Joey Selfridge

Joey Selfridge as BadBoy

### Current Status

Unemployed, trying to revive BadBoy's Choice for a modern audience unsuccessfully.

### Succeeded by

Dave Smith

**Joey Selfridge** is a Canadian actor and promoter. He was the second person to play the role of BadBoy on the MuchMusic show BadBoy's Choice. He had to step down from the role after The California Summer Love Beach Party fiasco in which it was revealed that the show was not, in fact, filmed on Venice Beach. This incident ignited a scandal that would lead to the suicide of one of the producers. Joey Selfridge was the first BadBoy to be featured in a Domino's Pizza ad.

## Pre-BadBoy

Joseph Dean Selfridge Jr. was born October 17, 1978 in Victoria, BC, and grew up in Toronto. Before playing BadBoy, he was involved in the Toronto rave scene and would host parties. He was studying Television and Broadcasting when he was hired to be an intern for MuchMusic.

## Career as BadBoy

After the original BadBoy Michael Wharton left the show, MuchMusic production staff put out a casting call to replace him for the upcoming winter season. Casting directors for the show were impressed with Selfridge's energy and positive vibes, as well as his ability to pull off a Patois accent. He was hired in the fall of 1999, becoming a hit sensation and getting rave reviews for the 1999 Christmas special A Very BadBoy Christmas. "Mr. Selfridge embodies the party-guy energy of BadBoy - non-stop summer vibes even in the dead of winter!" wrote one Toronto Star journalist. Joey Selfridge was a huge advocate for more dance music to be featured on the show, leading to the hire of what would be the resident DJ, DJ BrimLow. Together they also set a world record for longest televised party in March 2000 as part of the network's Spring Break line up. He would also go on to host BadBoy's Summer Beach Party 2000 which is widely regarded as the greatest BadBoy party of all time.

Around this time Selfridge met his future wife Jessica, and they were married later that year in a BadBoy-themed ceremony.

## Work with Domino's

Selfridge was featured in several ads for Domino's, and even helped design a speciality BadBoy pizza for the company. The pizza, named simply "The BadBoy," was a regular thick crust pizza with pepperoni, pineapple, and hot banana peppers. It was advertised with the tagline "Not Too Spicy, Slightly Tropical, 100% BadBoy!" In one ad, Selfridge, playing BadBoy, exclaims "BadBoy loves to eat Domino's for breakfast!" The advertisement was heavily criticized by public-health groups as promoting an unhealthy diet for the nation's youth.

Domino's was the primary sponsor of the show itself, along with Sprite and BlockBuster Video.

## The California Summer Love Beach Party Incident

On July 19th 2000, BadBoy's choice broadcasted an event that claimed to be filmed live on Venice Beach in California, but due to several mistakes during broadcast, it was eventually revealed that that the show was actually pre-recorded at Lake Ontario. During the broadcast, it was pointed out that none of the palm trees were planted in the ground but were instead potted - in one brief cut a gardener could be seen tending to the trees. Locals from the nearby town confirmed suspicions when video tape of the event was leaked to CP24. Toronto press criticized the fabrication, with one publication calling the matter "a black spot on BadBoy's summer beach parties, and a stain on the brand." Soon afterwards a consumer watchdog group would file a lawsuit against MuchMusic and while the case was proceeding forward, one of the MuchMusic executives involved shot and killed himself in his home on July 30th 2000.

## Post-Television Career

Selfridge was fired from his position amid the fallout from the incident, and was reportedly infuriated by the decision. After several unsuccessful bids to MuchMusic to get his job back, he vowed he would continue as BadBoy on his own. He began throwing dance parties in full BadBoy character, but after being threatened with a lawsuit he was forced to change the character's name to CoolGuy and stop wearing a flame shirt. Attendance at his parties dropped significantly after this change. Selfridge was also dealt a blow when he lost all his BadBoy money by investing in MiniDiscs. Today, into his mid-40s, he ekes out a meagre living by continuing to flog the CoolGuy character through his sparsely-attended rave parties and semi-legal merchandise line. In an interview with his ex-wife she claimed he makes weekly phone calls to Domino's, in an attempt to regain his long lost sponsorship. "Joey just never got over the summer of 2000," she later said. "I don't think he ever really will."

In June of 2020 Joey Selfridge (as CoolGuy) hosted the CoolGuy's Hot Fun in the Sun Surf Bash 2020 livestream event.