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Private Notes
Like a lot of kids, I listen to rap music. But growing up in the suburbs forty miles north of New York City, a direct connection to hip-hop culture wasn't easily within reach. When we started looking for a rapper to move in with, the suggestions came back again and again - Maino. And it didn't take me long to discovered why.
In many ways, Maino represents the best, and sometimes, the worst parts of what it means to live the hip-hop lifestyle. After spending over ten years in prison, he has turned his life around; producing platinum records in the process.
My journey with Maino went from crazy parties and sold out shows to a visit in the neighborhood from his rough past. We definitely didn't always see eye to eye, but Maino became a larger than life figure with an energy that makes you feel like every day must be his last.
I have always wondered what it would be like to truly get to know someone with Autism. Now a hot topic in the news, I was reminded of a school my friend's mom worked at. I was soon introduced to and spent eight days with Chad, a 20 year-old living with autism. Not only does Chad not make you feel sorry for his disabilities, I quickly noticed that he's one of the funniest and most compassionate people I had ever met. I witnessed the heartache he feels from feeling different, but in our time together we took on challenges and pushed the boundaries of his condition. I'm glad to call him a close and trusted friend.
I was not a child of privilege, but I never had to worry about where my next meal was coming from or where I'd be sleeping that night. Of all the worlds this season, homeless is definitely the one from which I'm most disconnected. And that's exactly why we did it.
I met our subject, Danielle, in a city where homelessness is prevalent- San Francisco. While I was saddened to learn that Danielle has been living on the streets for almost ten years, I took comfort in knowing that I would be living with a pro. During my time on the streets we did it all: sleeping on a bed of cardboard, begging to fill a cup with change, dumpster diving for dinner. We even hitchhiked to Danielle's hometown for a shocking family reunion.
As her friends call her, "Heavy D" opened up a culture that carries huge stereotypes and helped me to understand that the streets might not be the worst place for her to be living.
With ultimate fighting rapidly gaining in popularity, spending time with a fighter was at the top of my list. Plus, I never understood people who beat each other up for a living. From the info we were able to dig up online, Anthony was a perfect choice and we quickly reached out to get him involved.
Little did I know that his career in the WEC was just one of his many important responsibilities. From tragedy striking his family, to being a role model in his community, Anthony had way more than a possible title shot weighing on his shoulders.
My time with Anthony shattered my perception of his sport and taught me a lot about what it really means to be a champion. Even though there's only two guys in the ring, they're never fighting alone.
These are the people who throw red paint if you're wearing fur, right? Wrong.
With her bleach blonde hair and brightly colored nails, I met Brogan in Miami Beach and thought I was in for a week of passing out pamphlets. But before I could get unpacked, she had me putting on a disguise and ducking down in the front seat of her car as we scouted some of Florida's most dangerous slaughter farms. Next thing I knew we were taking aim at a gun range followed by overnight missions in the Florida swamps dressed in full camouflage.
Living with Brogan was probably one of the scariest weeks of my life, but also one of the most inspirational. Her dedication has saved countless animal lives and she doesn't plan on stopping anytime soon.
As a filmmaker, I've never really had a 9 to 5 job. That may sounds pretty cool, but it also means that I didn't know where my next paycheck was coming from. I wanted to meet someone making the same kind of hustle.
We talked to a lot of players, but none had a story as crazy as our subject. At twenty-two, Nick became the youngest person to win the world series of poker, taking home a cool two million; then spent it all! I couldn't believe it. Where does two million dollars go?
Battling depression and anxiety, Nick became an inspiration as someone who struggles everyday and is open to expressing his emotions. On his quest to make back his money, old habits are hard to break: expensive dinners, insane nights at the club, and of course- girls.
Nick went from having it all to having to start over from scratch. In a game where the stakes don't get higher, how is it possible to keep from going broke? And what happens if Nick wants to just call it quits?
We've all had the fantasy of being on stage rocking out in front of thousands. But how many of us are actually doing it? I love the movie Almost Famous and I wanted to find out what it was really like to be on tour with a rock band.
We got hooked up with the Warped Tour where I met Sierra, the lead singer of VersaEmerge. I quickly learned the ropes of life on tour, but I was surprised to learn that Sierra was one of very few female leads out on the road.
While she's living her dream of performing all summer, she struggles to gain acceptance from the guys. One stop on tour was a hometown show for VersaEmerge, where emotions ran high and emotional issues were brought to the surface. Sierra's tough, but everyone has a breaking point.
I am a terrible surfer. But the lifestyle is so damn appealing. I wanted to meet someone on the competitive side and learn from one of the best. A surfer first and model second, I was introduced to Anastasia and spent a week with her as she prepared to compete in one of the biggest competitions of the year: the U.S. Open.
As a model, she has to fight for respect with the other surfers and every time on the water is a make or break opportunity to prove that she deserves to be there. This sport is a lot more intense than catching waves and hanging on the beach.
Whether it's a supermodel in a bikini sipping a cold beer or a buff dude in his Calvin's, beauty and sex sell. One of the most highly displayed examples of American beauty can be found on the sidelines of football stadiums every Sunday.
To get under the surface, we decided to move in with Jessi, an NFL cheerleader for the Tennessee Titans. A very accomplished dancer, Jessi is not the typical cheerleader. She recently gave up a blossoming career in LA and moved to Nashville to live a more righteous life. While she has to keep the look (blonde, tan, and trim) she doesn't subscribe to a superficial lifestyle.
In her spare time, she uses her cheerleader status to volunteer over 200 hours a year. Jessi quickly brought me into her world and gave me a taste of what it takes to keep up with the demands on her body and the negative attention that can often come with the uniform.
The term celebrity takes on many forms and often garners more attention than is even healthy. Splashed across magazine covers and the internet, I was really intrigued by the idea of seeing the celebrity world from the other side of the lens.
Over the course of eight days, I spent time in LA, NYC, and Miami with rising pop star, VV Brown. Already huge in the UK, VV is currently on a whirlwind press and recording tour that's bringing her unique brand of pop to the States. Very focused on her career, celebrity means very little to her. Her art takes precedence.
If you ask me, VV has a once in a generation talent. As she would tell you, 'celebrity' is much more work than red carpets and escaping the paparazzi. The real challenge is holding on to who you are.
During a week in the Big Apple, Jenks moves in with rising comedy talent, Dan St. Germain, as he prepares for the biggest and most important stand-up show of his career.
Jenks heads to Abilene, Texas and lives with high school football star Herschel Sims as he prepares not only for his senior season, but also the release of his mother from prison.
