Fangirling. A simple made-up word that is defined as “the reaction a fangirl has to any mention or sighting of the object of her “affection”. These reactions include shortness of breath, fainting, high-pitched noises, shaking, etc.” by the ever credible source Urban Dictionary. So of course words cannot describe how excited we, HC Auburn Campus Correspondents Alexis and Kerry, became when we first learned we would be speaking with the creator and star of “Catfish”! Writing for Her Campus has opened the doors to connecting us with very interesting and inspiring people, but this was the first time either of came face-to-face with someone whom is widely consider a current celebrity. Of course, walking into Nev Schulman’s dressing room before starting the interview was a little nerve wracking, but after we exchanged just a few words with Nev, we quickly realized that he really is just a regular guy who became famous by accident.
Nev is certainly one of the most relaxed people we have ever talked to, as he had no reservations about finishing his Tupperware container of quinoa while chatting with us, as one might do during a conversation with a friend. There was even a point where he called over his assistant, Dylan, to help him jog his memory about details of a certain episode so that he could give us the most accurate details. Obviously it was a little intimidating at first (ladies, we have to say it—his bone structure is even more incredible in person!), but after suppressing our swoons and feeling the comfort of a friendly conversation, the fact that we were hanging out with a celebrity remarkably faded from view. Nev was very laid-back and kind throughout the duration of our interview and showed us the same respect and consideration we’ve all seen him give to interviewers on popular televised talk shows. You always hear that you should never meet your heroes in order to avoid disappointment, but speaking with Nev only increased the admiration both of us have for him.
After the interview, we attended his talk. Nev’s “Catfish on Campus” tour was nothing like we expected. Though he rarely touched on the topic of the show, he still made an absolutely incredible impact on the Auburn students in attendance. He discussed his own struggles, from anxiety and anger issues, friendship drama, and even sharing some very intimate details about his sex life (so if any of you were curious about his sexuality, he’s definitely not gay!). To hear how someone made the transition from the sometimes-perilous college years into a successful, down-to-earth guy was truly awe-inspiring.
We could talk for days about all the amazing points Nev made, but the take home message was this: Be Your Own Catfish. If you’ve seen the documentary that catapulted Nev into the spotlight, you’ll know the term “catfishing” is derived from something Angela’s, the woman who catfished Nev in 2010, husband said. When cod are transported in vats across the ocean to other parts of the world, catfish are placed in the tanks with them to keep them swimming around, to prevent them from dying. So, as Nev says, catfish keep you on your toes. The best way to go through life is to keep moving around, switching things up, and keeping it interesting. Take risks—go in search of new paths and follow them, for life doesn’t go in a straight line. It’s okay to make mistakes, but learn from them. At the end of the day, be a catfish and keep yourself swimming around—or you’ll just end up falling to the bottom of the tank.
It’s easy to see from what we’ve said that Nev Schulman really is an inspiration. He is easily one of the kindest, and most interesting people either of us has ever met! We really hope you all enjoy reading through the Q&A between us below, and maybe you’ll learn something you didn’t know about Catfish and Nev!
HC Auburn’s Campus Correspondents Alexis Brost (left) and Kerry Coppinger with Nev Schulman!
Do you think based on your experience with Catfish that internet relationships are not wise for people to get into or do you think it’s a good way to meet people?
I think if you’re calling on me as a last resort to meet the person you’re dating on the Internet, there’s a good chance you’ve gone too far. Most online relationships, or a lot of them, end well. People meet each other, they video chat, and they meet in person, and if there’s something there, it turns into something. The ones that we end up sort of exploring on the show are because for whatever reason there hasn’t been an opportunity to prove that the other person is who they say they are. So they feel, or at least one of them feels, like I’m the last hope and if that’s the case, if you’re in a relationship with someone on the internet and you genuinely feel like I’m the only way you’re going to meet this person, there’s a good chance something is awry.
When you agreed to do your brother’s documentary, did you ever think it would turn into this?
I mean, I never feel like I fully agreed. It was just sort of like an assumed collaboration. You know, I was living this weird experience, he was making a film of it, he is my older brother. You know, I don’t really get to tell him what to do. I did at one point sort of aggressively challenge him about the way in which he was doing it, but I am so — and you’ll actually hear about it tonight– I really appreciate and value and respect what he does, so while it was sort of an invasion of my personal life, I also knew that if he was doing something with it and passionate about it, it was probably worth while. I had no expectations that it would turn into anything. I was actually sort of just ecstatic that we got it to Sundance. As far as I was concerned, like, this film these guys are making, Sundance, like wow that’s so cool! Then after that, it still kept going up and I couldn’t, well I still can’t really believe that it happened like this. You know what I mean?
So since this show is so popular now, do you fear that people will try to, you know, sort of “Catfish” people just for the publicity or just to kind of get on the show?
I think that’s probably a thing that people have considered doing. It takes, or it would take, a tremendous amount of time and energy and dedication and, I think to some extent, sort of theatrical talent to convince — ‘cause you know before the stories come to me on the show, which is the first time I’m seeing them, they go through a producer. You know, like a casting producer. So, you know, the people who read the emails and look for stories are, you know, pretty thorough in following up with you and asking you about the relationship, and you know, having you show them the correspondences. Like, you know, they do their research. So, it’s possible –and actually I’ve said, and I’ll say it again that, like, I would be open to — or not open to it intentionally– but if I found out we had been quote Catfished, I think that would be an interesting twist on the show. I guess part of what it’s all about, you know what I mean.
According to online sources, you’re still friends with Angela. Is that true?
It’s true in that if I — I mean it’s true from my side. She could pick up the phone and call me right now and I would be thrilled to talk to her. I actually had a lot of ideas and expectations that she might want to be involved in the show, but she felt, and understandably, that she wanted to sort of distance herself from the whole Catfish phenomenon. So we don’t speak regularly, but, you know, I’m always happy to hear from her.
Do you ever encourage the people on the show to do the same? To stay in touch? Because a lot of times they’re like, “Oh I never want to speak to that person again.”
It’s usually pretty clear that both sides of of any relationship on the show are people who are dealing with some kind of insecurity or loneliness and they’ve found each other, whether it was ever with the intention of really falling in love and being together or really just to have a friend. So even though it’s really hard and awkward, and doesn’t always happen, I do think that that friendship that they made, now that they know who each other are, would be great if it could continue especially without the sort of false facade, or persona, that they’ve been living behind and they can really be better friends now because they can finally tell each other the truth about everything. So I always try to set that up, because I know that in my case, like, a friendship really didn’t work — like a real day-to-day friendship with Angela didn’t work– I don’t necessarily assume that people are just going to sort of forgive each other and go back to being really good friends, it’s awkward.
Was there a Catfish moment that shocked you the most when you were filming?
Nev: Each episode had any number of weird moments… (pauses)
HC’s Alexis: Mine’s probably Artis.
Nev: …and Justin! I mean that was shocking and also so unbelievable that I remember Max and I just sort of looking at each other when this kid walked out, and did this whole sort of what felt like a performance, and just thinking like this can’t be really happening. You know, is this kid serious? So that was, yes, certainly up there, and then, you know– I can’t talk about it, like, in detail but there was another particular shocking moment that didn’t make an episode. On the um– was it Derek? Not Derek and Lauren, but I think it was Derek and — ugh, what was her name? Hey Dylan! What was the episode that I told you about? That whole crazy thing that we discovered afterwards on the Skype where we talked to her and him? Remember? Don’t mention it but like, It was the whole thing with like — was it the girl who went by Nunya and I like didn’t pick up on it? What was that girl’s name with like the short hair cut and the long on one side? Ashley? No um (pauses) The guys was in the military and he had kids.
HC’s Alexis: No, wait! It was, um, Chastity!
Nev: Chastity! Thank you, Chastity. So yea, there was some off– some footage that ended up on the cutting room floor in that episode that I do think genuinely was the most shocking, um, information that I would have liked to put in the episode, but I was vetoed.
Recently on campus the app Tinder has become incredibly popular. What do you think of meeting people on apps like that or Grinder or anything?
Nev: Um (long pause) I mean I never used those apps because they didn’t exist yet when I was in my hey days of dating. Um, so part of me in a sort of nostalgic way says, like, “Come on fellas, if you want to ask a girl out, go ask her out. You know, do it the old fashioned way.” But at the same time I think, you know, the internet as a tool for dating is incredibly effective. So, there might be dozens of people on campus that you just would never bump in to and maybe one of them is someone that you are attracted to and why not have some app sort of help facilitate that first meeting? I like it because it’s not about– you don’t date– like as far as I understand, there’s no real interaction that takes place over Tinder, it really just pairs you up and then you’re supposed to meet up, right?
HC’s Kerry: You can message them, but only if you get paired up.
Nev: Right, so the idea is to see each other, and it’s by a proximity, right? So I like that it’s bringing people together who are near each other physically ‘cause that’s– I’m much more into physical interaction than I am digital if there’s an option for it. So, yeah, I support it.