An Interview With ThatTuggLife

Blabbering Collector: How did you get into Geeks + Gamers?

ThatTuggLife: Before Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker came out, I was on Reddit, and one user leaked a whole bunch of information, like the Rey and Kylo kiss, Rey’s yellow lightsaber, the two lightsabers, Luke and Leia’s Force Ghosts, basically the entire ending was leaked… and everyone had been complaining about it already, and I was in a rampage mode from seeing all the SW producers calling us names, going after fans, like Pablo Hidalgo… I was just done and over it! So I posted all the leaks on Twitter.

I was like, “Spoilers, this is what I found on Reddit!” I tagged Anna and Jeremy, not so that I could get their attention on me personally, but because I knew they would be the ones who could get the information out there because they have such a big platform. It just spiraled from there. I was raging 24/7 and Jeremy was like, “Who the heck is this chick?”

So, come January 2020, Jay and I were already friends, and he was discussing the possibility of a theme park channel. So he started that channel, and Jay was constantly tweeting things out with embarrassing typos, which he still does… anyway, for whatever reason, Jeremy reached out to me and asked me to be part of Geeks + Gamers. It was the happiest days of my life! I think Jay had recommended me because I always wanted to do something with theme parks because I just love them! I get to make content and do things that I love! So I helped Jay start Park Hoppin’.

BC: What is Pour Choices? How did Pour Choices come to fruition?

T:  Fruition? That’s a big word for Elmo. I don’t remember the exact details, but X-ray Girl and I came up with it because we both loved The Bachelor and all the guys had their sports channels and their yelling, fighting, and pop culture stuff… and it was just exhausting. And X-ray knows nothing about pop culture, so we were like, “Let’s try this and see how it goes.” We talked to Jeremy and he was like, “It can’t hurt to try,” and now we are at over 2,000 subs, and we are monetized, and it’s bananas! Now, it’s turned into this relationship channel more than a reality show channel.

It was called Pour Choices because we like wine. We just sip and chill! I love it; it’s just awesome. It’s just a nice break from negativity. You learn other people’s points of views in regards to relationships.

BC: Who thought of the title? You or X-ray?

T: I think X-ray came up with it. I honestly can’t remember, but it was kind of a blur. But I think she did!

BC: I’m interviewing her soon; I can ask her then! What is it about The Bachelor and shows like it that appeals to you? What do you think is the appeal in general?

T: Oooooo.

BC: This is from Alex.

T: Of course it is; he’s always philosophical. I think the appeal, in general, is the drama of it. People love the drama. I don’t like being in the drama; I love watching from afar. You kind of get to live vicariously through these extravagant dates, and watching it for over the last twenty years has been like, “Ooo, I do that; I shouldn’t do that.” Or “He does that, and I don’t like that.”

You see a little bit of yourself in some of these personalities on TV, and you’re like, “Oh no! Is that something I do?” Or my friends will be like, “You do that!” I think it shows that so many of us nowadays are so desperate for love that we are willing to go on these shows to try and find it rather than the old fashioned way. I love love, so I’m always rooting for everyone to make it work.

BC: You’re an optimist; I like that. NSYNC or Backstreet Boys?

T: Backstreet Boys. Always. Backstreet Boys forever. Brian, call me!

BC: What are your goals for 2022? This can include G+G and your personal Twitch!

T:  Ohhhhh. To be honest, I’ve been so busy working on internal stuff that I haven’t even thought about external stuff. My internal goals would be to get it together. All of it together. Trauma healing, whatever. Outwards, I’ve started to hit the gym again. I want to lose ten pounds, but also gain muscle; I want to update my diet to more healthier options… I say that as I drink wine.

I’m trying to get my Twitch partnered, but it’s not something I’m pushing really hard, just because the viewership is around forty average, and it’s driving me bananas! I’m doing some charity streams (on June 10th), and one of my goals is for that raise as much money as the first one that I did. I’ll just be happy if we make as much as we did last time, which was around $1,500. That would be great. I want to do more with Park Hoppin’; I got in way over my head in the last year, and that was my fault. I want to get back into the rhythm because I do miss it a lot! Maybe find love, that would be nice!

As for Pour Choices, I basically want it to continue to grow. It’s evolved from what it started out as and is doing really well, and I want to see it continue to do so!

BC: Favorite thing about joining G+G?

T:  The people! I’ve met so many amazing people, and a few not so amazing, but I love meeting people and making new friends. My friends are my family; my blood family isn’t really my family. So my friends are my chosen family. And I love new people! I love you, Blabs! You’re so perky.

BC: Oh Thanks! You’re such an optimist; I love it. We need more of that. If Jonny asked you to make him a sandwich right now, what would you make?

T:

 

BC: What do you watch on YouTube?

T:  A lot of DIY videos! My latest search was about Twitch. I needed help with a layout; I couldn’t set it up. I watch a lot of the G+G videos, movie trailers, ambience playlists like jazz for work. If I’m searching for something, it’s usually always “how to do” videos because I need help and don’t know what I’m doing.

BC: If you could bring any character with you on an adventure, who would you bring?

T:  Rick O’Connell from The Mummy. Mhm. Yep. Because one, he can protect me. Two, he likes to drink. He is willing to get down and dirty with some bugs and dirt. Like, yeah, we are going on an adventure. I’ll make sandwiches.

BC: Do you like to collect? If so, what? Do you have a main focus?

T: I guess my theme is probably Star Wars, but I don’t have a focus. I have artwork, pops, novels, the DVDs, and t-shirts. If I see something and I like it, I buy it!

Photo above is a collage of some of Tuggs’ collection.

BC: What’s the story with the TV behind you?

T: Oh, this bad boy? It’s about 25 years old and weighs about 200 pounds. It’s not moving anywhere. I want to rearrange my desk but I can’t move it! It works, though. I play Nintendo64 and watch old VHS tapes. I always buy a Blu-Ray and DVD combo when I buy movies so I can watch the Blu-Ray downstairs and the DVDs on this! Like today, I was watching Gargoyles, the TV show, whilst I was streaming.

BC: Yeah, I always wondered why you had a big ass old TV behind you! What is your favorite era of Star Wars and why?

T: For nostalgia reasoning, the original trilogy, just because I experienced it with my dad. I was a prequels kid and I love them; I was 11 or so when Phantom Menace came out. But I originally saw the original trilogy when the twentieth anniversary specials came out in 1997. All I could hear growing up was Star Wars – how he went to see them when they came out and all the girls would be like, “Oh my God, Star Wars, who cares?” and the guys would be like, “Yeah, Star Wars, guns, spaceships woo!”

He had said that it was the only time in the theater with that Avengers: Endgame-like feeling, where everyone arrives through the portal, and everyone in the theater is hyped! Star Wars started that hype. When Darth Vader arrived on screen, people were throwing their drinks, standing up, and booing him. This was fresh off of WWII and the Vietnam War, and Vader was a dictator. So you had the older people thinking, “Oh my God, he is like space Hitler,” and everyone hated him! My dad would continue on by telling me that the line to the movies would be around the corner, and Han Solo was just so cool, and all the girls fell in love with him.

And my dad isn’t someone who owns the movies or anything, so we couldn’t watch them. So when they were released for the twentieth, my dad took me. And I got to watch them in theaters with him, and he got to see me react to them in theaters like he did. He saw me bawl my eyes out at the end of Empire Strikes Back when Han Solo is captured and frozen, as Han was one of my favorite characters. He would tell me, “It’s going to be okay!” And I would be like, “No, it isn’t!”

The original trilogy is just my favorite because of this. It’s his fault. Anytime he makes fun of me over my obsession with Star Wars, I just say, “It’s literally your fault!” So we saw the prequels together, and when we saw Phantom Menace, he was like, “This is literally the dumbest film I’ve ever seen in my life,” and I was like, “Oh my God, this is great!” We went and saw The Force Awakens together too.

BC: Did he like The Force Awakens?

T: He did! And you know, I’ll be honest with you, the first time I saw it, I did too.

BC: I did, too.

T: There was some sort of plan there. Yeah, it was a rehash of the original film, but there was a plan there; he had an idea of where he wanted to go with it. But then Rian Johnson came in and *obscene noises* all over it. I saw it a couple times during its release with various friends, and after the fourth time watching it, I just got so mad at how they treated the original characters. They reverted every character back to what they were like in the first film.

The story didn’t bother me so much, but the regression did. Han Solo is, like, sixty years old now; why would he revert? As a whole, though, it’s the least of the three sequel films that offend me. So, yeah, my dad did like it, but then I told him what happened to Luke in the next film and he was like, “Absolutely not.”

BC: Yeah, I agree. Han had a wife and a kid; he wouldn’t leave them. What kinds of video games do you like most?

T: RPGs, probably. I could probably spend the rest of my life playing The Witcher.

BC: Just picture yourself with Henry Cavill. Do you try to find a balance between games you like and games people want to see when streaming?

T: I think so. I haven’t had any complaints about the games I’ve been streaming: Fortnite, Fallen Order, Elden Ring, Mario Kart…

BC: What are your favorite horror movies? What kinds of horror movies most appeal to you?

T: Well, as someone who has played Martha Is Dead, clearly psychological thrillers are my thing! I like a little bit of everything, I think…  ones that make you think, your slasher ones… I really love the Saw movies because they are realistic, minus the excessive gore. They used traps that were real! They make you think, like, “What would I do in this situation? Would I be one of Jigsaw’s victim? Do I take my life for granted?” Paranormal Activity scared the absolute pee out of me. Yeah, I like a little bit of everything.

BC: Anything you would like to say to your viewers and followers?

T: Awwwww! I love you guys so much! I know that sounds corny and cheesy, but I’m so grateful for all of you, honestly. I don’t know why you watch me, but I appreciate it, all the support. I think about you guys and I’m like, “Gosh, these people just hang out with me for hours at a time, and they don’t really know a whole lot about me, as I try to keep my life as private as I can, but they don’t care!” We hang out, we laugh, we make dirty jokes, and talk about life… and I dunno, I’m just really grateful that they are a part of my life.

Speed Round – Short Answers Only

BC: Favorite film?

T: Oh, snap. Oh, God. Uhhhhh! The Mummy!

BC: DC or Marvel?

T: DC.

BC:  Favorite color?

T: Purple.

BC: Celebrity crush?

T: *Giggles* You’re mean! Henry Cavill. Uhhh. Brendan Fraser! I don’t know!

BC: Lightsaber color?

T: Purple.

BC: Hogwarts house?

T: Hufflepuff.

BC: Favorite Star Wars Expanded Universe book?

T: The Courtship of Princess Leia.

BC: What is your ringtone?

T: Oh God, what is my ringtone? I think it is the Wonder Woman ringtone from Batman v. Superman.

BC: Mine’s the Austin Powers theme. Finish the sentence: “How much wood could a woodchuck chuck…….”

T: If a woodchuck could chuck wood!

BC: Look into the camera and tell me your favorite pickup line.

T:

BC: Favorite Star Wars character?

T: Ooooooo, mean! Luke.

BC: Favorite doughnut?

T: Uhhhh, I’m so boring – I like the plain one! Literally the plain one, no glaze!

BC: Favorite show?

T: Firefly.

BC: Favorite video game?

T: The Batman ones; all of them!

BC: What is your go-to snack, besides Henry Cavill?

T: *Giggles that turns into a full laugh* Popcorn! Henry Cavill-flavored popcorn.

Questions from X-ray Girl

X-ray Girl: If you were trapped on a deserted island, which G+G members would you want to be trapped with?

T: Ooooooooo! Jonny, X-ray Girl, Blabs… but we are gonna need someone who is handy… so Josiah and Marc… do I have a limit?

BC: *Shrugs* She doesn’t give you a limit!

T: No limit, OK, this is her fault. We can have Epic Mike for entertainment.

BC: He can sing too!

T: That is six of us; I think that is good. We got a couple of resilient people. Marc is military trained; Josiah has pew pews and stuff. I think we are good. Us girls can just drink wine and look pretty. We will have to find wine somewhere; I don’t know where.

BC: We can grow grapes and make it.

T: And then Jonny can do whatever it is that Jonny does on a deserted island.

X: Favorite wine?

T: Cabernet.

X: Who inspires you most on the internet?

T: This could change in a moment, but I think right now, there is this chick on Instagram named @RealBrittneyDawn and she has re-found her faith with God, has married a man that is just so good I think he’s fake. She basically woke up one day and realized that partying and treating herself badly just wasn’t the way to go. She just changed her life around. She dresses for modesty, she’s not posting thirst traps, she talks about her story too. I recommend you check her out.

Questions from Twitter

Twitter: Why won’t Kapy go to sleep?

T: Well, he’s apparently a vampire, so… I don’t know… they don’t sleep, I guess?

Twitter: Do you like anything more than grey sweatpants season?

T: In general? Not more than grey sweatpants season, but watching the Navy SEALs train on Coronado beach. That’s always a good time.

BC: Oh. Yes.

T: Yeah.

BC: I concur with that statement.

T: 10/10 would recommend. You’re just chilling on the beach, and you look over, and there are just Navy SEALs training, and you’re like, “Oh, hello; where did you come from?”

Twitter: Your faith is clearly important to you; what piece of scripture is most relevant to your life?

T: My faith is really new, if I’m honest; it’s probably been a little over a year now, but I’m actually siting down and reading my Bible. I’m really doing my studies and reading. I keep this in front of my computer screen. Every time I get told “No” from the Man Upstairs, or I hit a wall, or another person reveals their true colors, or a situation doesn’t work out the way we want it to… I’m like, “Can’t you just give me this one?” And this verse reminds me that, no, because it’s telling me to trust God, and I’m like, “Fine, if you say so!” You just need to let go.

Twitter: What is Tuggs’ favorite Nightwing and not-Nightwing comic?

T: Oh, shoot, I haven’t read comics in years; I couldn’t even tell you. My favorite Nightwing in general was the one where he gets to interact with everyone. Like he pops in with Batman and they get to banter! It happens a lot in the animated series, and I love it for that.

Twitter: How do you find motivation on days when it’s low?

T: Here is a hot take: motivation is fleeting; consistency is not. Let’s talk about the gym, for instance. A friend, or someone you saw on social media or at the gym, was like, “I lost weight and you can do it too!” And you’re like, “Yes, I’m gonna do that. It’s gonna be great.” You go to the grocery store and you buy all the ingredients and then you have to cook, and you’re like, “This is a lot of work!” Motivation is gone.

You go to the gym and you have to lift all these weights, and you’re like, “I have to do this over and over again?” You lose motivation. You wanna start your own business but then you realize you have a lot of paperwork, lawyers, fees, etc. etc.  And you’re like, “Nope!” Motivation gone. It appears as quickly as it comes. Consistency is how you do it. If you are consistent, and you do something every day, you will build a habit! You’re not motivated to brush your teeth, but we built a habit when we were little. So now, years and years later, are you motivated to brush your teeth? No! No one is motivated to do that; we just do it! So that, to me, is all about consistency.

Am I motivated to go to the gym here in Vegas at 100F? Absolutely not! But on my lunch break, I have an hour to myself, and I go to the gym. Every day. Because it’s part of my routine. It’s consistent. Consistency is long-term; motivation is short-term.

BC: So you skip a lunch?

T: No, nope! I come back to work and eat at my desk.

BC: I was like, “What about a second breakfast!”

T: No, I don’t skip meals.

Twitter: Is it difficult to find pockets of normalcy in a place known as the city of sin?

T: *Sips wine, mhm!* Yes it is! The city is very, very hard; it’s very transient. All of my friends, minus my roommate, no longer live here. I don’t go out when I’m here, so I always travel a lot. I’m constantly traveling to visit friends. I was born and raised here, so I am used to it. So people who move here as an adult last around four years, and then they are gone. It’s hard. It’s constantly moving; the people you meet here aren’t always the best. Even growing up here, we are known as the city of sin. They are here to party, play with women, spend a lot of money… and that’s fine! I’m not judging. They are here to let go of whatever demons they have. You have to be really careful. It’s hard to find that normalcy.

Growing up here as a girl, there a lot of things here that are considered normal when they aren’t. The stripper outfits, the clubs. If you’ve been here, you’ll know what kind of outfits I’m talking about. You don’t see that pretty much anywhere else, except, like, L.A. Even in NYC, they wear a jacket! Here, they just wear a bra and panties and flaunt. The city has it’s own reputation, and I think people tend to forget that there are people living here. We are human! We would like you to be normal, and they take it as an excuse to be wild. “Well, it’s Vegas! It’s fine!” You have to find people who grew up here to find the normalcy. We can go to all the local places. If you ever move here, make sure you are married first! It is very hard to find someone, as it is very transient here.

Thank you, Tuggies, for taking the time to sit and chat with me!

You can follow Tuggs on Twitch, Twitter, Instagram, G+G Park Hoppin’ and G+G Pour Choices.