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Brad Blanks shoots and he scores
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One of the byproducts of attending celebrity events is meeting people who are seasoned professionals. I recently attended the NYC Cadillac Records premiere only to find myself half out the door.
No, I did not have pre-authorization. Just pleasantries from a connected charity and whatever clout mustered from this website. That got me past the first security guard, but little else once I settled inside.
Some stalwarts eyed me suspiciously. A photographer munching free popcorn stared me down without blinking an eye. I looked away after an uncomfortable ten seconds. Couldn’t even get the guy to crack a smile.
Other photographers treated me with hostile indifference. At one point, I asked the name of a person being photographed.
“Who is that,” I asked off-handedly, “Is that someone connected to the movie?”
“Who are you?” came the curt reply.
Oh brother. I should have known better than to open my big mouth, but the waiting was beginning to get to me. Drawing attention to myself only invited tougher scrutiny. Eventually, I was relegated to the outside receiving tent and told not to interview any celebrities.
I would report the event as an interloper. Better than nothing but still maddeningly undignified. Being from Baltimore left me at a distinct disadvantage. I knew absolutely no one and it showed. Stuck behind a wall of unyielding reporters and ticking off seconds until the arrivals, my discomfort level reached a crescendo.
Only one correspondent made the situation barely tolerable. In a sea of sharks he was a welcome oasis.
We were packed together so tight, I couldn’t help but overhear him and his cameraman. Funny, intelligent, and disarmingly charming, the guy exuded instant likability. He didn’t mind my interjection of small talk and responded pleasantly to occasional banter. Organizers treated him like a man who could throw his weight around, but he didn’t act like a demigod trying to crush people.
And so this is my tribute to Brad Blanks, the tall bloke I met from Down Under. Blanks is a well-known radio personality who doesn’t mind taking chances with celebrity interviews. In fact, quirky questions are the hallmark of his podcasts and videos. Blanks has produced some real eye-openers.
And in a gaggle of reporters jockeying for Beyonce’s last sound bite, a persistent Blanks walked away with the ultimate prize.
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