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.
Annie says
Whatever happened to the apron?
YoungHouseLove says
Still have it tucked away in a drawer!
xo,
s
Kim W Rily says
WHY ARE YOU NOT WEARING YOUR SEATBELT IN THAT LIMO!?!?!
Signed, overprotective overreacting California chick.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, it was parked when we took that pic! We were at the airport already, so we just messed around and posed for some photos.
xo,
s
Silvia says
Hi Sherry, I’m a big fan of Young House Love from Venice, Italy!
This is a totally hilarious story! I’m still laughing out loud ahah. You were so cute!! During high school i was obsessed with Maroon 5, I even convinced my mom to go with me to milan since they were guest at TRL! I remember I chased them through the milanese crowd just to take a picture with them ahaha! sooo embarassing!
xoxo
Silvia
YoungHouseLove says
I totally get that now that Adam is on The Voice and I’ve come to realize what a cutie he is. Go get him, girl!
xo,
s
Erica says
Best. Post. EVER! This is absolutely hilarious! 16-year-old me is completely jealous that you got to meet Slim Shady. But, I’m sorry your dream of becoming a white rapper didn’t come true, $herdog.
Ruthie says
This makes me laugh!! 3 things…
1) How many M&M’s does it take to fill a tub?
2) You have such a stronger Jersey accent back then! (yee-uh)
3) I demand a re-enactment with Katie playing Eminem.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I’ll have to see if Katie goes for it. As for the M&Ms, there were some towels in the tub to make it easier to fill, but we went through a good ten bags or so to get the top to look covered!
xo,
s
Krista Lee says
I REALLY wish I had sound my work computer… can’t wait to go home and watch! ;)
Jessica G. says
Aww, you looked totally cute so don’t worry. I recently died of embarrassment when I was going through some old boxes and found a stack of my high school and college literary magazines. Pages and pages of my teenage angst-filled dramatic poetry, published for all my classmates to see. What was I thinking! Thank god this was before the internet was really a thing; I can’t even imagine what I would have done with a blog.
Caity says
Is it weird I’m getting really defensive of Sherry while reading the comments on the youtube video? Anyone else? Like, I’m legit angry at those haters. $herdog is the best. haha :)
Julie (A Case of the Runs) says
I love rapping Eminem, too! No shame in that game! Totally jealous!!!!!!!!
Danielle says
Sooooooooo I had a mad crush on one of the guys from a Boston-area boy band (I’m not saying their name… I just can’t). when I was roughly slightly older than you were in the Mtv clip. Fast forward a few years, after they’re no longer all over the television… my brother is dating one of the band members’ sisters. Seriously… for a couple of years. Yours truly concocted a rather elaborate fantasy in which my brother married his girlfriend, the band would be at the wedding… and Crush-boy and I would lock eyes and have that whole love at first sight thing.
I was rather disappointed when they broke up. I’m totally over it now.
If you need me, I’ll be hiding under my desk.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, oh man! I was rooting for you and crush boy until you said they broke up!
xo,
s
Stephanie says
LFO?
Rachel says
This. Is. AWESOME!!
Love it!
Kami says
DUDE! that is the coolest! my whole life tends to be embarrassing, but one time my mom dared me to make a sign to take to a donny osmond concert asking him to sing with me. i did and he said yes. he’s really short. actually the embarrassing part of this is that i’m a donny osmond fan. and i’m only 32….
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, that sounds like fun!
xo
s
Jeni T says
LOVE IT! Sherry, I see an HGTV show in your future! You are awesome on camera and so endearing! Thanks for sharing!
Jon'el says
best friday ever! Love it $herdog…I remember that show.
Megan says
Love this!!
When I was 14 I dressed up as Joey Fatone for Halloween. My friends were going out trick-or-treating as *NSync and somehow I ended up assigned to be him. I died my hair bright red and scribbled on “facial hair” with old eyeliner. I refuse to be totally embarrassed by it since I had mad love for *NSync back in the day, but did my mom really have to post a picture of it on Facebook last month??
YoungHouseLove says
Hahaha, nice. Moms = embarrassing. Which I’m sure Clara will be saying when she grows up and sees this video.
xo,
s
Lauren says
Ahhh I had to turn it off when you started rapping in the limo because I got so embarrassed! HAHHAAHAHHAHH I love you $herdog. AMAZING.
Sarah W. says
Wow! Thank you youtube…haha. Couple questions: Did John see this video before or after he proposed? ;) Do you still have the apron?? You’re a natural in front of the camera. Now even more props to you & John for going the blog/book route instead of TV…better for your family.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I showed it to him a few months into dating. Didn’t want it to be a deal breaker. Haha. I tried to prepare him but he still died laughing. Oh and yes, I still have that apron!
xo,
s
jbhat says
You are precious. I love that you have shared this funny story! The neck picture is priceless. On my monitor, I can actually see where is lips were!
jbhat
Holli Coats says
Thanks for sharing Sherry! You seemed so cool and confident- I would have stumbled all over myself if I had been on TV (and probably still would).
I think Eminem is the one that should be embarrassed… Having a kid is totally easy! I didn’t do the whole school thing… look at me now! Yikes. I think you were better on camera than he was!
Elisabeth@SimplyParkers says
To think that you went from being an aspiring rapper to a home improvement blogger?! Lol, so hilarious, I’m dying. Thanks for being such a good sport and sharing the video. If you hadn’t already, you’ve definitely earned your $herdog nickname!
Anne says
OhMMMGeeeeee! I am dying for you. Just a few things.
1. LOVE the Jersey accent. You need to bring that out more often.
2. Your rap skills are phat.
3. Why is the apron not hanging in your hallway frame wall??
4. When did John find out about this?
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, the apron is tucked away in a safe spot (so I don’t have to admit to this craziness if someone sees it). I revealed this all to John a few months into dating. Tried to prepare him, but he still laughed his arse off.
xo,
s
Amandelin says
That is the most amazing thing I have ever seen, legit. Don’t feel bad! Eminem is awesome!
And if it makes you feel any better…my family was on a travelling circus in Asia when I was a wee thing. And when I was maybe 5 or 6, a Chinese newspaper came to interview all the kids on the show. When they asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up, I said I wanted to BE A MAID. Because I had just learned to FOLD POINTS ON THE TOILET PAPER. No big deal.
I’ve been a huge fan of Eminem since 99, though :D So this is a little trippy! When worlds collide!
PS. The phat thing was fine! Didn’t stick out at all!
SarahE says
At the very least, you can be grateful that they didn’t make you rap DURING the interview. It’s the little things you have to hold on to.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, amen. I think Marshall would have just silently stood up and walked out…
xo,
s
Kari says
Hahaha! That’s hilarious!!! My hubby is from Detroit. He grew up a block from eight mile and I asked if the movie 8Mile is accurate and he said it was almost exactly what that area is like. So funny!
Jennifer says
Oh this made my day! So funny! I think we all have embarrassing stories. I recently found love notes my husband and I wrote each other in high school and it was mortifying. We thought we were so cool and realize now just how lame we were :). Thanks for sharing!!
Paola shotwell says
Hahaha yeah it is Happy Friday!!!! Glad I was not drinking my coffee when I read “I aspire to be a rapper someday.” Haha :) but I’m sure this was totally a big deal when you are in high school and you are 17.
It made laughed!! I loved MTV!!!! It brings so many memories back!!!!!
Thanks for sharing!!!!!
Anika says
Sherry you are such a good sport and even cooler than we already thought you were!
I just about died laughing – those pigtails were insane. You had (and still have) such spunk and personality! This is definitely in my top five favorite yhl posts. Thank you so much for sharing this and giving us all an awesome ending to the week.
Jenny says
I am at work, and I am literally crying from laughing so hard watching this video! Sherry – I am SO glad you let this PHAT out of the bag!
Tiffany T. says
Totally saw this! Love your boldness and willingness to share. I once fell in front of over 500 people on a basket ball court at a church summit and people were still asking if I was ok days later…I also fell at prom..down the stairs. True.Story.
It’s all good though I laughed them off! It’s cool you still have the apron! I also liked Slim..but yea hope he’s healthy these days.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, that’s gotta hurt. Mentally speaking. They probably forgot about it though. Hopefully.
xo,
s
Halley (Blunder Construction) says
This is the best thing I have ever seen! I’m a little sad you aren’t still an aspiring white rapper, but your current gig isn’t so bad :P
Rebecca says
Do you still have the apron?
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, I love that thing!
xo,
s
E. says
I hit on a guy at a funeral — who turned out to be my cousin, who I’d never met. My family never let me forget it!! #FAIL
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- nice!!! That’s a good one.
xo,
s
Christina P (NS) says
That is hilarious and so awesome, I’ll have to call you Sher-Shady from now on! You were destined for fame right from the start!!!
lindsay @ prettylittleparadise says
OH MY GOODNESS this seriously just made my day!!!! funniest thing i have seen in awhile!! i thought you get nervous in interviews/public speaking??? you’re a complete natural, i would have died!!! i guess when you’re interviewing your teenage crush, you forget all the nervousness and just let your inner rapper out! you can definitely hang with the big dawgs :)
YoungHouseLove says
Uh, did you see me nervously giggling and grinning like The Joker?! I was totally nervous and tying desperately to hold it the heck together. Haha.
xo,
s
Phoebe says
Sherry, that is TOO awesome. I can totally see how it might be embarrassing looking back, but you honestly seemed so relaxed and ultra cool through the whole thing…I would’ve clammed up and been peeing in my pants.
Natalia says
Love this!! Hahaha. Where do you keep the apron now? I’m trying to imagine it hidden away in an ottoman somewhere in your house :P
P.S. To be honest it’s not even that embarrassing. I think we always tend to think things are a LOT worse cuz it’s us. (But I guess if this was me I would probably think it’s embarrassing too).
Thanks for sharing this! Totally made my day :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, the apron is tucked away in a drawer. Safe, but not out in the open to remind me of the embarrassment!
xo,
s
Linley says
The question is… do you still have the apron??
YoungHouseLove says
But of course! Haha.
xo,
s
Kylie says
Oh my God. And I thought loved you before. For my part, my worst contribution to the ’90s was an anti-Britney website (Angelfire, of course).
Jackie K. says
When you said you were an aspiring rapper, I laughed so hard it woke my kid up from his nap! hahahahahahhahahaa!!
Loved every second of this! Ughhh… the 90’s were an embarrassing time.
Valerie says
This made my Friday! I used to watch Fanatic every day as I ate dinner before my high school part time job… way to bring that the 90’s! I wonder if Eminem now follow you’re blog… ;)
Kristin says
I regularly read and enjoy your blog, but this post just made you about 20 times cooler in my eyes. Pure solid gold.
Amanda says
I’m one of those “you’ve done everything right” people, and I’ll be the first to say that it’s boring.
Nine times out of ten, people want to be around the person with the great story.
Ashley says
That is so awesome and seriously my favorite part is when you tell your brother that he can go back to playing Nintendo because seriously how long has it been since we’ve heard that phrase?!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I know, right?!
xo,
s
LaTonya says
Wow!! I was hysterically laughing the whole time! What did you do with the apron? Should we be expecting your next project to include in somehow? Hehe.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I still have that apron! But I’d hate to cut it up and make a pillow. Haha. And framing it seems a bit… obsessed… haha
xo,
s
Shellie says
Ohh God, I can’t wait until my break so I can sneak out to watch that video. You are awesome for fessing up!
I’ve got a doozy too-
I got a call one night to pick up my brothers car because he was being arrested.
I was in my PJ’s, hair not brushed, old glasses on and had JUST gotten my dental braces put on a few weeks earlier (at age 23).
When I got there, I was bombarded with cameras, bright lights and guys asking me questions about my brother. Turns out he was being filmed for a COPS-like show called “Wild Justice”.
For some reason I had lost all common sense and signed the disclosure and lived in fear of the day it came out. Like, almost throwing up when I heard about it premiering a year later.
THANK THE LORD they didn’t include my part.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh my gosh you’re so lucky!
xo,
s
Vonda says
I heard a lot more Jersey than videos of you today I think!!
I LOVE me some Eminem, like forever! What a lucky thing to have done at that age though!
YoungHouseLove says
Yeah, the accent kind of died in college since my BFF is from Iowa, so her non-accent started rubbing off on me. My jersey girl comes out sometimes when I get too excited and talk really fast though.
xo,
s
alex says
Oh sherry, how could I of ever doubted your right to the name $herdog? You earned that dollar $ign ‘s’. Ke$ha be damned, $herdog for the win of white girl ‘G’ points.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, nice.
xo
s
kaylan says
there are no words. but i’m so glad you owned this and posted it. and i firmly believe we can’t be held accountable for the stupid things we did as teenagers.
Stefanie says
LOVE it! I was a huge fan of Eminem too – I probably envied you back then.
My embarassing moment was also televised – I was on Wheel of Fortune. Completely hopped up on sugar and caffeine (second to last taping of the day) I spent the whole episode bouncing on the platform, I made a joke referencing OJ Simpson (not aired) and then to top off I gave Pat a bear hug from behind! About two years ago my husband got a hold of a VHS copy from my aunt, made DVDs and passed it out to my entire family! Ugh! Sooo embarassing!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh my gosh- that’s hilarious!
xo,
s
Natalie says
OMG… the BEST blog post ever! I was having a bad Friday, but this totally made up for it, not to mention, brought to mind all the embarrassing things I did when I was 17. I’m off to check You Tube now….