How to Be an Anybody on a Red Carpet

If you need a reminder of where you’re at in the food chain, try attending a fancy award show like I did for work a few years ago at the Country Music Awards ceremony (we’re there again this year, too).

An anybody surrounded by major somebodies.

Here’s a little tutorial in being somebody vs. anybody…

If you’re somebody, you get dropped off at the red carpet in a tricked out Chevrolet sponsored event car.

Lady Antebellum, being chauffeured to the red carpet entrance.

If you’re anybody else, you get to park two miles away, fending off a Chatty Cathy parking attendant (who also happens to be from Iowa and wants to talk your face off about it) and make your grand entrance on foot.

Obviously everyone awaiting my arrival.

If you’re somebody, you wait for the photographers to shout your name before appearing on the carpet.

Begging for the celebs.

Shawn Johnson, the retired Olympic gold medalist and Dancing With the Stars alum being cat called from the peanut gallery.

If you’re anybody else, you hide in this hallway while the star you’re accompanying soaks up the flash bulbs.

Where the star wranglers hunker down during red carpet photo moments. This hallway is directly behind the “stand and pose” photo wall.

Being somebody, you don’t need any announcement when you appear on the red carpet. Photographers and fans just know you and shout your name accordingly.

Lisa Marie Presley (yes, that Presley) needs no introductions (and yes, I was dying as I was snapping this photo).

When you’re anybody, your name appears in marker on a clipboard that is held up for the photographers just before you turn the corner to be photographed, ensuring people know who the hell you are.

Courtesy applause for the anybodies, please.

When you’re somebody and you recently got caught stepping out on your high school sweetheart wife, you go to the awards show with her anyway (and they’re since divorced and he’s remarried, which sounds like a sad country love song, doesn’t it?).

Jason Aldean and his now very unforgiving ex.

If you’re anybody else and everyone knows you’re a cheat, you stay at home and watch the awards from your couch in your pajama pants you haven’t taken off for three days, a stale beer and yesterday’s pizza, feeling very remorseful.

My pussy caught in a blatant act of cheating and not giving a fuck.

When you’re somebody, you know you look good and work it all the way up and down the red carpet.

Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott strikes a pose in a form fitted dress.

Jake Owen pranced around in a leopard blazer that I wanted to rip off his shoulders and keep all to myself (therefore giving him a complex that I was stalking him because I literally took 12 pictures of him down the carpet due to his jacket).

When you’re anybody else, you blog about the perils of what to wear to work the award show.

Does this vest make me look like somebody or just anybody?!

When you’re somebody, you get interviewed live by TV stations.

Tim Allen being interviewed by Evan Farmer of CMT.

When you’re anybody else, you crouch down in the corner ninja-style, trying to stay out of the camera’s shot or you’ll be kicked off the carpet. The horror.

Hiiieeeee! Don’t mind me.
Just over here taking 4,098,461 photos and maxing my phone’s memory out.

If you’re somebody, you have no problems finding a plus one to be your date.

Lisa Marie Presley with her hipster hubs make one handsome couple.

When you’re anybody else, you have to hang with all of the other people who are working the show.

Workin’ it with men in uniform. Poor me.

When you’re somebody, you perform on the massive stage.

A CMA Award show stage.

When you’re anybody else, you’re perfectly fine asking a stranger to take your picture in front of it.

Anybody want to take my picture? Anyone? Hello?

When you’re somebody, your entourage follows you up on stage to get you gussied up before the live performance.

Hair, make up and wardrobe folks putting the final touches on Carrie Underwood before her performance.

If you’re anybody else,  you have to take pictures back stage to remember where the bathroom is located, so you can brush your hair and reapply lipstick.

Which way to the ladies?

When you’re somebody, you blow the roof off the joint, then head out to the after party.

Aided by the foggiest fog machine ever and blasting confetti, you would have thought it was New Year’s Eve during Carrie Underwood’s performance.

When you’re just anybody, you get to go and walk the empty red carpet before tearing it down.

Long walk to fame…and I finally arrived.

And then pose like just anybody else while no one calls your name.

**Insert crickets chirping here**

It’s rough trying to be anybody! Wish somebody would have told me.

CBXB

How to Grow Your Heart Three Sizes

Working at a production company in Nashville, I never know what kind of day to expect.

As soon as I walked through the door this morning, the Country Music Association called and needed a piece of sound equipment ASAP.  They were holding a press conference in 45 minutes and needed it like now.  I gathered the gear and headed over where I was welcomed to stay for an announcement regarding their upcoming CMA Country Christmas show, hosted by Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland.

CMA press conference stage.

I snuck a seat in the back row, quickly hoping to see Santa as the holiday music jingle jangled all around and wrapped gifts sparkled on the stage (why is it only October?!).

Not Santa but she’ll do!

Jennifer Nettles  graced the stage, announcing the “A Gift for All,” campaign at this year’s CMA Country Christmas show.  When concert goers fill the Bridgestone Arena on November 3, they are encouraged to bring an unwrapped toy for a child of any age.  The CMA will be donating all gifts to the Nashville based non-profit, The Bridge Ministry.

Now I’m not very churchy so I typically would have tuned out at the word ministry.  But this organization not only holds a weekly outreach for homeless people and their families under a Nashville bridge, they also collect toys for them during the holiday season.

At 6pm on Christmas night, volunteers take donated toys and gift them to kids under the bridge. Last year, The Bridge Ministry ran out of toys before all of the waiting kids received a gift (much to the devastation of volunteers – I was near tears at the story and I have a prickly Grinch heart).

As a result of the shortage last year, CMA created “A Gift for All.” By taking donations the night of the Christmas show, they hope to grant all homeless kids under the bridge with at least one toy to open this Christmas day.  And it’s a brilliant idea.

So while we’re just on the brink of the most wonderful time of the year, budget to get a toy for a kid in need. No matter where you live. It will make your tiny Grinch-sized heart grow three sizes.

I swear.

CBXB