>>> DATING IN A DIGITAL WORLD BRINGS AN EASE TO FINDING WHAT YOU WANT IN A PARTNER BUT THERE IS A COMPLEXITY WE SEE WITH THAT. SOMETIMES PEOPLE ARE NOT WHO THEY SAY THEY ARE AND THAT IS WHAT IS CALLED CAT FISHING. MTV'S "CATFISH" SHOWS HOW PEOPLE NAVIGATE ONLINE RELATIONSHIPS AS THEY COLLIDE WITH REAL LIFE ENCOUNTERS. JOINING US THIS MORNING IS THE WRITER-PRODUCER, AND HOST. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. >> HAPPY TO BE HERE. I WILL MAKE ONE SMALL CORRECTION, I AM NOT A WRITER. THE SHOW IS NOT WRITTEN. IT IS ACTUAL REALITY , REAL PEOPLE. WE DON'T MAKE ANY OF THIS UP . >> WE WILL GET TO THAT. I WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE WHO YOU SAY YOU ARE . WE ARE NOT GETTING CATFISH, RIGHT? >> SADLY, I AM THE SLIGHTLY OLDER VERSION OF MYSELF FROM THE CLIPS THAT YOU SHOWED BEFORE. STILL HERE AND STILL DOING THIS SHOW. >> THAT IS A HUGE THING TO ACCOMPLISH. 210 EPISODES AND COUNTING. IT IS CRAZY TO ME AND HARD TO WRAP MY HEAD AROUND THAT PEOPLE ARE STILL IN THIS PREDICAMENT, WHEN YOU THINK OF ALL THE THINGS WE HAVE LEARNED FROM THE SHOW. WHAT HAS IT TAUGHT YOU WORKING ON THIS PROJECT? >> I THINK IT IS TAUGHT ME A LOT ABOUT THE HUMAN HEART. AND HUMAN EXPERIENCE. PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE , FROM DIFFERENT CITIES, FROM DIFFERENT PLACES AND DIFFERENT AGES, ALL SEEM TO HAVE THE SAME FORMER ABILITY WHEN IT COMES TO FINDING LOVE. AND FEELING AFFECTION AND BEING SEEN AND HEARD. AND WHEN YOUR HEART IS GETTING WHAT HE WANTS, OFTEN TIMES THE BRAIN DOES NOT NECESSARILY LOOK OUT FOR THE RED FLAGS THAT IT SHOULD. AND I THINK IT IS TAUGHT ME A LOT ABOUT EMPATHY AND CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE AND MAKING SURE YOU HOLD SPACE FOR SOMEONE AND GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES AND BE HEARD AND LISTEN TO THEM AND TELL THE STORY. >> "CATFISH" LIES IN THE REALM OF A BIT ENTERTAINING BUT IT IS REALISTIC AND REALITY. THIS IS WHAT PEOPLE ARE GOING THROUGH IN THEIR LIVES. IT IS UNSCRIPTED. ALSO DANGEROUS. WAS THERE EVER A SITUATION WHERE YOU THOUGHT THINGS WOULD BE OUT OF HAND ? >> WE HAVE HAD A FEW CLOSE CALLS ON THE SHOW IN THE PAST. I BROKE UP A SCUFFLE ONCE OR TWICE. WE HAVE DEALT WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE SINCE BEEN ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH PRETTY MEANINGFUL CRIMES. ONE FELLOW WHO THE FBI ENDED UP FINDING BECAUSE HE HAD CREATED A SERIES OF BOMB THREATS -- ACTUALLY IT WAS IN THE D.C. METRO AREA, I BELIEVE. YES. THERE ARE SOME COLORFUL FIGURES ON THE SHOW FROM TIME TO TIME BUT FOR THE MOST PART I THINK IT IS TYPICALLY PEOPLE WHO ARE JUST LONELY AND INSECURE AND LOOKING FOR LOVE AND WE HOPE TO USHER THEM TOWARDS THE TRUTH. >> THE TRUTH OF IT ALL IS PEOPLE REALLY JUST WANT TO FIND THAT SPECIAL SOMEONE. THEY WANT THEIR SOMEBODY IN THIS WORLD TO TALK TO AT THE END OF THE DAY AND HAVE THAT RELATIONSHIP. FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE BECOME AN EXPERT IN NAVIGATING A LITTLE BIT OF THIS FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE OF WATCHING THIS PLAY OUT. DO YOU HAVE ADVICE FOR SOMEONE LOOKING FOR LOVE ONLINE? WERE TRYING TO DEAL WITH THE ONLINE DATING SCENE? AND HOW NOT TO GET CATFISH. >> THE FIRST MOST IMPORTANT THING IF YOU'RE TRYING TO MEET SOMEONE, TO BE WITH, IN PERSON, TRY TO SET YOUR PROXIMITY BOUNDARY AND WHATEVER DATING APP YOU ARE USING TO LOCAL . I KNOW IT IS HARD SOMETIMES CATFISH WILL SET IT TO BE ANYWHERE AND IT WILL APPEAR AS THOUGH THEY MAY BE CLOSE TO YOU BUT IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH SOMEONE, PRESUMABLY IT SHOULD BE IN PERSON. IF AFTER A WEEK OR TWO OF NOT TALKING , EXCUSE ME, OF TALKING AND THAT PERSON IS NOT ABLE TO ACTUALLY MEET YOU SOMEWHERE AT A SHOW OR GALLERY OR SEE A MOVIE, YOU HAVE TO THEN CHECK IT AND SAY , WAIT A SECOND. I LIKE TALKING TO YOU BUT HOW MUCH LONGER AM I SUPPOSED TO TALK TO YOU IF YOU LIVE FIVE OR SIX STATES OVER AND I WILL NOT SEE YOU FOR A FEW MONTHS. WHERE WILL THIS GO? >> LOOK FOR THE RED FLAGS. YOU
