Myths, Lies & Stupidity

Last night I saw myself in a commercial for a 20/20 special called- Myths, Lies, and Downright Stupidity. Actually my brother saw the commercial earlier in the day and then called me saying that it showed a clip from “Hooking Up” in which I was dancing at the nightclub with Acie while John Stossel, from 20/20, was doing a voice-over about dating or love. So, I turned on ABC for the rest of the day hoping to catch it- all the while wondering what it was about. I knew that since I had signed the release for “Hooking Up”, ABC had the right to use my image and footage in any way they pleased. So, rightfully I was a bit worried about what they were using it for in a show with a title like “Myths, Lies, and Downright Stupidity”. It didn’t seem like it was going to be anything good! Particularly since John Stossel was the host. He usually does the 20/20 segment “Give me a Break” and I really like his thought provoking yet cynical attitude when he analyzes how ridiculous some people or situations can be… but now was it time for him to do the same about me?

Finally, the commercial aried. I was at my mother’s house and she was watching with me. My clip came on while John Stossel said that they would be uncovering myths and asking, “Do opposites really attract?” I kind of felt relieved at that point. That didn’t seem too bad. So, then I wondered whether they would be focusing on my dating tactics- since I did remember that while filming “Hooking Up”, ABC reviewed my online dating profile which states:

“I really don't believe that opposites attract but just usually clash.”

or would they be just using my image as “stock footage” – meaning flashing it across the screen amongst images of other couples simply to have a visual to go with their story.

Since I didn’t know, I only called a few close friends to tell them about it. After 20/20 aired, I was glad that I didn’t tell more people- because they didn’t even show me at all. They simply used me as “stock footage” for the commercial.

I will talk about what 20/20 revealed regarding whether opposites attract in my next blog because it also leads into my thoughts about crossing the color line in dating- a question posed to me by a visitor to ventureheart.com.

Reisha