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THE TWINS
"You have 2 people with the same mind,
same voice, you know? Well obviously not the same mind, but you know they think a lot the same, when they sing the harmonies
are perfect." - Billy
Benji and Joel Madden are the twin brothers of the band. But they're more that that to each other.
Thery're friends, best friends! They may fight about stupid stuff, but they went through a lot together. That's where they
get most of their song lyrics. They write all their music about their history. They even argue about lyrics. When Benji wrote
the words to "Little Things", Joel refused to sing it. They argued a lot about the lyrics, but one day, joel went in alone
and finished the song. It became a local hit before it became a worldwide hit. Now the band, Good Charlotte, is known worldwide
for their honest lyrics, their great beats, and their punk rock style.They may not claim to be punk-rock because they could
care less. They just want the kids of today to realize that it doesn't matter what people think. As long as you know who you
are.
When the twins were younger, their dad walked out on them on Christmas Eve. They never saw him since. Only Benji
has spoken to him since. And as he states in the May 2003 issue of Rolling Stone, "I tried to call him and say 'Hey now that
I'm nineteen, we can be friends, even though we had all these problems in the past,'" Benji says. "I was willing to put it
all aside. And basically he was like 'I'm trying to start a new life. I'm trying to forget about you guys.' The last time
I ever talked to him was on the phone that day." The problems they had with their dad sparked lyrics for songs such as "Little
Things" where it states "And that same year on Christmas Eve/ Dad went to the store/ we checked his room, his things were
gone/ we didn't see him no more/ Dick!" and some lyrics in the song "Waldorf Worldwide" where they sing "And I'm tired of
the man always shutting us down/ I'm tired of my old man, 'cause he's never around." They were from the first album. On the
second album, they wrote songs that were all about their father, such as "The Story Of My Old Man" and "Emotionless". The
twins say they sometimes blush when they sing those songs because they are so personal, but it was well worth it. With seven
videos, 3 of which are from their second album. Two, "Lifestyles of the Rich and the Famous" and "The Anthem", both retired
from TRL at number 1. And "Girls and Boys", retired on trl at #2 and both the "Young And Hopeless" and "Hold On" became instant
hits........and remember... "Keep Representing GC, 'cause you know we're representing you!" - Benji.
Its Quiz Time..!
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Having spent most of their
lives together, 25 year old Good Charlotte twins Joel and Benji should know everything about each other, right? They seem
to think so. "i'm excited man, "says Joel. "We know each other pretty well." "This is like a game show!" adds Benji. "I'm
ready!" Let's see then shall we...
-Joel on Benji-
What were Benji's best and worst subjects in school?
Joel: History or English, I know he's gonna say one of those. His worst was Math.
Benji: My best were History and
English and my worst was Math.
How often does he dye his hair?
Joel: Every two weeks.
Benji: Every two, three
weeks.
Has he ever stolen anything?
Joel: (Laughs) Um, no. He won't admit it.
Benji: A couple of hearts, but...(laughs)
no, I've never stolen anything.
When was the last time he got into a fight?
Joel: Um... a couple of months ago.
(laughs) Who'll be reading this? No one? Ok, then I'll tell you all the good stuff!
Benji: The last one was with this
kid who jumped up on stage and hit Joel. But there was some bouncers too, these big football players were picking on this
guy, and I was like, "Hey, chill out." They just like jacked me and I was slammed. I shouldn't tell you the story but I destroyed
the club. We're involved in a non-violence organisation. I really am into kids not fighting, I think it's really bad. But
thse guys were huge! Shut up, they were!
What was the first thing Benji asked Mandy Moore?
Joel: The first thing
he said to Mandy was..."Hi!"(laughs) He said, "Why don't you drive?"
Benji: (Laughs) Oh I don't! Let me think... "Hi!"
I really don't know. Like, "What's up?" I probably asked what kind of music she was into. She was like, "Oh, I like everything!"
What's his favourite TV show?
Joel: I'm gonna say The Simpsons.
Benji: I'm gonna give a different answer so
he gets it wrong. No, it's The Simpsons. He got all the easy ones!
What's the best thing he can cook?
Joel: I
know what he's gonna say - linguini with clam sauce. It's good, really good actually. It's very tasty. It's exquisite!
Benji:
Linguini with clam sauce. Did he get that right? He's winning this!
What's one thing that he hates?
Joel: I'm
gonna say either collage or raves.
Benji: One thing I really hate is stuck up people. I hate snotty people! And I hate
traffic. He said raves? Oh yeah, I hate raves!
Does he wear boxers or briefs?
Joel: He wears boxer-briefs.
Benji:
Boxer-briefs.
Where's his favourite place to go for a holiday?
Joel: I don't think he's ever been on a vacation,
but if he did he would choose California.
Benji: California
-Benji on Joel-
What is Joel's favourite
Good Charlotte song?
Benji: Oh..."Change".
Joel: Right now it's probably "Festival Song".
Has he ever gone
skinny-dipping?
Benji: No. Wait. Oh...no.
Joel: (Hesitates) Yes (laughs). Yes.
Benji: He's a liar! He doesn't
have the guts to go skinny-dipping!
What is his worst habit?
Benji: It's either hitting on girls or chocolate
milkshakes. He said spitting? Oh he's such a loser! Man it's sounding pretty bad, like I don't know him at all.
Joel:
My worst habit is probably that i spit a lot. I spit when I walk down the street, all the time. I don't spit when I'm indoors,
but if i'm outside or on stage I spit a lot. I don't know why.
What is the worst thing he ever got in trouble for
at school?
Benji: Probably being a class clown.
Joel: Fighting. Me and Benj beat this kid up really bad and we got
kicked out of school for it. He was picking on both of us. Yeah, he totally deserved it.
Who's the most famous person
he's met?
Benji: We meet a lot of people. Let's see, he met Fred Durst...give me a hint.
Joel: I've met a lot of famous
people. Probably Billy Joe from Green Day.
What's his favourite food?
Benji: Right now he's eating these protein
bars, but he eats vegetables, chocolate milkshakes and anything with ketchup on it. He eats a lot of healthy stuff. Pizza,
spaghetti...
Joel: I like a lot of food. I like spaghetti.
Does he prefer Brittany or Christina?
Benji: I'd
say Christina.
Joel: I think Brittany seems like the cooler girl, but if I had to choose one of them to get down with
I'd say Christina. Like, if I could tape her mouth shut! (Laughs) I guess Christina.
What is his most prized possession?
Benji: He'd say our dog Cass.
Joel: Oh man, my dog Cass. You know Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali's old name), the greatest
boxer of all time? Well, my dog's a boxer-the greatest boxer of all time!
When was his first kiss?
Benji: It was
Michelle Welch, in 10th grade and it was horrible. He always talks about how bad it was because she was sticking her tongue
down his throat. I had to help him recover from it.
Joel: 10th grade, unfortunately. I was 16. That sucks, right? Every
other guy I know had his first kiss when he was 12. Her name was Michelle Welch and it was horrible.
How long does
Joel take to get ready?
Benji: He'd say 15 minutes and that I take longer. Joel:"Benj takes forever! He's gotta spike
his hair!" Benji: Hey, I gotta look good for the girls, man!
Joel: No more than 10 minutes. 15 minutes on a bad day.
The
Final Countdown
Hmmm, it would seem Joel knows an awful lot more about his brother. Some might say too much. Joel lost
a point because although Benji does hate raves, he didn't say this until he heard Joel's answer.
8 out of 10
He didn't
start off well, but Benji made a good recovery. Still, it wasn't enough to beat Joel. Benji says Joel made up his answers
to sound cool and that he also got all the easy questions.
4.5 out of 10
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Family Talk!! |
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Whom did mom like best?
Benji: Even though
I got into trouble the most, I think I was definitely her favorite. She would always tell me I was her favorite. I guess it
never occurred to me that she could have said the same thing to all of us.
Joel: I definitely think mom liked me best.
I was always a little less work for her than Benji. Besides, she always used to whisper in my ear that I was her favorite.
I couldn't tell Benji that. I don't think he could handle it.
Who first corrupted whom?
Benji: Corruption? What's
that? No, we probably corrupted each other.
Joel: I've yet to be corrupted.
Who got caught more often?
Benji:
Definitely me. I always got caught. One time, I actually got spanked for something Joel did. I guess it was part of being
identical twins.
Joel: Benj definitely got caught the most, but he took the fall for me countless times. When we were
getting ourselves into things, he always got us out or took all the blame.
Who got into cool music first?
Benji:
I'd have to say we both started listening to our own stuff around the same time. Joel started to sway towards the Smiths and
the Cure, while I was obsessed with bands like Minor Threat and Rancid. But we both agreed on bands like Social Distortion,
Green Day and the Clash.
What's a little-known fact about your brother?
Benji: His favorite cereal is Cinnamon
Life; he eats ketchup on everything; he sings in the shower.
Joel: He thinks fate will one day bring him and Britney Spears
together. (He seriously does.)
Is there anything you wouldn't do for your brother?
Benji: Lend him money to buy
another Star Wars toy. Other than that I'd do anything. C'mon, I got his name tattooed on me.
Joel: I'd do anything for
him.
Any long-time secret you'd like to tell your brother to get off your chest?
Benji: I don't know how your
going to take this, but Santa Claus isn't real, bro.
Joel: In tenth grade I kissed your girlfriend. But don't worry, I
didn't like it. She used too much tongue.
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Questions the Twins were asked..??
Do you have one of those weird psychic twin link?
Joel:Yeah, we finish of each other's sentences and sometimes i'll get really worried about Benji and when I call him
he's feeling the same way.
Do you indulge in twin swapping antics?
Benji: I called a girl for Joel once because
he' too shy, but thats pretty much it.
Joel: Needless to say she said no. I blame him.
Do female groupies
ever request a night with both of you?
Joel: (digusted) Ah,yeah but they'll never get it. I couldn't do it with my
brother thats just sick.
Which of you is most vain?
Joel: I'd have to say Benji. Sometimes he'll take 20 minutes
to do those spikes. I'm like dude wear a hat!
Benji: It's definately Joel. His idol is Morrissey.
Joel, Is
i true you once had Bengay (American Deep Heat style substance) forcibly smeared on to your genitals?
Joel:Yeah the
football players did that kind of homoerotic shit but you just had to put up with it.
How did you retaliate?
Joel:One
time these same guys were being dicks to me so i just picked up some bottles and started throwing them.
Did anyone
get hurt?
Joel:Yeah, I got my ass kicked! It was good being a twin at those times, though, having someone who's got
your back.
Joel, you once worked in a ladies hair salon. Not very punk, is it?
Joel: It was a really good
job shampooing pretty girls hair all day long! My friends all laughed at me, but the old ladies loved me, man.
So
you consider yourselves proper punks?
Benji:We definately have the attitude and the balls. We've worked for everything
we have. Some of the hardest punk bands are pussies from rich families. I could take an acoutsic guitar and sing the sweetest
song I know and I'd still be more punk rock than them.
What's your best tattoo?
Benji:I've got 'punx' across
my stomach in six inch high black letters. I'd like my last name tattooed acoss my throat but I know its gonna hurt.
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The Interview
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As the hosts of MTV's All Things Rock , Good Charlotte's
twin brothers JOEL ( vocals) and BENJI ( guitar) Madden have spent But since the show isnt called All Things Benji & Joel
, lots of their favorite shit has to remain a deep , dark sercret . Until now . Revolver caught up with the Madden brothers
as they prepared to play a New York gig in support of their new album , "The Young and the Hopeless" (epic) . They were nice
enough to give us the lowdown on their favorite foods , cameras, and appropriately enough , twin-themed jokes. Favorite Camera:
Benji- Kodak disposable cameras."The pictures come out really well , they're easy to use and if you lose em' , you
dont feel that bad."
Joel- Canon E60 " It's digital , but it takes really professional pictures. It's just a nice
camera for the money."
Favorite Baseball Team:
Joel- The Baltimore Orioles " We grew up in Maryland , so we
grew up on the orioles. I watched their games on TV all the time ."
Benji- The Baltimore Orioles " But we dont get
to see them play that often because we're always on tour. Baseball season is a good time to tour."
Favorite Flavor:
Benji- Grape. " Grape kool-aid , grape jelly , grape soda , grape whatever ."
Joel- Mint Chocolate. " I love
this Ben & Jerry's ice cream, mint chocolate cookie , it taste like Girl Scout cookies."
Favorite Tour Bus Snack:
Benji- peanut butter n jelly sandwiches. " You can cut them into little squares and it's like when you were a little
kid."
Joel-Kraft Easy Mac . "It's really easy and it tastes really good."
Favorite Movie:
Benji- The
Boondock Saints. " It's about two irish brothers who are vigilantes, and they kill criminals."
Joel- The Boondock
Saints. "It reminds me of my brother and I."
Favorite Twin Trick to Play on 3rd-Grade Teacher:
Joel- Trading
places. "We used to switch places alot, go to each others classes."
Benji- Trading places. " It really wasnt that
hard, though, because we looked exactly alike when we were younger."
Favorite Sexual Urban Legend:
Benji-
Masterbation causes blindness. "I think that's funny. I always tell kids that: 'Dont do it. you'll go blind'."
Favorite
Video Game:
Benji- Silent Scope. " I like sniper games. One of the last places we played had a silent scope machine,
and I was on it for hours."
Joel- Madden 2003. " It's partly because of my last name, and partically because our songs
in it, but I also like playing it, and I beat everyone."
Benji-"I dont play video games much because the rest of of
the guys play alot, so i never get a turn. And now they've gotten really good and I suck."
Favorite Beer to have when
your having more than one:
Joel- Bud Lite. "I'm not really a big beer drinker, but here's just something about bud
lite that makes you feel like a man."
Benji- IBC Root Beer. " Alcohol and I dont mix to well, so I drink root beer.
Favorite Hair Gel:
Joel- Tea Tree by Paul Mitchell. "I'm not really that picky, but this stuff is all natural,smells
good, and it holds."
Favorite TV Show:
Benji- Everybody Loves Raymond ."I like the normalness of it-the normal
family life. I definitely look forward to having that sort of thing when I get older: a wife , some kids, the whole nine."
Joel- The Simpsons. "It's always funny."
Favorite Mode of Transportation:
Joel- Audi A4 Turbo. " It's
my first car and I just love it ."
Benji- Trains " It's just easier than going to the airport."
Favorite Band
your brother hates:
Benji- The Casualties " He doesn't like that street punk stuff. He doesn't hate them as people;
he just doesn't like their music."
Joel- Queen " I dont know why he doesn't like them, but whenever I put them on
he always asks me to turn it off." |
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