Small Talk: The Fantasy Suite

[Rhondinella]

The cameras are off, so now we can all get to really know each other.

[Lisin]

Here's a place for small talk and introductions!

[Rhondinella]

We had both an "Off-topic" thread and a "Small Talk" thread here, so I just merged them both.  So feel free to introduce yourselves and shoot the breeze here, guys.

[portergirl99]

Hi! I'm portergirl99 a refugee from TWoP!! I also live in Atlanta GA so i'm hoping our hometown girl will make us all proud! Hoping to see some familiar faces around here after the show kicks off :)

[ramble]

I'll be here. I can't help it. This show sucks me in even if I try to fight it. I'm ramble. A single mom living in middle America. Last summer was the first year I let my kiddos watch. I had rules about having to make fun of the show & not buying into the romance crap. They came up with their own "drinking" game involving M&Ms & key phrases. I think I'm going to switch to saving quarters & going out to eat at the end of the season because you end up eating a lot of candy. Just what I need a show about finding your soul mate for forever & ever while gaining weight & my skin breaking out. Ha! Looking forward to "meeting" everyone!

[Bella]

Ramble, you didn't give genders or ages for your kids, but I'll just note that I was introduced by a friend who watched it with her daughter. The girl was 15, which can be a hideous age for communication, but my friend and her daughter were able to discuss dating, how to "read" a person who doesn't have your best interests at heart, the role a fun activity has in building a bond, etc., etc. Your M&M game sounds like fun!

[Lisin]

The Small Talk topic is for:

• Introductions
• Off-topic chatter
• Having virtual tea with forum buddies
  

This is NOT a topic for actual show discussion. When you want to talk about the show:

1. Figure out the nature of the topic you want to talk about
2. Look for an existing topic that matches or fits
3. If there is NOT an existing topic that fits, CREATE ONE!
   

Examples of topics that populate show forums include (but by no means are limited to):

• Character topics
• Episode topics
• Season topics
• Spoiler topics
• Speculation topics
• In the Media topics
• Favourite X topics
• ...you get the idea
  

Happy trails beyond Small Talk!

[ramble]

Bella I have a tween & a teen. Fortunately the teen is much more interested in school & her academic track so, at the moment, I have a reprieve. My younger one seems more teen-oriented already so it might get interesting. Eek! I like the idea of using the show as a springboard for discussion. It is a common ground. Thanks for the idea. Our first season together was Des' & my girls still sing a made up version of "Right Reasons". It's kind of awesome!

[Crystal]

Hi everyone! I am Crystal and I have been watching the Bachelor/ette shows since the very beginning. Sigh. I have a huge crush on JP (the one married to Ashley, not Juan Pablo). I have an irrationally strong hatred of Emily Maynard.

[MSP]

Hi all! I'm MSP - Miss Smartypants was my old handle on TWoP. And I mean olllddd - I've watched this crazy show since it started 137 years ago and omg, the stuff I've seen, you guys. Like, back in my day, there was no first impression rose, and some of the rose ceremonies took place with no dramatic background music and the women sitting around a living room wearing pants. PANTS! I can't find evidence of it but I swear it happened. I lived through the Bob Guiney days and Firestone Wines NOT TIRES and Jesse Palmer giving his F1 a PLANE TICKET instead of a ring and the most wonderful Charlie O'Connell and his bevy of beauties including the FBI Agent/Bikini Model and Sarah "I want to scar myself because I'm so beautiful" W. I remember it all - when people thought Brad Womack was the worst person alive (I loved him) until Jason Mesnick came along and wailed over a balcony and dumped Melissa and took over as Public Enemy #1. Then we all wanted Jake to fly a rocketship into the sun. I remember DeAnna's whining and Ben's hair and Lanny's mom and even when Nana was alive! And you guys - REMEMBER REID? Good times.

 

Anyway, hello to all the new (to me) people! I haven't been active on TWoP in ages and I only recognize one person in this thread from back in the day - waving - Hi portergirl!

[jordanpond]

Oh, Lanny's mom!

 

Lanny will be head of household.

You will be submissive.

 

The most memorable hometown visit ever, in my opinion.

 

Good times.

[chocolatine]

jordanpond, which season was that - and does it happen to be on youtube? Sounds like a classic along with Naomi's mom's bird funeral and Kirk's dad's taxidermy basement.

Edited May 29, 2014 by chocolatine

[jordanpond]

Chocolatine, It was Meredith's season. Sorry but I don't know if it's on Youtube.

[leighdear]

I just had the most horrible, terrible, crass and insulting idea. 

 

Eric's story would make a perfect "Lifetime TV" movie.  It practically writes itself.  

 

Basic story premise of the show, then Andi finds out after hometowns he died.  She torments herself that it's her fault, yet chooses a "winner". She's vilified in the media. The engagement is stressful & almost gets called off.  But some sort of miracle, or angel or whatnot comes to Andi and says living a loving, full life is all the tribute he needs. 

 

Of course his name would be Derek and her name would be Sandy.

 

I'm officially going to hell.  

[Juneaucat]

Hi all.  I'm coming back to my Bachelor/Bachelorette addiction after many, many years away.  I'm thinking of watching some full seasons on Amazon Prime (God forbid Netflix could have anything good to stream outside of OITNB).  Please help me pick.  In your opinion, what are the best seasons of the bachelor and the bachelorette?

 

Edited to add:  I'm not sure if this is the right thread to ask this question.  If not, can someone point me in the direction of a more appropriate place?

Edited June 11, 2014 by Juneaucat

[jordanpond]

Hi, Juneaucat. I'll toss out a few ideas:

 

In general, I like the older seasons better than the newer for a few reasons. In the older seasons, they didn't give out roses on the 1-on-1 dates or the group dates, so it created more suspense. Nowadays, for the most part, it's too easy to spot the people who have no chance for the final 4 relatively early in the game because they never get a group date rose, etc. Also, in recent seasons the unfair editing has become ridiculous: they try to make fools out of people by unflattering/misleading editing, playing one poorly worded comment over and over again, etc. I'm sure they always had this, but it seemed a lot less common in early seasons. Also, it seems as though the bachelors on the older "Bachelorette" seasons used to dress much nicer, and it made the opening night seem much more formal and exciting. Also, the older seasons  used to split up the group dates to something like 5-on-1, rather than the 13-on-1 silliness that they have now.

 

One advantage of the recent seasons, though, is that the travel locations have become incredibly scenic. Jillian's season in particular was breathtaking. In fact, you might like that season simply to watch Reid, who seems to be one of the single women's favorite contestants of all time.

 

Perhaps my all-time favorite season was Meredith's simply because she seemed to have a lot of really nice men. I also liked Trista's season because, of all the Bachelorette seasons, that was the one where I think that most of the men were truly there for her. I think my least favorite was Ben's because he was neither nice nor nicely dressed, and it was more impossible than ever to suspend my disbelief to think that any of the women there would actually want to date him.

Edited June 11, 2014 by jordanpond

[Juneaucat]

Awesome!  Thanks!

[Zahdii]

I've heard that Deanna's season was pretty interesting.  Seems that the men looked like they were having more fun with each other than with her, & I've heard she got pretty testy as a result.  I should look it up sometime, to see if she managed to get a man out of the season or if she decided not to choose anyone.

[jordanpond]

I realize that I'm probably a bad person to comment on this, because I don't like to see "train wrecks." But, if you do want to watch a season that was a complete mess, yes, you'll definitely like Deanna's season. And Jason's, too. By the way, to fully understand Jason's story you have to watch the "After the Final Rose" episode as well.

 

ETA: After writing my previous post last night, I have even more reasons to recommend Jillian's season. She had a few really fun/funny people on there (Mike, Tanner, etc.) And since I think they went three seasons in a row, Deanna-Jason-Jillian might really make a fun trilogy.

 

Edited June 11, 2014 by jordanpond

[caligirl50]

I don't think the show is available that far back but I could be wrong. I looked it up and I think just the past few seasons were available online.

Back in the day, I had the first season of The Bachelor on DVD. Now that was interesting to watch!

[Bugs Meany]

If you like all the bro-ing out on The Bachelorette, check out Ali's season.  That was THE bro-out season.

[Juneaucat]

Deanna's season is on youtube in its totality.  Sweet!  I'll work my way through that and watch Jason's, which is on Amazon Prime.

[Juneaucat]

I'm back after falling down the rabbit hole known as the interwebs.  I watched all of DeAHna's season, then various youtube clips of her and Jesse, including THE forlorn Jesse video.  Got me sufficiently intrigued about Jason Mesnick, who I knew virtually nothing about.  Yes, it is possible.  Who knew?  Watched the entire season where he was the bachelor.  Fascinating!!  Then read so many stories about him, Molly, Melissa, the producers, on and on.  I'm waiting for Melissa's book to come from Amazon.  Have listened to several of Jason & Molly's podcasts.  Can you say obsessed?  :)

 

Anyway, those two seasons were infinitely better than Juan Pablo's and Andi's.  The last season I watched of any of it before this year was Jillian's.  Ha, so I won't need to follow up watching that.  I found those seasons to be slightly more real and full of crazy.  The women on Jason's seasons were just batshit.  But I loved Molly and never hated Jason the way I guess everyone else did.  Granted, I know that Melissa is married with a baby and Jason and Molly are too.  I'm sure that colors things.  But still, Melissa was no saint, even though she painted herself to be.  I find her kind of loony.  Honestly, I was surprised he even picked her in the first place, kind of like DeAHna (emphasis mine) and Jesse.  And speaking of Deanna, just yuck.  I found her so full of herself.  Wish I had TWOP right now to go back and read all of the boards when those seasons were on.

 

But I'm a big sucker and want all of these romances to work.  It's fascinating to read all the behind the scenes stuff and learn how little time they get with each other, that the relationship starts when everything is over.  In some ways, it's positively amazing any of them actually make it to the altar.

[PamelaMaeSnap]

I have no idea why it took me so long to find this thread but I think it's because I was wondering if any of the "old gang" from TWOP Hot Tub was here ... 

 

MSP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Anyone else here under a new name? (I'm not breaking any PTV rules, I just am not using the old TWOP name I used to use which rhymed with Spazzie Dazzie). 

 

Who remembers the saga of Periwinkle and Todd (which season was he? I am old and senile ... too much hot tub chlorine fumes, I think).  Oh, and BACON?

[Scout Finch]

I was Elevation (U2-related) on, I think, both MBTV and TWoP; however, I don't think I posted that much. When TWoP shut down, I had been a Couch Potato for several years.

 

 

Got me sufficiently intrigued about Jason Mesnick, who I knew virtually nothing about.  Yes, it is possible.  Who knew?  Watched the entire season where he was the bachelor.

 

Now you'll know understand what it means when someone says that a bachelor or bachelorette pulled a Mesnick (melodramatic sobbing while leaning over a balcony railing). Even Chris Harrison has used that term!

Edited May 28, 2015 by Scout Finch

[JenE4]

I would be forever grateful if someone could point me two the two video clips of Chad that are posted somewhere on this board: 1) Chad doing pull-ups off the house with a suitcase of protein powder chained to his torso; 2) Chad and Daniel's Hitler/Mussolini conversation. I want to share them with a friend. Thanks!

[thehepburn]

47 minutes ago, JenE4 said:

I would be forever grateful if someone could point me two the two video clips of Chad that are posted somewhere on this board: 1) Chad doing pull-ups off the house with a suitcase of protein powder chained to his torso; 2) Chad and Daniel's Hitler/Mussolini conversation. I want to share them with a friend. Thanks!

I searched Chad and Hitler and it was the first thing that came up.

[JenE4]

45 minutes ago, thehepburn said:

I searched Chad and Hitler and it was the first thing that came up.

Thank you! I'm not sure why I didn't think to Google! I found this article with some of the funny clips: http://www.bustle.com/articles/165242-chads-craziest-bachelorette-moments-from-suitcase-pull-ups-to-eating-meat

Edited June 9, 2016 by JenE4

[JenE4]

Gotta go float down random rivers in and around Tulsa, OK, for a chance of seeing that hot piece of ass in person.

Well, I didn't find Chad in an OK river last night, but I did find Melissa and Joe Gorga (RHNJ) in a NJ watering hole (restaurant/bar).

 

[C76]

Quote

 

I'm watching the show's final episode(s). I think someone mentioned it in a different thread, but Robbie's hair bothers me. The way it's styled is troubling. 

Petty, I know.

It's never out of place. Other guys' hair appears to be styled, but IMO there's something artificial about Robby's look. I've come to call it "Ken Doll Hair". This isn't much of a spoiler but tonight 

Spoiler

they showed a clip of Robbie in the shower, and none of the water hit his head. What the hell?!?

I don't know what's wrong with me, but it gives me the creeps. 

Edited August 2, 2016 by C76
Spelling error

[OnceSane]

Attention Wrong Reasons Viewers:

Have I got a show for you!  Ex on the Beach…the US version.  MTV UK has a version currently airing its eighth season, but now we get our own!  I've already requested a forum so I hope to see y'all over there once it's created.

Promo:

[LBS]

So I'm not sure if this is the right spot to post but I had the most bizarre dream last night.  I was the bachelorette and I was wearing this gorgeous 1960's era couture dress complete with a hat and gloves.  I looked amazing in it.   I go up to the stage to reveal my final three choices and they were Jordan, David, and Nick.   I woke up so disappointed in myself for wasting that dress on those three dorks!  :) 

[peachmangosteen]

5 hours ago, Ashlyc said:

i recently started using a microfiber towel to dry my hair. im definitely seeing a difference. they wrap up on youre head with a title button. i got mine at target for a few bucks. also have been using Kristen Ess products, like the cleansing conditioner. 

I have always meant to try one of those microfiber towels. I started using the Kristen Ess stuff a few months ago and I'm really disappointed in it. I have the extra gentle shapoo & conditioner though. I didn't know there was a cleansing condition. I actually prefer cleansing conditioners, so maybe I'll try that.

5 hours ago, Kareem said:

Moroccan argan oil spray.  

Any particular brand you like?

Edited July 10, 2018 by peachmangosteen

[JudyObscure]

The Moroccan Argan oil spray I found in the drugstore just went by that name, no brand name.  My  sister in law recommended it to me while I was visiting them at Myrtle Beach.  I had started to look like I had a shrubbery on my head.  It did seem to help a little, but I suddenly became fearful about using oil in a spray form -- getting oil in your lungs is a really dangerous thing. Maybe at some level I like being frizzy, I probably associate it with femininity or something.  ;)

 So if you get some be careful to hold your breath while you use it, Peach!

[Kareem]

2 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

...

Any particular brand you like?

OGX Beauty, Peach.  Not tested on animals.  

[Ashlyc]

19 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

I have always meant to try one of those microfiber towels. I started using the Kristen Ess stuff a few months ago and I'm really disappointed in it. I have the extra gentle shapoo & conditioner though. I didn't know there was a cleansing condition. I actually prefer cleansing conditioners, so maybe I'll try that.

Any particular brand you like?

the cleaning conditioner is kristen ess. i like it, i actually use a little of the shampoo a teeny bit with the cleansing conditioner. i hate when my scalp feel oily. i do think my hair is getting more used to it, so i could probably stop that step. i dont like her sea salt sprays, but they dont play nice with my hair. we all have different hair, so you just have to try sometimes. target you can return hair stuff tho! 

[JenE4]

My fellow frizzy-headed friends, some product LUS came up in my FB feed and in the comments saw everyone talking about these letter/number curl types. (I think I’m a 2B/2C.) Thanks to google I discovered there’s this whole “movement” out there called the curly girl method. Anyone know about that or follow it? 

Edited July 21, 2018 by JenE4

[ByTor]

16 hours ago, JenE4 said:

I discovered there’s this whole “movement” out there called the curly girl method. Anyone know about that or follow it?

Yeah, the philosophy behind it is that silicone causes buildup, so to get rid of the buildup you use shampoos with sulfates, which in the end dry out your hair & make it frizzy.  In a nutshell, you should use products without silicone, which means you don't need shampoos with sulfates.  Cleansing conditioners (co-washes) are encouraged...some people even use inexpensive conditioners (like Suave or V05) to "wash" their hair.  My hair is so dry you can pour a gallon of oil on it and it still won't get greasy...I did the CG method for several months and it didn't do a thing to help me.  If you're interested, there's a handbook.

[JenE4]

Thanks, @ByTor! After doing some internet reading I realized even just how I brush and touch my hair makes it frizzy. Today I used the exact same shampoo and anti-frizz cream but instead of my usual routine of rubbing with a towel, brushing straight down, scrunching in a product—and scrunching some more. I just raked conditioner through with my hands and as I was rinsing it out raked my hands to be sure there weren’t any knots. Raked some product through my soaking wet hair upside down and carefully blotted excess water with a towel (regular terry cloth but microfiber on order), then just wrapped my hair in the towel for 10 minutes, let it out, and did NOT touch or try to part or anything. And then just as it air dried it looked better than it ever has! I think that’s the biggest mistake is just brushing and scrunching and touching it too much. It makes sense—why brush the wave/curl out then try to squeeze it back in? I’ve already switched to sulfate-free shampoos just because my naturopathic doctor has gotten me to go pretty chemical-free all around. But seeing these hair care videos and people only washing their hair once a week or something blows my mind. I mean some of these ladies with a LOT of hair, I get—it’ll take all day for your hair to dry. But I leave for work with wet hair and by the time my coworkers get there an hour after I do, my hair is already dry. I know it’s probably not good to wash your hair every day, but it’ll take a lot more convincing before I’m sold on that. The cowashing is just using conditioner instead of shampoo, right? I could give that a try.

[ByTor]

7 hours ago, JenE4 said:

The cowashing is just using conditioner instead of shampoo, right?

Conditioner or a cleansing conditioner.  The difference is that cleansing conditioners typically have some kind of astringent ...Wen uses menthol, Devacurl NoPoo uses peppermint, not sure about the ingredients in Ouidad or Aveda.  Even though I gave up curly girl and use silicone on occasion, I do love the Devacurl NoPoo and One Conditioner.

7 hours ago, JenE4 said:

why brush the wave/curl out then try to squeeze it back in?

LOL it makes me laugh how different two people's hair can be.  I recently discovered the best way to do my hair curly is to put in gel (I use a cocktail of Ouidad's Tress FX & Advanced Climate Control stronger hold gels), distribute it with a wet brush and brush completely straight, then rake sections of my hair, grab the ends and shake to re-form the curls, scrunch a little, and let it air dry.  Gotta love how people think it's all so easy when you have curly hair!!!

[LBS]

The Chicago Marathon is this Sunday and three former contestants are running in it.  Diggy Moreland (who I saw last year and is a lot shorter than he comes off on TV), Dustin Kendrick, and DRUM ROLL PLEASE:

TYLER CAMERON!   

I live on the last mile and I will be cheering on the runners as usual but if you didn't think I have his bib number on the "track runner" part of the Chicago Marathon app already, well you'd be as wrong as Cam thinking he had a chance with Hannah.   The only downside is that Sunday is going to be cold so he'll probably have a shirt on.   🙂 

[LBS]

Tyler finished in 4:45:32

[LBS]

And Diggy at 5:25

[RealHousewife]

On 7/22/2018 at 5:29 PM, ByTor said:

Conditioner or a cleansing conditioner.  The difference is that cleansing conditioners typically have some kind of astringent ...Wen uses menthol, Devacurl NoPoo uses peppermint, not sure about the ingredients in Ouidad or Aveda.  Even though I gave up curly girl and use silicone on occasion, I do love the Devacurl NoPoo and One Conditioner.

LOL it makes me laugh how different two people's hair can be.  I recently discovered the best way to do my hair curly is to put in gel (I use a cocktail of Ouidad's Tress FX & Advanced Climate Control stronger hold gels), distribute it with a wet brush and brush completely straight, then rake sections of my hair, grab the ends and shake to re-form the curls, scrunch a little, and let it air dry.  Gotta love how people think it's all so easy when you have curly hair!!!

For real. Curly hair is work. If my hair just gets caught in something, getting it out causes frizziness and loss of curls. I've also experimented with "the curly hair method" mentioned, and it absolutely helps with curl definition. You have to be pretty careful shopping for products, and there are far less stylists who are even familiar with the method and the dry hair cuts on the curls. Straight hair girls don't know how easy they have it as far as maintenance.

[Stats Queen]

9 hours ago, RealHousewife said:

Straight hair girls don't know how easy they have it as far as maintenance.

That’s the truth. I had straight hair my entire life and after in went into menopause it decided that it was going to be curly. It is such a pain to work with 

[PamelaMaeSnap]

Hello all my long-lost lovelies!!!! Thanks to my having spent so much time binge watching favorite shows since February, I’m now ecstatic to fully embrace this throwback to the good old days (adding the B’ette and new season. Of Amazing Race to my must-see TV). 

So many familiar names (even though a silent stroke and a pair of transient global amnesia episodes have wiped out chunks of my memory creating frequent Error 404s, I still remember the important stuff like old B/B’ette good times with my TWOP buds!!!)

Staying on non-topic topic, I haven’t had my hair cut in about a year and a half (had already been growing out a shoulder-length look in anticipation of an updo at Cazzie Lite’s wedding in September 2019) so it’s now almost waist-length and very straight. I was absolutely shocked to discover that the shampoo that makes it ridiculously soft and manageable is ... Prell! 

I’ll weigh in on topic on my early thoughts on the Bachelors ... even though I know the main Dale Moss spoiler part, I wonder if all of the guys in the house will just transition over to Tay’s candy box or if she’ll be allowed to choose a few discarded, say, truffles or caramels or whatever to bring back. Not sure my analogy works but you get the idea. 
 

[JudyObscure]

So sorry about your silent stroke, Pamela Mae Snap. 

I use Prell if I don't like the way my hair-color turned out.  It can strip out a too dark Nice 'n Easy in one washing.  

[JenE4]

Oh, wow, Pamela, I hope you’re doing well! How scary! Glad the Bachelor franchise knowledge is in full force! Maybe the repetitive Journey and Right/Wrong Reasons trope really built some strong synapses.

How’s everyone else doing? Has anyone or their loved ones gotten COVID? Still heavily restricted and working from home here in Jersey, but everyone’s healthy in my family. I do have 2 friends who lost parents to COVID, though. 😞

I really missed this group! Finally a bit of normalcy! ❤️

[Lamb18]

Hello @JenE4. I'm working from home, too. I had a Covid test last week, thankfully it came back negative. I was at the doctor's on Tuesday and she said she worked on Covid patients in New Jersey earlier this year at the convention center (set up for Covid patients). She said Javits Center in Manhattan was also used for Covid patients. My family have stayed healthy, too.

Since I live alone I've felt rather isolated; on the other hand, I've become more acquainted with the chipmunks and birds that like to hang out in my yard.  Plus I've gotten to watch Big Brother feeds every day.

[JenE4]

Apparently DirecTV and ABC/Disney are in some type of contract feud, and the channel is blocked. As if ratings weren’t already bad enough, they’re losing out on gluttons for punishment such as myself who can’t quit this show despite how terrible this season is, even compared to most. It seems that I should be able to catch it on Hulu tomorrow. I’ll miss chatting with you all tonight, though.

PS, This thread should be called “Can I Steal You for a Minute?” as that’s more apropos for small talk. Anyhoo, considering i resurrected this thread from 4 years ago, i guess that doesn’t matter.