Random Reality – Interview with Alen Bubich, Creator and Panelist of Keys to the VIP

Interviews, Shows

Now that I have told you all about a new reality show that would be airing on Canada’s The Comedy Network called Keys to the VIP, it’s time to learn more about it. The show premieres tonight (Tuesday, October 31) at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT.

To find out more about the show, other than what I saw on the episode I watched, I had a chance to interview the creator and one of the panelists on the show, Alen Bubich. Here is how our brief conversation went down.

Where did you grow up?

Alen Bubich: I was born and raised in Canada. But I have lived in the United States in various places including North Carolina and Ft. Meyers, FL. I have been to New York City and Los Angeles as well.

Is there any difference between American and Canadian women?

Alen: In Canada, especially Toronto and Montreal, girls have this “New York” attitude, where they are more likely to shoot you down. There is definite snobbery there. In America, of course, it depends on where you go but American women are less inclined to that attitude. There are places like Miami, where girls are only out looking for a certain type of guy, though.

How did you create the concept for the show?

Alen: I lived with Sheldon, another panel member, during college. Sheldon and Peachez played college football together and he would come up to party with us and stuff. I’m not going to lie, we’re pretty arrogant guys and basically we were just sitting around and thinking it would be great if we saw guys do this at clubs, etc.

Did the girls have to sign waivers to be on the show?

Alen: All of the shows were filmed inside of private clubs. To get into the clubs, you had to buy a ticket and with that ticket came a contract that you had to sign to get in. On the door of the club, there was a disclaimer as well. We also had follow-up releases for the girls that appeared and almost all of them signed them. There are later episodes where we had to blur our faces of some people, because they wouldn’t sign the follow-up releases.

Did the guys have to pick the hottest girls in the club?

Alen: Looks are subjective to begin with. One guy could think a girl is hot, while their friend can call them stupid for thinking that. We tried to keep things open and the guys could choose anyone they wanted. However, the network did tell us to stay away from making fun of the girls on the show. They didn’t want that.

How do they pick the guys that were on the show?

Alen: We did lots of things. We had a casting call. We placed ads in newspapers. We also went to clubs and if we saw guys standing with lots of women, then obviously we’re thinking they must have some “game”. We tried to get different types of guys, though.

How long did it take to make and put the show together?

Alen: We got the green light in July of 2006. And we finished up the first season around the middle of September.

Tell me more about the other panelists. How did you all come together?

Alen: As I said, Sheldon was my roommate in college, and Peachez and Sheldon played college football together. Peachez would come up to hang out with us and we would party together. We eventually met Chris, who was a producer at MTV Canada, after deciding that we needed to create a production company. That was about two years and we are all good friends now.

Do you have a girlfriend now?

Alen: Yeah, I actually do.

Back when you were single then, how many girls did you typically get in one night?

Alen: I never really kept track of that. Because to me, it was about going out and having a good time with my friends. It wasn’t about going out and getting the most numbers, because if you do that, you usually end up alone at the end of the night. You can go through 10 bad nights at the bar, before you get a good night. So if you go and just have fun with your friends, everything else will fall into place.

Where does you see or hope the show goes?

Alen: I hope it’s a shot that people can relate to. I think men have lost their voice on TV today. Getting into a fist fights and being a man is supposed to be embarrassing now. We are supposed to be sensitive now and cry and wear pastel colors and all of that. I hope this show squashes that idea. This is a show for guys like us really. I hope they embrace that. We are looking at maybe a second season of the show, if everything works out. We’re talking to men’s magazines as well. And maybe even going to the clubs in the United States. We’ll just have to see.

What’s the one secret that all guys can employ to become a “player”?

Alen: We have three rules and our third rule is what we call the “Babe Ruth Rule”. Babe Ruth was a great baseball player and he set all kinds of records. The one that people remember the most is the most homeruns ever. That has since been broken, but that is what he is remembered for. Most people don’t know that he also has the record for the most strikeouts ever. But no one remembers the strikeouts. If you worry about failing, you will fail. If you are not confident when approaching women, you will get shot down. So be confident. You’re going to be shot down. All “players” strikeout every once and awhile. But you have to forget about the strikeouts, if you ever want to hit a homerun again. Confidence that you will succeed is the best thing a person can possess.

Sir Linksalot: Reality Television

I'm not embarrassed to say that my favorite television show of all-time is The O.C. I live by the motto "you can't fight fate!" More importantly, I watch WAY too much television, but I do so for the benefit of everyone reading this now. So to my mom and my wife, I say thanks for reading! To everyone else that might stumble across this, remember TiVo should be your best friend!