May 24, 2007

• My American Idol Finale Photos & The Meltdown We’ve ALL Been Waiting For!

  
  

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  Update:  If you’re looking for my 2008 or 2006 Idol photos, Click Here.

  Thanks to all of the Leona Lewis fans who have visited my site as a result of the posting at www.leonalewisfansite.co.uk.  Feel free to look around.  You guys are a big bunch, I’ve had hundreds of hits from the UK this week. For other Leona posts I’ve written click here and here.  If you like what you see, please leave a comment or send a message. –Carey

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  Before I start, I’d just like to ask, when is America going to wake up and realize that voting for a President is more important than voting for an Idol?  There were over 609 million (that’s 609,000,000) votes cast this season on American Idol.  The finale alone brought in over 74 million votes.  Wake up America.  We are at a precipice.  The world hates us because of our president, who invaded a sovereign nation on the basis of lies, to line his slimy oily pockets and those of his controlling cronies.

  That said, I rant enough on this blog, but if you want to know why the President of the United States of America should be tried for war crimes, check out some of my more political entries.
  

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  So after 5 months, we can have our lives back again, not held captive by the spell of Sanjaya.  The finals started at 5:00 here (8:00 on the east coast), so we walked the mile and a half from my house to the Kodak Theater (because parking was a nightmare).  Once again, I sneaked on to the red carpet with my phony press pass (that didn’t even say American Idol, LOL).  I had a much better position than last year, and got some great photos.  A few observations about the red carpet:

  • All of the D list celebrities arrive 2 hours before the show and “mingle” on the carpet as much as possible.
  • Publicists are really funny.  They walk ahead of the “stars” on the red carpet to announce who their clients are.  “Diana Degarmo, Season 3 runner up”, “David Hasselhoff, still judging “America’s Got Talent”, despite his public drunkenness.”  By the way, Diana Degarmo looks like a $2 whore these days!  Plus you could see hair on the crook of her back. Disgusting!

  

  • The paparazzi can be VICIOUS!  One minute they’re yelling at Jerry Springer to pose like a super model, but as soon as one of them spies a bigger celebrity, the cameras all turn, and poor Jerry Springer is left standing there like a lost Springer Spaniel!
  • They can also be downright mean.  When Paula Abdul wouldn’t do a spin for one of the photographers, he asked her if she was too drunk!  If looks could kill, that photographer would be dead (though she probably was drunk.)  LOL
  • Men look ridiculous in bright sunlight with foundation and mascara and rouge on their faces.  Especially if they haven’t just shaved!
  • Try to stand behind someone short when taking red carpet photos.
  • Stand behind the photographers that the “stars” know.  I was lucky enough to be standing behind the Official American Idol photographers.  The ones who take the kids’ photos every single week, and throughout the year on tour.  Every former Idol contestant knows these guys by name, and consider them friends.  That’s how I got such good closeups.
  • It’s amazing how fast these kids learn how to work the system.  The way they parade down the red carpet and turn for the cameras is kind of disgusting.  You can certainly tell the humbled ones from the affected ones!

  Anyway, here are some of the better photos I took.  Remember, I didn’t have a fancy paparazzi camera.  All of these were taken with my trusty little Canon PowerShot SD800 IS. 

   

  

  The famous Kodak Theater at Hollywood & Highland.  Also home of the Oscars. 

  

  Jordin looked absolutely beautiful.  I haven’t really been a fan of hers this year, though I admit she’s got an good voice.  She just always seemed phony to me.  A bit too manufactured, like she was being groomed for this her whole life.  What I saw tonight however, was the opposite.  She was completely overwhelmed by all of it.  Thousands of people screaming her name, flashbulbs popping, people yelling commands at her.  We forget she’s only 17.  She is very poised though for her age, and tonight on the red carpet she did emote star quality.  She reminded me a little of Leona Lewis, who I met on the red carpet (see below).  Watching Leona win Great Britain’s X-Factor, still gives me chills.  She’s incredibly humble and deserves every accolade.  Take a look at her win (and Simon’s reaction LOL).  I think it’s cool how they show her first CD being cut right after she wins.  The Brits always know how to do it right…that’s why all the best musicians come from there!  The sheer size of America though is in its favor I guess that’s why everyone wants to come here. Over 70 million votes were cast for the American Idol finale.  That’s just crazy.  Leona was supposed to sing at the AI finals but she’s recovering from tonsilitis.  Anyway, enjoy Leona’s win, then click below for Jordin’s.
  

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  Jordin flanked by Badgley & Mischka .  The dress is perfect for her figure.  She is actually a plus sized model as well.

  

  Teri Hatcher from Desperate Housewives and her daughter.

  

  Blake was running late, and rushed past us all.

  

  

  Across from the Kodak Theater.

  

  Lakisha’s Bazongas!

  

  Ruben Studdard, Season 2 winner against Clay Aiken.

  

  Taylor Hicks, last year’s winner against Katherine McPhee.

  

  

  The “dawg”, Randy Jackson, LOL

  

  See what I mean about the makeup, Simon Cowell??

  

  This was the highlight of the night for me.  Leona Lewis is someone I’ve written several posts about.  (Check out Simon’s girlfriend Terri  Seymour behind her….notice anything odd??  LOL).  Leona was the winner of “The X Factor” in England (see above).  They compare her voice to Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston and Christina Aguilera all rolled into one.  She’s incredibly humble and sweet.  Tonight, no one on the red carpet knew who she was (bloody uninformed ethnocentric Americans!  LOL, yes I am American ).  I was the only person who recognized her and when I yelled her name, she seemed genuinely surprised.  I said to her, “You’re so beautiful”, and she thanked me and then posed for this picture.  Here’s her cover of “A Moment Like This”  Check it out. 

  

  Mr. Cowell is ready for his closeup.

  

  Randy Jackson, Simon’s girlfriend Terri Seymore, Leona Lewis and Simon Cowell.  Hmmmmm…..I wonder what Simon saw in Leona when he took her “under his wing” on The X Factor??? 

  

  OK, brace yourselves for this disturbing revelation.  The person who got more cheers and screams than anyone all night was Sanjaya.  I was the only person who even got a picture of him, albeit a bad one.  He had four bodyguards, and was whisked by us so fast, you would have thought he was the president of the United States.  All of the paparazzi around me were swearing because Sanjaya went by so quickly they couldn’t get his picture.  One guy told me that a good picture of Sanjaya can earn up to $10,000 dollars!!??  I don’t know if he was pulling my leg or not, but that’s what he said.  CRAZY.  (For video of Sanjaya at a drag show in Seattle last week, click “Next 5″ at the bottom of my page and keep reading.)

  

  Paula, without her girdle apparently!

  

  A closeup of Paula’s nose, that she supposedly broke this weekend while tripping over her chihuahua!

  

  Jerry Jerry Jerry Jerry

  

  Make way for the Diva!

  

  The incomparable Jennifer Hudson.

  
  Carrie Underwood Season 4 winner.

  

  She’s gorgeous, but I liked her dress better last year.

  

  I like big butts and I cannot lie.  Whoa Mandisa!

  

  Zak Efron

  

  David Hasselhoff and his daughter who recently filmed him drunk off his ass!

  

  The cut out a square of the red carpet so they didn’t cover Ryan Seacrest’s star!

  

  Ace Young, season 4 finalist, who co-wrote “I’m Going Home” with Chris Daughtry and is now damn rich.

  

  Me on the red carpet

  

  Another gorgeous day in Hollywood!

  And here are the best of the rest.   If the slideshow below doesn’t work, Click Here:

   

   

  And the winner is:This is AMAZINGLY good television!  Make sure you watch at about 5 minutes when they almost start fist fighting!  LOL  Truly the Battle of the Century! Like her or hate her, you’re gonna have to miss her! 

  Rosie O’Donnell and Elisabeth Hasselbeck at each other’s throat on The View.

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  Saw the Wiener Mobile on the walk home.

  • 6:00 pm
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