Johnny Betts..or is it?:)
1. What is your name or TYR name?
Everybody knows me as Johnny Betts.
2. How old will you be on your next birthday-include the date if you want?
I'll be 28 on February 9. Y'all have two months to get me some nice gifts.
3. Tell us a little about your childhood.
I grew up in Memphis, TN. I'm the oldest of 4 children, therefore, I was
punished the most heavily. I consider myself a hero to my younger siblings
by paving the road for them. Sure, I sometimes feel bitter when I see my
parents laughing at something my 8-year-old brother did that used to get me
a spanking, but deep down in my heart I embrace the
privilege of being a pioneer.
My childhood consisted of playing sports and stirring up mischief.
Toilet-papering yards (we called it "rolling") and egging friends'
basketball goals were all part of my childhood education. Yes, it's quite
amazing that just 16 years ago you could spend the night with a friend,
sneak out of the house at 2:00 AM with no worries, and cover Jennifer
Bevil's yard with toilet paper and fear a retribution no worse
than having her older brother pepper your mailbox with a paint gun.
Unfortunately, things aren't so simple these days.
4. Are you married, have children?
Sorry ladies, but I am indeed spoken for by my MUCH better-half,
Stephanie. No children at this time.
5. What do you wanna be when you grow up?
10 years ago I would've said "Major League Baseball Player," but that dream
has faded. Technically, I'm already a writer. So I guess I want
to be a writer who gets paid so well for my writing that I don't have to
maintain a "real job" anymore.
6. What really annoys you the most?
People like Eminem who weigh about 150 lbs, surround themselves with 300-lb
bodyguards, and then act like they're really tough. Also, to quote Woodrow
Call from Lonesome Dove, "I hate rudeness in a man. I won't tolerate it."
Bill Clinton and bad drivers also annoy me quite a bit.
7. Who are your fave characters and why?
Jimmy and Cody. Jimmy is the no-nonsense, cool, tough guy that every
Western should have. When I watch a Western I want to see a main hero
laying the smack down all over the place, and that's exactly what Jimmy
did. Jimmy reminds me a lot of a young Clint Eastwood.
Cody, on the other hand, always cracks me up. One of the things that makes
TYR so good is its humor, and Stephen Baldwin played Cody perfectly. He was
just very funny.
8. When did you find the TYR sites on the web and start visiting them
regularly?
From the very beginning. I was searching for Young Riders information on
the Internet before there were any YR webpages. Then Wendy started
up the Express Station, and I've watched it grow from there.
9. Who was the first person that you had contact with from TYR land?
Technically that would be Wendy. It was in correlation with her starting
her webpage. When I decided to write the Rider Reviews I contacted Kathleen
at Riders Coming. If you're wondering why I chose Kathleen's site as the
place to originally house my reviews, well, it's
quite simple. Wendy was on a long hiatus at the time and not updating
her website, while Riders Coming! was being updated frequently. That's
it. No big conspiracy theories.
10. Do you have a site or share a site with someone?
Yep. The Doorless Stall. It's the home of my beloved Rider Reviews.
11. If you could be one character from the show(guest stars included)who
would it be?
Jimmy. That's who I always was when I was 14 and trying to get my
10-year-old sister to act out scenes from TYR. For some reason she didn't
always liked being forced to play Longley and Calder.
12. Which ep is your fave and least fave and why?
My two favorite episodes (at the moment) are "Gunfighter" and "Ten-Cent
Hero." These two episodes show Jimmy at his best. Cocky, strong-willed,
and fearful of nothing.
Least favorite episode? Hmm. I don't loathe any of the episodes, but
there are some episodes that just don't do much for me. "Just Like Old
Times" is an episode that I don't care for too much. Too much Kid, too
little Jimmy. By rule, if neither Jimmy nor Cody plays a decent part in
an episode, then I'm less interested than normal.
13. If you could meet one person-dead or alive-who would that be and why?
I could say Jesus, but I'll be chillin' with Him eventually anyway. I
could give a nice, shallow answer and say Charlize Theron. Why?
Because she's HOT! But I know my fans expect more from me. I don't
know, it's hard to narrow it down to just one. I'll say Robert E. Lee.
He was a man of great valor and character, even in defeat.
14. If you had five minutes on national TV to discuss any subject-what would
it be and why?
I'd make it two subjects, and I'd give 2 1/2 minutes to each subject.
I always like to start things off on a light note, so I'd first like
somebody to tell me why Josh Brolin has yet to become a major movie star.
Why isn't he more of a household name than someone like Tom Cruise? Josh is
cooler, taller, and a better actor than Tom, so it makes no sense to me.
COME ON! It's just one of those things I'd like
explained to me.
Second, I'd like to tell the majority of people out there that despite what
they think, the world does not revolve around THEM. I'd have to try to find
a way to not sound preachy, but it's something I think people need to
realize. In a world where some little babies are dying of cancer, there are
people out there who think their life is going to be over if they don't run
a couple of red lights and cut off a couple of people in traffic so that
they'll make it to work on time.
In a world where some little children and young adults are restricted to
wheel chairs, there are people out there who feel the need to yell and
cuss and create a scene if they have to stand in line for more than 3
minutes. Put things in perspective, folks. Remind me, how many crosses
have YOU died on lately? I think it's important for people to realize
there's a God out there who is greater than we are. I think that
realization helps us to not think more highly of ourselves than we ought.
Quit your whining, and count your blessings.
Wanna visit Johnny's site? Just click on the link below.
