Rock the Cradle's Jesse Speaks!

Every reality show has got to have a villain. Jesse Blaze Snider found himself in just that role while competing on MTV's Rock the Cradle. But the son of Twisted Sister front man Dee Snider decided to use it in his favor and push himself into the final three. Of course, after conversing with me on the eve of the show’s big night, I realized out that he's just a big softie.

Why do you think you made it to the final three?

I’ve said from the beginning that I was either going to fall flat on my face and people wasn’t going to get what I was doing, or they’d understand what I was about and I'd win this thing.

You’ve been characterized as the biggest showman of the competition.

I can sing, but that’s not really my strength. I knew that going in. My strategy is putting on a performance with costumes and doing something memorable. I'm just staying true of what I did in clubs with my band before, and it’s worked out for me.

The judges were tough on you during the competition.

The only thing I have struggled with is how they were portraying me on the show. It was easy to make me into the bad guy and that’s what they did. It’s been really annoying because I work really hard to be a good person and that’s what I think I really am.

Do you think you got pushed into that role?

Unfortunately, no matter what kind of good person you are ,everyone has a few bad qualities. You may have a thousand good qualities and all they’re going to show are your bad ones and they’ve really shown me in a nasty light. They make Crosby Loggins look like an angel and me as a douchebag (laughs). I was really frustrated and I didn’t know how to handle it. This past week I came in terms with it and tried to make it work for me. I kind of turned it around, and I think I came out looking a lot better than the other episodes.

You didn’t go in with mindset that I'm going to be the bad guy.

No, but I think everyone was shocked and surprised because they expected nothing from me because I'm the son of Dee Snider. They say, “Who the hell is he?” What they don’t know is that he is sharp as a tack and was going to steal the show with his one-liners in the parent booth.

How would you describe yourself?

I'm a very cocky person but I don’t thing there’s anything wrong with that. It just makes you think you’re good, and if people don’t think they’re good then they should change that. I’ve struggled for a while with people thinking I was better than everyone because I'm a child of a rock star. My life has been a constant battle in proving to people that my life was a lot different than what everyone thought it was.

You seem very proud of your dad.

My dad is one of the greatest performers who ever lived. Twisted Sister had some hit songs, but they weren’t Queen or Aerosmith. I think he is above and beyond those performers. He has more charisma and charm on stage then anyone else. No one can hold the candle to him. If I can pick up a little bit of that I would be good.

If you win, will that justify what you went through?

In episode four I had one of my weakest performances: there was no thrill to it. I looked the worst I did all season – I looked cocky and arrogant and it was terrible. I got voted into the fnal three that episode. Then in episode five I had the two best performances all season, so I feel good.

Rock the Cradle, season finale, airs tonight, Thursday May 8, at  10:30 p.m. on MTV.