The AMAs: Girl-on Girl Crime!

The Media Guy — Mon, 21 Nov 2016 15:45:00 +0000

Okay, so where am I?

I’m rubbing elbows with the elite of music at the American Music Awards. Sting, Ariana Grande, Selena Gomez and more. Before I arrived to the red carpet on Sunday, I was offered $5,000 for one of my press passes. I passed because if you did that at the Oscars you might wind up in white collar prison. A young Media Guy would have done it. I’m either old or wise now…

I was super thrilled to see Gigi Hadid on the red carpet and host the show. However, I might be the only one who made this must-see TV. Variety says that barely eight million people watched last night’s American Music Awards (which was down a humongous 31% from 2015).

What else does that mean?

It means that right around eight million folks have sore faces from the involuntary face crumpling inspired by Gigi Hadid trying to bring the comedy on some random youtube episode. Her monologue with Jay Pharoah was an epic dumpster fire that you couldn’t take your eyes off of.

I describe Gigi’s hosting performance in the same way many study executives describe my early Media Guy television show pitches: awkward, weird, stiff (not in a hot way) and left you needing several strong well drinks. But what really annoyed me was her demeaning imitation of our First Lady-elect.

During their opening, Pharoah did the obligatory impersonations of Jay Z and (of course) Donald Trump (he’s from Saturday Night Live, folks, he had to). On the other side, Gigi forgot that she’s Palestinian and all of the heartache the people from Palestine have endured over the year and unleashed a Melania Trump impression that was, well, awkward, weird, stiff (not in a hot way) and left you needing several strong drinks. Sure it’s easy to impersonate Melania Trump. But do you have to? I mean Mrs. Trump is only the second foreign-born First Lady ever. If you don’t like The DOn and his politics and immigration policies, rail on the man not the woman. Shaming a First Lady to be isn’t the path to unifying America.

Geez, what happened to the Gigi who shoots out massive loads of charisma and personality? Sheesh! Disappointing.

Click here to watch – go to the 2:23 mark of the clip

On the flip slide of the girl-on-girl crime perpetuated by Gigi is Selena Gomez.

Over the last few months, Selena (yeah, I think I can call her that now after the St. Jude’s Gala a decade ago) has been off the grid dealing with her lupus diagnosis and other issues rooted in the evil of Justin Bieber/the aftermath of being a Disney child star. On this night won an he AMA for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist and made us all cry:

“Thank you guys so much. In 2014, this stage was actually the first time that I was authentically 100% honest with all of you. I think it’s safe to say that most of you know a lot of my life whether I liked it or not. And I had to stop, ’cause I had everything, and I was absolutely broken inside. And I kept it all together enough to where I would never let you down, but I kept it too much together where I let myself down.

I don’t want to see your bodies on Instagram. I want to see what’s in here. I’m not trying to get validation, nor do I need it anymore. All I can say from the bottom of my heart is I am so grateful to have the opportunity to be able to share what I love every single day with people that I love. And I have to say thank you so much to my fans because you are so damn loyal, and I don’t know what I did to deserve you. But if you are broken, you do not have to stay broken. And if that’s anything, whether you respect me or not, that’s one thing you should know about me: is that I care about people.”

On an unrelated note, Selena’s former friend Kylie Jenner was so so confused by Selena’s speech, she probably whispered to one of the Dashes, “If you’re not putting your body on Instagram for attention, what the hell is the point? I mean if you aren’t told regularly that your pictures violate their explicit content rules, then you’re not trying.”

Maybe I should take this down – I don’t want to be sued…In any case, on with the AMA / Media Guy Red Carpet Gallery:

Ariana Grande: Seeing a woman who looks like a 12 year old dressing sexy is forever awkward, weird, stiff (not in a hot way) and left you needing several strong drinks.

DJ Khaled: You can the man out of the DJ booth, but not the DJ out of the man.

Gigi: Stunning nonetheless.

Kat Graham: The highlight of any red carpet.

Lady Gaga with the impeccable white pant suit and 1970’s model hat.

Simply Red – Selena Gomez

Sting: I still can’t get over that he makes $2,000 a day from Puff Daddy’s ripoff of his song.

————-

NOTE: In 2013, I covered the American Music Awards and got distracted by a one-armed man. Read on…

The post The AMAs: Girl-on Girl Crime! appeared first on Media Guy Struggles.

The AMAs and the One-Armed Man

The Media Guy — Tue, 26 Nov 2013 00:32:00 +0000

A funny conversation happened to me during my mad rush to reach Los
Angeles’ Nokia Theater to cover the American Music Awards for Fox. Cover might
be a reach; I mean working the red carpet isn’t exactly a Pulitzer Prize
assignment, but it helps pay the bills.

I know what you are saying right now, “Blah, blah, blah Media Guy…get
to the freaking point.”

Okay, okay, sorry for digressing right at the start.

I ran into the talented and charming Ryan Stout. He’s a comedian who
has made it to the big time on Comedy Central. H couldn’t resist telling me
about what happened on a recent flight.

RYAN STOUT: I had a situation at the airport flying out of the country.

MEDIA GUY: What happened?

RS: There was a man getting on my flight. He only had one arm; just
one.

MG: You mean like Dr. Richard Kimble?

RS: No, nothing like that. But he only had one arm. The arm, right at
the shoulder, completely gone. No nub, no nothing.

MG: Were you in danger?

RS: Quite the opposite. I’m watching him get on the plan, and all I could
think was, “Please let me sit next to him.”

MG: Did you?

RS: I did! Wrong side.

Believe me when I tell you he fought for the armrest! He fought for it.
I can’t believe he didn’t want the window seat. Ruuuuuuuuude.

MG: How rude was he?

RS: I said to myself, “Oh great, I guess it’s my job to help with
someone’s oxygen mask.” Then about half way through the flight, he said “do you
know what the dinner is?” To which I replied, “cheese ravioli or braised
chicken. Say if you get the chicken do I have to help you cut it?” He was taken
aback, so I decided to make small talk. “Are you a big Def Leppard fan?”

Rick Allen aka the one-armed Def Leppard drummer.

MG: You didn’t…

RS: I did! But this is where I lucked out, because the one-armed man
was not into chit-chat and that’s a good thing because if he wanted to
introduce himself [chuckles] I was not shaking that hand. Because chances
are…it’s not very clean.

MG: Oh my.

RS: No, that’s not a disgusting joke. I mean how do you wash one hand?
That’s all I’m asking how do you do it? You get a little soap and then what?
How do you get the back? How do you scrub the knuckles?

You’re looking at me funny? I just want a few answers and I’m tired of
the judgment.

MG: There’s no judgment really…

RS: The one-armed man is a tricky situation and I know what you’re
thinking. We’re quick to label. We’re
very quick to label as a country. Like
you steal a few office supplies, now all of the sudden you’re “unemployed.” You
refused to pay for sex, now you’re that “broke honky.” You forget to pull out
one time and now you’re the “father.”

MG: So you’re saying beware of one-armed men on airline flights?

RS: I know you want to clap for me right now for bringing this thinking
to light. But the one-armed people don’t like the clapping. They give it one-thumbs-down.
That’s the lowest score you can give.

————–

Honestly that was the funniest, politically incorrect
conversation I’ve had in a decade. I laughed all the way to the AMAs.
Here’s a few highlights…a link to the story that was filed (sorry I was a photographer only) and link to my photography handiwork.

My AMA badge I posted on my Instagram account.

Miley Cyrus came in like a wrecking ball with her pops, looking mighty sharp.

See all my pictures on Instagram by following me here.

The post The AMAs and the One-Armed Man appeared first on Media Guy Struggles.

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The AMAs: Girl-on Girl Crime!

The AMAs and the One-Armed Man