#leno Icons

[wheelsgoroundincircles]

The Two Most Iconic Wheel Standers of All Time.

Hurst Hemi Under Glass

Hurst Hemi Under Glass is the name given to a series of exhibition drag racing cars campaigned by Hurst Performance between 1965 and 1970 across North America and ended with the '68 model year.

Each wheelstander was based on the current Plymouth Barracuda for the corresponding model year. The car was so named because the fuel injected Chrysler Hemi engine was placed under the Barracuda's exceptionally large rear window. The result of the rearward weight transfer was a "wheelie" down the length of the drag strip.

The Hemi Under Glass was developed by Hurst Corporation to showcase their products in the A/FX class - precursor to funny cars. In 1965, George Hurst hired Wild Bill Shrewsberry of Mansfield, OH, an accomplished drag racer who had raced for both Mickey Thompson and Jack Chrisman. After helping to pioneer it into the first wheelstanding exhibition car, Shrewsberry left at the end of the season to pursue his own project.

For the 1966 season, Bob Riggle, who was also from Mansfield, OH and was involved with Hurst as a mechanic and fabricator became the second driver of the Hurst Hemi Under Glass car and campaigned the cars with Hurst as the sponsor until later years when the Hurst Company was sold to Sunbeam. At that point, the car ran without the Hurst logo and was simply known as the "Hemi Under Glass." Riggle's career ended in 1975 with a devastating accident at US 30 Dragway in Gary, Indiana.

Popular model kits of the car were produced in 1/32 scale by Aurora Plastics Corporation and in 1/25 scale by Model Products Corporation. A limited edition 1/18 scale diecast model of the 1966 car is currently available from Highway 61.[1]

Riggle returned to exhibition racing in 1992 with a 1966 injected version of the car and a 1968 supercharged version of the car.[2] The original 1965 car was stripped for its power train and parts in 1967 for the new Barracuda chassis/body style and no longer exists.[3][4]

While taping the June 26, 2016 episode of Jay Leno's Garage, Riggle, with Leno riding in the passenger seat, rolled a newly constructed '69 version of the Hemi Under Glass after turning sharply at the end of a wheelie run. Neither of the men were hurt, but the car sustained significant damage.[5] Leno was riding along to fulfill another item on his 'Bucket List.'

July, 2016, Mike Mantel of New Braunfels, TX was named as the new driver of the Hemi Under Glass. Mantel took over the '68 car which has the longest performing history of any Hemi Under Glass ever constructed and becomes the third official driver in the brand's 50+ year history.[6] Mantel was only 6 years old when the Hemi Under Glass first took to the track. He has a wide range of driving experience from drag cars, road race, and movie cars. Mantel's original hometown is the city of Hawthorne, CA.

Billy Lawrence Golden (December 31, 1933 – September 14, 2015),[1] nicknamed "Maverick", was an American drag racer. He is probably best known for driving the Little Red Wagon A/FX wheelstander pickup exhibition racer.

Little Red Wagon

Born in Shawnee Township, Illinois, Golden joined the US Marines and first became interested in drag racing while at Camp Pendleton.

Golden was given his "Maverick" nickname in the late 1950s by an announcer at a Southern California dragstrip, because he chose to drive an unconventional 361 cu in (5,920 cc)-powered Dodge Custom Royal. He started racing in AHRA Super Stock, driving Dodges for several years. He was one of the first drivers in AHRA S/S to successfully run an automatic transmission. In 1960, Chrysler offered to provide him parts, when he was driving a Dodge Phoenix, powered by a 330 hp (250 kW) 330 cu in (5.4 L) with twin Carter carburetors and cross-ram intake manifold; the car was capable of quarter-mile times of 13.7 seconds.

By 1962, he was a factory driver, driving an S/SA Dodge. At the 1962 AHRA Winternationals, driving his bright yellow hemi "Taxi Cab" Dodge 330, he scored a "stunning" victory over "Dyno Don" Nicholson's 409 cu in (6,700 cc) factory Chevrolet at Fontana Drag City, to take the Stock Eliminator title, Chrysler's only Nationals win for 1962.

In 1963, Golden worked with Jim Nelson of Dragmasters to improve the car, and won seven Super Stock races out of eight events, taking the Midwest Championship.

At the end of the 1964 season, Chrysler proposed Golden drive the Little Red Wagon A/FX pickup. which became drag racing's first wheelstanding truck.

Little Red Wagon's first outing, at the AHRA Grand American event at Lions Drag Strip, was an 11 second pass at 120 mph (190 km/h). The crowd's very enthusiastic reaction prompted Golden to turn the A/FX truck into a wheelstanding exhibition racer, which he developed a steering mechanism for himself, relying on experience from his day job at Douglas Aircraft Corporation. The wheelstander was wrecked in 1969, 1971, and 1975; the third crash was nearly fatal to Golden.

Golden retired in 2003. He died on September 14, 2015.[3]

[greatunironic]

title: like a monument to desperation, two floors high summary: It’s 2009, and Eddie and Steve go to the Getty. (a most remarkable thing timestamp)

excerpt: But that had been eons ago in March, and Steve had to go back to school and not follow Eddie for the rest of the tour, and Eddie and the band were bouncing from venue to venue all across the South and then New England and then Canada for something like a month and a half straight. New York in early May might have been a good time to get Steve out to join him, at least for a weekend, but they’d agreed to a fourth go round on SNL, which had meant, on top of all that entailed, they were also engaged on Fallon and Letterman and Leno (and Eddie was in fact pissed he was missing Conan by like three freaking weeks, there) at night and then Good Morning America and the Today Show in the mornings. There were signings and more press and interviews and shows and rehearsals and his internal clock was shot straight to hell and he kept saying he was fine with the evening joke circuit, but why did he have to make an omelet on GMA? He was a grunge musician, not a pop sensation or the newest Hollywood ingenue.

“I don’t know what to tell you, man,” Wanjeri had said when he’d been bitching and moaning about it, right after they’d gotten the Grammy, stringing her base and not even bothering to look up at him. “You’re the one who tripped dick first into being a queer icon.”

Which — harsh but fair, he thought.

[miroslavcloset]

yes yes and yES @scarlettpanda7898 LET'SGO (I finally managed to lift my lazy ass and do it)

Marc-André ter Stegen - Smash (He looks pretty good and those 187cm are attractive ngl)

Bernd Leno - Pass (Just look at this cutie, this man is for giving him kisses on the forehead and caressing his face not for sinful stuff)

Kevin Trapp - SMASH YAS (Look at this beautiful man. Serious question, are all Goalkeepers this absurdly good-looking everywhere or is this just a German thing?)

Matthias Ginter - Pass (I really really like his menacing stare tho, let's go hate the world together, love)

Thilo Kehrer - Pass (I liked him more with his Schalke hairstyle :c Nevermind, he's still good-looking)

David Raum - SMASH (I know right now Leipzig are our enemies and all of that but I'm a hoe for those tattoos YES GIMME)

Christian Günter - Pass ( OF COURSE he's very good-looking, but for me he doesn't have anything particular that catches my eye)

Joshua Kimmich - Complicated xd (I LOVE JO MORE THAN ANYTHING OK? But he's our little menace, he's not much taller than me and I want to kiss his forehead. I love my small captain <3 Also, I cannot ignore his mustache phase, that was so cursed)

Leon Goretzka - SMASH KISS MARRY LICK EAT WITH WHIPPED CREAM (No explanation needed, this man is the embodiment of perfection bye)

Florian Wirtz - Pass (I still consider him a baby idk He's a future star and maybe in a couple of years will Smash lol)

Mario Götze - Pass (He used to be one of my crushes but he hasn't aged as good as I would've liked him to SORRY HE IS STILL ADORABLE AND A CUTIE Is just that he doesn't awaken things in me anymore)

Serge Gnabry - SMASH MARRY YES (Let's go to the fashion week together babe <3 )

Timo Werner - SMASH (He is so Iconic I love him. Also, his fluffy hair makes me want to sleep there (? )

Niclas Füllkrug - SMASH (I want to hug him, he looks extremely adorable I don't give a single shit about his teeth, definitely would smash and take him out of Werder Bremen)

(If a player was skipped was bc they've had less than 5 international appearances or I already rated them in my BVB smash or pass post)

[wheretheweirdthingsaree]

The Tail O' the Pup is one of Los Angeles' most famous and distinctive hotdog stands, known for its unique architecture and cultural significance.

The Tail O' the Pup opened in 1946 and was originally located on La Cienega Boulevard in Los Angeles, California.

The stand was designed to resemble a giant hotdog in a bun, making it an example of "programmatic" or "novelty" architecture, a style where a building's design reflects its purpose.

The stand was initially operated by the dance instructor Eddie Blake and his partner, Beverly Blake.

Its unique design was intended to attract attention from passing motorists, a common strategy for roadside businesses in the mid-20th century.

Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, The Tail O' the Pup became a popular spot for locals and tourists alike.

Its whimsical design and central location in Hollywood helped it become a beloved landmark. It was a frequent haunt for celebrities and regular people, becoming embedded in the local culture.

The hotdog stand moved locations several times. It was first relocated in the 1980s due to a property development project.

This was a period of transition for many such structures, as the growth of Los Angeles forced businesses to adapt.

Due to its iconic status, efforts to preserve The Tail O' the Pup began in earnest in the 1980s and 1990s.

The stand became a symbol of Los Angeles’ cultural heritage and unique architectural history, attracting the attention of preservationists and architecture enthusiasts.

In 2005, the stand closed and was placed in storage after the lease for its then-current location was not renewed.

For over a decade, the hotdog stand's future remained uncertain, leading to growing concerns from the community about its potential demolition.

In 2016, The Tail O' the Pup was purchased by the 1933 Group, a company known for restoring historic Los Angeles landmarks.

After years of planning and restoration work, the stand reopened in 2022 at a new location on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood.

The restoration efforts included refurbishing the original hotdog-shaped stand and updating the menu to appeal to modern tastes while preserving classic items.

The reopening was met with significant media coverage and enthusiastic public reception, highlighting the enduring appeal of the iconic stand.

The hotdog stand itself is a compact structure, measuring approximately 17 feet in length and about 9 feet in height.

Its design is unmistakable, featuring a giant fiberglass hotdog nestled in a bun, with a vivid yellow mustard streak along the top.

The stand is constructed primarily from fiberglass and metal, materials chosen for their durability and ability to be molded into the unique hotdog shape.

The design also incorporates windows and a service counter, where customers can order directly from the sidewalk.

The Tail O' the Pup is a prime example of programmatic architecture, a style that was popular in the United States from the 1920s to the 1950s.

This style aimed to create eye-catching buildings that represented the products or services offered within.

Such designs were particularly effective in attracting the attention of passing motorists in the car-centric culture of mid-20th-century America.

The restoration efforts undertaken by the 1933 Group focused on preserving the stand's original design while making necessary repairs and updates.

This involved restoring the original fiberglass structure and ensuring it met modern safety standards.

The Tail O' the Pup is more than just a hotdog stand; it’s an enduring symbol of Los Angeles' unique cultural landscape.

Its playful design reflects the city's history of embracing novelty and entertainment, and it has become a beloved fixture for both locals and tourists.

Over the years, The Tail O' the Pup has appeared in numerous films, TV shows, and music videos, cementing its status as a pop culture icon.

Celebrities like Frank Sinatra, The Rolling Stones, and Jay Leno have been known to frequent the stand, adding to its allure.

The hotdog stand’s preservation and restoration efforts are a testament to the growing recognition of the importance of preserving mid-20th-century architecture.

As Los Angeles continues to evolve, The Tail O' the Pup serves as a reminder of the city’s past and the unique charm of its roadside attractions.

The reopening of The Tail O' the Pup was met with widespread community support and enthusiasm, highlighting the strong emotional connection many people have with the stand.

It has become a gathering spot where people can connect with the city’s history and each other.

The reopening of The Tail O' the Pup has contributed to the revitalization of its surrounding neighborhood.

It draws both tourists and locals, helping to boost foot traffic and economic activity in the area.

The Tail O' the Pup is a relic of a bygone era when car culture dominated Los Angeles and roadside stands were common.

It serves as a nostalgic reminder of that time, contributing to the cultural fabric of the city by representing a unique architectural style and business model.

The Tail O' the Pup stands as a quintessential piece of Los Angeles history, combining distinctive architecture with cultural and social significance.

Its revival not only preserves a piece of mid-20th-century Americana but also reinforces the importance of community, culture, and historical preservation in modern urban settings.

[arsenalgbt]

can i ask you your top 5 arsenal ship? 👀

(love your blog and works btw!)

CAN YOU---OF COURSE YOU CAN ANON, PLEASE, FINALLY LET'S GOURrr

it's so long grab a snack~

1.a. Aaron/Martin like, sorry I coined 'martindale' you saw it you heard it here on my tumblr FIRST. writing martindale? will be there. reading martindale? I will be there. screaming crying at their interactions caught in 4k? will be there. discussing with my fellow martindale believers? I'm in.

blame everything on Aaron mucking about Martin being the el parchio of the squad and my gunnerinnas' tags whenever Aaron says sth about Martin.

and how we all are a bit 👁👄👁 about our captain's behaviour around men 😋😋😋

1.b. Benjamin/Willo. anon I can write an essay........... but long story short, it's cuz they're such opposites!!!! visual wise and personality wise they're sooo chef's kiss.

this ship is just so VIVID in my fucking mind. older, kinda bitchy, secretly funny, definitely slutty, very cool benjamin/scary, menacing aura but looks about 5 y/o when smiling, actually younger, hilarious willo? obsessed!!! 🥰🥰🥰

(also I'll just say it again with my whole chest; I hailed willo as a babie way way before gunnerinnas began gushing about him. it was me and the thirsty twitter men. I did it. I love that now my gunnerinnas have come out supporting the babieliba agenda!!)

2. sakanelli 😭😭😭 ik I'm not too vocal about them but I rly rly rly like them, they're so precious to me hence they're second on my list. two starboys?????? imagine such iconic power couple, giggling, cuddling, nelli improving his English picking up Londoner accent because of his bestie B???---except I can and will only write G rated fics about them. sometimes soon, I hope. I remember one of my moots' tags, something along these lines; "it's so important to me that they both actually like each other" under a sakanelli post AND TRUST ME. oh the possibility. oh the 'started from the bottom now we're here' trope. they're my babies. I read a sakanelli fic on ao3 but it was so sad 😭

3. reiss/either Aaron or Jorginho....... I know. I KNOW IM SO QUIRKYYY CRIES. listen; aaron/reiss size difference? DELISH. jorginho/reiss being opposites (infuriating old man/calm, confused boy toy) PLUS reiss' babygirlism from one (1) video

literally I haven't stopped recycling this gif as my motivation to continue writing sugar daddy jorgi/confused reiss lol

tldr; it's reiss' face tbfh. he's so pretty... like... i CAN'T let such a pretty face go to waste (not writing fics about him lol).

fuck I think that's it?? cuz I like these three equally:

xhakarteta; BUT eye think eye am just a reader. it's so hard to get their characterisations right (for the standard I set for myself lol). thus, I'm afraid/lazy to get my hands on writing actual plot for them 🫡

Aaron/benjamin; again, amazing, time proven, OG friends to lovers trope, etc etc but I'm just a reader for them I guess!!!?????? same excuse with my view regarding xhakarteta. them fics I read??? LOVE THEM. Aaron is soooooooooo whipped, so golden retriever coded. spoiler alert; I'm writing an Aaron/Benjamin/Martin threesome as we speak :O

ZINNY/GABBY OH GOSH!! Zinny is clearly so into gabby but gabby is this sexy workaholic who is never aware of the attention he gets from men (multiple). iktr.

honorary mention, I used to and still have a soft spot for giroud/ramsey. like... goddamn rambo was thirsty... and granit/ramsey as well ngl... OH ALSO; nelli/fabio lmaooo gawd these twinks...

PSA; in my hc, Aaron Ramsdale had a crush on Leno 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 OKAY NOW TELL ME YOURS! thank you for reading thanks for liking my works!!!!

[savvyroe20]

Prinze Of Comedy

Introduction:

Freddie Prinze had barely swaggered onto the set of “Chico and the Man” before the live studio audience exploded into cheers that threatened to blow off the roof. So loud were they that for a hot minute he and Jack Albertson simply waited before they could launch into dialogue. This was in 1974 during the first season run where Albertson, the Oscar-winning, vaudeville veteran starred opposite the rambunctious, youthful comic Prinze. The pairing captured the imagination of audiences in such a compelling way that around 20 million viewers would tune in each week. 

Prinze in particular brought an indefinable yet totally watchable spark to his performance that is hard to emulate and belongs only to the truly gifted few. In fact, it was Freddies 325 second set on the Johnny Carson Show that sparked his ascendancy into stardom. At the tender age of nineteen, he drew on various themes such as his ethnicity ‘I’m a Hungarican!’, his New York upbringing, ‘the rats wear sneakers and dungarees!’ And of course, the iconic line about the apartment super Mr Rivera, ‘Eees not my chob man!’ The rousing applause led Carson to invite him over to the couch for a chat, simultaneously handing him a pass to comedy immortality. As Carson would remark, ‘you wiped the audience out coast to coast’. Something Prinze continued to do through his role as Chico Rodriguez in the NBC comedy and, most laudably, his stand-up routines.

In the nearly fifty years since this pivotal moment in entertainment, the legacy of Freddie Prinze endures. Not least because of his untimely end but also through his son and namesake Freddie Prinze Jr who grew up on the silver screen and surpassed the life goals his father tragically never got to see. The enormity of this achievement was clearly not lost on Jay Leno when he interviewed Freddie Jr. on the Tonight Show in 1999. After the friendly banter and film promotion, he ended the segment with, ‘you know your old man’s very proud of you’. Leno, a consummate professional, would momentarily show real emotion before collecting himself. After-all, he had been friends with Freddie Sr, even performing stand-up in the HBO on Location special with him and attended his funeral. Fast forward twenty two years and here was Prinze’s son sitting in the very same studio where ‘Chico’ had been filmed decades earlier carrying the family name forward.

Whilst both father and son share the same name, height, dimples and charisma, their contrasting paths within the showbusiness machine make for a compelling story that deserves to be told. Freddie Jr’s evident happiness at bucking the typical Hollywood lifestyle in favour of domestic bliss with his wife of over twenty years Sarah-Michelle Gellar and their two children is almost a vindication of tragedy for his late father.

When Freddie Jr took to the podium during the unveiling of his fathers star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the presence of his mother Kathy, his fathers manager Ron De Blasio, former co-star Della Reese and longtime Prinze fan George Lopez, the emotion was palpable. Fans cheered encouragingly at Freddie Jr as he admitted, between tears, how people honoring the dad he never got to know was incredible.

It also shows that for all the excess, pain, success and rejection Hollywood can dish out in equal measure, there are such things as happy endings in the real world. This is the story of the complexities of family, stardom, and human kindness through the lens of two compelling performers.

Chapter 1 to follow

#FreddiePrinze #FreddiePrinzeJr #ChicoandtheMan #ChicoJr #PapaPrinze #Comedy #ComedyLegends #StandUp #Fame #SarahMichelleGellar #GeorgeLopez #Hollywood #HollywoodWalkOfFame #NBC #JayLeno #TheImprov #Carson #JohnnyCarson #1970s #1990s #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #suicideawareness #shesallthat #scoobydoo #latinx #latino #celebrity #biography #celebritybio #celebritybiography #comedian #actor

[astroneatly]

People in Detroit need to hear something good. Besides N.W.A. Little known 70’s rock icon Sixto Rodríguez never attained his claim to fame that might’ve been, yet, appealing to South Africa’s taste in anti-establishment art, he is believed to have sold out more albums than Elvis Presley. Now that’s Impressive. But it was rumored that he had killed himself, while performing on stage. Such rumors as ‘burned himself alive’, this of course was not true. He still lives in the Woodbridge Neighborhood of Detroit, working in demolition and having retired from Music. Yet, two fans from Cape Town thought it prudent to track him down. And so this is what this film it about. It’s rather heartwarming, but being a modest, humble guy, doesn’t favor the monetary value of his music, preferring to live relatively free of the burden. Because he doesn’t even own a telephone. Well, that’s why it’s so wonderful that he kicks off a spectacular sold-out show across South Africa, which he has toured twice. There are rumors of a third album in production, and some controversy about Rodríguez being cheated out of royalties by Clarence Avant. Meanwhile, in popculture, his music has been covered by Dave Matthews Band, sampled by Nas on his album Stillmatic, and in 2012 Sixto appeared on Jay Leno and Letterman. It’s great to see him getting the recognition he deserves.

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

NO LESS THAN AN AMERICAN RESPONSE TO PETE TOWNSHEND'S UNION JACK MOTIF -- IN WAYNE'S OWN WORDS.

PIC(S) INFO: Spotlight on brother Wayne Kramer of American rock band MC5 playing his iconic 1967 Fender Stratocaster with a custom American Flag Motif, live in Michigan, c. 1969. 📸: Leno Sinclair.

PIC #2: The same guitar (or a replica?) now housed at the Fender Guitar Factory Museum in Corona, CA. 📸: "Mr. Littlehand" (via Wikimedia).

"When I founded the MC5 and we started to play out, I wanted to develop a look. I was a big fan of Pete Townshend, and I noticed that Pete had a sport coat made out of the Union Jack motif – the British flag – and I thought, "What a great idea, but I’m American."

"I figured my motif could be the American flag, the stars and stripes, and so I decided to paint my guitar in that color scheme to advertise my patriotism and total opposition to the direction the country was going in 1968."

-- WAYNE KRAMER (American musician and co-founder of the MC5) on his custom U.S. flag guitar motif

Source: www.iconicguitar.com/2011/07/wayne-kramer-american-flag-strat.html.

[kcyars99]

Hard to believe that it’s been fifteen years since this incident happened on the vmas but in case you missed because you were hiding under a rock, here’s a summary:

As Taylor Swift was giving her Best Female Video acceptance speech for "You Belong with Me", Kanye West went on stage, took the microphone from her, and said: "Yo, Taylor, I'm really happy for you, I'mma let you finish, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time! One of the best videos of all time!", referring to the music video for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)". As the live audience booed, West handed the microphone back to Swift, shrugged his shoulders, and walked off stage.

West was subsequently removed from the show. Later in the show, Beyoncé won Video of the Year for "Single Ladies" and called Swift back onstage to let her finish her speech.

Various celebrities and industry figures, as well as prominent political figures including then United States President Barack Obama and former President Jimmy Carter, condemned West for his verbal outburst at Taylor Swift. West apologized on his blog and during an appearance on The Jay Leno Show.

So you already heard about the wild moment, but what most of us don’t know is what happened before and afterwards as well behind the scenes of the incident . Here’s the inside story of the interruption heard round the world (and the aftermath of it)

2009 VMAs Oral History: What You Didn’t See When Kanye West Rushed the Stage on Taylor Swift

Billboard takes you behind the scenes with the people who were there on that fateful night in 2009, with stories from backstage, on stage and in the audience.

Gil Kaufman08/21/2019

https://www.billboard.com/wp-content/uploads/media/kanye-west-taylor-swift-2009-vmas-billboard-1500x845.jpg?w=942&h=623&crop=1

Kanye West and Taylor Swift during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall on Sept. 13, 2009 in New York City.   Christopher Polk/Getty Images

With a mix of unforgettable (and at times regrettable) performances, bizarre acceptance speeches, and both staged and unstaged viral moments, the MTV Video Music Awards have given us some of the most iconic pop culture snapshots of the past three decades. The telecast that hosted everything from the Britney-Madonna-Christina triple-kiss to Miley Cyrus twerking on Robin Thicke has long prided itself on being the antidote to typically staid, predictable Hollywood award shows.

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See latest videos, charts and news

But even those used to the loose, anything-goes vibe of MTV’s marquee awards show had to rub their eyes on Sept. 13, 2009, when the night appeared to go way further off the rails than anyone anticipated in the very first act — thanks to an incident that set the pop world on its edge, and which continues to echo loudly to this day.

That moment was, of course, the Kanye West“I’mma let you finish” bum-rush of Taylor Swift, during the latter’s acceptance speech for best female video winner “You Belong With Me.” An emphatic ‘Ye made it clear that he thought the Moonman should have gone to his friend, Beyoncé, for her classic “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It),” and let the Radio City Music Hall crowd know as much. It was a shocking breach of awards show etiquette, even for the VMAs, on a night when there were so many other potential next-day headlines.

Trending on Billboard

“Yo, Taylor, I’m really happy for you, I’mma let you finish. But Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time! One of the best videos of all time!” West, 32, opined as Swift, 19, looked on in a mix of shock, confusion and embarrassment, cradling the silver Moonman — which matched her floor-length silver dress. The camera cut to a bewildered Queen Bey, who mouthed the words, “Oh, Kanye!”; the next day, Pres. Obama was caught off-the-record calling West a “jackass” by a reporter. (The video of the stage crash has been scrubbed from MTV’s archives and is only available in bootleg versions on YouTube; a spokesperson for MTV had not returned requests for comment at press time. Kanye West declined to comment for this piece.) 

As show executive producer Jesse Ignjatovic (of Den of Thieves) tells Billboard, after more than 15 years at MTV, going into the night it felt like the show had the potential to be a “seminal VMAs based on the talent and level of performances” on tap. In case you forgot, this was also the VMAs where Lady Gaga showed up with Kermit the Frog as her date and later exploded in a bloody, baroque, instantly iconic performance of “Paparazzi,” P!nk swung from the rafters for a balletic aerial swoon through “Sober,” and Lil Mama notched the night’s second unexpected stage crash when she wandered out to interrupt the broadcast-ending TV debut of Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ “Empire State of Mind.” On top of all that, just four months after the death of MTV icon Michael Jackson, sister Janet Jackson was set to kick things off with her visceral tribute to her recently departed brother, following a cold-open MJ homage from Madonna — an opening act VMAproducers were certain would blow the audience away, and dominate the internet by the next morning.

Even with all that firepower, though, bring up “2009 VMAs” and most people’s memory from the night will be the totally unscripted Kanye/Taylor moment that hijacked headlines before the first commercial break. Years before we had a Twitter president and social media became the reflexive go-to place to air grievances, freak out or share goat yoga videos, that 15 seconds of WTF confusion helped turn the three-year-old social media service into the world’s go-to digital watercooler — while also setting the tone for the pop star pair’s now-decade-long uneasy public relationship.

Billboard spoke to journalists, MTV writers, producers, correspondents and executives who were in the house, backstage, in the production truck and on the red carpet that night to get the whole story of what happened before, during and right after the Tay/’Ye incident. That includes what you didn’t see on TV (or Twitter) that night. (Editor’s note: The writer was an MTV News staffer in 2009.)

“THIS IS NOT GOING TO END WELL…”

Whitney-Gayle Benta (former vice president of talent relations, MTV News): My story starts on the red carpet, where I saw him [Kanye] with that bottle of Hennessy, which surprised me. I remember being like, “Are you okay?” Because I knew him very well and it seemed very out of character for him to be on the carpet like that. The VMAs are very different from the Grammys, but I’d never seen him in any way with a bottle of liquor, and I think he’d been well-trained by his publicist that he was going to be photographed. I definitely said something to him. I was like, “What’s up with you?” And he was like, “I’m here living my best life.”

Van Toffler (former president, Viacom Media Networks Music & Logo Group): I was in the truck that night, as I always have been. I acted as an executive producer, and those shows were tightly scripted to a point. But as I would say to [former MTV VP of news, docs and specials] Dave [Sirulnick] and the outside producers, “Let’s control what we can control, put the combustible elements in the room, occasionally light a match, get out of the room and wait ’til shit happens.” Some years it happens and some years it doesn’t, and that year it happened.

Benta: In that moment I think [West] was a bit… I don’t want to say uncontrollable, but invincible, and at the time to keep the peace we just didn’t challenge him. I just remember thinking, “This is not going to end well.”

Jayson Rodriguez (former staff writer, MTV): The most shocking thing was from the red carpet seeing him with the Hennessy bottle, that leather shirt open to his navel, dark glasses… and holding the neck of that bottle and seeing the level of it go down and down in picture after picture, as he made it into the venue and kept drinking. That struck me. It was uncharacteristic. His bombast, the interruption, fighting for what he believes in, that seemed normal-ish — now it’s his hallmark — but those images were very stark.

Jim Cantiello (former correspondent/producer, MTV News): For the pre-show, we were positioned in the wings in Radio City, so we were catching [dancer/choreographer] Wade Robson rushing past us for the big Janet Jackson tribute number, and I had a final hit in Radio City in the house where all the celebs were sitting. We were coming off that weird Eminem/Bruno stunt [at the 2009 MTV Movie Awards] where everyone was like, “This had to have been planned, right?” [Eminem has since admitted that the stunt was a set-up.]

The first moment I realized something was off was during the pre-show, standing inside Radio City, maybe 10 feet from where [Fall Out Boy bassist] Pete Wentz was sitting, watching all the celebrities getting into place and I had to do a live hit to hype up the show. First, I see Amber Rose come in in that insane cat suit — which looked so, so good — and I was like, “Ooh, look what Kanye’s girlfriend is wearing…” And then my eyes went to Kanye, who was a bit uneasy on his feet and holding a giant bottle of Hennessy. “Oh, cool, he came prepared.” I saw him make his way through the aisle and he started to pass his Hennessy to other celebrities, and I thought that was the funniest thing ever.

Hamish Hamilton (director, 2009 VMAs): This was probably my third or fourth VMAs, and they’re always a bumpy ride for a director, because you never really know what’s going to happen. They’re complicated shows to do creatively, logistically, and there’s always a large number of egos in the room, and nervousness from performers who haven’t done it before. I remember that moment quite well, because as a director and as a producer, you kind of pray for moments like this — moments of notoriety, moments that we’re talking about 10 years later.

James Montgomery (former senior correspondent/on-air talent, MTV News ): I was in Radio City as people were settling in between the red carpet and the show. I was walking around and I talked to Pete [Wentz] and he told me, “Man, Kanye is so drunk. Kanye came up to me inside Radio City and gave me his bottle of Hennessy, and he made me take a swig. The dude is so wasted.” I remember seeing later photos of him with Amber Rose with the bottle in one hand, and a handful of her ass in the other. 

Cantiello: Wentz took a big swig, Justin Bieber was nearby — at this point he had just broken through, he was 15 or 16 — and in my head I’m starting to catalog what my next hit is going to be. “Oh I can joke that [Bieber] took a big swig from Kanye’s bottle and say, ‘Just kidding!'” I’m getting ready for my hit and the production truck gets in my ear and asked what I’m going to hype up in the room, what’s the vibe and I’m like, “OMG, I have to talk about Kanye showing up with booze and he’s passing it around, and he’s already having a party before the party starts! This is awesome.”

And the truck is like, “Hmm… we noticed Kanye on the carpet, he doesn’t seem to be in a good place, please don’t glorify his behavior. Do not glorify Kanye. What we need to do is hype up the big Michael Jackson tribute that opens the show. Joe Jackson just arrived… we really want to focus on that story at the top of the show because that’s what’s kicking us off.”

One of my biggest career regrets at MTV is not going off script and talking about what was going on in the room, because I think it would have been such a wild seed that got planted, not knowing what was going to go down. I would have been forever tied to this… any time they showed a clip of this during recaps, they would have shown me saying, “Kanye showed up with booze, this is not going to go well.” But I took the company line and said, “Joe Jackson’s here!” And I totally stumbled on live TV, and fumbled through a terrible hit where I stuttered Joe Jackson’s name 10 times. Why was I talking about Joe Jackson?

“THIS IS TV GOLD!”

Jesse Ignjatovic (executive producer, 2009 VMAs): It was the summer that Michael Jackson died, so that was a big story going into the show. Knowing we had Janet there performing with her brother via the synched-up video… Madonna giving that long speech to open the night… I thought those would set the tone and be some of the big moments. Plus, Gaga had an iconic performance, Beyoncé gave a great performance, Taylor going from the subway to the New York streets and performing on the top of a taxi… having been at MTV since 1992, I felt like this was going to be a seminal VMAs based on the talent and the level of performances.

Toffler: I had asked Taylor to be on the show — I was managing CMT at that point — and I saw how impactful she was in the country world, and she was trying to cross over into pop and doing it quite effectively. Having executive produced the CMT Awards, which was a much more controlled environment — musicians show up for rehearsals and they listen — that’s not what happens at the VMAs. I was a little bit on edge in that she was entering a different sphere, and I’d worked [Big Machine CEO Scott] Borchetta and her mom that it would be okay. And I felt it might be.

Kanye was not performing… but he had a front row seat. Because we were always concerned about how everything looked on television, we didn’t want these big bulky bodyguards on camera, so we didn’t have security in the front of the talent section.

Cantiello: Days before I did a “seat card” segment from Radio City, where I showed off where the celebs would be sitting on the big night. And Kanye’s seat card was several rows back, like in the eighth row. I cracked a joke like, “Jeeeez, who decided to put Kanye alllllllthe way back here? Who did he piss off at MTV? He’s not gonna be happy about this. Somebody’s gonna get fired.” And then the morning of the VMAs, the producers realized that they didn’t have enough men towards the front of the theater for cutaways. So at the eleventh hour, they moved Kanye up towards the front.

Ignjatovic: I had huge expectations from all those numbers and then the show started and it kind of happened. It was act one… a very long act one, with Madonna speaking, then Janet. And then we went into that award, and then the Taylor/Kanye thing happened. 

Cantiello: We were watching on a monitor from our basement spot, like, “Whoa, whoa, whoa, what is going on?”

Benta: I saw it on the monitor in house and was like, “Oh shit, it’s that Hennessy!” Of everything I predicted could go wrong, who could have known it would be that? 

Ignjatovic: I was shocked. I’d never seen anything like that… especially with our winner and another huge artist on stage. It wasn’t like, “there’s a fan up there, go get ’em!”

Cantiello: I vividly remember the cut-away of Beyoncé half-smiling in disbelief and her mouth like, “Oh Kanye!” It’s now a gif that is used in every comment ever in a Kanye story. I remember thinking, “This is just for female artist, not video of the year — why is he so bent out of shape about this?”

Ignjatovic: I remember the truck was in shock, and I kept thinking in the first moments that he was going to get to a place where he gives her a big compliment. And it just didn’t come. Like the audience, we were just reacting to it in real time… whatever he had done in the past, it just seemed unfathomable that that would happen. You watch Beyoncé’s reaction, everyone couldn’t believe what they were seeing.

Hamilton: There was an awful lot of strange energy in the truck, like, “Oh my God, get him off! Get him off! What is he doing?” A number of people were really nervous and wanted to get him off the stage, but how do you do that? I wasn’t going to send a bunch of people to rugby-tackle him. I turned around in my chair and I said, “Guys, this is TV gold!”

Ignjatovic: From my recollection there was no talk of cutting his mic. It all happened so quickly and in the moment we were all just thinking that it was going to resolve, and it just didn’t… Typically you have a lot of contingencies when someone doesn’t come out or something goes wrong technically. You can go to tape, or the host, or NOC [network operations center]. But this was a different kind of scenario, because it was two artists on stage.

Hamilton: There was a real dilemma in my mind as to whether you cut to Taylor. The Beyoncé reaction shot was important in my mind, then I thought about, “Do we cut to Taylor or not?” And I said no. It was difficult to register where her head was at an in that moment, so I took the safe option not to cut to her. There was just so much going on and it was so noisy, so chaotic [in the truck]. It’s instinct and experience.

Dave Itzkoff (culture reporter, New York Times): There was a lot of disbelief and anger in the house, and shock that palpably went through the room. But for me, because I’m so cynical, I presumed it was a stunt that was orchestrated in some way and all the participants had to be in on it.

Cantiello: Then I had that moment, like, “Did we know this was going to happen? Did we set up Kanye?” We gave Kanye a seat in the front row… we know he jumps up on awards shows. The thought definitely crossed my mind: “Oh, is this a Bruno/Eminem thing all over again?” Then I saw Taylor’s reaction, and Beyoncé’s reaction, and the audience disbelief in the room, and I thought, “No, no, MTV would never pull anything like this, because this is potentially hurting artist relations on three of the biggest artists in 2009 right now.” They’re not going to throw gasoline on this and hope that something explodes.

Hamilton: Curiously enough, what happened downstream at MTV towers is that they cut to a safety shot of a wall for a good few seconds. I was like, “What the fuck?!” It was very odd, but that was pretty quickly changed. I still don’t know by who.

Ignjatovic: There wasn’t that moment where we were like, “oh, [now] we’re rollin’!” It was one of those nights when it went a little sideways early. It’s a long show and given that it had such A-level talent we got back [on track], but it was still always going to be tinged by what happened in the first act. 

Hamilton: The whole thing was less than a minute and it was done. To be honest not a lot could be done other than cutting their mic and I wasn’t going to make that call and I didn’t. That would have been a very different moment.

Montgomery: The crowd in Radio City just turned on [Kanye] — people were booing and hissing. During the commercial break, he went back down to his seat and P!nk walked up to him and got in his face. I wasn’t close enough to hear the conversation, but she was pointing in his face and nodding her head back and forth, and giving him her two cents about how fucked up this was and then stormed off. Then he was sitting there next to Amber Rose with his arm around her, and you could feel everyone in Radio City glaring at his back.

Ignjatovic: After that situation played out, we had to get ready for act two, and we obviously had an artist who had to perform immediately after commercial. So I had to make sure the talent team was attending to her and she was getting ready. We just had to regroup and keep things moving.

Cantiello: I knew Taylor had to perform soon after that, and my brain went to, “How is she going to recover form this and get her head right after being bullied on television after her first big TV moment winning a VMA?” 

Hamilton: It’s fair to say that in the truck in the moment there were a lot of very different moods: terror, oh my goodness, [and] this is absolutely fantastic… it was everything you pray for and then some. It’s happened a couple of times to me in trucks, when some defining moment like this occurs, and there are so many conflicting views and a lot of people standing around you saying different things. As a director you have to have that moment of clarity. I had a real moment of clarity: “This is going to live forever.” Absolutely, one million percent.

Ignjatovic: Your goal in those moments is to react in real time and in that situation it played out, but then also we had to get ready for act two. You have to stay in the game and not get too rattled, because we had nine more acts to go. We’d just started the night.

“YOU NEED TO GET KANYE OUT OF THE BUILDING…”

Hamilton: After we cut to commercial there were three conversations I remember half-hearing: “Okay what happens to Kanye now? How do we make sure Taylor’s okay? And how do we make sure Beyoncé’s okay?” The biggest concern was for Taylor, and making sure she was cool with it.

Toffler: Once it happened, we went to commercial break and I said to Dave Sirulnick, “Dave, you need to go get Kanye out of the building and I need to go see Taylor, her mom and manager, because she was set to perform one or two acts later.” [Sirulnick declined to speak with Billboard for this story.] 

Because of my relationship with Taylor and her camp, I was going to deal with her. Her mom and she were crying, and I profusely apologized and I said, “I’m sorry, we didn’t know. I know you have to perform in the next act and let me think about a way we can make it right for you. We’re dealing with him now and I’m so sorry it ruined your moment.” I didn’t anticipate I’d have a crying artist and mom to deal with — literally right before she has to go out on Sixth Avenue and stand on a car and sing her song. 

Montgomery: [Kanye] was kind of hunched over, and you could tell he could feel the weight of everyone’s stares. Within the next 5-10 minutes, he was ushered out of his seat and I followed behind him — and out in the darkened hallways of Radio City, I saw him going up and having a very long, heated conversation with Dave Sirulnick about what happened. Dave saw me trailing behind and told me I wasn’t allowed to go up there. I waited at the foot of the stairs and watched them have a very animated conversation. Kanye was very upset about this, and he was kind of shocked that he was being asked to leave. I just remember it being a very chaotic moment where everyone was [going], “Is this really happening?” and everyone being very angry.

Cantiello: There was a stream of people coming down to do press after it, and I remember the All-American Rejects [singer] Tyson Ritter, and he was like, “Kanye’s a jackass” or something — like, “What the hell’s he doing?” I remember Billie Joe from Green Day had strong words like, “What the hell was that? Let the girl have her moment!”

Itzkoff: Kanye was up for several awards that night, and every time they mentioned his name there would be a ripple through the audience. It upset the attendees in the room, and there would be more boos from the audience. Wale made a remark about Kanye — “You can’t fault a man for speaking his mind” — and people groaned and booed. It did not go over well.

Toffler: I’m almost front of house at that point, and I have to go back to the truck. I see [Big Machine founder] Scott Borchetta and I say, “Please have her stay, I will figure out a way to deal with this.” I walk behind the stage — and sure enough there is Beyoncé and her dad, and she is crying. She was like, “I didn’t know this was going to happen, I feel so bad for her.” And that’s when it started to click in my head, and maybe hers, about potentially having the whole arc play out in that one night.

I think perhaps for the only time in history at the VMAs — we knew who was going to win the awards, we had a plan for it [but did not tell the artists ahead of time] — at some point I let her know that she was probably going to be up on the podium at the end of the show for an award. And wouldn’t it be nice to have Taylor come up and have her moment then? I had to indicate to her that she needed to stay, and perhaps this is a way to have this come full circle and let [Taylor] have her moment. I would normally not say anything, but I had two crying artists.

Jonathan Mussman (former senior vice president of production, MTV): I was tasked with getting News set up in the pre-show and producing the outside elements, including the Taylor performance. A week before, we were in the Times Square station filming the interior portion of the “You Belong With Me” performance in a subway car, which was 98 degrees with 120% humidity, where the only thing that was air-conditioned was the subway car, which was very faint. That already set up a very, very hot-under-the-collar theme for the show. That part went off okay — we worked through the night on the S train and Taylor was great — so then we were preparing for the night of.  

Hamilton: The Taylor live set-up was coming, and it was live-live, and I remember some fairly frantic discussions going on about whether she could do it. 

Mussman: Dave [Sirulnick] comes on: “Jonathan! Jonathan!” He quickly explains what went down and I’m not understanding what he’s saying. I can’t comprehend it. “Kanye did what?” He’s almost to the point of barking. “She’s coming out to you! Accept her, greet her, get her!” I’m getting nervous because we have hundreds of casted audience and dancers ready to hit their marks, [Swift] is crying and upset and I’m consoling her moments before she’s to perform.

Hamilton: I do remember that Taylor was determined to get it right. She really dealt with it with true dignity and professionalism. Maybe after the immediate shock and sadness, she pretty quickly channeled that energy into determination. 

Mussman: We get her prepared, and thank God she’s a real pro. She got it together, and we had makeup on stand-by to control the look, and she did an amazing performance.

Toffler: It was not easy [to get Kanye to leave]. But after [Swift’s] performance, I had to go back to Taylor and Scott and her mom and say, “This is what could potentially happen at the end of the evening and you can have your moment to do your speech.” There was a lot of begging, but fortunately she agreed to stay, and Beyoncé agreed to do a wonderfully gracious thing. So the Shakespearean arc played out over the course of the evening.

“SOCIAL MEDIA WAS NOT OUR FOE BUT OUR FRIEND”

Cantiello: We were close to the press room, and as soon as [Kanye] jumped up I could hear everyone whooping and hollering and everyone’s laptops going on fire and live blogging… their BlackBerrys going off.

Rodriguez: This was before you’d text people 2,000 times a day, so I’m emailing [reporters Montgomery and senior hip-hop editor Shaheem Reid], who were in the house, and they’re both feeding me details, like “P!nk giving Kanye the middle finger.” So I was checking the Getty [photo] wires and I see pictures of him chugging Hennessy — this was pre-Instagram — and like 200 retweets of pictures of Kanye with the bottle. The story was immediately doing gangbusters, because we were the authority on VMAs. 

Cantiello: In 2009 Twitter was not really yet a thing, but I was also the Twitter correspondent, so I was asking people to use hashtags. But we didn’t have service in the basement — so I was constantly logging onto Twitter to see what they were saying, but we couldn’t access it.

Itzkoff: I wasn’t even on Twitter at the time this happened, and another person in my section sitting with me was showing me on his phone that searches for Kanye were zooming by.

Toffler: We were MTV, we wanted to be almost everything to youth culture, but that night made me realize that social media was not our foe, but our friend — because all these emails and everything started to come in about this moment and it lit up everything. People couldn’t stop talking about it and ratings went up. It was like, “We just need to feed this beast, and then it can feed television as well.” 

Cantiello: Kanye storming the stage was the first time I realized just how powerful Twitter was in driving audiences to TV. If you opened up your timeline that night, your feed was overrun with reactions. If you weren’t watching the VMAs and you opened Twitter, it felt like you were missing out on the craziest TV moment of all time. It’s also noteworthy to remember that back in 2009, there were no algorithms dictating your feed. Your Twitter timeline was in chronological order. It was ideal for “live blogging” TV. So when a “moment” happened, everrrrrrryyyyyone talked about it and you couldn’t ignore it. Fans took sides immediately.

Ignjatovic: We’re still discussing it because it happened in real time on live television. By today’s standards, when you have stuff that plays out on social in real time, those are the things that garner a lot of attention and reaction and that’s what that was. But it was in a visual medium, and the fact that it was just so shocking and unexpected [made it historic]. 

Cantiello: The immediate collective response of viewers and celebs alike crystallized the knee-jerk hot take reactionary aspect of social media. It’s kind of ironic that Kanye’s “hot take” on stage was basically a tweet personified.

“WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS TOMORROW…”

Toffler: At some point you throw up your hands and say, “We’re going to have to deal with this tomorrow, but we have two hours left, and let’s get through this thing.” It’s kind of insane and that’s the addiction of live television. Because I’m a crazy fanatic about chaos, it maybe fueled the fire more. It definitely had us revisit the whole notion of security.

Cantiello: We were the ones to talk to Taylor afterwards. She only did a little bit of press and only one interview — and it was ours, which happened at the very end of the show. It wasn’t until the very end of the night, when Beyoncé won and invited Taylor up, that Beyoncé came down first and I said, “Beyoncé, can we talk, please?” And she said, “No, no, no — I’m not doing press. The person you’re gonna want to talk to is coming down soon.”

Then Taylor came, definitely way more composed. She took some time to figure out what she was going to say, and gave a very subdued interview. She addressed it in a very matter-of-fact way. She said, “That moment of winning a Video Music Award was mind-blowing and I felt really good, and when Kanye first jumped up on stage I was really excited because I’m a huge fan and then… I was not as excited.” It was fucked up, but as someone who worked at MTV it was so cool to feel like you were part of MTV history. 

Toffler: You just have to let musicians follow their muse or their greatness, and sometimes they achieve greatness and sometimes it doesn’t work at all, but it’s never mediocre. That’s what that show highlighted. It wasn’t the first show we had people doing chaotic, nutty things — and it wasn’t the last. But in its wake, a lot of shows tried to fabricate or force inorganic, unique moments, and they feel forced. This didn’t feel forced at all, because it wasn’t. Those are the moments you remember the most, the blemishes on the art. You just have to let it stay in and not overproduce it. 

Cantiello: I had this Verizon-sponsored position, which was in front of the MTV News one, so everyone was coming to me first. So, at the last minute, out of nowhere [former MTV News talent] Kim Stolz raced into my shot and we were both interviewing her. So poor Taylor Swift is being double-teamed by two MTV News reporters who are foaming at the mouth, like, “Tell us about this insane pop culture moment that just happened!” For me, I remember thinking in that moment, “Holy shit, this generation finally has its Courtney Love vs. MadonnaVMA moment!” What’s crazy is that 1995 VMA moment was in the post-show, the after show — this was in the guts of the show, and it just felt like The Moment.

Toffler: In my conversation with Scott Borchetta the next day after I called to apologize… He’s like, “Van, here’s the thing about it: Yesterday most of the country had no idea who Taylor Swift was. Today, Oprah Winfrey sent her flowers this morning and asked if she could talk to her.” It felt like, “Wow, If I could have 10 of those a show going forward and didn’t know about it I’d sure love that!” I spent the next several VMAs trying to barter a Taylor/Kanye moment, which never really happened the way I wanted it to. It forced us to look at social media and embrace it.

“ONE OF THE MOST TRANSFORMATIVE MOMENTS IN POP CULTURE”

Cantiello: I don’t know that when that moment happened I expected it to [still] be feeding a narrative… how many albums later? I feel like it’s part of her story more than it’s his story, partially because he’s had so many tabloid moments since then. I didn’t realize in 2009 that she would still be talking about it 10 years later. As a legit Taylor fan, I’m bummed that the story still has legs, and continues to evolve and morph and get uglier and uglier. 

Montgomery: It was very weird to be in the room where one of the most transformative moments in pop culture over the past decade transpired. If you look at everything that’s happened since that moment, in terms of Kanye’s narrative of being the villain and Taylor’s of being the victim… it really impacted pop culture in a way no one thought would happen. 

Toffler: I never imagined we’d be talking about it 10 years later. It’s also just the two particular artists are so still very loud in culture — that’s a big part of why people are still talking about it.

Montgomery: It seemed like such a weird, small, unplanned moment that became this gigantic thing. It was unquestionably unplanned… It kind of changed the way that they [MTV] were encouraging more of those moments going forward, by putting random people together and trying to see what happens.

Rodriguez: Those are the best VMA moments. MTV historically tries to manufacture those moments — they try to create a narrative of the night, whether it’s them manufacturing stunts like the Madonna-Britney kiss, or trending to a big artist… the VMAs work best when they’re teetering on the brink. But the Kanye thing had an aftermath that was darker than intended, and that’s why we still remember it.

Ignjatovic: The long-lasting piece of it to me is that somehow it was one of the rare times on a live show — particularly a live awards show — [where] you had a real, organic narrative play out in real time before your eyes. An artist who came up and won an award and was interrupted in a shocking way, a real negative moment, and she comes back and has this glorious moment right after that, and the night plays out. 

Producers like to script things out and plan the narrative of the night, but this was its own narrative that played out in front of millions of people’s eyes. That is why it lasts in my memory, and why it’s one of the most incredible shows I’ve ever worked on. 

Itzkoff: People forget all the other things that happened that night, because Kanye’s interruption was the thing people take away. Now you see the legs this one incident had, and how it continues to define the relationship between two pretty major artists — and the fault lines in our culture that it points to.

P!nk and Pete Wentz were unavailable for comment for this piece. Billboard also reached out to Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Scott Borchetta, Tyson Ritter and Billie Joe Armstrong for comment.

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'Tonight Show' Icon, 74, ay Leno Prepares to Die

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Postcards from France - driving in style - Citroën car icons in France

New Post has been published on https://sa7ab.info/2024/08/06/postcards-from-france-driving-in-style-citroen-car-icons-in-france/

Postcards from France - driving in style - Citroën car icons in France

Have you driven in France? Do you love the idea of a classic car to explore the smaller roads of this beautiful country? While the coach drivers on my many school trips bore the brunt of the speed limits and braved the chaotic blend of cars all seemingly going in differing directions around Paris, I could sit back and relax! Nowadays I'd rather be driving along a quiet country road or a near-empty toll road in a classic car. I'm still not too sure about the hairpin bends though. One thing I am sure of though is how the cars we're exploring today are iconic French creations!

Surely some of the most renowned French cultural icons in the automobile industry are the cars that always raise a smile as you travel – either as the driver, passenger or passerby. It just so happens that Citroen has made three very iconic French cars and they feature on our Postcard from France this week.

I show some love and appreciation for the Citroen DS, the equally iconic and charming 2CV and the older vintage Traction Avant . Have you ever wanted to understand the appeal? Let's have a brief journey through France with these iconic classics!

It wasn't until I moved to Canada that I appreciated that many people from outside Europe don't know a lot of the brands of French cars and they aren't part of the car landscape at all in North America. I grew up with those Renault adverts with Nicole and Papa and the va va voom years with Thierry Henry.

But that nostalgia aside, cars made all over Europe are something I suppose I took for granted. For example, the Renault Clio was the bestselling car in Europe. In France there is a pride for the car industry and you'll always see a huge number of French car brands on your travels or in daily life. Whether they are Citroën, Renault or Peugeot you will probably find many of these too if you hire a car (usually a manual transmission too.)

I'm not a petrolhead but I do feel that certain models of the French brands are iconic and will forever be part of the cultural landscape of France.

Sometimes clichéd, but often just daily life objects, cars like the redoubtable 2CV exude French country classic vibes and remain popular. It is the rural classic to the city future of the DS (with its beautiful lines still so distinctive today.) Of course before both of this cars, there was the Citroën Traction Avant. A classic car now that makes me think of Maigret and pre-war films.

Let's briefly explore a little about each of these classic Citroën cars as the French icons they are.

Citroën Traction Avant

Released in 1934 by Citroen (and then later when Citroen's company was taken over by Michelin) this classic beauty is elegant and beautiful.

If you'd like to see it in action today, then you might like Jay Leno's Garage video (with his amazing car collection linked below.)

He has a beautiful unrestored version from 1949 which drives superbly and looks just gorgeous! You can see it in the video being drive by Leno and also static in the garage.

At the time it was quite aerodynamic looking for a sleek saloon and it had innovative ideas in the placement of its suspension, engine and the body of the car. It is thought to be the first car design created by sculpting from clay. (Designed by André Lefèbvre and Flaminio Bertoni, the Traction Avant features on Citroënvie's website.)

Citroën 2CV

If all that horsepower and saloon style elegance doesn't cut it for you, then you might like the charming and frankly simpler 2CV. Designed to be able to transport hen's eggs to market on the back seat, with no breakages, the 2CV is renowned for its springy comfort and charming look. As iconic as a lavender field in Provence or a field of sunflowers, the 2CV is a rural icon first and foremost. It will take you off to the weekend market or daily trip to the boulangerie with ease.

Would you like to see if the car lived up to its goal? You can see the eggs-in-a-basket challenge in action with the BBC Top Gear video below.

You can also see a 1961 car in action here in the USA and Fifi a 2CV that lives in Provence (just like a moment from Peter Mayle's books.)

You'll find many people still use a 2CV for geting around and its been only subtly changed over the years including those Dolly versions in the 1990s.

Popular with collectors as well as ordinary people, it's perhaps the iconic car that you might associate with moving to rural France. You can even see the purchase of one (a van version) by British chef John Burton-Race in the series where he and his family moved to rural south west France for a year. (Do you think he perhaps paid a bit too much for it?!)

Citroën DS

The first pre-production cars were hand-built in utmost secrecy in the summer of 1955 and the car was unveiled the following October at the Paris Motor Show. It was the car that embodied the future that year and this 'goddess' of a car (the letters d and s said in French sound like déesse, which translates as goddess in English) the DS continues to be popular with collectors and fans worldwide.

It's even popped up as the car of choice for Inspector Morse-like investigation Judge Vernaque (Roger Allam) in the new BritBox series Murder in Provence, filmed in and around Aix-en-Provence and full of beautiful scenery (and some murderous storylines.)

And yet again Jay Leno has a beautiful example of one in his collection, which you can explore here (although he says it D S in english, so don't copy him – it sounds like dayess remember?)

It's a beautiful car and stil looks completely unique. Find out more about is history and all the details on its design and manufacture at this great post.

It makes me want to put on my most elegant outfit, find an Yves Saint Laurent or Yves Montand lookalike and go driving around Paris to the sound of Miles Davis. Is that just me? Thought so. What does the stylish DS evoke for you?

Have you seen this French icons where you live? Have you spotted them in French films and series? If you could choose, which is your favourite?

For more French cultural icons and journeys around the hexagon, join me next time for the Postcards from France.

Tell me, what cultural icons do you associate with France? Let me know by contacting me or on Instagram. I'd love to hear from you.

Before you go, dear Francophile…

For more France, why not join the curious Francophiles exploring France every month? The free newsletter goes out every first weekend of the month and includes events across France and often dips into delicious food, culture, travel, music, film, style and more. The France in Five feature brings together the month's top highlights with stories, links and classic French traditions.

It brings France to where you are. So if you're newly enamoured with France or a Francophile of long-standing passions, join us now!

By joining you'll also receive every Postcard from France delivered to your inbox in the blog digest. I'd love to talk France with you, so join me in France, wherever you are. Subscribers get all the podcast news before anyone else and are the first to get exclusive news, giveaways and future offers from Francophile-friendly courses and online stores too.

Sign up for the newsletter here (it goes without saying that there's absolutely no spam and your privacy is protected. You can subscribe at any time, but I hope you stay and make 2022 a year to delight in the country we love so much.)

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[esonetwork]

Late Night TV Hosts

  Dive into the captivating world of late-night television with "Tales from Hollywoodland"! In this episode, hosts Julian Schlossberg, Arthur Friedman, and Stephen Jay Rubin explore the rich history and evolution of late-night TV. From the Dumont Television Network's "Cavalcade of Stars" with Jack Kotter to NBC legends like Jerry Lester, Jackie Gleason, Steve Allen, Jack Paar, and Johnny Carson, they highlight Carson's charm and reign as the king of late night. The discussion heats up with iconic rivals Joan Rivers and Arsenio Hall, leading to the era of David Letterman and Jay Leno. They also spotlight modern favorites like Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert, offering a comprehensive look at late-night TV's dynamic landscape. Join us for an engaging and nostalgic journey through television history!

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Tales From Hollywoodland on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdLX2kbwHqdn47FNN6vVN7Q 

We want to hear from you! Feedback is always welcome. Please write to us at  talesfromhollywoodland@gmail.com and why not subscribe and rate the show on Apple Podcast, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Goodpods, PlayerFM, YouTube, Pandora, Amazon Music, Audible, and wherever fine podcasts are found. 

#TalesFromHollywoodlandPodcast #LateNightTVHosts #LateNightTalkShows #FamousLate-nightHosts #LateNightTelevision #TalkShowLegends #HistoryofLate-nightTV #IconicLate-nightHosts #LateNightTVHistory #HollywoodLate-nightHosts #LateNightEntertainment #Talkshowcelebrities #Classictalkshowhosts #Latenightshowanalysis #LatenightTVimpact #LatenightTVdiscussions #Talkshowhostcareers

Check out this episode of Tales From Hollywoodland!!

[mcacnshow]

You may already know that our big "Red Carpet" Invitational display at the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals show will spotlight the history and Anniversary of the iconic Pontiac GTO. On the right side you will see an entire row of what many consider the ultimate GTO. That is the Ram Air IV Judge Convertibles. YEP...we will host an entire row of them! On the left side you'll see prime examples from 1964-1974, with at least one per year. Today we present something really cool. Greg Stanley will be joining us with his Tiger Gold '66. Recently Greg spent some quality time with Jay Leno to talk about the history of his GTO. Check it out, and be sure to also see it up close and in person at MCACN, November 23-24.

[entertainwithalowehah]

RIP PeeWee Herman

Paul Reubens, born Paul Rubenfeld on August 27, 1952, in Peekskill, New York, is an accomplished American actor, comedian, and writer. He is best known for creating and portraying the character Pee-wee Herman, a quirky, childlike man-child with a distinctive high-pitched voice and signature red bow tie.

Reubens began his acting career in the late 1970s, making guest appearances on various television shows, such as "The Gong Show" and "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson." However, it was in the early 1980s when he gained widespread recognition with his groundbreaking stage show, "The Pee-wee Herman Show," which he later adapted into an HBO special. This led to the development of his beloved television series, "Pee-wee's Playhouse," which ran from 1986 to 1991 and earned him three Emmy Awards.

In addition to his success on television, Paul Reubens brought Pee-wee Herman to the big screen with the 1985 film "Pee-wee's Big Adventure," directed by Tim Burton. The movie was a critical and commercial success, cementing Pee-wee Herman's status as a pop culture icon. He followed it up with "Big Top Pee-wee" in 1988.

However, in July 1991, Reubens faced a significant personal and professional setback when he was arrested in Sarasota, Florida, for indecent exposure at an adult movie theater. The incident caused a media frenzy and led to a public controversy that severely impacted his career. Reubens took a step back from the spotlight, and Pee-wee Herman went on hiatus for several years.

Despite the challenges he faced, Paul Reubens continued to work in Hollywood and embarked on various acting endeavors under his birth name.

He appeared in films like "Batman Returns" (1992) as the Penguin's father and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1992) as Amilyn.

It wasn't until the late '90s and early 2000s that Reubens began to reintroduce Pee-wee Herman to the public. He made guest appearances as Pee-wee on various television shows, including "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and "Saturday Night Live." In 2010, he brought Pee-wee back in a critically acclaimed Broadway show, "The Pee-wee Herman Show," which garnered rave reviews.

In 2016, Paul Reubens revived his iconic character for a Netflix film titled "Pee-wee's Big Holiday." The movie was well-received by both longtime fans and new audiences alike.

Throughout his career, Reubens demonstrated remarkable talent as a versatile actor and comedian, captivating audiences with his unique and endearing character creations. He will be remembered as a trailblazer in the entertainment industry, who brought joy and laughter to millions.

Let us remember Paul Reubens for his contributions to comedy and entertainment, celebrating the joy he brought into the lives of so many people through his unforgettable portrayal of Pee-wee Herman.

[abcnewspr]

ABC NEWS STUDIOS AND CREAM PRODUCTIONS DEBUT ‘THE GAME SHOW SHOW’ WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, ON ABC — A NEW SERIES THAT UNPACKS THE HISTORY AND IMPACT OF GAME SHOWS ACROSS EIGHT DECADES OF AMERICAN CULTURE

Four-Part Series Features Game Show Legends Drew Carey, Vanna White, Ken Jennings, Chuck Woolery, Amy Schneider, Bob Eubanks, Howie Mandel, Wayne Brady and More

Evening Kicks Off With a New Episode of ‘Jeopardy! Masters’ and a Special Edition of ‘Celebrity Wheel of Fortune’ Featuring Vanna White Playing the Game Alongside ‘Jeopardy!’ Hosts Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik

ABC News Studios*

ABC News announced today “The Game Show Show,” a four-part series that celebrates one of the most beloved and durable television genres of our time from ABC News Studios. Spin the wheel, beat the clock, guess the answer and play along through 80 years of game show history! Reflecting on the changing face of America, the series explores the contestants, hosts, visionary creators, and industry scandals that encapsulate iconic game shows. “The Game Show Show” debuts Wednesday, May 10 (10:00-11:00 p.m. EDT), on ABC, following a new episode of “Jeopardy! Masters” (8:00-9:00 p.m. EDT) and a special episode of “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune” (9:00-10:00 p.m. EDT) featuring Vanna White competing as a contestant for the first time. All three shows will air next day on Hulu.

EPISODE DESCRIPTIONS:

“THE GAME SHOW SHOW”

Episode One: “The Answer Is…” (Wednesday, May 10)

Since the radio age, America’s love for the quiz show has remained constant, transcending technological innovation and surviving scandals. Today, the quiz show continues to evolve, with new formats and revivals capturing the attention of millions across the country. But the quiz show also reveals a lot about American society. Changes to the kinds of questions hosts ask and how contestants and audiences are responding provide a glimpse into the transformation of American culture and its shifting relationship with knowledge. Featured interviews include Michael Strahan, Sara Haines, Jay Leno, Mark Cuban, Sherri Shepard and more.

Episode Two: “Show Me The Money” (Wednesday, May 17)

Guess the price, spin the wheel, take the gamble and become a millionaire. The chance to walk away with thousands ― even millions ― of dollars has cemented these game show phrases in American popular culture forever. Is the game show a path toward achieving the American dream, or is it just another scheme to get rich quick? As the game show adapts to changing norms in American society, a behind-the-scenes look at heart-wrenching moments of victory, defeat and even, at times, fraud puts a human face on the popular format. Featured interviews include Vanna White, Drew Carey, Chris Connelly, Wayne Brady and more.

Episode Three: “Over The Top” (Wednesday, May 24)

From singing in front of a star-studded panel to surviving on a remote island, reality competition game shows give audiences a chance to live vicariously through contestants who push the boundaries of human talent, skill and strength. With millions of eyes tuning in to see how the competition unfolds next, reality competition shows are a defining part of the American game show landscape. How these competition shows have evolved sheds new light on changes to the TV industry, as well as broader social shifts in American culture. Featured interviews include Nikki Glaser, Meredith Vieira, Howie Mandel, Claudia Jordan and more.

Episode Four: “Sex, Love or Money?” (Airdate TBA)

If love is a game, why can’t it be a game show? Dating shows have quickly become a cornerstone of the American game show landscape, captivating viewers with the inevitable ups and downs of finding love on national TV. While dating and relationship shows have revolutionized the game show genre, they also offer something more fundamental: a compelling reflection of society at large, helping Americans navigate changing social norms around love, sex and gender roles. Featured interviews include Bob Eubanks, Chuck Woolery, Margaret Cho, Jerry O’Connell and more.

“The Game Show Show” is produced by Cream Productions for ABC News Studios. David Brady, Kate Harrison Karman, Sarah Gibson and John Ealer are executive producers for Cream Productions. David Sloan is senior executive producer, and Victoria Thompson is executive producer for ABC News Studios.

JEOPARDY! MASTERS

“Jeopardy! Masters,” produced by Sony Pictures Television and hosted by the “G.O.A.T.” Ken Jennings, is the latest iteration of America’s Favorite Quiz Show®️. Each hourlong episode of the new series will showcase the six highest-ranked current “Jeopardy!” contestants, with two action-packed and high-stakes games. On Wednesday, May 10, audiences will follow along as Amy Schneider, Matt Amodio, Mattea Roach, Andrew He, Sam Buttrey and James Holzhauer go head-to-head for the grand prize and the title of “Jeopardy! Masters” champion.

“Jeopardy! Masters” is executive produced by Michael Davies.

CELEBRITY WHEEL OF FORTUNE

On Wednesday, May 10, contestants go head-to-head for charity in the Ultimate Host Night, with Vanna White calling letters instead of revealing them (for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital) against “Jeopardy!” hosts Ken Jennings (for the Equal Justice Initiative) and Mayim Bialik (for the Mental Wealth Alliance). “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune” welcomes celebrity contestants to spin the world’s most famous Wheel and solve puzzles for a chance to win $1 million.

“Celebrity Wheel of Fortune” is produced by Sony Pictures Television, a Sony Pictures Entertainment Company. Bellamie Blackstone is executive producer. 

About ABC News Studios

ABC News Studios, inspired by ABC News’ trusted reporting, is a premium, documentary and narrative non-fiction studio that both produces programming in-house and commissions projects from third parties. ABC News Studios champions untold and authentic stories driving the cultural zeitgeist spanning true-crime, investigations, pop culture and news-adjacent stories. ABC News Studios’ original titles include critically acclaimed documentaries “Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields,” “The Lady Bird Diaries” and “Leave No Trace” as well as compelling docu-series, including “Killing County,” “Wild Crime,” “Death in the Dorms” and “Still Missing Morgan.”

About Cream Productions Based in Toronto and led by David Brady and Kate Harrison Karman, Cream Productions develops, finances and produces distinctive and award-winning content across a wide range of genres for both North America and internationally. Among the company’s many credits include The Story of Late Night, History of the Sitcom, Age of Samurai, All or Nothing: Toronto Maple Leafs, eight seasons of the hit Fear Thy Neighbor as well as feature documentaries Nike’s Big Bet and Beautiful Scars. The company has also partnered on several projects with renowned filmmaker Eli Roth to produce Eli Roth Presents: My Possessed Pet, Urban Legend, The Haunted Museum: 3 Ring Inferno with Zak Bagans, Eli Roth Presents: A Ghost Ruined My Life as well as Eli Roth’s Haunted House: Trick-VR-Treat, a virtual reality series that stars Vanessa Hudgens. In 2021, Cream achieved an incredible milestone by becoming carbon negative; the company was among the first to invest resources into creating a dedicated in-house committee to enhance its sustainability resources.

About ABC Entertainment

ABC Entertainment’s compelling programming includes “Grey’s Anatomy,” the longest-running medical drama in primetime television; ratings juggernaut “The Bachelor” franchise; riveting dramas “Big Sky,” “The Good Doctor,” “A Million Little Things,” “The Rookie” and “Station 19”; trailblazing comedies “Abbott Elementary,” “The Conners,” “The Goldbergs,” “Home Economics” and “The Wonder Years”; popular game shows, including “The $100,000 Pyramid,” “Celebrity Family Feud,” “The Chase,” “Press Your Luck” and “To Tell the Truth”; star-making sensation “American Idol”; “Judge Steve Harvey,” the network’s strongest unscripted series debut in a year; reality phenomenon “Shark Tank”; family favorites “America’s Funniest Home Videos” and “Holey Moley”; “General Hospital,” which heads into its milestone 60th season on the network; and late-night talk show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”; as well as the critically acclaimed, Emmy® Award-winning “Live in Front of a Studio Audience” specials. The network also boasts some of television’s most prestigious awards shows, including “The Oscars®,” “The CMA Awards” and the “American Music Awards.”

ABC programming can also be viewed on Hulu.

*COPYRIGHT ©2023 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All photography is copyrighted material and is for editorial use only. Images are not to be archived, altered, duplicated, resold, retransmitted or used for any other purposes without written permission of ABC. Images are distributed to the press in order to publicize current programming. Any other usage must be licensed.

-- ABC --