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.
Jenna says
I’m thinking if you still have your slim shady apron, that should be framed!! Now that the cats out of the bag. This was great, totally made my morning.
Jessica says
Omg, that’s freaking hilarious. Sherry, you have to be dying over there!!! How did it get leaked? Is John so proud to be married to a fanatic?
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, someone on a message board apparently found it and spread it around. I just heard it was on Facebook too. Ack. I’m dying. John knows how mortified this subject makes me (I get red, I stutter, etc) so he just walked into the room and kissed me and said “you’re a good sport” – such a sweet hubs. Of course I said “I’m dead from embarrassment” and slumped over on the desk.
xo,
s
Nikki Kelly says
Wowza. As a “girl” that is the same age as you, I totally get the Eminem obsession! And you were no where near as awkward as most 17 year old girls would have been. (This reminds me that I used to bring my video camera and record hanging out with friends and I must find those tapes and destroy them!) Lol I think I actually remember seeing this on MTV! I was also thinking how much the camera loves you. You are simple adorkable! And this is coming from a huge Zooey Descanel fan. Rap on Sherdog. Just leave out the word phat. =)
K Taylor says
I LOVE this! Thank you for such an entertaining Friday post!
Whitney Dupuis says
Hey, we all did embarrassing things way back when. That is hilarious, but no worries. We all think it is so funny and you have nothing to be embarrassed about. We’ve all been there…theoretically at least. :)
Lauren @ chezerbey says
Oh. Wow. That’s amazing.
If it makes you feel any better, I totally called in to request a Hanson video on TRL (remember that show?) approximately the same number of years ago. Carson Daly read my request and I nearly died.
At least our teenage years aren’t completely digitized…poor teens growing up today will have nowhere to hide.
•k• says
Ha! That was great, you were a natural. Thank god no one has video of me auditioning for the Mickey Mouse Club with my rendition of Debbie Gibson’s “Out of the Blue” and my dance to MC Hammer’s “Pray.” Now that would be embarrassing!
Katy says
This is amazing! I totally remember that show! As for embarrassing moments go, I think 17 must be a bad age. When I was a painfully shy, awkward 17 year old, Bill Clinton (in his final year of presidency) came to my high school to give a speech and while taking a picture with him, I accidentally goosed him. I’m talking full on booty grabbing, totally unintentionally. Now, I can accept that this is fairly awesome, but at the time it was utterly mortifying.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I think it’s amazingly awesome and extra hilarious. Might be my favorite story today. You goosed the President Of The United States Of America.
xo,
s
Sinthya Freeman says
Sherry I remember it ALL! The orange vest to the morning announcements! I’m cracking up.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- hi Sinthya! That’s hilarious and mortifying all at the same time. Big ups to Jersey for me!
xo,
s
Lindsay says
Oh man, this is amazing. Someday Clara will think it is awesome (hopefully)!
Michelle says
That was one of my favorite shows on MTV! I think it is awesome that you were on it and I watched that on Youtube the other day with my mouth wide open thinking “Did she just say she wanted to be a female rapper???” Glad you have a sense of humor about it!
Beth says
It’s a Jerzee thing! In middle school a bunch of friends and I went to a taping of ‘Steampipe Alley” (with Mario Cantone) with NKOTB. Too funny watching in now with all our crazy hair and clothes. I don’t talk, but I’m right there behind the boys dancing my dorky self crazy! Gotta love it!
http://youtu.be/9bNQaoGDIqo
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- dance, girl, dance!
xo,
s
Laura says
“Noo…not M&M the candy…Eminem the rapper!” Classic. So so 90s classic.
You’re awesome, Sherry…it takes guts to look at that stuff yourself, let alone share it with your whole blog community! I still cringe about my LiveJournal…
Susan says
LOVE IT and the jersey accent!! Did you keep the signed apron?? If so, is it still stowed away in a box somewhere?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes I still have it safely folded up in a drawer!
xo,
s
Lissette says
You are funny…
Tami says
OMG this is AWESOME!!!!!! I smiled the whole time watching it! Too funny! =)
Wrenaria says
So uhh…. Can we get a current picture of you in your (dare I say) phat apron? Pigtails optional.
What an awesome experience. Seems a little embarrassment would be worth it for that. ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, I’m not sure if I can bring myself to make it happen…
xo,
s
Victoria says
That was sooooooo funny to watch….looked embarrassing . Your so awesome for sharing that!
Liza says
The crazy thing is, I watched this episode in Russia on Russian MTV when I lived there. It was dubbed in a terrible deep voice, like the rest of the shows. After watching it I told my mom that I want a tub full of M&M’s. The only reason I remember watching this. WELL DONE!
YoungHouseLove says
HAHAHAHAHHA, that’s hilarious. I think it would be extra hilarious to see the dubbed version!
xo,
s
Brooke says
AH-MAZE-ING!
A friend and I drove from Chicago to New York to be in the studio for MTV’s TRL the day that ‘NSYNC was there for the release of their No Strings Attached album. (Joey gave me a CD. Justin was wearing a bedazzled ‘do rag. It was magical!) So I’ve got embarrasing MTV footage as well. Though I was just an audience member…not the star of the show!
Kandace says
Im pretty sure you and I could be friends irl lol. You crack me up. I’m not going to lie, that was hilariously embarrassing but what a cool thing! Eminem is hella sexy. I would still be giggling like that and I’m 26. Bravo to you!
Sabrina says
This is awesome!!!! You remind me of Natalie Portman in Garden State for some reason. Adorbs!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks! I think she’s cute so that’s a total not-worthy compliment but I’ll take it! People say that a lot (more about my voice than my looks usually).
xo,
s
Brian says
well, first off.. you were super cute
Did you actually say Phat and dawg though.. lol
YoungHouseLove says
Every time I watch it I die a little more inside.
xo,
s
Lauren says
Watching the clip I actually remembered watching this at the time it aired! I was 14 at the time.. I totally remember your pigtails for some reason..and now I read your blog. How funny!
Emily says
Baby Sherry is the best thing ever! I do say you guys are the most relatable bloggers on the interwebs. Thanks for keepin it real!
Krissy @ Shiawase Life says
HAHAH THIS IS TOTALLY AWESOME.
Yes, I had to yell.
:)
Ami @ Parsnips and Pears says
hahahaha oh wow. That video was AMAZING. It just made me like you that much more!!
Like some people have mentioned above, I thank my lucky stars EVERY day that social media didn’t exist when I was in high school!! It is terrifying to think of the stuff that would have been floating around out there now if it had! I actually feel bad for teens now-a-days with their cell phones, you tube, facebook etc. There is no escaping it!
Stephanie O says
HAHAHA This is amazing, Sherry. I totally remember this episode but it is SO MUCH BETTER now knowing that it’s you.
Kylie says
Sherry… This is utterly hilarious, ridiculous and awesome at the same time. totally made my day.- you rock. So glad you shared, just love that about you!
Bethany says
You have ZERO reasons to be embarrassed! You were so cute and I kept thinking to myself I would have been way more awkward in the same situation. It was a fun treat for a Friday. Thanks $herdog!
Lauren @ Lettuce Eat cake says
I think I completely lost it at “I’m an aspiring white rapper.” I laughed the entire video. Thanks for burying your humiliation to brighten my day, Sherry! :)
Allison says
Sherry this is adorable! I don’t know why you are so embarrassed. Clara will think you are the coolest mom ever.
YoungHouseLove says
Are you kidding? She will someday be mortified and downright mad at me for being so uncool. Haha.
xo,
s
Rachel says
Ok, I think you’ve finally made the $herdog nickname stick with this one!!
YoungHouseLove says
Then it’s all WORTH IT! Haha. Maybe.
xo,
s
Kate says
You better believe I just closed my office door, pulled the video up on my iphone (youtube blocked at work), and thoroughly enjoyed watching this. I agree with others – you carried yourself very well. I have a feeling most people would be mortified to see any video of themself at 17.
My favorite part was when you picked up the phone in the restaurant and said something like he you knew he was a leaner. haha.
Ang says
Okay so I haven’t had a chance to see the video yet (have to wait till after work – torture!), but can we talk for a minute about how fabulously 90s your shoes are? I’ll be honest, I miss those platform sandals. They were a short girl’s best friend!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- they’re total frankenstein sandals. Those were the days!
xo,
s
Penny says
Us girls over at Weddingbee have been discussing if it was REALLY be you and hoping you’d blog about it. And, um, I think this is hilariously awesome and you shouldn’t be embarrassed. UHM you MET Slim Shady! This might be the Brooklyn in me talking though ;) … haha.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I can’t believe you guys have been chatting about it. Ack, so mortified!
xo,
s
Ericka says
This is absolutely hilarious and unexpected! “I’m an aspired white rapper and I want to be taken seriously.” LOL!!! I love it, $herdog!!
I had a crush on Eminem about a decade ago (I was in my 20’s) and my husband teased me about it all of the time!
David says
Someone has probably already beaten me to this, but I just gotta say, “This is PHAT!” LOL
molly says
this. is. freaking. hilarious. i can’t stop laughing. this is EXACTLY why we need to be best friends. LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!!!
Suzanne Supplee says
Okay,that was the best lunch break ever. Thanks for the warning, too. Luckily, I did not snort Diet Coke through my nose.
A Wife and her Carpenter says
Oh my goodness…this is absolutely hilarious!!!! But I have to say, $herdog, you were a very eloquent and poised 17 year old. I was very impressed with how you handled yourself!
YoungHouseLove says
You’re very sweet to say that. I’m still mortified, but you’re sweet. Haha.
xo,
s
Elizabeth says
This is blowing my mind! And definitely just made my week. What I want to know is who is the creep who is watching old MTV Fanatic clips and thought they should post this to YouTube… and then who figured out it was you?? Too random. But I am glad you shared!
lydia k. says
Girl, way to keep it together and look relatively cool while meeting your favorite celebrity. I always *think* I would like to meet mine, but then think I’d be a total tool if I did. And if it were videotaped and televised? I’d have way more dork moments than using “phat.” :)
I can’t help but be curious about this middle finger drawn in the middle of the apron… did he draw it in the, you know, MIDDLE of the apron, and are we sure it’s a finger?? :) Hahaha!
YoungHouseLove says
Hah, oh yes, its a full hand with the middle finger up and nails drawn in and stuff. He was meaning it towards that job (they fired him at Christmas so he was mad).
xo,
s
Katie G says
I embarrass so easily that I literally might have died, but good for you for laughing along with everyone!
When we were about 9 years old, my friend (I swear it wasn’t actually me) wrote a letter professing her love to JTT. But she lied and said she was 12 because she thought her chances with him would be better that way. This cracks me up every single time I think about it!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- hilarious!
xo,
s
Robin @ our semi organic life says
There were much worse shows on at the time! Be glad you weren’t on one of those. Remember ‘NEXT’?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, that was bad.
xo,
s
kim says
My embarrassing moment is pretty mundane, but I still look back and laugh. I was in the ladies room at church when I was probably 13, and it was just a bathroom with one toilet and sink – no stalls. I was just doing my biz and the door knob turned and a lady walked in. All I could do was holler, “Knock, knock!” She looked at me, mumbled an apology and left. I guess she understood that I meant to say, “Knock before you try the door, as the lock is broken and it’s only polite.”
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- that’s so funny! At least she didn’t think you were about to tell her a knock knock joke and say “who’s there?”
xo,
s
Kristen Swift says
Yo $herdog, I got mad props for you for sharing that phat YouTube clip … :)
Haha, I think that’s awesome. My husband and I were in awe watching the clip. I was in love with Eminem around the same time you were, and I would have died to have the opportunity to meet him.
My dirty laundry is not nearly as good as yours, though. I’ve never met anyone famous, unless you count one of the original Taco Bell dogs (Burgs is MUCH cuter, by the way).
erin says
that’s awesome! what’s really funny is that i have an ex-boyfriend who was also on fanatic! it was before we got together, but he was the fanatic for the metallica episode. he was truly a fanatic too. his license plate on his car even said fanatic!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha – that’s hilarious!
xo,
s
Carla says
$herdog, my respect for you has rocketed to a whole new level now.
Alicia says
If it makes you feel better – I’m a super fan of Chris Rene (from XFactor). Basically obsessed. I just recently won an opportunity to meet him and have a nearly private little concert and then interview him (there were other interviewers but I hogged the mic) The radio DJ’s were laughing at me the whole time because I was clearly a giggling obsessed fan. I pretty much made a fool of myself and couldn’t stop telling him how much I loved him. Thankfully I saved most of my crazy until I got to the car to leave and then I fully turned into a 12 year old at a Bieber concert. So let me ask you what’s worse, embarrassing yourself as a teenager or embarrassing yourself as a 29 year old mom acting like a teenager? I’m thinking the latter! Lol. Thanks for having your story!