Joe Manganiello’s “25 Things You Don’t Know About”: crush killer or interesting?

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Back when I was dating, I had a rule to avoid guys who were so into Ayn Rand that they mentioned it on the first date. Like it was fine if they read some of her books, but if they read them and ascribed to her philosophy so thoroughly that they were preaching to me about it, that was a deal breaker. This was after a hot guy tried to pick me up at a bar and then proceeded to spend the next 40 minutes telling me about Objectivism like he was doing me a favor. From then on, I considered a strong interest in Rand a warning sign that the guy was annoying, and that rule served me well a couple of times afterwards.

(Disclosure: I read half of Atlas Shrugged at one point, but found it interminable. This was years ago, and maybe I didn’t “get” it.) So it’s disappointing to me that “True Blood” hottie Joe Manganiello just has to mention in his “25 Things You Don’t Know About Me” profile that The Fountainhead is his absolute favorite book. Really? He’s never read a better book than that? I don’t care what kind of abs he has, I’m getting a flashback to my 21 year-old self, stuck in the bar with that dude who looked promising until he tried to convert me to Rand’s “amazing” philosophy. I think I was so bored my mouth was hanging open. Mangy’s other 24 things seem to be about his various accomplishments, and it’s less interesting than boasting. Is he one of those guys who talks endlessly about himself? Maybe that’s unfair given that he’s supposed to do that here. Still, I’m not impressed.

1. I am excellent at knife-throwing.
2. My eyes are so bad, they can’t be corrected by laser surgery.
3. I made the junior Olympic volleyball team when I was 16.
4. I worked as a roadie for the rock band Goldfinger.
5. I was an altar boy.
6. I once planned on playing college basketball and joining the FBI.
7. I love Disneyland.
8. I was asked to skip two grades in elementary school but chose not to.
9. I shaved my head twice and got my front teeth pulled out for stage roles in college.
10. I sang backup on one of The Used’s albums.
11. I love karaoke.
12. My favorite city is Venice, Italy.
13. My favorite movie is Fight Club.
14. My first concert was Pantera.
15. I won third place in a chess tournament when I was 6.
16. I got a 750 on the mat portion of the SATs.
17. I am a die-hard Pittsburgh Steelers fan.
18. I trained as a boxer and was a sparring partner for an NHL player.
19. At age 16 I got paid to dress up like Captain Morgan at abrs.
20. My favorite play is A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennesse Williams.
21. Last summer, I caught a touchdown pass from Joe Montana in a charity game.
22. My favorite book is The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand.
23. I appeared full frontal nude in an off-Broadway play.
24. I have a bachelor of fine arts degree in classical theater.
25. When I was young, I prayed that God would turn me into a werewolf.

[From US Weekly, print edition, September 5, 2011]

The rest of the “25 Things” are mildly interesting. Like he seems like he’s had various interesting experiences. They sound braggy though, and I know that’s the nature of these lists but the posturing seems obvious to me. Maybe it’s the Rand connection, which that one guy ruined for me that fateful night. I hope he grew out of it. It strikes me that Manganiello hasn’t read much if that’s his favorite book of all time. Maybe Kaiser is right about him. Hot but dumb. I’m so team Eric now. I would still like to see full frontal pictures of the guy on stage though, if they exist.

Photo above is from from 8/23/11. He’s just not doing it for me anymore! (credit: Fame) He’s also show strategically trying to remove his sunglasses in London on 8/3/11. (credit: WENN) And shirtless from GQ

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73 Responses to “Joe Manganiello’s “25 Things You Don’t Know About”: crush killer or interesting?”

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  1. shawna says:

    I don’t know about the whole front teeth pulling thing, (or some of his answers really…) but dammmnnnn once I scrolled down and saw his pictures… he is seriously one sexy man!

  2. Katie says:

    He’s one of those guys that I think is very attractive, but for some reason just doesn’t do it for me, if that makes sense. Streetcar is also my favorite play so that’s a plus for him.

  3. Jamie says:

    IF he REALLY had his front teeth pulled out for college plays, he is an idiot, PERIOD!

  4. Tim Whatley says:

    No front teef? Um…yeah, I can’t get past that.

  5. Celebitchy says:

    @Jamie I thought that was dumb too! But maybe his teeth were messed up and he needed to get them replaced or something anyway. Weird.

  6. zephyr says:

    Rand’s books are turgid.

  7. GeekChic says:

    He definitely comes off as being full of himself and a braggart. Hotness killer, indeed. And having your teeth pulled out for a play? Really?

  8. cutelittlehappything says:

    Ugh. This guy is annoying as hell. He’s just listing off accomplishments, which sound made up. I’m surprised he wasn’t one of the first chess playing toothless guys in space! And does anyone else find the juxtoposition of 1 and 2 hilarious? “I’m good at throwing knives, but my eyes suck”. Ugh.

  9. amurph says:

    He does sound braggy – why the hell would he have to share not only the skipping grades part but the MAT score? He reminds me of those guys who get attention for their bodies (and sort of want that attention) and then turn around to prove just how they’re more than just muscles. Except not. As much as I like scruffy and dark and I find him attractive, he’s just eh in overall appeal.

  10. Abby S says:

    He’d be better on mute.

  11. LisaMarie says:

    So is he trying to convince the reader or himself that he’s an intellectual?

  12. LOVE ANGELINA says:

    “23. I appeared full frontal nude in an off-Broadway play.”

    Oh yea, that made my day.

  13. lucy2 says:

    He seems like kind of a dolt, but that’s about what I expected. Kind of hard to judge from one of those lists though.

  14. gee says:

    Boner killer 🙁

  15. Jennifer says:

    I followed him on twitter for awhile, but all he did was retweet links to articles about himself and those annoying “RT if you love your fans!!!” tweets. Seems to not have a lot to say except maybe what we “want” to hear.

  16. Adrien says:

    If you photoshop David Hasselfhoff to hell, that would be the result – Joe Manganiellos.

  17. Jen34 says:

    He has a smoking body, but his face does nothing for me. Give me the Viking.

  18. MorticiansDoItDeader says:

    14. My first concert was Pantera.

    ^ This alone makes him awesome!

    @celebitchy, I vote for the full frontal pic of Joe for HGF (but only if he’s sporting his front teeth).

  19. Amandahugandkiss says:

    Ugh. So testosteroney.

  20. Mia says:

    He does nothing for me. He is so full of himself. I totally picture him standing in front of a mirror, kissing his biceps, while saying “who’s a pretty boy? who’s a pretty boy?”

    No thanks!

  21. Quest says:

    I was turned off by the read but then I scrolled down and suddenly had the urge for Gelato…I can’t help it, boy looks good.

  22. CC says:

    I wouldn’t share a fraction of those tidbits, they just sound so lame. And make him sound like an idiot to even consider some of them noteworthy. And pulling out your teeth? WTF??? No play is worth risking health problems. Besides, teeth have blood vessels, so why would you risk messing with them unless the tooth was damaged? If he took healthy ones he’s just a dumbass.

    and seriously, what’s up with the True Blood actors that makes them seem eager to seem uhhh…. deep? They’re actors.

  23. magda says:

    “When I was young, I prayed that God would turn me into a werewolf”
    ugh. even if /which I doubt/, in the context of True Blood it sounds incredibly stupid

  24. Celebitchy says:

    Ok, that’s it we’re calling him Mangy now.

  25. dread pirate cuervo says:

    @Katie: I agree. I think he’s hot, but he just doesn’t do it for me. Given the chance, I would not jump on that. I probably wouldn’t even talk to him. & getting your teeth pulled? Why not just use that blackout glaze they sell for hillbilly costumes around Halloween? I also hate his huge honker, which is weird b/c I usually like big noses. It might be b/c I think the Alcide character on the show is an assh*le, but I just don’t like this dude at all.

  26. dread pirate cuervo says:

    @Mia: LMFAO!!!

  27. NancyMan says:

    With that body, I could forgive almost anything.

    I think.

  28. Bubbling says:

    What do you mean team Alex? Let’s just not separate them ever. True blood actors are perfect gang bang and that’s how they cast them too.

  29. cr says:

    I want to like him, but the Ayn Rand thing, that’s a deal breaker.

  30. garvels says:

    I believe the guy is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University-not exactly a school for idiots. He is not dumb,he is just doing what every other Hollywood star is doing-promoting himself.

  31. I'm In says:

    Fountainhead? Fight Club? I’m totally in! Of course, my husband may have some objections! Yes, he seems pretty “actory”, but I’d invite him to my next party and/or trip to Venice. Before kids, I read a ton (keep up best I can now with kindle) and I STILL find The Fountainhead to be an incredibly resonant book. I love the way she lays bare societal norms- exposing hypocrisy and jealousy that masquerades as “acceptable/decent” behavior – SO relevant today. I don’t agree with all Rand espouses (especially views on charity), but you can still appreciate her art. One of my fav quotes from fhead, “Mr. Roark, we’re alone here. Why don’t you tell me what you think of me? On any words you wish. No one will hear us.” and Roark replies, “But I don’t think of you.”

  32. Lindy says:

    CB!!! Cosign on the Rand thing. Uggity ugg. Not only does this work for potential dates, it works for potential friendships as well. I even use it as a criterion for keeping high school kids out of my snooty ivy league college. (The admissions office gets alums to do their interviewing for them all over the country, and every time some snot-nosed high school kid starts raving about Objectivism or *Atlas Shrugged* I smile, nod and then write up a blistering report for the admissions office. I’m a philosophy professor, people. This sh!t is NOT philosophy. It is *not* deep, or illuminating, or relevant or serious in any way.)

    I don’t even know who this guy is, but (1) the Fountainhead is an automatic turnoff, and (2) he looks like he’s trying too damn hard in every single picture. Like in that first picture, don’t you think he looks like Joey Tribbiani having an internal dialogue with himself about how to look hot for some cleavagey extra on his soap opera? I can almost hear “How YOU doin'” seeping out of the picture.

  33. Ron says:

    It seems like a desperate attempt to frame himself as smart. Honestly, He’s a piece of mancandy and that’s it, sorry Joey.

  34. Andria says:

    “I’m surprised he wasn’t one of the first chess playing toothless guys in space! ”

    I can’t stop laughing at this.

    He’s pretty, but he’s apparently annoying as f*ck.

  35. mia girl says:

    While reading the list I couldn’t help but think of Jon Lovitz playing the pathological liar character on SNL and saying “yeah, yeah” before each item on the list.

    The whole thing seems so random and boastful. I liked him better when I didn’t know 25 things about him.

  36. meilamon says:

    Add in his profile(the nose!)is not the most attractive, but it doesn’t deter me. I would climb that mountain in a heartbeat.

  37. sapphire says:

    Mangy is hotness personified, IMHO. But needs a ball gag.

  38. The Original Ashley says:

    Now I know why I don’t find him hot, I must have sensed his ego. That list was very braggy.

    Oh I’m In that might be another reason. I was in theater as a kid (I hated it) and that must be another vibe I’m getting from him. Can’t stand “thespians”.

  39. BellaLuna says:

    yeah theres nothing he could say that would stop me from hopping on, lol. I also loved the fountainhead, but not any of Rands other books

  40. The Original Ashley says:

    Lindy – geez cut them some slack they’re high school kids. Besides you don’t get into Philosophy until college. Most high school kids don’t have the mindset to grasp it.

  41. Az says:

    Ayn Rand AND Fight Club. That’s two strikes right there, I don’t care how hot he is.

  42. telesma says:

    The Fountainhead is a horrible book, but not nearly as horrible as Atlas Shrugged. I “got” Atlas Shrugged. I just thought it was very naive and riddled with horrid purple prose. It’s basically a 5th grade level introduction to a deeply flawed philosophy, and I found it nearly intolerable to read, but I slogged my way through it. You can’t argue with the idiots who think it’s awesome if you haven’t read it.

    Liking Fight Club is not so bad, I rather like that movie. However, his choice of reading leaves much to be desired. He’d get a lot more of the “smart guy” points he seems to be going for if he’d listed Fight Club as his favorite book and something else as his favorite movie.

  43. Mary Jane says:

    E’en in 7th grade when I HAD to read Ayn Rand’s shite, I knew it to be compleat and utter BULL-SWINKY! (Full disclosure: I couldn’t read past page 50!)
    I don’t know WHO this guy is, but he’s cute. Given this list, though, and it will not e’er happen.
    This list is almost more of a “panties-keep-on” than Mr. Momoa’s rape comments.

  44. Debsa says:

    Totally hot…

  45. garvels says:

    Lindy-Your comment does not bode well for an Ivy league education. Let me guess,you must be a trust fund baby.

  46. BrandyMc says:

    He is hot. I am a HUGE true blood fan…but I can not get past his nose. Way too huge for me, I will take Eric any day.

  47. John B. says:

    Well, he certainly is a hotty.

    The Fountainhead is a great classic of American literature and I honestly cannot understand how anyone could be turned off by it. I would certainly loose interest in anyone who felt that way after reading the book. I think it would reflect very badly on their character.

  48. ZenB!tch says:

    The teeth thing is kind of gross. The rest – I like metal, he likes metal…

  49. weeble says:

    He hasn’t ever done it for me. I wanted to like him, but he has a douchy face, and I can tell he is full of himself.

  50. cr says:

    John B, ‘great classic of American literature’, really? It’s wordy, badly written drivel trying to masquerade as some sort of philosophy. The philosophy being ‘how do I justify being an asshole’.

  51. Andria says:

    I lose interest in anyone who “looses” interest in people because they disagree with his well-educated opinions on American literature. THAT, Ms. Morrisette, is ironic.

  52. mia girl says:

    @cr Your comment… “The philosophy being ‘how do I justify being an asshole’…reminds me of that scene in Dirty Dancing when the douche waiter character tells Baby that “Some people count and some people don’t” and then hands her a copy of The Fountainhead.

  53. LittleDeadGrrl says:

    I rather liked both Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. Her point of view was clear and having lived through communism I get it from another perspective than people who haven’t lived through it. I don’t think they the end all of be all but I would list her as one of my top 20 authors.

    I find him mentioning his SAT scores a little bit of a braggart thing which I don’t find endearing. He doesn’t strike me as a very intelligent human being but everyone bragging about how they use a book to write someone off either from their school or as a friend/date is seriously snotty in my opinion. It’s one facet of a the person. I get CB’s thing, I don’t like being preached at on the first date but give me a break.

  54. cr says:

    LittleDeadGrrl, I used to study the Soviet Union, there are a heck of a lot better works about what it was like under Soviet communism. And she left in 1926, so she was lucky. Yes, communism was horrible, but her philosophy wasn’t really an improvement, more of a reactionary thing.
    I don’t dislike Joe M, but I think he’s trying too hard to look like he’s more than just an actor, that he’s smart too!!!

  55. Amelia says:

    I find him totally unattractive, dull and one of the worst actors I’ve ever seen. He’s like a plank of wood on True Blood. So he has muscles, so what? He’s way over pumped and ewwww waxed! I followed him on Twitter for a while and he came off as a total tool. Give me Skarsgard and Moyer any day of the week. They’re at least talented actors, and not bad on the eye besides.

  56. dj says:

    By his answers he sounds like he could not make a decision on “what he wanted to be when he grew up” and decided on acting as a fall back (e.g., chess, volleyball, boxing, FBI) yada, yada, yada. He still does it for me though — no talking here though.

  57. FYeahTeamAlcide says:

    Really guys? The list says “25 things you don’t know about me’. Besides it’s slumbook-ish, isn’t he supposed to list anything about himself?

    This list doesn’t really strike me as “full of himself” as much as you, judging him by his answers to a question that isn’t worth giving deep answers anyway, strike me as ignorant.

    • Lynn says:

      I totally agree. I dunno what’s the big deal about this. It doesn’t say “25 things you don’t know about my friends & family”… give the guy a break.

  58. Sue says:

    Lost me at Ayn Rand. I had a feeling he wasn’t very smart but this list prove it.

  59. YvetteW says:

    This guy is great when he is silent. 25 things is way too much talking.

  60. Snappyfish says:

    Pretensious….. Yawn

  61. Thea says:

    There is a reason that some men try too hard, just saying. He is a good looking man, but does not ooze any sex appeal if that makes any sense. I have seen uglier men make your panties moist. This one doesnt.

  62. G says:

    Of all the easy targets on his list, the one that turned me off was Ayn Rand. It totally changes the image I had of him.

  63. LittleDeadGrrl says:

    CR: I never said there weren’t better works of fiction on the societ union or communism. Her work told her story, her feelings, her experience, and I always rather identified with the few books I read. Of anything I’ve ever read her description seemed truest to me. There’s also a difference between studying something in school and living it.

    I had a friend who hated Steinbeck’s work and I have a friend who loves him. There’s nothing wrong with not liking an author but judging someone based on author they liked is snotty. I feel like Ayn Rand get’s shit because everyone thinks her works are full of “right wing” propoganda but I just never got that from her books. I didn’t read up on her philosophy (frankly because philosophy in general bores me) but her books seemed to convey more the message that you should live for yourself and not for society or what society tells you to do. I don’t see how that’s a bad message.

  64. nooooooo... says:

    Don’t care if he can act. Don’t care what he reads. Don’t care IF he can read. Doesn’t even need to talk, for that matter…sigh. ‘Scuse me while I go stare at the pics again.

  65. Grace says:

    I almost shouted “Yes!” when I read CB’s commentary about Ayn Rand lovers. I totally agree.

    But I have to disagree with you about his list. First of all, he’s obviously anything but dumb. Looks like he’s been a high achiever since grade school. It’s OK that he wants people to know that there’s more to him than his body and that he actually studied acting. He’s got to think about his future beyond True Blood.

  66. cr says:

    LittleDeadGirl, Rand’s ‘philosophy’ has had, and continues to have, an outsize influence on right wing politics. You may not get that (I’m glad it doesn’t influence you that way)but she does have an influence, and it’s not a nice one. She’s one of the excuses for borderline sociopathy her right wing followers use. Her ‘philosophy’ isn’t harmless, even though at the surface it may seem appealing.
    Do I think Joe is a libertarian/right wing sociopath? Nah. He comes across as as a pretty funny and nice guy. So perhaps he’s pulling out what he likes about it and not seeing how it has had a toxic influence on politics.

  67. lolo says:

    UGH! no man in his late 30s? 40s? should discuss his SAT scores!! This whole thing came off as douchey and braggy.

    ps – Joe: I got a better math SAT score than you 😉

  68. Pamela says:

    Ok! If u like janey evanovich and stephanie plum books, theres “one for the money” movie comin out fianlly in jan!! This guy joe manginello should have been casted as the hot italian cop joe morelli!!!!!!!! Its him!!! Katherine heigle is plays stephanie

  69. moi says:

    he got a “750 on the mat portion of the SAT” but I wonder what he got on the English portion.

  70. deehunny says:

    It seems that he got his literature choices from the 11th grade reading list

  71. Katie says:

    Randomly stumbled upon this. I had the pleasure of meeting him in Laguna a few weeks ago and he was such a nice guy! He actually got up and sang ” hungry like a wolf ” with my friends 80,s cover band . Exhibit a on why it’s not cool to be so quick to judge. He wasn’t just nice to me but EVERYONE. U would have never guessed he was a celebrity .