While he didn't snag the $250,000 grand prize, Richard Rubin was definitely the winner of Ashton Kutcher's social experiment, Beauty and the Geek ‑- he got the most attention, and that's what TV is all about. Lasting all the way to the last question of the finale, the 21-year-old Brandeis graduate from New Jersey paused dramatically and pursed his lips while he tried to summon up the middle name of his partner, Mindi. Then, he guessed wrong, and they lost by one point.
But, perhaps, losing at this particular reality show challenge can turn out to be a good thing. It would be kind of ironic to be the winning geek, after all. Richard is now out in Los Angeles, living with an older brother, waiting to see what can happen for him. We had a chat with him about his reality show experience:
It looked like, maybe, you secretly knew Mindi's middle name all along...
$250,000 would have been a nice chunk of change. I did not lose on purpose. The other team, they sort of had a consistency going all along. They didn't lose a single competition. They just had it going on. At least I got to be on all the episodes.
So do you want to get into show business now?
If anything comes my way as a result of the show, I'd be interested.
What did you plan on doing after graduation, before you got on this show?
I didn't have a particular career goal. I didn't know what I wanted to do. This thing just kind of fell in my lap. It was a great opportunity.
Did you know what you were signing on for in the beginning?
I saw there was an open casting call. They said they were looking for intelligent young men. I was off and running.
When did you find out that you were being pegged a geek?
The first day, on the set, they told us what it was all going to be about. I wasn't offended at all by the whole thing. I'll settle for geek, because I wasn't going to apply to be on Beauty and the Stud.
What did your family and friends think about you being on a reality show?
Most people were very happy, although some people suggested I not go on the show. Once it was on the air, they realized what it was going to be like and they were thrilled.
Did you get any tips on picking up girls from Ashton Kutcher?
I met him at some of the promotional events after the show, but I didn't have any contact with any of the producers while actually on the show.
What was the most important thing you learned?
I learned how to spoon. Now I'm ready to fork. There's that.
Any other good tips?
You don't run up to a hot tub full of beautiful women and talk about Mark Twain's trip to the Holy Land. Be careful while toasting on a date. For a pickup line, don't ask a girl if she likes garlic.
Are you less shy around girls now?
Around girls I'm still very shy. I don't know if anything changes that. I do know that to act natural is attractive. Anything in a natural, primitive state is more attractive than anything put on. But I think that's something I knew before the show.
