It’s not Live?

By Raydel Yanes

We all love to watch Talk shows on television,and we are even hooked on them. We always wonder, ”What would it feel like to be there?” We think about it, and we even wish we could be on television. You know, see all the things that happen on the show while it’s being recorded that don’t end up on television. So, the question is: “Are you willing to see and go through the things that happen behind the scenes?” Well, sit back and enjoy the ride because it’s going to be a long one; start laughing because crying is not allowed. I was lucky enough to experience a T.V. show that I used to watch when I was back in high school. Have you ever heard of TRL (Total Request Live)? Well, forget about the whole “Live” thing because that show is not live. What? Yes, you heard me-NOT live. I took a trip to New York last spring break, and my friend told me about getting tickets for TRL. I was like, “why do I want to go to that show. I haven’t seen that show since I was in high school”. They had tickets already, and hell, they were free. What did I have to lose? I thought it would be a great experience to see what happens behind the scenes and to see myself on T.V. My friends gave me the TRL email address. I wrote TRL an e-mail asking for a ticket for the same day and time as my friend’s. I was lucky enough to get it. TRL told us to be there on Tuesday at 10 a.m. on 45th Street and Broadway. Now, here is where the fun begins. Who am I kidding! I would not have called it fun, I would call it HELL. We got to the corner of 45th Street and Broadway just like we were told on the e-mail. We saw there was a line outside the building. We got in line like everyone else. My friends and I were there talking and sharing stories and planning our next move after the show ended. We looked at the time. It was 10:45 a.m. and the line had not moved, not even an inch. Five minutes later, I saw a short guy with a piece of paper for us to sign. It was a release form stating that we would be on television. Ten minutes later, the same short guy passed by checking for ID’s and making sure that everyone had the e-mail confi rmation number. If you got one you were given a red MTV bracelet, which you had to wear in order to enter the building. The short guy passed by again, this time asking people if anyone felt spontaneous and if they would like to speak on camera. My friends made me be a part of it. About 11:30 a.m., we fi nally entered the building. Security was letting only a few in at a time. A group of 10 entered before me. Then, fi nally, I was in. A security guy told us to stand against the wall, just like prisoners, and if we had a purse, to open it because we were about to be searched. After being searched, we went up the stairs and into this hallway that we really couldn’t fi t in. There, the staff of the TRL show asked for IDs because they needed to have copies of them to go with the releases that we signed earlier. We got to the locker point where we were asked to leave our jackets, hats, purses, and of course, cell phones. The next step was to go through one of those metal detection devices just like being at the airport. If we beeped, we were hand searched. This was all done just to get into another line to enter the main stage. You know, the one where the taping happens. Later, meaning 11:45 a.m., I fi nally entered the main fl oor, and the staff told the people where to sit. There was music playing all the latest songs really loud. It almost felt like we were at a club. We sat there waiting for the show to start. The seats were made out of wood so there were no cushions. It felt like we were sitting on steps because our legs were right behind the stranger in front. That meant a complete stranger’s feet were directly behind me as well. It was more like a feet-ass sandwich going on. So don’t think about cutting the cheese in there because it would not be pretty. We sat there, while the staff told us that Chris Rock was going to be the host of the show and to clap and scream when we were told. The best part, the staff told us is that “the show is going to air tomorrow Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. Eastern time”. But wait! That day was Tuesday and it was 12:25 p.m. Wasn’t the show live? Finally, the show began at 12:30 p.m. My whole Tuesday morning on vacation time had gone down the drain. Rock came out being loud, exited about being the host. About halfway through the show, my butt fell asleep, and it was not my fault because apparently I was sitting on a hard bench with no cushion. Since I had offered to be a participant in the show, I had to walk across the room where I sat next to Rock who was going to ask me a question about the clip aired of his first audition. “Would you hire me?” Rock asked. Unh! I don’t even remember what I answered, but if you saw the show tell me. The show ended at 1:30 p.m. and my friends and I were fi nally able to leave. We got our jackets and things and headed out of the building after being escorted by security. Now I ask you: do you prefer to be live at the show or at home were you can be comfortable watching the cut version of it? I can tell you the experience is once in a lifetime. But I will also say “shame on you for fooling me once, shame on me for fooling me twice.” The second time is not going to happen. I do not care how much I love the host of the show or who is going to be the special guest. I will just watch it from my house where I can be comfortable.