Grammys 2013 Adventure Part 1

One of the strange realities of daily writing about Hollywood celebrities is that you definitely don’t get to meet the stars. And you rarely get to see them either.

You want to meet a celebrity? Become a reporter. Or better yet, become a make-up artist or a camera person. You still get to see them up close, but you don’t have to worry about your hair or if your lunch is still stuck in between your teeth.

Now ET Canada’s biggest show of the year is the Grammy Awards Red Carpet Special. It’s the most elaborate production and requires the most people to make it work.

However, after seven years of working at ET Canada, I still haven’t had the privilege of being invited. I was there for episode #1… and episode #1934… and almost every other show in between. And yet… still no invite.

And here’s the kicker… I still had to write scripts for that red carpet special!

I used to want to go. “But THAT person’s going and he’s only been here for three months. I’ve been here since the beginning! It’s not fair!”

Denied. Everytime.

One year I even scheduled my trip to Costa Rica during the Grammys.

“Hey, John, can we talk about the Grammy scripts tomorrow?”

“Sure. But you’ll have to talk to me on the plane to Central America…”

It was petty. But ask anybody in this business, TV people are petty.

And my boss wasn’t impressed. (However, all was soon forgiven when I returned and left a big bag of Costa Rican coffee on her desk.)

Soon I didn’t want to go the Grammys anymore. In fact, last year, I insisted, “Please don’t send me. I just published a book; I have new responsibilities; I’m writing book #2… I’m just too busy and I don’t need the stress.”

So this year… they decided to send me. (I guess I should have insisted that I didn’t want to go to the Grammys years ago…)

So I went to the meetings. I wrote some material for the show. I packed my bags loaded with scripts, props, show paraphernalia, and clothes fit for L.A.’s springlike temperatures.

My flight was Friday morning. All I had to do was wake up and call the cab to take me to the airport. And after 1934 episodes, I was leaving for the Grammys to join my work friends in L.A. and finally meet some stars.

But when I woke up the following morning, there was a slight problem. Toronto was suffering from its biggest snowstorm in five years.

Suddenly, I might not be going to the Grammys after all…
 

For more adventures at ET Canada, check out:

https://www.johnmeyerbooks.com/grammys-2013-part-2/

https://www.johnmeyerbooks.com/grammys-2013-part-3/

https://www.johnmeyerbooks.com/the-view-from-my-desk/

https://www.johnmeyerbooks.com/unusually-thicke-common-people/