Oh My God I Touched Simon's Stomach!

Yesterday morning Jen P. picked me up at 7:30 am and we headed on down to Hollywood. We made great time and ended up at the CBS studios with food in our hands at 11:00-ish. We saw that there was one line on the street starting at the studio entrance and after almost getting my butt kicked for getting in the front of the line instead of the back, Jen P. had directions from the guard at the gate and she herded me off the the end of the line. So all the people who were there to see Dancing With The Stars, the AI rehearsal and the AI live show were in one line.

At about 12:45 this guy that looks like Kurt from Metallica came out and seperated everyone out into the right places and we ended up on the other side of the studio entrance in a new line for the live show, but about 10 people back. Me and Jen knew we had a wait ahead of us so we sat on the ground and started playing movie games back and forth while the day became hotter and hotter and my feet became more and more pinched in my shoes (the sacrifices we make to look good for Simon Cowell...). Meanwhile, lots of scuffling and grumbling were going on because people with priority vouchers kept showing up and did not have to wait in line, and even though we understood why, it was frustrating to those of us who were sitting in the dirt under a very prickly shrub roasting in the sun. At one point we saw Jason Taylor drive up and turn into the lot in a Bentley. Then at about 3:10 there was some excitement when Simon Cowell drove by in this:

Not too long after that Kurt from Metallica came back and started checking our vouchers and made a huge deal about everyone having ID. Thank you Jesus I had put my drivers license in my pocket that morning and didn't have to run all the way back to the parking garage at The Grove to get it like another lady in line had to. So we're all lined up and Kurt gives us all numbers on our vouchers and then some time later, as the blister on my toe was growing larger and larger, they herded us through the CBS lot to another check in point, all the while telling us to have our ID's ready. We then go through a metal detector and end up on a covered patio-type area where we are directed to some benches to sit on. Not once during entire check-in procedure did anyone look at our ID's so I never did figure out what the big deal was. Also, once we got onto the benches all semblance of our numbered places in line was gone, giving Jen P. quite a bit of anxiety. We weren't even sure what the point was of numbering the vouchers and all that because we were just thrown together in the holding area. It was nice, though, to sit in the shade after 6 hours of sitting in line outside. Finally this young dude with crazy hair got out attention and gave us instructions as to our behavior in the "pit." We were told to go crazy for every performance whether we liked it or not, clap our hands over our heads, and if someone starts doing the slow song arm wave we all had to join in (under penalty of death I think). So next time you're watching the show and you think, "Look at those douchebags waving their arms," just remember that the people in charge force them to do it.

Finally, finally we headed into the studio. At that point I was exhausted, my feet were killing me, and I was feeling a bit nauseous from my long day. But we turned and walked through a door into the studio and suddenly we were in the American Idol set and it looks just like you see it on TV and all my tiredness vanished. It was so surreal. The studio itself is MUCH smaller than it looks on TV. The stage is as small as something you would see in a high school auditorium. The first person I noticed was Brooke White's husband sitting right behind the judges table.

We filed into the pit area and I ended up standing directly adjacent to Randy Jackson's chair. I mean 2 feet away from it. David Archuleta's family was right behind us. Rita Wilson, otherwise known as Mrs. Tom Hanks, was sitting right behind the judges table and just feet from where we were standing. Then a couple of those girls from "Girls Next Door" were seated next to Rita and during the show everyone made a point of hugging them. Ryan Seacrest went up to them a few times. There is a warm-up comedian who worked the audience before the show and during commercials and he was not funny at all. The stage manager brought the Idols out onto the stage and everyone went nuts. Jason Castro is so hot in person. We were told that if the judges came in ahead of time to clap for them, but most of the time they run late and come in just as the show is starting and if that were to happen to be very quiet. I turned and was saying something to Jen P. and suddenly I heard applause and I felt something brush my hand. I looked to see what it was and realized it was Simon who brushed me as he went to his seat. And then Randy came by and I stuck out my hand and he high-fived me. It was so exciting! I have always thought that if I ran into someone famous I would play it cool and be like, whatever, love your movie, cool. But no. I was giddy after Simon touched me. Paula ended up walking in just as the show was starting and we were all completely silent while Ryan was saying his intro into the camera, but when he said "THIS is American Idol" the crowd in the pit went nuts. I wish I could adequately capture how odd it is to be standing in the middle of the TV show that you watch every week and just feet away from really famous people. Surreal is all I can say. And it was really fun watching the Idols sing. The kids that were right in front of the pit had opportunities to chat with the Idols and give high fives. I would have just loved to high five Jason Castro. I tried to figure out some way to maneuver myself next to him but it wasn't happening.

The judges left the table at every commercial break and each time they walked just in front of me. A bodyguard would come over and kind of tell me to step back, but they were just right there. During the first break as Paula walked past I said, "You look pretty tonight, Paula." She said, "Thank you Sweetheart," and rubbed my back. She did look pretty too. Her dress was a bit prommy but she had some fierce heels on. She is incredibly tiny, also. Just very petite. Ryan would dance around on stage during the commercial or chat with whoever was singing next, or meander around the studio.

The main excitement of the evening was when Paula made that comment to Jason Castro about his second song, when he had only sung once. The audience was tittering and chattering as soon as she said it and the producers were rushing around trying to figure out what to do. Paula was embarrassed, but the media seems to be making a bigger deal out of it than they should be. She's Paula, she never makes sense anyway. I'll go into this more in my next post.

Anyway, they wrapped up the show and I knew I had to take my shot at speaking to Simon, so as the judges were filing by me I looked at him and said, "Simon - Love You," and kind of went in for a hug but didn't quite make it. Instead I ended up rubbing his stomach, which was quite firm by the way. Simon smiled at me and said, "Nice to see you," winked and walked off. I was so verklempt.

The whole thing went by very quickly. It seems like it just rushed by in a blur. Jen P. and I made our way out of the studio, exhausted but exhilerated. It was well worth the drive and waiting in line. Especially after all my judge interaction! Thank you Thank you Thank you Jen P.! It was a blast!