Pimp My Ride Contestants Have Spoken Out About What The Show Is Really Like

It turns out the show that spawned one of our favourite memes (Yo dawg, for the uninitiated) didn’t quite play out in real life as it appeared to on the screen. Of course, the fact that a reality show stretches the word ‘reality’ a little (in some countries shows like these start with the notification ‘some scenes have been created for entertainment purposes’, after all) should hardly come as a surprise, but even so, the revelations are interesting.

Huffington Post got in touch with several ex-contestants of the show, who gave a much clearer picture of what it’s like to appear on Pimp My Ride. Jake Glazier, for instance, said that producers wanted him to break up with his girlfriend or somehow make sure she wasn’t a part of the show, as it would make a better storyline if he needed a fancier ride to make him seem more attractive to the opposite sex.

Another contestant - Seth Martino - claimed that producers dumped large amounts of candy under the seat of his pre-pimped Nissan Maxima, in an apparent attempt to poke fun at his weight. A third participant, Justin Dearinger, recalled how it took multiple takes - and some slightly aggressive words from Big Dane - before the programme makers were satisfied about how enthusiastic he was about the completed car.

The article also reveals that many of the modifications either didn’t work at all, or were removed immediately after filming had finished. A robotic arm in Martino’s car was little more than a prop, for example, while a pop-up champagne device in Dearinger’s Toyota Rav-4 was taken out to avoid the show appearing to condone drink driving. The car’s ‘drive-in-theatre’ feature was also binned for safety reasons.

Little attention was apparently paid to sorting out any mechanical issues the cars had prior to pimping. However, it’s worth noting that Pimp My Ride co-producer Larry Hochberg responded to this claim (and others), by saying that the dire condition of many of the cars made sorting them out mechanically a near-impossibility, something echoed by former Pimp My Ride casting director Nick Chiodini in comments made to Buzzfeed.

It’s important to note, though, that regardless of the bending of reality, the fat jokes and disappearing modifications, all three contestants enjoyed the whole experience. Wouldn’t you?

To read the full report, head over to Huffington Post.