Rudy wants to keep in touch with the queer
Oscar
Tom Netherland
richmond.com
Wednesday August 30, 2000
VIRGINIA BEACH -- Six months ago, Rudy Boesch was just another crotchety
fellow with grandchildren.
Today, he's everybody's favorite crusty character.
Boesch, 72, sailed to stardom as one of 16 cast members on the hit CBS
reality series, "Survivor." Up for grabs, a million bucks to the last
remaining member. During last Wednesday's finale, Richard Hatch came out
tall as the winner. According to Nielson, the show attracted a whopping 51.7
million viewers.
CBS and show producer Mark Burnett have its sequel planned. Set to debut
Super Bowl Sunday, Jan. 28, 2001, "Survivor 2: The Australian Outback"
culled more than 50,000 applications for would-be contestants.
Boesch, who finished third and took home $85,000 for coming in third on
"Survivor," won't be among them. He isn't allowed to apply, he said. Yet,
during the show's 13-week run, the former Navy SEAL built quite a name for
himself.
Yesterday, the 45-year veteran was the guest of honor at a welcome-home
party at Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base in Virginia Beach. About 5,000
yelping yahoos, some holding aloft "Rudy for President" signs, saluted
loudly for television's most unlikely star.
Tanned and looking fit, Boesch stood erect as the National Anthem was sung.
Then, Virginia Beach Mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf presented Boesch with a key
to the city, declared it "Rudy Boesch Day."
Boesch said that he never dreamed that a man such as he would have been
selected for such a high-profile show. But then he offers his own
explanation.
"There was a queer, [a] lesbian, [a] doctor and a hippie," he said. "They
needed one normal person and that was me." As for the food, which included
rats for some contestants, "I said to myself that before I'd eat a rat, I'd
eat me one of them girls."
Pure Rudy.
That's exactly what compelled Carolyn Cahill to drive down from
Fredericksburg to see and hear Boesch Tuesday night.
"He's so funny," she said. "I watched that show every Wednesday night.
Everybody had to be quiet. Everybody in the house liked it."
As the crowd chanted "Rudy! Rudy! Rudy!" he stood with his wife of 43 years,
Marge, seemingly unaffected by the attention.
"Now I know how Elvis felt," he said. "It's rough. I feel sorry for those
movie stars. Twenty years ago, who'd have ever thought I'd be friends with a
queer."
(Tom Netherland / richmond.com)
Three rather vocal "Survivor" fans show off their "Survivor" T-shirts and
their love for Rudy. From left, Amy Chudzinski, Va. Beach; Sarah Mansberger,
Morgantown, W.Va. and her sister Amanda, also of Morgantown.
Mayor Oberndorf looked about sheepishly as the modern-day Archie Bunker held
court. Navy Capt. Bob Shultz, however, beamed with pride.
"When I was born, Rudy had already been in the SEALs for eight years,"
Shultz said. "We in the teams call him the master chief. He was a celebrity
for us long before America discovered him."
As Boesch looked on, Shultz summed up the man who irks many, yet is beloved
by perhaps millions more.
"He tells the truth," Shultz said. "He speaks his mind. We're proud of him."
Then, in lieu of a speech, Boesch simply fielded questions for about a half
hour from those submitted by fans. To the delight of most, he didn't hold
back. Still, groans arose more than once - especially when the topic of
Richard Hatch, who's openly homosexual, was broached.
"My best friend was Richard, a queer," Boesch said as the crowd roared.
"Twenty years ago, who'd have ever thought I'd be friends with a queer. I
was friends with Richard for three days before I found out he was queer. He
was a nice guy. I'm gonna keep in touch."
Noticing a number of "Rudy for President" signs sprinkled about in the
crowd, Boesch remarked upon a recent meeting with his old SEALs buddy, Jesse
Ventura, now Minnesota's governor. Tongue-in-cheek, he told the former
wrestler that he'd like him to be his vice president, should he choose to
run.
"You people better watch out," Boesch said, "cause if we get in there, you'
ll think Hitler got reincarnated."
Groan went many in the crowd. But Boesch didn't blink.
When asked about how he'd come to apply for "Survivor" in the first place,
the candid curmudgeon didn't mince words. Not that he ever does.
"I seen a notice in the paper and I applied," he said. "I didn't have to ask
my wife. I told her I was goin'. She knows who's in charge."
Cheers mingled with groans. His wife, however, took it for what it's worth:
She fired back.
"He may be E-9 at the base," she said, "but I'm E-10 at home."
During the 30-minute press conference that followed his appearance at the
public rally, Boesch's wife said that her perception of her husband is
somewhat askew.
"I think maybe you haven't seen the tender side of him," she said. "He was
portrayed as crusty. He's not like that all the time."
Yet her smile said that yes, Rudy Boesch is often quite crusty.
But there's also no denying that he's a star. Perhaps even a superstar. He
doesn't plan to bow into the shadows, either. He's hired an agent to field
endorsement deals ("She's going crazy" over the offers they've received thus
far, he said), an appearance on CBS's military action drama "JAG" is in the
offing ("They want somebody to square away that staff admiral.") and he's
considering applying for a mission to Russia's Mir space station in Fall
2001.
But his 13-week stay on the island of Pulau Tiga remains fresh in his mind.
Ever the encrusted rascal, Boesch said he'd like to have seen a different
order to the way things were done on the island. See, he isn't accustomed to
being in anything less than a commanding role.
"The Navy was easier," he said. "I was master chief and everybody was below
me. If it had been up to me, everybody would have been at attention every
morning and they would have had haircuts."
Still, the stubble-haired Bronze Star recipient said he'd do it again. In a
second.
"Yeah, I would do "Survivor" again," he said. "But they won't let me. I know
too much."
Not that he's going anywhere. Though he said he and his wife will seek some
solitude in the days and months to come, his fans can expect to see him
again.
And just think, this time last year Rudy Boesch was just another graying
grandpa.
Only in America.
--
"If I ever meet you again in life, and you are lying on the side of the
road, dying of thirst, I will gladly walk away and leave you to the vultures
with no ill regrets".
--Survivor Susan Hawk
Bucky Fellini
<oscaris...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>http://richmond.com/output.cfm?ID=932189
>
[snip]
>Boesch said that he never dreamed that a man such as he would have been
>selected for such a high-profile show. But then he offers his own
>explanation.
>
>"There was a queer, [a] lesbian, [a] doctor and a hippie," he said. "They
>needed one normal person and that was me." As for the food, which included
>rats for some contestants, "I said to myself that before I'd eat a rat, I'd
>eat me one of them girls."
>
Wait a minute...Which one was the lesbian? That would put a different
spin on the 'who was Colleen covering for' debate, wouldn't it?
bucky_fellini
@trust-me.com
King of Golf
> spin on the 'who was Colleen covering for' debate, wouldn't it?
Sonja, so no.
Maureen Goldman
> Wait a minute...Which one was the lesbian? That would put a different
> spin on the 'who was Colleen covering for' debate, wouldn't it?
Sonja was the lesbian. Probably still is.
Dyablo617
Jeff Cowen
I'm not sure if she had a husband, but she was definitely out as a lesbian
according to news reports I read. The CBS site doesn't mention whether Dan is her
biological son, not that they'd have reason to. It does mention her involvement
in her local Unitarian Church, many of which are registered as "Welcoming
Congregations" that encourage gay membership.
It's too bad she was voted out so early [the first one off], it would've been
interesting to see how she interacted with Rich, Rudy, and Dirk, all Tagi
teammates of hers. As a breast cancer survivor, she might've also become an
inspiration to others who've been diagnosed with it.
- Jeff
Dyablo617 wrote:
> I dont think Sonja was the lesbian, wasnt she married? She talks about her son
--
Jeff Cowen \@ ^\
'98 Rans V-Rex \==-\-%
Waltham, MA () O
http://www.BlueSNAFU.com - v2.34
Dyablo617
tunned in late so I never got to see her on the Show:( They should have like
some sortof reunion or something who knows
- Mike
Jeff Cowen
No problem! You're in luck -- Survivor is supposed to be rebroadcast during the
Olympics. Make sure to catch the first episode if you want to see Sonja.
- Jeff
Dyablo617 wrote:
--
Bucky Fellini
wrote:
>> Wait a minute...Which one was the lesbian? That would put a different
>> spin on the 'who was Colleen covering for' debate, wouldn't it?
>
>Sonja, so no.
>
>
Ewww. I stand corrected.
bucky_fellini
@trust-me.com
BINKS
>according to news reports I read. The CBS site doesn't mention whether Dan
>is her
>biological son, not that they'd have reason to.
Both could be true: she could be a lesbian *and* have a biological son, you
know.
(Yeah, I realize I'm trolling, but I had to respond).
~binks
"Rogaine for Babies is like
confidence juice for the head."
Jeff Cowen
Lesbians can also avail themselves of IVF, turkey basters [more or less], and
"Big Chill" type favors from male friends. It's more complicated for gay men
who want a biological child, as they need to arrange for someone to carry the
baby.
Funny, biology doesn't mean a whole lot to me -- I hope to have children
someday, but it won't much matter whether they're biologically mine.
- Jeff
BINKS wrote:
> >I'm not sure if she had a husband, but she was definitely out as a lesbian
> >according to news reports I read. The CBS site doesn't mention whether Dan
> >is her
> >biological son, not that they'd have reason to.
>
> Both could be true: she could be a lesbian *and* have a biological son, you
> know.
> (Yeah, I realize I'm trolling, but I had to respond).
--
me...@tenderizer.com
says...
> Yes certainly, one of my good friends has a son from her former marriage.
> Lesbians can also avail themselves of IVF, turkey basters [more or less], and
> "Big Chill" type favors from male friends. It's more complicated for gay men
> who want a biological child, as they need to arrange for someone to carry the
> baby.
>
> Funny, biology doesn't mean a whole lot to me -- I hope to have children
> someday, but it won't much matter whether they're biologically mine.
>
> - Jeff
Well Jeff, if you're sticking your dink into somebody's asshole then I
suppose biology doesn't mean much to you, indeed. AIDS is one of the most
fair diseases on earth. Homosexual men know the risks, if they get sick,
it's almost always their fault. Let them die. That’s what happens to you
Jeff when biology doesn’t mean much to you - you die.
As for homosexual men raising children, it's gross, unnatural, perverted,
and against scripture. This is just another example of how a communist
government has hijacked America's culture. The majority are no longer
allowed to voice opinions on certain matters else being labeled a bigot,
racist, or homophobic. I'm sick of seeing the entire country manipulated
as if it was some sort of lab experiment. Americans have become guinea
pigs for communists and fags.
-----> Jeff, judging by your tendency to leap to assumption, you
probably think that I am religious because I mention scripture, but I
have never stated whether I am or not religious. In fact I haven’t said
anything that would allow you to put me in a group. I have only offered
opinion. I don’t think I have even mentioned my sex. I could be
gay/straight, black/white, rich/poor, Jew/Gentile... you get the idea.
Don’t assume! <-----
Btw, I didn't read the original post, but I wouldn't have referred to
Richard as "the queer". I know Richard has an older adopted son and I
suspect that I would be against it but I don't know the details nor will
I probably ever know the details over Richard's particular situation and
even if I did, the status of Richard’s relationship with his son no
matter how good or terrible it may be, wouldn't change my opinion over
whether gay men should adopt children because I'm dead set against it, in
almost all circumstances.
It's not right that some ppl keep referring to Richard as "the queer" or
"the fag". Richard doesn't deserve this disrespect as he seems like a
very credible fellow who doesn’t make his sexual orientation a problem
for the majority. Actually, I suspect that some of the so called "gay
bashers" are actually gay activists trying to stir up controversy and
create a false impression that there is more unjustified gay hatred than
there actually is.
Jeff Cowen
troll $hit. If you're hinting that you're really a gay person in disguise, then
you're still a fool. No sane person thinks the way to make a better world is by
inciting hatred. Either way you're a loser, suggest you get help and find
something productive to do with your life.
- Jeff
me...@tenderizer.com wrote:
> It's not right that some ppl keep referring to Richard as "the queer" or
> "the fag". Richard doesn't deserve this disrespect as he seems like a
> very credible fellow who doesn’t make his sexual orientation a problem
> for the majority. Actually, I suspect that some of the so called "gay
> bashers" are actually gay activists trying to stir up controversy and
> create a false impression that there is more unjustified gay hatred than
> there actually is.
--
Patty
: I'm not sure if she had a husband, but she was definitely out as a lesbian
: according to news reports I read. The CBS site doesn't mention whether Dan is her
: biological son, not that they'd have reason to. It does mention her involvement
: in her local Unitarian Church, many of which are registered as "Welcoming
: Congregations" that encourage gay membership.
:
: It's too bad she was voted out so early [the first one off], it would've been
: interesting to see how she interacted with Rich, Rudy, and Dirk, all Tagi
: teammates of hers. As a breast cancer survivor, she might've also become an
: inspiration to others who've been diagnosed with it.
:
: - Jeff
Sonja was unable to conceive and adopted her son, but she was married
at the time. She divorced two years later. Her son works as a technical
director at George Lucas' Industrial Light & Magic.
Jeff, enjoy your sense of humor. Don't let the creeps ever get you down.
Jeff Cowen
ask Alex about his NYC adventures. So being pro-gay isn't a big turn-on with women, but being a
feminist can, uh, open doors. :)
- Jeff
ZombyWoof wrote:
> I just figured it out. With all your references to needing a woman,
> you need to get laid. Quit hanging out with the lesbians and maybe
> you'll find somebody.
me...@tenderizer.com
says...
> Not bothering to respond to the earlier part of your post because it's the same old
> troll $hit. If you're hinting that you're really a gay person in disguise, then
> you're still a fool. No sane person thinks the way to make a better world is by
> inciting hatred. Either way you're a loser, suggest you get help and find
> something productive to do with your life.
>
> - Jeff
And I'm so glad that I did not respond to your invitation to explain my
perceived dichotomy because just as I suspected you can't seem to divorce
yourself from wanting to read assumptions into what I have written. As
far as inciting hatred is concerned, you're way off the mark. It is me
who has an open mind, and it is me who is rational. You have really said
nothing other than to criticize my opinions, offering no real opinions of
your own. In essence, you have become that what you fear most; a
complaining, insulting, spiteful, hateful jerk. Sorry for the insult but
again you started the ad hominems and sometimes people like you need to
be told to get their head out of their ass.
Jeff Cowen
homophobe." Either way you're going to have to go play mind games with somebody who's
interested in playing. There is no value to your messages, and you're welcome to regard
me similarly.
- Jeff
me...@tenderizer.com wrote:
> And I'm so glad that I did not respond to your invitation to explain my
> perceived dichotomy because just as I suspected you can't seem to divorce
> yourself from wanting to read assumptions into what I have written. As
> far as inciting hatred is concerned, you're way off the mark. It is me
> who has an open mind, and it is me who is rational. You have really said
> nothing other than to criticize my opinions, offering no real opinions of
> your own. In essence, you have become that what you fear most; a
> complaining, insulting, spiteful, hateful jerk. Sorry for the insult but
> again you started the ad hominems and sometimes people like you need to
> be told to get their head out of their ass.
--
me...@tenderizer.com
says...
You're ignorant in defeat Jeff. Shame on you! :-p
Stacy Simmons
Sonja obviously did not get the memo on I Corinthians 15:33.
Thank goodness!
Stacy
--
"When law and morality contradict each other the citizen has the cruel alternative of
either losing his sense of morality or losing his respect for the law."
--Frederick Bastiat
Ruth
<Blue...@mediaone.net> wrote:
> Lotta truth in that. <sigh> Then again, pro-choice escorting isn't the
worst way to meet women --
> ask Alex about his NYC adventures. So being pro-gay isn't a big turn-on
with women, but being a
> feminist can, uh, open doors. :)
>
> - Jeff
If I wasn't married I'd be after Jeff . But I am married and old enough to
be his...uh...older sister<sigh>. I find human rights activists to be
turn-ons.
Jeff Cowen
- Jeff
PS: My sister married a Unitarian, so this could work. ')
Ruth wrote:
> In article <39B292B5...@mediaone.net>, Jeff Cowen
>
> > Lotta truth in that. <sigh> Then again, pro-choice escorting isn't the
> worst way to meet women --
> > ask Alex about his NYC adventures. So being pro-gay isn't a big turn-on
> with women, but being a
> > feminist can, uh, open doors. :)
>
> If I wasn't married I'd be after Jeff . But I am married and old enough to
> be his...uh...older sister<sigh>. I find human rights activists to be
> turn-ons.
--
BLUESTUFF6
XYZ XYZee
Haleygale
>Who was the hippie that Rudy was referring to? Greg?
Kelly