Jeremy is a friend of Wes' and has been defending him on Fort...

Here is something I missed till I saw mention of it on JU. Jeremy has been posting over at FoRt (PunkyBachelor) and is an old friend of Wes'. Some are thinking he's the one that comes back at the Rc and proposes to Jillian. Anyway I have copied one post from Jeremy and what he has to say about Wes:

I have know Wes for 20 years. We grew up together. We were good friends growing up and we have kept in touch over the years. He is easy going and is very talented. He figured out pretty early on what he wanted to do with his life and country music has been his passion ever since.

I don't chime in much at all but I wanted to point out something important. He is getting the "everyone hates ...." edit. I am sure the guys got along with him. I am sure that he is just as close with them as other guys from other seasons are, but made to look as though they aren't. If you pay attention, most of the time when the guys are talking bad about him they don't actually mention his name. They say things like..."he's a dbag" or "I just don't think he is here for the right reasons". Those general comments are filmed and inserted about anyone as stock sound bites. They could have shown the guy saying that and flash a video of President Obama for context and people think...oh that's who he is talking about. Oddly enough people would start chatting about how much the guys don't like our president! Funny thing is, those guys were just repeating phrases for the producers so they could use them anytime, anywhere, on anyone. Other times, the guy was talking about someone else, but didn't use the guys name. Producers love that because then they can use it anywhere for anyone and just add something else for context. It's all about editing. Every now and then a guy will use someone's name in a comment. However, just as often, those guys are just giving sound bites because they know that will get aired. To illustrate the point, this entire paragraph you thought I was talking about Wes, merely because the preceding paragraph was about him. But, I didn't mention his name once (in this paragraph) so you were lead to believe I was. Editing and context directs your attention and controls your perception. Really is quite amazing what they can do! Or at least, how they can make things appear.

Knowing Wes they way I do, I can offer some insight. He speaks his mind. You won't find him running around behind the other guys whispering about them. He is direct. Honest. Loyal. And one of the funniest people I know. Girls find him very charming because he is a southern guy with manners but he also is quick to just be himself around anyone. There is no pretense about him.

So what if he brought his guitar on the show. They search for guys with talents to go on the show. The better the talent, the more they try to make the guys look like they are hating on him or that they are there for the wrong reasons. In the end, I find it interesting that people who support Jillian (or any "star" of the show) and then turn around and say that some guy went on the show for the wrong reason, don't see the inherent contradiction. On the one hand you say this girl is so amazing and so great, but then on the other hand you turn around and say that the guy couldn't possibly like her and must be there for the wrong reasons because he has something going on! Huh? If you like someone so much, don't you want them to be with someone who has the charisma and passion to be successfull in something they love?

It's the guys who go on the show claiming to be a pro in something and then give it up to become something else that I would be more concerned about (if I wanted to bother with giving anyone a hard time at all, which I don't). I think you will see that Wes continues with his passion with country music like he has for many years now.

Plus he has some good insights about what some of the bachelors snuck into the show like cell phones, laptops and books. Kath - he's a big Twilight fan and read 2 books he snuck in while doing the show. Hmmm... I may cave in and check them out - need some fun escapist stuff for my vacation....

Interesting post Zeds- But I still think Wes is a snake. Weird that he and Jeremy are friends.

Who's a big Twilight Fan? Jeremy?

They really are the perfect summer vacation books! Just make sure you're near a bookstore so you can buy the next one- they're addictive!

See you later in chat!

...maybe reading those books messed with his head and that's why he was so heartbroken over DeAnna?

zedsgrl wrote:...maybe reading those books messed with his head and that's why he was so heartbroken over DeAnna?

Haha Zeds, could be true!

Actually, it could also be true that Wes has been unfairly represented. Reality Steve thinks so. Check out his most recent blog.

http://www.realitysteve.com/

Actually Steve has some interesting stuff up on his site- an audio interview with Holly from Brad's season and one with Dee, Jeremy and Holly. Holly dated Jesse after Dee broke up with him and she also broke up with him. Now Holly and Dee are BFFs and supposedly Jesse hates that! (Reality Steve is a tool in the interviews but they are interesting.)

http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/archives/the_bachelorette_5/2009_Jul_03_ratings_jake_wes_ed

Well, Jake isn't backing down on what he said even now. Here's the latest from Reality Blurred:

Ratings up as Bachelorette 5’s Ed returns, Jake accuses Wes of having a secret girlfriend
The Bachelorette 5 July 3, 2009

The Bachelorette 5 is nearing its end—there are two more episodes until the reunion, and then the finale airs July 27—and while Jillian Harris’s quest for a man hasn’t yet come close to the drama that her suitor Jason Mesnick caused on The Bachelor 13, there have been interesting developments as one cast member has accused another—one who seems to be using the show for publicity—of having a secret girlfriend. And that happened while another contestant, Ed Swiderski, returned after having quit the show.

On Monday’s episode, one of the (current) four remaining contestants, Wes Hayden, was accused of having a girlfriend. A previously eliminated suitor named Jake returned to the show just to tell Jillian that Wes was secretly dating someone named Laurel. But Laurel Kaygay, who dated Wes in 2006 and also once dated Brad Womack, told People, “I’m absolutely not with Wes, nor would I be with Wes if he were going on a show to be with another girl. That’s absolutely crazy.”

Jake Pavelka still insists that Laurel and Wes dated, though, claiming that they “had an agreement, and this came from Wes. They had an agreement that they were going to put their relationship kind of on the back-burner so that he could go on there and sell CDs. I think Wes’ motivation is to move CDs. The guy’s smart. He’s real quick on his feet. He shouldn’t of even been on there. It’s hard for me to be real sympathetic about this situation, because I know 100% — 100% — that he and Laurel are together, and they were together during the show. I think it’s all an act, and I think Laurel’s in cahoots with him,” Jake told reporters after his elimination, according to Reality TV World.

Jake repeated that to People Thursday, saying Wes’ “biggest fear was making it far enough to go on overnight dates because that wasn’t okay with Laurel. Evidently she cleared [him] to kiss. I’m a God-fearing man and if I am mistaken or he didn’t tell me that, God can strike me down with lightning right now.”

Despite Jake telling Jillian about Wes, Jillian kept him, and she’s now defending her decision to keep Wes, telling fans on People.com, “I totally understand where you’re coming from though and I know how frustrating it is when you wish I could have seen what you’re seeing now (I feel your pain!) But if there is any consolation to you at all, it is that my promise still stands … I AM a smart girl, and I AM extremely happy with the final result. And the most important decision (which is the only one that really matters) was the right one!”

In other words, she seems to be saying, she won’t be picking Wes.

Meanwhile, Bachelor critic Reality Steve writes about the editing (in a post that ironically needs some editing itself) with the goal of “[educating] enough of you out there to where you stop believing the lies this show spreads on a weekly basis.” Among other things, he cites Wes’ claim on a radio show that, as Wes said, “a lot of what was said was either taken out of context or it was edited in with voice overs, on different subject matters,” an unethical practice known as Frankenbyting, where editors and producers use clips to construct fake or misleading dialogue.

Specifically, Wes claims that his statement about fame (“I can taste the fame, I can feel it”) came when producers asked about songwriting, and says they similarly edited the context out of his other statements that have turned him into this season’s villain.

There was also some minor controversy from Reality Steve about cast members being paid ringers, basically. Earlier this season, Chris Harrison took to EW.com to lament that “nobody is responsible or culpable for what they say or write on the Internet” and attack the rumor that producers “paid two of the guys $50,000 and guaranteed they would make it to the final four or three.” Steve responded and said that accusation is “something I never said. I said I know of two guys that turned down money to come on this season.”

In any case, all of this has translated to ratings; this summer, The Bachelorette 5 “remains one of the [networks’] few standouts,” Variety reported, as this Monday’s episode’s audience increased 17 percent from last week.

...supposedly Jake was dating Melissa Rycroft just before she went on Jason's season?! Can you believe that? What would have happened if she had been the next Bachelorette, right??? Would they have kept Jake? I haven't had a chance to listen to Jake's latest interview but here is the link from JU:

http://kstarcountry.com/pages/funnyFarm.html