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.
Candice says
I do believe you got a WOW! out of Eminem when you walked in. I think he liked him some $herdog!
YoungHouseLove says
Hah, the funny thing about the article in that first pic was that the writer said something like “Eminem said wow when she walked in” – and I was like he did?! I don’t remember that!?! Hah.
xo,
s
Roger B says
Long time reader… seldom commentator.
As a Detroiter I think this is very cool! Gilbert’s Lodge was by my old house, and love seeing this stuff. Kid Rock and Emimem are both great boosters for Michigan!
Kim says
On an unrelated note, have you seen today’s Joss & Main cardboard animal sale?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, we love Cardboard Safari!
xo,
s
Katherine Victoria says
I can’t wait to get home from work today – first thing on my to do list is watch that video. Thanks for keeping it real $herdog – we love you!!
Me, Ed and Pea says
Oooooohmygaaaaahh! LOL! Made my week!!! I’m sad the arm band got nixed from the shoot :( haha
Ann says
Sherry, how did I not remember that awkward hello/handshake/kiss on the neck moment? That was EVERYTHING. Thanks for bringing back 12-yr old memories lol!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- hi Ann! Best moment ever. Miss you! Big up to Jersey for me!
xo,
s
Tina Bland says
I’m laughing so hard it hurts. This is hilarious! I think you should stand proud! So cool:)
Amanda says
Oh my God Sherry! Oh my God!!! I am dying over here wanting to watch this but I’m at work. UGH! Just reading about this is making me giggle, whilst trying to keep it quiet. (I work at a library! lol) I was afraid of Eminem when I was younger.
Amanda says
Just Watched It!!! LOVED EVERY BIT! And this may be the weirdest comment you’ll read on this,(and I do not mean this in any mean way, whatsoever!) but I never noticed how pronounced your nose is? I swear, it doesn’t look like that in any of your recent videos. lol Which is so weird! And again, I don’t mean any offense, because I’ve got a large nose! lol
Lindsey says
OMGEEEEEE!
This is freaking hysterical. Sherdog!!! How dare you hide your past from us?! Haha!
I would like you know that Em’s song “Lose Yourself” gets played in my gym EVERY MORNING and I will from here on out give a mental salute to you and your pony tails whenever I hear it!!!
Carly says
This is amazing! The best part is, I probably watched this show when it actually aired… who would have thought years later I’d be reading your blog. Crazy. Oh, and I think you should definitely start to rock the pigtails again. :)
shereen says
OMG from one wanna be Sher-dog to the real deal – that was amazing! I am dying! My embarrassing(but also teen highlight moment was meeting my #1 crush Keanu Reeves! I was in 10th grade, it was after the movie Speed came out, and he was in Toronto filming a movie, and it was March break. All my friends had gone out of town on vacation, but my fam was staying in town. Long story short, I did some investigative work, found out where they were filming and wandered around all the tailors in the area to find him. As I’m wandering (with my Mom and 4 year old brother by the way because I wasn’t allowed to go downtown alone in 10th grade) I peered into the tailors to see if I could spot anyone. The last one I looked into, there he was! Sitting in a makeup chair getting ready to head out and film a scene! He looked right at me, and I screamed “OH MY GOD ITS HIM!!!!!!!!!!!!” Then I started jumping up and down, and my mom also started jumping up and down and we were hugging each other and hi-fiving all right in front of him – he’d stepped out of the tailor and was standing there laughing at our hysteria. We had no clue where my brother wandered off to, and my mom just stated snapping pictures…like right in his face! And he was very very sweet and so nice to us, actually stood around and had a nice long chat with us AFTER we calmed down. So in the end I kept replaying the embarrassing reaction I had, but it didn’t matter. He was so dreamy and sweet to a me and my mom (and my little bro once we found him).
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I love it. That’s hilarious. You and your mom screaming and jumping. That’s awesome.
xo,
s
Kendra says
Please tell me that John thinks this is HILARIOUS. You shouldn’t be embarrassed–chalk it up as an awesome experience. hahaha
Jessica says
Lol that’s great. My friend and I were interviewed by MTV when we were 16 after meeting the band Korn. I was so humiliated afterward I didn’t watch MTV for a while because I didn’t even want to know if hey used it! Haha
Tonya S says
This just made my week!! I would have done just about anything to meet NSYNC or Britney Spears back in the day! Is it weird that I am a little jealous!? Haha
Samantha says
I am SUPER jealous. I was pretty obsessed with Eminem, too. I saw 8 Mile the day it came out, and bought the DVD the day it was released. I had a poster of him in my college dorm! And of course I own his albums. When Recovery first came out I would listen to it almost every day on my way to work – warming up my voice for a long day of teaching.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah that was a great album!
xo,
s
cara says
Can’t wait to get home and see this!
Katherine H says
That was awesome! Seriously. You made my Friday.
I didn’t have the fortune to embarrass myself on national tv, but I did what I could to embarrass myself in my hometown. I was a contestant in a game show during our prom after party and we had to listen to a jingle and then guess the product. Well, I heard something that I swear was the jingle for Trojan condoms and hit my buzzer and yelled Trojans! – in front of my very embarrassed boyfriend and half the school. Oh yeah – my parents were working the event too…It obviously wasn’t the answer, but after everyone stopped laughing the host gave me a bunch of points anyway. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Hahaha, way to get those points!
xo,
s
Rach says
“That was so phat.” LOL!! Sorry for the sarcasm couldnt resist!
Jenna says
OMG, Sherry, this is “awesome,” said in my best Jersey impression of you. :) Do you still love Eminem as much as you did back in the day? Do you still have the apron he signed? I have his latest cd in my car, and I haven’t listened to it in a while… you have inspired me to turn it on today. :)
YoungHouseLove says
I do still have the apron and I still love his music. I’m not as obsessed with him as I once was, but he was a really nice guy!
xo,
s
Misty says
Sherry you are frickin awesome!!! For being brave enough to show that, all the excitement of your 17 year old self and making us all smile! I thought you did great and it was fun to watch! I almost choked on a Hershey Kiss just reading about it! Just when I thought I couldn’t like you anymore, you show this! It made my day! Hold your head high Sherdog! ;)
P.S
You rocked the pigtails!
Connie says
I don’t eve know what to say here! I am so embarrassed for you! Haha! But… I am also incredibly jealous as I, too, harbor a deep love of Marshall. This is fantastic. I totally had a knot in my stomach for you through the whole thing. Your sign-off with deuces in the air was epic!
Leslie says
Oh, $herdog. I am so, so embarrassed for you. You’re just lucky you were that cute in high school.
Liz says
That is so hilarious! You should definitely do house tours in rap form now.
Dwana says
O.M.G. THAT WAS AWESOME!! I love it! You were actually really good (and hilarious). That totally made my day. My favorite line “because, it’s kind of like, I’m an aspiring white rapper who wants to be taken seriously”. Even though it was made up, it was still so hilarious. Fabulous. Thanks for sharing – it makes us love you even more.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I don’t know why people didn’t take me seriously, I mean clearly I was very devoted and skillful when it came to rap! Hahahahaha.
xo,
s
jessie says
That is awesome!! You and John are two peas in a MTV pod…he wanted to be on the Real World and you got to meet Eminiem through MTV. He’s gotta have an embarrassing submission video too.
YoungHouseLove says
I have begged for it but never seen one. I think the evidence was destroyed on his end. Haha.
xo,
s
Beth says
Despite the embarrassment factor, I am sooo jealous! I <3 Eminem!! And when I went to voodoo donuts in Portland, I got the Eminem donut just because of the name. My best Eminem moment was just before he got really big my friends and I went to see him and I got to touch him as he walked through the crowd. It was a festival type setting so most of the people he was walking by didn't even realize who he was. I tell people I touched his ass but shhh… in reality I was too nervous to do that so I just touched his shoulder.
YoungHouseLove says
hah- that’s so funny about Voodoo donuts! When I saw it on the menu I asked what it was (my guess was that it was covered in white powder) but the girl looked at me like I was crazy and said “uh, there are M&Ms on it” – duh!
And congrats on the butt grope (ok, shoulder grope) – you’re a brave girl!
xo,
s
Amy says
I can’t believe you have been hiding this Slim Sherry. Your street cred just went through the roof!! I watched that show at 15 like a FAN-atic…this calls for a young house life rap video!!!
Kyle says
OH.EM.GEE!!!!!!!! I totally love you. Also, I distinctly remember that episode. Phat.
Emily @ Perfection Isn't Happy says
Oh my goodness, this is so awesome! I don’t get the pigtails either, but you still looked pretty :)!
Skooks says
Ohmygoodness . . . that was AWESOME. I feel like having “seen” you and heard your voice through your writing on the blog and stuff, I can really tell the parts that were staged . . . though I’m sure the fact that you were appreciably younger does make some bit of difference in the way you acted. ;) When you asked him about his overnight success-ness and whatnot I kept thinking, “I wonder how YOU feel going from that 17 year old FANatic to one of the most popular bloggers out there?” I’d like to think that if I met you in real life that I’d be able to be a normal person and be cool about it, but I bet most people that read your blog would geek a bit to meet you!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, you’re sweet. I can promise you if we ever meet in real life I’ll be the awkward one. Seriously, that’s a promise.
xo,
s
Carly says
Haaaaaa! I fully just snorted while watching this. Awe.some. And if this is your most awkward moment in high school, then you suck. You must have been hella cool, because my daily maneuvering through life was infinitely more awkward!
YoungHouseLove says
I think it was my most public embarrassment but there were others that I probably block out.
xo,
s
Connie T. says
Totally loved the video–I have been waiting since you posted this for all my co-workers to LEAVE so I could watch it! I have to say that even then you had a passion for animals hanging on the walls(like the bear at Gilbert’s!) Oh, and my teenagers would think it was cool if there mama had met a real live rapper, but I also think they would laugh at the “he touched this button!” remark. So, no worries, Clara will love this video someday and show all of her friends–just like your dad does!
A says
AH MAH GAH. I have permagrin right now. This is so funny. I haven’t even finished watching the video because I have secondhand embarrassment for you. Thanks for sharing! You are so endearing. I just love you to pieces.
Lilly says
That was fun, nothing to be ashamed of hun.
Katy says
your outfit is THE BEST – pigtails and all! brought me back to my high school wardrobe…and how I’m so glad those years are over!
Jillian says
OMG!!! That was AMAZING!!! I <3 you even more now! LOL
Jodie Kirk says
You are so adorable Sherry! I loved watching that! Thanks for sharing!
Courtney H says
OMG i remember this episode…and the pig tails…classic. Good to know that was an MTV force ;) “Peace MTV” ahahhahhahahhhaha Good job!
Leiann says
Waahaaahaaa!! This is too funny! My friend actually came across this video yesterday and sent it to me, so it’s super ironic that you posted about it today! I believe the email body said something like “look at this little gem I found of our favorite blogger!” I could not stop laughing and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing! So funny..oh to be 17 with pigtails again!
You conveniently forgot to put in your post that you wanted to be a “white” rapper someday…as if you would turn yourself another color or something?? :)
Awesome that you had the guts to blog about it. Some of those comments on youtube are nasty–i don’t know if I would let thousands of people in on my little secret if people were so openly mean to me! Good for you!!
Kate says
Oh, wow. I don’t remember that episode, but I TOTALLY remember the girl sitting in tub of M&M’s–I think they used it as a commercial clip or something; I just recall wondering how many bags had to be bought to do that, and if they were eaten afterwards.
YoungHouseLove says
I think my brother and his friends ate them all (after making sure I sat in them with clothes on and not naked, haha). It took about ten bags, but we stuffed towels into the tub first, so we just poured them on top of that.
xo,
s
emily says
Long time lurker here- just had to tell you how much I loved this post. So funny. As embarrassing as this may seem, it only makes you cooler, $herdog! :)
And I wanna know… do you still have the signed apron?!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, heck yeah! Safely tucked away in a drawer.
xo,
s
Sarah K says
First of all, I found this highly entertaining!! On a more important note, you inspired me to make sure that my little MTV appearance isn’t still lurking out there on the Internet somewhere! Despite several Google searches, I was unable to find the clip of my dorky self giving a “shout out” on Total Request Live. Whew! Dodged a bullet there! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoo! Bullet totally dodged. Consider yourself lucky. Haha.
xo,
s
Emily says
“Because I’m an aspiring white rapper, and he proved to everyone that you can be taken seriously…”
Oh, bless it. :)
YoungHouseLove says
With mad skillz like that I have no idea why anyone wouldn’t take me seriously! Haha.
xo,
s
Carrie says
The pigtails were super in during the late 90’s. Everything about this was like a journey back in time! I had (actually still have, hoard much) a dress almost exactly like that!
We laugh and of course it’s embarrassing now but oh how cool I would have thought you were had I been watching this 13 years ago! What a great experience for you! (Even if it is on the internet for the world to see that super awkward greeting between you and Eminem.) :)
How many m & m’s were in that bathtub?
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, about ten bags. We did cheat by stuffing towels around me so there was just a top layer of M&Ms. Oh those 90’s special effects, haha.
xo,
s
Helene says
Thank you.
I am having a crappy week and really needed that.
Morgan Porter says
Sherry, (AKA “Aspiring White Wrapper”) thank you for sharing that. Just made my week! I wish I had an embarrassing story to share with you, but I can’t really top that one… ok I could come close but I’m obviously not as brave as you and going to put it online.
Hope you still have that apron though! I’d have that thing in a shadowbox on my wall. Next YoungHouseLove project!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- I do still have it! Tucked safely out of sight in a drawer! Haha.
xo,
s
Alison says
I love it! The funniest part? I actually remember watching this… on MTV… when it first aired… Embrace teen-hood <3
:)
Teresa says
I don’t think it’s embarassing at all! I think its great. Who else can say they met him and got to see all this “cool” behind the scene stuff in high school. Own it! Rock it and be proud…I can’t wait to tell my kids I met Craig Montoya from Everclear and Harry Connick, Jr. :)
Tia says
That was a FAT video, $herdog!
Karen says
This. Is. Amazing. I’m not even halfway through and *I* am hiding my own head in shame for you, hahahaha! Love it! we’ve all done embarrassing things back in the day, so sometimes it’s better to just get it out there and laugh at yourself than try to hide. OMG, love this so much, thanks for sharing!!