A Google search for “Dentist John McGuire Scranton” produced few results on June 16.
On the day CBS reality show “Big Brother” revealed its cast list, it was difficult to find much information on Dr. McGuire, other than a short bio.
Today, Dr. McGuire’s name — or nickname, “Johnny Mac” — turns up more results.
Try a million more.
There are video clips, interviews with media outlets and dozens of posts like “26 Reasons Why Johnny Mac Was the Best Big Brother 17 Houseguest” or “Can I Make A Dentist Appointment With John From ‘Big Brother 17’?” Also, Dr. McGuire’s Twitter account has more than 100,000 followers.
“It’s hectic. It’s crazy,” the 28 year-old said during a recent phone interview. “I had no idea it’d be like this when I got out (of the ‘Big Brother’ house).”
The Jefferson Twp. resident, along with 16 other people, were isolated from the outside world and lived under the watchful eye of “Big Brother” — a Los Angeles house equipped with 80 high-definition cameras and more than 100 microphones.
Contestants must use wit and strategy to survive periodic evictions in order to be the last remaining guest and win the grand prize of $500,000.
With a few close calls, Dr. McGuire survived most of the season until he was temporarily evicted during week nine. He won re-entry into the game, a recurring twist on “Big Brother,” and made it to week 13 before he was evicted for good.
Now back in his hometown, he usually garners attention wherever he goes. Even if someone isn’t familiar with the show, at least one person they’re with recognizes him, said Dr. McGuire.
“I used to live here and no one knows who you are,” he said. “And you come back and everyone knows who you are. It’s crazy, right?”
Fans of the show have made appointments at Keystone Dental Center with their favorite dentist and office manager Maria Domal said folks often drop by to get a glimpse of the reality star.
“He gladly goes out and takes photos (with visitors),” Ms. Domal said. “They just love him. They adore him.”
Dr. McGuire began watching “Survivor” during the show’s second season, which he says ultimately sparked his interest in “Big Brother.”
“I started watching season eight (of Big Brother) and that was it,” the self-proclaimed “BB super-fan” said. “I watched every (season) before that and every (season) after that.”
Dr. McGuire had been auditioning to be a contestant on the show for years. He submitted his first audition video online for season 15 of the show and continued to submit one video per season until he was finally chosen to be a contestant.
The houseguest selection process is secretive and Dr. McGuire can’t reveal too much information about being casted. His coworkers at the dental office thought he was going on vacation until the “Big Brother” cast was announced.
Ms. Domal said the other doctors at the practice took over Dr. McGuire’s patients while he was on the show.
“It was hard but we had to do it because the patients needed treatment,” she said, adding that the whole office faithfully tuned into to the show each week. “His patients missed him. We’re glad to have him back.”
During his time on the show, Dr. McGuire became a fan favorite. Known as “Johnny Mac,” he was goofy and full of personality, frequently providing one-liners during his video diaries that spawned internet memes.
The dentist, who regularly sported his alma mater’s gray Penn State hoodie, flew under the radar for much of the season, which came from years of studying the game.
“My plan going in was ‘don’t get paranoid’ and ‘don’t play so hard,’ because those are the people that go home after the loud mouths,” he said. “I was in there to play and I was so focused.”
Dr. McGuire’s attention to detail came in handy when he suspected the show’s “twin-twist.”
Identical twins, Liz and Julia Nolan, both of Miami, Florida, were houseguests on “Big Brother.” Unbeknownst to their fellow contestants, the twins took turns switching in and out of the house to fool the competition. Dr. McGuire used his dentistry skills acquired at Temple University to spot a crown on one sister’s tooth that was noticeably absent on the other’s.
CBS offers a 24-hour live feed of the house for fans to purchase. Due to cameras in the “Big Brother” house rolling at all times, contestants are not allowed to make any sort of noises, like playing instruments, singing or humming. Quoting movies or TV shows is also banned.
“It’s definitely a mental grind,” he said. “With the lack of mental stimulation, all you can do is plot.”
Contestants are completely cut off the outside world during their time on the show. Dr. McGuire missed many pop culture milestones including the FIFA Women’s World Cup and the premier of blockbuster “Jurassic World.”
Dr. McGuire was shocked when he heard someone talk about the Supreme Court’s legalization of same sex marriage.
“This has been a decades long struggle and they were so flippant about it because it happened so long ago,” he said.
Though Dr. McGuire adjusted to the isolation and constant watch by cameras, he still was aware of the nature of the show.
“Getting up to go to the bathroom at 5 a.m., you’re not thinking about it until you hear a camera following you,” he said, laughing. “It’s a little weird and you’re like ‘I’m just going to the bathroom. I don’t think anyone cares about this.’”
Fans did care about Dr. McGuire’s “showmance” with fellow houseguest Becky Burgess, a retail manager from Denver, Colorado.
The dentist said he and Ms. Burgess are “hanging out,” and she visited him in Scranton a few weeks ago. He’s working on meeting up with other contestants from the show when everyone’s busy schedules die down.
As far as his experience, Dr. McGuire has changed perspective on it since he has returned home.
“When I first got out of the house I was like ‘Hell no, I just wasted 90 days and I didn’t win anything,’” he said, laughing. “But as time goes by, I would go back. Even if I lost again, it would be worth it.”
Credits: thetimes-tribune.com
0 comments :
Post a Comment