For the photo, I asked him to take off his sunglasses, but I wanted to say, take off your shirt. Haha! Kidding. Not really.
We met at an outdoor French bistro in Encinitas. We talked about the show, of course, but the only thing I did not find out was whether Ed was cheating on Jillian. (Kiptyn claims not to know—other than the rose ceremonies, he never saw Ed in Spain or elsewhere after his return because they had separate hotels and flights.) I might have dug deeper, but it was hard to focus, what with all the Kiptynness that was in front of me. Sorry, girls. I just…I don’t know, I kept trying to figure out which was nicer, his personality or his body. I’m still
deciding. Both were exceedingly wow. Anyway, here’s how our conversation went. (This is VERY long. You’re welcome.) Enjoy!
Erin: What is the origin of “Kiptyn”?
Kiptyn: My parents just liked the name Kip, and the -tyn, my dad
wanted to make it unique. Or weird.
Erin: What did you guys do all day in the Bachelorette
house?
Kiptyn: When we weren’t filming, we’d hang out, drink, and
occasionally work out. We couldn’t have radio, music, TV, internet,
ipods, magazines, or books. At first I thought, I’m a grown-ass
man, I’m 30, but now I get it, that’s how you get to know people.
It’s forced interaction. That’s how stuff comes out. Someone could
fly under the radar for 2 months under a different situation—but
this way, it’s hard to hide true colors.
Erin: So like, you had to rely on each other for
entertainment? Like the pioneers?
Kiptyn: Sometimes we got creative. We would do a mock pre-fight
meet. ‘Let’s talk about this guy, against this guy,’ ridiculous
stuff. You get to know all the guys really quick, and then you get
to know Jillian really well, and I could just see who I could see
her with, or not. Like within a week, I could think of all my
female friends and which one of the guys I would set them up
with.
E: I thought guys didn’t think about setting people up
and stuff.
K: You’re forced to think 24 hours a day about compatibility. I
knew, but the question was, will she know?
See our tips: 8 Sex Moves Every Woman Should Try Once
E: Explain the term, “Man code.”
K: Man code is a couple of things. One is, if you’re going to say
something that will make a guy look bad, just don’t say it. The
other side, with reference to Dave, is to be real with guys.
Basically, be man enough that if you don’t want to do something, be
honest. Don’t put on a front to appease a guy or fit in. When Juan
didn’t take a shot, that got carried away on the show as this big
man code violation. The issue could’ve been handled differently.
Dave has a tattoo that says, “Death before Dishonor.” He is the
ultimate guy’s guy. To Dave, a violation of trust is the
ultimate.
E: Which bachelor would make the worst roommate and
why?
K: The worst? How about the best roommate?
E: Fine. You’re very positive. I can tell I won’t get
any dirt out of you.
K: Michael Stagliano. He’s funny. I couldn’t see him with Jillian,
but he was a good, respectable guy. Robbie is fun too.
E: During taping, did you think about the competition,
the way some guys bothered with Wes or Juan?
K: I didn’t. It’ll get in your head too much. You have to think
about your connection with Jillian. If her connection was with
someone else, then I knew I shouldn’t be there. It’s not a
competition; it’s about chemistry and compatibility. That’s where
people were mistaken. A lot of great guys went home early, but they
weren’t losers, they just weren’t the fit for that particular
girl.
E: What was up with Tanner’s foot fetish?
K: I wasn’t even really aware of it during the show, and he was
like my good buddy. He was funny. I knew he appreciated feet but
not to that extent.
E: Jake said nice guys finish last. Do you believe
this?
K: He was a nice guy. I don’t know if I totally agree with that. I
could use that as my excuse for why I didn’t get picked. Sometimes
nice guys finish last but you should never change yourself to get
the girl.
E: Let’s talk about Ed leaving. I sound like Chris
Harrison.
K: I got along with him. I didn’t want him to leave. It wasn’t a
competition for me. I wanted the best two people for Jill, and I
didn’t want to be that guy by default. I could sense she really had
feelings for him, and my ending up with her because he’s not there,
is not a win. You want the two most right people. When he came
back, I was glad, and if I went home because Ed came back, I’d be
glad about that, too.
See our tips: Secrets of Happy Couples (in 100 Words or Less)
E: What’s going on with Ed and Jillian? What do you
know?
K: They are still together. Today.
E: Who is going to be the next bachelor?
K: Mike Fleiss, the creator of the show, said last week that it
will be either Reid, Jake, or myself. I swear on my life I don’t
know.
E: Take your sunglasses off and tell me
that.
K [Takes glasses off]: They are talking to all of us and
they don’t know where it will go. I don’t think it will be me.
E: It probably also depends on what kind of talent is
applying to meet each Bachelor. Would you want to do
it?
K: I’d be open to the idea, but I have a few questions. I think
it’s a good opportunity because having been through the process, I
believe it can work.
E: When will we know?
K: I will know within the next couple weeks. Chris said it will be
announced within a month.
E: What if they edit you like crazy and you come out
looking like a jerk?
K: They can’t create [a jerk], you have to give them something to
work with.
E: What surprised you about Jillian?
K: A lot of things. Just her high energy, lust for life, a
go-for-it mentality. She could adapt to different situations and
she was low-maintenance. She’s a very strong woman. People
questioned her decisions, but they don’t know the background. It’s
about what she wants, not what America wants. She didn’t make any
decisions that I didn’t guess myself. I usually knew who was going
home. Even the Wes stuff, I got why she was into him.
See our tips: 10 Things He's Thinking When You're Naked
E: Thoughts on Wes?
K: Wes was a friend of mine on the show and I think he’s a better
guy than was shown. I wouldn’t hook him up with my own sister, but
he’s a good guy. He’s sarcastic, and that was miscommunicated on
the show. Not intentionally, but if you don’t see the background,
you don’t know.
E: What scenes were embarrassing for you to
watch?
K: The flamenco dancing and the tightrope were humbling. They
didn’t show [most of the tight rope]. Jill was laughing so hard,
and the more she laughed, the less I could do it. The flamenco
pants revealed everything. I was waiting for that episode. I was
thinking, ‘The whole world’s going to see my junk.’
E: Lucky for you, the pants were black. We couldn’t see
anything. After doing this show, are you burned out on dating, or
are you more serious about finding someone?
K: I’m not burned out on dating. I’m excited. I learned a lot from
the show. I know that sounds clichéd, but for the first time in my
life, I really sat and reflected on a daily basis how I felt. You
think about big picture things, and toward the end I stepped out
and went for it. I’ve never really done that before, but there’s
something liberating about that. You feel better about having
tried, and you learn. I have a better idea of who I would be
compatible with. Jill and I didn’t work out, but maybe it’s the
type of person I realize I want to have.
E: What is one quality or trait you look for in a
woman?
K: I tend to like active women and quirky women who go with the
flow.
E: Why do men always want a
spontaneous woman?
K: Men overuse or misuse that word. It probably really means
someone who is down to do anything at any time. If someone says,
“Let’s go to Vegas,” let’s do it. For us small bird-brained men,
that means spontaneous.
E: What is the biggest mistake women make on a first
date?
K: Not being themselves, putting on a front. I never want to like
someone because of something they’re not. I’d rather get the real
person, good or bad.
E: Well, what about TV? Are people being real on
TV?
K: Well, for me I was just dating Jillian, and I don’t think she
acts.
E: What did you do last night?
K: I w----d myself out for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. I was a live
auction item. I gave away a date. We ended up giving it to the top
2 bidders. It was flattering but amazing, too, and CFF is a great
organization.
E: How much were you worth?
K: $8,400.
E: No way! I better appreciate this lunch. What did the
girls look like?
K: One bidder bought it for her daughter who wasn’t there. And
another girl bid for her friend who was on the phone and couldn’t
be there.
E: Okay, for the diehards, let’s do some Kiptyn Trivia.
Favorite beer?
K: Karl
Strauss Amber Lager.
E: Angelina Jolie or Jennifer Aniston?
K: I’m going to go with Jennifer Aniston.
E: Favorite sport (to play)?
K: Surfing.
E: Longboard or shortboard?
K: Shortboard usually. Long when there are small waves—only when I
have to.
E: Boxers or briefs?
K: Boxer-briefs.
E: Favorite TV show?
K: Entourage.
E: Book?
K: I just read
Lone Survivor, by Marcus Luttrell.
E: How many hair products do you own?
K: One. I either use it or I don’t. It’s some CREW thing.
E: Do you go to chick flicks?
K: If I’m with a chick.
E: What about with your sister?
K: I don’t think my sister would watch one. But I’m secure in my
manhood. If it’s what the woman wants, I’ll do it for her.
E: What made you go on TV?
K: About 4 or 5 months after I’d been in my last relationship, a
friend called. He had given my name to a recruiter for The
Bachelorette. I said, “Thanks, but no thanks.” He said, “Well,
at least talk to the guy.” The guy said to throw my name in the
hat, keep the door open, think about it, so I did. Then 5 months
later, I’d had a lot of time to think about it, and I said, “Why
not?” I thought there was a small chance I’d end up falling for the
girl, but I would be true to myself, and I didn’t have anything to
lose.
--
Okay! So there you have it! I must say, over the course of our interview, it was fun watching Kiptyn get recognized. When he got up to get our food, hordes of women blitzed him and asked him for photos. He was very gracious. And at lunch, he shared his nicoise salad with me and even gave me some avocado to put in my turkey sandwich. What a guy!
What do you think? Will Kip be the next Bachelor? And don't you think we girls should have a woman code? I think we should stick together a bit more. Anyway, please leave a nice comment for Kip, and feel free to ask him a question. We might still be able to get some answers from him.
Related: What Does Your Zodiac Sign Say About Your Love Life?
MORE FROM SINGLE-ISH:
