Guys Rule (Vote for the Girls)

"GUYS RULE!"
Vote for the Girls episode
Episode no.	Season 7 Episode 13
Directed by	??
Produced by	Kellie Rock
Production code	VFTG S07xE13
Original air date	March 31, 2016 (2016-03-31)
Running time	??
Guest actors
Frank Davidson Kevin Stapleton Stephen Christian Bob Imperial Tim Doogan Phil Sorensen Jack McClannahan Ronald Harrison
Episode chronology
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"Guys Rule" is the thirteenth episode of the seventh season of Vote for the Girls, and the 217th episode of the series overall. The episode will air on March 31, 2016 and as part of an April Fool's Day prank first revealed by Kymberly Alvaraz and confirmed by WTOR colleague Frank Davidson during CBS 41 Action News at 5:30 on February 22, 2016 that the male anchors at the CBS affiliate along with the villain panelists trading places with the moderator panel, with Alvaraz and Holly Everman respectively filling in for Luka Runecraft and Clark Jones along with Ava Zinn and Perri Johnson respectively filling in for Archibald Coolranch and Glenn Swaringen.

Background

From April 2010 until May 2013, the female moderators on Vote for the Girls competed against then arch-rival Vote for the Worst. Usually, the female moderators compete to get all the male contestants eliminated before the females, much in the same tradition as the later incarnations. As is the case with the Ava Zinn-era of Vote for the Worst, the male moderators were not referred to specifically by a nickname until 2016.

In January 2013, Vote for the Worst's creator, Dave Della Terza, announced that the site would be shutting down, but not before covering one final season of American Idol. The shutdown was planned for June 2013, though it was not specified whether the site would simply be discontinuing all updates and left behind as an archive, or whether it would disappear entirely. The last VFTW pick was Kree Harrison. Vote for the Worst was unsuccessful during season twelve as Lazaro Arbos was the last male VFTW pick until the top 6 which saw an all-female top 5 and finale (while at the same time, Vote for the Girls achieved the first Idol victory after three years); this was the same all-female finale in the very first VFTW season, when they selected Janelle Arthur.

Since Della Terza's version of Vote for the Worst ended and the Ava Zinn version began, Vote for the Worst picks have only been male contestants, which are never revealed until the end of the competition. Zinn's version banned gay males (as M2F picks), lesbian females (as F2M picks), and most notably transgender females, as Vote for the Girls and Zinn's version of Vote for the Worst picks are evident when the Ava Zinn version began. Since the implementation of "flex picks" in 2014, in addition to the female contestants, the moderator panelists are allowed to choose male contestants as a Vote for the Girls pick. Likewise, the villains, in addition to male contestants, the men are allowed to choose female contestants as since renamed Zinn's Villain pick.

After Vote for the Worst closed in 2013, there were only three male moderators for the Ava Zinn version of Vote for the Worst – Archibald Coolranch, Lawrence Hedrick and Leonard Lai. Clark Jones joined Coolranch, Hedrick and Lai in 2014 after previously appearing periodically as a substitute male moderator. Fans of VFTG have speculated Della Terza was the first male moderator. However, in a 2016 interview Ava Zinn revealed Archibald Coolranch was the first male moderator and has appeared since the site's launch.

The men are now referred as "Zinn's Villains" when making public appearances with the main female moderators. As part of the change, starting in December 2014, the site's male moderators are now listed in VFTG's credit roll. Beginning with the 2015–16 season, the male moderators wear microphones so they can be heard when they are talking with Zinn or another female moderator. Their roles expanded on the show's website, including male moderator interviews to participating in their own "reality" web series, VillainSearch, where they served as judges (in 2012 and 2014).

Synopsis

Archibald Coolranch, Glenn Swaringen, Luka Runecraft, and Clark Jones (the male moderators on Vote for the Girls) are called in by Daniel McClannahan in November 2015 following the death of Leonard Lai where they watch Leonard's video will, in which he gives Danni (formerly Daniel) control of the April Fool's Day edition switching places between the men and the women.

Since Glenn and Luka are meteorologists at the FWA CBS affiliate, Frank Davidson reveals on the stations 5:30 p.m. newscast that there will be a GUYS RULE episode of Vote for the Girls as part of an April Fool's prank. Frank then invites WTOR sports director Phil Sorensen, meteorologist Tim Doogan, anchors Bob Imperial and Kevin Stapleton, to take part in the April Fool's Prank, which they all agree to do. As Frank had previously filled in as a guest moderator in 2012, Kevin is surprised to learn this as well as the fact that Frank's sister, Amanda had previously dated Ava Zinn. Kymberly, Perri and Danni learn about the prank from Bob. Kymberly and Danni then respectively suggests to her transgendered brother Stephen and father Jack about the prank. Stephen is reluctant at first (since he does not want to leave Colorado), but eventually agrees to do so, admitting that he never had heard about the site until watching Riker Lynch on Dancing with the Stars and was aware of the fact Kymberly paid a lot of money to a "stupid tranny girl" for the long-term relationship rights. Jack then invites Ronald Harrison and Rick Cortas to take part in the prank.

Plot

On the Vote for the Girls set, the moderator panel were greeted by Jackson Steele and explained this is only for the week. He called Tracia (filling in for Kylie Dwyar), Karly (filling in for Lynne Jackson), Thia (filling in for Kevin Stapleton) and Kymberly (filling in for Bob) they were anchoring WTOR's morning newscast with Glenn (filling in for Lisa Shingleton) doing weather and Kathi doing traffic (filling in for her wife Karly) first thing at 4:00 the following morning.

Jackson then called Kellie and Perri to anchor WTOR's midday and afternoon newscasts respectively filling in for Collen Rea and Rachael Passalt with Luka (filling in for Alicia Williams) doing weather. Lanise and Kathy would reprise their Milwaukee anchor roles at WTOR as with Hillary, Kendra and Julia respectively reprising their respective Fort Wayne, Des Moines, and Minneapolis anchor duties for CBS 41 Action News.

Production

Opening Sequence

The opening of this episode that debuted earlier in the season differs from other episodes. The beginning and ending of the opening sequence are in place. However, transparent “glamour shots” of each of Zinn's Villains and Vote for the Worst picks from the Dave Della Terza and Ava Zinn eras (instead of Vote for the Girls pick and moderator panelists) are superimposed over shots of buildings, landmarks and sights of the city of Indianapolis, as well as notable VFTG picks from past seasons are shown on the screen.

Haley Reinhart, CeCe Frey, Kree Harrison, Janelle Arthur, Rachael Passalt, and Danni McClannahan are the only females that appear in the opening sequence–the latter two were males before respectively transitioning to female in 2014 and 2016.

The opening credit order in "Guys Rule": Archibald Coolranch, Luka Runecraft, Frank Davidson, Danni McClannahan, Glenn Swaringen, Josh Kaufman (winner of season 6 of The Voice), Rachael Passalt, Craig Wayne Boyd (winner of season 7 of The Voice), Paul MacDonald, Haley Reinart, Lazaro Arbos, The Swon Brothers, CeCe Frey, Philip Phillips, Kree Harrison, Tate Stevens, Joshua Peavey, Jessie Kinch, Austin French, Janelle Arthur, Bob Imperial, Phil Sorensen, Kevin Stapleton, Lawrence Hedrick, Tim Doogan, and Clark Jones.

Reception and reaction

Critical reception

"Guys Rule" received mixed reviews. Writing in Chronicle-Tribune, one critic gave the episode a positive review, but criticized how the episode was played out. Other critics responded negatively. One critic in Journal-Gazette pointed out the disappointment that the audience has lost their minds when Frank Davidson hosted the Dancing with the Stars result.

One critic at NoSirGifts-owned Lafayette, Indiana Fox affiliate WLIN wrote to WTOR's news director Alan Day, Holly Everman, Ava Zinn, and NoSirGifts about how the male moderators and male anchors at WTOR did a stellar job and that people who watch WTOR's newscasts but not Vote for the Girls would be unfamiliar with the brand. A NoSirGifts spokeswoman declined to comment on the episode, while Everman, interviewed by Karly Ryder, said that although she and Ava would be attacked for stating it as such, the episode was "pretty funny... in context".

Tim Doogan himself considered "Guys Rule" his favorite episode ever. Jacqueline Cutler of The Star-Ledger called "Guys Rule" "[...] the funniest, most sardonic moment of my career in a while."

Zinn revealed in an interview that the moderator panelists received a letter of inquiry from the U.S. regulatory board regarding the episode, much to her surprise "they actually thought it was funny".

Cultural references

The episode is part of an April Fools' Day joke involving the anchors of NoSirGifts flagship duopoly and Fort Wayne CBS affiliate/independent station WTOR/WXXC and the moderator panel of Vote for the Girls (as Vote for the Girls is produced at Stage 47 while WTOR's studios are at stage 41)

References to WTOR

Because most of the moderator panelists are also news personalities at WTOR. Ava Zinn and Holly Everman were previously personalities at WXXC from the station's launch until Zinn left in 2008 and Everman left in 2010.

In March 2015, as part of their agreements to be a part of the moderator panel on Vote for the Girls, all of the moderators must either live or relocate to either the Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, or Lafayette, IN market as part of their commitements to Vote for the Girls and/or have an origin where NoSirGifts owns a fantasy television station. Due to their commitments on Vote for the Girls, most of WTOR/WXXC's news staff were shuffled in 2015.