3 E.V. men attend anti-jerk boot camp on TV

Grab a drink in a Scottsdale nightclub, and you're sure to spot at least a handful of the area's common creatures of the night: beefy guys with bowed-up chests and way too much hair gel who strut around like alpha males sent to women from on high.

Perhaps that's why VH1 saw the Valley as prime hunting ground for its latest reality show, "Tool Academy." Three Valley men - Dimitri Mitropoulos of Gilbert, Howard Clarence of Scottsdale and Josh Johnson of Phoenix - appear in the series, which premieres Jan. 11 on VH1.

Lured by the prospect of a show called "Mr. Awesome," the swaggering dudes were thrown a curveball when they arrived in L.A. for filming: Instead of competing in a show that would highlight their finer qualities, they were in for anti-jerk boot camp to break them of bad-boyfriend habits like lying and cheating.

But Mitropoulos, an Arizona State business school grad, says not all the guys on the show are that bad.

"I was expecting a twist, so it didn't really shock me that they changed it up once we were there. The only thing that really shocked me was the name - when they revealed that it was really called 'Tool Academy.' I don't consider myself that way. A tool is one of those guys that you see wanting attention because they're very immature, that tries to be more fashionable than they need to, someone who doesn't really know who they are yet," says Mitropoulos, 27.

Secretly nominated by their girlfriends for lessons in maturity, fidelity and communication by an in-house relationship counselor, the guys must progress each week or risk dismissal from the show. If they're sent packing, they also have to face their girlfriends, who decide on the spot to stay together or break up.

"I haven't been the perfect boyfriend, but I'm not a tool," says Mitropoulos. "I don't think (my girlfriend) thinks I'm a tool. That's not the word she would use. I'm the type of guy who wasn't ready to settle down, and that's what was bothering her."

Mitropoulos, who's dabbled in nightclub ownership and management in Arizona and Michigan, says he's not worried about how he might be perceived on the show. In fact, he won't even watch the premiere, since he'll be working - at a Scottsdale lounge.

"I'm trying to think positive. Whatever happens, happens. I did it for fun, and I say never look back and regret what you did. Every experience you do in life, you learn something. It's not always about the party life and wanting more. Sometimes you just have to appreciate what's in front of you," he says.

The show will run for eight episodes. The winner will receive $100,000.

Tool Academy

Nine guys think they're showing up to compete for the title of "Mr. Awesome" but discover they're about to be schooled by an in-house relationship counselor determined to help them become better boyfriends.

The first of eight episodes premieres 8 p.m. Jan. 11 on VH1.