Post by Soulbrotha on Jun 19, 2004 15:27:41 GMT -5
24-hour party people
The soused celebrity machine rolls into Louisville
Drinking, flirting and dancing. It's not a bad living.
Partying your way to fame has become a way of life for hot young stars and semi-stars. Entire television shows and films are devoted to it.
On E!'s "Wild On," gorgeous gals and guys party in exotic locales. A promo for the new season of MTV's "Road Rules" features a cast member vomiting repeatedly while his peers comment. And MTV's "The Real World" — the granddaddy of reality TV as we know it — has become a peep show.
Videographer Scottie James, right, laughed as Steve Meinke of "Road Rules 10: The Quest" showed off his best smile during the "Reality Bar Crawl Spring 2004" tour at BAR Louisville.
Adam King of "The Real World: Paris" danced with the crowd at BAR Louisville.
Meinke posed with admirer Laura Bowser at BAR Louisville. "Reality Bar Crawl Spring 200" tour manager Katie Wendt is at left.
Season 12 was the ultimate example. Seven sexy strangers, including the tarty and now infamous Trichelle Cannatella, lived, worked and lusted in a Las Vegas hotel.
The endless array of spring break specials and "Girls Gone Wild!" videos add even more sex to the mix.
The party scene came to Louisville Thursday night when the "Reality Bar Crawl Spring 2004" tour made a stop at BAR Louisville. "Crawl" is being filmed for a DVD to be released in the fall.
Basically, former cast members of MTV's "The Real World" and "Road Rules" are being carted around the country in a tour bus, stopping at local watering holes along the way to be filmed partying with their fans.
According to Michael Graham, the DVD's executive producer, the participants will receive appearance fees and royalties from the DVD.
In Louisville, Adam King from "The Real World: Paris" and Steve Meinke from "Road Rules 10: The Quest," were the only two luminaries present. But the fans weren't disappointed.
"They're just like celebrities," said Tammy Davidson, 38. The Louisville resident has been a "Real World" watcher since the beginning.
"They're on television. You want to touch them."
It certainly seemed that the gaggle of scantily clad chicks, one in what appeared to be a sportsbra with a tight, black ruffled miniskirt, wanted to touch the two boys.
King, 24, who was girl-crazy in Paris, picked up on many mademoiselles at BAR Louisville and exhibited some endearingly spastic dance moves. He's a seasoned post-"Real World" partier and was also here for the Derby ... he thinks.
King swore admirer Tammy Davidson to secrecy after telling her an upcoming reality show secret.
"By the time I got to the Derby, I'd had I don't know how many shots," he said. "I don't even remember seeing a horse."
They were both getting oodles of attention, but it didn't seem to be enlarging Meinke's head.
"I didn't think there would be demand for a national tour. I think it's bizarre that someone wants to see me," said Meinke, 27. "I've accepted it."
While this privileged party lifestyle seems indicative of our media-obsessed times, swinging just for the sake of it has defined other eras as well.
In the 1960s and '70s, Andy Warhol's Factory crowd was a cult of personalities, like Ultra Violet and Candy Darling, who existed to see and be seen.
"The details of the scene are always different, but it's always the same premises that rule it," said Michael Musto, nightlife reporter for The Village Voice and TV talking head on all celebrity matters.
Nicole and Paris: We got wasted a lot and did dumb things at parties — and now we have our own show!
Though Leo is a notorious partier, he still gets cast in meaty roles.
Drew: I've been a bad, bad girl. Now I'm sweet, sober and successful!
Hi. I'm Tara Reid, and I was in "American Pie." Remember me? I'll have another.
"The Andy Warhol 15-minute celebrity is still happening today. These are 15-minute stars. They know their clock is ticking. They're only famous until the next reality show comes along. They certainly should hit the open bars and party it up while it lasts. As long as there's a camera crew following them, they're obviously somebody worth noting, because a camera equals celebrity."
Career partying is a way to maintain a media presence without having to be successful. But actors, such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Scarlett Johansson, seem to hit the scene without having it damage them professionally.
"There are some partiers that actually have a career," Musto said. "But it's very rare that a Meryl Streep-caliber actor will be partying every night."
Then he mused on the fate of the queen bee of the hard-core Hollywood soiree scene.
"Tara Reid at one point did sort of have a semblance of a career," Musto said. "Now it's like: Where is her body of work? It's all about the partying."
Several years ago, Bijou Phillips, the daughter of The Mamas and The Papas' John Phillips, seemed poised to make it big, with roles in Cameron Crowe's "Almost Famous" and Larry Clark's brutal "Bully." But her star never got a chance to rise.
"She's definitely someone who could've been bigger without being such a hedonist," Musto said.
Then there are the filthy-rich scene stealers — the Paris Hiltons, Nicole Richies and other assorted socialites who develop enough of a persona through their nightclub exploits to be offered their own personalized network shows.
To get that kind of opportunity, though, Musto said, you have to have something more going for you than catfights and a thingytail addiction.
"Paris was just a boldfaced name, but she was telegenic," he said.
"You can't get a TV show just because you're scandalous. You have to be good on TV, and she is. The attention in her case served her purpose of becoming more famous and actually doing something with it — if you consider a reality show actually doing something."
Musto said child stars are among those most vulnerable to being sucked up by the party scene.
"If you have fame at an early age and it's pulled away from you, or you're afraid it's going to be pulled away from you, you go crazy," he said.
Drew Barrymore comes to mind — although, unlike many others, including Dana Plato, she worked her way out of it.
But the downfalls of previous professional partiers don't stop the new night-life royalty from indulging, Musto said.
"Every new generation of celebrities has to learn the lessons the hard way, by themselves, no matter what's preceded them," he said. "You still have out-of-control stars."
So what's the shelf life of an extreme party star? How long can you keep up the energy and the intoxication? Can you do it forever?
"You just can't," Musto said. "It seems like two years is about the gestation period where you can go with non-stop partying. Except for me. I've been doing it for 40 years. I drink Diet Coke and I'm just there to do my job, and I go home."
www.louisvillescene.com/2004/06/19/music_pubcrawl.html
The soused celebrity machine rolls into Louisville
Drinking, flirting and dancing. It's not a bad living.
Partying your way to fame has become a way of life for hot young stars and semi-stars. Entire television shows and films are devoted to it.
On E!'s "Wild On," gorgeous gals and guys party in exotic locales. A promo for the new season of MTV's "Road Rules" features a cast member vomiting repeatedly while his peers comment. And MTV's "The Real World" — the granddaddy of reality TV as we know it — has become a peep show.
Videographer Scottie James, right, laughed as Steve Meinke of "Road Rules 10: The Quest" showed off his best smile during the "Reality Bar Crawl Spring 2004" tour at BAR Louisville.
Adam King of "The Real World: Paris" danced with the crowd at BAR Louisville.
Meinke posed with admirer Laura Bowser at BAR Louisville. "Reality Bar Crawl Spring 200" tour manager Katie Wendt is at left.
Season 12 was the ultimate example. Seven sexy strangers, including the tarty and now infamous Trichelle Cannatella, lived, worked and lusted in a Las Vegas hotel.
The endless array of spring break specials and "Girls Gone Wild!" videos add even more sex to the mix.
The party scene came to Louisville Thursday night when the "Reality Bar Crawl Spring 2004" tour made a stop at BAR Louisville. "Crawl" is being filmed for a DVD to be released in the fall.
Basically, former cast members of MTV's "The Real World" and "Road Rules" are being carted around the country in a tour bus, stopping at local watering holes along the way to be filmed partying with their fans.
According to Michael Graham, the DVD's executive producer, the participants will receive appearance fees and royalties from the DVD.
In Louisville, Adam King from "The Real World: Paris" and Steve Meinke from "Road Rules 10: The Quest," were the only two luminaries present. But the fans weren't disappointed.
"They're just like celebrities," said Tammy Davidson, 38. The Louisville resident has been a "Real World" watcher since the beginning.
"They're on television. You want to touch them."
It certainly seemed that the gaggle of scantily clad chicks, one in what appeared to be a sportsbra with a tight, black ruffled miniskirt, wanted to touch the two boys.
King, 24, who was girl-crazy in Paris, picked up on many mademoiselles at BAR Louisville and exhibited some endearingly spastic dance moves. He's a seasoned post-"Real World" partier and was also here for the Derby ... he thinks.
King swore admirer Tammy Davidson to secrecy after telling her an upcoming reality show secret.
"By the time I got to the Derby, I'd had I don't know how many shots," he said. "I don't even remember seeing a horse."
They were both getting oodles of attention, but it didn't seem to be enlarging Meinke's head.
"I didn't think there would be demand for a national tour. I think it's bizarre that someone wants to see me," said Meinke, 27. "I've accepted it."
While this privileged party lifestyle seems indicative of our media-obsessed times, swinging just for the sake of it has defined other eras as well.
In the 1960s and '70s, Andy Warhol's Factory crowd was a cult of personalities, like Ultra Violet and Candy Darling, who existed to see and be seen.
"The details of the scene are always different, but it's always the same premises that rule it," said Michael Musto, nightlife reporter for The Village Voice and TV talking head on all celebrity matters.
Nicole and Paris: We got wasted a lot and did dumb things at parties — and now we have our own show!
Though Leo is a notorious partier, he still gets cast in meaty roles.
Drew: I've been a bad, bad girl. Now I'm sweet, sober and successful!
Hi. I'm Tara Reid, and I was in "American Pie." Remember me? I'll have another.
"The Andy Warhol 15-minute celebrity is still happening today. These are 15-minute stars. They know their clock is ticking. They're only famous until the next reality show comes along. They certainly should hit the open bars and party it up while it lasts. As long as there's a camera crew following them, they're obviously somebody worth noting, because a camera equals celebrity."
Career partying is a way to maintain a media presence without having to be successful. But actors, such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Scarlett Johansson, seem to hit the scene without having it damage them professionally.
"There are some partiers that actually have a career," Musto said. "But it's very rare that a Meryl Streep-caliber actor will be partying every night."
Then he mused on the fate of the queen bee of the hard-core Hollywood soiree scene.
"Tara Reid at one point did sort of have a semblance of a career," Musto said. "Now it's like: Where is her body of work? It's all about the partying."
Several years ago, Bijou Phillips, the daughter of The Mamas and The Papas' John Phillips, seemed poised to make it big, with roles in Cameron Crowe's "Almost Famous" and Larry Clark's brutal "Bully." But her star never got a chance to rise.
"She's definitely someone who could've been bigger without being such a hedonist," Musto said.
Then there are the filthy-rich scene stealers — the Paris Hiltons, Nicole Richies and other assorted socialites who develop enough of a persona through their nightclub exploits to be offered their own personalized network shows.
To get that kind of opportunity, though, Musto said, you have to have something more going for you than catfights and a thingytail addiction.
"Paris was just a boldfaced name, but she was telegenic," he said.
"You can't get a TV show just because you're scandalous. You have to be good on TV, and she is. The attention in her case served her purpose of becoming more famous and actually doing something with it — if you consider a reality show actually doing something."
Musto said child stars are among those most vulnerable to being sucked up by the party scene.
"If you have fame at an early age and it's pulled away from you, or you're afraid it's going to be pulled away from you, you go crazy," he said.
Drew Barrymore comes to mind — although, unlike many others, including Dana Plato, she worked her way out of it.
But the downfalls of previous professional partiers don't stop the new night-life royalty from indulging, Musto said.
"Every new generation of celebrities has to learn the lessons the hard way, by themselves, no matter what's preceded them," he said. "You still have out-of-control stars."
So what's the shelf life of an extreme party star? How long can you keep up the energy and the intoxication? Can you do it forever?
"You just can't," Musto said. "It seems like two years is about the gestation period where you can go with non-stop partying. Except for me. I've been doing it for 40 years. I drink Diet Coke and I'm just there to do my job, and I go home."
www.louisvillescene.com/2004/06/19/music_pubcrawl.html