I have seen the face of evil, and it is The Joe Schmo Show (Spike TV, Tuesday nights). Its concept-- a fake, rigged reality show populated by actors playing the roles of archetypal contestants except for one lone guy who thinks it's real-- is the most mean-spirited thing on television. It's one thing to be the brunt of a practical joke. It's another to be played for a fool on national television. Matt Gould, a pizza delivery guy from Pittsburg and the titular Schmo, has declined interviews and none of the producers will talk about how he feels now that he knows the truth. One assumes he's a mite miffed, and understandably so. The entire show is a parody of reality TV-- complete with an absurd eviction ceremony in which a collectors' plate of the evictee is shattered in the fireplace with the host solemnly announcing, "You're dead to us"-- and the joke's on him.
The thing of it is, the producers did their casting too well. They were looking for an all-American guy, and they got one. In the first two hours, Gould comes off as a genuinely nice guy. After archetypal "asshole" Hutch makes offensive comments and picks his nose at dinner, Gould pulls him aside and urges him to tone it down if he doesn't want to get voted out. When Hutch threatens "gay" contestant Kip during a competition, Gould immediately supports Kip and pledges his protection. You can't help but root for the guy.
Especially when he zigs instead of the zag producers expected. In a ridiculous immunity challenge called "Hands on the High-Priced Hooker," contestants are asked to keep a part of their body in constant contact with part of a naked adult film star's body. Gould is "randomly" assigned to keep his hand on her breast. The whole competition was rigged so that it would eventually come down to Gould vs. Hutch, but mere seconds after "Go!" Gould spoiled the plan by being the first to let go. The cast and crew were incredulous, and I was cheering. Gould is the ultimate underdog, and it's delightful to see him unwittingly throw a wrench in the producers' schemes.
It's easy to think Gould should have caught on to the gag. The first evicted contestant babbled an incoherent tirade lifted wholesale from Survivor; the "Lord of the Manor" robe is laughable; actors made a number of potentially fatal gaffes. But we're on the outside looking in. Gould was living with these actors, who were in character 24/7. He was in the game, playing for $100,000 grand. And there was definitely a television show being made. Why would he possibly suspect it was all a sham? Amidst all the scripted stories that are playing out around him, Gould stands as the only honest man in a sea of liars. As in The Truman Show, his sincerity makes him all the more appealing and the producers more dastardly.
If they'd put, say, Corey Feldman as the Schmo, I'd be laughing at every twisted lie he bought into. Instead their sap is turning out to be an unlikely hero. Audience sympathies are with him, not the producers. Miscalculation or intent? We're not sure. But one of the show's strengths is that it's not just a fake reality show, it's also "The Making Of" that show. We see behind-the-scenes footage of the cast getting their instructions for the day; interviews with the actors when they flub their roles; concerns of the producers when things don't go as planned. In other words, the audience is let in on the joke. And as we're rooting for Matt Gould, we're also marveling at what went into making this happen and the sheer audacity of it.
No doubt about it, The Joe Schmo Show is evil. And I'm hooked.
Posted by Peter at September 3, 2003 02:22 PMWIth all the reality TV commentary on Game Report I thought you might be interested to know that Bravo is running a week long series beginning this coming Monday, September 8th at either 8 or 9 on the reality of reality TV.
Posted by: Abby on September 4, 2003 11:54 AMJust plugged this into my TiVo last night, and was planning to post a blurb about it this weekend.
Posted by: Peter Sarrett on September 4, 2003 12:25 PMDid you ever think that maybe the "twist" of this show is a "double-cross"? That not only are there actors and one "underdog", but perhaps that Matt knows it's a fake all along? That he was hired by one of the higher-higher ups as a deliberate spoiler and major-league double-cross on all the members of the cast, the "on site" producers and directors, and tha audience at large?
Now THAT would be a plot twist!
Posted by: Jasper on September 29, 2003 12:03 AMThat theory was widely circulated when the show first premiered, but I don't give it much credence. If Matt's acting, he's doing a hell of a job of it. If he had prior acting experience, it would have come to light by now. And if he didn't, finding him would represent a major coup for the producers-- a real needle in the haystack kind of thing. And if he *is* in on it, the whole impact of the show goes right out the window.
Posted by: Peter Sarrett on September 29, 2003 12:52 AMMatt Gould would make an excellent candidate for the next Bachelor reality show
Posted by: jk on October 14, 2003 09:36 PMI think that the show is nuts...I feel sorry for the guy, but Im really interested to see his reactions...I also theorize that maybe the whole show is a complete hoax, a fake fake reality television show... I mean, you never really know.
Posted by: autumn on October 15, 2003 05:24 PMI think I'm in love with Matt and if he becomes the next bachelor, I'll be first in line. Why don't guys like that live in Louisiana?
Meg
Matt Gould is a better man that most of my friends are...with everything going on around him designed to manipulate him, I'm happy to see and root for the guy who sticks to what makes him human...
I've also been telling my friend that it isn't Matt who is Joe Schmo...it's us.
Posted by: RavingNoah on October 19, 2003 12:52 AMIf you get on Google and look hard enough, you can find the pizza place that Matt did (and apparently still) works for.
Posted by: Cynthia B8s on October 20, 2003 01:15 PMMatt is so totally a plant - way too many "zigs and zags" have occoured for it not to be so. If he's not a plant I will be VERY disappointed!
Brian
Posted by: Brian on October 21, 2003 05:21 AMMatt Gould you are truly a chump and an idiot! My favorite Matt moment was during a game in which contestants were asKed to canon ball nude models, the actor who plays Kip pranced into the pool like Liberace's long lost servant boy and the bimbo nudie model declared...."that looked fake." Even the blonde bag of breast implants immediately caught on to the bit...but could Matt Gould???? No! The real life Schmo takes the bait and swallows it like a hungry large mouth bass. This is absolutely the cruelest show I have EVER seen for beating down the ego of a dimwitted albeit very nice guy. I'm just stunned at the malignant heart the producers and writers evidenced by forever humiliating this man. No woman will ever respect him, he'll be a joke to his buddies and the target of many chuckles over six-packs in Philadelphia on Friday nights. Matt...my boy...you are a chump and I FEEL SO SORRY FOR YOU. DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND BUY YOURSELF A GOOD ROUND OF PLASTIC SURGERY BECAUSE THE FACE YOU ARE WEARING NOW NEEDS TO BE HIDDEN FOREVER.
Posted by: EcoTurd on October 22, 2003 01:19 AMIN MY OPINION, THE ONLY WAY MATT CAN SAVE FACE IS IF THE HOTTIE WHO PLAYS MOLLY GIVES HIM A REAL LIFE MERCY FUCK AFTER THE FINAL EPISODE. THEN HE CAN GO ON OPRAH AND DECLARE TO THE WORLD: "I MAY BE A STUPID DUMBSHIT BUT I GOT TO FUCK THE HOTTEST PIECE OF ASS ON THE PLANET. WHOSE THE MAN NOW?"
Posted by: JusticeSeeksPeace on October 22, 2003 01:22 AMIn defense of Matt, I too would be blind, dumb and unable to see my the forrest from the trees if I was dipped and honey and handcuffed to "Molly Crabtree." Temporary insanity is your defense Matt. Your little head overtook the big head, blocked out your sense of reason and prevented you from getting 'the joke.' That's what Johnny Cochran would say....
Posted by: tiby2@yahoo.com on October 22, 2003 01:26 AMHow does this sound for an ending...
Matt is a plant but so is Earl. The actors think that they are putting one over on Matt...
BUT
Matt is a plant who thinks he is putting one over on the actors...
WHAT IF?????
Earl is a plant who returns with the M-16 that he was so good at field stripping and reasembling and puts one over on the whole works by coming in and pretending to shoot the place up in a fit of Postal Fury!
Now THAT'D be an ending!!!!!
Posted by: Brian on October 27, 2003 06:35 AMI am completely in love with Matt Gould. And, if Molly rejects him, I will happily take him home to keep. (And I decided I was in love with him before he won the money.) Matt baby, you can be all mine. :D
Posted by: Ashley on October 30, 2003 11:04 AMI have to agree with some of the ladies in here. Matt is very sweet and a cutie. We both live in PA but on opposite sides...damn...lol
Posted by: erin on November 5, 2003 08:53 AM