Trevor Zero, business communication senior, and Patrick Carlson, political science junior, are lucky they’re thick-skinned.
Millions of people have seen them shirtless, dancing in the Curtain of Distraction with Olympian Michael Phelps. That’s not an exaggeration; the next day, SportsCenter’s video had more than a million views. Michael Phelps tweeted a picture (fully clothed, though) to his 1.5 million followers. Both boys said it was on their local TV stations at home; it’s even hit BBC, a British news network.
Internet trolls haven’t been the kindest.
“I understand that I’m not the smallest of people,” Carlson said as Zero laughed. “People can say whatever they want to, but I know who I am, and I’m happy about it. When I want to change it I can.”
Why change it, though, when he gets to meet an 18-time gold medal winner?
Zero said that on ESPN’s Twitter account, people were “bagging” on them.
“It’s a good thing that we were probably picked for this because I don’t care what people say about me,” he said. “It doesn’t matter to me at all.”
They don’t know why they were chosen to participate inside the curtain with Phelps, but they think their thick skin had something to do with it. Additionally, they said, they weren’t pushing associate athletic director Bill Kennedy, who helps run the 942 Crew, to put them in the curtain.
Zero said that he and Carlson handle themselves around celebrities well. They didn’t ask for pictures or autographs during their time with Phelps, and wanted him to enjoy the experience. Zero called it an improvement from the fans who bugged ASU alumus and current Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden for pictures when he had his jersey retired.
“We wanted (Phelps) to be in an environment where he had fun, he was comfortable and he wasn’t getting upset with people coming up and talking to him all the time,” Zero said.
Zero and Carlson have worked together a lot in the Curtain. Both have been part of the 942 Crew since their freshman years, working on the executive board together (which they downplayed, saying it’s an open forum that consists of about 50 members) and appearing in several skits together.
In fact, some of their favorites have included showing of their bodies. They both mentioned the Richard Simmons sketch as one of their favorites, in which they wore tight white tank tops and too-short, brightly-colored shorts. They’ve portrayed Chippendales dancers multiple times, including during the Phelps skit.
“If you put three guys that are cut in a Chippendales (outfit), it’ll be distracting, just because Michael Phelps is there, but it won’t be as humorous as having two fat dudes beside Michael Phelps,” Zero said.
Zero joined the 942 Crew in the spring of 2013 and was in the Crew when they invented the Curtain the following season. Originally from Pennsylvania, he said that he came to ASU because he wanted to go to a school in a Power Five conference, and placed high regards on the athletic department.
At the time, he was planning on majoring in architecture, and ASU stood out to him.
Zero's education plans have since changed, but his allegiance to ASU athletics has not.
Carlson never altered his education plan. He went to a local high school, his family has ASU alumni and the political science program is strong. He’s studying in hopes of going to law school.
Carlson said that his brother was one of the original members of the 942 Crew, prompting him to join.
“Him and I are kind of similar in the fact that we both love ASU sports,” he said. “When I joined in 2013-14, that was when we started the Curtain of Distraction, and it all went from there.
Since then, he’s performed as Santa, acted as part of a synchronized swim team and participated in aforementioned skits with Zero.
They’re both beginning to be recognized around campus. Zero mentioned that once, on a light rail, a non-student fan of ASU recognized him. They haven’t hit huge fame yet, though; it’s mainly social media presence from people they knew in high school.
“I haven’t used Facebook this much in a very long time,” Carlson said.
He woke up with texts from more than 40 people, all saying they saw him on different news stations. Zero said one of his friends called him from the East Coast and said he was on the local station.
“I was like ‘Holy crap, (I) couldn’t believe that,’” he said. “I expected it to be big, don’t get me wrong. But to this extent, I had no idea.”
They’re not looking to cash in on the fame; actually, Zero said it might hurt a job search in the business world. Instead, they’re looking for memories.
“It’s not like we’re getting rich off of it, so it’s not like it’s changing my life, but it’s a heck of a time, and it’s something that we’ll remember forever,” Zero said.
Related Links:
Guest column: 942 Crew, Curtain of Distraction benefit ASU
Sun Devil Spotlight: Curtain of Distraction working…or is it?
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