The final three teams were determined this week on Beauty and the Geek. Unfortunately for Josh and Shay, they didn’t make it. Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with them about their Beauty and the Geek experience.
Trevor MacKay: What were your thoughts about each other when you first met?
Shalandra “Shay” Cham: Joshua, you go.
Joshua Green: We first met when we went back and forth through the curtain, you know, with the beauties meeting geeks and vice-versa. My impression of Shay, I mean I couldn’t get much of an impression from it. She mentioned she had done a lot of beauty pageants and such, which seemed fairly superficial to me. And I couldn’t believe that was all to her, but that was what she focused on in her little talk. I was a bit confused. I mean there seemed to be little to her and although I knew that was the point of the show, I just couldn’t believe that.
SC: And my opinion of Joshua, when I first met him. I was just like, “You have got to be kidding me!” (Laughs) I was just like, “Oh my goodness!” Like I told someone before I was like, “You know what? This cannot even be a real person.” But here he is right here, walking and talking and breathing. So I was just like, “Wow. This is going to be amazing.”
TM: Were there anythings that really surprised you as you got to know each other over all those weeks?
SC: Yeah, there were a lot of things that surprised me about Joshua. Like some of the stuff, just the little things that I felt like he didn’t know. And he once told me like he didn’t have lot of friends in elementary, or junior high, or high school. And that was kind of strange for me. I’ll make friends wherever I go. I’ll bring home people I just met at the grocery store to my mom. I mean anybody. I was making friends all the time with people and you know so that was strange. I was like, “How did you go through life and not have fifty million friends? And did you have best friends?” That was like a real eye-opener. I just had never thought that people wouldn’t have friends in life. Or best friends, or hang out with people. I can go to the grocery store and make friends with anybody. You know, we’re going to be good friends for laugh and you’re coming home for dinner tonight.
JG: What surprised me about Shay was how much of an incredibly hard worker she was. She was always making note cards, she was going through the material, she was studying very hard. And then she just did so well on the teaching challenge. I mean, God she was so impressive with everything that was thrown at her.
TM: And what would you say was the hardest challenge each of you faced?
SC: Joshua, go ahead.
JG: Well, I guess the most annoying one was the superhero challenge but I think the hardest one was probably the first one, just cause we were just getting used to it. We hadn’t gotten use to cooperating. And it was a lot of work to write music. I mean I had never done that before and so I think that was definitely the scariest one if only because it was the first one and Shay and I weren’t working together very well at that point in time.
SC: I think the hardest challenge for me, I would definitely say was the last one. Like picking up all the critters and creepy crawlers. That was just gross. I mean, I don’t know who came up with this idea but that spider, I almost had a nervous breakdown. To be honest with you, I literally blanked it out of memory. It was like “what do you know about them?” I was like “I really don’t even live with them.” That’s how much it freaked me out. I was just like, you know what, “This is that. I don’t ever want to think about it again.” I think that one right there would definitely have to be the most difficult and hardest challenge for me.
TM: It seemed almost like the bug competition was almost designed for Sam to win. Do you feel Sam and Nicole have an advantage over everyone else?
SC: Well, I think Sam and Nicole have an advantage, only because Sam’s been in the industry. You know, television, movies, since he was a child. You know, he’s pretty much trained to memorize and I think that, especially if they were ever to go the elimination room, it would be like a no-brainer for them. I think, you know, Sam’s a go-getter. Outside of the fact he won a lot and really just got on my last damn nerve, he’s a really cool guy. We actually got along really, really well on the show. If they would have shown somebody else that I was probably like the most comfortable with or who became really close, it would definitely be me and Sam. We were constantly laughing, talking, cracking jokes, cooking. You know, that’s like my thing, I love to cook and I love for people to come try it and tell me what they think. Sam was like right along with me, or right there so that was cool.
TM: Josh, what were you thinking during the bartending competition as you were flinging the bottles around? Were you nervous?
JG: I think I was more frustrated than nervous. We’d been given these little bottles to practice with which were all the same shape and you would only fill them up so much. The study material kept mentioning don’t fill the bottle up too much if you’re going to be the flair bartending. So the manual said the first rule is “Don’t spill the alcohol” but then that proved to be completely impossible with the materials they gave us. So it was more frustrating. I was trying to live up to what I had heard. I had heard the cheering from what other people had done during their performances so I was trying to live up to that. And some of the things I did seemed to elicit enough laughter that I was happy. But it was hard to try to stay within the boundaries I wanted. But I guess part of the show is not to stay within the boundaries. So I was making a complete mess.
TM: Was it your strategy to kind of “fly under the radar”?
SC: That was my strategy.
JG: Oh, was it? Was that your strategy?
SC: Joshua, I was there. I was like “Dude, nobody is going to look at us as a threat.” But then my whole thing was like “Look how far Josh was coming. He’s starting to maybe denerditize or something. Whatever, I don’t know. (Laughs) So I was just like he cannot slip through my hands here. I let him go know then what are we going to end up with? So I don’t know. Um, Joshua what was your strategy?
JG: I don’t know that it was a direct strategy. We thought that maybe we wouldn’t be taken as a threat and that would mitigate our presumed disadvantage in the challenges. You know, in that first challenge and our test result. It just sort of turned out that way. I guess we didn’t elicit very strong feelings amongst anyone. And we didn’t win challenges because Sam won a ridiculous number and Will won a bunch early on so I think it just sort of turned out that way. It wasn’t a strategy but that sort of is how it ended up happening. And I guess it worked, maybe that’s just the way we are.
SC: That’s how it worked, definitely.
TM: Joshua, other than Shay who would you say was the most attractive of the Beauty in the house?
JG: I was sort of sad, right, because the one who I thought was the most attractive was Amanda and she was eliminated in the first week.
SC: Is that because she has big boobs, Josh?
JG: I don’t know! I mean we were chatting that night in the and I was just found her attractive, I don’t know exactly why.
SC: Joshua, is that the first thing you thought. Was because “Oh, my goodness this girl has big boobs. So she’s pretty.”
JG: I don’t remember consciously thinking that but who knows what was going on at the subconscious level.
SC: Yeah, it was one of those subconscious things. Don’t try to fool me, little buddy. I know about you. (Laughs).
JG: If I’m trying to fool you then I’m fooled too.
SC: SC: Okay.
TM: Did either of you make friendships you feel carry over into the real world?
SC: Yeah, most definitely. Besides Josh, I mean, of course, we’re going to stay connected. I’m pretty sure I’ll stay connected with Sam, Katie, Rebecca. Me and Amanda we were pretty cool. Jen, Jasmine. As far as the guys, yeah, John and Jessie. For the most part everybody I’ll probably be really close to.
JG: Yeah, I don’t think there were any real enemies except maybe William and Jen at this point. I think everyone really got along pretty well.
SC: Even with Will, I mean he told so many stories and that got on my last nerve too but he was pretty cool.
JG: I liked Will. I mean, Will was outspoken but I didn’t find anything particularly wrong with him. Um, he did say in his audition that’s what he wanted to work on.
SC: Well, shoot, every time you tried to tell him something he’d still get upset. Josh, what are you talking about? How can you be outspoken and that be something you want to work on but then every time somebody points out you pretty much bash them and tear them down. Okay, we’re going to talk about this later on, sweetie. Don’t worry.
TM: Do you feel you have been changed by this experience? And if so, would you say there was a point on the show where you really felt you had changed?
SC: Yeah, especially towards the end. Joshua made me realize a bunch of stuff about myself that. You know how you look in the mirror and the people you’re around everyday sometimes they may not call it out or see it the way you do but as soon as you’re taken out of your everyday environment and placed into another one and you’re like forced to notice. You know what, maybe this isn’t so cool. Maybe I shouldn’t be this way. Maybe I shouldn’t think this way. Maybe the way that I am is not the right way. So that’s especially me being so judgmental. I would have to say that part, and definitely I think before I speak now. And definitely the way that I speak to people.
You know, I’m always going to have a smart mouth, I know that. That’s not going anywhere. But Joshua learned that “Oh, some of the stuff that Shay says it may come out sounding messed up but she so didn’t mean it that way.” But after a while he was like “Listen, you need to like really work on that.” So towards the end of the show I completely got it and to this day I still think that way. Even my mother and my friends and the people that I’m around, they’re like “You’re really not the same person.” I never would have thought going on a reality TV show, quote-unquote. Because you know, you see people, and you’re like “Man, that’s not real.” No, it’s real. It really did change so.
TM: And what about you, Joshua? Do you feel changed after being on the show?
JG: It’s one of those things you realize on this show. That other people who have lived different lives will notice different things and be upset about different things and things that need to be changed that you would never consider working on. I think now that I’m off the show I’m paying more attention to little things. Shay gave me a lot of advice. I think I have more confidence just going up to random people and chatting, you know. The Beauties and the Geeks, we got along together despite being in different worlds. I think that I’m ready to enter, I’m going to a new job in a new city and I think I’ll be very happy. I’ll be able to meet people and just get out there and have a good time. Get myself out there.
TM: Who do you think will win the competition this year?
SC: I think that Sam and Nicole are probably going to be the ones that win the competition. But who we want? I want Jasmine and Dave to win. You know, Sam and Nicole, if they win, I guess that’s cool. Way to go for them. But I really, really would like Dave and Jasmine to win, to come through. I just want to see what Jasmine’s reaction is going to be honestly. *laughs* Seriously, cause you know she’s going to be so lost. Josh you know she’s just going to be like “Oh, my goodness!”
JG: I agree. I have a suspicion that Sam and Nicole are going to win. But I also want Dave and Jasmine to win. I mean we’ve seen some serious growth. Certainly in Dave and probably some in Jasmine too. The two of them working together have been great over the past few episodes.
SC: Yeah.
JG: And we’ll what Dave does next episode.
TM: And what are your plans now that you’re done with the show?
SC: Pretty much I’m in my last semester of school as far as having a degree in communications. I’m going to finish with that. I’ve always been modeling since I was fifteen so hopefully I’ll get some more modeling and acting stuff. Um, probably I’m going end up moving back out to LA. Taking my time; getting a job somewhere. I guess a normal life. Hopefully I’ll be successful in whatever I’m doing and I’ll be happy, I’m pretty sure. I’m pretty sure I’ll be happy and successful in whatever I’m trying to do. Joshua, what are you going to do?
JG: I’m on the verge of getting my degree. This paper that we’ve been working on forever now is in its last throes. So I imagine I’ll get my Masters degree from Princeton and then I’m moving on my life. I’ve got a job in Maryland; I’ll be moving out there and we’ll see how that goes.
TM: That sounds good. I’d like to thank both of you for taking the time to speak with me today.
JG: Thanks for having us.
SC: Thank you guys for having us on.
– Beauty and the Geek airs on the CityTV network in Canada on Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
– Beauty and the Geek airs on THE CW in the U.S. on Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
