Fifteen Minutes of TV Fame

 

Hey, guess what? I was on TV today...for my 15 minutes of fame. What was I doing? Clapping in a virtual audience for Drew Barrymore who I have followed since ET. Why not? Are you impressed yet? Do you want to know how you can be on TV from the comfort of your own home? Well…here’s the scoop!

 It started last year when my teacher friend Jamy auditioned to be in TV studio audiences. Jamy would wait in long lines just to be in a show audience. She made new friends who were like-minded and shared audition tips. Jamy was a true fan! Pre-COVID, she sat in crowded auditoriums on rickety chairs just to be in a live talk show audience. Now Jamy attends TV shows from the comfort of her own couch. Her colleagues told her about the 1iota.com website that offers a wide variety of TV studio tickets for virtual audiences. I applied for one of my favorite shows, “The Voice”, but it was during my workday. They were sold out for the later performances. My teacher friend got a ticket to “The Voice” and was part of a live audience from home. I was so jealous!  She said it was fun watching the show for three hours straight with only one bathroom break and no eating or drinking allowed on camera. There had to be a plain background behind each virtual audience member. So the only place she could fill this requirement in her house was to sit on a floor pillow in front of her white closet door for three hours. However, she said it was so much fun that she wants to do it again!

So I decided to give Drew a try. I have loved her since ET and admire her dedication to acting and a makeup company with two daughters after a troubled childhood. We all know her roller-coaster life story! Drew’s talk show also fit into my time schedule. As an 'early bird', I found myself sitting in front of my laptop screen at 5:30 am patiently waiting for Drew’s emcee to give us the audience instructions. I was even prepared to move in front of my white closet door and sit on a pillow if I had to. However, he said nothing about the colorful paintings on the wall behind me. I had my first pandemic hair cut and wore my new purple sweater. The backstage handler led us through the virtual audience rules including how to clap enthusiastically. Then all of a sudden, it was 6:00 am and Drew was walking onstage on my laptop screen. I clapped and felt like I was in a real studio audience. I was definitely getting one step closer to fame. Drew sat down right in front of me and looked me in the eyes...I’m sure she really did!

Drew’s TV show was fast-paced and had a variety of guests. There was a chef with his daughters. a child psychologist, and crafty artists. I clapped for all of them. I was wide awake now and the sun wasn’t even up yet. My husband thought I was crazy as he watched a TV movie in the other room. I could see the national commercials, but the local ones were a blank screen that stations would put in later. Some audience members were sipping coffee, but I was too nervous. It all went by so quickly that I was soon waving bye to my new best friend Drew. She told us with a big smile how much she loved our enthusiasm. 

After the TV show was over, it was time for me to go to school. I carried the positive energy with me all day. When I got home, I had some surprise photos and videos that my children and friends had taken of the Drew Barrymore TV show. My grandchildren were especially impressed! I had my five minutes of fame. Now, I just might have to find another TV show that needs a virtual audience. It could become my next pandemic diversion. Stay tuned...and subscribe to my new virtual audience channel. LOL!