Sixty-two-year-old Julius has had a fascination with balloons since he was four. At some point, it turned sexual, which distinguishes him from the other more childlike inflatable enthusiasts we've seen on reality TV in recent months. During Julius' segments on (what else) last night's My Strange Addiction, he didn't get too specific about what goes down (and got agitated when pressed, and in the process became that much more of a character — I was waiting for steam to erupt from his ears at any moment), but he did say, "I'll take a 12-inch, and I'll inflate it to 11-inch. That way it can take a lot of abuse." So maybe it's better that he didn't get much more specific than that.
In the least warmly received coming out this show has ever seen, Julius' good friend asked if his wife gets jealous. Of balloons. That's where his life is. Julius said his wife didn't think much of it, however, she refused to participate in the filming of the show. That's shade.
Here's a fun game: Squint your eyes and pretend that this is Paul Giamatti playing a character.
The other person profiled was a real hoot: 40-year-old Natasha eats about a jar's worth of clay facial mask powder a day. As usual, her opening description of her "addiction" sounded like an ode:
"Mmmm" by Natasha
It tastes wonderful
Like wet rocks
And it always comforts me.
Mmmm.
I kinda go into a zone
And savor
That flavor
Of that
Earthiness.
Mmmm.
Natasha said it was love at first lick. She described her first experience with eating clay masks as "instant gold...instant gold." She sometimes dips chips into the mask powder. She sometimes enjoys them with a beer. "I have exquisite taste buds," she told her friend who then scoffed Natasha for eating dirt with beer. "No. It's clay and a lager," corrected Natasha. When you put it that way, it does sound kind of refined...