Tiger Beat - March 1971 (typed by Cindy M.)

At last! Patti Carnel Reveals:
The Bobby I Know - Part 2

Last month you met Patti and learned of her close friendship and dates with Bobby. This month Patti tells you how Bobby feels about watching himself on television, the ways he's thoughtful and how he feels about marriage!

LAST YEAR THERE WERE SO MANY RUMORS ABOUT YOU AND BOBBY BEING MARRIED. HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT ALL THE RUMORS?
In August of 1969 Bobby's publicity agent decided to take some pictures of us because he thought we looked "cute" together. So we were seen together in a magazine and people started saying how we were going to get married. We had no plans of getting married. We had only been dating each other at that point for a few months. Bobby really wanted to make sure that people got the message that he had no intentions of getting married or engaged. The idea of us getting married is really far-out to me. I'm only 19 and I haven't done a lot of things yet that I want to do!

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE "THINGS" YOU WANT TO DO?
I want to travel. Also I want to learn a lot of things before I'm tied down with a family or anything. I want to experience a lot of things first. I like Bobby a lot, but he dates other girls and I date other guys.

WHEN THE RUMORS OF YOUR "MARRIAGE" WERE GOING AROUND, DID YOU GET LETTERS FROM ANGRY FANS?
Oh yes! They really hurt my feelings because I would think that if these fans really loved Bobby they would be open minded enough to want Bobby to be happy. Bobby was getting letters saying "Down on Patti" and "If you marry Patti you're never going to be popular again." I just couldn't believe that his fans could be like that, because someday they're going to fall in love with somebody and they wouldn't like something like that. I guess as you grow older, you're more understanding. We had no plans of marriage, but some girls would say things like, "If you get married, let me know and I'll be very happy for you." So I guess there were just a few that really wanted to be nasty. The majority of the response was from fans who said, "We want the best for you Bobby, and we want you to be happy."

BOBBY HAS MENTIONED HOW HE OFTEN ENTERTAINS DATES AT THIS APARTMENT SO HE CAN AVOID THE CROWDS THAT INEVITABLY GATHER AROUND HIM. WERE YOU EVER A GUEST AT BOBBY'S?
The first time I spent an evening over at this apartment was when "Brides" was on and he invited me over to watch it with him. He's really a great host and he's a great cook too.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS BOBBY LIKES TO DO AT HOME BESIDES WATCHING TV?
He listens to his recordings in his studio. He produces other artists and he's always working on those recordings. Ever since I first met Bobby he's been trying to get a fine quality of sound from his own recording studio in his parents' house and I thinks he's finally gotten it. He's really interested in his studio. It's really the love of his life. He's also bought some movie camera equipment and he's very much into shooting film on people and he also loves to film animals.

DOES BOBBY HAVE ANY INTERESTS YOU'D CALL HOBBIES?
He's got so many interests, he's never sitting still. He's always doing something, and he's got the greatest sense of humor, so he's always fun to be with. Bobby is so versatile, he could be a comedian or a dramatic actor, a singer, or anything. He's just got everything going for him. I don't know how anyone can't like him! He's got such a creative mind, it's just never ending.

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN BOBBY LOSE HIS TEMPER?
Not really. He doesn't like people that lie or people who deceive him. He can't see why people do that. His philosophy is to get the truth out right there while it's on your head instead of living with a lie. That's the only thing that I can think of that would make him lose his temper. Of course, when he's working in the studio, if something isn't going right, he gets annoyed, but he doesn't lose his temper. He just smooths out the problem. He's not a quitter. He's a real perfectionist.

IF YOU HAD TO PICK A FAULT THAT BOBBY HAS, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
I can't really say that Bobby is perfect, because nobody is. He doesn't like to hurt anybody, and there are times when you have to say "no" to a person or do something where you can please some people and it won't please others. He's has a rough time with that. He's just a sensitive guy. He doesn't like to make decisions that would hurt somebody.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS BOBBY'S MOST ADMIRABLE VIRTUE?
I think his most admirable virtue is his love and kindness to everyone who walks in front of him! He's charming and I can't really put it all into one word, because there's lots of virtuous things about Bobby.

IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS YOU'VE GOTTEN TO KNOW BOBBY VERY WELL, WHAT WOULD YOU CONSIDER THE KIND OF GIRL HE LIKES?
Just a girl who's totally honest and totally herself. He just likes someone that isn't trying to impress him, and Bobby's smart enough see through a person like that. He sees through it in an instant. Just being a real person. He likes girls in every shape, size, form color - everything! He just really looks for the beauty in a person and sometimes they don't want to show that, they don't think they're very attractive. But they could be, if they'd just be themselves.

DOES BOBBY EVER TALK TO YOU ABOUT MARRIAGE?
Bobby wants to get married, and I'm sure he'd like to get married now, but he's worked so hard for his career and the way it's going now is so fantastic that he would rather wait. I know he wants to get married and I know he'll be the greatest husband and father a girl could ask for. He's great with kids. He's got a terrific memory of when he was young and he knows how sensitive he was at that age and that makes him really love kids.

YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU HAVE WATCHED "BRIDES" WITH BOBBY. WHAT'S IT LIKE TO WATCH "BRIDES" WITH HIM?
It's a really funny experience, because you're watching this guy on TV and you turn around and you're sitting right next to him! I got used to it after a while but it was kind of strange in the beginning.

HOW DOES BOBBY REACT WHEN HE'S WATCHING HIMSELF ON TV?
Most of the time he watches himself very intently and he's very critical of himself. There are times that he feels there's room for improvement, which I can't see because I think he's a fantastic actor. The things I've seen him in as far as "Brides" is concerned, were fantastic. You can tell he's a very sensitive person. He studies hard too, and I think it's good for Bobby to watch himself, because he's his best critic

IS THERE ANYTHING WE HAVEN'T COVERED THAT YOU MIGHT LIKE TO MENTION ABOUT BOBBY THAT YOU THINK IS REALLY INTERESTING ABOUT HIM?
I'd just say that for any girl to go out with him, she should just be herself. Bobby is the greatest person a girl could hope to go out with. He's good looking, he's real, generous, charming, gentlemanly, he knows how to speak to your parents and he knows how to treat you like a lady. But, you have to be a lady in order for him to treat you like that. He's just an ideal guy to date!