Torture yourself by getting on TV

November 23, 2002

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Article Last Updated: Monday, November 11, 2002 - 5:26:14 PM MST

Torture yourself by getting on televisionBy YoungTelevision is dangling fame and fortune in your face, because there's nothing more ratings-friendly than watching regular folks put through torture just for sport. We all know about shows like ``The Bachelor,'' ``The Bachelorette,'' ``Survivor'' and ``American Idol,'' but things are starting to go even further. Later this month on ABC, you can watch three people who volunteered to ``have their dreams come true'' by submitting to plastic surgery. , a 24-year-old single mom, gets a nose job, breast implants, liposuction, eye surgery and dental work. Can Jerry Springer be far behind on this one? Then there's 29-year-old Luke, a personal trainer. But apparently that doesn't mean you can get a perfect bod just by working out. Luke needed a tummy tuck. Which can't make his clients too happy to learn that no matter how many crunches they do each day, it won't help them avoid surgery.

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Those procedures certainly go several yards past eating a deer penis on ``Survivor,'' but even the thought of ingesting disgusting critters, dangling over a reservoir while trying to get into a car suspended in the air, or even revealing your intimate secrets to the voyeuristic viewing public seems less than enticing. So, why do ordinary people put themselves through all of this? San Leandro's Jill Teixeira, who appears on ``Fear Factor'' at 8 tonight on Channel 11, says it's a combination of the challenge to do something different, the potential to win a lot of money and getting your mug on TV. ``I've always been athletic and adventurous, and the show is just crazy,'' Teixeira said during a phone interview last week from her job at a micro infiltration company. ``When I found out they were doing auditions in San Francisco, my sister told me `You should do that. You need the money.' ``It's fun to watch, and how many people get the chance to fall from helicopter, to be GI Jane or stunt woman for a minute? Being on TV and doing that cool stuff just seemed like fun. And, of course, the chance to win $50,000.'' Teixeira went to the interview with two friends. But it was Teixeira who got the nod to be on the show. For those unfamiliar with ``Fear Factor,'' contestants vie for a cash prize by competing with others doing things such as eating foul things, fishing for stuff in tanks filled with snakes, getting hoisted high in the air to crawl over cars and other stunts. ``There was nothing I told myself I wouldn't do. But there were two things I didn't want to do,'' Teixeira said. ``One was swimming and the other was eating anything. Of course I had to do both.'' But the thought of having critters from snakes to spiders crawling over her didn't phase her in the slightest. Teixeira, who graduated from Arroyo High in San Lorenzo, has a degree from the University of California, , in entomology. On the other hand, nothing quite prepared her for eating live slugs. ``Oh, yeah. Escargot. But it's not quite the same when you see them crawling across the table and you have to chew them in your mouth while they are still alive,'' Teixeira said. ``They almost lost me on that one. And of course, the first stunt was swimming.'' Teixeira said she just used her strong will to overcome her aversions. ``When it comes down to it, you just make yourself do it. And having that $50,000 prize definitely helped,'' Teixeira said. ``The funny thing is that I went into this saying winning was the No. 1 reason for doing this and the money was second. ``But after that first stunt, you really start thinking about that $50,000 within your grasp.'' Teixeira said that when she and her friends were filling out the applications, each agreed that if one of them won, they would take everyone on a cruise. So, does she have cruise ship reservations? ``I'll let you know on Tuesday after the show airs,'' Teixeira said. For those of you who want to try your luck on TV, here are a few upcoming opportunities: - NBC is holding auditions for ``Meet My Folks'' from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday at the Diablo Valley College campus at 321 Golf Club Road, Pleasant Hill. The show is looking for a family with a single son or daughter aged 18-30. Parents and their children must live in California and be available for shoot dates. Parents must be married. Families that are hired for the show get a one-week vacation in Hawaii. For more information, call Steinmeyer, Steele Model and Talent Management, 925-676-9905. - UPN is searching for applicants for the tentatively titled ``Supermodel Show,'' a new series that give everyday people a chance to compete for a modeling contract. All women 18-27, with a minimum height of 5'7 are eligible. For rules and applications, go to www.upn.com The deadline is Nov. 22. And finally, if you have some dance ability and want to shuffle on down to L.A. next weekend, NBC will be auditioning dancers between the ages of 14-25 from 9:30 a.m. to noon Nov. 16 at Universal Studios. The dancers will be featured in an upcoming episode of ``American Dreams,'' a show set in the 1960s. Dancers should be dressed up in period style clothing and be able to dance the Twist, the Jerk, the Monkey and Mashed Potatoes among other dances. Must arrive by 9 a.m. Cast members will serve as judges.

If you have any questions about TV, you can reach columnist Young by calling (925) 416-4820, e-mail at syoung@... , or fax at (925) 416-4850.

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