Ben Needs Someone To Spy on Mercedes

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Speaker 1: iHeart podcasts, bring you the ultimate Summer of love Tree. This is Famously Available. Hey, I'm your host, Ben Higgins, back with you on Famously Available and we are getting ready for mercedes jingle Ball blind date. So I think this is the perfect time for me to bring in someone that I love, that I trust, I do trust that I think is one of the best encouragers I've ever met for me personally, and I believe she can be an encourager to everyone she's around. She's going to be my reinforcements tonight, my eyes and ears on the ground. I'm bringing in no other than Famously Available Gal Kathy Swartz. Kathy, Hello, those.

00:00:46
Speaker 2: Are such kind words. Ben. Thanks. I'm glad to be here and be your.

00:00:49
Speaker 1: Spy now tonight. Kathy and Deanna are going to be my eyes and ears. You're going to be looking out for Mercedes on this date. Kathy, Okay, I got her. Will you agree to the terms that I'm offering.

00:01:03
Speaker 3: If it's protecting her from life and limb, I'm on it.

00:01:07
Speaker 1: You are going to be I mean, Mercedes has a lot of really close friends going to jingle Ball with her tonight, which is awesome and so Kathy. Really, what I want from you and Deanna is to be the eyes and ears, to be the watchful supporters, sometimes from a distance and sometimes up close. I need you paying attention to body language, the conversation that's happening, and how he mingles with others. Now, Mercedes has already told me, Kathy that something very attractive to her is when her dates can mingle with her friends. Well, so we got to watch for that.

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Speaker 2: Got it. I'm on it because.

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Speaker 4: He's coming in because it's like, you know, Katie, Jess, Gabby's going to be there too. Oh, and we're all in the same season. So I'm like, it'll be very telling how he like.

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Speaker 2: You know, Yeah, can I be his mother? Yes?

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Speaker 5: You got it?

00:02:01
Speaker 2: Girl actually holds doores?

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Speaker 5: What is that?

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Speaker 1: Oh? Yeah, you can yell at them. I would love for you to yell at them, Kathy. I would love for you to be the the antivity, y'all.

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Speaker 2: I gently encourage.

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Speaker 1: Okay, fair Mercedes uh talking to Kathy right now, as she will be the eyes and ears and also kind of the the spy on the ground, but strategically placed to also step in when she sees it's necessary and needed. What are some red flags that Kathy can be looking out for on this date and paying attention to.

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Speaker 6: Oh, like in me or him?

00:02:38
Speaker 1: I guess both.

00:02:40
Speaker 6: You yeah, zero, I don't know.

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Speaker 4: I feel like sometimes like my body language, you can tell if I'm like, someone else could come in the conversation, like maybe it's like it's awkward.

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Speaker 5: I don't know, so they I don't know. Maybe just like my body languige.

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Speaker 3: Okay, what do you do when you're nervous? What'ta be looking for? What do you do when you're feeling awkward or nervous?

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Speaker 5: Laugh a lot?

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Speaker 4: Like I think like someone will be like say something, I'll just like laugh just because I feel like that makes it feel better.

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Speaker 1: I don't know.

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Speaker 6: So maybe that I don't know.

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Speaker 3: That's good.

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Speaker 2: It's good ice breaker. Yeah, yeah, for sure.

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Speaker 5: I don't know other red flags. I don't know what's his red flag?

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Speaker 2: What's something that could end this before it gets started?

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Speaker 6: Ooh maybe?

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Speaker 4: I mean honestly, what if he gets there and he's like, you know, mingling doing his things and then doesn't give me the attention, like doesn't make me feel seen, I'll have a word with him.

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Speaker 1: Yeah okay, Yeah.

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Speaker 4: So that's that's the red flag that you got to be looking for. Make sure he's giving me attention.

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Speaker 2: Okay, got it.

00:03:39
Speaker 1: I trust Kathy when she says I will have a word with him, she will make sure this guy is on the straight note tonight. Now, Kathy, I need you to be slick like this is not an upfront like he doesn't need to know that. I've asked this of you and Deanna, but I need you to be slick. And I also, if you can, would you text me some pictures? Does it have to be the two of them together, even just some pictures and updates as the night goes on. Absolutely, I appreciate that. And you know we're gonna be strategically talking through the night about how things are going now. I think the two of you, because we have the ability to set this up beforehand, need a code word. So Mercedes, when you need Deanna or Kathy to step in, I think a code word would be really helpful, helpful or necessary, good or bad? Like she maybe you just need a break and you need somebody to distract him for a bit.

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Speaker 5: Yeah, that code word, Bell.

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Speaker 2: I don't know what what comes to mind for you. It's got to be something that you feel comfortable utter ring.

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Speaker 5: I don't know. I'm not good with coming up with stuff like this.

00:04:52
Speaker 6: I don't know.

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Speaker 1: I got it's not a code word, But Mercedes, I think you need to give Kathy a very clear wink when you need it, like just a nice little wink, because that can come off as you're just saying hey to Kathy or I'm saying hey, Kathy, Deanna, I need you to step in right now. But a nice wink is just a really kind you.

00:05:25
Speaker 4: Do.

00:05:31
Speaker 1: So this this is going to be a ton of fun and it is an event whether it's loud and there's a lot of people. Kathy, obviously you and Deanna are also participating with us in this whole experience when it comes to a first date. Kathy, Uh, what is your advice for Mercedes as she walks into these type of scenarios.

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Speaker 3: You mean specifically tonight, I think tonight's a good Yeah.

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Speaker 1: In general, I think it's.

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Speaker 3: Going to be a little different because there's it's going to be so many people there and loud. So if I were him, I'd probably be saying, hey, do you want to just step out in the hallway and just talk for a few minutes. I would do that if I were you, because otherwise, you know, you're just not going to be able to necessarily hear what you say.

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Speaker 6: Yeah, it'll be like chaotic too long.

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Speaker 3: You know, you just just long enough to see if he deserves a second date.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, tonight will be a hard place to have, Like it's a fun place to have a first day, I think, but it will be a hard place to have too high expectations of how much you're going to get to know about this guy because it is loud.

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Speaker 2: Come on, let's be honest.

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Speaker 3: When you see someone and you look him in the eye and you see his smile and how he's dressed and what he looks like, you're going to know whether you would really rather listen to the music or talk right.

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Speaker 6: Yeah, very true.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, the two of you have met how many times previous to this?

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Speaker 3: Just once before at Katie, Katy and Zach's wedding party.

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Speaker 1: At Katie and Zach's party.

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Speaker 6: Last week was very recent.

00:07:14
Speaker 1: Yeah, Mercedes, I probably should have asked for your consent before I asked Kathy to be your wing woman at this then are yes?

00:07:23
Speaker 6: One hundreds?

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Speaker 3: She is gorgeous and listen to any guy that doesn't just say, how did I get so lucky? Unless he decides he wants a cougar, in which case you're out, in which case, which in which case this experiment is over. That does lead me to a question, Kathy, for you. Obviously, you and Deanna are going to be there tonight, taking part in everything going on and having a blast. But will the two of you be keeping your eyes open for yourselves you think at this event?

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Speaker 2: Does that really require an answer that?

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Speaker 1: Yeah, he does.

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Speaker 3: Answer, But yes, always, I always have one eye in the present and one eye.

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Speaker 2: In the future.

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Speaker 5: Love that.

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Speaker 1: I think it's interesting, Kathy to be in the position you are with Mercedes. You guys have different tastes. Everybody does. But is there anything specific that you would be looking out for, Kathy from a distance when it comes to this guy that would maybe bring you a red flag?

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Speaker 2: Well, Mercedes said it.

00:08:29
Speaker 3: If he is not looking at you and trying to cultivate a relationship as best he can, if he's really busy, for example, talking to the other single girls and not spending time with you, that is a crimson waving red flag. Yes, he better be devoting his time and attention to you.

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Speaker 5: Yeah.

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Speaker 1: Well, and me, it'd be nice if you could listen to this because it is very simple tonight. There's not a lot of like hoops and things you have to do. All you have to do is just give, you know, to be curious about Mercedes, give her attention to see where this can go. There's nothing else. And if he doesn't, I would say that is a red flag.

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Speaker 5: Absolutely I would agree with that too.

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Speaker 2: And I would say it's here's your hat, what's your hurry.

00:09:18
Speaker 1: I hope you do, Kathy. I hope you don't have to do that, but I hope you would if that's the scenario that you get placed in tonight. I can't wait to hear how this all goes. It's going to be absolutely fantastic, Kathy. Before we close out, though, is there any updates on your love life as we talk?

00:09:37
Speaker 2: Not really.

00:09:38
Speaker 3: I mean I met a guy I think I talked to you about him, and it just it didn't He kind of went for the local girl, nice guy, but he decided Texas was a little too far away for him.

00:09:52
Speaker 1: Is long distance now, Mercedes? Kind of in the back of your mind after Boston?

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Speaker 6: Man, is it in the back of my mind?

00:09:59
Speaker 1: Yeah? Is it something that could be a problem for you or are you still open to it.

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Speaker 4: I'm still very open to it. I feel like it doesn't matter where you are. If you like each other, you're going to make it work. Yeah, it doesn't matter.

00:10:09
Speaker 2: You find a way.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, And because like because that was the same thing with Boston, Like he was like, oh the distance. But I'm like, okay, so you just like you weren't willing to make it work. We could have, but you didn't want to. And that's fine.

00:10:19
Speaker 6: Yeah, So like that's fun.

00:10:21
Speaker 2: Well, you know, you figured out as far as I'm concerned. Nice guy. But he didn't waste my time.

00:10:26
Speaker 6: I didn't waste his exactly. I that was one thing too.

00:10:29
Speaker 4: I think to him, I'm like, thank you for like doing this now rather than in six months when we're like, you know, deeper or whatever.

00:10:34
Speaker 3: Although I will say, being from Boston myself, you would love the city.

00:10:39
Speaker 2: I know.

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Speaker 4: I went there one time and I fell in love with it. I want to go back. But I'm like, not for him, yeah, no, by myself.

00:10:47
Speaker 1: This is going to be a night full of stories and we're going to be recapping him all here at Famously Available. I cannot wait for Kathy and Deanna to be the slick little supporters from the South on Mercedes Date. We'll be introducing Mercedes to her date tonight on the podcast, so make sure you tune in for that. These episodes will be coming out very very soon, and of course we're gonna get a full recap after the date to get all the details with all the parties that are involved. Mercedes, you just found out that you're meeting him on the podcast. How does that make you feel?

00:11:29
Speaker 3: Now?

00:11:29
Speaker 6: I'm nervous.

00:11:31
Speaker 4: I don't know why that made me more nervous than just like at iHeart or at the jingle bell.

00:11:36
Speaker 6: But it'll be fine, It'll be great.

00:11:38
Speaker 1: It's gonna be awesome. You are fantastic, Mercedes. You catch in a half. You guys go in, you know, stand tall and just enjoy an evening, because goodness gracious, I have a feeling that that guy is going to be like, how did I get so lucky?

00:11:56
Speaker 2: How did I get it'd be smart? That's exactly what he's gonna.

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Speaker 1: You're If he doesn't, then he's not smart and you don't need him.

00:12:03
Speaker 2: Anyways.

00:12:05
Speaker 1: This has been famously available. I've been ben and I am so excited for all the interviews. And content coming your way about jingle Ball and Mercedes Date. We are giving you the Listener the exclusive look into what a first date sounds like, feels like, and how it's experienced. And goodness gracious, what an opportunity. Until next time, I've been Ben