I’ve been negligent in writing up an account of the rest of my time in NYC as a contest winner’s guest. Click “More” to read about my presence at the “live” taping of the Video Head grand prize round.
After our trip to TRL, Al and I had some free time to recuperate before she had to film her 25,000 question that evening. For those scoring at home, they filmed the question and answer segments that were aired during the Video Music Awards (VMAs) the evening before. This required the hosts, the ubiquitous Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey, to dress for the VMAs twice, once on Wednesday and once on Thursday for continuities sake.
We headed over to Rockefeller Center where Sean Paul was doing his sound check and waited in a bar that had been turned into a staging area / control room / green room for MTV. We were accompanied by a variety of MTV staffers, all of whom were incredibly friendly and fun. They were also blissfully cynical about everything, which I found hugely reassuring after my earlier visit to the anything-but-cynical TRL experience.
We waited in this room for a while, as monitors and screens showed the MTV VJs practicing their red carpet questions for the following night. I had no idea they did this. I thought I was going to truly crack up when I saw Gideon Yago interviewing a dorky, twenty something white boy pretending to be P. Diddy. Also, whoever (an MTV intern? staffer?) was standing in for Cameron Diaz did a dead-on impression of her, complete with hair flipping and gum chewing. Awesome.
The Video Heads were becoming more nervous and more nervous as they neared their air time. I was distracted briefly by a VP of MTV who, upon finding out that I live in Columbus, Ohio, had to talk to me about Buckeye Football. I cannot escape the Buckeye fans, no matter where I go.
We were soon warned that Jessica and Nick (Simpson, and Lachey, whom I will refer to as intimates from here on out) would soon be arriving, and arrive they did, with an entourage that included a floppy-haired, David Beckham look-alike hair stylist, and other hangers-on. They stayed in the other half of the room, and appeared to prepare finishing touches to their ensembles.
Finally, we were led out to the freaky MTV carousel that was set up in Rockefeller Center. And we waited. And waited. I tried as best I could to get close to where Al and Nick and Jessica would be but this was as close as I could get, since the “audience” that was close to them had been “casted.”
Giuletta went first, and sadly, got the question wrong. Then it was Al’s turn. I couldn’t hear a thing, which was unbelievably frustrating, but soon I saw her on her tiptoes nodding at me, and I knew she knew the answer. This is a picture (blurry, sorry) of her nodding her head to me at that point. After the “commercial break” (aka: the four minutes the contestants were given to choose their answer), it was confirmed that she had indeed won the $25,000!! With the primary goal of our trip accomplished (cash money, baby), I felt relief wash over me (and who was I? Just the guest!) and rested back on my heels and watched the final video head, Veronica, win the bucks as well.
Al seemed to enjoy her time chatting with Nick and Jessica, and I gather from what she said that they are much like you'd expect. However, I did overhear Jessica's stylist say, "we need more double-stick tape."
We went out and celebrated, and slept in on Thursday morning to prepare for our night at the VMAs.
