One of my favorite new shows is Bravo’s Most Eligible Dallas, which follows six single-and-ready-to-mingle hotties deep in the heart of Texas. We’ve seen attempts at these types of series before from Bravo (think the dreadful Miami Social), but this is the first that actually works. Among the notable main characters is Drew Ginsburg, the resident gay man of the group who’s known for his love of cars, his massive weight loss, and, of course, his seemingly ever-present electronic cigarette.
Recently I caught up with Drew, and he clarified some vital matters concerning life in Dallas. After the jump, check out what Drew has to say about the aforementioned cigarette as well as dating, men, and female hormones…
First things first, I needed to know what the deal was with the whole Dallas clique portrayed on the show. According to Drew, they are all real friends, who’ve known each other for about two years. “I met Matt at the symphony of all places,” he revealed, adding, “I met Tara at an event… I met Glenn about a year ago at a night club… I met Courtney through Matt.” The only newbie truly is Neil, who Drew and the gang didn’t meet until she showed up on camera on the season premiere.
“The first time I met Neil, I thought she was just one of Matt’s girls,” Drew noted.
Clearly though, the relationship between Matt and Neil is a bit more (or less) than that. In fact, it’s hard to gauge where Matt stands with his girls, thanks to his strange “game” that was most evident during a recent bachelor auction in which his smooth talking fell flat. “I made fun of him for that,” Drew laughed.
However, as odd as Matt’s dating style seems to be, Drew insists he doesn’t try to give him pointers, stating that “I don’t put much focus into my friend’s dating lives unless they’re getting hurt.”
As for Drew’s dating life, he describes the Dallas scene as being somewhat small. “You see the same people over and over again… the gay scene is open, but eventually you cycle through everyone.” Fear not though, Dallas gays: “Every month or so you meet someone new.”
Drew does have some trepidations when it comes to dating though. “I’ve been burned before with dating in the past,” he explains. “I was dating someone, and it turned out they had an ulterior motive, and they looked at me like a meal ticket instead of someone they loved.”
Perhaps some of that meal ticket perception came from Drew’s apparently lavish lifestyle — one that he insists is not nearly as opulent as it appears on TV. Does he have a servant at his beck and call? Not really. Does he have room service? Yes. However, Drew is quick to point out that he lives in a mixed-use building, which is partially a hotel and partially residential units; so amenities such as room service and valet are there already. At the end of the day, Drew notes that “you need to garnish hype” to create a persona on a reality show.
Part of that hype came from Drew’s much talked-about use of female hormones to lose weight. He admits that he has used the hormone, but “I did it just to get in shape, and it’s not something I take on a daily basis. I haven’t taken HGV since April of this year.”
As for that electronic cigarette, Drew claims that the producers “wouldn’t let us use real cigarettes inside.” He offered to have his interviews taped in his apartment, but it was a no go. Hence, the electronic cigarette (normally he opts for Parliaments instead). Still, electronic or not, the mildly exasperated man with the ciggy perched in his fingers is not the product of editing.
“That’s quintessential me.”
I like Drew — he’s funny & quirky & all together entertaining. Also, Glenn seems like a decent enough guy (I could be blinded by his abs). However, I really just can’t with this show. Matt is a *total* d-bag who isn’t half the “playa” he thinks he is; Courtney is a jealous, judgmental wench who needs to check herself and Neil is a poor man’s Veronica Mars without the brains or charm. Those 3 are just AWFUL and make the show damn near* unwatchable, IMO.
Blerg. The Chris March show can’t start soon enough.
*I say “near” because of course, being on Bravo, I’ll still watch it. I watched every episode of NYC Prep & Miami Social, for the love of God.
I feel like Courtney is the glue of the show…like the LC of the group.
Agree with you, Heathen. Drew Ginsberg needs to be on a different show. He really is the only reason I watch it. I pretty much FF through any scenes with the other narcissistically boring ones., Ginsberg seems to be the only one with more than one layer to his soul. He’s the cutest one also.
Bravo keeps getting worse and worse. What’s next? The Real Trailer Trash of West Virginia?
B-Side: HGH is human growth hormone, and while I suppose females are generally regarded as humans it most certainly doesn’t make HGH a “female hormone”.
I’m pretty sure the hormone Drew’s talking about is HCG, that diet has been quite the fad this summer. It is a female hormone, a pregnancy hormone actually.
I think you are right. It sounded like HGV over the phone.
did you teach him how to say “button” during the interview? Frack, if I had to listen to him wisp out “buddon” one more time I would pull my fingernails out one by one. Sorry, I think he comes off as a little creepy. Maybe in real life he’s better.
I must agree with heathen’s assessment of Matt, the “non-player”, player. He is unbearable. Even more unbearable is Courtney. She is downright unlikable! Close your mouth and cover those teeth woman, please! Kudos to the Veronica Mars refernce. My issue with Neill is, if you are “only 23” *cough* and have only been away from home for 5 years, how did you lose touch with everyone from your past? Crickey, I haven’t lived at home for over 15 years and I still know where to get in touch with people from elementary school if I so choose. It sort of undermines that whole “Dallas is really small for such a big city” vibe they all vie to portray. I digress…
I do enjoy Glenn though, I wish he had a little more depth to him. I’d like to see how Drew’s character develops as well as Tara’s she seems like a hot mess but in a fun, not tragic way.
Right now I watch it on demand, not the original airing but maybe it will make it into my regular rotation soon.
I dont like this show, i do like Big Rich Texas. I also like the A-List NY, this seems like a poor stepdaughter of those shows. Also, Big Sexy has been a BIG surprise in entertainment.
Me too, Jaa. Big Rich Texas also takes place in Dallas and is much more interesting to watch.
I like Dance Moms, also. Those kids reallly can dance like no one else and their moms are all a mess. Makes for a great show.
Drew seems okay. He seems to be playing up his family’s well-known name (though I lived in Dallas for 30+ years and never heard of the Ginsburg’s; it’s not like he’s a Hunt or a Murchison), but I am sure he has a lot of insecurity from his obese years – especially in a place like Dallas which my mother summed up perfectly as, “scratch the surface, you get more surface”.
Despite his mild hissy at not being the center of attention at DIFFA, he’s still lightyears better than Courtney and Matt. She’s vapid, hypocritical, hypercritical and not nearly as fabulous or funny as she seems to think she is. Considering that she’s an ex-employee of Sunglasses Hut at Willow Bend Mall in Plano (far from the ‘bubble’ of the Park Cities) and has no real job to speak of, she’s awfully snotty to Neill…all that and a budding alcoholic to boot.
Matt is by far the worst of the lot. Given his illustrious career as a third-string back up to Vince Young at UT, he was not quite the phenom he seems to think. His injury (which I hope resulted from his arrest for assaulting an unsuspecting science major on campus after he didn’t get to play as long as he felt he deserved in a game against Rice) saved him from a pro career as forgettable as his dad’s. Bottom line, he was a great high school player but not exactly the second coming of Roger Staubach. With his hyper salesman-like manner of speaking, his nebulous job in his dad’s ‘energy firm’, and his general lack of personality and humor, he and Courtney are perfect for each other.
I like watching to see places I recognize, but I hate that they picked such a generally unlikeable group of people to represent my hometown. Oh well, I guess it’s a small step up from Sue Ellen Ewing and Lee Harvey Oswald, even though both of them have bars named after them in Dallas oddly enough.
Now,let’s not go crazy lumping Sue Ellen Ewing in with this lot of posers! Sue Ellen was one bad ass chick! 🙂
TallPaul! We need more scoop on all these jokers. I swore I was not going to watch this show but I am and I do not even really like these people. The backstory on Matt and Courtney is awesome as you totally knew neither as fabulous as he/she claimed. I do have to agree with heathen that you cannot compare Sue Ellen with these folks… total bad ass. Lucy on the other hand, maybe….
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