OSU student's sex appeal brings fame
He got the nation's attention by revealing himself at Smathers Beach, in Florida's warm and sunny Key West. For three and a half hours he sat on his knees at the end of a pier, covered only by a ship's rope.
Curiosity seekers, specifically ' an older woman" in a catamaran, enjoyed the scene and snapped revealing photos of him.
Having such revealing photos taken of ones self would anger some people, but this 24-year-old, brown-eyed, six-foot, witty and modest model thought the incident was "hilarious."
The model, Brett Shaut, was to become Mr. January, one of 12 OSU college men to appear in the 1992 "Campus Men® " calendar.
Catching the eye of bystanders | is one thing but catching the eye I of the nation is another. His photo caught the attention of a representative from the "Oprah Winfrey Show." He received a call Jan. 18 and found himself about to become a national figure.
He flew to Chicago two days later for the taping of the show. His plane ticket, hotel room, transportation and food were paid for by the show.
"I don't know why they picked me," he said. "I guess it was because they wanted a good talker."
The Winfrey show did not focus on his speaking ability though. It explored the topic of what makes a man sexy, and featured what Winfrey called "everyday guys" like Shaut and celebrities who are thought to have sex appeal.
Shaut said he was "overwhelmed with excitement" after being invited on the show. "I wasn't really nervous until right before I had to go on stage," Shaut said.
The Pointer Sisters were "so excited" when they saw Shaut on the show they invited him to their party in Los Angeles the weekend of March 19 to celebrate the release of their new album.
Shaut said the call came among the hundreds of calls he has received, mostly from women in the campus area, since the show aired Feb. 24.
Shaut was invited to the party by Fawn Pointer, daughter of Pointer Sister, June, after appearing on the show.
Shaut will be hobnobbing with some of the most well-known artists in the music industry. Fawn said the party will include celebrities from Eric Clapton to Madonna and from Slash, of Guns and Roses, to the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Shaut said of these celebrities, he would most want to meet Madonna because "she's a babe."
Shaut, who came to Ohio State Autumn Quarter of 1987, was a student last spring when he was selected to pose for the calendar. Since then, he has decided to drop out of school for a few quarters so he can work and save money for his education. He says he is "majoring in psychology and minoring in beer drinking."
Shaut said he would probably go back to school in the fall. "If I go back in the spring I'll just be struggling with money again."
Being modest at a time when the whole country seems to be focusing on him is not a problem for Shaut. His friend, Monty Long, insists that Shaut's new fame has not gone to his head. "(It) hasn't changed him. We keep him in his place," he said.
"I've made a conscious effort to stay the same," Shaut said. "I don't take this stuff seriously. I don't think I'm better than the average Joe."
He feels fortunate for having the opportunity to do some serious modeling. Since appearing on the show and posing for the calendar, he has been offered a month in another calendar in Tennessee, was hired to pose for a Schottensteins advertisement and worked as a runway model at Eastland Mall.
Originally published March 8, 1993. Story © Ohio State Lantern. This text is exactly as published.
