Michael Hopkins

  The rumored wedding of Jay Z and Beyonce went off without a hitch on Friday night.  By that I mean no one was run over, maimed or killed.  I have covered celebrity events including weddings for over thirteen years and I have never witnessed anything as horrifying as the press coverage I was a part of the other night.  My only thought is that this is the “TMZ” effect.  There is now a group of people running around with prosumer video cameras who have no clue as to how to properly shoot an event, or even how to conduct themselves in public.  Celebrity coverage is now in the hands of maniacs.  Please check out the link above of Gwyneth Paltrow’s arrival and decide for yourself if this is what you want your celebrity news to look like.               

  The New York Premiere of Smart People had the stars and their supporters contemplating the smartest people they know.  Sarah Jessica Parker, Dennis Quaid, Thomas Hayden Church and Jane Fonda all walked the red carpet.  Who’s the smartest person you know and why?  

  I sat down with SJP FOR ET at the junket for Smart People.  I found her to be lively, smart, funny and quite candid about where she’s at in life and what it’s like to be with her boys Matthew and James. 

  Today I sat for a chat with the latest winner of Project Runway.  Christian Siriano is made for TV.  I’ve started to notice a new trend - made for reality TV stars hatching their own eggs.  These fab maniacs have studied the media, television, the internet and they have figured out the formula.  Theses newbie network stars don’t need to wait to be discovered, because they have already discovered themselves and just need to get in front of the right audience to hit the big time.  The great thing about Christian is that he not only has talent as a television star, but also as a designer.  So rush out and grab the upcoming issue of Elle and read all about his ferociousness as you wait in line to buy his fashions for next fall.       

    I spent the last two days at an old fashioned stake out.  I was one of many waiting for a glimpse of the gal who brought down the Governor.  When a story like this breaks everyone is hyper.  We all speed to the scene and set up for “the shot.”  Then we wait.  It’s a reunion of sorts as we all catch up with our friends and colleagues from the competing shows and networks.  ”How are the kids, the wife, the golf game, the movie script?”  Then we all discuss the story for a moment and trade a bad joke or two.  Next, we settle in and wait.  Wait.  Wait.  Then we wait some more.  At first no one is willing to blink.  Everyone needs to get that non-exclusive, exclusive shot of the gal who brought down the Governor.  In the end, at least this time, no one will get the shot.  It seems she escaped her own home during the night.  Will any of us remember her name a week from now?  Some might.  Slowly everyone starts to leave as other stories take precedent.  Finally we are called off the story.  See you at the next big one!             

  The release of Bee Movie on DVD had me buzzing all over town. 100 humans dressed as bees descended on New York City and I put on me bee keeper’s hat to try and capture all the chaos. We covered all the tourist sites from Times Square to Top of the Rock and even Central Park. They say you should never work with kids or animals, but somehow I found myself working with adults dressed as kids dressed as bees. The stunt was a success so before I write any more cliches I’ll just say that it left me buzzed.

 Who ever said, “You are what you wear” never stepped foot on the runway.  I spent another fashion week pushing and shoving, crawling and climbing to cover the runways for InStyle.com.  It’s hard work capturing enough content to create full fashion coverage each day for eight days straight.   There are highs and lows, but in the end it’s always a fun and zany week.  Here’s a look at the amazing team I worked with - 

Steve “Sully” Sullivan

 Kenny “KFC” Chin

  Loe “How High Can You Go”

AND 

  Katrina Szish

Katrina was our amazing talent who made us all sparkle!   

Fashion Week is tough, but I believe we conquered the runway. 

I recently had the honor and privilege to work with living legend Miss Piggy for the BBC.  She is the hardest working blond I have ever met.  Oh, I’ve interviewed Madonna, Nicole Kidman, Hilary Clinton and Lauren Bacall, but I believe that even they would agree Miss Piggy is tops.  She delivered a perfect monologue on the balcony of a landmark hotel despite the rain and sleet.  She sat for hours on an uncomfortable piano to get a kick just right, and she even allowed our camera into her dressing room for a chat.  All this without so much as a single squeal.  The Muppets will always be an inspiration to me and getting the chance to spend a day working with the one and only Miss Piggy was a real treat.  I just wish she still had her own show.  I hope you agree we all Miss Piggy.       

  Sarah Jessica Parker is tough, she’s smart and she knows exactly what she wants. She says she named her new clothing line Bitten, because she believes we are all Bitten by something and it’s up to us to follow our passions.  For Sarah it was acting.  For me it is storytelling.  I hope you take the time to get Bitten!

  What is in a name? During the Christmas break I wandered into an antique bookstore and was immediately drawn to the magic of the children’s book section. For 81 cents I purchased a beat up copy of When We Were Very Young by A. A. Milne. The book is dedicated to “CHRISTOPHER ROBIN MILNE or AS HE PREFERS TO CALL HIMSELF BILLY MOON.” Milne describes how Christopher Robin loved to feed a local swan in the morning and how he had come to name that swan “Pooh.” Wow. Imagine if those names stuck and Milne didn’t continue to develop his characters past this first book.   We might have grown up on the stories of Billy Moon and Pooh the Swan. Would it have mattered if Christopher Robin and Winne The Pooh went by Moon and Swan? I for one don’t think a swan is as easy to cuddle and laugh along with.  This little book is an inspiration to continue to push and mold my own stories.  One of the poems near the end of the book is called Teddy Bear and there he is for all to see, the bear who would be Pooh. Is there a swan standing in for your bear?