Genius

I don't really do April Fool's Day, mainly because nothing I come up with is all that great--especially when compared to a little plot cooked up by a couple of local DJs here in Birmingham (Tuscaloosa, actually, but the signal reaches way to the east of B'ham), Guy (Beaner) Patton and Ken (Ken) Heron who have a local morning show called the Beaner and Ken Show.

Now for the past month or so, there has been a production company in town promoting auditions for a Star Search/American Idol type of program, with not just singers invited, but anyone with any sort of talent--actors, comedians, musicians. The publicist for the company, April Trottel, has appeared on several local media outlets drumming up interest, and she even came on the B&K Show to promote the event. Flyers blanketed the area, and ads were played, and auditions were held last weekend at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex Sheraton.

Well, guess what?

It was one of the single most elaborate media hoaxes anyone has ever pulled off--the whole deal was a sham, including the fake website (which I don't have an URL for, dernitall!--When I do, I'll post it--FLASH--hat tip to sugarmama, it's www.searching4stars.com), and fake press releases to the big media types, and fake publicist--actually Beaner's wife as April Trottel (trottel being German for nincompoop or fool)--and fake judges (including one guy with a fake British accent). The only thing REAL about it were the cameras and the contestants.

Oh, such comic gold! Admit it, the one thing that actually makes American Idol entertaining are the people who earnestly believe they are the finest talents in the world. ::coughwilliamhungcough:: Likewise with this little escapade--some of the most incredible folks showed up, and produced FIVE HOURS of film and audio. They played some of the rough audio this morning and it was simply spectacular. And the judges weren't content to just sit back and say yea or nay, but got the contestants to do dramatic readings of lyrics as Scooby Doo, or sing "On the Wings of Love" as Sean Connery and Arnold Schwarzenegger. The guys are hoping to edit the piece together and enter it in the upcoming Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival here in town. Sort of the ultimate in non-real reality programming.

NOW THEN, the only problem with the whole thing is that some seriously talented folks showed up, too--the guys promise to try to help these folks out with some contacts to actual agents and stuff, so hopefully they won't be too put out by the little charade.

Anyway, that's why I don't do April Fool's.
posted by Terry at 8:21:00 AM