21st-Century Vox

I really Love New York

In case you haven’t been paying attention, the world of celebritydom has been changing over the past few years. No longer are the privileged sons and daughters of wealthy Hollywood execs or A-list actors or the just plain rich the only ones who are getting famous. As you know, I LOVE REALITY TELEVISION and as each new season comes, old castoffs, houseguests, top chefs, dancers, designers, and bachelors are brushed aside to make room for the next crop of celebrity wannabes who step forward to claim their 15 minutes of fame. That is, of course, unless you are the queen of a network.

You may not recognize her real name, but Tiffany Pollard lives every woman's and gay man’s fantasy. She is surrounded by a group of eligible, thugged-out, hardbodied, sexy young hotties all fighting for her affection and the chance to say those now famous words: "I love New York.” The second season of the VH1 classic is now on the air and New York, as she is more often referred to, is about to begin her next hunt to find the perfect man.

I had an awesome opportunity this week to have a few minutes interviewing the new diva of reality (I know, trashy but true) and she dished the dirt with me about former contestants, new hopefuls, Flavor Flav, and of course her ever-present and completely insane mother, Sister Patterson.

“I was just out in Hollywood one day looking for purses and this man came up to me and said I would be perfect for the show," she remembers. "He told me the premise involved Flav, who I adored, and although at first I was skeptical, I thought why not. I did end up getting a great purse that day, by the way.”
That show, of course, was the first season of Flavor of Love. VH1 had been hitting the reality market hard with what it called "celebreality," beginning with The Surreal Life, which featured over-the-hill celebrities most kids had never heard of and forced them to live in a house together. The show was great at reviving careers for a hot second... never more apparent than in the show's third season when Flavor Flav, one of the oddest characters from the glory days of mid-'80s rap. Once a member of Public Enemy, his relationship with former actress and ex-Mrs Sylvester Stallone, Brigitte Nielsen, disgusted and intrigued audiences so much, their romance spawned a spinoff. Strange Love was exactly what the title suggested.

Then the show's creators sought a different venue for the magnanimous Flav, and a Bachelor-like series with a ghetto vibe seemed to be the perfect recipe for a hot mess. On the opening episode, he dubbed the women with nicknames. Thus, Tiffany Pollard became New York. While her over-confidence and arrogance may have been a turn-off to the other girls, she was reality television gold and producers saw their latest star. New York had a confrontation with another girl, Brooke "Pumpkin" Thompson, which prompted one of the most memorable television fights ever. Pumpkin spit on New York and Pollard retaliated in pure New York fashion by grabbing her hair and pushing her into the cameras.

Losing out on Flav for two seasons, producers felt it was time to create a vehicle solely for the female ratings bonanza. “I was looking for love and when they asked me if I would do it, I jumped at the chance," New York said. “But it would have to be my way and my choice.”
Not one to back down, New York got her way... some hot hunky men to cater to her every whim. I had to ask if any of the dudes were gay, and she told me, “Well, I have to tell you, 12-Pack had the perfect body, flawless abs, and a cute face," she laughs. "If I had to choose one, I would definitely say he was the gay boy.” Dave "12 Pack" Amerman, as it turns out, was in fact a male stripper at gay clubs and by the looks of some of the pics and videos out on the web, New York’s nose may have been pointed in the right direction. At the end of the show, New York became engaged to Patrick “Tango” Hunter and for six months, the couple planned their wedding. Then on the reunion show, Tango left the diva, which prompted the second season of the series.

Although her gay companion Chamo hasn’t been asked back to help her decide which man is to be her perfect mate, she will be joined by her mother, Sister Patterson, and a host of psychics, experts, and a few surprises to help her make the ultimate choice. “There is some great eye candy," she said. "Watch out for Pretty and Punk, and if you want another great body to pay attention too, this year, there’s a boy named 20-Pack. There is also a little person in the house, which at first was kinda funny, but he turns out to be a very interesting guy.”

With the first season coming out on DVD and the new show starting up, New York has a lot on her plate right now. She recently appeared in the popular television show Nip/Tuck and is hoping to further her acting career. But, at the end of the day, while New York became a reality star because of her attitude and scene-stealing antics, her reason for being on TV boils down to one thing. “It’s all about love, and I can assure you that this time around, I can honestly say that I found the perfect person for me.” We’ll see. I’m still hoping for an I Love New York: Season 3.

So it was fun chatting with the chick who made trashy an art form, but next time I want to talk to her crazy-ass mother, who I am convinced is a Klingon! BLOG HARD!

It’s always doing a pleasure with you.

– Dylan Vox

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