Baby Bump Watch 2012: Megan Fox

UPDATED:  See the confirmation of Megan Fox's pregnancy here.

Well, our first Baby Bump Watch of 2012 has come and gone with a confirmed pregnancy for Reese Witherspoon.  Lately, there are rumblings that another Hollywood baby is on its way.  Who is the alleged mama? Megan Fox.  Should we start another Baby Bump alert?  Sure, why not?  Let's see if David Silver....uh, I mean, Brian Austin Green and Megan Fox are going to grace the pages of People over the next nine months with baby shower news, pregnancy cravings, and the ultimate Hollywood introduction......the cover of the magazine.  Here is a photo taken of her yesterday (or see below) looking her usual svelte self, however, she has not denied any of the pregnancy rumors as of yet.  What do you think pregnant or not?  Let me know in the comments below.

Hhhmmmm, let the rumor mill begin....

Should Celebrities Give Great Customer Service?

On my flight to Chicago yesterday, I picked up a People magazine to bide my time on the three and a half hour trip.  I am actually one of those crazy people who reads a magazine cover to cover including the MailBag section.  A letter to the editor caught my eye, so here is the letter in full:

"Thank you for your usual fine coverage of the Oscar celebrations.  This year I had the good fortune 
to be in the red carpet bleachers, and I must report that absolutely the most generous and kind celebrity in terms of fan interactions was George Clooney.  He was clearly having a great time and was the only star I saw who came over to the velvet ropes to sign autographs and allow fans to take photos.  As an expert in customer service, I applaud George Clooney for great service to his customer at the 84th Annual Academy Awards." 

Donna Cutting Asheville, N.C.

Most people might read a letter like that and pass it off as a fan letter to George Clooney, but what struck me was her comment about customer service to his fans.  After going through two Oscar cycles and interviewing more celebrities as a result, it is important for actors to understand that giving great customer service is a part of their job.  Now, I'm not talking about jumping up to greet fans at every meal or while on vacation, but making an effort to walk over to fans at premieres, red carpets, and public press events goes a long way with the people who are essentially paying the stars' salary with each film that is released.  George is a master at this, but the man who wrote the book on fan customer service is Tom Cruise.  Whether you like him or not, he is one of the kindest celebrities who always says "yes" to his fans.  Why?  He "gets" it.  He knows that these are the people that created his career, that bought tickets to Top Gun and stayed with him through his latest Mission Impossible film, and he knows that one small interaction with him will make a great impression.....and keep that fan buying tickets to his movies.  

When I do radio appearance like here or here, I often get asked who my favorite celebrities are to interview.  My favorites celebrities are usually the ones you don't expect because often times the bigger names have a tendency to disappoint me in interviews.  They hate to do press, they don't want to be in the room, and they don't try to hide it.  I totally understand that the questions can be inane and repetitive, but sitting through eight hours of a press junket at a five star hotel is way better than being a coal miner, right?  I have repeated it over and over, but it's a part of their job.  It may not be their favorite part of the job, but it comes with the territory of fame, money, and celebrity.  So, I would love to see some stars embrace this part of their job and enjoy the process because it is the press and the fans who make sure your next ten million dollar paycheck clears.  Sadly, the George Clooneys and Tom Cruises in the industry are pretty rare, but that quality is also what makes them huge A-List stars.  They just "get" it.  

If you want to read more on press and the entertainment industry, see my other articles here and here.  

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Clearing Out the Clutter, Rediscovering My 15 Minutes of Fame.

Since I am home for much of the summer versus hitting the road like I do the rest of the year, I am cleaning out the clutter.  I am posting clothes on Ebay and Smashion, I had a yard sale over the weekend, and I purging the junk drawer, closet, box....wherever I can clean, I will!  While cleaning out one of my end tables, I can across some great entertainment memorabilia.  Much of it was from the 2007 Academy Awards, the program, ticket, and a few of the entertainment magazines from the event when I was on the red carpet versus covering the red carpet.  I also came across a July 25, 2007 People magazine and I couldn't remember why I held on to it, but here's what was happening just four years ago:

1.  Eva Longoria and Tony Parker got married in France on 7.7.07.  I guess that wasn't their lucky number.

2.  The MailBag featured letters from readers who were thrilled that Billy Ray Cyrus was "Raising a Teen Star (The Right Way!)".  Sure, dating men in their 20's, taking half-nude photos on your iPhone, and grinding against a pole at the MTV Music Awards is definitely a great way to raise your Disney kid.

3.  Lindsay Lohan was partying.  Oh wait, that hasn't changed.

4.  Charlie Sheen got engaged to Brooke Mueller.  I wish I could tell the girl, "Run for your life!"  Oh well, we all know how that one turned out.

5.  The main article focused on rich teens like Hilary Duff, Daniel Radcliffe, and the High School Musical kids who are now officially.....rich adults.

Finally, I came across an article and I knew why I had kept the magazine.  Take a look at this photo.  Look carefully.  Maybe you see someone familiar?

 Leave it to me to have my 15 minutes in People magazine with a drug possession/arrest article.

Kodak Theatre: KB has left the building!

Yesterday was my last day on a media job that I have held for 4 years. It was a fantastic ride, but with my current schedule with The Web Files and a few other upcoming host gigs, it was going to be impossible to keep it all up. Believe it or not, this was a job I found off of Craig's List when I was at a crossroads in my career. 2005 was not a good booking year for me and I needed something to keep me in the host loop, earn me money, and keep me sane. Surprisingly, the job gave me so much more......amazing friendships, more Oscar knowledge than I could ever imagine, tons of laughter, tickets to the 79th Annual Academy Awards, and best of all.....my super cute BF.

Meet The Oscars 2007

I know the Kodak Theatre inside and out. I took naps on the benches on the 4th floor after a few late nights out, Zen Gray and I used to chill our (non-alcoholic drinks) on the kegs in the bar area since we didn't have a fridge in the guide room, and we all spent many hours trying to find a wireless connection at Hollywood and Highland. I spent hours talking the ear off of one colleague, Dom, who really loved my incessant chatter despite the annoyance. :) The Kodak often gave us tickets to events when the house needed to be papered and Michael Bolton was the best of them all. Who else brings the entire cast of Desperate Housewives, screaming middle-aged women held back by security guards, and love ballads that you long forgot? One of the best nights ever after a few cocktails.

Friends after the 79th Annual Academy Awards: Seth, Ash, me, Rose, and Brian, at Cafe des Artistes

I did interviews for media outlets in Mexico, Japan, the US, and the UK. I filmed a piece as an Oscar expert that opened the live 80th Annual Academy Award show in Belgium. I talked about how heavy little Oscar was, what he was made of, where he was made, and how each winner got their name plate weeks after the show.

Post-show in 2007, everyone needs a Charlie's Angels pose.

When American Idol was exciting to me, it was thrilling to watch the set-up for the finals. I spent an afternoon listening to Tony Bennett rehearse for his concert from the front row of the theatre. I observed Lance Armstrong rehearse a monologue for the 2006 ESPY awards in flip-flops and shorts. Even better, Steven Spielberg and Catherine Zeta Jones stopped by to practice their introduction to AFI's 2006 honoree, Sean Connery.

On the red carpet by the bleacher seats with friends, Ash and Brian

Best of all was my opportunity to work at AMPAS' Meet the Oscars exhibit from 2006-2008. There, I met the most amazing people who continue to play a huge part in my life. Nothing like the excitement that builds with each week of Oscar madness. The red carpet goes up, the flowers, and then the statuettes move in. It was magic, especially for an Oscar geek. Oh, and when I attended the Academy Awards in 2007, I managed to get my photo in People magazine. Okay, so they were taking a picture of former Vice President Al Gore and family and the photo ran months later after his son, Al Gore III, was arrested for speeding in a Prius, but hey, I made it to People!

An Associated Press photo of me polishing Oscar in 2006.

So, good times behind me, but even better times ahead. Thanks to Crabby, Ash, Dom, James, John, Sarah, Zen, Ro, Tiffany, and Seth who made my time there so incredible. KB has officially left the building!

It takes a lot of technique to polish Oscar correctly! :)

Pointing out some of Oscar's uh.....assets.