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Interview With Alex Michel

Aired July 11, 2003 - 15:40   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: From hot dogs to hot dates, here we go, who better to share tips on dating dos and don'ts than reality television's original bachelor. We're talking about Alex Michel. You'll remember he chose Amanda instead of Trista. Alex is now a spokesman for Match.com and he joins us with tips for the more dating for the 30-somethings.
Great to see you, Alex.

ALEX MICHEL, ORIGINAL "BACHELOR": Nice to see you guys.

PHILLIPS: So what are you doing? What are you doing with your life since the show?

MICHEL: Well, I've become a spokesman for Match.com. So I'm out there evangelizing online dating and telling busy professionals who are complaining about their love lives to log on.

PHILLIPS: So this is what you're doing permanently, this is your full-time job?

MICHEL: Well, no, I've got multiple things I'm doing. I'm also doing a lot of business stuff and some other media projects, so squeezing a lot of things in. One of the most -- the most bachelor- related is the Match.com stuff.

PHILLIPS: Of course, all right. And it's perfect to put you with Match.com. Now, I have a question. Why are you still single?

MICHEL: Well, you know, finding true love is a tough job. That is a full-time job. And so, I'm still looking.

PHILLIPS: Well...

MICHEL: But having fun along the way, I have to admit.

PHILLIPS: Oh, I'm sure you are. What do you think of all these reality TV shows that coming up since you did the first "Bachelor"? It's just amazing everything that's sort of springboarded from this.

MICHEL: It's this idea that's caught on like wildfire. There have got to be 20 shows that have, you know, pick your mate component to them. And there are a lot of fun, but I would say the knockoffs are no "Bachelor." The original one is still the best.

PHILLIPS: What's your philosophy on dating and romance? Do you have sort of a mantra or something that you sort of preach now?

MICHEL: Well, one thing that we tell people at Match.com is to keep your expectations low in the beginning. So on the first date, your goal is to have a nice time, to meet a new person, make a new friend. And when people go into the first date thinking, I've got to find my husband or wife, it's really hard for any first date to live up to those expectations.

PHILLIPS: All right, well as you can imagine, we've received a number of e-mails. Are you ready to take these? They want a little advice here. You ready?

MICHEL: I'm ready.

PHILLIPS: All right. Let's start out with this one. This is anonymous. Didn't get a name. "I'm a single guy in my mid-20s looking for my future wife. but I find that most of the women I meet seem more interested in going to fancy restaurants, the coolest clubs, etc. Do you find this case with `The Bachelor' girls?"

MICHEL: Not really with the women on "The Bachelor" show, but I certainly know what he's talking about. And my advice for him is to put himself into situations that aren't totally dating-related,. So they're not typical, get your phone number at a singles bar and offer to take you out to dinner.

Instead he should go on Match.com or go to places where he thinks people with interests like his might be. So if he's a reader, he should be looking in bookstores, not at fancy nightclubs with people who you know, want to be taken out to expensive meals.

PHILLIPS: There you go. Cha-chas working the bar. What about you? Where do you hang out?

MICHEL: All over the place. You know, I have a variety of interests.

PHILLIPS: You don't want to give any out, huh?

MICHEL: Well, you know, no. I'm happy to give any of my secrets. There are a lot of places, I think, where women are and men aren't. Men and women are out there looking for each other but looking in places where the opposite sex isn't.

So men think, God, I got to meet a girl. Hey, guys. Let's go out to the corner bar. And they get there and they complain that there are no women. Meanwhile, women are at charity events, they're at dressup balls and they're looking around thinking, where are all the cool guys?

So there's got to be a way for a man and woman to get together and meet each other.

PHILLIPS: All right, everyone is going to start calling you. This question from Amanda. "How do you feel about a girl offering to pay half or go dutch on a meal? Is this an insult?" MICHEL: I think it's not an insult. I love -- excuse me.

PHILLIPS: That's all right. You got some water there?

MICHEL: Yes, I do. I'll have a sip of water. This question is throwing me.

PHILLIPS: Yes, go ahead. Grab a sip of water. That's OK. Relax, Alex. It's just you and me.

MICHEL: Amanda. Who is this Amanda?

PHILLIPS: There you go. We'll chitchat. I know we talk about love, you get all choked up. That's all right.

MICHEL: Exactly. This is heavy-duty stuff.

I think that guys don't love it when the woman insists on going dutch because I think they take it as a sign where the woman is saying, I really don't want to feel obligated to you in any way and let me make that clear off the bat.

The reality is, the guy doesn't expect that someone is obligated to him in a romantic way just because he buys them a meal. But to refuse that generosity, men can take it the wrong way.

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIPS: Absolutely. Emily in Tennessee says, "On the first date, should a woman be proper and eat a salad or can we chow down on chicken wings?"

MICHEL: Oh, chow down on chicken wings. Men love women with good appetites.

PHILLIPS: All right. Really? OK. I'm going to remember that one.

MICHEL: I heard that spaghetti and lobster are the two foods to avoid because they're just so messy. It's OK if both of you are eating them. But if only one is, it can be kind of a spectacle.

PHILLIPS: It's not OK to get in on the messy thing?

MICHEL: If you do it together, I think it's great.

PHILLIPS: OK.

(CROSSTALK)

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: On my first date with Sandi (ph) I took her to this nice lunch. I think lunch is a good first date, don't you think?

MICHEL: Absolutely.

PHILLIPS: Sandi is his wife, by the way, Alex. A total hottie.

O'BRIEN: I was having some pasta with a little Alfredo sauce. I was dressed to go to work, and it just dripped down my tie, all the way down my tie. And she kept doing this.

Now know, finally, she said, I don't know you, but I've got to fix your tie. You know, that was actually -- we fell in love at that moment, really.

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIPS: She's been drying his ties ever since.

O'BRIEN: And cleaning me up, too. Anyway.

PHILLIPS: All right. Thank you so much.

O'BRIEN: Just thought I'd throw that in.

PHILLIPS: Chime in whenever you'd like there, dear.

All right, and then we have another one from Costa Rica, Alex. "I'm sure that being the original `Bachelor' has opened many doors for your career, but has it been all positive?"

MICHEL: No. There definitely have been pros and cons.

PHILLIPS: Go ahead, get a sip of water, Alex.

MICHEL: All right. Sorry. All these questions are too tough.

PHILLIPS: I know. I'm kind of getting under your skin here.

MICHEL: No, I think, you know, there definitely have been pros and cons. The loss of anonymity. Having people know you when you walk down the street, people that you don't know, and they assume they know you. They say, Hey, man, how come you did this on your third date with so and so? And I think to myself, do I know you? So that can be a down side. But by and large, the experience was really great. I met some terrific people. It has opened a lot of doors. And it's been a lot of fun. It's the kind of intense life experience that, you know, is rare. My dad said when I went into it, he said, who cares about the TV show? If you had the imagination, this is exactly how you would have designed your ideal six weeks.

PHILLIPS: Yes, what kind of love advice does your dad give you?

MICHEL: He says -- I think he would agree, keep it casual. You're not trying to -- all you're trying to do is make a new friend at first. And the more new friends you have, the better. And if you go on a date with someone and it doesn't work out, you never know who that person might be able to introduce you to. So you've got to be nice to everyone.

PHILLIPS: That's true. What comes around goes around. I'm actually getting e-mails here on the computer as we're doing this interview. And one we just printed off here. What's the most annoying thing you find in a very beautiful woman?

MICHEL: Well, I think that the biggest problem that some, but not all, some very beautiful women have is believing that their beauty is the main thing they have to offer. And that -- that's enough to offer. And so they don't need to be interesting or polite or anything. I think that's absolutely untrue.

I'm very attracted to beautiful women, but I'm looking for the whole person, and if they think that their beauty is, you know, enough, I'm going to be disappointed. I want somebody to tell me jokes, to educate me, to challenge me, et cetera.

PHILLIPS: Alex, you sound too perfect. All right. So any ladies who think that you are the one for Alex, you just e-mail us here at CNN, I'll hook you up.

MICHEL: Yes. I love it. E-mail me their pictures.

PHILLIPS: Oh, it's not just about looks though, come on, Alex.

MICHEL: Like I said, (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

PHILLIPS: It's the whole package. OK. Very good. Beautiful and funny. That works.

All right, Alex Michel, we're going to check up, and will you let me know once you find the right woman?

MICHEL: Absolutely.

PHILLIPS: OK. We'll have you back on.

MICHEL: Thanks a lot.

PHILLIPS: All right, Alex, take care.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired July 11, 2003 - 15:40   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: From hot dogs to hot dates, here we go, who better to share tips on dating dos and don'ts than reality television's original bachelor. We're talking about Alex Michel. You'll remember he chose Amanda instead of Trista. Alex is now a spokesman for Match.com and he joins us with tips for the more dating for the 30-somethings.
Great to see you, Alex.

ALEX MICHEL, ORIGINAL "BACHELOR": Nice to see you guys.

PHILLIPS: So what are you doing? What are you doing with your life since the show?

MICHEL: Well, I've become a spokesman for Match.com. So I'm out there evangelizing online dating and telling busy professionals who are complaining about their love lives to log on.

PHILLIPS: So this is what you're doing permanently, this is your full-time job?

MICHEL: Well, no, I've got multiple things I'm doing. I'm also doing a lot of business stuff and some other media projects, so squeezing a lot of things in. One of the most -- the most bachelor- related is the Match.com stuff.

PHILLIPS: Of course, all right. And it's perfect to put you with Match.com. Now, I have a question. Why are you still single?

MICHEL: Well, you know, finding true love is a tough job. That is a full-time job. And so, I'm still looking.

PHILLIPS: Well...

MICHEL: But having fun along the way, I have to admit.

PHILLIPS: Oh, I'm sure you are. What do you think of all these reality TV shows that coming up since you did the first "Bachelor"? It's just amazing everything that's sort of springboarded from this.

MICHEL: It's this idea that's caught on like wildfire. There have got to be 20 shows that have, you know, pick your mate component to them. And there are a lot of fun, but I would say the knockoffs are no "Bachelor." The original one is still the best.

PHILLIPS: What's your philosophy on dating and romance? Do you have sort of a mantra or something that you sort of preach now?

MICHEL: Well, one thing that we tell people at Match.com is to keep your expectations low in the beginning. So on the first date, your goal is to have a nice time, to meet a new person, make a new friend. And when people go into the first date thinking, I've got to find my husband or wife, it's really hard for any first date to live up to those expectations.

PHILLIPS: All right, well as you can imagine, we've received a number of e-mails. Are you ready to take these? They want a little advice here. You ready?

MICHEL: I'm ready.

PHILLIPS: All right. Let's start out with this one. This is anonymous. Didn't get a name. "I'm a single guy in my mid-20s looking for my future wife. but I find that most of the women I meet seem more interested in going to fancy restaurants, the coolest clubs, etc. Do you find this case with `The Bachelor' girls?"

MICHEL: Not really with the women on "The Bachelor" show, but I certainly know what he's talking about. And my advice for him is to put himself into situations that aren't totally dating-related,. So they're not typical, get your phone number at a singles bar and offer to take you out to dinner.

Instead he should go on Match.com or go to places where he thinks people with interests like his might be. So if he's a reader, he should be looking in bookstores, not at fancy nightclubs with people who you know, want to be taken out to expensive meals.

PHILLIPS: There you go. Cha-chas working the bar. What about you? Where do you hang out?

MICHEL: All over the place. You know, I have a variety of interests.

PHILLIPS: You don't want to give any out, huh?

MICHEL: Well, you know, no. I'm happy to give any of my secrets. There are a lot of places, I think, where women are and men aren't. Men and women are out there looking for each other but looking in places where the opposite sex isn't.

So men think, God, I got to meet a girl. Hey, guys. Let's go out to the corner bar. And they get there and they complain that there are no women. Meanwhile, women are at charity events, they're at dressup balls and they're looking around thinking, where are all the cool guys?

So there's got to be a way for a man and woman to get together and meet each other.

PHILLIPS: All right, everyone is going to start calling you. This question from Amanda. "How do you feel about a girl offering to pay half or go dutch on a meal? Is this an insult?" MICHEL: I think it's not an insult. I love -- excuse me.

PHILLIPS: That's all right. You got some water there?

MICHEL: Yes, I do. I'll have a sip of water. This question is throwing me.

PHILLIPS: Yes, go ahead. Grab a sip of water. That's OK. Relax, Alex. It's just you and me.

MICHEL: Amanda. Who is this Amanda?

PHILLIPS: There you go. We'll chitchat. I know we talk about love, you get all choked up. That's all right.

MICHEL: Exactly. This is heavy-duty stuff.

I think that guys don't love it when the woman insists on going dutch because I think they take it as a sign where the woman is saying, I really don't want to feel obligated to you in any way and let me make that clear off the bat.

The reality is, the guy doesn't expect that someone is obligated to him in a romantic way just because he buys them a meal. But to refuse that generosity, men can take it the wrong way.

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIPS: Absolutely. Emily in Tennessee says, "On the first date, should a woman be proper and eat a salad or can we chow down on chicken wings?"

MICHEL: Oh, chow down on chicken wings. Men love women with good appetites.

PHILLIPS: All right. Really? OK. I'm going to remember that one.

MICHEL: I heard that spaghetti and lobster are the two foods to avoid because they're just so messy. It's OK if both of you are eating them. But if only one is, it can be kind of a spectacle.

PHILLIPS: It's not OK to get in on the messy thing?

MICHEL: If you do it together, I think it's great.

PHILLIPS: OK.

(CROSSTALK)

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: On my first date with Sandi (ph) I took her to this nice lunch. I think lunch is a good first date, don't you think?

MICHEL: Absolutely.

PHILLIPS: Sandi is his wife, by the way, Alex. A total hottie.

O'BRIEN: I was having some pasta with a little Alfredo sauce. I was dressed to go to work, and it just dripped down my tie, all the way down my tie. And she kept doing this.

Now know, finally, she said, I don't know you, but I've got to fix your tie. You know, that was actually -- we fell in love at that moment, really.

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIPS: She's been drying his ties ever since.

O'BRIEN: And cleaning me up, too. Anyway.

PHILLIPS: All right. Thank you so much.

O'BRIEN: Just thought I'd throw that in.

PHILLIPS: Chime in whenever you'd like there, dear.

All right, and then we have another one from Costa Rica, Alex. "I'm sure that being the original `Bachelor' has opened many doors for your career, but has it been all positive?"

MICHEL: No. There definitely have been pros and cons.

PHILLIPS: Go ahead, get a sip of water, Alex.

MICHEL: All right. Sorry. All these questions are too tough.

PHILLIPS: I know. I'm kind of getting under your skin here.

MICHEL: No, I think, you know, there definitely have been pros and cons. The loss of anonymity. Having people know you when you walk down the street, people that you don't know, and they assume they know you. They say, Hey, man, how come you did this on your third date with so and so? And I think to myself, do I know you? So that can be a down side. But by and large, the experience was really great. I met some terrific people. It has opened a lot of doors. And it's been a lot of fun. It's the kind of intense life experience that, you know, is rare. My dad said when I went into it, he said, who cares about the TV show? If you had the imagination, this is exactly how you would have designed your ideal six weeks.

PHILLIPS: Yes, what kind of love advice does your dad give you?

MICHEL: He says -- I think he would agree, keep it casual. You're not trying to -- all you're trying to do is make a new friend at first. And the more new friends you have, the better. And if you go on a date with someone and it doesn't work out, you never know who that person might be able to introduce you to. So you've got to be nice to everyone.

PHILLIPS: That's true. What comes around goes around. I'm actually getting e-mails here on the computer as we're doing this interview. And one we just printed off here. What's the most annoying thing you find in a very beautiful woman?

MICHEL: Well, I think that the biggest problem that some, but not all, some very beautiful women have is believing that their beauty is the main thing they have to offer. And that -- that's enough to offer. And so they don't need to be interesting or polite or anything. I think that's absolutely untrue.

I'm very attracted to beautiful women, but I'm looking for the whole person, and if they think that their beauty is, you know, enough, I'm going to be disappointed. I want somebody to tell me jokes, to educate me, to challenge me, et cetera.

PHILLIPS: Alex, you sound too perfect. All right. So any ladies who think that you are the one for Alex, you just e-mail us here at CNN, I'll hook you up.

MICHEL: Yes. I love it. E-mail me their pictures.

PHILLIPS: Oh, it's not just about looks though, come on, Alex.

MICHEL: Like I said, (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

PHILLIPS: It's the whole package. OK. Very good. Beautiful and funny. That works.

All right, Alex Michel, we're going to check up, and will you let me know once you find the right woman?

MICHEL: Absolutely.

PHILLIPS: OK. We'll have you back on.

MICHEL: Thanks a lot.

PHILLIPS: All right, Alex, take care.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com