Which lucky lady will win the dim wit?
They’ve schemed, backstabbed and bared nearly all to land a man.
And in less than three weeks, viewers will see one of the three women still in the running on “Joe Millionaire,” taped last fall, get the shock of her life when bachelor Evan Marriott reveals that he’s worth closer to 50 bucks than $50 million. Viewers have been in on the Fox reality series’ joke ever since Marriott, a construction worker in millionaire’s clothes, began whittling down the field of 20. More than 20 million people tuned in Monday to see him cut the group from four to three.
So who are the last few wanna-be lovers?
Zora, a raven-haired 29-year-old beauty from Lambertville, N.J., works as a substitute teacher and says she’s silly, imaginative, compassionate and kind.
Zora said on the network’s “Joe Millionaire” Web site that she has a thing for calla lilies and loves the scent of lilacs. Her meal of choice? It’s a toss-up between Italian and Japanese. She’s likely to order a cosmopolitan or an apple martini, though she claims to be content with a bottle of brew, too. “The nicest girl of the bunch is Zora,” said Melissa Jo Hunter, who was cut Monday. “She was polite, but very quiet.”
Sarah, 29, a sales executive from Los Angeles, is a vegetarian with a degree in philosophy. She said she “hopes to achieve a life of experiences that teach me to be strong, wise, loving and compassionate.” She also said she went on the show for the adventure, not the romance. Those who tuned in Monday may think otherwise. In one scene, Sarah and Marriott, wearing microphones, walked out of camera range. Viewers heard moans, groans and other noises, all captioned. Sarah could be catty, Hunter suggested.
“I think jealousy and insecurity make you talk about other people, and they weren’t talking very nicely about me,” Hunter said. “Sarah has some great qualities, but she’s got some bad qualities, too. She got a little too tipsy on her date with Evan.” Sarah also has an adventurous side; she has backpacked through Morocco and lived in Spain. And the busty blonde’s best feature? “I get compliments on my eyes,” she says on the Web site. “But I like to think that my best feature has more to do with my personality.”
Melissa M., a 24-year-old customer-service rep from Minneapolis, said she’s driven and outgoing. Viewers might also add: She can’t cook. “I’m sorry, but who doesn’t know the difference between garlic and onions?” Hunter asked, referring to Melissa’s botched cooking date with Marriott. Melissa cites Italian as her cuisine of choice; for a cocktail, she’s up for a dirty martini.
Viewers will see Marriott’s final choice, and the woman’s reaction, on Feb. 17.
Despite “Joe Millionaire’s” high ratings, not everyone is a fan. Psychiatrist Gail Saltz, chairwoman of public information at the New York Psychiatric Institute in Manhattan, has found it depressing at times. “This show is sad, because they all seem to want to go with the guy who looks good,” she said. “I’d like to believe that, as a culture, we place more value on what someone has going on upstairs.”