Ok, so I naively thought this day would never come, but I have been busted. I mistakenly believed that I could get through my adult life without this being brought up 13 years later, but people are smart and the internet is wide. So after more than a few “Who me? I don’t know what you’re talking about, haha” comment denials, I’m coming clean. My name is Sherry $herdog, and I was on MTV when I was 17. And it was easily the most embarrassing compilation of moments that could ever be edited together.
I’m an over-sharer, so some folks might wonder why I’d try to hide from this video. And to you I’d say: it’s one thing to invite people into your home and share a video that accidentally features your bra laying out on a bedroom chair or an interview where you flail around nervously or admit that you walk around covered in dog fur and cream cheese smears, but it’s a whole different ballgame to say “Let’s take a time machine back to my most awkward moments as a seventeen year old girl being surprised while life-guarding and told she’ll get to interview Eminem for a show called FANatic on MTV – oh look, I have the whole thing on video for you, let’s all sit down and watch it together.” Now excuse me while I giggle uncontrollably for ten minutes. I do that when I’m nervous.
Allow me to spill a few secrets: shows like this are a smidge set up. It’s not to say that I wasn’t completely Marshall Mathers obsessed (I was) but there are certain things you’re highly encouraged to mention so that you come across as the most deserving fan. Things like “I aspire to be a rapper someday.” I’ll pause while you snort whatever you’re drinking out of your nose. It’s true that my best friend Mariam at high school talent shows (we once donned orange puffy vests and belly shirts and parodied the Eminem/Dre duet Forgot About Dre) but it’s a Jersey thing. You had to be there to understand that it was not meant to be taken seriously. So no, I didn’t actually hope I’d be touring the country as a famous female rapper when I grew up.
Of course the show sets up situations too, like us going to the old burger joint where Eminem used to work before the interview…
… but it was pretty cool as a teenager to see some random restaurant and think “he really worked here just a few years ago flipping burgers?” Fun fact: the people I’m serving at that table in the restaurant are the limo driver and one of the production people who carted us around.
Another fun fact is that I hardly knew the girl who surprised me at the pool and came with me on the entire adventure. See, MTV required that the “friend” of the person being featured was 18 or a parent would have to accompany the fan and the friend (which I’m guessing cramped the crew’s style). So when I was going through the whole “you might be a finalist” phase of the process, they asked me about my friends and I gave a list of all my best 17 year old buddies and they sort of heavily suggested that I list someone over the age of 18. So the girl who worked at the front desk at the Marriott (where I was a lifeguard for years, represent) got listed – and she was the friend they picked to surprise me. And yes, it’s still really cool to be in a limo when you’re 17. Especially if you flash the peace sign with your sleeves rolled up.
Here’s where it gets extra embarrassing. At some point in the interview the word “phat” inexplicably slips out of my mouth. I never said that word before and have never said it since. I can only blame the loss of my whole damn mind at the thought of sitting next to a hip-hop star and somehow thinking $herdog could pull off a term like that. And I couldn’t. It rung in my ears for the rest of the interview while I continued to grin like a crazy person and giggle nervously. Although a lot of this experience is what I like to call “retroactively embarrassing” (since at the time it was really cool and I felt really lucky to be chosen), the moment I realized I said “phat” on national television was the moment that I wanted to punch myself in the face.
Then they asked me to rap. Repeatedly. It’s bad. Very very bad. Oh and about the pigtails, I wanted to wear a ponytail and an arm band (yes, an arm band) but the crew gently suggested the pigtails and no arm band. I’m thankful they nixed the arm band but still a little weirded out by the pigtails. So without further ado…
As for how I even got on the show, my friends dared me to send in a tape since I really was a hardcore fan and they thought I had a shot at being chosen. Meanwhile I believed I had zero chance, hence me doing all sorts of ridiculous things that I thought would never be on TV/YouTube (like sitting in a tub full of M&M’s) because I truly believed with every fiber of my being that I would never make the cut.
MTV does a really cruel thing to make you think you weren’t chosen (at least it felt cruel at the time) in order to get that completely surprised ‘surprise shot’ when they sneak up on you. They’re in pretty constant contact with you for a while to collect things like “what you would ask if you were chosen” and “who you would bring as a friend if you were chosen” and then they say you’re a semi-finalist but it’s not a done deal, and then they cut off communication for a few weeks. Total radio silence. So you go from being hopeful that you might get picked to completely and utterly bummed out that you didn’t make the cut after thinking “dude, I might actually get flown to Detroit to meet Eminem.” Which is a pretty cool concept as a 17 year old.
This is of course when you forget about the footage of yourself in a tub of M&Ms and it sounds like it could be The Coolest Thing You’ve Ever Done and not The Most Embarrassing Thing Ever a decade or so later. But I have to admit that as a teenager it was an amazingly fun time. I got to fly somewhere with a camera crew and without my parents, they put us up in a cool hotel, and Marshall was actually a really nice genuine guy (now I’m going to get weird and tell you that he had the best looking hands I’ve ever seen in my life). And he did kiss my neck, which at the time made me believe we would soon be married and we’d go on to have three bouncing babies named Slim, Shady, and Stan (kidding). Dude, I took a picture of my neck after it happened. I’m that girl (can you believe I managed to bag a guy like John? I still can’t).
So I’m extremely grateful for the experience. It just felt like… let’s not all watch it together on video and relive my teenage awkwardness together. But I guess now my “secret past” is out. In summary: it was pretty amazing (it made “the morning announcements” at my high school – haha), but the fact that the footage from a defunct show from over 13 years ago is now somehow on YouTube is something I never imagined. Oh well. The cat phat is out of the bag.
Now you tell me your most embarrassing secrets so we’re even. Go.
Angela R. says
I LOVE this! SO great! I can’t believe how confident you were~ I would have been a blubbering fool…
This reminds me of How I Met Your Mother with “Robin Sparkles!” Hilarious!!!
Melissa says
One of the other THIRTEEN HUNDRED commenters probably already addressed this but I can’t resist:
HOW IS YOUR RAP CAREER GOING??
This is freaking hilarious, thank you for sharing :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, well as you can see, I am no longer in the business. I can’t imagine why.
xo,
s
Kelly says
This is awesome. Seriously. I was a sophomore in college back then and completely obsessed with MTV. This really took me back to those days, and your outfit as well!
Anne says
Well, it’s not on TV, but I did have a toilet situation. See, I was babysitting the baby brother of this guy that I had a crush on. I used the toilet in the guest bathroom, which apparently didn’t work. I didn’t know about it until AFTER had, ummm, gone #2. I freaked out. So I did what any rational person would do. I fished the offending feces out with an empty frozen OJ container from the trash and threw it over the deck into the woods.
The worst part was that the story came out to the guy at my 16th birthday party. YAY! :D
But seriously this video was AMAZING! I feel like the cast of “How I Met Your Mother” when they discovered Robin Sparkles.
Angela says
When I was 17, I wrote a letter in response to the Star Wars comic book and it got published. Some of my friends saw it. An inmate in a Kansas prison also saw it and wrote to me – I stopped writing when it got weird.
I found the comic book in question while packing and scanned it. The address is from 1983, so I don’t need to worry about more inmates writing to me. http://pics.livejournal.com/angelamermaid/pic/000e57yf
Melissa says
You know what’s funny? I used to LOVE this show and I’m positive I probbaly watched your episode ‘back in the day. I always thought you(and John of course!) were awesome, but this ups your cool points for being on MTV and actually having the guts to link to it.
Elyse says
I’ve been out of town since Friday and about 15 mins ago was like, I should see what YHL has been up to….um, not what I expected! Love how you were an “aspiring white rapper” like Eminem !!!
Pam C says
Oh – thank goodness my teen years were long before everyone on earth was walking around with a video camera. You were adorable and Eminem was surprisingly very charming.
Jennifer says
Loved the video, I was laughing the whole time. I love the whole picture of the neck thing.I have been reading your blog for awhile and I find it inspiring and always thought of you as a girlfriend in my head(being also from Jersey),after seeing that video I now know we could hang!You go on with your bad self!!!!
Courtney says
$herdog!!!
Ok, you will probably never get to read this, because it will be buried among zillions of other comments. BUT. Let me just say this:
1. Forgot About Dre is one of the best songs of all time. It’s currently on my iPod (and I’m not a weirdo – it’s just a good song).
2. I used to say “phat”, but I would take it a step further and say “phat with a P-H.” So, you have nothing to be ashamed of. We’ve all done worse at some point.
3. This is actually really hilarious – you were 17. You’re our hero. Don’t be ashamed. Own it, Jersey girl!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I like how you specified out loud that your phat was the p-h kind. Classic!
xo,
s
stacy says
oh. my. word. that is a pure gold!
Jessica says
Dude, $herDog…..I totally remember when this aired. And for as long as I’ve read your blog I have always thought you seemed so familiar…..now I know why. haha! How “phat” is it that you got to do this?? You may be embarrassed now but back then there were gaggles of teenage girls who would have DIED to take your place! :) You are too cute!
B says
I can’t believe I’m about to say this myself but I was a finalist for FANatic for the Sandra Bullock episode!
Some guy who drove around a cardboard cut out of her in his car ultimately won and I really didn’t even come close to that type of fandom!
BUT this post is the best because I always kinda wondered how close I was to being picked!
They definitely called me a few times, did the whole “what would you do if you won!” and asked about my schedule for the next month or something but I never had to give names of best friends.
They did have to talk to my mom on the phone and I remember her telling them we were going to be out of town for a weekend and I thought she ruined all of my chances and I was devastated.
Now that I’m 28, I’m pretty grateful that I wasn’t chosen!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, that’s so funny about the guy who won and the chalkboard cut out.
xo,
s
MoHole says
It’s totally adorable. Clara is going to absolutely love this video one day – it may take 30 years, but she’ll treasure it :)
Liz says
I’ve had a lot of embarrasing moments, but I’m about to have another- at my own wedding! We’re going to have a childhood picture slide show, and -I’m not joking- ALL of my pictures look insane. I’m awkward, or amazingly unstylish, or just plain UGLY. And of course my fiance has perfectly parted hair, preppy clothes, and a cute smile. Dang him! At least on my wedding day people will think I’m even more gorgeous! ;)
YoungHouseLove says
I bet it’s cute! And you’re right… a questionable “before” always makes for the best “after!” Happy wedding!
xo,
s
stacy says
Haha! This is so funny, thank you for sharing. It made my day and it’s only 6:00 in the morning! My friends and I made music videos when we were in high school and recorded them, we each have one copy of the VHS tapes! :)
Lindsay says
Hahahahah There are no words for that – so hilarious! I love it Sherdog. We need to hear John’s most embarrassing moment now!
YoungHouseLove says
Seriously! Why isn’t his on youtube?!
xo,
s
Jennifer says
Too funny. I would ‘ve been about a junior or senior in college around this time, and I guarantee I watched this episode. I was obsessed with MTV back then.
I live in Nashville and it’s not uncommon to see celebrities out and about around here. I had lunch with my mom one day at a pretty crowded place. We were finished eating and there were a few people kind of stalking tables, waiting for someone to get up. Right next to us was a pretty famous musician (who will remain nameless) so I took the opportunity to say, “You can sit here, we’re finished,” half being polite and half being selfish because I wanted an excuse to speak to him. He thanked me and I said something like, “If I had my CD I’d make you sign it.” A split second after I said it I was MOR-TI-FIED. I still can’t believe I did that.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I’m sure he thought you were just a sweet fan!
xo,
s
Carrie says
That is Hilarious. I never pegged you as much of an Eminem fan. The best part is that your Dad shows the video to his class.
Sarah Gilliam says
WOW! That is amazing.
When I was a freshman in high school I was on the varsity competitive cheerleading squad. One weekend at a competition, I thought I was pretty hot stuff flipping across the stage. Except I came up short on one of my landings, fell forward flat on my face, and got rug burn all of my nose and forehead.
Turns out, our routine was video taped. My coach, who was also a history teacher at our high school showed the video to all of her classes, and I had people I had never met coming up to me in the hallway to make fun of my spill.
Not to mention, Monday was school picture day so my rug burn is immortalized in my yearbook. Mortifying.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man. That’s bad. I feel for you!
xo,
s
kristen f davis says
OMG. this is awesome/hilarious. the pigtails are the best thing ever.
MISSY says
This is so awesome!!!
Christina says
Sherry-Dear, I always thought you were awesome and cool and we could be best friends in real life…! (too much? too creepy?)
Creepiness and decorating aside, I have loved Eminem since ninth grade, (I’ll be turning 30 this year too), but you actually met and KISSED Eminem!
WOW! You go, girl! *snap snap*
Kari says
I’m not going to scroll to 1,000+ comments to see if this has been said yet, but the thing that struck me is how you said to Adam, “Good job!” (the whole “Who do I love?” bit). You say that to Clara in exactly the same way all the time now. It’s kind of fun to see shadows of who you are now, in dealing with young kids.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, it’s true! That’s so funny.
xo,
s
Allison says
This is seriously the best thing I have ever watched! HA! Please tell me you still have that apron. You handled yourself so well!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, yes I still have the apron tucked away in a drawer.
xo,
s
Shannon says
Listen, $herdog. You are the cutest thing! I totally admire your teenaged self. I wouldn’t have been able to even speak if that had been me! Love, love it!
Lindsay says
No flippin way. I LOVED this guy back in the day, and still do frankly (shhh – hahahaa), you were so lucky to have met him. Way to go Sher!! haha
Kim @ Yellow Brick Home says
Eek, that’s actually pretty awesome! I wanted to be on that show to meet Steven Tyler of Aerosmith – and all my friends thought I was a big dork, although they all thought I could make the cut! I’ve loved that man since I was 5.
Anna says
TEARS!! This is the funniest thing ever. LOOL @ I can die now. This is the best post ever. If that was me, my family would bring it up every single day for the rest of my life. Does your family do that? Do you crazy every time you listen to one of his songs? OMG you took a picture of your neck *cries more* Sherry you were so adorable (still are) it’s crazy because your sense of humor is still the same. I have to give it up to you for writing about this. Has Clara seen this? I wonder what would happen if you played it for her.
YoungHouseLove says
Hah, yes my family does tend to bring it up regularly, although it has calmed down over time (it used to be a lot more, haha). As for Clara seeing this someday, I think she’d totally roll her eyes and say “ugh you’re so embarrassing mom” – haha.
xo,
s
Liz says
I would’ve never pegged you as a big Eminem fan! I love everything about this. :)
Teri says
O.M.G. I had off on Friday and I’m just reading/watching this now and it totally made my Monday! You are awesome $herdog! Do you still have the apron?? If you do, you should totally rock it in your new kitchen! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I keep my apron safely tucked away in a drawer. I can’t look at it without cringing/blushing. Hah.
xo,
s
Michele says
$HERDOG!!! i’m pretty sure you gained a bazillion Coolness Points from my husband when I told him about this. (he looooves Eminem.) and i’m pretty sure i saw this on MTV back in the day.
love it. love it. love it.
Amanda M. says
Why is the apron not hanging up in your famous gallery hallway!?! And where is the apron now?
Awesome!! I’m still in love with Eminem.
YoungHouseLove says
Tucked away in a drawer! It makes me cringe and blush too much to be out in the open. Haha.
xo,
s
Amanda M. says
As long as you still have it… were cool! I have to say I’m a little bit jelly, but so glad you shared this with us! Every.single.one.of.us!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, you’re sweet. It still hasn’t really sunk in that I shared it with the internet at large. Haha.
xo,
s
Deanna says
you should totally hang it in your hallway gallery!! this is too great of a story not to share!! $herdog shouldn’t hide her phat-ness! Besides Clara needs to grow up knowing about the hilarious things you do when you’re a die hard fan
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I think I’m totally going to embarrass the heck out of her when she finally sees it. There will be lots of eye rolling and “ew mom, you’re such a dweeb!” – haha.
xo,
s
Chesley says
THIS WAS AWESOME! I think Eminem had a little crush on you.
YoungHouseLove says
OMG, I wish.
xo,
s
Tammy says
I also sent in a video for this show! I was obsessed with No Doubt, and my big act of fandom was to spell out “I love No Doubt” with towels on the roof so that airplanes could see what a fan I was. It seemed so cool and creative at the time:) A bathtub filled with M&Ms sounds very expensive.
Oh, but I did get to meet Gwen Stefani several years later. I was 14, with my parents, and my dad filmed the whole encounter while also telling her what a fan I was, how my room was filled with posters and pictures of her, etc. I was so embarrassed that my dad was making me seemed like a dork, but now I like to think that she thought it was sweet to see a father so excited for his daughter:)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I think it sounds so sweet! I bet she was so flattered. And the towels on the roof thing is genius. I love it! A secret about the bathtub full of M&Ms is that we stuffed it with towels and just dumped a top layer of M&Ms to make it look full. Haha.
xo,
s
Nicole Evans says
Sherry, you have no reason to be embarrassed! I read the article and watched the video expecting to see a really awkward teenager seriously making a fool of herself because of the way you described it, but you looked so confident and intelligent and pretty! It’s awesome to me that Sherry from YHL is MTV famous. ;) Sure, you were a total Eminem fanatic, but you gave a wonderful argument for your fanship and for finding inspiration in him, and you appeared calm and composed in the interview. I think he liked you, and you didn’t seem to freak him out. :) Come out from hiding behind your desk and be proud, $herdog!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha thanks Nicole! Oh man, it’s just weird to look back at yourself with weird clothes and hair and shoes and hear yourself sitting in a tub of M&Ms and saying things like phat! Cringe-fest!
xo,
s
Ellen says
LOL! That video made my day. I loved FANatic!! I watched it all the time, so I’m sure I saw that episode but have forgotten over the last 14 years. :)
Missy says
Dont worry girl, think of all the celebs who have done WAY more embarassing things. Britney, shaved her head and attacked a car with an umbrella; Zac dropped a prophlactic on the red carpet; Xtina messed up the star spangled banner; ashley got busted lip syncing on SNL; Madonna stumbled during her super bowl performance, tara reid’s entire life pretty much…the list goes on and on! see, dont you feel better?
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, thanks Missy! It’s definitely true that it could always be worse!
xo
s
Amy says
I DIED laughing watching this Friday afternoon alone at my kitchen table! Too funny.
Ashley T says
Ha, ha Sherry. I’ve only been reading your blog for a few weeks but you’ve been cracking me up, girl. Especially in this post. :)
Aron says
Fantasic. Tell me you still have that apron? :)
YoungHouseLove says
But of course! I love that thing.
xo,
s
Kirstin says
So.Much.AMAZINGNESS!!!!
Chris says
I have NEVER enjoyed reading the comments this much! Haha! :) I honestly spent over 1 hour (maybe 2?) procrastinating homework and reading, reading and reading. So much fun!
This is not something to be embarrassed about – you were 17! What an amazing experience!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, thanks Chris!
xo,
s
Kevin says
Best Post so far. By Far.
Katie says
I am speechless. This is phenomenal!
Sara says
This is just awesome. Husband and I just bought a 1961 brick ranch in Chapel Hill, NC..pretty much doing all the same projects as you two including cutting up our large magnolia out front, trying to cut down the jungle on our walkway, spraypainting everything in site, painting trim for days, etc..so Im a regular visitor to the blog now.. With that being said, I also grew up in NJ, had that same accent as a kid and can TOTALLY relate to the whole Eminem period..:) Thanks for the laughs. How I nailed my sweet southern husband is beyond me, as well :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, we just got lucky with our southern boys!
xo,
s
missys says
okay i am 40 yrs old and i gotta admit, this has got to be the phatest thing ever!! you totally rocked it and def a natural on camera!!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, thanks Missy!
xo,
s
todd says
Umm what? You were on MTV and you met freaking Eminem!!!!!! All other details are irrelevant. Embarrassment is absurd. This is something you should tell everyone. Your fans, your priest/Rabbi/imam, strangers on the street. That rules.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, thanks Todd!
xo,
s
Liz says
I LOVE it!!! I think that is about the most awkward thing I have ever seen!!!! Probably because you come off so level-headed in your entries… who’d a thought you and Eminem? HaHa!!!! You have awesome courage to be able to give us this entertainment at your own expense! Great job, $herdog!
Holly says
Best post ever!