In True Life: I'm a Fanboy, Travis hoped to escape his factory job by channeling his horror movie obsession into a career as a director. Below are two of his first attempts at making a film. The first, Don't S*** in the Woods, was meant to be a trailer for an 80s movie that doesn't exist. To try and get that authentic 80s feel, Travis shot it with an old VHS camera. ( He ultimately abandoned the movie when he realized the VHS looked too crappy even for his tastes.) The second movie, A Nightmare on Trav Street, marks the first film he's ever completed. It begins with Travis' brother, Kurt, doing an impression of an old interview with 80s teen star Corey Haim.

Don't S*** in the Woods

A Nightmare on Trav Street

One of the most worthwhile things about working on I’m Changing My Sex was being able to get an up close and personal view of the compelling and often misunderstood topic of transgenderism. The responses we received after we put out the casting call were overwhelming in a really wonderful way, and the transgender community was incredibly supportive of the show right from the beginning.

As we started to research the topic, we soon discovered that documenting the entire sex change process from start to finish would take much longer than the time we had to complete this project. We caught up with Elle and Ted during the very final stages of their transitions; in order for them to go through the surgical procedures that you see in the show, they first had to undergo intensive therapy and live full-time as the opposite gender for an entire year or more to be totally sure that they were ready to make such irreversible changes. And before going under the knife or even starting hormone therapy, both of them had to present their surgeons with letters from their therapists that stated that they did truly believe that they had what has been defined as gender dysphoria. To quote Elle, “It means that I’m not crazy. Basically all those things say … you’re not 'nuts,' you don’t have a 'brain tumor' pushing on your head that’s making you think you have gender identity disorder, my dog didn’t tell me to do it, I’m not getting told to do things from, you know, an alternate dimension…" These letters also gave them full approval to get medical treatment -- in the form of surgery or hormones.

What surprised us the most as we began filming was how determined both characters were to make these changes. Part of our job as producers is to capture all the ups and downs of making such a life-changing move, and before we started shooting, I think we automatically expected them to go through some kind of period of doubt or questioning about having these major surgeries. We expected someone to break down, or panic that maybe surgery wouldn’t fix the underlying unhappiness. That never happened. Both Elle and Ted were, as Ted said after his consultation, “full steam ahead” and had “no second thoughts” about surgery whatsoever. And their resolve made a lot more sense to us once we got to know them and realized that this was not just a medical procedure to them. This was a way to finally allow them to show off on the outside who they truly were on the inside –- and, in fact, nothing on the inside was changing. In the end, it was really inspirational to watch these two fight for the chance to feel comfortable in their own skin for the first time. They really deserved it.

--True Life: I'm Changing My Sex producers, Dani & Roopa

Tonight's True Life: I'm Polyamorous introduced you to Kerry, a college student who's dating experienced polyamorist Diana. Both women have chosen to break the standard rules of dating in America, and they'd like to reach out to viewers interested in learning more. Check out their blog posts below and get their contact info...

Diana
The decision to share my polyamorous life with millions of people on MTV was scary because being non-monogamous is taboo. I don’t think polyamory is right for everyone and I respect monogamous relationships, but I’ve found that having more than one partner is really right for me.

I told my story so that young people will realize that there are many choices in relationships, love and family style. Breaking the rules about what love should look like and then sharing that with the world is risky, but being fearlessly open to the world also feels incredibly freeing!

When I was a teenager in a small town, I remember seeing lesbians on television and realizing there were other people like me in the world. I hope with this show we have helped young people realize that monogamy and marriage are choices and that there are other options for creating healthy relationships. I urge all of you to remember that you are independent and powerful. You have an identity beyond having a boyfriend or girlfriend, so stay true to yourself and never be afraid to speak up about what you want.

If you are curious to learn more about relationship choices and polyamory, join the club! If you sign up for my mailing list at feministoutlaw.com, I will send a list of suggested books and websites, a ‘Best Relationship for You’ Quiz, blog entries updating everyone on my relationship with Kerry and an invitation to a free phone workshop with us so you can ask questions from anywhere in the country.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Kerry

Feel free to reach out to me at warriorwoman4love@gmail.com, plus join discussions and read updates about my journey as a polyamorous individual at warriorwoman4love.blogspot.com. Also, you can support my activism with Diana Adams by joining her mailing list at feministoutlaw.com and checking for news on our upcoming Polyamory Telephone Workshop, which will be designed around questions asked by you! I look forward to continuing this journey with you while working to organize the poly community and empowering each other to create and live the lives of our dreams! <3

I want to give a special thank you to everyone who was involved in the production of True Life: I’m Polyamorous. We could not have done it without you!

Diana Adams, Ed Vessel, Alex Shtirberg; Tantra Instructor: Kamala Devi partnerplayshop.com; Stylist: Kerry Webber; Costumes: Jesse Klein, Kae Burke, Anya Sapozhnikova and Third Earth Designs by Tara McManus; Makeup: Perry Foulke; Photographer: Sam Elijah; Performers: SheDick www.myspace.com/shedickband, Jessica Delfino, Anita Cookie, Jezebel Express, Robin Renee, Matty of Pixie Harlots, Morph's Saru; Aerialist: Jordann Baker www.theskybox.org and www.houseofyes.org; Jasmine, Iman, Marisa, Maria, Najva, Schyler, Lauren, Buck, Michelle, Justen, Lyndell and many more!

Love, Kerry

On tonight's True Life: I'm Polyamorous, you met Jim, who lives in one house with his two boyfriends. We were curious about how the guys have been doing since filming wrapped, so we reached out to Jim with a few questions, like whether their fourth potential bf Jeremy solved the jealousy issues. Check out his video blog below for an update!

Got your own questions for Jim? Hit him up at any of these places:

facebook.com/jimreligion
twitter.com/jimreligion
myspace.com
youtube.com
e-mail: jimmtv@gmail.com

In honor of tonight's True Life (True Life: I'm Having Twins), we thought we'd round up a list of Hollywood's most famous birthday-sharing siblings. But after a few minutes of brainstorming, we realized that wasn't as easy as it sounds. Sure, we've all heard of the Olsens, The Veronicas and Good Charlotte brothers Benji and Joel Madden. But most of the twins we dug up were celebs with nonfamous twinsies (like Jon Heder, Ashton Kutcher and Alanis Morissette)!

+ Think you can come up with any famous pairs (Jason and Jeremy London, Tia and Tamara Mowry) that we forgot? Tell us your fave twosome (ours is still Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito!) then read up on all the celebs mommies who are seeing double.

Drew Barrymore, Queen Latifah and Sharon Osbourne are among the more high-profile women who elected to have reduction mammaplasty (or breast reduction surgery). But here's something you may not know: the procedure is growing increasingly common for men! A new report in the UK's Female First (citing the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons) reveals some even more shocking statistics:

Read more...

On today's True Life, we met some youngish men who were down in the dumps about losing their hair. And while we ladies totally understand what it's like to feel insecure about our physical appearance, we don't really think there's a reason to be ashamed of going bald. There are plenty of hot people without a full head of hair! Here are our top six:

Clockwise from top left: Chris Daughtry, Vin Diesel, Taye Diggs, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Natalie Portman, Jason Statham (Seriously, who wants to look at this guy's head?).

+ What's your opinion? Do you think bald is beautiful, or is it only cool on celebrities with slammin' bodies? You tell us: Does the hair make the man?

"C" might be average in academics, but when it comes to bra size, there are plenty of ladies who'd do anything NOT to get straight A's. Still, for every friend we have who thinks she's too flatchested we've got another two or three convinced their cups runneth over.

Today’s True Life showed us it’s not always easy to love the skin you’re in. But we think beauty has less to do with whether you’re a Bosomy Betty (or a Teeny Tina!) than it does with self-confidence.

Think everyone’s over-obsessing about cleavage? Or are mammary glands truly the must-have accessory for this (and every) season? Take the poll and help us settle this once and for all!

After working on several True Life documentaries, there was something especially unique (and challenging) during the production on this one: it was almost impossible to anticipate how things would end.

While filming with Amanda, the struggle between the father of the baby, Rob, and her was a deeply emotional experience, and I found my own personal opinions being challenged quite frequently. It really is impossible to explain how hard of a decision Amanda and Rob had to make. Up until the last few months of filming, we assumed that the fate of the adoption would hinge on Rob’s decision and couldn’t believe our ears when Amanda told us that she had changed her mind to parent the baby due to her own doubts. It was really hard to keep our emotions to ourselves and stay neutral (as to not influence or change Amanda’s story in any way). We were, of course, happy for Amanda and Rob, but also deeply heartbroken for the prospective adoptive parents, Cliff and Conio.

It was an incredibly humbling experience filming with Amanda, Rob, Cliff and Conio. The amount of pressure and emotional stress they have all had to go through (and continue to go through still) is unfathomable. I learned so much and am so grateful to them for letting us into their lives and allowing us to share their experiences.
-- Hagan, True Life Producer

Check out updates from Amanda, Rob, Cliff and Conio and watch a deleted scene from the episode after the jump!

Amanda
Making the decision to not give my baby up for adoption was very difficult. The struggle I had with Rob, and the struggle I had with myself in the end was just too much to handle. Also, in the end my girlfriend was having second thoughts about the whole thing and that was completely a deal breaker for me.
Read more...

Working on True Life: I’m Placing My Baby For Adoption was an experience I will never forget. Kayla, Dale and Michaela allowed us to be present during the most personal moments of their lives. We were able to film very emotional and revealing conversations that truly represent the process Kayla went through. It was amazing how honest she was with us about the feelings she experienced during this time.

The highly emotional aspect of this episode was the biggest challenge. After Bella was born, I was surprised when Kayla started to doubt whether she could do the adoption or not. I quickly learned that choosing adoption is a decision that some birth mothers have to make twice -- before and after the baby is born. Of course, we did not tell Kayla what we thought was the right thing for her to do.

I spent over 30 days with Kayla on location and filmed just over 100 hours of her story. It was one of true inspiration and I'm very grateful she let us capture it.
-- Petra, True Life Producer

Check out updates from Kayla, Dale and Michaela and watch a deleted scene from the episode after the jump!

Kayla
My life has been going well since filming ended. I've been going to school to get my GED so that I can attend college. I've also been making friends and getting lots of tattoos. Bella is doing good -- she is so big now. I feel bad cause I'm not the person who gets to watch her grow. Still, I've been sober for over a year and I'm hoping to one day meet a good guy and have more babies.
Read more...