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ALL ACCESS
COLUMN #1
08/3/01
I bet you’re wondering how in the world I’m going to follow up such an amazing column as Bob’s. To tell you the truth, this is a bit intimidating for me since it’s my first time writing a column that people will avidly read (hopefully). I was the Fine Arts Editor for my high school’s newspaper last year, so my experience with writing has always been based on entertainment, and this is right down my alley. The majority of the time I will probably be laughing about something dumb because if you know me, I laugh at just about everything. If you only knew half of the inside jokes and nicknames we have for the guys, nothing bad, don’t worry. (When I say "we", it usually means me & some other fans) Let me warn you though, when I write, I tend to be very detailed, so hopefully you like to read. I hope I can relate to all you guys a little more, being a teenager like the majority of you. I know not all of you are the same age, but if you’re opinionated and stubborn, we’ll get along just fine. =)
Well let me start off by introducing myself. Some of you know me, some of you don’t. I’m Joy and I’m from the Bay Area as well, Pittsburg to be exact. I’m Townsend’s Director for Public Relations. To break it down, I basically handle some promotional stuff and the coordination of the fans. I also run the Official Townsend Club with my best friend Megan.
I’ve actually been helping out the guys a lot with promotions on my own for a while, but it’s just recently I was "hired" by Mr. T Rex himself to help promote the group.
Note from T Rex: Several weeks ago I asked Joy to help promote the group and to help coordinate the efforts of all of Townsend’s supportive fans. I also asked her to write a monthly column that would provide new fans a view of Townsend from a fans perspective.
Maybe I should start out with how I first met the guys. That should be pretty interesting. I crack up every time I tell the story. It’s funnier when I act it out. So if you wanna see how it went, I’ll do it willingly. *hint*hint* The process in how I met all the guys extends over a certain period of time. You’ll get what I mean in a minute.
Well somehow last year, I found myself on Townsend’s website. To this day, I still don’t remember how in the world I found out about them and it’s going to bug me forever. But I read that they were going to be at an upcoming Christina Aguilera concert I was going to, so that caught my eye. You see, I had thought they were going to be performing outside the venue. The concert day came, and I thought I had missed the guys since I hadn’t seen them the whole night. That was my fault since I had refused to leave my seat. My mom & dad, Megan, and her brother & mother were with me too. So the concert ends and we’re all walking out through the food area, making our way to the exit. As we’re passing by all these people, I notice this really good-looking guy and I mean REALLY good looking, and for some reason he looks familiar. It takes me about 5 seconds to realize it’s one of the Townsend guys. So I quickly shout for my parents to wait, and literally do a 180 back to Nick. I start talking to him and here my poor mom is wondering who the heck it is I’m talking to. This is how her convo went with Megan:
My mom: Megan, who is Joy talking to?
Megan: I don’t know.
My mom: Do they go to your school or something?
Megan: Guys at our school aren’t "that" cute! (No offense to all you Pitt guys, we still <3 you)
So while they were all confused, I was just talking to Nick about whatever we were talking about. He introduced me to Dom & Rye. I have no clue where Todd was, I’m gonna bet the bathroom. And the rest is history. I bet after that I skipped like a dork back to the car, probably babbling on about how incredible the guys were. I was probably talking about Nick’s eyes. Sorry to embarrass you buddy, I can’t tell a lie. Hehe I think after that, I posted a message on the site and emailed them, so that’s how I kept in touch. I didn’t get to meet Todd in person until the guys came to my high school to do an interview with me for our newspaper earlier this year. I saw them all a bunch more times after that. Then later on in April, I started talking to Matt, and met him at the 98 Degrees concert in May. Whew, confused enough? Ok I have "Celebrity" stuck in my head now, "If I wasn’t a celebrity, would you be so into me? If I didn’t have cheese like everyday!" Anyway, that’s another thing I tend to do, sing 24/7. I’m telling you, I can be a major dork.
Back on topic. Overall, that first time meeting the guys gave me a very good impression of them. And remember, first impressions are everything. I thought they were well-mannered, down to earth, great guys. I can’t even begin to emphasize how nice they are. To everyone who has yet to meet them, no matter what you’ve heard, they are just down right charming. They are the best to their fans. They take time out of their busy schedule to sign autographs, take pictures, and just make conversation with everyone. That’s what I love best about them; they don’t judge people and they remain modest.
However, besides working for the guys, I’m just your average 16 year old in high school, trying to survive the terror of the fact that I only have two more years until I hit the real world. Ahh! In fact, I just finished up a summer school class today. Yey! We have a few more weeks before school starts again.
Believe me you; I was more stunned than anything when Bob asked me about working for the guys. I have always wanted to work in the music/entertainment industry, and any of my friends will confirm that. Doing this gives me an opportunity to gain lots of experience for the future. Luckily, I don’t have to wash any of their laundry or do nearly all the things Bob does. LoL I don’t think I quite knew what I was getting into until I helped out at the recent *NSYNC concerts in Oakland 2 weeks ago. I realize it’s gonna be a bumpy ride, but heck, that’s why I like roller coasters. I live for a challenge. I still do encourage those of you who’d also like to break into the business to seek out similar opportunities. They are your best way of getting experience, being recognized for your efforts, and just having fun. That’s the most important thing, if you’re not happy then don’t pursue it. Plus, I find that being around the guys a lot makes you notice the littlest of changes or just quirks you find pretty funny. Believe me. Ask around. I’m sure the guys would like to know what we say about them. Our conversations can be very hilarious.
My opinion on Townsend’s fans is pretty straightforward. I’ve had a blast meeting everyone. It’s incredible how well everyone gets along and how many friendships I’ve gained since becoming a fan. Every one of you is a unique individual and that is very cool. All of the fans have been a great help at Townsend events and as far as getting the word out about them. I think it’s tight how their fan base isn’t restricted to Northern Cali. There are people anywhere from all over the U.S. to the Philippines to Australia to the UK and more. Talk about global invasion!
And just for the record, I’m a part of the T-Rex fan club too! All of the Townsend parents who’ve been involved in the guys’ blossoming career have done a very nice job raising them.
I think I’ll leave my opinion on each individual guy for next time. Ohhh, the truth about Townsend. *Evil laugh* Well I don’t want to give away everything right now do I? Gotta keep your interest. In future columns you can look for a more in-depth view of Townsend from a fan’s eyes, not to mention a female fan’s eyes. So watch out guys! I’d like to be able to involve other fans as well, so there may be some interviews and surprises once in a while. If there’s anything you’d like to see in my column, just let me know. I’m up for your ideas. And just maybe, I’ll refrain from saying stuff that’ll embarrass my parents. *another evil laugh* Oh, and an early "HAPPY 23RD BIRTHDAY!" to Todd & "Farewell & Good Luck!" to my best friend & fellow club founder Megan who’s moving to Tennessee (since you won’t hear from me every week). For now, enjoy your weekend everyone and I’d love to hear the response to my debut.
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