Get up close and personal with Diff'rent Strokes' Jade & Dave

Q: MY EARLIEST MEMORY IS...
Dave: Being scared too scared to sleep alone in my new room and having mum bunk in with me with the night light on and her Paula Abdul cassette serenading me to slumber. I was 8 and Rush Rush was our song.
Jade: I vaguely remember being at a baby show when I was 2. My nan was sitting beside me and I think I won a clock radio. It was one of many prizes in the lucrative baby show career.

Q: AT SCHOOL I...
Dave: Was the one who started swimming freestyle for the butterfly race because I didn't really know how to do butterfly.
Jade: Liked to commentate on everything.

Q: I DON'T LIKE TALKING ABOUT...
Dave: Acne or bad skin.
Jade: My feelings and other such emotional things.

Q: MY MOST TREASURED POSSESSION IS...
Dave: My photo albums. They capture it all. It's often not just reminiscing on how young or cute you used to look but also the hopes and fears behind the smile you wore. The sentiment in that captured moment of time is something to be cherished. Though less could be said about the slap bands and overalls one wore.
Jade: My journals, they’re my memories of the good and the bad, and the place I work out all the worlds and my own problems.


(A classic snapshot from the Diff'rent Strokes Family Album)

Q: MY FATHER ALWAYS TOLD ME...
Dave: Make sure you let your car engine warm up for at least 2-3 minutes first in the morning before you zoom off into the distance.
Jade: You can’t have your cake and eat it. But what else do you do with cake?

Q: IF I HAD ONE SUPER POWER IT WOULD BE...
Dave: The ability to read minds. Cause I'm nosy...
Jade: Teleportation or time travel, for much the same reason as Dave, I’m curious about other people and places.

Q: AT HOME I COOK...
Dave: Amazingly flavoursome dinner - thanks to Chicken Tonight.
Jade: Stirfrys, my specialty is prawn and tofu.

Q: MY FAVOURITE GADGET IS...
Dave: Sensor lights. If you can classify them as gadgets.
Jade: My iPod. Must have for any podcast/music junkie


(Jade's favourite gadget)

Q: I'M VERY BAD AT...
Dave: Long division
Jade: Knowing what to say and when to say it.

Q: IF I WAS A DRINK I'D BE...
Dave: A cup of hot Earl Grey tea with a spoonful of honey. Sweet, calming and soothing.
Jade: Coke, no one really knows what’s in it, whether it’s good or bad for you, but there’s something strangely addictive. Maybe it’s the marketing campaign.


(Finally! A magazine after Jade's own heart)

Q: THE LAST BIG BELLY LAUGH I HAD WAS...
Dave: When I was told a Tibetan man has filmed a music video of him singing my song in the glaciers.
Jade: Watching 30 Rock, it’s official I have a Tina Fey crush. TV on DVD is the best thing ever.

Q: WHAT I DON'T FIND AMUSING IS...
Dave: People assuming all gay men are inherently fashionable, witty and want to be your girlfriend's shopping and chick-flick buddy.
Jade: People patting me on the head and talking to me with a hint of condescension.


(Dave rockin' the Afghan Barbie look in a humdrum call centre)

Q: MY WORST JOB WAS...
Dave: Doing Telstra Bigpond billing enquiries - as if dealing with angry, disgruntled customers weren't enough already. There's also the added joy of sales targets.
Jade: Working customer service at a fast food restaurant I won’t name. When they put me out in the kitchen I liked it more. I hate the way people treat fast food employees.

Q: I OFTEN WONDER...
Dave: How is it that yawning is contagious.
Jade: Will future Jade be happy with current Jade’s choices.

Diff'rent Strokes Q & A

JOY's infamous Diff'rent Strokes duo: Jade Gulliver and David Lim takes time out to answer some of your questions.


Dave gives JOY a shameless plug


Q: Jade, what's really going on between you and the intern ("Dave")?

A: “Dave” actually has a habit of intensely looking at me with those puppy dog eyes of his and given my well documented social awkwardness it makes me uncomfortable. I’m often prone to weird behaviour ranging from aggression to what may be termed ‘divaness’ when I’m in socially awkward situations. Besides, to paraphrase David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson when you spend so much time together it’s like a brother and sister relationship sometimes you love each other, other times you can’t stand each other. That’s how I feel about “Dave” right now, maybe I shouldn’t have made him move into the spare room at my house, but it seemed like a good idea at the time.

Q: Who would you have picked to sing the upcoming Bond theme instead?

A: (Dave) I don't know - this White Stripes dude and Alicia Keys sound like a pretty Diff'rent Strokes-ey combo to me, Jade! I like it. Although, I would've really loved to see Amy Winehouse do it though. What a shame! Remember kids - crack is whack!

(Jade) It is very Diff’rent Strokes-ey… How about to totally rip off one of our promos Deathcab for Cutie and Emma Bunton??? This new Bond is supposed to have some crossover appeal and we all know what Deathcab did for the OC and vice versa.


Jade in a whole other life!

Q: Is there a colour you wouldn't wear?

A: (Jade) I have two nevers in this life, one is wearing pink, the other I chose to let you imagine rather than reveal here.

(Dave) I seriously don't look good in orange. Hard to find anyone who is, really!

Q: What are your hidden talents?

A: (Dave) I used to think I was the only one who could curl my tongue. But soon realised I wasn't so unique after all.
(Jade) Oh, the tongue curl, it’s kind of cute you thought you were the only one! My hidden talent is the ability to tell what colour an M&M is just by tasting it. There are a lot of skeptics out there on that one, but let me tell you it’s actually a well honed art.

Q: Who chooses the music you play on the show?

A: (Jade) The music on Diff’rent Strokes is a personality all to its own. It actually is quite scary how well a Sugababes import only track and the latest from Ben Kweller compliment each other. To answer your question “Dave” has recently taken over the job of selecting what tracks demonstrate the inherent differences between Dave and myself.


Dave's beloved '97 edition Tamagotchi: as mentioned on the "Growing Pains" segment!

Q: Has Dave found a Tamagotchi yet?

A: (Dave) Umm! Yes, actually. They were going for about $25 at Toys 'R' Us - but I can't endorse that, kids. It's like the mutated nouveau kind. Not the authentic original series I grew up with in '97!

Q: Which would you rather - mow the lawn or knit?

A: (Jade) I was actually quite an avid knitter as a child and have also done my fair share of lawn mowing. I don’t know that I could chose without reinforcing a stereotype I’m not willing to actively perpetuate.

(Dave) Haha! You'd be surprised to hear this but I'd rather mow the lawn. Of course it'd be a vision much like Eva Longoria in season one of Desperate Housewives: in that episode where she's in her evening wear, working a lawn mower at night!

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Ever wanted to opportunity to ask these two something? It could be absolutely anything: from Dave's hair to Jade's favourite X-Files fantasies... to what they had for dinner!
Please forward all fan mail and questions to:
diffrentstrokesradio@gmail.com
OR
post them on Diff'rent Strokes wall on Facebook/
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