little bit in terms of what he said that we didn't see and then you're surprised afterwards. How do you feel about him now?

Megan Parris:    Um, I - I'm kind of impartial. I will say that after all of that happened, I really began to question the whole process and the genuity of it or the, um, just how real it was. I really began to question whether he was really there for love or, um, something else.

Rob Owen:    What would the something else be?

Megan Parris:    I'm not quite sure. Like I said, I didn't really get to know him. I'm sure he's a great guy. He is very nice, very considerate of everyone's feelings. And that is something that was so key in being attracted to him is how considerate he is of others.

Rob Owen:    Right.

Megan Parris:    But, I did feel led on and I didn't understand what he would have had to gain by saying, "I want you here. We have plenty of time to get to know each other," and then sending me home.

Rob Owen:    Right.

Megan Parris:    So, yeah, I'm still kind of confused. I mean it's not a worry of mine because um, I think he (wouldn't) have made a better fit with some of the other girls instead of myself. But I - I don't know what the other thing would be. It just made me question the process.

Rob Owen:    Right, right. And are you a lacrosse coach at Quaker Valley?

Megan Parris:    You know what? I'm just a lacrosse coach in the area. I really don't want to involve my - any of my work into this.

Rob Owen:    Okay. Is that your full-time job?

Megan Parris:    That is not my full-time job.

Rob Owen:    Okay so you have another job?

Megan Parris:    I'm a mom.

Rob Owen:    Okay, I mean do you have another job outside the home besides that?

Megan Parris:    I do. I work with a high-end department retailer.

Rob Owen:    Like Macy's?

Megan Parris:    I'm not going to answer that. No, not Macy's. Is Macy's high-end, really?

Rob Owen:    Okay, Saks, I guess, or Nordstrom or one of those.

Megan Parris:    I'm not going to answer that, buddy.

Rob Owen:    So why did you want to go on The Bachelor?

Megan Parris:    My players - some that had already graduated, made a little video for me and really got it in way after the deadline. And I just - I really didn't - it's not that I wanted to go. It's just that I thought it was an opportunity I can't pass up.

Rob Owen:    So they sent it in with your permission though?

Megan Parris:    Yeah, of course. They made it and they did a great job, and they are just the sweetest girls in the world.

Rob Owen:    And lastly, how did you feel about the way you were portrayed on the show? Do you think you were edited fairly?

Megan Parris:    No, I mean going into it we know that it's TV and reality or not TV is TV. So no, any intelligent person knows that you're all going to be typecasted as one type of character. I mean they got good and bad footage of all of us. They got happy, emotional, angry footage from all of us. But, they are only going to use one type of that footage per each girl. Like, Nikki is the crying girl, and you know, which is inaccurate. So no, I don't feel like I was portrayed accurately at all.

    It's funny. A lot of my friends watch and call me and they're like, "Was that a script? Like did you have to say that? Like, that's not you." So no, it's not accurate to who I am and I just hope people realize that the circumstances are not real and it's just - it's not what you see.

Rob Owens:    Great, thank you.

Megan Parris:    Sure.

Operator:    Your next question comes from the line of Monica Sotomayor with Flash News.

Monica Sotomayor:    Hi Megan, thanks for your time today.

Megan Parris:    Sure.

Monica Sotomayor:    So you mentioned that your lacrosse girls actually got you into the show, but how did they feel about watching you on the show? Have they given you any feedback or anything like that?

Megan Parris:    I have gotten a ton of feedback and all of them and their parents for the most part - well all that I've spoken with have said, "You know what? We love you. We know who you are. Your friends and your family know who you are. Please don't let this get you down because we love you."

    I've gotten nothing but positive and encouraging feedback from all of them saying, "Don't let that bother you." One of the moms told me that their daughter said, when they were watching it at home, "You know this show is not going to change my opinion of Megan. I know exactly who she is and this..."

Monica Sotomayor:    Oh, that's nice.

Megan Parris:    ..yeah. "This show's not going to change that." So I'm not kidding when I say that I work with the most gracious people and encouraging people. I've never felt so much love from anyone in my life as I have my players and their parents.

Monica Sotomayor:    Oh, that's great. Okay now I'm going back to the soap thing, you obviously made a huge splash on the set of General Hospital and everything, but would you say that The Bachelor experience is like one big soap opera Because there seems to be the cattiness, the obviously love triangles or quadruple you know triangles or whatever and like scheming, things like that?

Megan Parris:    For me it wasn't; for our cast, it wasn't. I think maybe in the past it could have been. It is what you make of it and we made like a Girl Scout weekend. It was just a blast. We had - you know I can't tell you enough how many little family dinners we had and all of our great deep conversations and how many times we would just sit on our - get bundled up and put on our hoodies and wrap ourselves up in blankets and sit outside by the pool at night and talk for hours.

    So no, it was not a soap opera experience at all. It was very, very real. Parts of it were very relaxing and just awesome.

Monica Sotomayor:    Okay great. Thanks so much.

Megan Parris:    Sure.

Operator:    Again, ladies and gentlemen, if you would like to ask a question that's star 1 on your telephone key pad. Your next question comes from the line of John Bracchitta with Reality TV World.

John Bracchitta:    Hey, I got a few more questions. Going back to the first thing with the initial vote, did you ever think that there might be a second twist that would keep the person that everyone voted for in the competition instead of kicking out?

Megan Parris:    No, that's why I was so like relieved because I didn't know. I mean I was shocked when they said that they were going to do that. And then I was so surprised and I think my face showed how surprised I was - was just because I was surprised I was going home so soon. I was like dead set and was prepared to be out there the full six weeks and had no idea that I would have literately gotten there, met him and then gone home that night. So, that's where my surprise came from.

John Bracchitta:    Okay and you talked a little bit about being on the General Hospital set. You also said it was the first time you were going to kiss him though. How much pressure did that add to everything else in that scene?

Megan Parris:    It added a lot of pressure because it was just awkward. I mean - I don't know. It was just odd and he even said to me when we were in the hair and makeup room, he came up to me in the hallway and said, "Hey do you want to practice our scene?" And I was like, "No," and ran away because I was so scared. I mean it was kind of like my dorkiest moment there. I was too scared to kiss him.

John Bracchitta:    Okay and one point after that, the after party, you said you were kind of becoming frustrated with some of the girls who were complaining and said they should 'man up.' Can you be a little bit more specific about what had been frustrating you?

Megan Parris:    Oh, I would love to talk about this. That is really taken out of context because that night more so than ever, I was the cheerleader of the bunch. I spent 45 minutes to and an hour-and-a-half in the bathroom with Naomi just holding her while she cried. And Naomi is a tough girl; she is not a cry baby. But she was upset and I understand that.

    So, it is absolutely nothing against her because they all did the same for me. But I spent like an hour in the bathroom with her just crying and held her hands and prayed with her and just tried to help her get through the night because she was really having a rough night.

    Melissa, the same thing, was just having a bad night and you know I did the same thing with her. We sat over and looked across the city at that rooftop bar and I just like, held her hand and hugged her and let her cry and we talked. And I was just really trying to pep everybody up all night and try to let everybody have fun because it was such a great experience and such a beautiful like, scenery. Like, that whole night was just awesome.

    And I just wished that they would have wanted to embrace that moment instead of be upset, but I totally understand why they were upset.

John Bracchitta:    Okay, that being said, how did you feel when Naomi who was complaining, but you said you were talking with her and stuff. How did you feel when she received the rose?

Megan Parris:    I felt fine because it made her happy. It made her feel relieved and that's all she needed. I mean given I really wanted the rose that night.

    If I thought at any point in that whole process that I would have gotten a rose on a date, it would have been that date just because - and he and I - they didn't show my one-on-one time with Jason there at the General Hospital set, but we discussed how he was thankful that I was finally starting to seem comfortable there and I was finally starting to come out of my shell and that he was glad to finally able to see that. And so, that - sorry, I have so much cold and flu medicine. What was the question?

John Bracchitta:    Oh, just how you felt when Naomi got the rose?

Megan Parris:    Okay. I was happy for her. I mean I really wanted it and I thought I was going to get it because she totally like happy with me that day. And I was the only one who didn't cry that night and our conversation there at the rooftop bar as well as on the General Hospital set was so good so I thought I had a chance to get it. But when Naomi got it, she was so happy and relieved that - that was worth it.

John Bracchitta:    Okay and one more question. Can you talk about your relationship with Erica. On the show, it seemed like you two didn't get along, but is that accurate?

Megan Parris:    No, not at all we're like BFFs.

John Bracchitta:    Okay.

Megan Parris:    She is awesome. We - she probably gave me the hardest time the first night, but seriously the next day she was like, "I totally had the wrong impression of you. I absolutely adore you." And I pretty much had that same conversation with most of the girls.

    A lot of them didn't realize that first night that I was a mother. The next morning a bunch of them came into my bedroom and said, "We had no idea you had a son." Because I literally looked at his photos 10 times a day, and so the girls were just really supportive about that and they were very forgiving of the first night and just so gracious.

    And Erica was one of them. She was just like, "You know what? You're awesome." And so she and I like, I think are two strong-headed like, well bull-headed maybe women, but um, so I don't think we have a problem talking to each other about it. We go about it different ways.

    But no, I love Erica to death. I can't wait to see her.

John Bracchitta:    Okay, great. Thanks a lot for everything again and feel better.

Megan Parris:    Sure thanks.

Operator:    Your next question comes from the line of Robert Cherry with Sewickley Herald Newspaper.

Robert Cherry:    Hi Megan, this is Bobby at the Sewickley Herald. How are you?

Megan Parris:    Good. How are you?

Robert Cherry:    Thanks for taking our call today. My first question is do you live here in Sewickley still or are you home here?

Megan Parris:    I'm here in Sewickley.

Robert Cherry:    And do people recognize you around town?

Megan Parris:    People are yeah, people are starting to recognize me. I don't get out of the house too much, but the past week or two when I have gone out of the house people have recognized me. I've had to take quite a bit of cell phone pictures with people.

Robert Cherry:    Really?

Megan Parris:    Yeah, it's been fun.

Robert Cherry:    What kind of responses - what do you get from when people realize who you are and what show you were on?

Megan Parris:    Most people are like, "I loved you on the show. You were the only real one. You stood up for yourself. You go girl."

Robert Cherry:    That's what we said here in the news room here too.

Megan Parris:    People are just really, really supportive and really fun about it and it's been pretty cool.

Robert Cherry:    What was it like being away from your son during the taping?

Megan Parris:    You know what? I'll let you in on a little secret. I actually coming out there um, missed my flight on purpose to go out there because I just couldn't do it. I couldn't leave him and you know, talked to who I needed to talk to and they re-booked a flight and I came out a day later than I was supposed to because I have such a hard time leaving him. And it was dreadfully, dreadfully painful.

    I mean I've been away from him before for a couple of days here and there, and I'm sure you know other single moms know that once in a while it's great to have weekend with your girlfriends or, you know, to let him spend time with his grandparents. But in this circumstance it was very, very difficult, um, I spent a lot of time, but I did spend a significant amount of time pretty upset and crying and bummed out.

    And I just remember, um, I tried to hide it, but when Steph got back from Legoland, she had this great book that Jason had made for her that got sent to the house one day and it was this photo book of Sophia and Steph and Jason on Sophia's birthday.

    And it was just great to look at and I mean it was so awesome that she had that experience. And I went upstairs - all the girls were still downstairs, and I went upstairs onto the balcony off my bedroom and just started bawling. I mean I really didn't want anyone to see me, but it just - it's hard to know that one of the other moms got to see their child and yours is just so far away.

    And it was really, really painful and Melissa just came upstairs and saw me and she just put her arms around me and hugged me for probably 30 minutes while I just sobbed. It was a really sweet moment.

Robert Cherry:    Do you regret doing the show because of your son? Would you take that time back or?

Megan Parris:    No, not at all. What people neglect to realize or fail to realize is that I didn't go to work after I had my son. I've been with him 24/7. I mean he doesn't even spend time with his father. It's me all the time. And I think most moms typically go back to work when their child is well, you know three-months-old or whatever. They spent more time at work 9 to 5 away from their child than I did the three weeks I was out there.

    So, I think that I'm being criticized for leaving my child, but come on. I was gone for you know, two or three weeks, and he got to spend time with his grandparents who - they absolutely loved it. They are just obsessed with him. And they got to walk around the grocery store and pretend like he was theirs, and they got to feel young again.

    And I got to kind of just, um, have some time to myself. These past two years have been - aside from having Deacon, have been hell, just with what I've been though with ex and, um, I was very grateful just to have that experience and meet women my age who at the same phase stage in my life and make these life-long friends.

    So no, I would not trade it for the world because you know I'm back to spending day in and day out with him 24-hours-a-day and he'll never know that I was gone and all these women will be in his life you know later on down the road.

    And he'll be so lucky that he has these women as you know, little Godmommies and little aunties from The Bachelor.

Robert Cherry:    And one final question Megan, do you plan to keep in touch with the women down the road and in the future?

Megan Parris:    Oh my gosh, yes. Absolutely, absolutely as far as it goes with all the girls that moved into the house um, I cannot say enough good things about them. It was just a phenomenal group. I know that we're going to plan on a vacation at least twice a year. And I just - I absolutely adore every single one of them.

Robert Cherry:    Good, well, thank you and we're sorry you didn't make it longer, but we had fun while we watched.

Megan Parris:    Yeah, it was time for me to come home. It was you know, a long time and it was time for me to go home, but thank you. I appreciate that.

Robert Cherry:    Thank you, Megan.

Megan Parris:    Sure.

Operator:    Your next question comes from the line of Carrie Bell with People Magazine.

Carrie Bell:    Hi Megan, I was just wondering - I know you said that there were people that you said you could see him you know going far with and that you didn't know exactly you know, you didn't have a guess as to who it would be specifically. But, I wondering as someone who is a mom and knows what it takes to be a mom and I think sometimes it kind of gets glossed over and everyone says, "Oh, I'm ready to be a mom or you know Ty is so great. I want to be a mom."

    Do you think that the women that are left know what they are going to be in for if they do sort of go into this instant family? And do you think that of the ones left is there one that is particularly ready for that experience?

Megan Parris:    Okay, that's a good question. This is what I will say. I think that every girl that is left is more than capable of being a loving mother. Do I think they all know what they are in for? No, because none of us do until we actually have a child. So I don't think it is really possible for them to know what they are in for. But do I think they are capable of it? Yes.

    Obviously, Steph is such a caring and nurturing soul that she would be remarkable, and it would just such a calm and relaxing and positive environment. So, I think she would be great to kind of - I think that I couldn't do it as easily as she could. So, I will definitely say that, I think that she would have much more ease doing that.

    And, but this is the thing, Jason is very clear about the fact that Ty has a mom and he is not looking for a mom for Ty. He is just looking for a wife, and obviously someone who can mentor and be like a friend to Ty, which I can identify with because I feel the same way about Deacon. I'm Deacon's only parent and I do a fine job myself. So I don't need anyone else help. So I think it would be a bit of a power struggle.

    I think Melissa would be great. I think when he falls in love with somebody, it's forever and there is no going back. And, obviously you fall in love with Jason, you fall in love with Ty.

    And I think Jillian is going to be a great mom one day. But, I think overall, probably Steph probably has the best idea as far as what it goes into to being a mom.

Carrie Bell:    Do you think that you know, because I think there are a lot of people out there who - like you said you got a little bit criticized for leaving your kids at home and I know this has happened on other shows, you know, like Big Brother and things when there are people who are parents to young children.

    And, what you were saying is that you - that Jason wants a wife. He doesn't need a mother, per se, for his kid. He is looking for - to fall in love. And I think sometimes people forget, you know, that although you are a parent you still have adult needs, you know. Can you elaborate on that a little bit like, you know you, kind of feel like?

Megan Parris:    Well, this is what I want to clarify. I didn't do this for me. I did this for Deacon. As I said before, I had just come out of a custody and child support case where in one aspect I won big because I have full custody of my son. But in the other aspect, financially pretty much I was screwed and it is very hard to give him a life that I know he deserves on my own.

    So, knowing that this is - going on a show like this, of course you are going for the experience and to possibly meet a great guy. But it is a new opportunity and you never know what can come from it. So all in all it was to give him a better life.

    Whether or not I was going to marry Jason or not who would have been a great role model for Deacon and a great friend to Deacon. I did it so I could get myself out there again and get going and possibly - and I want to be able to take care of my son by myself, you know, financially for the rest of my life. I don't want anybody's help and so doing this and being on TV I think definitely helps that. I think that it's exposure.

Carrie Bell:    Great. That's all I needed thank you.

Megan Parris:    Sure.

Operator:    Again, ladies and gentlemen, that's star 1 to ask a question. Your next question comes from the line of Rob Owen with Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Rob Owen:    Hi, I just wanted to ask what are your future career plans are and do you expect to stay in Pittsburgh or move elsewhere.

Megan Parris:    I do expect to move elsewhere. I absolutely love Pittsburgh. Go Steelers! But I really want to get my Masters in special education and I'm trying to save money for that right now.

    I'd also - there are million things I want to do. Really, I want to go everywhere and do everything. I love coaching. I'd love to run camps, and I love doing charity work and working with the less fortunate. I really love the fashion industry. I love media. I'd love to be a sportscaster. That was my original dream long ago.

    So, there are so many things I want to do and that is why I felt like doing this and taking this experience would help me kind of figure out what direction I could go in. Like, what is feasible and what isn't.

Rob Owen:    Okay and just a plant clarification, you were not married to Deacon's father; is that correct?

Megan Parris:    We were not married.

Rob Owen:    Okay, that is what I thought. And, um, you talked about being with Deacon 24/7 but then you also said you had a job with a high-end retailer, so clearly some of the time you are out of the house working, right?

Megan Parris:    No, just recently. Since I came back from LA, before the Christmas season I went - I worked part-time at a department store and...

Rob Owen:    Are you still doing that?

Megan Parris:    No, it was just for December and a little bit in January.

Rob Owen:    All right I just wanted to clarify. Thank you.

Offline marigold

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Re: The Bachelor 13th Edition
« Reply #142 on: February 07, 2009, 04:08:47 AM »

Host Chris Harrison talks to Deanna about The Bachelor etc.


Offline marigold

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Re: The Bachelor 13th Edition
« Reply #143 on: February 07, 2009, 04:14:20 AM »

The Seattle Times Interview with "The Bachelor," Jason Mesnick


Offline marigold

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Re: The Bachelor 13th Edition
« Reply #144 on: February 07, 2009, 04:36:48 AM »
An interview with Stephanie:

The Bachelor Exit Interview: Stephanie Hogan Knows Best

Last time on The Bachelor, single dad Jason Mesnick made a fateful decision when he sent widower Stephanie Hogan home to Huntsville, Alabama. She was the last of the single moms and apparently Jason had decided he prefers a woman who will be able to focus on he and his 3-year old son Ty exclusively. Stephanie was memorable for her fashion sense (lots of feather boas and clingy danskin camisoles) alongside her mature attitude. At 34 she was the senior prospect, with a figure that put some of the other gals to shame.


Jason was obviously torn over his decision. Although we never saw him really warm up to Stephanie, he was clearly impressed with her maternal instincts. So much so, in fact, that he made the sweet, gentlemanly decision to fly Stephanie’s daughter, Sophia, in to the show for a heartwarming, oceanside reunion on little Sophie’s 4th birthday. It was a day Stephanie was clearly anguished over missing, and when Mom and daughter rolled over each other in the surf, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

The search for true love, even for a second time, has it’s price. But Stephanie was willing to pay the piper. And although she didn’t make it to the final round, she left an indelible impression. When Jason said goodbye, he took an extra moment outside the limo to send her off with kind words of encouragement and respect.

A few days later I participated in a conference call in which Stephanie talked about her time on the show, and I had the pleasure of finding out why for myself. Let’s listen in:

When you left, Jason had such wonderfully nice things to say about you. Do you think you’ll stay in touch? Do you think you guys will be friends?

I think we will, no doubt. I mean because I had such a bond with Jason and I just think that he is an incredible man. And even though we didn’t have that physical connection, chemistry, I still think our friendship will remain strong.

And who knows? There’s many things that - many avenues that we possibly could connect on especially with being single parents and having children the same age.

I sort of feel that you’re the bachelorette that most touched everyone’s heart. How do you feel about that?

Well thank you for that. I appreciate that. that was just kind of to my surprise because I was just - I went into it completely just being myself.

And I wondered - people had told me that it was probably going to be tough, because being in the home with so many other girls and that it might be difficult for me.

But I didn’t seem to think it was difficult at all. As a matter of fact, I love getting to know people and what makes them tick. And so - and I can appreciate the positive as well as the negative in people because nobody is perfect.

Would you want to be the Bachelorette if they asked you to do that next time?

I think at this point in my life - well first of all, I think it would be probably a few months before they would ask me and nobody said anything about that first of all. But, I would probably evaluate that and see where I am in my life.

I hope that I’ll have some - maybe some good fellas come out of this, you know. I could be dating somebody at that time and if it’s something serious then I’d want to honor his wishes and, of course remain with him and not do it.

But if I were single, then I would probably say, yeah, I’d do it. I’d give it a shot.

Who are you rooting for?

You know what, I think I’m going to have to just watch - honestly watch for the hometown dates and see how he connects with the families because I did say one thing to Jason and this is you do marry the family.

He asked for one piece of advice and - which was - this was off-camera and he said ‘what is one piece of advice you’d give me?’ He said because I mean I trust you and I value your opinion. And I said well just remember, you’ve got your hometown dates coming up and really evaluate that, and you do marry into the family. And just see where you fit in, in all of that.

And family is too demanding of you or they’re going to be too overbearing, or if they seem to mesh perfect with you or - look at all those things.

How did it feel when Jason made such a point to speak highly of you in front of everyone after the elimination? Did you appreciate that gesture?

You know what, that really overwhelmed me. I was just very thankful. I guess I was surprised. I mean I think I was just - I could feel my - you know that feeling where you feel your heart beating out of your chest kind of feeling?

It was like, wow, I didn’t really know that he felt that way. And I certainly - I thought the girls liked me. I had a good feeling about that, but I just didn’t realize that they would be so emotional.

And from my understanding - I mean I’ve not been one who’s watched The Bachelor or The Bachelorette a whole lot. So I mean I didn’t even know what a two-on-one date was.

When they told me I was going to have to go on one, and I was like really, what is that? And they were like, somebody goes home. I’m like, oh, ouch.

But, I just was overwhelmed at that last thing because from my understanding no one’s ever left the show like that, as far as saying something in front of all the other contestants or people…

And was there any point that you felt you might be the one eliminated over the course of that week?

Yeah, I had my reservations just because I felt like Jason and I connected on emotional levels and mentally.

And just with our children we connected. But as far as like a passion of like when he walked in the room did he just absolutely overwhelm me, and do I think I did that for him? No. Because you have to have that. Yyou just got to say, oh my gosh, I want to be with you forever. So I mean, we were just more friends.

The show covered it pretty extensively, but could you talk a little bit about that one-on-one date with Jason when you celebrated Sophia’s birthday?

Oh my goodness. First of all, it was just breathtaking. It was just - I was so overwhelmed that he would have brought my daughter there on her birthday because I had thought all day, while I was in the limousine and they were taking me and I had no idea where I was going and the date card had said “Will you come play with me?”

And I thought, okay, let’s see what we’ll be doing here. Are we bungee jumping or are we - I had no idea it would be like bringing Sophia there. I had tried to call Sophia and she wasn’t at home, and nobody answered. And, I still - one thing about me is I try to be optimistic, and so I thought well, I’ll probably get to talk to talk to her later.

But when she just came running down that beach, I about fainted. My knees buckled and she came with all her force and just ran over me.

I remember having sand from head-to-toe, and they were like do you need to change? I mean you’re soaking wet. And I was like no, I don’t need to change. I’m used to being dirty. We’re both used to being dirty.

But we just went all day and just really had a relaxing, fun, fun time. And, I think he got to see a side of me - you know I am - I’ve grown up as a ballet dancer so I, I can have an appearance, I think, of looking like I’m - I don’t know, just being held up straight because you know how a dancer - their stance is?

But I got to really - I felt like we got to show him a side of us that was like silly and like, at one point, we had a picnic and I stuffed like 20 grapes in my mouth.

And like Sophia started stuffing them in her mouth. They didn’t show that but that would’ve definitely been on Talk Soup. But it was just fun. Sophia just - her eyes - and there were moments when I was on the rides with her and I just held her. And she was just wet in her swimsuit and I just held her on my lap and just loved on her.

And I couldn’t ask for anything more. I thought f this is all I get from this - if I walk home without love, what a positive and magnificent experience for both of us.

You said many times that you envisioned starting a family with Jason. How would you have dealt with that if it had actually become a reality with having to move Sophia to Seattle?

Well I just think, you would have to adjust. And, I am used to the south, but I appreciate all parts of the country. I mean I have traveled a lot and, of course, been up north. And I can appreciate people in the north and so I would just move my family there. It’s not where you are, it’s how you build your family.

If you could’ve taken Jason back for your hometown date what would the two of you have done?

Oh, I think we would’ve probably just hung out around my home. I think we would have maybe barbecued out back. I have a pool out back and a hot tub.

We probably just would’ve cranked the music up and had some margaritas, and let the kids run around and, just show him what - I do like to be at home so we’d have probably just stayed home.

I could never quite put my finger on how you felt when you were put in these situations where it’s really easy to become jealous like the two-on-one date with Nikki. How did you handle the competition aspect of being on The Bachelor?

Well I think for one thing I didn’t look at it as competing with other girls. I looked at it as am I a match for him? So I could see all the things all the other girls had.

And, somebody - you’re never going to be - have everything you want or everything you desire.

I mean there are things on my body that I would like - be like gosh, I wish I had - my butt wasn’t so flat or I wish - whatever, trouble spots you have to work on.

And nobody is going to be perfect. So I just looked at it as not competing with others. I looked at it as am I right for him and does he like what I have to offer him? And do I like what he has to offer me?

I mean it wasn’t just him in this. It was me, too, because I mean - not in a selfish way but I mean, I feel like I’m a catch too as well, just as much as he is.

I mean - and please understand in that way if I’m quoted on that, it’s not in an arrogant way at all because I fall short in many ways.

I’m wondering if you’ve paid attention to any of the feedback you’ve gotten from being on the show, positive or negative from shows like the Soup or from blogs online. Do you pay attention to any of that?

I really don’t. I wish I could say I did but, I work for nine surgeons and I’ve pretty much got a torch lit underneath me, and I keep going like an Energizer Bunny working because I’ve had to, really pick.

And, because I have been out of the field for awhile I need to focus on my job. And I just don’t have time to really focus on that. And I think, if they say negative stuff it could get me more down.
And, I don’t have to have a reality check. I just - I don’t have an inflated feeling of myself and I don’t think I ever would just because of my raising.

What were your impressions of Seattle?

I thought Seattle was gorgeous. I can remember the airplane after - when we landed and just looking at the - all of the green and the nature. It was just beautiful.

And when we drove in the limousine getting to the hotel and just downtown, it’s so different from the south. It’s just like what I said about appreciating different places. It reminds me so much of New York or Chicago.

I wish I would’ve gotten to see the fresh market. That’s my only regret. I mean there was so many more things I would’ve loved to have done. Just it looked like you all had some neat art galleries and just walk down the street…

What did you like the best? On your group date you guys did the Argosy cruise. What else did you get to do that maybe didn’t get shown on the episode?

Well, we did that and then we did, of course, the radio thing. And we got to walk down the streets some which was - I thought it was neat because it is so different than - with the high rise buildings and it’s very different than Alabama. And so I got to enjoy that aspect of it and the weather was somewhat different as well. And I like that cool, crisp air.

When I was driving the boat I just - it was just gorgeous being able to look around at the skyline. And, I did think, wow, this could be my home, you know. It did run through my mind.

Was there any discussion about maybe Jason moving to live with the winner instead of, the winner coming to Seattle?

To my knowledge there was no discussion of that. That was not - I don’t know about that. I think they would probably - I think he’s pretty grounded in Seattle because of his ex-wife. Which is understandable.

You were in a different stage of life than some of the other women there. Did you connect with a lot of them or did you find some of them kind of, not as mature - maybe not ready to become a step-mom?

I can honestly say that I did connect with the other girls very well. I think it’s because I allowed them to be themselves and took them for what they were. I mean whether they were 24-years-old - I mean I know how I was at 24 and I’m sure there were some things that I was like whoa, why did I say that?

So, I could appreciate that. But like Molly, she’s 24. We worked out a lot and I was like you do not act 24. I mean, I would have thought she was - her maturity level was much like a 34-year-old.

And I would say, there were some girls in the house that were probably a little bit more mature but because that was their age bracket, or maybe hadn’t been through quite as many experiences.

It’s all in what you experience in life I think that kind of puts you there and makes you react to things differently.

I said it the other night, it was like okay, walking down the aisle with my ten-week-old just, sealing the casket and walking up the aisle that to me was something to hit the panic button about and be distraught, and just completely broken-hearted over.

This was not something like that, because I look at the opportunity and say, wow, I could get a wonderful man out of this.

You mentioned Sophia quite a few times but you haven’t actually talked about how she felt about this whole experience. I mean did she kind of get where her mom was going or what you were doing, those kinds of things?

You know what, she had no idea. She still to this day - it is so funny, she thinks I videoed and she thinks it’s just a video. She doesn’t know she’s on TV.

She doesn’t even hardly watch it. I mean she has no idea about - she is so busy. She’s much like I was as a child. She’s not afraid to just get into everything.

The last Bachelor show that was aired when, you know, of course, I made my exit she was outside in the garage painting a canvas. And I want her to be a child.

Earlier, you were also mentioning that yours and Jason’s kids are obviously close in age and everything. Is there ever, going to be like a playdate in the future with Sophia and Ty, or anything like that?

Shoot, I think that would be so much fun! Of course, I want the best for him and whatever happens and which girl he chooses, I would never overstep my boundaries or anything.

I could see if I met a great guy and he ended up with one of the girls, and us being able to have kids together that would be a lot of fun. And just kind of - to catch up because I’ll have seen — as well as the world will have seen — them fall in love. And of course that’d be interesting to see. I’d be interested to know.

So how is your life now that you’ve returned home?

Well it’s - I mean it’s pretty simple. I have been recognized different places when I go places. And I think - all in all, I think my hometown is very supportive and, of course, all my friends want to see me find someone. So they’re just - they hope I’m not heartbroken.

And of course, I’m - I really had to explain that that, so many people called me crying and just saying, oh, we hope you’re okay. And, we think you’re wonderful and you’re going to find somebody.
And I thought, you all, I’m really okay, you know. It’s - I trust that I will find someone and it’ll be better than ever. So - but things have changed a little bit. A lot of people - there are strangers who come up and hug me.

And I’m open to that. I’m - as long as I can tell they’re not shady or anything like that, I guess they feel like they’ve watched the show and they kind of have a - feel like they know me.

As the show progressed, you became more prominent. So I guess people would just recognize you more often than you may realize.

Yeah. And I think if - like I said on the show, if my story could touch anyone, I mean even a viewer if they were to lose their husband or one of their loved ones tomorrow and, just to know that, don’t just lay in the bed and not keep living your life.

Get out there and - take some healing time for yourself but then you’ve got to put yourself out there and go for it, and try to find love again.

Now, this wasn’t the first attempt that you’ve made since the passing of your husband. Had you tried to find true love again?

Yeah, I mean I dated a couple of guys here but I waited a full year after my husband passed away before I even thought about it. Plus, I was - had a 10-week-old. So, I just took that time to be with her, focus on her. And then I dated a couple of guys. And, it went well with them but they were actually both younger than me and no children. So it was a little bit of a - some adjustment.

Is there anybody special now?

No.

So you’re wide open then?

Yeah.

This season they had that first new twist, the ballot. What was your reaction once you realized that you actually had to vote or had a chance to vote someone else off the show?

Oh, I think you saw my face on that. They kept on showing my face and I was like - I was in shock. I was like I hardly even know these people. I mean I hardly know these girls to vote them off the show this quick.

I was shocked about that. I wanted to put a phony name. I didn’t want any part of it, you know. Because, really what I thought - I thought, wow, that could easily be my name that they might put. I mean I had no idea. You go into somthing, hoping for the best but I had no expectation. I mean I was - I’m not overly confident on anything because I know that with reality shows anything can happen.

Can you say who you did vote for and why?

No. Because I had such a hard time with that, I would rather not even say because I ended up liking her.

That’s very decent of you.

Yeah, thank you.

On the blogosphere you’re quite known for your fashion sense. Can you tell us about that?

I call myself a clothes horse. I think it just comes from me doing theater and, vocal performance and not being afraid to dress up. And I just love fashion. I do a few runway shows here a year in Birmingham, and I just love to see the latest styles and what looks good, and what’s designed for women and men.

You must have had quite a time deciding what to pack in your trunk?

I did. That was crazy. And, I think some of the girls were kind of like, oh my gosh, you have five suitcases? And I was like, yeah, I do. I’m pretty embarrassed about it, too.

And I said but you all are welcome to wear anything. My friends who know me in town are like - they were like yeah, I knew that she’d do that because I let everybody wear everything.

I have this new pair of shoes and my friend came over the other night. She goes, oh my gosh, ‘I want to wear these.’ And I said, ‘well I know you might.’

‘Can I wear them once at least before you wear them?’ She was like, ‘no, I’m wearing them.’ I was like, ‘okay you can wear them.’

You seemed the most well-rounded person. Had you ever piloted a boat before?

No, I had not. That was just really a cool feeling to be up there with the captain and like I said, I felt like I’m in charge. It was a good feeling.

You looked like a natural.

Well, thank you. I would do that again. Man that was a treat.

Going through the course of the show did you feel like you were ever really in it, like you would ever really be the one that he chose or did you get the feeling early on that, maybe it wasn’t going to end up like that?

As far as the physical connection I felt like - and I think this is because of me being in acting and different things. And I kind of looked for signals from him like that eye connection, that direct type - for him to touch my hand and I didn’t necessarily feel that. And I initially thought well, maybe he’s just not that way. But, I remember - the man I was married to he, you know, would touch me on the face and on my hands, and run his fingers through my hair. And I sensed that Jason wasn’t doing that so, I had my reservations.

Do you think Jason - knowing him like you do or as well as you got to know him during the show, do you think he might be better off with a single mom or, can he make it work with somebody who doesn’t have any kids?

I think he can make it work. I think as long as the love is there and the passion is there - that Ty has a mommy. And that if they’re there in Seattle then, all that he’s got to do is make sure that the girl is willing to give him enough time with Ty and that she can be adaptable to needing to support his needs too, and little Ty’s needs as well because we all know that children - they get sick and, we can’t go to the party or we can’t go to the big dinner we’re supposed to got to.

Was there any feeling on your part that maybe he stuck it out with you as long as he did because of Sophia?

Oh, I think so. I think that, I think that he saw the way I mothered Sophia and he was attracted to that. I really do, because a child you can tell if they’re extroverted or you can tell if they’re timid and they’re scared about things. And you can tell about their manners. You can tell if they’re appreciative…

So you think he was a little bit attracted to you because of the way he saw you had raised Sophia?

I would like to think so because I mean she’s my pride and joy. I want her to make the world a better place.

You said after your elimination that you hoped your story would reach people and inspire them. Since your elimination have you talked to people who have been affected by your story?

Yeah, I actually have. And, as a matter of fact I talked to a guy - of course, he did not even know I was doing the show. But, you wonder why you’re put in situations. And when I was on the way back from Seattle, I sat next to a guy who was just distraught. I mean he was having such a difficult time. And we got to talking and I, you know, I told him that I had lost my husband.

And he said well, I’m going through a divorce and I have three children. And I just spent Halloween up here with my three children in Seattle, and I have to go back to Atlanta and be without them for several months. And he said how am I going to get through this?

And I felt like right then I was in a moment to just build him up, and try to give him some advice, and just tell him, look for positive things and take each day - you’re going to be a little bit stronger. And surround yourself with people who don’t tear you down, but who bring you up and don’t make you see the negative stuff. And I mean, that is what I will continue to do.

We wish you the best of luck on that Stephanie. Good luck to you!

Thank you! You too!

Don’t miss the next episode of The Bachelor when Jason Mesnick travels to the hometowns of The Final Four.

Link: http://www.fancast.com/blogs/tv-news/the-bachelor-exit-interview-stephanie-hogan-knows-best/


Offline marigold

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Re: The Bachelor 13th Edition
« Reply #145 on: February 07, 2009, 11:57:01 AM »
An interesting article:

Axed 'The Bachelor' Suitor Prefers to be Friends

After The Bachelor Jason Mesnick admitted that his date with her remained to be his favorite so far, single mom and medical marketing representative Stephanie Hogan said that after she was eliminated from the show, she realized she rather be friends with Mesnick.

“I had my reservations,” Hogan, 34, says, “just because I felt Jason and I connected on emotional levels and mentally and with our children, but as far as passion of when you walk in the room and he just absolutely overwhelms you, do I think I did that for him?  No.”

The said date was a very memorable one-on-one where they celebrated Hogan's daughter Sophia's fourth birthday.

“I was just so overwhelmed that he would have brought my daughter there on her birthday because I had thought about her all day, and while I was in the limousine and they were taking me and I had no idea where I was going.  The date card had said "Will you come play with me?" and I thought "Okay, lets see. What can we be doing today?"  I had no idea it would be like bringing Sophia there.”

When her daughter Sophia came running down the beach, she said she just about fainted.  “My knees buckled and she came at me with all her force and just ran over me.”

Hogan furthermore clarified what she said about one of the contestants, 24-year-old flight attendant Naomi, not being on the same maturity level as she and Mesnick.

“I just seemed to think at that point that, and it's not a bad thing on Naomi, I thought she was really a cute girl.  I was just thinking of Jason as far as having a child and what stage he was in.  I saw her maturity level as not as mature as some of the other girls. I can't really get into anything else.”
 
Link: http://www.buddytv.com/articles/the-bachelor/axed-the-bachelor-suitor-prefe-26215.aspx

Offline RealityFreakWill

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Re: The Bachelor 13th Edition
« Reply #146 on: February 08, 2009, 12:02:00 PM »
Reminder....Bachelor airs one hour later than usual tomorrow 2/9 due to Obama's press conference.
« Last Edit: February 08, 2009, 12:06:52 PM by RealityFreakWill »

Offline tory

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Re: The Bachelor 13th Edition
« Reply #147 on: February 09, 2009, 01:21:42 PM »
omg ty for the interview s mg.. i read trough megans and it took me like an hr.. it was good, i new she said she was from va beach sry to here her dead beat hub still lives here aperantly. i hate the court system here i have 3 chikdern and had to fight my x trew thease same va beach courts for years 2 . and i bearly got any child support  the judges here r a night mare. the last time i went was 2 yrs ago my son was 17 and i was tird of my x getting away with crap so i asked dcsc to drop it and they looked at me like i was crazy and did not no how to do it.. any way sry about the rant..her x must b a compleat dirt bag for her to get full coustody here. i no that for fact, it is all most imposible in va beach for 1 parent to get full costody i tryed..so i am glad she got to get away and do the batchlor how awsome was that for her all so was it me or did that rob intervewer ask lawer like questions.. huumm he was anoying..again sry for the sp and the rants and ty ty for all the info all so i heard about that utub vid yd from a friend about melissa.. i hope it is her jmo..
tv junky needs help!!!!!

Offline marigold

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Re: The Bachelor 13th Edition
« Reply #148 on: February 09, 2009, 02:24:36 PM »

omg ty for the interview s mg.. i read trough megans and it took me like an hr..


 :lol:  I know what you mean I need to sit down with a cup of coffee to get through it

Offline marigold

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Re: The Bachelor 13th Edition
« Reply #149 on: February 09, 2009, 02:29:07 PM »

ABC Television Network

PRESS RELEASE

TRANSCRIPT FROM THE 2/5 "THE BACHELOR" TELECONFERENCE WITH ELIMINATED BACHELORETTE STEPHANIE HOGAN

It's another long one so here is the link to read it:

Link:   http://www.abcmedianet.com/assets/pr/html/020909_01.html