Students flock to 'Joe Millionaire' parties
Imran Siddiquee And Lauren Traut
The Daily Illini
Nine girls flocked to Kate McShane’s room in Pennsylvania Avenue Residence Hall Monday night to find out if America’s newest made-for-television couple lasted through the end of the show.
Last week marked the end of the reality-based series that captured the attention of millions of Americans by asking, who would want to marry a millionaire if he wasn’t really a millionaire?
The FOX-aired Joe Millionaire featured 20 women who competed for the heart of one man who posed as a multimillionaire, but in reality he was a construction worker from Iowa. On Feb. 17, Evan Marriot, the construction worker, selected Zora Andrich and told her the truth about himself.
Candice Lucak, freshman in ACES, said she watched the show all season, including Monday night’s “aftermath” episode that updated the relationship of Evan and Zora, because of its inventiveness.
“I think it’s interesting to see the girls fight over some guy that they think has a lot of money, but doesn’t,” Lucak said.
Marisa Hamilton, freshman in LAS, said she thinks the couple is still together and will stay together, but admits that she’s a hopeless romantic.
The show was one of Fox Broadcasting Co.’s highest rated programs ever along with the recent American Idol.
Susan Burchfield, research director for FOX-St. Louis, said the show was especially popular in the Midwest.
Last week’s season finale had a 25.3 percent rating, which means a quarter of all the televisions in the St. Louis area watched the show, Burchfield said.
“It is the highest rated regular series we have ever carried,” she said.
The “aftermath” show Monday night explained how Fox chose their Joe Millionare. Their standards were set at someone charming, attractive, but most importantly, broke.
“I thought Evan was really attractive at first. He has that whole tall, dark and handsome thing going,” McShane said, freshman in LAS.
But most agreed that Evan lacked a certain suavity.
“When Evan eats, it just grosses me out,” said Lisa Bahla, freshman in LAS. “He inhales his food!”
Dave Jaromin, freshman in aviation, said he thinks the show was popular because it made women choose between love and money. Jaromin, though, was not impressed with Evan, the faux millionaire.
“It certainly brought down his honesty from the beginning. He had to know he was lying to all these women,” Jaromin said. “Personally I wouldn’t go on the show.”
The girls were of the general opinion that Evan wasn’t quite the “Prince Charming” Fox made him out to be.
“I think we all think Evan is stupid,” McShane said, chuckling and looking around for agreement.
The rest of the girls nodded and giggled.
The girls at PAR said that on the night of the finale, they could hear screams down the hall when Evan chose Zora, the group’s favorite.
“She was the most genuine. She was the only one who saw through everything,” McShane said.
Monday’s show ended with a vision of the happy couple walking hand-in-hand through the woods.
Hamilton watched them kiss and sighed, “Aw...See! They’re gonna make it!”
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