"Alex Trebek? The Game Show Host?"

Jose Chung: Alex Trebek? The game show host?
Scully: Mulder didn't say that it was Alex Trebek. It was just someone that looked incredibly like him.
Jose Chung: Did he? I mean, you were there.
Scully: Well, not exactly. I don't have any recollection of this. I was surprised to wake up the next morning to find Mulder asleep in my room.
Jose Chung: Oh!

See, in both reality and fiction, the enigmatic host of Jeapordy causes trouble and confusion. Case in point: today, during my first experience working the Ellen show as an NBC page, things were going smoothly until Trebek decided to show up.

I got to work not knowing exactly what I would be doing for Ellen, but it turned out I was CB, meaning I checked in the show's guests upon arrival. And the guests weren't who I thought they'd be from checking the Ellen website, since Ellen tapes in advance of the airdates by a few days or even a week. So who did I check in first? Only LAUREN GRAHAM - my favorite actress from one of my TOP 10 TV SHOWS OF 2004, Gilmore Girls. Sure, it isn't exactly the most manly show on TV, but it is very intelligent and witty and the writing is top-notch. Graham's extremely likable character of Lorelei is always a pleasure to watch on the show, and there she was right in front of me, hairstylist and makeup artist in tow. Of course, she was escorted to her dressing room so quickly by one of the Ellen staff that I didn't even get to say anything. But then - she came out of her dressing room and went outside to smoke. Okay, so I was mildly dissapointed that Lauren Graham, aka the lovable and wholesome Lorelei, was a smoker, but oh well, at least it gave me the chance to give a cheerful "Hi, how are you?" as she passed me by again. Her hairstylist lingered outside for a bit so I told him how I was a big fan, but didn't get to tell the real deal. Oh well.

Some castoff from the Apprentice, Danny K-something also showed up with some friends and seemed really cool. I guess he's from Boston and was actually a professor at BU for a little while. Sweet.

So then next up on my list is the aforementioned Alex Trebek. ("A whore like your mother, Trebek!") Just as about twenty five audience members crowded into the hallway to use the bathroom, I see a silver haired figure enter through the regular audience entrance, not the artist entrance where I was stationed. Was that him? Nobody said anything, so I assumed that just like in The X-Files (where in the episode "Jose Chung's: From Outer Space" he assumed the identity of a Man In Black along with future governor Jesse Ventura), it was only some guy who LOOKED like Trebek, or at the least I could neither confirm nor deny that it was, in fact, him. Some guy from Ellen ran by a few minutes later and asked me if Trebek had arrived yet. I wasn't sure so I said I wasn't sure, but I didn't actually see him come in. Oops. The audience coordinator for the show stormed out of the back, asking why a truck was parked in Trebek's reserved spot. I said that I didn't think he had come, but it WAS possible that he had slipped in through the regular entrance and that that was actually HIS truck parked there. So this woman was NOT HAPPY with me. She gave me a glare that would kill a lesser man and just kept shaking her head in frustration, and started grilling me about whether or not I had seen Trebek. Geez, you'd think I was working security detail at the White House or something. My interrogation at the hands of Low-Level Ellen Staffer on Power Trip (who I hope is not reading this ...) was interrupted by word that Trebek WAS in fact in the building. Okay, so nobody told ME that. I mean, without his trademark mustache from back in the day is he really even THAT recognizable. If this woman had SEEN the X-Files then she'd KNOW that Alex Trebek is one of those people who is not easily identifiable. THE QUOTE ABOVE PROVES IT. She got me so rattled that I had all but forgotten about my earlier run in with a Gilmore Girl.

So after the Trebek affair died down I was still at my post waiting for one more man to arrive - yes, that man was WILLIAM SHATNER. As if I wasn't already nervous enough, I have Captain Kirk himself beaming aboard. So after much waiting the Shatnermobile finally arrived. I said "Hello, how are you today?" and Shatner replied, in his typical stacatto manner: "I'm fine, thanks for asking." Oh lord.

The Ellen show itself was totally nuts. I can't say I really enjoyed it because it was just too crazy to really take it all in. You see today was a special Mardi-Gras themed celebration so the "Riff-Raff Room" where they store all the extraneous audience members who can't fit in the studio was converted into what was basically a Mardi-Gras themed Bar Mitzvah party, complete with DJ, juice bar, live band, and buffet-style food. Oh yeah - and a bunch of teenaged to middle-aged women shrieking and dancing to techno-pop dance music. Just wow. I was just kind of standing there unable to fully process anything, and since we pages are kind of outcasts at Ellen - a non-NBC produced show, most of the staff people just kind of stare at us and aren't really forthcoming with information on what's going on. All I know is that Lauren Graham and Ellen herself made cameo appearances in the Riff Raff Room, which just caused utter chaos to erupt. Oh yeah, did I mention that everyone inside was wearing Mardi-Gras beads and masks? Head .. exploding. They give out some nice prizes on that show though - everyone in the studio audience got a free Gilmore Girls Season 2 DVD set - probably a good 50 - 60 dollar value. None for me though.

Tommorow I will be bringing in my car for what is hopefully the final time in a long while. I have my doubts that everything will go smoothly but I guess we'll see.

Working two Dennis Miller tapings tommorow. I wonder who's on? Then Wed. is the big Avril day at the Tonight Show.

Looks like I'm staying at the Burbank Extended Stay Inn for another month since I haven't found an apt yet. I got a new lead today though that could be pretty promising.

RANDOM STUFF:

- Didn't watch 24 yet ... taped it. Will provide thoughts later.

- Superbowl movie trailer thoughts: Batman Begins: I am still holding my breath worrying that this could suck. My prediction is that it will be a big improvement over the Schumaker abominations but will still be lacking in certain areas. I am hoping that it will be a masterpiece though. The cast is certainly awesome. The trailer was pretty sweet, but ... more car jokes? Why? I liked the Scarecrow's look and the action is looking nice. But I still have some doubts.
War of the Worlds: Well the trailer didn't really so much but with Spielberg and Cruise you know this is gonna be good. But show me the aliens!

- Just now watching Kevin Eubanks going down in a huge vat of Clam Chowda on the Tonight Show, since I wasn't there today to see it live. Not a very kosher thing to do, but hey, he's gotta pay the price for being an Eagles fan.

- And go *BU* for kicking BC, aka NEWTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE, out of the Beanpot tournament. What a couple of months it's been for BOSTON.