Jordan Brown (He/Him/His)

Sep 8 9:03pm

1. Why is studying art in college different from taking classes in high school?

Studying art in college is far more complicated and unpredictable than taking classes in high school. There is almost never just one right answer, and success is not promised. You must play with different techniques and be willing to improve outside of your class.  

 

 

2. How is life not like a video game?

In life, there is no guarantee that you will succeed or fail. The outcome is always unpredictable, and you will have to go beyond what you know (assignment, techniques, and principles) to create good art.

 

 

3. What’s the difference between a BA and a BFA?

BFA degrees are offered by private art school and certain state school (such as CAL state Long Beach), whereas a BA degree is offered at CSUN. BFAs are oriented toward professional education, and BAs require no portfolio admission and are only pre-professional degrees.

 

 

4. Students are brought up in a culture of “Excellent!” stickers, “good jobs!” and high fives. In college, there is a lot of grade inflation. In this kind of a culture, how can you get honest feedback on your art/work from professors and students?

You can that you are open to all feedback, and listen carefully without being defensive or emotional over feedback that you may not agree with. You can also ask specific questions for more feedback; asking whether or not an artwork is good enough is not enough.

 

 

5. What is the difference between sustained passion and circumstantial passion and why it is important to know the difference?

When someone has sustained passion, it means that they are working on their art outside of their class immediately. Circumstantial passion means that someone is interested in an activity as long as they envision themselves doing it for a living.

 

 

6. What is the difference between Practice, Explicit hard work and Ambiguous hard work?

Practicing is repeatedly working on skill so that there is improvement. Explicit hard work means completing a goal with tasks that are very clear. Ambiguous hard work involves trying new things and taking risks to complete a goal, even if you may not know how or if they will pay off in the end.

 

 

7. In regards to the terms, "Practice", "Explicit hard work" and "Ambiguous hard work", which term best describes your personal approach to art? Why?

I would say that my personal approach to art is “Ambiguous hard work.” I am always trying to look for new creative ways to work on my craft, fully aware that I will not knowing what the final outcome will actually be.

 

 

8. What is the 10,000 rule and what are some problems with it?

The 10,000 rule is the belief that it require 10,000 hours of practice to become highly skilled in a field and achieve anything. However, even with hard work and dedication, the number of hours does not guarantee that you will be gifted in a field.

 

 

9. According to the article, why is it important to make mistakes?

To grow as an artist, it is important to make mistakes, because you have to try different things, experiment, and end up in different places.

 

 

10. Describe the purpose of critique.

Critique lets an artist know how their work comes across to others viewing it. The purpose of critique is to understand how other respond and interpret your work. It is never meant to be personal, or a battle between the artist and the viewer, or between the artist and the instructor.

 

 

11. It’s difficult to know how one comes across to others. How can you find out whether other people find you open to critique or not?

I can ask a professor or a classmate if I seem defensive or open when being critiqued. I can also pay close attention to the critiques themselves and see if they are legitimate critiques or just compliments, neither of which is the same thing. And I can also see if someone may be too hesitant to give to point out certain problems with the artwork I present.

 

 

12. Why is it difficult to gauge one’s potential in art? What are some possible strategies for gauging one’s potential?

Good grades do not automatically mean that someone is ready for a professional career. Possible strategies for gauging one’s potential can include entering shows, applying for awards, presenting at conferences, applying for internships, and attending portfolio reviews.

 

 

13. How do you know when you should change course and do something else?

You know when to change course and do something else when continuous work, and honest feedback constantly show that the current direction fit with your interests or skills.

 

 

14. Considering the article's content and your own goals/experiences, write down 3-4 things you should do or start doing this semester that you don’t mind sharing with the class.

I should start drawing more, and creating more personal designs and photography outside of my courses to truly grow as an artist. I am always open to all feedback, so I would definitely welcome that. I also want to improve on my software skills beyond Photoshop, Lightroom, and Illustrator. And I want create a portfolio, and look into exhibitions, internships, portfolio reviews to help improve as an artist.

 

 

 

 

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Talia Cancik

Sep 7 10:44pm

1. Why is studying art in college different from taking classes in high school? Studying art in college is an actual profession and journey some people choose to take after carefully considering what they want for their future. Taking art classes in high school is often just required, fills up your schedule, or just a fun class students enjoy taking whether or not they are gifted at art. Most high school students will find themselves in at least one art class during their four years, but it is not as often that students who are in college who aren't art majors will find themselves in an art class. 
2. How is life not like a video game? Life is not like a video game because there is no guaranteed “you will win” or “you won’t win”. It might sometimes be somewhere in the middle, and that's ok. 
3. What’s the difference between a BA and a BFA? A Bachelor of Arts is a much more broad degree that grants you the ability to study beyond just art. A Bachelor of FIne Arts however is a much more specific degree in art and requires much more specific coursework in whichever specific field of art you are studying. 
4. Students are brought up in a culture of “Excellent!” stickers,“good jobs!” and high fives. In college, there is a lot of grade inflation. In this kind of a culture, how can you get honest feedback on your art/work from professors and students? Listening with an open mind and a willingness to change will be the most beneficial for improving your work and your work ethic. If you simply ask bland questions with no real reward behind them, you will be met with bland answers that do not help you improve. 
5. What is the difference between sustained passion and circumstantial passion and why is it important to know the difference? Sustained passion is when one works and pursues their art outside of their class/work, not in a hypothetical or futuristic setting. Circumstantial passion is when someone is interested in an activity as long as they know it will earn them a comfortable living for their future. 
6. What is the difference between Practice, Explicit hard work and Ambiguous hard work? Practice is repeating something in order to improve at it. Explicit hard work is when you understand the need for improvement and you know what to work on in order to make the situation/task better. Ambiguous hard work is when you work hard towards something that doesn't necessarily have a clear end goal or intended outcome. 
7. In regards to the terms, "Practice", "Explicit hard work" and "Ambiguous hard work", which term best describes your personal approach to art? Why? I believe I work ambiguously. Oftentimes I have a lot of energy to put into my craft, but I don’t exactly know how it will benefit my future, but I am still ok to put time and effort into my current situation. 
8. What is the 10,000 rule and what are some problems with it? The 10,000 rule is that it requires 10,000 hours in order to become an expert in whatever field you are in. Some problems with this rule are that practice is not only measured by quantity but by quality. No matter how much you practice something, if it isn't good practice, the amount of hours won’t matter. Also, the specific amount of hours 10,000, is not a magical number and it is just a metaphor that was created to ensure that people devote a good amount of time to a craft if they really care about it. 

9.. According to the article, why is it important to make mistakes? Your art may not develop, and it may cause you to shy away in the future from taking new opportunities, if you are afraid of making mistakes. Mistakes build character development and they cause you to take a step back and evaluate your work and truly change what needs to be worked on. 

10. Describe the purpose of critique. A critique is to explain to the artist what needs to be improved on and may even show the artist something they were not able to see for themselves. Critiques are important for artists to experience because they are simply in place in order to allow any artist to have a second or even third opinion which will ultimately cause them to improve in their work. 
11. It’s difficult to know how one comes across to others. How can you find out whether other people find you open to critique or not? You can evaluate your attitude and whether or not you contribute in class, and these reasons may or may not give someone the ability to view you as critiqueable. You should always be open to learning and hearing new things from new or old acquaintances or peers, for the best critique is heard with two open ears. 
12. Why is it difficult to gauge one’s potential in art? What are some possible strategies for gauging one’s potential? It is difficult to gauge someone's level of success due to the time frame a person grows in, their ability to take criticism and actually put work into it, and the amount of time they have to dedicate to their craft whether it is a career or hobby. One’s potential can be reached by asking for feedback, taking risks and challenges, pursuing excellence even when difficult, and seeing whether or not you enjoy creating/making art outside of assigned homework. 
13. How do you know when you should change course and do something else? After much effort, time, and consideration, one should consider changing courses when they've given all they have and they simply cannot enjoy the path they had chosen in the first place. If you have temporary frustration built up within you, then you can consider sticking it out for a bit longer. However, if you have a loss of interest, then it may not be the right fit or path for you to take. 
14. Considering the article's content and your own goals/experiences, write down 3-4 things you should do or start doing this semester that you don’t mind sharing with the class. 

1. I’d like to take inspiration for my art from more books that I've read, or new books that I am going to start. 
2. I want to practice learning my Armenian alphabet, and one way I can practice is by incorporating the Armenian letters into my art work.
3. I’d like to ask for more feedback from my teachers even if I'm doing well in my classes. Doing well doesn’t always mean you are growing, I’d like to get more specifics. 
4. I want to create a portfolio of pieces I already made, and compare them to a portfolio that I will make of my new stuff at the end of the semester. 

 

 

 

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Peter Mboh

Sep 7 10:34pm

1. Why is studying art in college different from taking classes in high school?

High school art focuses on following specific, step-by-step instructions to earn good grades. College art is ambiguous and complex, requiring you to go beyond basic assignments without a guaranteed formula for success.

2. How is life not like a video game?

Life does not have a set path or clear rules where doing simple tasks automatically levels you up. There is no guaranteed formula or explicit roadmap that ensures you will succeed.

3. What’s the difference between a BA and a BFA?

A BFA requires a portfolio to get in and focuses heavily on technical training for a specific job. A BA does not require a portfolio and offers a broader education to help you explore the field, requiring extra work outside of class to build a career.

4. In this kind of a culture, how can you get honest feedback on your art/work from professors and students?

You can get honest feedback by asking specific questions about your work rather than general ones like "Is this good?" Additionally, remain calm and open so people feel safe sharing their true thoughts without worrying about hurting your feelings.

5. What is the difference between sustained passion and circumstantial passion and why it is important to know the difference?

Sustained passion means creating art on your own right now, regardless of the personal sacrifices required. Circumstantial passion means only enjoying art as long as it guarantees a comfortable lifestyle. Knowing the difference helps you decide if you are willing to handle the real difficulties of an art career.

6. What is the difference between Practice, Explicit hard work and Ambiguous hard work?

Practice means repeating a skill over and over to improve it. Explicit hard work involves doing clearly defined tasks where the effort directly leads to a predictable result. Ambiguous hard work means taking initiative and trying risky new things—like networking or self-teaching—even when you do not know if they will pay off.

7. In regards to the terms, "Practice", "Explicit hard work" and "Ambiguous hard work", which term best describes your personal approach to art? Why? 

My approach is best described as ambiguous hard work because I regularly push myself to take on new personal projects and seek out extra feedback beyond class assignments. Taking these independent risks helps me figure out what to do even when there are no clear directions.

8. What is the 10,000 rule and what are some problems with it?

The 10,000-hour rule claims that practicing a skill for 10,000 hours makes anyone an expert. The problem is that it ignores natural talent and physical limitations, because hard work alone cannot completely overcome individual traits.

9. According to the article, why is it important to make mistakes?

Making mistakes helps you figure out what works and what does not through real experience. Over time, these successes and failures build your artistic intuition and help you grow.

10. Describe the purpose of critique.

The purpose of a critique is to act as a mirror that shows you how other people actually see your work. It helps you learn if your intended message is clearly coming across to the audience.

11. It’s difficult to know how one comes across to others. How can you find out whether other people find you open to critique or not?

You can tell you are open to critique if people feel comfortable giving you direct, honest feedback. If you notice yourself getting defensive, making excuses, or becoming overly emotional, you are likely pushing feedback away.

12. Why is it difficult to gauge one’s potential in art? What are some possible strategies for gauging one’s potential?

It is difficult because grades do not equal professional capability, and teachers rarely give harsh feedback that might hurt your feelings. To gauge your potential, put your work out there by entering competitions, applying for awards, and trying different studio classes to see where your true strengths lie.

13. How do you know when you should change course and do something else?

You should change course when you continually lack positive evidence or feedback despite your effort, showing that a field may not suit your natural strengths. Staying on an ill-fitting path keeps you from finding another area where you could truly succeed.

14. Considering the article's content and your own goals/experiences, write down 3-4 things you should do or start doing this semester that you don’t mind sharing with the class.

1. Schedule a meeting with my advisor and dive deep into how my education can take me to new heights within my career. 
2. Treat my daily interactions with classmates and faculty as a professional audition by being reliable and collaborative.
3. Practice taking initiative through hard work in ambiguous situations, such as taking my content to arenas I have not engaged in before. 

 

 

 

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Maximiliano Montoya

Sep 7 7:33pm

1. Why is studying art in college different from taking classes in high school?

Studying art in college is different from taking classes in high school because they challenge you to use different strategies, techniques and ways of thinking that will lead you to different end results. This is different from high school because high school courses are created to train students to produce a certain outcome with specific methods and strategies. 

2. How is life not like a video game?

Life is not a video game because most video games once you achieve levels or status in video games you are able to progress to the next level. Video games often have a path that will take you down a “successful” route with a good outcome at the end. Life does not give you a route to success, you have to find it yourself through seeking out opportunities. 

3. What’s the difference between a BA and a BFA?

A BFA is a more professional way of education that focuses on your specific area of study, limiting you from exploring other art practices. A BA is more open and is geared towards preparing students for an understanding of what they want to do as a career. It helps students understand their artistic practices and who they are as observers.

4. Students are brought up in a culture of “Excellent!” stickers,“good jobs!” and high fives. In college, there is a lot of grade inflation. In this kind of a culture, how can you get honest feedback on your art/work from professors and students?

You can get honest feedback on your work from asking questions and taking their feedback as ways to improve how you are communicating your art. 

5. What is the difference between sustained passion and circumstantial passion and why it is important to know the difference?

Sustained passion is working on art outside of a classroom setting and seeking out opportunities outside of school while circumstantial passion is being invested in an activity that will promise you a good pay out. It is important to know the difference to understand how your creative processes work and what you are sacrificing or gaining from each experience. 

6. What is the difference between Practice, Explicit hard work and Ambiguous hard work?

Practice is the act of sharpening one’s skills in a particular subject, technique, or way of thinking. Explicit hard work is working through the already expected course or pathway that is needed to get to where you want with little to no risks. Ambiguous hard work is taking opportunities and risks that will help you develop your work and understanding of how to create it. This also helps you to find ways to see why a certain experience was worthwhile instead of thinking about if the outcome is bad and does not work out. 

7. In regards to the terms, "Practice", "Explicit hard work" and "Ambiguous hard work", which term best describes your personal approach to art? Why?

My personal approach is a mixture of explicit and ambiguous hard work. I take the route that is specific to my desired career choice and educational experience while only sometimes taking opportunities and risks that will affect how I work. I find that I am a very shy and reserved person so it is hard for me to reach out and do things. It is something I am actively working to break out of.

8. What is the 10,000 rule and what are some problems with it?

The 10,000 rule is that you will be an expert in your field after 10,000 hours of practice. This is not true because some people have special talents, more dedication, and different backgrounds that can contribute to their level of expertise. Some can get there faster than others and may even have a better understanding of it. 

9.. According to the article, why is it important to make mistakes?

It’s important to make mistakes in order to develop an artistic method that is right for you. It makes multiple paths that all end at different places that will show you how much you have learned to create art. 

10. Describe the purpose of critique.

The purpose of critique is to be able to use expression to convey meanings and statements to the audience more accurately. You must be able to understand how other people interpret your art to then make adjustments to your work. 

11. It’s difficult to know how one comes across to others. How can you find out whether other people find you open to critique or not?

You can find out other people are open to critique from them asking you questions about how you feel about the piece. A person would also offer their own constructive criticism to help others grow as well. 

12. Why is it difficult to gauge one’s potential in art? What are some possible strategies for gauging one’s potential?

It is difficult to gauge one’s potential in art because it is common to not want to discourage people when they create a work that needs work. We as people only like to give positive feedback and reward for getting the job done, not expanding on how you can improve. Some possible strategies for gauging one’s potential is exploring different ways of creating art, noticing your strengths and weaknesses, and deciding to be open to critique of your work. 

13. How do you know when you should change course and do something else?

You would know to change course and do something else when you do not fit or do not enjoy an area of study. You should also know what your long term goals are and where you see yourself career wise to know if the area is the right choice for you or not. If you do not enjoy what opportunities you will get when in a certain area of study, then it might not be the right pathway. 

14. Considering the article's content and your own goals/experiences, write down 3-4 things you should do or start doing this semester that you don’t mind sharing with the class.

The first thing I can start doing this semester is explore more of my opportunities in my field of choice or push myself to explore new experiences that will enhance my art, for example more teaching opportunities and art galleries. The second thing I can do is explore different art mediums more to see where I excel and how I can improve. A third thing I can do is be more open to critique and even ask questions about how I can improve. 

 

 

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Kayla Broberg

Sep 7 11:31am

1. Why is studying art in college different from taking classes in high school?

There is more opportunity for exploration in college. In high school, students are taught to reach goals by taking a linear path, whereas college affords students the chance to try new things. Studying art in college helps students to develop their career in the arts which is more specific than the general knowledge one might get from a high school art class.

 

2. How is life not like a video game?

In life, there is no guaranteed path to success and there is no “one path” that everyone must follow. Everyone’s path will look different.

 

3. What’s the difference between a BA and a BFA?

A BA is considered a pre-professional degree while a BFA is considered a professional degree. A BFA requires a portfolio for admittance and more units. A BA does not require a portfolio and is less job oriented, but instead is focused on giving students a broad understanding of the arts as a profession.

 

4. Students are brought up in a culture of “Excellent!” stickers,“good jobs!” and high fives. In college, there is a lot of grade inflation. In this kind of a culture, how can you get honest feedback on your art/work from professors and students?

When looking for critique on your work, it is important to be open to what others might say. By accepting what others see in your work, you will invite future critique. Asking specific questions will render specific critiques while asking general questions will only render general critiques.

 

5. What is the difference between sustained passion and circumstantial passion and why is it important to know the difference?

Sustained passion is just that, passion that is sustained outside of class assignments. It is the work that you do each day as an artist. Circumstantial passion is the necessary work that gets you from point A to point B, whether that be in a class or a career. It is important to know the difference because the goals and outcomes may be different. Circumstantial passion may help you make a living in the short term, while sustained passion is a long term commitment to art.

 

6. What is the difference between Practice, Explicit hard work and Ambiguous hard work?

Practice is repeatedly doing something with the goal of improving your skills. Explicit hard work is work that is done with a particular goal in mind. Ambiguous hard work is not always clear. It involves taking risks and trying new things. With ambiguous work, it is not guaranteed that there will be a tangible outcome, rather it provides the opportunity for experience. With this experience, one can become more comfortable with the idea of ambiguity and be able to find meaning in those experiences, even if it is not obvious.

 

7. In regards to the terms, "Practice", "Explicit hard work" and "Ambiguous hard work", which term best describes your personal approach to art? Why?

Explicit hard work is the term I would use to describe my professional work as a graphic designer. Each project has a clear goal and work is done to achieve that goal. Ambiguous hard work is how I would describe my personal studio arts practice. When I sit down to work on a personal project, I may have something in mind but as I work I may alter my techniques or move in a different direction than originally intended. Sometimes I may not finish a piece, or I might not be satisfied with the work done, prompting me to re-think my idea.

 

8. What is the 10,000 rule and what are some problems with it?

The “10,000 hour rule” says that someone will be an expert in any field after 10,000 hours of practice. One issue with this rule is that it ignores the unique talents and abilities of individuals as well as personal limitations. The rule does not appreciate inherent skill that may exist  in individuals.

 

9. According to the article, why is it important to make mistakes?

Making mistakes as an artist can help hone intuition. Failures can teach more than successes in that they provide opportunity for thought and creativity. By making mistakes, an artist is able to make better choices the next time around.

 

10. Describe the purpose of critique.

Critique is a valuable way to understand how your work comes across to different people. It can help you improve your work and have a deeper understanding of the process that goes into artistic expression.

 

11. It’s difficult to know how one comes across to others. How can you find out whether other people find you open to critique or not?

Apart from asking directly, you can get an idea of whether others find you open to critique by how they critique your work. If you get the sense that someone is not speaking openly about your work, or that they only say positive things while critiquing, then it may be that they are more concerned with hurting your feelings than giving you honest feedback.

 

12. Why is it difficult to gauge one’s potential in art? What are some possible strategies for gauging one’s potential?

It is difficult to gauge one’s potential in art because that potential is ambiguous. It cannot be measured by a number or a grade. Instead, potential is something that is continually questioned throughout one’s life and career. It is important to try new things and to see where one’s natural abilities lie. By paying attention to opportunities, a previously unforeseen path may present itself.

 

13. How do you know when you should change course and do something else?

It can be hard to know when to change course, but it would be impossible without feedback. Knowing when you are not a good fit for something, either through critique or experience, is a good place to start when deciding on which direction to go. Paying attention to the things you feel confident about the things you dislike can be helpful in gauging whether a particular path is right for you. I think it also helps to not compare yourself to others but instead listen to what your own experiences are trying to tell you.

 

14. Considering the article's content and your own goals/experiences, write down 3-4 things you should do or start doing this semester that you don’t mind sharing with the class.

I need to work more on my sustained passion. I find that with all the other work that I have to do in a given week, I sometimes find myself procrastinating when it comes to my personal arts practice. I can also be a bit of a perfectionist, and so working on being comfortable making mistakes is something that I struggle with. I would like to work on reframing my perspective on mistakes and what a take away from making them. I would also like to work on giving critique to others. There are times that I feel I am too concerned with “being nice” that I feel I am doing a disservice to those asking for honest feedback.

 

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Marilyn Bernal Ramirez

Sep 7 3am

1. Why is studying art in college different from taking classes in high school?

• College art is different from high school art because of the method that’s being taught to students. For example, high school is based on the school’s district curriculum that is taught one way based on how well students “followed the rules”. On the contrary, college art is the opposite and provides students to be more free with their skills while pushing boundaries.

2. How is life not like a video game?

• Unlike video games that come with specific rules to unlock the level, life is the opposite. Life does not have set “rules” because everyone’s experiences are different. Also, in a video game the final goal is winning and in life the reality is there’s no guarantee based on one’s performance.

3. What’s the difference between a BA and a BFA?

• The difference between a BA and a BFA is the way the degree is being used in terms of career path in the world of art. For example, a BA is good for a “professional education” that requires a portfolio to be admitted and more units to be taken. In contrast to a BFA, no portfolio is required because it’s a “pre-professional” degree and used broadly within the art field. Thus, requiring students to look for extra connections/engagement outside of the school to guarantee a job.

4. Students are brought up in a culture of “Excellent!” stickers,“good jobs!” and high fives. In college, there is a lot of grade inflation. In this kind of a culture, how can you get honest feedback on your art/work from professors and students?

• In this kind of culture and in my opinion, the honest way to get feedback is by sharing your own observations. This is usually done when students present their works to the class while both students and professor critique the work asking the audience for ideas and/or room for improvement. 

5. What is the difference between sustained passion and circumstantial passion and why is it important to know the difference?

• The difference between passion and circumstantial passion depends on the type of student’s desire for their art career. Sustained passion is working on your career as we’re speaking and making sure the artistic talent is out of their norm. On the other hand, circumstantial passion is working on a career that feels “comfortable” which only limits the artists and waiting to be “seen”. It’s important to know the difference between the two because it’s a form of self reflection and reference to help artists succeed. Also, it is bringing awareness to the challenges one will face to give the artist thinking of what is their worth of sacrifices. 

6. What is the difference between Practice, Explicit hard work and Ambiguous hard work?

• The difference between Practice, Explicit hard work, and ambiguous hard work depends on the artist’s willingness to create without guidelines. For example, explicit hard work is when the artist is aware of structure or system to achieve the goal. However, ambiguous hard work is the opposite because it requires risk taking without knowing the outcome. 

7. In regards to the terms, "Practice", "Explicit hard work" and "Ambiguous hard work", which term best describes your personal approach to art? Why?

• Throughout the years working on my creative skills I have not focused on this much but I would agree that I have moments of all three. For me personally, it depends on the work I have to create and the outcome’s purpose. For example, I would say my first beginning college artworks I created were based on techniques that felt “comfortable” because I was focused on the basic fundamentals to draw. As I was progressing through, my focus shifted and took into consideration the open possibility art has. This made me switch my perspective on my class’s projects into something serious to put in my art portfolio. But, like everything else, I am constantly learning new things and get moments where I go back to my “comfort” when I have no creativity in me.

8. What is the 10,000 rule and what are some problems with it?

• The 10,000 rule is based on a misinterpretation of working so many hours assuming it is the answer of how to be successful which is not fully accurate. Yes this career requires time and effort but, the talent will say otherwise. As stated in the text, the example is that one can practice to play basketball, but a few will make it to play in the NBA. The problem with this is that not everyone will be “fit” for the same role because everyone is individually unique. 

9.. According to the article, why is it important to make mistakes?

• Mistakes are essential and can be seen as references to be used to improve qualities and skills. They can be used as a from of a tool because it becomes part of the learning process to improve for the future.

10. Describe the purpose of critique.

• As I mentioned before, critique is a method that can bring in feedback and have open conversations, ideas, and space for potential improvement for the artist. As for the audience, it helps understand the artist’s expression through their work through their engagement with the artwork.

11. It’s difficult to know how one comes across to others. How can you find out whether other people find you open to critique or not?

• I would say I’ve learned to be open when it comes to critique and feedback because everyone’s perspective is different. I usually ask similar questions stated in the text about asking their ideas and improvements.

12. Why is it difficult to gauge one’s potential in art? What are some possible strategies for gauging one’s potential?

• It is difficult to gauge one’s potential in art because in this field it has become a broad to the extent possibility of creativity within a professional career. Also, each artist is quite different resulting in different types of artwork to be put in a specific box. Some possible strategies for gauging one’s potential is not to limit yourself and continue expanding your knowledge until one feels ready to be independent/“professional”.

13. How do you know when you should change course and do something else?

• Based on my experience, I would say it’s when my career was seen more for passion than for income. As a human instinct, you’ll know because we always go back to what makes us feel good/comfortable/seen whether it’s life in general or career and decide to make it into a lifestyle.

14. Considering the article's content and your own goals/experiences, write down 3-4 things you should do or start doing this semester that you don’t mind sharing with the class.

• My 3 goals/experiences:

1. Manage my procrastination 
2. Take assignments/projects for potential portfolio opportunities & as future art educator
3. Remind myself not to stress on things that are out of my control
4. Make time for my son and family

Flaming Bros Burbank (aka FBBurbank) - Season 1 (2023)

Season 1 (2023)                   

    

                   

    

And now we are in-universe. In 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...                   

    

                   

    

“In Burbank, the forecast is always shady. The newsboys don’t break news… they break each other and spill the tea. Where the teleprompter ends, the read begins.”                   

    

                   

    

Flaming Bros Burbank premiered on July 16, 2023, consisting of 16 episodes. DAMN! That's... a lot for a debut season. But we were all in for a treat, that's for sure.                   

    

                   

    

The inaugural main cast consisted of Romeo Escobar, Chris Holmstrom, Carlos Saucedo, Karl Schmid, Alex Rozier, Robert Puente, David González, and Nick Amador.                   

    

                   

    

And by the end of this season, you'd be asking yourself, "So, who's friends with who? And who doesn’t like who?"                   

    

                   

    

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Kicking off our inaugural cast is pageant coach and entertainment producer Romeo Escobar of KTLA. Romeo is a rather polarizing firecracker who is no stranger to reality television, being a Survivor 42 contestant. Anyone who watched the 39-year-old oddball on Survivor already has this idea that he uses his religion (which he has yet to clarify to this day) as an excuse to get what he wants. And because of this, fellow flaming bros are not really quick to believe everything that he says. Still, Romeo calls himself the “secret ingredient to this group,” but it’s his alleged on/off-camera actions on Survivor that ends up being the very thing that fellow cast member Nick Amador (oh, don’t worry we will get to him later) uses against Romeo.

 

Romeo literally grew up a survivor in life. He and his brother were born in Central America, and sometimes their family and even their neighborhood didn't have water or electricity. It wasn't much better immigrating to the United States in 1991 (when Romeo was seven years old) and growing up in South Central Los Angeles with gang violence, day in and day out. He knew that he and his family would not get special treatment as immigrants. But the entire Escobar family did whatever they needed to do to make ends meet and live a decent life. And Romeo, who grew up wanting to work in television, and fashion, was determined to live a better life; failure was not gonna be an option. He graduated from CSUN in 2007 and shortly moved to Burbank, California and worked in television/entertainment production for Entertainment Tonight for nearly a decade. He also worked in TV production for Hallmark's Home & Family, and most notably continued his career in KTLA after joining the news team in 2015 as a entertainment producer. 

 

He became a pageant coach in 2016, where his job is to prepare women for the "Olympics of beauty pageants" - Miss Universe. What that entails is making the his students the best that they can be as Miss Universe. And when he's not around the group, Romeo documents his career in the pageant world, which makes up the bulk of solo storylines. We see him holding contestants accountable to their stated goals and progress, making sure he is asking the right questions in the right order to help the contestants reach their own personal breakthroughs and identify where they are stuck, and applying theoretical knowledge and patterns in human development, learning, and behavioral psychology to help contestants understand their experiences and challenges, such as the common stress experienced two weeks before a pageant.

 

But we also see, in his solo storylines, a deeper side to Romeo. Despite coming off very braggadocious to his castmates' faces, Romeo also appears to be a tortured soul. We see him hang out with his supposed friend Nick, and he tells Nick about the great degree of listlessness and dissatisfaction with life, admitting to Nick (and to us viewers) that despite managing to place 3rd in Survivor, he felt like a failure because he did everything he had to do to get through the audition process and always found a way to get whatever he wanted. Nick would eventually use this implicit revelation against Romeo at the Bob's Big Boy restaurant. But it's clear that if Romeo doesn't win at something or doesn't achieve something, he may as well have failed. So, somedays he would emotionally give up, and give into the party/nightclub lifestyle, not wanting to explain himself to anyone.

 

But perhaps Romeo's most interesting dynamic is that between he and Carlos. They both work for KTLA with Romeo being the entertainment producer and Carlos being the news anchor. But they're not friends, just coworkers. A lot of their tension is mainly Romeo's doing, as Romeo can be rude and comes off acting like a spoiled brat who is usually oblivious to other people's feelings. Meanwhile Carlos - who has way more to lose - always had a more diplomatic way to handle his conflict with Romeo, by simply (and literally) dismissing Romeo as delusional. But what's really fascinating about their dynamic is that nobody else in the group understands Romeo better than Carlos when it comes to dealing with conflict. Romeo is not really good at opening up to other people, especially when it's something important and personal (hence his aforementioned implicit revelation to Nick about his experience and aftermath of Survivor). But at some point Carlos began to really pay attention to Romeo's choice of words over the years, which made it easier for Carlos to understand and even translate for Romeo from time to time - at work and to the rest of the cast. From that point on, it's assumed that Romeo often expects Carlos to be his personal translator. And we see a pattern of everyone expecting Carlos to always be there for them, even if they don't like Carlos.

 

With the group, he seems to revel in his "confusing asshole" reputation, defending himself by just saying anything that made zero sense until Carlos Saucedo was there to explain what the Hell Romeo was meaning to say. We also see that Romeo can be incredibly messy because of his... tendency (???)... to confuse people. During the group's walking tour in Warner Bros Studio Tour Burbank (after the now-infamous Bob's Big Boy confrontation), Robert - who told Nick and Alex about a conversation that Romeo supposedly had with KTLA anchor John Fenoglio - confronts Romeo about texting John about Alex and Nick's being "more than just 'single white female' friends," to get back at Nick for asking that invasive question at Bob's Big Boy. And Romeo insists that John texted him about Nick wanting to be like Alex, and Alex wanting a single white female friend, and that Romeo and John both agreed that Alex and Nick are actually the Bobbsey Twins. This throws Robert, Nick, and Alex completely off, as they have no idea what Romeo just said. But Carlos immediately says to Romeo, "So basically, you and John agree that Alex and Nick look alike, and were joking about it." That's basically it, lol. It doesn't confirm or reveal who texted who about exactly. But Carlos was able to keep Romeo from continuing to talk in circles. We see that Romeo will only do this to wiggle himself out of a confrontation, whether or not he's telling the truth. But you can tell that there's not a huge respect factor as Carlos is trying to be patient with Romeo, and Romeo is such an ungrateful asshole to Carlos. 

 

 

I don’t know. I do believe that in different circumstances, Romeo would indeed have a lot of potential as a flaming bro. But in these circumstances in particular, this may not be the best group for him. He seems to be in his head a lot, and not really interested in opening up with most of the cast – at least until Nick picks his brain. Fellow KTLA team member Carlos Saucedo believes (as he states in his confessional) that it may be a common situation where Romeo may not really mesh with the group and gets anxious, defensive, and super reactive, which could further the divide between Romeo and many others. Romeo doesn’t really have a natural chemistry with any of the cast members (except maybe Carlos, who he clearly does not want to like), where a viewer would really buy that he would hang out with them if it weren’t for the show. Then again, we do see throughout the season that most of these news gays don’t really like each other; a lot of them are very hierarchy-driven to a very petty and nasty degree. 

 

Outside of Nick Amador (before Nick infamously threw him under the bus at Bob's Big Boy, more on that later) and Carlos Saucedo, Romeo is not great at communicating how he feels in a way that doesn’t feel like an attack against others if they’re not reading his mind accurately. When Nick makes the foolish mistake of attempting to face off Romeo (who’s trying to ignore him) during the finale party, hatred on Romeo’s end is just evident. Romeo is cold as ice and more vicious than resident mean girl Nick is used to, threatening to beat Nick’s ass if Nick doesn’t keep away from him. Carlos and Karl end up having to physically separate the two before things got worse. In his chilling finale confessional, Romeo says that if Nick wants to be the top dog, he can have it. 

 

Most cast members are torn on where they stand with Romeo as he’s such an abrasive, confusing, and inconsistent person. But it’s clear to people that if Romeo did indeed go through something before/during/after Survivor, they don’t wanna sound like assholes, hence why none of them thought that what Nick did to him at Bob's Big Boy was right. It’s likely that no one ever confronted Romeo harshly due to the fear factor. It’s not really worth it to go up against someone is reactive as Romeo, so the cast (sans Nick) will put their feelings of annoyance and resentment aside, if it means that Romeo can just be quiet and relax. However, Karl Schmid has no problem calling Romeo out on anything that may be bullshit, telling Romeo in Puerto Vallarta, “Mate, I really tried to be patient with you, but you are not fun to be around, okay? You’re manipulative, super reactive, and boring.” Oh my. But regardless of where most of us stand with Romeo, he’s proven to be a rather fascinating enigma, and has gained the underdog status, especially against Karl and Nick. But that can only last for so long.                  

 

Speaking of Puerto Vallarta, Romeo is the last person to arrive because he decide to take a separate flight, not really wanting to interact with anyone. And when he shows up, he’s mostly on an island of his own for most of that trip. But he seems to be okay with that.

 

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Next up we have a conservative anchor representing KCAL, 38-year-old Christopher Victor Holmstrom, an army brat from Phoenix, Arizona. Married to Joshua Crandall, Chris ends up being the cast member that most viewers are baffled by, but not the least invested in. Outside of his... friendship/flirtationship with David, Chris doesn’t really share much about his personal life, and is mostly remembered for being the judgmental one in the group. Of course, the only person he never judges is David because in his eyes, David can do no wrong, no matter what he does. You get the impression that he wants to see other people fail because they don’t live up to HIS or David's Christian values. 

He gradually becomes even less comfortable sharing his personal life, often choosing to be private, even during the cast trip to Puerto Vallarta, which makes you wonder why he would even sign up to be on this show to begin with. There's nothing entirely wrong with having a conservative cast member because it allows us to hear a different perspective on certain topics. Even his arch nemesis Carlos Saucedo has to remind him, "I grew up conservative, too, and that was all I knew for a long time." But the problem is that Chris has this attitude that tells you that he's better than you, and you are immoral for being liberal. 

Chris's best friend and fellow flaming bro David is rather interesting, too. And while Chris isn't much of a sharer of his personal life, you can bet your bottom dollar that he STAYS commenting on other people's views and lifestyles. 

 

Chris has this quality about him, in that he is super sensitive and protective of his reputation and family dynamic (which we never really see beyond his husband occasionally), while still being this calm loose canon type of person compared to David's more fiery personality. 

    

 

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Moving on, we have news anchor, photographer, UCLA/USC alumnus, and Dodgers fan Carlos Saucedo (my personal favorite cast member and news anchor). 39-year-old Carlos grew up in the Montebello area as the youngest of four boys in a 2-bedroom home. His parents were immigrants from Mexico, and Carlos inherited their hard work and determination. Carlos cares a lot about people, always gives back to the community, and was even a council member at UCLA (where he earned a BA in Political Science in 2007), helping to create the campus’s very first gender-neutral restroom by 2005. He recalls that day in his Season Premiere confessional: "Most people who are not trans or non-binary think that anything gender-neutral has nothing to do with them. But actually, something as important as an all-gender restroom provides safe, accessible, and efficient restroom facilities for people of all gender identities, family needs, and physical abilities." 

 

He also went to USC in 2008 and majored in Broadcast Journalism in 2010, leading to his career as a news anchor. He was a news junkie growing up, mainly watching the legendary “KTLA 5 News,” and began to develop an interest in journalism following the real-time events of 9/11. He was determined to become an anchor for KTLA, and finally got the chance to do so in March 2019. And as of now, he is still a huge part of KTLA’s family. But before that, he had become a news anchor in 2010, reporting in Texas and Northern California, before moving back to Southern California, settling in Burbank shortly after being hired by KTLA. 

 

Although he’s still close with his family, his father (who always held conservative views on homosexuality) was not very thrilled about Carlos being gay. Carlos came out to him on Father’s Day 2019, and the reaction was quite negative and not what Carlos had hoped it would be, even if it wasn’t surprising. Carlos came out to him on Father’s Day 2019, and the reaction was quite negative and not what Carlos had hoped it would be, even if it wasn’t surprising. In a confessional, Carlos explains to us, “You know, my family was always very close when I was a kid, and I always thought that we could get through anything. But I’ll never forget when I was around… maybe five years old… my Dad said something very… [deep breaths] insensitive… to his friends at a barbershop while I was getting my haircut. He said that he was glad that none of his sons were… excuse my language… faggots… because he wouldn’t want anything to do with that ‘garbage.’” As Carlos is telling us this, we see a montage of family pictures throughout his childhood and adolescence. And he continues, “That always scared me because before I knew that I was gay, I was already feeling different from my brothers. And with each passing time, I was becoming less and less… close with my Dad. I just knew that I couldn’t trust him, as much as I loved him. I think my Dad always knew that I was gay, and just didn’t wanna believe it. Because… when I finally came out to him in 2019… he wasn’t surprised. But he certainly wasn’t having it either. While there’s still issues in our relationship, I really want to believe that he loves me.” 

 

As a cast member this season, Carlos often clashed with Nick Amador, Robert Puente, Chris Holmstrom, and Romeo Escobar, respectively, but he managed to get along with (or at least tolerate) the rest of the cast; he’s very easy to talk to and get along with, has a forgiving heart, and is very patient, all of which eventually work against him. Many viewers, including myself, consider him to be the nicest and sweetest person on the show, and most importantly THE moral center of the show. But that doesn’t mean he’s perfect; he just has enough common sense to not make the same mistake twice. Despite his issues with fellow KTLA team member Romeo, Carlos gives him the most grace and is even a good translator of sorts for Romeo during group scenes and confessionals, showing how much care and respect Carlos gives, even to people who may not deserve it. 

 

Case in point, Carlos lets us into his emotional world through his personal storyline, in which he opens up about the depression and social anxiety he often felt as a gay kid – and later adult – who happened to be conservative at the time and devoutly Catholic, as well as the guilt he still harbors to some degree after coming out to his father in 2019. Their dynamic is… not good. In fact, it’s very complicated, and while Carlos never yells at his Dad – having too much respect to do that to either of his parents – his Dad is rather cruel to Carlos and nothing gets resolved by the end of the season, which breaks Carlos’s heart (he hates crying) and shakes his confidence. It’s truly heartbreaking. 

 

What’s also heartbreaking is when Chris (a fellow gay man) questions Carlos’s “obsession” with wanting to build UCLA’s very first gender-neutral restroom, saying “That was unnecessary. If someone’s clearly a guy, he needs to go to the men’s restroom. It’s not rocket science.” That comment is very disheartening and tone-deaf, and it’s a true reminder that not all queer people are truly pro-Human-Rights or pro-Civil-Rights. 

 

In one scene, some of the cast members have a meeting in Hotel Café + Bar, which is located within the Hotel Burbank in East Angelino Avenue. The attendees of this meeting (which takes place prior to the group’s trip to Puerto Vallarta) are Chris, Karl, David, and Carlos; the anchors, basically. Chris says in his confessional, “I actually want to have this opportunity to talk to Carlos, and just lay everything on the line, with the hopes that we can put our conflict to rest and start fresh,” which is a lie. David says to everyone, “So, I’m really glad that we got together tonight, fellas.” Chris happily thanks David (in a rather flirty tone), and both Carlos and Karl stay silent but look confused by David and Chris's exchange. Karl says in his confessional, “It’s a trap. You can smell the bullshit immediately. And then it begins. David says, “Now, I feel like there’s some issues that need to be hashed out before we go to Puerto Vallarta because I don’t like that most of us don’t like each other. So, let me start with you, Chris, and you, Carlos. And, uh--” Carlos cuts David off by saying, “Well can I at least drink something first? Damn. Like, I'm already nervous.” And he says in his confessional, “Uh, hello to you too, David. I mean, he and Chris just *wanted* to go in on me. I swear, I didn’t even have my napkin in my lap, and David’s like, ‘Alright, let’s work out our issues. Go!’ basically.” Back in the scene, David says to Carlos, “Chris and I noticed that you looked really offended and uncomfortable over Chris having an opinion about the fact that you helped build an all-gender restroom for UCLA. You didn’t have to agree with Chris, but I don’t think you were being respectful of his view.” And then he says to Chris, “Okay, Chris, you can chime in,” And Chris happily does so: “Yeah, I—I basically just wanna say that I don’t wanna hear what you have to say because everybody’s not gonna see things your way. And it’s irrelevant to me. So, we can move on to the next topic, if you don’t mind, Carlos.” Both Carlos and Karl gives Chris a confused look, and then Karl rolls his eyes and says, “Well, that was pretty clear. And typical.” And in his confessional, Karl says to us, “Anybody who knows Christopher Holmstrom, knows that he doesn’t like to talk about himself. Nor does he appreciate anyone talking about him or what he does in his private life. So why is it that he’s getting butthurt over Carlos making a difference for the trans and non-binary community, yet stays quiet when David literally overshares his blatantly sexual dynamic with Chris and Joshua? Why?” Back in the scene, Carlos asks, “Why are you being so defensive? I mean, you started it by bringing up the whole restroom situation out of nowhere. So, that’s on you for being offended by that.” That statement takes Karl by surprise. And Chris gets heated and asks, “Seriously? You’re saying that this is *my* fault?” And Carlos bluntly says, “Yes. I’ve always respected your privacy, Chris. But you love sticking your nose in other people’s business to make yourself look less dull.” Karl gasps and gives on "ooh" look; he is stunned by Carlos’s polite reading of Chris. But Chris says with a whiny tone, “Dude, you are just too polite for my liking,” which makes David laugh out loud, and Chris says to Carlos, “Seriously dude, you sound like a nerd. Just be quiet,” and says to David, “Can we move on to the next thing?” Carlos – who’s clearly hurt by Chris’s insults, but tries to not show it – says to Chris, “You are so immature Chris. Grow up.” And Karl says in his confessional, “David was loving it the whole time, watching his boytoy Chris treating Carlos so unfairly.” Back in the scene, Chris says to Carlos, “Grow up? This whole nice guy thing you got going on just makes me wanna throw up. Like, honestly, I really wanted to like you and start over, but you're really showing your true colors. And now... I’m ready to go.” Carlos smiles, fights back a laugh and bluntly says, “Thank you, and bye,” which quickly becomes a meme. And Chris gets up and leaves, and Karl just shakes his head. Miraculously, David stays. And David says in his confessional, “Don’t get me wrong. I felt bad for Carlos. But at the same time, Chris was *hilarious*. It was mean of me to laugh. But Carlos needs to take a joke.” And back in the scene, David gives Carlos some rather weird words of wisdom when he says,  “We’re all new to this format. We don’t all know each other. But, I mean… if Chris says, ‘This is how we do things,’ we just gotta learn to do things his way, so that everyone’s happy. You know? But you and I are cool.” David is truly bizarre. And Carlos gives him a side-eye while fighting back a laughter, closing his eyes and shaking his head. Karl looks away and shakes his head in annoyance after David gives that horrible advice. Karl says in his confessional, “So this is why I think that bitch David is completely bipolar as fuck. He was literally Team Chris and laughing at Carlos. But as soon as Chris gets up and leaves, all of a sudden David’s cool with Carlos? Okay. But Carlos knows better, so I’m not worried about that. David is just gonna keep exposing himself, to the point where nobody is gonna like him or take him seriously. And I cannot wait to somehow make things worse for him because he looks like a completely moronic pick-me. Yes he does.” Back in the scene, as Carlos (who is clearly over it) is getting  ready to leave, he says to David, “Whatever. I said what I needed to say, and you and Christopher wasted my time. Have a good night.” David looks so awkward and dumb when Carlos says that. Carlos says in his confessional, “I’ve never been around a group of men like this one. The group is very unique, and very much against each other. And right now, I’m not convinced that these are my type of people.” 

 

And the Chris vs Carlos situation doesn't stop there. When the cast - minus Romeo - makes it to Puerto Vallarta, they all leave the PVR airport (Puerto Vallarta International Airport) and get into a 10-passenger van. Obviously the 2 extra people in the van are the driver and a camera man. And because Romeo's not there, one seat is left empty. As they're walking, Karl says out loud, "We're in Puerto Vallarta, bitches!" Nick says in his confessional, "So, we get into Puerto Vallarta. Finally! And it is beautiful. The air feels so nice around my exposed skin, which is great because I'm free-balling the whole trip. [laughs] Uh, Romeo was not at the Burbank airport with us, and I thought it was supposed to be everyone's flight. I'm really not sure what that's all about. And at this point, I don't really care. If Romeo stayed locked up in his home, that's on him." Uh, Nick, I don't think we needed to know that you're free-balling. Lord have mercy. Back in the scene, everyone is in seated in the van, and Carlos - who's wearing a disposable face covering - is coughing, politely covering his mouth with his hand and inner shirt. Karl jokes with him saying, "Mate, I gotta give you some cough medicine," and chuckles as he does so. Carlos says, "I'm sorry," and when Karl gives him cough medicine, Carlos thanks him and takes it. And Chris decides to comment on Carlos's "lack of manners": "Yeah, Carlos, you've been coughing a lot since we left the airport, and I don't like that. I'm not trying to get sick. Maybe Karl is, but he's already sick for life." Karl gives Chris the side-eye and goes, "Really, dude?" And in his confessional, Karl says, "Carlos is just minding his own business, taking cough medicine, and Chris immediately finds something to complain about. [rolls eyes and sighs] I really hope a shark eats Chris." DAMN, KARL. Back in the scene, Chris says, "For real, you're coughing up a storm, like [mocking Carlos's cough]," and David starts giggling. Carlos sighs, rolls his eyes, and says to Chris, "Whatever." David says in his confessional, "He was actually coughing in the airport, too, so Chris is highly annoyed." Back in the scene, Chris is just talking and talking, "I'm gonna have to start keeping an eye on your ass Carlos, because I can't have you coughing out. I didn't see a hand go up your mouth. Maybe I caught it late. I don't know. Either way, you're getting on my nerves with your coughing." Carlos is not trying to hear it. And Chris says in his confessional, "I get offended when people cough and they don't cover their mouth. That's a big deal for me. I don't care if you're a kid or my grandmother; I don't tolerate that from anyone." Yikes. But clearly, Carlos did cover his mouth, even with a face covering on. And Carlos says in his confessional, "As usual, Chris always has a problem with everything that involves me, so of course, he complains that I cough." Back in the scene, Carlos says, "So are you just gonna be complaining about me the whole trip?" Chris quickly goes, "I'm not complaining--" and Carlos cuts him off by saying, "You are, you are. And I know you think about me too, 24/7. Like, if you're gonna be this miserable, you should've stayed your ass at home. I'm sure David would've kept you company." The other cast members are surprised by Carlos's reaction and David goes, "Hey!" and Chris gets quiet, which Karl points out, saying to Chris, "Oh! So, you have nothing to say now, Chris? Maybe don't ask for a reaction if you can't handle it, mate. Just saying." The last thing Carlos says to Chris is, "Anything else?" And Chris says nothing and looks away, to which Carlos goes, "I didn't think so." And the two do not say another word to each other until the reunion, ultimately affecting Chris's relevance for the rest of the season. Yeah, don't get Carlos mad. PLEASE.

 

Other than that, Carlos has all the chops to be THE top tier cast member. He may not have the spicy or outrageous personality that most people look for, but he remains the most evolving, consistent, and sincere person throughout the whole season. He definitely has the most potential to be the alpha of FBBurbank. He’s naturally funny, smart, progressive, and has that relatable quality that draws your eyes to him whenever he’s onscreen, through the good times, bad times, and everything in-between. 

 

One thing that many viewers appreciate about Carlos is that no matter how much you may piss him off or trash his passions, he never changes to make haters or naysayers feel comfortable. And he can easily move on from conflict unlike the rest of the inaugural cast. And even when something has absolutely nothing to do with Carlos, he's still arguably the most important and reliable cast member in so many countless ways (his occasional absences during certain scenes - especially group scenes - would be the most noticeable right away). Even Romeo doesn't stop Carlos from correcting him or speaking for him (the latter only happening when somebody doesn't understand Romeo’s delivery). The problem is that Carlos can't be the hero all the time, and even doing the right thing can have negative consequences.

 

And Karl agrees. While in Puerto Vallarta, after Carlos tells Karl about his situation with his father, Karl tells us in his confessional, “After hearing about Carlos’s relationship with his Dad, I really think that Romeo and Chris treat him the same way his dad has always treated him. There’s just no respect for Carlos, and it feels like that he had no choice but to just… take it basically. It’s… it’s really depressing. It’s like nobody wants to listen to him. Maybe it feels different for Carlos because Romeo and Chris are not his family, so he can actually talk back to them without hesitation, but it’s harder to get through his Dad. I know one thing, though, if either of my parents treated me that way and had no remorse, they’d be dead to me. Period. I couldn’t live with that, and I am an asshole.”

 

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Representing the HIV-positive community within the world of journalism and activism is the most vocal and sexiest cast member alive, 43-year-old Karl Jeno Schmid of KABC, who found out that he was poz back in 2008, something that he did not disclose to the public until 2018. The oldest in the group, this Aussie single (and not ready to mingle) bombshell is perhaps the only anchor who has never been afraid to go naked (LITERALLY) while managing to keep his career as an entertainment reporter for KABC. In fact, he actually points out the unfair firing of Erick Adame, a meteorologist who was formerly a part of Spectrum News NY1. And unlike most news anchors, Karl is also never afraid to share his disdain for President Donald Trump, even calling him a cunt on an IG story on one occasion, which immediately causes conflict with our conservative voice Chris Holmstrom. 

 

Founder of Plus Life Media, Karl continues the fight to end the stigma of being HIV-positive. Karl has lived in the City of Burbank for about 15 years, having relocated to the city from Geelong, Australia in 2008. Outside of reporting, Karl has also been a TV host and red carpet host which helps him shine as he’s incredibly smart, funny, and quick with his words, no matter how messy he can be. He opens up about overcoming his internalized stigma, admitting to Carlos while in Puerto Vallarta that used to self-deprecating jokes to cope with his diagnosis, which he later realized contributed to his own negative beliefs about HIV and AIDS.

 

Outside of the group, we see Karl live his life like almost anyone, except he’s the only one in the cast who has to take medication, maintain a healthy diet, work at a safe pace, and go to therapy for stress, anxiety, and depression (the latter three which he also opens up to Carlos about in Puerto Vallarta). And we also get to see him interact with his loving parents when they visit him in Burbank a week after the cast has returned home from Puerto Vallarta.

 

Early on, we see Karl feuding with Alex over Alex’s friendship with Nick. And later on, while in Puerto Vallarta, Karl and Alex fight over Alex’s supposed lack of a backbone when it comes to Nick. It also became very clear that Romeo absolutely despised Karl, though it wasn’t super clear why. I guess it’s because that would require Romeo to actually open up to Karl, the rest of the cast, and us viewers. This comes to quite the head when the flaming bros take their trip to Puerto Vallarta and Romeo and Karl get into it at the dinner table. Karl literally earns fan support when he says to Romeo that he’s not fun, and is manipulative, super reactive, and boring, leaving Romeo to look like a fool.                    

  

Karl has that alpha-dog personality where he knows everyone and has a much deeper understanding of the Burbank society he lives in and how it regularly functions. But as mentioned, he is pretty messy, so he certainly brings both the drama and comedy.

 

For example, in Puerto Vallarta, the morning after Karl told Romeo that he's "manipulative, super reactive, and boring," the group tries to find things to do in Puerto Vallarta - though perhaps they're trying to literally do things as a group - and Karl just feels tempted to start something with Romeo. Really Karl? Come on. Carlos literally almost has to scold Karl, saying, "You know, Karl, I've been having my issues with Romeo for YEARS. But come on, you're in freaking Puerto Vallarta, for God’s sake! Don't you wanna see what this beautiful city has to offer for tourists?" And Karl says, "Yeah... but I also kinda wanna tell Romeo about himself some more." Carlos rolls his eyes when Karl says that, and tell him, "Well, I'm not gonna let you do that. Romeo has already made up his mind that he doesn’t like any of us and doesn't trust us." And Karl asks, "Well, then why is he even here on this trip?" And Carlos goes, "Because... he has to be here just like the rest of us, and he likes to travel. Besides - and no offense - nobody likes a person who beats a dead horse." Karl gets shocked by that shade Carlos threw at him and says, "Oh, damn," and laughs it off. Carlos softly says to Karl, "I mean it, Karl. Leave him alone, please?" Karl rolls his eyes and says, "Okay, okay. I'll leave him alone." And Carlos says, "Thank you."

 

This scene emphasizes Karl's messy ways, and how he and Carlos communicate their differences. As the saying goes, opposites attract. But it also shows - perhaps unintentionally - Carlos's habit of protecting people who abuse him or take his grace for granted.

 

 

 

 

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Then we have the most adorable addition to the show,  34-year-old Alex Rozier from Virginia, Minnesota. Yes, there's literally a city in Minnesota called Virginia, and if you didn't know that before meeting Alex Rozier, then you'd better thank him, lol. If FBBurbank were a boy band,  Alex would be the heartthrob, without a doubt. but looks can be deceiving. 

 

He is a news anchor for KNBC, but like many anchors in this cast, he’s been an anchor from one station, to another, to another, to another, ultimately becoming one of the YOUNGEST news anchors when he started at age 18 in KOMU, which is based in Columbia-Jefferson City, Missouri. He often clashes with Karl. When he first appears on the season premiere, it’s already known that he is close friends with Nick Amador. And they seem to be thick as thieves. Visually, they're often referred to as the Bobbsey Twins or Single White Female because they sometimes resemble each other, except Nick is taller than Alex. 

 

Nick tells us in his first appearance that outside his journalism career, he’s also a socialite in Burbank and the greater Los Angeles, and even Robert Puente tells us that the Rozier family is well-known for their philanthropy work. And we actually see Alex do his thing as a socialite with him explaining in his confessional that he always had it in him to socialize since he was a kid going to block parties and doing events for church, and then going to mixers in his early adulthood. His best friend Nick tells us in his confessional, "Alex is literally at the center of the socialite charity world. And I believe it; it's in his blood. You know, that is his life. I mean, I think that's his job, too. I don't know how you get a job drinking and socializing, but hey! I socialize A LOT, so maybe I should look into it. How hard can it be?" Well, that certainly wasn't shady.

 

Carlos and Alex were acquaintances prior to joining the show having known each other through charity. He says in his confessional, "Alex and I know each other enough to know each other's reputation in the charity world. I know that Alex is the fun socialite; I'm a bit more, um... sterile [laughs] or maybe I'm just awkward, I don't know. But anyway, the more events you chair, the more you're welcomed in society, and a more powerful player in society."

 

Early on, it seems like even some of the oldest cast members, like Carlos and Chris, defer to Alex a bit for his legacy and class, but it doesn’t take too long for the façade to crumble. In fact, we do see Alex not really behaving like a socialite at times, especially when it comes to food. When Alex and Carlos attend a charity event, Alex quietly says to Carlos, "Dude, this is so fucking boring," to which a shocked Carlos is like, "Alex, be nice; this is a charity event." But Alex is not listening to him as he sees a plate full of vanilla cupcakes with sprinkles and rushes to that plate, making Carlos roll his eyes in frustration. "Jesus, help me," Carlos says in his confessional. And Alex is steadily eating those cupcakes like his life depends on it, saying, "These are really good. I ain't got no manners today; fuck that. Oopsy." Carlos looks at him, probably thinking, "What the Hell?" and Alex says to Carlos, "You know, Carlos, it's too bad that my man's not here right now, 'cuz he and I would've snuck out this lame-ass event and made some babies." And Carlos gets shocked that Alex would say that in a charity event, and just simply goes, "Wow. Just... inappropriate." And he says in his confessional, "I know that Alex has done hundreds of charity events his whole life. But... either he's not really serious about it anymore or he was never serious about it at all. I don't know. I just know that I didn't come here to babysit."

 

Alex is a pretty complex young man. While he comes from a prim and proper background, there's a edgier part of him that's begging to come out. He has grown to be more comfortable with his average body and sexuality once he had reached his 30s. When he’s not dressed up for social gatherings, church, or the news, he’s wearing see-through shirts and short shorts. 

 

We see in the season premiere that he is in a relationship with his 31-year-old boyfriend of two years Kris Hardin, an African-American singer, dancer, and actor who becomes a funny and welcomed presence. Alex’s main personal storyline covers Alex and Kris living together for the first time and we see the many pros and cons to living with your significant other, and we see their relationship featured quite prominently on the show. Kris manages to bring a lighter, softer, and funnier side to Alex who can come off a little standoffish and mean, and take himself too seriously without Kris’s presence. 

 

In his confessional, Alex says, "Kris Hardin and I met in 2021 after I had just come out to the public and moved to Burbank to work for KNBC. He was already living in the area for about 10 years, already acting, singing, dancing, and performing in stage plays. We randomly met at the Burbank Town Center mall's food court one morning. We both just got our pizzas, and it was just love at first bite. [laughs] We just couldn't get away from each other, and I felt so comfortable around him. And we stayed in touch immediately after we were finally ready to leave the mall, and whenever people ask how we met, we mention that the day we met was literally our first date."

 

During the Puerto Vallarta trip, when the cast is having a dinner from Hell, Karl makes a comment to Alex about Alex’s apparent lack of a backbone when it comes to Nick, which triggers Alex in a major way. His harsh and not-so-kind reactions to Karl’s comment shows that Alex is not afraid to fight dirty. And Alex is certainly NOT above standing up for himself. "You know Karl, I'm actually worried about you," Alex says to Karl who's confused and says, "Why?" Alex answers, "Because every time I'm not around, my name is always in your mouth. Though I guess that's better than a stranger always cumming in your mouth, right?" The cast gags at their food, gasps, chuckles, etc. Karl is shocked and goes, "Wait, hold on, mate. I'm not always talking about you--" And Alex cuts him off, "Maybe you should worry less about who I'm friends with, and pay more attention to your life because so far, your life is boring as shit. And stop being such a big mouth. Okay, mate?" And Karl is done with the conversation - which usually means that he has no idea what else to say - and just says, "Bye, Alex." and Alex says, "Bye, bitch."

 

And if Nick has to, he will take a stand against anyone he may consider a friend. One of those friends, Nick Amador, gets under major hot water with Alex when Nick throws him under the bus at the midseason trip to Puerto Vallarta. The day after that Puerto Vallarta dinner from Hell, Nick accuses Alex of also wanting to dig up dirt on Romeo and David, respectively. Needless to say, Alex and Nick go at it. From that day forward, they’re no longer friends, leaving Nick on an island alone by the end of the season. And the two constantly butt heads for the rest of the season, and the rest of their time on the show. 

 

I don’t know what it is about Alex Rozier, but I just find him fascinating and very easy to watch, much like Carlos. He and his family have led such an interesting life, and Alex certainly has a lot of reasons to stay on the show, as long as he wants to. However, we do start to see a much darker side of Alex creep in following his conflicts with Nick and Karl. To be continued...

 

 

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Another entertainment producer for KTLA is our rough-around-the-edges cast member 27-year-old Robert Puente. He might apologize for what he says (which never happens), but never for who he is. The youngest of the group, he causes quite a stir after calling David, Karl, Carlos, Chris and Romeo “boring grandmas” during a group dinner in the season premiere, while getting on well with Alex and (once upon a time) Nick.

 

In a cast that’s largely dominated by (seemingly) classy-looking men, Robert came in as the bad boy from East LA with an edgy vibe. His tattoos become a point of contention with David, who Robert effortlessly reminds, “You have tattoos and a nose ring, dude. Calm down.” His dynamic with David is actually pretty interesting albeit strained as Hell as they fight over mundane societal situations – from tattoos and piercings, to David’s… escapades. 

 

Another notable conflict Robert has is with Carlos. During the lunch from Hell at Karl’s house, Robert goes hard for Carlos – his biggest gripe being that Carlos allegedly went maskless while working in the cubicles of KTLA during the Covid pandemic, pre-vaccine. But Carlos denies this, saying, “You were there; you always saw me with my mask on, and the only times I wouldn’t show up to work was if I tested positive or was exposed to someone else with the symptoms. You have people still gravely ill from the disease, and you think I wouldn’t worry about anyone else’s safety but my own?” Once the accusation against Carlos finally aired, a lot of KTLA coworkers came to Carlos’s defense, saying that he was never maskless at any point while on the clock, with one KTLA producer anonymously saying online, “And this is why Robert is stuck doing office work and has very little screentime on KTLA. He’s lucky to still be working with us.” Oh my. Robert also goes on an unhinged tirade against Karl. He’s beyond rude to Karl, ignoring him for seemingly no reason, and then brings up a podcast in which Karl apparently spoke negatively about all the other cast members. But when Karl played a large chunk of the 20-minute podcast on YouTube to the rest of the cast, it turns out that Karl was only talking negatively about Romeo, Robert, and David, NOT the entire cast. Days later, Karl then says to Robert, “The one thing I should’ve said on that podcast is that you’re a pathological liar, Robert,” which launches Robert into another unhinged rant where he makes some pretty vicious attacks at Karl, with one standout being, "Stay protected next time, you fuckin' slut." And uh... Karl doesn't take kindly to insults directed towards his HIV status, and he says to Robert, "Why don't you go commit another grand theft auto, jailbird?" Yeah, rumor has it that Robert was involved in illegal street racing when he was a teenager in high school. Without anything to back up that allegation, it's just simply a rumor, started by none other than Nick Amador. 

 

There’s a moment where after Alex and Chris had gotten into an incredibly heated argument on Alex’s inability to stay in one news station whereas Chris has been a part of KCAL for five years and counting and is therefore "more reliable and consistent," Alex vents to Robert about what has happened. Robert seems almost excited to hear this, but Alex (following his Puerto Vallarta falling out with Nick Amador) just needs a friend. 

 

It seems like Robert is meant to be an in-your-face type of flaming bro, wanting to set up certain people to fail, and presenting himself as someone who wouldn’t be forgivable to the audience. But what I find hilarious about Robert Puente is that in his confessional during the season finale, he says (and I couldn't make this up even if you paid me), "This was a great season for me; I met some really cool and really nice people." Girl, WHAT?! LMAO! WHERE?! AND WHEN?! I mean, yeah, Carlos is nice - and arguably THE nicest - but you hate Carlos. And a great season? What exactly do we know about you outside the group? Not a whole lot. You said in your finale confessional that you were going through a lot - your mom was sick, you got out of an open relationship, to name a few. So how come we didn't know about this earlier in the season? All you did was talk shit every episode, and even try to throw a chair at Nick in Puerto Vallarta after you exposed Nick for talking even more shit about Alex. That was it. If anything, we were left wondering, "Who in the Hell is Robert Puente?" And even Karl asked that question VERBATIM during the season finale!  

 

And about the chair incident... 

 

During their last day in Puerto Vallarta, just as everyone in the cast is chilling out at the beach (minus Romeo who stayed in the house they're renting), Robert shows up much later, clearly with an ulterior motive. "Holy shit..." says Karl via confessional. "Hello, Nick," says Robert. And Nick says, "Hi Robert," with a confused look on his face. Nick asks in his confessional, "What the fuck is going on? Is he gonna talk some crap again? Because if so, I don't have time." Alex tries to break the ice when he says to Robert, "You look cute," and Robert says, "Thanks dude." And Nick tells us in his confessional, "Since when did Robert and Alex be so buddy-buddy. Let me guess: 'an enemy of my enemy is my friend,' right? Because otherwise, Robert and Alex make no sense. At all." Then it gets real quiet. No one is talking. And then Karl says out loud, "Uuuummm, are we doing shots? Like, what are we doing?" And Carlos chuckles and says, "Whatever you want, Karl." And then it's quiet, again. Robert says in his confessional, "I'm still mad at Nick because I was trying to be a friend to someone who I thought was a friend. But instead he's just lying to everyone's faces, trying to take Romeo down, and lying on Alex. And now I'm in the middle of some shit that I had nothing to do with because of him." Back in the scene, Robert tells Nick, "You told me that I needed to say whatever I needed to say. And you gave me the info to do whatever I wanted with it. And I think it's a situation where I always respected you and you didn't give a fuck about me." And Nick says, "First of all, Robert, you and I were never close. And you were never close with Alex. You getting more and more heated, at the wrong person, mind you. And you just keep talking out of your ass." Robert takes a deep breath and is like, "Boy, you are a fucking con artist, for real." Nick goes, "Sorry that you feel that way." And Robert quickly says with venom, "No, you're not fucking sorry! And now I know that you are just-- you are a manipulative little bitch." Chris, Carlos, Karl, Alex, and David look really tense and uncomfortable. Nick says to Robert, "Actually, I'm THAT bitch, honey." Robert goes, "No, you're an opportunist. I'm not about to sit here, and play these games with you; I've been nothing but fucking genuine to your fowl ass. Carlos says in his confessional, "Nick has started so much drama with everyone. But knowing Robert from work, I know that when Robert is at his angriest, he will not listen to anyone. And whatever story he tells, he's gonna stick with that, true or false. And all I'm thinking is, 'Nick, do not say another word. If you know what's good for you, just be quiet.'" And course, back in the scene, Nick keeps talking, "Okay, if I'm an opportunist, you're the bum who cried wolf. Now what?" OOH! Damn, Nick. And Robert goes, well you have your ex-friend Alex, who you talked so much shit about behind his back, endlessly, even before you decided to say that he also wanted to take down Romeo. Some best friend" Alex is surprised, and says, "What? What else did he say about me?" And Robert happily says, "That you're in an open relationship behind Kris Hardin's back," which catches everyone by surprise, "that you cheated on him with another coworker at NBC," Alex is looking at Nick in shock, "that you told Nick that Romeo wanted to perform sexual acts to get on survivor," Nick is looking real pissed, "and that you and Nick hooked up when you first met--" and Nick cuts him off by saying, "OH, UH-UH UH-UH! Alright you know what, bitch? You better stop right there! I'm warning you!" And Robert bluntly says, "To name a few." Alex is speechless. In his confessional, Alex says, "I am in shock. I really wanna punch Nick in the fucking face." Back in the scene, Nick yells at Robert, "You're really messing with the right one today." And Robert says while clapping his hands loudly and walking to Nick, "Bitch, don't you fucking lie! You said all those things, AND MORE! You're a fucking hater, bitch!" As he's saying all of this, Karl and Carlos are alert, looking tempted to hold Robert back. And Nick says to Robert, "Fuck you, you bum!" And that sets off Robert. He starts trying to run to Nick, but several cast members struggle to hold him back and keep him from attacking Nick, and it's a huge commotion with everyone yelling, and other tourists around them staring at them. Robert then proceeds to pick up a chair and attempt to throw it at Nick. He throws the chair, but misses because a security guard catches it in time and lands it on the sand. This angers Robert even more who yells to Nick, "You trifling-ass ho!" while being taken away by security. And Carlos says calmly in his confessional, "Oh... my... God. What in the Hell is wrong with these people?" Back in the scene, Nick yells to Robert, "Go to fucking jail, bitch! I ain't scared of you! I don't care that you're from East LA!" Interestingly enough, Alex has remained speechless since Robert revealed with Nick was allegedly saying about Alex. But he says in his confessional, "I don't have anything to say to Nick at the moment. I just wanna kill him, badly. But I won't. Still, I can't promise that I won't hit below the belt every time I see him. Either way, Nick and I are officially done. And If I have to take a lie detector test to prove that what Nick said about me isn't true, I will. Because this is ridiculous." 

  

  

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Phoenix native David González is a 36-year-old anchor for KABC, and the only one in the station to have a nose ring, which helps him stand out from most news anchors. He comes in as a free-spirited and naughty rebel of a Christian. Personality-wise, you could say that in a way, David is the "Buddy Love" to Christopher's "Sherman Klump" even though Chris is actually fit and a gym bro, too, and they both like each other. Not only that, but David is HOT, which of course triggers the self-proclaimed "hottest bitch in Burbank" Nick Amador. Nick doesn't make that jealousy known right away, and David often dismisses the "immature little shit." 

 

Outside of his work, David is known to… get around at the gym, which became a point of discussion and vulnerability for him. He started as mostly neutral but often clashed directly with Robert, Karl, Carlos, and Nick, respectively. He was introduced as a very close friend of Chris Holmstrom, and the two have been best friends since 1999 when Chris was 14 and David was 12. And they were both raised with Christian and conservative values that continue to contradict their (in Nick's words) gossip-worthy friendship. But while Chris proves to be a yawn to the viewers, David is probably one of the more entertainingly bizarre additions to the show. He and David have even admitted to have also uh... gotten with each other occasionally, and even Nick's nosey ass says to them that it was bound to happen because those two are also Coachella buddies, gym buddies, Church buddies, and occasionally each other's dates when they hang out.

 

There’s a lot that can be said about David but he surely isn’t afraid to go against the grain, not caring about the ramifications. Right from the get-go David doesn’t click with Robert who is immediately thrown off by David’s sexual activity. But things go absolutely haywire when Robert makes a failed attempt at reconciling with everyone during the season finale party. In this party, some thirsty-ass friends of Robert started antagonizing David who suspected the whole thing was a setup to make David look bad. And David went off on Robert, proving what even Chris knew, which is that David will go straight for the widest part of a person’s meat; most notably when he says to Robert, “This is why nobody wants to work with you, Robert! You’re just a dumb wannabe Cholo and I can’t wait til KTLA fires your ass because your bullshit is NOT acceptable!” 

 

David is also at odds with fellow KABC team member Karl Schmid. The two knew of each other when David moved from Orange County to Burbank in 2022, and they never felt like they were in each other's level. David was already a proud hater of "that annoying-ass Karl," and Karl has some degree of tension with David's disparaging comments about Karl being "carelessly poz," which Karl does not take well and rips David a new one and throws him under the bus when he says during the Puerto Vallarta trip in front of everyone, "I know you're the boyfriend of Chris and Joshua, but I'm starting to think that you and Chris don't like Joshua at all,. Seeing as how you both fucked each other's brains out in high school, I'm not surprised" which gets Chris and David angry and David yells at Karl, calling him a stupid fuck in Karl's face - and even Carlos face palms in  annoyance when Karl makes that accusation of David and Chris having slept together since high school. The fact that Karl doesn't flinch at David getting in his face and just smirks makes me inclined to agree that Karl won that fight. 

 

Karl and David just grate on each other's nerves, and there is absolutely no respect between the two, showing that just because you may work for the same newsroom, doesn't mean you'll be buddies. The KTLA coworkers Carlos, Romeo, and Robert are living proof of this, as are KNBC team members Nick and Alex. David and Chris are also the true definition of conservatives with skeletons in their closet.                    

 

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If you hadn’t figured it out yet, 31-year-old Nick Amador is… the biggest troublemaker of the group. On the surface, Nick is a lot fun, and perhaps the biggest partier especially in the gay scene of North Hollywood and West Hollywood. And he quickly carved out a niche for himself as - say it with me now - "the hottest bitch in Burbank." Romeo, who still struggles to warm up with everyone else in the cast, really takes to Nick as they're both party gays who love to turn it up.

 

This transplanted Jersey Boy has been a platform manager for KNBC for about a year, with an unhealthy obsession with reality TV, positioning himself as the feisty queen bee. He’s also perhaps the most condescending cast member that FBBurbank has ever had (he literally has his last name tattooed across his back shoulder) though that could be debated. As a member of the cast, he comes off charming, flirty, and charismatic. But pay close attention, and you’ll see that he’s often manipulating situations, and trying super hard to control the narrative. He also tends to seek attention and validation deliberately by oversexualizing even himself to a very forced and cringey degree; he’s no Karl Schmid or David González, that’s for sure. He pretty much has a conflict with the entire cast. He learned from the best: Lisa Barlow, Phaedra Parks, and Tamra Judge. So, it makes sense that he is a platform manager, as he is VERY strategic. He is literally an all-out superfan of reality TV villains and always saw himself as one, clearly. 

 

Outside of the group, Nick brings an interesting storyline with the tension between himself and his sisters Brittany and Jessica; the classic family drama that typically dominate reality shows based in the East Coast, and lets you know that the siblings are clearly from the East Coast - Belleville, New Jersey. Jessica is older than Nick, while Brittany is younger than Nick, making Nick the classic middle child. According to Nick himself, he was always a shameless rebel growing up; having his eyebrow pierced at the age of 13 (he removed them when he was 20), getting his last name tattooed across his back shoulder, being a slacker during his 9th and 10th grade years in high school, and smoking pot (during a time when pot was illegal) by the time he was 15. Jessica would ay that Nick was definitely out of control. It doesn't help that their mother more of a pushover and less of a disciplinary figure, and their father wasn't ever around. Nick is definitely not afraid to bare it all, showing the messiness of his personal life. 

 

Although the entire cast is attractive in their own ways, Nick literally labels himself, “the hottest bitch in Burbank.” But what he forgets to say is that he’s also the “creepiest bitch” in Burbank, due to the unfortunate fact that he makes it his mission to take down reality show veteran Romeo Escobar. And Romeo – bless his heart – falls for it quite easily. The rest of the cast is unsure how to approach Romeo because his attitude can be pretty overwhelming and uncomfortable, and he’s already shown to not be a trustworthy person. Because of this, Romeo is as private and introverted as he’s ever been, but is still far more expressive than Chris, that’s for sure. And at the time, Nick makes the controversial decision to actually befriend Romeo and manages to be sweet to Romeo’s face, while talking shit via confessionals about how much Romeo is a liar, a cheater, a con artist, and a professional victim. Nick knows that he doesn’t know Romeo well enough to say these things, but he doesn't care. He’s watched Romeo on Survivor and it’s clear to him that everyone else doesn’t trust Romeo for a multitude of reasons. So, Nick is hellbent on doing whatever he can to reinforce that narrative of Romeo and make him out to be a genuinely horrible person, even if whatever Nick finds, hears, or says, may not actually be true about Romeo. It makes Nick come off very weird, creepy, and obsessed. And at first, the rest of the cast is unaware of what Nick is doing because they’re too wrapped up in their interpersonal drama to really notice. 

 

That is until Nick – out of nowhere – while dining with the rest of the cast in a local Bob's Big Boy restaurant asks Romeo, “Did you have to do certain favors to get on Survivor?” It doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to understand what exactly Nick meant by “favors.” The cast is shocked and confused by that question (remember, they didn’t know that Nick was ever plotting behind Romeo’s back), except for Romeo who doesn’t get it the first time, answering, “Yeah, I just had to apply and audition, basically; the usual TV stuff,” which makes Nick chuckle at Romeo being clueless. Romeo’s confused by Nick’s amusement and everyone else looks uncomfortable and concerned, with Alex saying, “Oh, my God…” Carlos – the translator – tells Romeo, “Romeo... Nick is asking if you had to… perform… sexual acts… to be on Survivor.” Once Romeo hears "sexual acts", he is shocked, embarrassed, and angry, and says to Nick, “What the Hell? Of course not!” 

 

And with that, the infamous Nick vs Romeo feud is born. Also notice that Romeo did not answer the question with a confusing statement. It kinda makes you wonder, “Is he really that hard to follow, or is he only confusing people on purpose?” Because once he said, “Of course not!” That’s all he needed to say as an answer. But normally when asked certain personal questions, he would talk in circles; not this time.

 

Anyway table gets quiet, and it’s very tense. VERY. TENSE. Romeo is pissed, and says to Nick, “You know what, Nick. I really don’t appreciate you asking me that question.” Nick stammers, which is… interesting. Something tells me that Nick was not fully prepared for the wrath that he was about to face from Romeo. But he says to Romeo, “Well… I… I just thought I’d ask because… when we talked about your experience on Survivor, you said that you did what you had to do to get through the audition, and found ways to get what you want.” That revelation was enough for eyes to open wide. And like I said, the revelation was so implicit that it could’ve meant anything. Now everyone is torn. And Nick says in his confessional, “Romeo, hun, everyone knows what it means to do whatever you have to do to get what you want. I know I’m a catch, but I would never… perform favors to get what I want. Ever.” Carlos asks Nick, “Well did you ask Romeo to elaborate?” And Nick says, “No and I didn’t have to.” And Carlos says, “So you’re just jumping to conclusions…” and Nick says, “No—” before Carlos continues, “… to spread gossip, basically.” Romeo says in his confessional, “I’m bothered by Nick’s betrayal because he seemed sympathetic when I was opening up to him about what I was feeling during and after Survivor [flashback to their conversation]. And now he’s making these people think that fucked around basically to get on that show. Now I know that how he’d normally act when it’s just he and I… is fake.”

 

And honey, when I tell you… back in the scene, Romeo goes low. And Nick could not handle it. “You know what, Nick, I’m starting to think that YOU had suck someone’s dick to get on THIS show,” and Nick goes, “Woah, woah, wait a minute. Don’t do that—” and Romeo talks over him, “You guys don’t get to have an opinion about my experience on reality TV because none of you were there! Until you do, you can all shut up about it.” And Karl asks in his confessional, “Why’s the rest of us getting punished, we didn’t say anything; Nick did.” Back in the scene, Romeo tells Nick how he really feels, “This is what I feel about you: to my face you’re very, very nice. But now I know that behind my back, you’ve really been talking a lot of shit about me. I mean how does your ditsy-ass mother feel about seeing your dick and porn vidoes all over the internet?” The cast gasps, Nick as mouth agape, and Robert in particular is sipping his Coca-Cola like it’s tea (probably foreshadowing his confrontation with Nick at Puerto Vallarta). Romeo says in his confessionals, “After Nick and I met, I googled him, and found so many of his nudes and videos on all of these different porn sites, and he’s working with the news? Poor thing. But knowing his situation with his Dad, I guess Nick wanted validation.” Back in the scene, Romeo says to Nick, “I mean, I guess that’s your Dad will never want anything to do with you now—” Carlos cuts Romeo and says, “Oh, oh, okay, TIME OUT!” while giving the time-out signal. But Romeo goes, “No, I’m not playing nice, Carlos. You come for me, I give you the same energy and more.” Carlos gets silent and looks a little scared. Nick yells at Romeo, saying, “So this is how you defend yourself? You just go low?” And Romeo says, “I’m just getting started, bitch. What were you doing while growing up in New Jersey? Bending down for every man who reminded you of your Dad!” Chris mutters while covering his face, “Oh, Jesus…” while Romeo continues, “And what was I doing? Coming from nothing, making moves, and building a resume! You’re just a coward, Nick.”

 

And Nick runs out of things to say, and just says with a chuckle, “You know what? I’m done. I need to pee. Excuse me.” Alex reluctantly follows Nick.

 

Meanwhile, the rest of the cast remains sitting around their table, and Romeo tearfully tells Carlos, “You know what pisses me off the most? Is that I spent months hardly eating or drinking much, fighting to survive every day, worrying that I was gonna die anytime.” Carlos says in his confessional, “We didn’t experience the life that Romeo and his family lived, and being on Survivor took him back to his days in Central America. It was very personal for him and he didn’t take it for granted. And all people talk about is that he was too competitive and willing to do ANYTHING… to win. Nick is a heartless impulsive person, and… he needs to stay away from Romeo.” Back in the scene, Romeo goes, “That is just fucked up of Nick to do that shit to me.” Nick and Alex return from the restroom and sit back down, with Carlos saying, “I’m surprised you guys are back.” And Romeo is just death-glaring at Nick which makes Nick uncomfortable. Nick is clearly shaken. But in his confessionals, he big and bad, and says, “Maybe the truth hurts,” whatever that means. Romeo leaves the restaurant, and Nick says, “What’s wrong with him?” and Carlos goes, “Actually, what’s wrong with you?” And Nick is just bothered by Carlos’s clapback. Alex hesitantly asks Nick, “You okay?” And Nick goes, “Yeah. Yeah, I’m—I’m good.” But Alex can tell that Nick was hurt by Romeo’s words. As Alex says in his confessional, “Nick doesn’t wanna admit it, but’s no secret that the mention of his parents – especially in a negative way – is a trigger for him. Romeo went WAY below the belt. But… then again… Nick started it, by throwing Romeo under the bus.”

 

And things get very mean and nasty between Romeo and Nick for the rest of their time on the show. This won’t be the only time where Nick is friends with someone (due to coming off sweet, bubbly, playful, and funny) before that person realizes eventually that he’s been talking mad shit, lying about them, and/or making fun of them for his own entertainment. This is just terrible and indefensible. And really… nothing Nick does is ever defensible.  

 

There was a lot of pressure for Nick to give us a show, and for anyone who’s a fan of trash TV, Nick more than succeeded. It wasn’t without backlash, of course. In fact, when the season started, a lot of people were shockingly “Team Nick,” because of his reality villain role. But as the season progressed and he tried desperately to double down on his “Romeo Takedown” era starting with that 'favors' question, his popularity started dwindling by the time the group returned home from Puerto Vallarta. 

 

The only person who truly had Nick's back (or at least tried to) was Alex, but Alex was starting to have second thoughts after Nick asked Romeo that disgusting favors question. Their friendship completely fell apart in Puerto Vallarta. Nick was just being so fake, messy, and mean to people that he didn’t even know, and it was exhausting to watch.                     

  

  

  

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Speaking of sitting together, the reunion (Episodes 15 and 16) didn’t resolve anything either, so… not really worth talking about.                     

  

 

 

Well, actually, one moment that stood out was when Romeo yelled to Nick, “WHAT DO WANT FROM ME, NICK?!” and Nick said in a stern tone, “I want you to be honest for once in your life!” And Romeo goes, “About WHAT?! A show that I did over a year ago? WHO CARES?!” And Nick gets smug when he says, "My God dude, you're such a fucking victim." And Carlos yells, "JESUS CHRIST, NICK, SHUT THE FUCK UP!" which shocks Nick And Romeo says to Nick, "And you'll always be garbage, Nick AmaWHORE." GASP! And from that day forward, viewers would continuously refer to Nick Amador as Nick Amawhore. Nick did not know what else to say after that, but you could just tell from his body language that he hated being called a whore. If he comes back for Season 2, he’s gonna need an ally, and fast. But one thing's for sure, his "hottest bitch in Burbank" label never stuck or landed, but the "Nick AmaWHORE" nickname is forever embedded in viewers brains. Thank you Romeo!

 

 

 

Season 1 Reunion Seating Chart                     

  

  

At the reunion, the cast is seated from left to right as follows: Chris Holmstrom in the fourth chair, Alex Rozier in the third, Carlos Saucedo in the second, Romeo Escobar in the first, host Ross Matthews in the center, then Nick Amador in the first chair on the opposite side, followed by Karl Schmid in the second, and David González in the third. 

 

Robert Puente was allegedly not invited to attend the reunion. Ross Matthews actually said on-camera in the beginning of Part 1 of the reunion that Robert was asked to attend but declined, but Karl immediately – and quickly – said under his breath, “He wasn’t invited. Good riddance.” Karl! That shit was funny though. Either way, I think we can already guess that Robert’s run as a Flaming Bro has officially come to an end, especially after Robert tweeted, “fuq flaming ho’s!” shortly before the reunion taping

 

Yeah… he’s not coming back.      

  

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So, not a bad start for the first season. But one thing’s for sure: even. LA’s most devoted fans of the news could not believe how much drama these 8 men had with each other. Going back to that "who's friends with who"/"who doesn’t like who" question, it becomes clear that if you take Carlos, and even David and Chris, out of the equation, NOBODY likes each other. Nobody.