By the time I was done schmoozing, kibitzing and sucking up to celebrities on the red carpet, I completely overlooked the real reason why all the celebs were there. The actual dinner and subsequent award show.
I’ll say this much, GLAAD puts on one helluva wingding. (As a frugal consumer, I would certainly hope so at $450 per ticket.) The festivities started nearly an hour late, mainly because the red carpet was dragging on ad nausea. (I blame those pesky publicists. When in doubt, always cast blame at them.) You could tell people were getting antsy, but the evening’s hosts, Parks & Rec’s Amy Poehler and Rashida Jones, were there to raise the roof and raise some funds.
The ceremony had a loosey-goosey Golden Globes feel. Oh sure, it was scripted and TelePrompTed within an inch of its life, but it was very goofy and irreverent at the same time. Like any good awards show that tries to raise money, there were touching moments of poignancy and emotion. GLAAD trotted out celebs and real folks to celebrate/showcase how much has improved for the GLBT community since the organization started 25 years ago. (Sorry HRC, but I know where my money is going from now on.)
The Vanguard Award went to the itty-bitty Kristin Chenoweth who has been an extremely vocal gay activist since she popped out of the womb. When I talked to her briefly, she said this award meant more to her than winning the Tony AND the Emmy.
The crowd became quiet when the hosts announced a special guest star in our midst. The hush didn’t last long when icon Dolly Parton came out on stage. I screamed like a 12-year old girl, more than usual. The larger than life Dolly is every tinier than Kristen Chenoweth if you can imagine. She presented the evening’s highest honor Robert Greenblatt – an executive at NBC who helped bring GLBT roles to the network.
The afterparty saw everyone scrambling to get a good location … a place where you could see and be seen. Swag bags were being handed out with wild abandon … filled with a weird assortment of healthy munchies, beauty products, glassware and designer condoms. And the drinks flowed freely as the evening’s main sponsor was a vodka company.
It’s weird to mingle with celebs. You can tell within .04 seconds whether your interaction will be successful or daunting. Modern Family’s Julie Bowen nearly plowed in to me on her way to the bathroom and yet somehow managed to completely avoid eye contact. (Perhaps that was her way of saying hello?)
Queer Eye’s Jai Rodriguez was pleasant on the red carpet, so I traipsed up to him at the party to say thanks and ended up getting a picture. Same for Nurse Jackie’s bestie Stephen Wallem. Props to my boss Heidi for being so patient every time I’d hurl the camera at her to ask for a photo.
I met a lot of phenomenal folks on Sunday night. Each one of ‘em younger than the last. It’s so hard to be thin and pretty all the time … that I gave up on it about five years ago. We’ll see how long I can ride the wave before someone calls my bluff.
You look like a million bucks!