La empresa Tapley Entertaiment representa a diversos artistas, incluyendo magos, equilibristas o bandas de versiones. Pero lo que más llama la atención es que tienen una sección con dobles, esos que en inglés se llaman lookalikes o impersonators. La selección es francamente impresionante por su cantidad, que no su calidad: hay unos pocos muy parecidos, muchos que se dan un aire, y el no despreciable resto que se parecen más bien en nada. La página web afirma que no sólo se parecen, sino que además han logrado capturar la voz y los gestos del famoso en cuestión, y que son perfectos para amenizar actos de todo tipo. Hay más empresas ofreciendo servicios similares, e incluso premios.

Es una cosa bastante americana, pero en estos días de globalización España no se iba a salvar. Lo mismo que antes: alguno se parece en algo, la mayoría más bien en nada.

La idea de ganarse la vida (o un sobresueldo) a base de ir a fiestas e inauguraciones y hacerse pasar por un famoso, cuando todo el mundo sabe que no eres el famoso, resulta más bien triste, una especie de rey mago de centro comercial al que sólo fueran a ver adultos que saben que es un señor con barba postiza. A lo mejor es una de esas cosas que ganan cuando uno lleva tres copas encima, pero no tiene pinta. Es tristeza mezclada con melancolía, la añoranza de un pasado más inocente, como un cuadro de Norman Rockwell. Este tipo de imitadores nacen en un sitio y un lugar en la que los famosos eran seres lejanos, estrellas del cine y la música con sus mansiones en Sunset Boulevard, admirados, inaccesibles.

A día de hoy puede verse gente así en las zonas más turísticas de Hollywood Boulevard, disfrazados de Elvis o Marilyn, con los que te puedes hacer una foto por un par de dólares, pero el sistema para animar saraos de un poco más de postín ha cambiado. Un artista que tiene talento sale muy caro, y un imitador barato sólo te aporta el parecerse al anterior, así que no por qué no creer el híbrido perfecto, el famoso profesional, que no tiene talento (y por lo tanto, sigue saliendo barato), pero que no es una copia. En España el fenómeno empezó tímidamente con algunas exparejas impulsadas al estrellato (Belén Esteban) y algún pirado (Tamara y compañía, Yola Berrocal), pero poco a poco han ido creciendo el número de programas de televisión dedicadas a encumbrar como famoso a alguien sin que este tenga que ser capaz de hacer nada.

Al menos las copias, según la pagina web, han entrenanado para imitar las dotes artísticas del original, así que no sabe uno qué es peor…

Queda por saber si algún día surgirá gente que impersone a este tipo de famosos. ¿Qué diferenciará a uno del otro, cuando ninguno de los dos pueda hacer nada que merezca la pena? ¿Cómo separar la imitación de una realidad falsa, que a su vez creamos como triste sustituto de la verdadera, la inimitable?

Bonnie Greer, American-born Author of the play about Marilyn Monroe and Ella Fitzgerald writes how she came up with the idea for her play.  My fellow Marilyn Monroe impersonator friend, Suzie, plays Marilyn onstage.  See the wonderful Times article here,

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/stage/theatre/article6923820.ece

Great article, and I  hope she brings this play to America, too. 

–Janet Valenetine, MarilynMonroe impersonator, Las Vegas

www.tributetomarilyn.com

Michael Jackson Lives on in the Michael Jackson Impersonators

‘You either have rhythm or you don’t. And when you have it, you’ve got it all over.’ These words have been uttered by none other than the king of rock ‘n’ roll Elvis Presley. And although the king himself is no more, these words hold true today more than ever. Michael Jackson, the KING of POP, Had It! They put into perspective the efforts of thousands of Michael Jackson Impersonators who are engaged in keeping his legacy alive in the form of the Michael Jackson tribute shows.

Anyone who has ever attended an Michael Jackson tribute show in Las Vegas will testify to the excitement and exhilaration that pervades the performance venue. These shows are a sincere attempt to capture the true essence of the King of Pop, and best represent the Michael Jackson legacy. In keeping with Michael Jackson’s own energized and charismatic performances, an MJ tribute show is guaranteed to be high energy and very physical.

A lot goes into pulling off the perfect act which wows the audience and brings it to its feet screaming with adulation. Michael Jackson was never just a voice. It was the whole package of music, look, performance and charisma that had millions of people under his spell for twenty long years. Recapturing all this and more, in front of a critical audience, requires a special effort.

The real test of the Michael Jackson Impersonator begins when he takes the stage. The artist has to get all the thousands of nuances that make up Michael Jackson, just right. The artists put their all into each move, and trademark moonwalk. The bright costumes, trademark white glove, fedora hat and unique body stance have to be perfected down to the T. Lip synching doesn’t have as much of an impact. So the artist has to work on his voice, tone and inflection to sound just like Michael Jackson. Audiences dont care if the MJ impersonators Lip synch, sometimes its just about the dance style.

The show itself is very high octane. The audience is awestruck by the uncanny resemblance that the tribute artist bears to the King. And then the artist starts his note- perfect rendition of Michael Jackson’s million selling hits like Thriller, Billie Jean, Beat It, Heal the World, Scream, Black or White and the audience goes crazy dancing to the foot tapping music. Reactions are extreme and have to be seen to be believed. Some members of the audience appear thunderstruck, while some are even drawn to tears.

It’s amazing that the King of Pops’s legacy lives on even thirty years after his death. The popularity of the Michael Jackson Impersonator, that has sustained this line of work, is beyond comprehension. Each tribute artist puts his all into every performance. Some people may say that a tribute artist has no identity of his own and is known only by his Michael Jackson impersonation. But what keeps him coming back to it year after year, show after show, is seeing the reaction on people’s faces. He does it because he loves the devotion and adulation he sees on people’s faces. He does it because of his love for Michael Jackson and his music. What could be a better tribute to the King of Pop?

Michael Jackson Impersonators

Michael Jackson Lives on in the Michael Jackson Impersonator

‘You either have rhythm or you don’t. And when you have it, you’ve got it all over.’ These words have been uttered by none other than the king of rock ‘n’ roll Elvis Presley. And although the king himself is no more, these words hold true today more than ever. Michael Jackson, the KING of POP, Had It! They put into perspective the efforts of thousands of Michael Jackson Impersonators who are engaged in keeping his legacy alive in the form of the Michael Jackson tribute shows.

Anyone who has ever attended an Michael Jackson tribute show in Las Vegas will testify to the excitement and exhilaration that pervades the performance venue. These shows are a sincere attempt to capture the true essence of the King of Pop, and best represent the Michael Jackson legacy. In keeping with Michael Jackson’s own energized and charismatic performances, an MJ tribute show is guaranteed to be high energy and very physical.

A lot goes into pulling off the perfect act which wows the audience and brings it to its feet screaming with adulation. Michael Jackson was never just a voice. It was the whole package of music, look, performance and charisma that had millions of people under his spell for twenty long years. Recapturing all this and more, in front of a critical audience, requires a special effort.

The real test of the Michael Jackson Impersonator begins when he takes the stage. The artist has to get all the thousands of nuances that make up Michael Jackson, just right. The artists put their all into each move, and trademark moonwalk. The bright costumes, trademark white glove, fedora hat and unique body stance have to be perfected down to the T. Lip synching doesn’t have as much of an impact. So the artist has to work on his voice, tone and inflection to sound just like Michael Jackson. Audiences dont care if the MJ impersonators Lip synch, sometimes its just about the dance style.

The show itself is very high octane. The audience is awestruck by the uncanny resemblance that the tribute artist bears to the King. And then the artist starts his note- perfect rendition of Michael Jackson’s million selling hits like Thriller, Billie Jean, Beat It, Heal the World, Scream, Black or White and the audience goes crazy dancing to the foot tapping music. Reactions are extreme and have to be seen to be believed. Some members of the audience appear thunderstruck, while some are even drawn to tears.

It’s amazing that the King of Pops’s legacy lives on even thirty years after his death. The popularity of the Michael Jackson Impersonator, that has sustained this line of work, is beyond comprehension. Each tribute artist puts his all into every performance. Some people may say that a tribute artist has no identity of his own and is known only by his Michael Jackson impersonation. But what keeps him coming back to it year after year, show after show, is seeing the reaction on people’s faces. He does it because he loves the devotion and adulation he sees on people’s faces. He does it because of his love for Michael Jackson and his music. What could be a better tribute to the King of Pop?

Michael Jackson Impersonator

GooGoo Lantern In Candlelight Review

Laydee GooGoo, Lady Candlelight and Lady Tickseed have made another film, this time about the notorious Frizinghall Bunnyman, who terrorized train users between Bradford and Shipley in the 1900’s.

Watch ‘The Frizinghall Bunnyman’ @LaydeeGooGoo.com

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Do you recognize any of these people?

The first guy is probably the most recognizable because he’s been on a few sit-coms – Hank Azaria. And some people might recognize the last guy – Seth MacFarlane, as the evil genius behind Family Guy.

What all these people have in common is that they’re all voice actors who’ve provided the voices of many of the animated characters we grew up with or the strange new breed of animated characters populating our televisions these days.

Perhaps some of you saw the little mini-special on Seth MacFarlane the other night. I know Family Guy isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. It’s crude and raw and outrageous and tasteless and seems to have no boundaries, but it’s also brutally funny I think. Sometimes it’s funny in an “ha-ha what a bunch of idiots” way and sometimes it’s funny in an “OMG, I can’t believe they actually said/did that” way.

Either way, I think Seth MacFarlane is very talented and nasty-hot brilliant. He created the show, he writes for the show, he’s the executive producer and he does the voices of Peter, Brian and Stewie. And he sings.

Anyway, I’ve always had a thing for people who could do voices. When I was young I couldn’t get enough of comic impersonators like Rich Little or Frank Gorshin (Whatever happened to comic impersonators anyway? Is that still a job that people do?) 

The people pictured above are some of my favourite voice actors:

1. Hank Azaria: Simpsons – Moe Szyslak, Chief Whiggum, Apu, Comic Book Guy, Cletus Spukler, Dr. Nick Riviera, Snake, Sea Captain, Superintendent Chalmers, Disco Stu, Duffman among others.
2. Mel Blanc: Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Sylvester the Cat, Tweety Bird, Foghorn Leghorn, Yosemite Sam, Woody Woodpecker, Barney Rubble
3. Dan Castellaneta: Simpsons – Homer, Grandpa, Barney Gumble, Krusty the Klown, Groundskeeper Willie, Mayor Quimby, Hans Moleman among others
4. Tress MacNeille: Simpsons – Agnes Skinner, Cookie Kwan (realtor), Brandine Spukler, Bernice Hibbert, Crazy Cat Lady (also in Futurama), Mom in Futurama, and for Disney, Daisy Duck since 1999 and Betty Boop since 1998
5. Frank Oz: Muppets – Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, Sam the Eagle, Grover, Cookie Monster, Bert and Yoda in Star Wars
6. Nancy Cartwright: Simpsons – Bart, Nelson, Todd Flanders, Ralph Wiggum and Chuckie in the Rugrats
7. Pamela Segall Adlon:  Tons of voiceovers for movies and Bobbie Hill on King of the Hill
8. Seth MacFarlane

Last Wednesday evening, I donned a wig, fedora, red satin jacket, black surgical mask, and a sequined glove to go watch Michael Jackson’s This Is It – a documentary chronicling the King of Pop’s last days. Before leaving, I jokingly referred to the four people accompanying me as my “entourage.” It turned out to be not far from the truth when they almost had to drag me to the car a few hours later.

As soon as we arrived at the theater, two women spotted me and freaked out. As other fans arrived, several began to ask if they could either photograph me or have their picture taken with me. Some brought their children to greet me, whispering in my ear that they wouldn’t know the difference. This scene continued up until we were able to go into the theater and grab some seats on the top row.

I had been looking forward to seeing this film for weeks, and it exceeded all my expectations. I saw Michael Jackson as I had never seen him before – a man in charge of the smallest detail, but a human being who was full of love and graciousness towards others and filled with concern for our planet. I have no doubt that the concerts he was rehearsing for would have been some of the best that the world had ever seen. It’s a shame that this is the closest we will ever get to seeing the final product, but also a blessing that his death has exposed so many more people to his message.

I had been expecting to have a strong emotional response to the film, but found myself only tearing up a few times – once when Michael referenced his brothers and parents, and again when he sang a few lines of “Speechless.” MJ was thin, but amazingly energetic and his voice was flawless. It was much easier to be enthralled than emotional.

As the film ended and we made our way toward the exit, people once again started coming up and asking me for photos. I met one very nice lady who insisted her kids stand beside me for a picture. She adjusted my hair, stood beside me for a snapshot, and then gave me a hug as other fans gathered around with cell phones and cameras pointed in our direction. She began talking about what a wonderful person Michael was and her eyes welled up with tears. As she walked away, I heard her daughter ask, “Mom, are you sure that’s not Michael Jackson?”

After posing outside the building with a few more beaming MJ fans, my partner insisted that I go to the car. I was getting quite a head rush from my five minutes of fame and also felt inspired that so many people in my area are fans of Michael Jackson.

There is an instant kinship among Michael’s fans. We understand what it means to love someone that the world considered to be outside the concept of normal. We know what it’s like to be ridiculed for having that appreciation, and to constantly have to defend someone whom most of us never even had the privilege of meeting in person. As crazy as it might have seemed to some, I felt honored that these people allowed me to be their substitute for the evening; a way in which they could continue to physically cling to the thing they miss the most.

Ran across this article about the “20 Most Ridiculous Police Impersonators” on PoliceLink.  Some pretty good stories.  Also, just FYI (in case you didn’t know it) if you find yourself driving through Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, and you get stopped by Steven Seagal (yep, the actor), he’s the real deal. 

Seagal is currently a deputy sheriff of his home community of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. In November 2008, A&E announced that they have begun filming Steven Seagal: Lawman, a reality show that follows his on- and off-duty work in the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.   [Source: wikipedia]

20.  Fake Cop Pulls Over La. Mayor (Shreveport)
19.  Feds Bust Fake Cop Ring (Shaking down drug dealers)
18.  Cop Impersonator Arrested After Trying To Impress Date
17.  Police Impersonators Rush Former Drug House
16.  Cop Impersonator Caught Searching Cars
15.  Another Impersonator Pulls Over Real Cop
14.  US Marshals Arrest Dallas Impersonator In California
13.  Ohio Impersonator Gets 1 Year In Jail
12.  Fake Cop Extorted Money From Victim For Year
11.  Police Impersonator With Toy Gun Arrested In Magna School
10.  Marine Accused Of Impersonating Police Officer In Va. Beach
9.  Security Guard Is Serial Cop Impersonator
8.  Florida Cops Bust Impersonator Who Wanted To Be An Officer
7.  Two Impersonators Arrested After Stopping Lieutenant
6.  Police Theft Raises Concerns Over Impersonation
5.  Fake Cop, Sirens Blaring, Pulled Over By The Real Thing
4.  Police: Real Gun Pulled In Fake Cop Act
3.  Chicago’s Teen Impersonator Leads Cops On Chase
2.  Teen Impersonator Completes Shift With Real Officer Before Being Discovered
1.  Video Released of CIA Impersonator Shooting

Cheeky: Love It! Magazine In GaGa Bum Jibe

Strictly for laughs, Laydee GooGoo decided to sing and perform to some of the most popular parodies of Lady GaGa’s Pokerface. We picked JokerFace by Brittani Taylor and Lady GaGa parody ‘OuterSpace’ by space cadet, Venetian Princess, who apparently runs YouTube as hostess with the mostess???!!! Using a green screen from her living room, she works on a cash for parodies basis through profit sharing with YouTube! Wikipedia ‘acknowledge’ her as an ‘internet personality’ – Laydee GooGoo must be a bona fide celebrity then! Incidentally, we like ‘Butterface’ by Lady Gag, but it was just too crude for us to sing in clean company.

Meanwhile, ‘Love It!’ magazine published a picture of Lady GaGa’s sagging, cellulite hugging, barnacle encrusted bum, which we have here as proof (above). They can’t believe she’s only 23 apparently! Oink, Oink! Anyway, back to the ‘real’ real deal (below)!

Watch the Jokerface Vs Outerspace Parody Play-off

September is here! The first two weeks are quite full for my family.  Not only do we have various Labor Day festivities, but we also have a number of charity events coming up:

Friday, September 4th, The Greene in Beavercreek is hosting a Night at the Greene… Vegas Style! block party for the Family Violence Prevention Center.  The Family Violence Prevention Center is a full service domestic violence shelter, offering free housing, meals, clothing, and other care items as well as ongoing treatment for victims of abuse in the local area.  Dice will begin to roll at 7 pm with full Vegas fare: gambling tables, impersonators, live music, street performers, drinks, great food, prizes, and more.   All alcohol proceeds benefit the Family Violence Prevention Center!  This event is open to the public, but participants must be at least 21 years of age.  I’ll be trying my hand as a dealer at one of the various game tables.  Its sure to be a great night!

The following weekend, Saturday, September 12th, The Corner Cone Dairy Bar & Grill, in Yellow Springs, is hosting the Music for Medicine Benefit Concert in honor of The Luke Commission.  Various Dayton area bands will be playing every hour on the outdoor deck and The Corner Cone will donate $1 to TLC for every REGULAR ICE CREAM CONE sold that day.  Festivities kick off at 11:30 am and the music will be flowing until at least 9.  The musical itinerary is as follows:

11 am Full Circle

12 pm FOG

1 pm  Blueboy

2 pm  Bettina Solas

3 pm  Kaleb Perrin & Mark Beerse

4 pm  Windblown

5 pm  Herb & Fil

6 pm Smilin’ Gray

7 pm Six Cents

8 pm Peggy Welty

Volunteers with the area TLC office will be on hand throughout the day to share TLC’s mission, accept donations, and plenty of Evening in Swaziland Gala & Silent Auction tickets will be available for purchase throughout the day. (The Gala will be held on Saturday, November 7th at Cedarville University, tickets are $25, $200 per table)

The following Wednesday, September 16, La Rosa’s Pizzeria is hosting a family dinner night out for The Luke Commission.  La Rosa’s will donate 20% of all customer totals that present a TLC flier with their bill.  (Carry out, dine in, and delivery orders apply)  La Rosa’s will accept TLC fliers for benefit from open to close (11 am to 10 pm), so come on out for lunch or dinner, bring your friends, family, co-workers, or even a date!  * The flier (attached via link) is required for TLC to receive the donation from a customer’s bill!

Feel free to share these events with your friends and family.  The Family Violence Prevention Center and The Luke Commission help tens of thousands of women, men, and children every year. Community support is their livelihood!

Remember this…

GooGoo Snapped In Museum Piece

Check out this…

Lady GaGa In Denmark - July 31 (Celebuzz)

Lady GaGa’s artistic director and her marketing managers are obviously running out of ideas as are ‘Out’ magazine who featured Lady GaGa as a horror film ‘B’ movie vampire pin up in their September issue. Actually they just nicked the ideas from Lady Garrote, Laydee GooGoo’s alter ego. Lady Garrote had been using re-vamped GaGa material in vampire themes since May 2009 on the internet, as various dated blog posts from different sites prove and had used Love Game as Blood Game in the art horror film ‘Clear Cut Hypnosis’, made in June 2009, BEFORE Lady GaGa’s ‘Out’ Magazine photo shoot or her getting off a plane wearing vampire teeth. both Lady GaGa and ‘Out’ Magazine are merely using Lady Garrote’s sloppy seconds, they are not original or first on the use of GaGa material in the vampire or horror film theme.

Moving on, see photos, Laydee GooGoo’s beehive photo was featured June 7, 2009 , whilst Lady GaGa appears in her very similar purple beehive on July 31, 2009 – some time later! Interestingly, Laydee GooGoo has owned a Pudsey Bear watch since November 2008 whilst Lady GaGa was only seen out with a Pudsey Bear in July 2009!

Lady GaGa is copying Laydee GooGoo and Lady Garrote, she is not original with these fashion ideas, we are the originals and that is proven if you check various dated posts available on the internet.

‘Out’ Too Late As Garrote Outing Predates GaGa Vampire Magazine Piece

I didnt post this earlier as I was out of town.  From the Guardian in the UK, Mr. Curtis has now claimed Marilyn was preggers with his child, conceived during their time together while making the movie Some Like It Hot.  Personally, I wish Mr. Curtis would just leave well enough alone.  He’s a personable, sweet man when you meet him, but this “new insight” of his regarding Marilyn was a bad idea and in my judgement, in poor taste… see the article here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2009/aug/07/tony-curtis-marilyn-monroe-baby

Photo taken from when she was filming "Some Like It Hot"

Well, judge for yourself. 

Sincerely, Janet Valentine   www.tributetomarilyn.com

It’s strange to be writing this, but I have no other way, first, to let the people know that someone is copying various accounts on Twitter, impersonating them, copying their avatars, bio, site link and backgrounds to mislead their followers to think they are the person they’re impersonating. I’m the latest person their impersonating and trying to harass.

And second, I want to express my theory of why is this happening? Well, I’ve been thinking about this since the impersonation of various people I follow and respect started.

In some cases seems to be something personal, by the way the fake accounts tweets: something this person said or the fact that they have a lot of followers makes angry the author of the tweets and he’s attacking them and trying to do as much damage to his image he can (and by impersonating them they also make people trust him and follow, so they can spread their “ideas” to more and more twitterers).

In other cases, it’s a political issue. And I think in my case and at least one of my friends this is what happened. Why I say so? Well, for starters, we are in getting closer to an important election. I write in this blog and in the Spanish one stuff about Mexican politics. I express my views in Twitter (particularly, I have participated in some conversations about politics).

And the thing that I believe caused most of the anger of this person: I helped, with various others twitterers, to discover some accounts of a national newspaper were fake and were spreading mostly opinions, without saying ‘this is an editorial’, instead of news.

I’m talking of my case, but I believe in the case of other harassed people this is what’s happening also: something they said about politics or something they do about those fake accounts or other fake accounts trying to influence people in certain way bothered this person.

And that’s why I believe there’s intolerance in Mexico. It seems to me that some intolerant people can’t stand a person express their views (without trying to make others to think like him/her). Their response is to attack.

Well, I’m not going to enable this person by answering their attacks or even reading their tweets. I have a work (even if it’s at home and freelance, I have a compromise to do it as good as I can), a family and problems to solve that are way too important to answer someone blinded by their bigotry and intolerance.

I’m just doing this post as a warning to those who could be approached by this account, asking them to follow him or in other ways. Also, to tell you that I’m ignoring their tweets, but I’m reporting them to Twitter. Hopefully, Twitter can do something about this.

And also, as a reflection about how things work in Mexico lately. It seems that if a person expresses views that contradict somebody else, then someone is going to attack him/her. It’s really sad.

I think that everyone has the right to express their views, particularly if they aren’t trying to force you to think their way. I have moderate views; I believe we should vote for the candidates that offer better solutions, no matter what their party is. Also, I don’t believe in racism or homophobia, because everyone has the right to be treated equal by the people and the law. I think in every problem we have we can reach a solution discussing this problems, not disqualifying the other.

I hope people can see the difference among those positions: intolerance and tolerance, and chooses to follow or read those who are not trying to force their way by attacking others.

Really digging this “To the Best of our Knowledge” podcast featuring musicians and music writers discussing the phenomenon of musical covers, costumes and impersonators.  Covering bands like, Sticky Fingers, Dark Star Orchestra and Christopher O’Riley’s recent album of Elliot Smith covers, Home To Oblivion: Elliot Smith tribute, the producers explore the idea that even the original acts, The Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd in some way had to become charactatures of themselves to fullfill fan expectations.    Plus a fascinating story by Steve Lopez and his book, The Soloist, about schizophrenic musician, Nathanial Ayers Read the transcript and listen, here.

posted by nick

though i wasn’t able to bring my dslr into the mj memorial, i did have it in the car and i did break it out after the ceremony. i’ve broken down the resulting photos into three categories: 1) the scene, 2) the celebs, and 3) the meal.

in this first segment, i’ll share photos of the scene: the three-ring circus that went on outside staples center and nokia theater that day.

thousands of people congregated between staples and nokia shortly after the mj memorial.

the fan-signed mj mural

there was no shortage of “characters” in attendance. the front line was the vendors. they were in full force looking to exploit the king of pop’s likeness in any way imaginable. shirts, buttons, and posters were just some of the junk readily available.

get your unlicensed mj memorabilia here!

in loving memory

the next layer of characters was the impersonators. i mean, i just knew there would be no shortage of these clowns…

apparently this guy got lost on his way to the raider game. and isn't it scary when (judging from his arm hair) a blonde or redhead can impersonate michael jackson?

for some reason, i imagine this guy is actually tracy morgan. i can just hear him say "mama say mama sa ma ma coo sa" in morgan's trademark inner-city drawl. am i right?!

finally, the media was in full force. between a half-block-long stantioned-off media stage flanked by dozens of satellite dishes, a taller, more exclusive media perch, and a third media tower overseeing a sea of attendees, i wasn’t sure if i was at a memorial service or the academy awards.

i didn't get to watch much tv that day. was anyone able to find any mj memorial coverage on the tube?

i think a second group of media should have covered the media covering the event.

and sprinkled throughout the crowd were people who appeared distraught at the passing of michael jackson. being the optimist i am deep down, i’d like to think some of these people’s tears were genuine. they were the ones at staples center for all the right reasons. though i don’t fundamentally believe in becoming hysterically upset over the passing of a person who you didn’t know personally, i do sympathize with the empty feeling of the passing of an icon of our generation. for me: part of my childhood is gone forever. i am irreversibly older. for the jackson family: their brother/son is gone and three children are now essentially orphans.

my mom and i noticed this lady quietly sobbing nearby, alone. this shot could double as my “miss of the day”, since i got the back of her head rather than the emotion of her face.

you can see the tissue she held up to her face to control the sobbing. her solitude, quiet sobbing, and single red rose made me take notice.

and one final light-hearted observance: the trio of buildings near staples often used as giant commercial canvases was, on this day, a mural of…final fantasy xiii?! really? the american economy must be in decline!

coincidence or karmic fate that a video game series featuring some of the most androgynous male protagonists in the history of home entertainment oversaw the hoopla of the michael jackson memorial? that's right dude/lady in the middle with the black beanie: i'm looking at you!

next up: the celebrities i stalked observed at the mj memorial.

The Michael Jackson Tribute Show is available for corporate events, Concerts and Tours.

A celebrity impersonator or lookalike is an artist who copies or imitates a world famous celebrity, be it a film star, pop star, politician, sportsperson or royalty. A pre-requisite for being a celebrity impersonator is that the artist must bear at least a passing resemblance to the celebrity he or she aims to impersonate. A good make-up artist will do the rest.

We are in the throes of a media revolution which has spawned a new generation of in your face celebrities. Today, celebrities are in close contact with their fans through social networking sites like facebook, twitter etc. A spin-off of this revolution is the demand, nay, hunger among fans to see the celebrity in flesh and blood. But that is a far off dream. So they settle for the next best thing i.e. a celebrity lookalike. This is where companies providing celebrity impersonators come in.

We have celebrity lookalikes everywhere, on television shows such as American Idol, Big Brother and America’s Got Talent, or in the movies where they mostly have a comedy routine. Celebrity lookalikes are hired to make a special appearance at parties, carnivals, corporate events or any other occasion that the client wants. They are paid to mingle with the guests, put on an act or two, and generally to give everyone present a good time.

There are many entertainment companies which provide celebrity impersonators on hire. Almost every famous personality, right from pop stars like Madonna, Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Cher, Beyonce Knowles, to film stars like Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Jennifer Aniston, is on the repertoire of celebrity impersonator agents and entertainment companies. You can get lookalikes of politicians like Barack Obama, his wife Michelle Obama, George Bush, Bill Clinton, and even the erstwhile vice-presidential candidate- Sarah Palin. Lookalikes of sports persons like David Beckham, Mike Tyson, Wayne Rooney etc. are also available easily. Among the famous royals of whom there is a good demand for celebrity impersonators are Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana and Prince Charles.

The really good celebrity lookalikes are invited on shows and might even get their one minute of fame through bit parts on TV or in the movies. Some really good Elvis impersonators and Beatles impersonators take the stage to perform in Elvis tribute shows and Beatles tribute shows all over the world and in Las Vegas in particular. But it takes a lot of hard work and perseverance to make it as a celebrity impersonator.

Las Vegas holds an annual convention of celebrity Impersonators at one of its casinos. Impersonators from all over the world at large, converge here to mingle with other performers of their ilk. They exchange notes and tips to improve their performances. Producers, agents and hiring companies also come here to hunt for new talent. A lot goes into making a show with celebrity impersonators a resounding success. There are make-up artists, producers, agents and technicians behind the scenes who work towards making the impersonators look good.

So, the next time you get to meet a celebrity, make sure that it’s the real one. You just might be shaking hands with his impersonator!

Michael Jackson Impersonator

As I was watching the 10 o’clock news last night on CBS, something came on the news about how people around the world have been celebrating the life and music of Michael Jackson. There was a clip of someone dressed as Michael Jackson, doing the Moon Walk. One of the newscasters said something about how there were “Michael Jackson look-a-likes.” Another newscaster awkwardly followed that comment up with a more accurate, “Yes, there are a lot of Michael Jackson impersonators.”

Ew…I sure hope there aren’t many people who look like Michael Jackson!

Sometimes pictures speak much louder than words. This was certainly the case Friday night when German and I went down to Hollywood and Highland where fans had turned out in force to mourn Michael Jackson.

Breakdancers bust a move:

While watching the dancers, we turned around and witnessed this – possibly the funniest thing I’ve seen in the past year:

I also posted a few photos to Flickr – check them out here.

Image from www.myartprints.com

Lines on Man.

Way back in those archaic days when time for man got ripe,
A tailless ape set on a tree and smoked a penny pipe,
And as he smoked, lo, thought began.
He knew that he enjoyed,
(Be not surprised at this — you see, that ape was anthropoid.)
Thus thought began, and thought is all that makes a man;
So be it known that thus in smoke the human race begain.
But mark how in a circle move all sublunary things;
Events, like smoke, resolve themselves into expanding rings;
And as the monkey’s pipe made thought, and thought created man,
The cigarette shall take him back to just where he began.

The News (Frederick, Maryland)  Jun 20,  1891

Image from www.myartprints.com

Don’t believe the naysayers, these people have irrefutable proof that smoking is good for your health!

ON SMOKING ROOMS.
From the Augusta Medical Journal.
It may be interesting to our readers to learn that the London Lancet, probably the greatest medical authority in the world, strongly advocated smoking tobacco in rooms, especially damp ones, in order to kill the bacilli, microbes and disease germs  therein abounding. Very few rooms are free from these unwelcome visitors, but their virulence can be destroyed or lessened by tobacco smoke. It is especially deadly to the microbes of catarrh and diphtheria, which are so frequently found in damp rooms. We take occasion to recommend this to professors and students in colleges, and to all who are engaged in any indoor sedentary occupation. Statistics have irrefutably proved, time and time again, that smokers enjoy a longer and healthier life than non-smokers; a fact which our own observation of life around us leads us to believe. We warmly advocate, then, indoor smoking.

The News (Frederick, Maryland) Jun 22, 1891

Image from www.the-forum.com

The Bard’s Gaudiamus.
And now that Summer soft and sweet
Has in its gentle zephyr wound us,
And by its tender charms complete
So dearly to itself has bound us.
I sit me at the foot of day
All merged into the twilight’s witching.
And watch the fire-fly at its play,
With brilliant sparks the dusk enriching;
And with the smoke of my cigar
I fashion forth a thousand fancies,
That bear me near or bear me far –
Now upward with ambition’s glances,
Now to the quiet wooded nooks,
Now by the ocean’s foaming surges,
Now to the memory of my books,
Now here, now there, where humor urges;
Now to a dream of one fair face –
Ah, eyes of blue so strangely luring’
And then — Well, then, dear God of Grace,
Why mayn’t this last be all enduring’
But far beyond the smoke’s faint ends,
Whose mists do not my vision mar,
I see a group of my good friends
And thank them much for this cigar.

– The Bentztown Bard.

The News (Frederick, Maryland) Jul 9, 1891

I guess the Bentztown Bard was not happy with the above impersonator.

Now, isn’t it truly awful
That somebody, anxious for fame,
Should in a manner unlawful
Write masculine verse in my name!
And with it, O, shades of the South!
Should boldly and to a degree
Put a cigar into the mouth
Of a delicate lady like me!

–The Bentztown Bard.

The News (Frederick, Maryland) Jul 13, 1891

Image from www.alchemia.de

Link to the English translation of the Gaudeamus Igitur with a music clip.

Las Vegas celebrity impersonator Trina Johnson-Finn arrived back at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas on Wednesday evening, reunited with her husband and realtor, Raymond Finn, and a throng of well-wishers and fellow Las Vegas celebrity tribute artists that were shouting, waving and offering up balloons and flowers, including Willie Nelson (Roy Hammock), Jimi Hendrix (Jimi Taylor), Elvis (Greg Miller), Celine Dion (Elisa Furr), and Liza Minnelli (Suzanne Goulet).  

The former backup singer for Barbara Streisand and MC Hammer was finally back, united among friends and family, 15 pounds lighter after being jailed for more than 100 days in the South American nation of Suriname, surviving on a diet of mostly rice and fish. She was recently acquitted of all charges as reported by Las Vegas Backstage Access. 

She was accused of fraud after a South American promoter tried passing her off as the real deal Toni Braxton. She was told she was going to lip-sync five Braxton songs at a birthday party, but instead the “party” turned out to be a full-blown concert with hundreds of people paying more than $50 a ticket.  The crowd ultimately got the ruse, became unruly, verbally abusing and pelting her with bottles before she was arrested. 

“The first thing I’m going to do is sleep.  And maybe have a cocktail,” Finn said upon her return.

Biz Stone

Twitter has managed to attract a variety of celebrities in the past, from Britney Spears to Stephen Fry, and even Obama himself! But sadly, some celebrity accounts are fake, so Twitter’s latest goal is to stop impersonators in their tracks, by introducing a new verification service. Such a system will help in discerning who the real celebrities are, thus separating the sheep from the goats, so to speak.

However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that accounts without a verification seal are fake. ‘Please note that this doesn’t mean accounts without a verification seal are fake – the vast majority of Twitter accounts are not impersonators’, explains Biz Stone, one of Twitter’s co-founders. ‘The experiment will begin with public officials, public agencies, famous artists, athletes, and other well know individuals at risk of impersonation’.

Is this Twitter trying to be helpful, or just another attempt to pinpoint another source of income. It probably won’t be long before celebrities will have to pay for the verification seal, so that latter option is more than likely.

GooGoo Snapped In Museum Piece

Laydee GooGoo went GaGa again last week. Kitted out in a beautiful bubble dress, with two wigs, colander must have fashionista head dress featuring a toilet roll obelisk centre piece, topped with a winter scarf and wearing the finest collection of plastic pan scrubs worked in to a delicate necklace, all of which and together are copyright by LaydeeGoogoo.com

Watch the Laydee GooGoo Backstage Interview

Watch the Laydee GooGoo ‘Paparazzi’ Music Video

A judge in Suriname on Friday released Las Vegas entertainer Trina Johnson-Finn who was accused of posing as singer Toni Braxton at a concert there where she was pelted with trash and booed offstage. 

The 20-year professional singer who has augmented her career by impersonating stars as a “tribute artist” is now planning her return to Las Vegas to be with her husband, Raymond Finn, emotionally drained and financially devastated after the ordeal. 

Finn, who had spent three months in jail there, said she would not be present at her formality sentencing hearing on Tuesday. 

Finn has repeatedly said she was not involved in the impersonation scheme cover up that charged up to $53 per ticket for the Feb. 28 concert in Suriname’s capital.  A crowd of 3,000 threw bottles and beer cans at Finn in what has been dubbed the “Phony Toni” concert. 

The promoters Angel Ventura and his girlfriend Signet Sampson, though, remain in custody there and are expected to stand trial in July. 

Please see  April 25 and May 7 Las Vegas Backstage Access articles covering this case.