So the Backstreet Boys were up at Z100 today -- and let me tell you, did people CARE! It's like JJ said on the air today: normally, that place clears out around 5.30, but everrrrryone hung around for BSB (photos here. Good stuff). They were charming as always and unexpectedly hilarious -- Howie, AJ and Brian relieved Producer Geo from his phone op duties to surprise some callers.
I always enjoy a nice trip down memory lane whenever I see the Backstreet Boys -- who doesn't? Today's reflection involved one of the more fun things I've ever done: going to Sesame Street with Nick and Aaron Carter. In terms of my level of excitement, going to Sesame Street was cooler than the American Music Awards, the Grammys and the VMAs combined.
So I show up at the studio in Queens, which also houses other productions. It was the first time I'd been there since I was 21, when I was caught up in a debacle involving Sebastian Bach, an angry MTV producer who nearly assaulted me, the band The Frogs, Kermit the Frog and Jimmy Buffett. But that's a story for another time.
I step onto the Sesame Street set with Nick and Aaron and let me tell you -- I was totally overwhelmed. I am not one who's tremendously nostalgic about my childhood, but I watched Sesame Street twice a day, every day, for the bulk of my formative years. I even fake autographed a Sesame Street album when my brother was home sick from kindergarten and told him that Big Bird, Oscar, Bert, Ernie and the whole crew showed up that day. Boy, did he cry.
So I'm putzing around the set, cursing myself for having a few too many (read: way too many) drinks at my friend's birthday party the night before. I was in some serious pain, so on a break, I curled up in Big Bird's nest to try and shake my hangover. I called all my friends from behind the counter in Mr. Hooper's store, sat on Gordon's stoop, watched the cute puppeteer who's the mind behind the Two-Headed Monster (seriously cute)...but nothing could shake my weird, trippy hangover.
Then I saw it. A sight no one should see, really, least of all someone whose head was spinning from a bad case of the cocktail flu. A terrible, terrible sight, one that shook me to my core.
Mr. Snuffleupagus. Lifeless. Hanging on a hook.
Oh, was it awful. My beloved Snuffy seemed to be looking at me with sad eyes as he just hung there like so many cheap fur coats. I actually yelped, covering with the tired "Oh, I remembered a joke" when people spun around to see what the problem was.
Everyone went about their business as I gave Snuffy a pat on his limp snout. Maybe it was the hangover that made rumpled Snuffy hit me hard, but I left a piece of myself on Sesame Street that day.
And the 2007 Teen Choice Award for Choice Z100 Jock with Four Letters in Both His First and Last Names goes to...Ryan Hall!
OK, maybe that's not true.
In a past life, I used to go to the Teen Choice Awards every year (here, Ryan's in my office posing with the Teen Choice Award I was given last year -- a real working surfboard!). As the 2007 awards are upon us, airing August 26 on Fox, I thought I'd give you a few brain-teasing Teen Choice blind items to chew on:
* WHICH uberheartthrobby male movie star had waaaaaaay too much of a vibe with my gay friend Aaron on the red carpet for me to believe he's straight?
* WHO claims she doesn't do drugs, yet lit up a funny-smelling cigarette right at her table at a party the night before the awards?
* THIS rocker ran into his then-girlfriend's former co-star on the red carpet of that pre-party and, just out of earshot of dozens of journalists, threatened to beat the guy to a bloody pulp for "disrespecting [his] girl." Evidently, despite the fact that said co-star had just tied the knot, he continued to beg this other girl to hook up. Name the rocker, his girl and the caddish co-star
* NAME the waifish young star who, the night before the awards, caused a drunken commotion with her rocker boyfriend in the Four Seasons lobby? Following that, she retired to their room, ordered room service and then called back five minutes later to tell the operator she was a beeyotch for not rushing her food (believe it or not, the poor operator was really hurt by that!)
My niece Charley is kind of ridiculous, right?!?!??! I wish I could spend more time with her in Detroit Rock City.
My New York nephew (not really), Haru, turned 1 on Sunday -- just 366 days after I was to have thrown his mom a baby shower. Oops!
That kid has a lot of patience with my love for funny faces (and party hats).
His parents, however, don't have as much patience for the fact that I'm kind of an idiot when it comes to babies. Evidently, when it comes to one-year-olds and Baskin Robbins ice cream cake, you're only supposed to feed them that much -- a taste. You are NOT supposed to feed them half a slice of cake, as I promptly did when they sat him on my lap and went to chat with other partygoers. Unbeknownst to me, even though I love that kid like he's my own blood, you're not supposed to do that to a kid who's never had sweets or dairy. Whoops!
Haru spent the rest of the party crying that we wouldn't feed him more cake. Umm...sorry, Jeremy and Maiko!
...I'm freaking thrilled that I decided to move from the Village to Paulus Hook, Jersey City, New Jersey
1. For the first time in eight years, I have a toilet INSIDE my apartment. No longer do I need to make believe that I'm living in the video for INXS's "Never Tear Us Apart," enjoying this fabulous life in Prague cuddling with Michael Hutchence in the cold but going home to an old school water closet situation.
2. I have more power outlets in my kitchen (four) than I did the entire apartment (two).
3. When I opened my windows in the Village, I was usually treated to the dulcet tones of drunken frat boys scarfing down slices from Joe's Pizza at 4 AM, or, if I was lucky, a musical crackhead with an amp playing a cheap Casio keyboard and singing "Isn't She Lovely." In Paulus Hook, when I step out onto my balcony, I'm treated to the sounds of whatever band is playing at the Liberty House restaurant floating across the water. Yesterday, I was pretty sure there was a wedding reception going on, and what do I hear but "Thin Line Between Love and Hate." An odd choice for a wedding? Hmm...
4. When I forget my housekeys here, the doorman lets me in. When I forgot my keys there, I was forced to track down my spare key-having friend Winnie or Jeremy -- and that didn't always happen. In fact, once Winnie and I went out for a late night o'karaoke and BOTH forgot the keys, which resulted in us checking into the Hudson Hotel at 4 A.M.. And the rooms are tiny and I snore, so we had to get two. Sucked.
5. My new place was christened with Beyonce Night! Aaronyce Knowles brought over his four (four!) Beyonce DVDs, which we watched over many, many cocktails. Cortney had never seen the "Upgrade U" video, and audibly gasped as it played (I sort of love her clowining of/homage to Hova). And then we got to talking about everyone's new favorite celeb, Victoria Beckham, and everyone started working a Spice Girls look on the balcony.
We had two Poshes going on there, but I think it works!
