Celeb's Can Rev Your Engine

Starting around 1:30pm on Thursday, the 8^th of October, fans of Gerard Butler collected outside of NBC studios. Dress code was based on the prevailing colour of blue-jean-blue. One mostly saw the non-descript jean and T-shirts look though some were in palm-print Hawaiian shirts, khaki short and sandals. However, the very few that sported stylized hair, skin tight pants and boots, large earrings, multiple necklaces and bracelets, black nail polish and fabulous make-up were my favourites! More fashion please.
Once we passed through the gates of security (wonder what they are looking for?) we were directed to sit on benches for about an hour. (Glad I had a book with me!) It was possible to purchase a few items that have the NBC logo or Jay Leno’s name embroidered/printed on them like baseball caps and mugs. You can’t get these on the ‘outside’ so it’s kinda cool to spend a few bucks to have something slick.
Potted Bird of Paradise plants block easy access to the race track. The undulated horizon of the ‘Mulholland hills’ add interest to our backdrop. The constant roar of LA freeway traffic for background noise does not have to be edited in – all real! Behind us is a bathroom trailer with a logo emblazoned on the side reading: The Green Car Challenge. It is then that I realize the squealing I have been hearing, yet ignoring, is from a race track to our left. Someone is driving a little yellow and orange car taking the turns a bit too quickly. The general consensus, however, is that the driver knows what he is doing “He’s good!”I heard someone say.
But why is the track here? I wonder. Noticing a guy over by the cars I have this idea: I’ll ask! Turns out they have 2 cars; each cost $250,000! It is an win-win motivational campaign to increase electric car awareness while having celebrity fun. BTW, Jay brought in is Ariel Atom (a go-cart for adults; a small chassis car with a Honda motorcycle engine in it) to the track to try it out. So, Jay comes down here for kicks and treads, huh? Cool. I guess you gotta find something to do for fun when you can’t go just anywhere without the celebrity thing always at your back.
While all this was fun, we are here to see Gerry Butler, star of the upcoming movie “Law Abiding Citizen”. The film’s about how the murder of his family can change a good guy into a killer. I hear it is the first film made by Gerard Butler’s new film company, “Evil Twins”. Anyway, the first question Jay asks is “Where did you go on your last vacation?” “India. A friend and I went motorcycling up the Ganges River in the Himalayas. The water is supposed to have these healing powers but it was so dirty. People were washing their clothes in it, bathing and squatting into it. I don’t think it’ll cure much!” He went on to say that further up stream, where it looked clean, he was prodded to drink some. Needless to say, by nightfall he was so sick they had to bring him down the mountain by donkeys that were wearing annoying bells.
After a clip of the movie and a few jokes, Jay asks Gerard to take the green car challenge and he went on a test drive in the e-car. So, that’s what the track is for! They put a placard of Al Gore and another one of Ed Buckley; they dumped hundreds of neon coloured ping-pong balls and shot yards of crepe paper at him from canons to try to mess him up but his time was 56:16 putting him in first place ahead of Tim Allen and Drew Barrymore – Gerry’s the new champ. Very inventive way to promote both electric cars and movie stars. Who knew they could go that fast?!

They ended the show with a piece called “Under Pressure” by Ben Harper and Jack Black. Jack Black?! What a pleasant surprise!!! He was better than Ben in every way, no offense. Jack was just born to be onstage. Also, I really liked his shoes. All in all, a good time was had by all.
PS. A little aside… Jay, Gerry and Jack all looked exhausted. Fans think celebs live the charmed life. I’m here to tell you it is long hours and lots of being told what to do. They don’t really have any privacy and their down time is often on the go. Fame comes at a high price, indeed.

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