Several weeks ago, I heard about the engagement proposal that was supposed to air on national television during the Super Bowl. I thought it was supposed to be a joke, but found out it was serious.
The guy, “JP” had gotten more than $75,000 in donations, but still lacked the $2.5 million he needed. Fortunately, he was able to get the rest he needed for a 30-second commercial from an advertising company.
Last Sunday, the first, second, third, and fourth quarters came and went and nothing. I got pissed off, thinking it was a spam. Then this morning, I found out it did occur! But not on Super Bowl Sunday. It occurred last Tuesday, during the Veronica Mars TV show (his fiancee’s favorite show). Turns out the advertising agency backed out of the $2.425 million offer and JP had to drop his chance of having a commercial shown during the Super Bowl.
While I am unable to understand what he (JP, who is later identified as Rand Fishkin) says on the tape, I did catch “will you marry me?” 23 seconds into the tape. Then the subsequent reaction from his fiancee, Geraldine, who was taped watching the commercial.
I got goosebumps, especially at how Geraldine reacted. Her shaking hands, her “What?!” screams, their embrace and finally, what looked like a “YES!” answer. I think poor Rand was so nervous/excited he put the ring on the wrong hand at first.
Touching, isn’t it? Rand’s entire story about the proposal, the whole shebang and the first 20 hours afterwards can be found on his blog here!
That guy has some creative lobes up there! I wish I had thought of something like this, and I’d even consent to doing something with the Redskins! That would beat the nosebleed I gave my wife that night I proposed to her!
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Ok, Chris…I won’t even ask about the nosebleed you gave her.
On second thought, dish!
Yes, yes… do tell! A nosebleed???
Wow…what a blog/video that was!! Proposals that are creatively done are always heartwarming (especially when the gal says yes!)
Now, HOW in the world did you give her a nosebleed??? Do tell!
Inquiring minds want to know!
Chris shocked Allison by asking her to marry him and she had a boxers’ reflex? If that is true, Alison may have been wondering why it took you so long to ask her that question. *smiles*
Okay, okay. They ARE very cute, especially Geraldine, but…is an engagement ring the ultimate validation in a woman’s life? I mean, if they were in love and together, she HAD to know he’d eventually get around to proposing, right? If you’re in a solid relationship with someone, I’d think that you’d have had discussions at some point about the future… you know, those conversations that guys dread that start with, “Sweetie, we need to talk.” It bothers me that men control the decision, the moment, the proposal. Now, now, I’m not suggesting that I’d want anything otherwise myself than a traditional proposal being the mass of contradictions I am but I do feel sad when I think of some women I know who wait, wait and wait YEARS for a proposal and it never materializes. That loss of control and disempowerment is just sad. Instead of being satisified with their relationship or fulfilled by the things they CAN do because they’re single, a lot of women feel incomplete without a man. Or perhaps this is just a human condition because I know women who want girlfriends and men who wish they had a hot (and smart, a seemingly difficult combination to find but that’s another blog) boyfriend. We come into the world alone, we leave alone so we need to learn its okay to be alone and to take control if you’re not getting what you want. Gloria (another righteous Smithie!) was right on when she said a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle.
Oops. Irina Dunn coined that in 1970.
I thought the videos were adorable! I think she may have reacted that way not because of him proposing, but rather HOW he proposed. It was incredibly sweet. :)
http://marriage.about.com/b/a/015064.htm
LOL! That’s why I asked Nick to marry me because I wasn’t going to wait around for him forever. Thankfully, it worked out well. ;)
The best marriage proposal I ever saw was at the end of the Boise State & Oaklahoma game this year. The runningback ran in the game winning 2 point conversion play off a statue of liberty play…then knelt down and proposed to his woman…
Unbelievable game….had it all and topped it off with that…
“His” woman?????
Yep, that’s his property, didn’t you know? /sarcasm
Still waiting for all the details of the nosebleed story, Chris & Allison! :)
He’s not as bad to lipread as many men are (and that brings up a thought: why are women generally easier to lipread than men? I know that’s not true for everyone, but it certainly is for me!)- I caught about half of what he said– they’d been together for five years, there was no one else he’d rather be with, and then the part you caught at the end– “will you marry me?”
I’m not sure I would ever be that public with something like that. I know there have been people with the guts to do that. I’ve attended two Gallaudet graduations where people have proposed from the stage. That alone was “wow” but to do it on national TV? That definitely takes guts (he also must have been VERY sure of a “yes”– imagine the humiliation if she’d said “No”?).
That’s why Shane was clever enough to propose in front of an audience - he knew I’d be too flustered to say no. :)
Hahaha…he invited me to that particular event…was trying to convince me to come, but I had other plans I couldn’t break out of. Dang, I missed it and he was sure to rub my nose in it the next time I saw him.
Ok– now we’ve got *two* stories– the nosebleed proposal, and the public proposal. It’s Valentine’s week– perfect timing for sharing these anecdotes! ;-)
While it was certainly a sweet gesture, I have to agree with David…I don’t think I would want to go that public with a marriage proposal. To be honest, I don’t think I would want an audience around at all, period. (No offense to Julie and Shane!)
I guess I just see making such a life-changing decision (and let’s face it…it IS!) as being something personal and private, and I’d prefer to keep it that way. Besides, to me there is something very intimate about a marriage proposal; and I just can’t see the intimacy in “advertising” your love for another and your desire to live the rest of your life with that person in a commercial, on a billboard, or written in smoke up in the sky so blue.
Give me a private spot outdoors with only Mother Nature and her creatures as an audience, and I will consider myself very blessed.
Oh, one more thing– I wonder if we’ll be seeing a clip of their wedding as a “commercial” later in the season on “Veronica Mars”? ;-)
Virginia and Keri, I agree with your perspectives. First of all, I proposed to my husband because I wasn’t going to wait around for him to propose to me (found out later he was going to take me on a trip to Europe that summer and propose somewhere there but we ended up holding off on Europe till our honeymoon). We happened to be snowshoeing in the Teton National Park in Jackson Hole Wyoming totally alone. Then and there surrounded only by Mother Nature and a beautiful snowfall did I propose because it was just the two of us in the immediate surroundings - literally. Can’t imagine getting engaged in any other way especially since the relationship was/is about the two of us…
Don’t know if anyone is interested anymore, but I transcripted the commercial and video.
Commercial:
Hello world,
This is Geraldine.
She is amazing, in every way.
For the last five years,
We’ve spent the best parts of our lives together, and made it through the tough times too. I couldn’t ask for anything more in my life -than her love.
And that’s why I am here today.
Geraldine, will you marry me?
During Commercial-
Geraldine:WHAT? WHAT?
Commercial finished-
Geraldine:WHAT? WHAT? WHAT? WHAT? (hyperventilating)
After kiss-
Oh my God! (more hyperventilating breathing)
JP: So what is the answer?
(Geraldine nods)
Geraldine: Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God! You want to get married?
JP: Well, we don’t have to do it tomorrow…. Wait, is that the wrong hand?
Geraldine: I have no idea what hand it is! WHAT? WHAT? WHAT? WHAT?..Okay
JP: You couldn’t feel my heart beating a little faster next to you?… I love you
Geraldine: I love you too
JP: You want to get married?
Geraldine: Yeah….Oh my God I think I’m gonna puke!