Photo of the Day, November 6, 2009: Newburyport Night 1
Week Around the Ists, November 1–7
Heroic MBTA Operator and Inspector Honored: Saved Woman's Life
Sunday Happenings
Book It: Book Events November 8–14
Bostonist always knew that The Hub offered prime casting choices for the CW's Beauty & the Geek. This season features three local geeks and one local beauty. Naturally, the casting crew headed to Boston to find new talent for the next cycle.
Based on what Bostonist saw at The Estate on Saturday afternoon, the casting team couldn't have been disappointed. Despite miserable, dank weather, plenty of beauties and geeks arrived for group interviews.
Two MIT grad students immediately made their mark. One, Seb, informed the casting directors that he was a "Taco Bell enthusiast" long before Jacoby Ellsbury won him a free taco. He has a dream of going on a Taco Bell roadtrip to Taco Bell headquarters, and he and his friends would stop only at Taco Bells along the way. Even better, he hopes to run the automobile on taco grease. Casting agent Paul praised Seb for his "Real Genius vibe," but that might also mean that he is too cool for the show.
Fellow MIT grad student Andrew Rader commanded everyone's attention when he asked if he could perform for the judges. He whipped off his gray sweatshirt to reveal the pasty skin of a geek, along with gold chains, one of which had the letters "MIT" dangling off the bottom. As everyone watched (and, rest assured, the beauties were watching in horror), he prepped the sleek karaoke machine that he brought with him to the auditions.
More from the "Beauty & the Geek" auditions after the jump! Blurry, blingy cell-phone photo by Caroline Roberts.
This was no ordinary karaoke machine boom box. It was truly space-age. Once he was ready, Rader launched a PowerPoint presentation and offered his karaoke version of "Weird Al's" "White and Nerdy," which is itself a spoof of Chamillionaire's hit "Ridin' Dirty." (If you ever want to join him, he told the crowd that he does karaoke at MIT's Thirsty Ear every Thursday at 10:00 pm.) His star turn earned him a private conversation with Dana, the director of 3 Ball Production's casting team.
Despite all the antics, those who auditioned for "Beauty & the Geek" expressed serious motivations for wanting to be on the show--other than getting on television. All of geeks wanted to improve their social standing. Kurt, a librarian who is considering a career in nursing, admitted, "I suck at first impressions." Jack, a writer and editor from Somerville, confided that he had an "inability to relate to people who live on Planet Normal."
The beauties who tried out live on Planet Normal, and they certainly thought Rader came from somewhere else. But they admitted that they'd like to help a geek out. Alicia, 23, who described herself as a party girl, wanted to show a geek how to dance on a table. Another beauty, Melissa, said she wanted to spend time with geeks because she's sick of being judged by her looks: "I used to be a blonde, and I was sick and tired of people saying I was a stupid blonde."
Other reality-show hopefuls came in out of the storm. One geek even had a large briefcase with him, indicating another presentation was to come. It seems a safe bet that the casting directors will find what they're looking for around here.
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I wish these guys well, but... I know one of the BatG guys, and the show doesn't seem to have changed him at all. Well, he had a better haircut for a while, but that grew out eventually.
But how much do you love the current season's guys? They are such sweeties! BIG crush on John, who we knew all along was just a few tiny steps away from hotness.
I wholeheartedly agree. John definitely had the potential to break out of his shell. I even thought he wasn't geeky enough!