Media Mondays

Who's that crazy girl in the back on the Tower of Terror? 

It's a new week and I think we all need a fresh start after all of the tragedy last week.  A trip to Disneyland was in order just to lighten the mood a bit, but there was still work to do. Here are all of my media appearances from last week.

AfterBuzz TV DWTS:  If you are looking for last week's show, click here for the video, photos, and more with Witney Carson.

Tom Barnard Podcast:  We talked about the Boston Marathon.  Enough said. You can hear me at the 1:01:22 mark here.

Clevver Movies:  My final appearance on It's a Wrap featured the topic "Are Movies "Based on a True Story" Believable?  Find out what we had to say...Erin Darling, Josh Ovenshire, and Ryan Turek.



SheKnows:  A few of my articles from last week...
Sandra Bullock film to screen for Boston police and FBI--A lovely gesture for some of the hardest working people in the law enforcement.
Sharon Osbourne's 911 call released:  Did she cover for Ozzy?--It appears that Ozzy's addiction problems were happening for a lot longer than anyone realized.
Singer Lauryn Hill facing eviction--She doesn't like to pay her bills.

It's Monday, so you have two opportunities to catch me on the air today:
1:30pm PT Metro News Hotline with Dave Weekley
7:35pm PT Driving with Gass on KWSS.org

16th Annual Prism Awards

Interviewing Tony Denison of The Closer.

If you thought awards season was over, don't worry, there is always an awards show happening in Hollywood.  Last Thursday, I had the opportunity to cover the 16th Annual Prism Awards which honor the accurate depiction of social issues in TV and Film.  Honorees included shows like Parenthood and Southland as well as actors and TV personalities from William H. Macy, Craig T. Nelson, and Dr. Drew for focusing in on issues like substance abuse, mental illness, and PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) in military veterans.  The yellow carpet was filled with celebs and I got the inside scoop from some of your favorite television actors.

From Gugu Mbatha-Raw of Touch:  I learned that her co-star, Kiefer Sutherland, is an avid chess player.  Hmmm, I was looking for a more exciting story, but who knew Kiefer was so focused on set? See our interview here.

From Michael Cudlitz of Southland:  I promised that I would watch his show over three years ago via Twitter and it hasn't happened yet.  I made a new promise to him that he now has his Twitter followers bugging me to honor and we caught it all on camera--including a little bit of heckling from Mr. Cudlitz himself.



From Leigh Anne Tuohy whom Sandra Bullock portrayed in her Oscar-winning role in The Blind Side:  I asked her about the scene in the film where her friends question taking in a young black man into their household and had her friends' attitudes changed after all of the success.  I was surprised to hear her response and I think you will too.  See her interview here.

My Twitter feed has been a lot of fun lately with tweets from Leigh Anne Tuohy, Michael Cudlitz, and Deborah Norville.  Make sure to follow me for even more entertainment scoop!  

From Craig T. Nelson of Parenthood:  He has hit the actor jackpot with a long career in TV and Film.  It is rare for an actor to have lightning strike even once with a successful television series, but he has succeeded over and over again with Coach, The District, and now Parenthood.  When I said he didn't need the affirmation because he is on the right track in his career, he said, "You always do. You always want to know that your work is not only appreciated but is touching somebody."  Ah, spoken like a true professional.  Now that's how you have longevity in your career.  Take note, actors.  See my interview with Craig T. Nelson here.

For more videos from the event, head on over to Red Carpet Report.

On The Red Carpet at the 84th Annual Academy Awards: The Interviews

Can you tell I am excited to be there?

I was covering Hollywood's biggest night for Starpulse this year and you can read the article here. I am very excited by the interviews we were able to secure this year thanks to the new online media section on the red carpet.  It was the perfect place for us to be and you will see with our interviews with Tony Bennett, Demian Bechir, Meryl Streep, Berenice Bejo, and more that this red carpet was a hot one.  So, watch our interviews and let me know what you think.  Who was your favorite at the Oscars this year?

January Wrap-Up

View from the back of Angie Harmon's Monique Lhuillier dress. Photo from Go Fug Yourself.

I don't think I ever gave much thought to Angie Harmon, but apparently, many others do.  In fact, she has her own fan club on Twitter called the Twangels.  I am not making this stuff up, kids.  They came out in full force emailing me, commenting on the blog, and Tweeting me about how I was wrong about the dress.  I figured the two final judges on fashion, Go Fug Yourself and Joan Rivers from E!'s Fashion Police, would be the final word as to whether I was completely wrong or whether my comments had a bit of validity to them.  Joan called the dress a "gay Swiffer" and the Fug Girls?  Well, they said it was "Fug, not Fab".  The bottom line, it's just an opinion and I really think Angie felt beautiful because she was beaming in all of her red carpet photos.  At the end of the day, that's all that really matters, isn't it?

Now that we have reached the end of the month.  Here are the absurd searches that drew many readers to Red Carpet Closet.  I love these because some are so wacky and I always wonder how Google's algorithm determines that they should stop here.

1.  "Sandra Bullock Botox Golden Globes":  Okay, I didn't write about Sandra's Botox at the Golden Globes, yet HUNDREDS of you were sent here to read about it.  I did write about Jennifer Lopez's Botox which left her frozen in time and unable to move.  Does Sandy do Botox?  Yep.  Does it look unnatural?  Nope.  Remember the next time you are at the dermatologist, "a little dab will do ya".  Don't over-Botox, ladies, it gives you butter face.  You can find the Golden Globes article here. 

2.  "Are Charlie Bodin and Paula Rhodes a couple?":  I can answer this one.  Yes.  And they are engaged.  It's like my blog became Tiger Beat magazine.  I love it.   See their work in A Good Knight's Quest.  Check out my interview with them here.

3.  "Dad is Carpet Cleaning":  Hmmm, you stumped me on this one.  I don't ever offer cleaning tips because it is one of my least favorite things to do.   So, I hope you enjoyed my blog while you helped your dad clean the carpet.  To balance out my least favorite thing, this is my favorite event that I covered from the month of January:  The Academy Award Nominations.

4.  "Detroit Auto Show Carpet":  So many of you want the remnants of the auto show carpets from Detroit.  Believe it or not, the display companies DO sell off the carpet because they only use it for the run of the two week show.  I am not going to give out the names of the display companies since they will be bombarded with calls.  However, a word to the wise, this is the dirtiest carpet you could ever buy.  Over 700,000 attendees walked on your carpet and dragged in germs, salt, snow, and dirt from outside.  Is that the kind of carpet you want in your home?  See highlights from my time in Detroit at NAIAS 2011.

5.  "Olga Kay Sneakers":  I guess this has become the monthly "Ask an Olga Kay Question Center".  One month, her fans were worried about her.  I checked in on Olga and she is doing great!  The next month, they wanted to know how tall she was.  I asked her, she's 5'1".  Now you want to know what type of sneakers she wears.  Sigh, I'll go ask.  Check back later for the response.  In the meantime, check out my interview with her.  

Thanks for making January such a great month here at Red Carpet Closet. I know a lot of you stopped by for red carpet/awards show coverage.  I hope you come back in February because there will be an entire week of wall to wall Oscar coverage.  Yes, I will be there LIVE on February 27th.....and I am so excited!

                

2011 Golden Globes

It's the glitz and glam of red carpet season and the Golden Globes never disappoints.  The stylists are working overtime to get their clients a bit of fashion buzz.  Did they succeed?   Here is the knowledge I am imparting from last night's show:

1.  Botox:  If you want to look your best on the red carpet and you think that involves a shot of Botox, do it two weeks before the big night.  Your face needs time to relax and get used to its new position.  You want the press to avoid describing your forehead as frozen, surprised, or shocked.  In fact, they shouldn't be talking about your forehead, JLo.

2.  Pregnancy:  Often times, it is a guaranteed way to win an award.  The press loves belly bumps as do the awards show voters.  Think Catherine Zeta-Jones back in 2003 when Chicago swept the awards season.  She sang, danced, and she even had EMTs on hand to deliver her baby just in case she went into labor while accepting her Academy Award.  This is Natalie's year to win it all for Black Swan, so please find a stylist who doesn't dress your bump like a mound of soil to plant your little flower.

3.  Flesh:  Okay, okay, we get that flesh tones are in vogue, but it's time to leave your skin tone dresses at home.  They don't look great on the red carpet, in photographs, or on camera.  It's time to tell the stylists to drop the fleshy palette and look for a bit of color to liven up the joint.  Who wore flesh dresses?  Nicole Kidman, Michelle Williams, Leighton Meester, Carrie Underwood, Sandra Bullock, Julie Bowen, Scarlett "The Frankenbride" Johansson, and more.  You want to be a movie star?  Act like one.  (You know that Lea Michele is gunning for the movie star title, so watch your backs, kids.)

4. Mother of the Bride Dresses:  Leave the frump at home.  This means you....Angelina, Michelle Williams, Anne Hathaway (Her dress looked like it would feel itchy with the thousands of sequins.), and Jenny from the Block who gets a mention here for the capelette over her gown.

5.  Stop Dressing Yourself:  January Jones.  Your Versace dress with a side of smooshed boobs and a dash of "What the hell?" should send you straight into the arms of a stylist.  Any stylist.  I don't care whom.

What were your thoughts on last night's show?  I would love to hear who you were happy and horrified with on the red carpet.

All photos are property of Jason Merritt/Getty Images.

Behind the Scenes of Johnny B. Homeless

My first introduction to Al Thompson was at the 2009 ITVFest red carpet gala.  His official entry, Johnny B. Homeless, was a part of the festival and he kindly rapped his theme song on the red carpet for us.  "He's Johnny Homeless!"  In the year since, he signed a deal with Atom.com, won the People's Choice Award at NY Television Festival 2009 (NYTVF), created two new series, and he was again selected for the 2010 NYTVF all while jumping back and forth between the coasts for work.  I don't know anyone in this industry who has a bad word to say about Al.  He's funny, charming, handsome, and one of the most hard-working actor/creators in the industry.  We tried for months to get our schedules together and sit down with Al, but he was hard to catch.  The stars finally aligned and I was glad we were able to tell his story.  Mark my words, he will be a major player in the entertainment industry within the next five years.

One thing about Al that I really appreciate is that his work shows the depth of his range.  Watch the comedy behind Johnny B. Homeless and then turn around and see the sexiness of Lenox Avenue.  That's where his talent really shines.  Another favorite moment of the interview involved Al's love for TV theme songs.  He created a really catchy theme for Johnny B. Homeless that has you walking away singing.  I miss the days of singing to the Facts of Life or The Jeffersons theme song.  In fact, the TV theme song has virtually been eliminated from 95% of the shows out there to give more time for sponsors.  Do you really stick around for the ads?  I didn't think so.

Al talked about the importance of festivals, particularly ITVFest, in his career. Even with his success, he continues to strive for more and he's still hitting that festival circuit.  You will see his next entry in September's NYTVF with Baby Daddy Memoirs and I know he's looking forward to retaining his title.  Watch out, NY, here comes Al Thompson!

Finally, I have met Al's lovely fianceé, so he won't be marrying Sandra Bullock anytime soon.  However, how hilarious was their Photoshopped couple shot?  Hey, a guy deserves a dream! As always, stick around to the very end to see a fun little outtake from the shoot. Here's the episode of The Web Files with Al Thompson: