Hi Julie! Can you tell us where are you from and where you live now?
I grew up in small towns in Utah, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Now I live in San Diego, California
How did you get hooked up with Electric Playground?
Years ago, while living in L.A., I caught wind of a new gaming show that was looking for a female host. I finagled myself an audition with Vic and Tommy. I hadn't ever auditioned for a real show before, so I was terribly nervous. When I got to the audition, the room was full of supermodels. I didn’t think I stood a chance, but luckily for me most supermodels think Zelda is some hot new designer and PSP is some type of sunscreen. For my callback, Vick and Tommy set up a mock interview with David Perry. All I can remember was that Dave was really tall. I must have done okay, because I got the job. I’m really glad Vic didn’t sell out and hire a hot bod over a gamer. Electric Playground is the only show I’ve ever worked on that maintains standards like that. It’s really easy now-a-days to stoop to any low to get ratings. If you don’t believe that, turn on MTV for an hour...
Speaking of which, how did you get hooked up with MTV and Studio M VJing?
I sent a tape into MTV in 1999. They offered me a spot on The Real World the next year. After five months of filming in New Orleans, MTV began calling me for several other projects. At this point, I've done so many "post reality" shows with MTV, I don't know if I could remember them all.
Was the Real World...er...really...real?
I always tell people that they can get a better sense of what I am really like by watching Electric Playground than by watching the Real World. It's not that the Real World isn't real, it's just that it's edited for drama. It doesn't show me when I'm talking about things that I normally like to talk about. It shows me in those off moments when I'm upset or really intense about something, and even then the editing is often manipulated to make things appear a certain way. The show itself has writers, so that tells you something. I don't think you can ever expect that someone on a "reality" show will really be like the character on the show. As for the real Julie, she is actually pretty mellow.
Fave song to karaoke to?
"We're At the Top of the World" by Juliana Theory.
Least favorite song to karaoke to?
Britney Spears. ANYTHING by Britney Spears.
Name your three favorite websites?
PORN.com.... just kidding....Well, since I build my own site, I end up spending a lot of time looking at my own, but if I’m not on Planetjulie.com, I’m probably reading up on new games at elecplay.com, gamezone, spot.com, pro.com, or gamers.com. I also frequent pollstar.com for shows, and my bad habit is homestarruner.com. Gotta love those emails...
What can we find at your site, Planetjulie.com?
Planetjulie.com is that latchkey kid who's brutally neglected, and I am her out-of-town mother. Because I have a very small background in web design, I take pride in the fact that I am responsible for my website. However, sometimes I am embarrassed that I am responsible for my website. It's a constant work in progress and I plan to make it really cool someday when I'm not flying around the country learning about the hottest new games and gadgets. For now it’s okay. You can find info about me, stuff I’m into, and my contact info. For gamers, I have included several of my own game reviews. I’ve always been interested in writing, and someday I hope to be able to write for a gamer mag.
How and when did your band Bunk Bed Experiment form?
I have always loved music and have been in and out of tons of bands, playing everything from guitar to drums. Bunk Bed was a rock band I formed years ago. We toured a little bit, and then I kicked out my lead singer, got a new one, changed the band name, changed the bassist, changed the band name again, and toured some more. It's great fun, and I usually get to be the only chick drummer in the club.
Where do you play?
We've played in small clubs all over the country: California, New York, Florida, Texas, Iowa, Georgia, Nevada.... all over. I can’t even remember all the places. One of the weirdest shows was with the Voodoo Glow Skulls in Arizona. My music is a little more alternative and a little less...what’s the word...colorful than the Glow Skulls.
Got an album you wanna plug?
Well, the band I’m in now is called The Swerve. I’ll have our album on my website soon, so people can check it out there if they want.
What does the band sound like and what do you play?
I play drums. Sometimes guitar and vocals, too. The music is kind of Jimmy Eat World-ish I guess. It’s always hard to answer the “what does it sound like” question. I just hope it doesn’t sound like trash. People seem to like it.
Top 5 bands/artists?
U2
Death Cab for Cutie
Jimmy Eat World
Juliana Theory
My band (is that cocky?)
Top 5 movies?
Napoleon Dynamite
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Matrix Trilogy
Princess Bride
High Fidelity (duh)
Runner up?
Final Fantasy (Hey, shut up - I liked it!)
Top 5 current TV shows?
Simpsons
Aqua Teen Hunger Force
Electric Playground
I like G4 and would like to be on G4tv more. Other then that, I don’t watch a lot of TV. Can’t even squeeze five out.
Top 5 old-school video games of all time?
OH MAN... How can that possibly have an answer. I don’t know... Okay, I spent a lot of my youth with Mario Bros. and Doom 2. SimCity was a great game. I used to be addicted to this interplay game called Normality
Top 5 new school video games of all time?
I love Half-Life 2, Far Cry, Time Splitters 2, and Warcraft 2.
Favorite video game right now?
The new Unreal Tournament, the new Oddworld, and God of War.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
A geo-astronomer, game developing rock star!
