“Chuck” Star Mekenna Melvin Causes Water-gate SKandal

Smiling...for now

I don’t normally go into shoe-shopping trips and expect to leave with a fear of drinking water – but… that was the case the other day when I tagged along with “Chuck” actress Mekenna Melvin (Josh’s gf Alex McHugh). Before we went shoe shopping, I was discussing my dehydration, and my need for bottled water, and how I normally keep at 24-pack in my car at all times, but alas, my car was not there (such deep and meaningful conversation, I know.) Anyway. Mekenna decides she doesn’t want me to have water ever again, and therefore chooses to share a not-so-fun fact (okay she didn’t really not want me to ever have water…just keep reading.)

Apparently, according to her, bottled water in plastic bottles, when left in heat, is actually horrible for you. She explains some sciency reasoning (one I can’t remember) but basically suggests that if I continue to drink  out of plastic water bottles that have been sitting in my car, I’ll die…or well, consume a lot of chemicals or something.

So even though she was super chill and all, and a fun interview (we talked everything from TGIF to sale racks to relationships to mutual friends) – I now have a new fear. Thanks Mekenna. I hope a secret agent captures you, or something.

Samia + Snooki = Slipper Sisters

So, I interviewed Snooki. Yes, THE Nicole Polizzi (Fun fact: people in her inner circle refer to her as “Nicole” – because well, when she’s out and about and the fans are screaming “Snooki”,  the important people can be differentiated. So stalkers/fans, take note…)

I’ve never watched Jersey Shore…willingly, at least. I have a friend named Sahil who once made me watch two episodes. I was entertained, but not enough to start giving up my Thursday nights at 10 pm to be one of the 8+ million people setting records and watching (side note, I had a dream about The Situation and I being BFFs few weeks ago. Still trying to figure out why…maybe it’s a sign of reality show stardom?? TBD.)

Anyway. I was at the fashion tradeshow MAGIC in Las Vegas to cover shoes (because well, that’s what I get paid to do), and of course when I found out Snooki (or um, Nicole) would be debuting her new slipper line, I of course had to discuss this.

Snooks and Slips

I was wearing 4.5 inch heels. Snooki… was in slippers. She’s already short. I’m already average height. It was an awkward conversation. But I’ll admit it. I was jealous of Snooki. Yes, JEALOUS. Why? She was in comfy slippers, and I was in not-so-comfy heels (dear Sam Edelman, some of your heels hurt, some don’t – please be consistent.)

SK = Jealous of Snooki

So after we bantered about her slipper line and how it came about (STORY: she wore Happy Feet slippers on the show, the guys at Happy Feet saw this, and thus, a relationship flourished. She started designing Snooki-like slippers…. they now come in cheetah print, sparkles, pink, purple, and other Snooki-ish styles), Snooki gave me her slippers.

How Snooki Saved my Life…or um, Feet.

Obviously, once you’ve given someone slippers, you’re at BFF-status. Slippers, you know, are a household look and well, that’s pretty personal if you ask me.

So once we were on that sorta intimate wave-length, she gave me top secret info on the Guido-style slippers she’s trying to design… one’s that would of course be…Orange (FYI that’s a reference to the the T part of GTL… TAN.) Props to her for taking ownership of the stereotype.

Anyway. We part ways, she suggests I wear the slippers the rest of the day, and I comply. Because well, rockin’ large pink slippers at a fashion tradeshow ALWAYS stands out (people expect fancy heels. They stare when you wear Snooki Slippers.)

What’s hot for Fall 2011…

PS If you’re jealous of me and my super cool Snooki Slipper look (slippers that you can even wear outside – Snooks suggested wearing them to get gas or go to the grocery store) you can get your very own at http://www.snookislippers.com

Joel McHale On the Rocks

Once upon a time (January 2010), in a land far, far away (well far if you live in China), I did a set visit to the NBC show “Community”.

In this magical land of television… of lights, cameras, action and all that other fancy stuff related to Hollywood… I had a conversation with Joel McHale, host of E’s “The Soup” and star of said-show I was visiting.

I was sent there to get a story (as my then-career as a journalist dictated). My angle? “Cast members funniest college memories in real life” – a good angle, yeah? I figured I could always elicit a funny answer when asking someone about college (and then when story was written, people would want to click on it and share. Clicks are HUGE on the internet. Tweets and Diggs and Stumbles? Even better.)

Instead? I ended up spending most of my time talking to him about…scotch. No, not the maker of tape. Rather, the alcoholic beverage, one I don’t drink… (shout-outs to E! Director and fabulous singer/songwriter Tim Turner for the tip)

SK: I heard from a friend that you’re a big scotch fan!

(Yes, I cheated by asking my friend who works w/him what to talk about.)

JM: I’m a HUGE fan. Macallan is my favorite.

(I’ve never heard of this brand. The only thing I had heard of was Johnnie Walker cause my Business Communication professor in college, who I had a crush on, happened to be their spokesperson at one point and I listened to everything he said)

JM: Do you drink Macallan? (Uhhh…eeek…what to say?!)

SK: I don’t. (Don’t judge me, Joel!)

JM: Macallan’s the best. (Phew, he’s NOT judging, he’s still talking to me.)

SK: But the first drink I was ever offered was scotch. It was by my sports director. I was 17.

(Yes! A relatable story to win him over.)

JM: Hahaha (I win, he laughed!)

JM: When I was 21 it was the first time I had ordered a drink with my parents and their friends – I had drank before – and I was like, I’m gonna have a Kahlua and cream, and my dad’s friend was like, ‘Spoken like a 21-year-old’ – and from that moment on I was like, ‘I will never order one of those things again.’ And I never have. And from that moment on, it was scotch or wine.

(conclusion: Joel breaks laws, and he’s fancy)

SK: Straight scotch or scotch on the rocks? (Trying to sound smart…)

JM: No straight, always straight – and even when it’s calf strength, I don’t add water- and some people like adding water but I don’t.

(I have no idea what calf’s strength means, but I’m impressed…so I just do the journalistic thing of nodding as he answers and slightly smiling **Note: Just googled it. It’s “cask” strength. Nothing to do with infant cows…)

JM: But Macallan 30 is like, it’s like a thousand dollars a bottle, but it’s like drinking some sort of thing – I’m gonna call it angel’s urine. The greatest tasting thing ever.

(I’d like to argue that chocolate is the greatest tasting thing ever, but given that I haven’t had this drink he speaks of, nor have I had angel’s urine, I stop myself)

And so there you have it. I was on the set of Community, asked nothing about the show, barely got my answer for what his funniest college memory was, almost missed my ride off the set, and ended up talking about angel urine. Ahh, the life of a “journalist”.

Why I Need a Daily Dose of Danny

 

They Really Liked Their Shirts

OK so it’s the end of 2010…and another year is upon us. What this means? (Well, aside from finding some crazy party to go to so that we can all take pictures and update our statuses about how great the night was…) It’s time for New Year’s resolutions.

And to be honest – I don’t have one for 2011. *Gasp!!*

You see, I kicked off 2010 excited about my New Years resolution. What was it? Well, as I explained it to many celebrities while doing the entertainment reporter thing back in January…

“In all things, non-sexual, just say yes.”

(The slight mention of the word “non-sexual” always generated  a laugh or chuckle or something like a smirk.) I figure, if I had a fun New Years resolution, they would too.

And well. Sometimes they did (as was the case with Community’s Danny Pudi aka “Abed” who said something about getting the H1N1 vaccine), and sometimes…they didn’t, and just chose to test my allegiance to my own (as was the case with Community’s Danny Pudi aka “Abed”).

I interviewed Abed while doing set visit to NBC’s “Community.” He told me all about his alter-ego Danny… a funny moment from college days at Marquette University (winning a basketball 3-pointer-shooting contest, taking off pants, humping the ground and getting free pizza), his original life plans (we’re talking weatherman or sportscaster…aka broadcasting. Obviously something for us to bond over, as I share that Will Ferrell, too, went to USC to study broadcasting before discovering this whole “comedy” thing), and about ethnic parents wanting him to pursue law (obviously I tell him about my mom’s desires for me to fly off to Pakistan and pursue medicine. Once again, we bond.)

Speaking of bonding, once I tell him about my New Years resolution, he asks me to drink his water (this is after he mentions to me that he needs to get the H1N1 vaccine.) Not wanting to disappoint, I drink it.

Yes, we share the same water bottle. I ingest his saliva/germs/cooties whatever you want to call it.

A few days later, we have another encounter, this time on a red carpet. And well, he challenges me yet again… and once again, it involves germs/cooties/bodily functions? Sort of. Just watch. (PS he also talks about his bromance with Joel McHale.)

Fast-forward to December 2010 – and well, I’m pretty sure there are at least a dozen non-sexual things this year that I said NO to. So in conclusion, I just need to take Danny Pudi with me wherever I go…. or just not make a New Year’s resolution.

Attack of the…Umami Burger

So, fate had it that I ended up at LA-trendy-burger joint Umami Burger the other night (thought trendy and burger in my opinion should contradict eachother.)

Umami, being a “trendy” place, obviously had a wait. Yes, 12-dollar-burgers (no sides included) are wait-worthy…when you’re expensing your meal.

So, I waited. And in that waiting period, I met a boy. He was endearing. Friendly. Slightly elusive. I was looking over a menu, and my co-worker was busy acting too-cool-for-school on the phone (but let’s be real. People who know both of us know that I’m obviously the cooler one.) So naturally, discussion about which burger to get began with said-boy.

Boy and I looked over the menu. He said he’d been here a bunch, and gave his recommendations (basically recommended everything.) I asked him what “Umami times 6” was (the menu had a burger called the Umami Burger. The description says “Umami x6”). He was confused… so, I turned to something that wouldn’t let me down: Yelp.

I Yelp, we chat more, and eventually the hostess lady comes out to offer him a table. This boy is kind (or friendly, as I aforementioned) and so he gave us his table since his friend wasn’t there anyway.

There was something special about him, but I let it go (what can I say? I’m great with people and conversating. Yes, I know that’s not a word, but whatever. Point is…I don’t let every moment that feels like a “connection” get to my head.)

I move on, I eat a larger-than-life Pastrami burger, and feel like death. As we’re walking out, said-boy takes notice, stops us, and asks us what we’ve ordered. I tell him about the Pastrami-burger-of-death, and he asks if I meant that in a good way… (please someone, explain to me when the term “death” is a good thing??) Anyway, I’m irritated that I didn’t listen to said boy and order the “Hatch Burger” or even the freakin’ 6TimesUmami thing, so I rant and say I’ll try something else next time.

Said-boy is very nice. Cordial. Interested in my rant. The goodbye was genuine. Again, I felt like said-boy and I had a bond (you know, the kind where you turn to your co-worker as you walk out of the Burger joint and say “If I were single…” dot-dot-dot I’m not finishing that sentence.)

I can’t help but think of said-boy as we walked to the car. Then a sudden realization/recognition moment happened. Almost awkwardly, I google image search someone and ask my co-worker if this looks like the guy we met. He says “yeah, kind of.”

I then recall the moment the hostess came out and asked for a name on a list. My co-worker replies “She said Kevin.”

Then, like any internet-savvy 80’s baby does, I turn to Twitter for affirmation:

“There should be a Foursquare badge for the cluster of hipster-mustaches at Space Fifteen-20 tonight. Holy-lomography-hell!”

Yes, the Umami we were at was located at Space Fifteen-20. Yes, that tweet was from said-boy. Said-boy with 96,000+ Twitter followers, said-boy whose videos I had been watching somewhat regularly rather recently in preparation for a G4 audition, said-boy named… Kevin Pereira, host of G4’s “Attack of the Show.”

Awkward? Ummm….only if he reads this post…

 

 

 

PROOF! PS: He doesn't actually look like a cat...

...He looks more like this.

Most Amazing Run-In Eva?

A comic, a journalist,  a professional basketball player, and a “Housewife” all walk into a comedy club….

The journalist says to the comic, “I love the Spurs! I have to talk to Tony.”

The comic says to the journalist, “OK, go take a picture.”

The housewife says to the comic taking a photo with the journalist’s iPhone, “iPhone’s suck! They have no flash!”

The journalist says to the housewife, “I used to stuff your press kits in 2004!”

The basketball player stays silent.

The housewife says to the comic, “You were SO funny! I want a picture with you!”

OK okay…as you can see, this “joke” format isn’t going anywhere (clearly, I’m not the comic.) However that aforementioned last line? Not a punchline. An actual FACT.

Let me spell out the players in this scene:

Housewife: Eva Longoria. Actress. ABC’s “Desperate Housewives.”

Basketball player: Tony Parker. San Antonio Spurs.

Comic: Rajiv Satyal. AKA. Funny Indian.

Journalist: Yours truly, Samia Khan.

Ok so maybe my attempt at a “joke” failed when describing this story, so I’ll just keep it real and spell it out.

I stopped by the Laugh Factory on Sunset recently to go say hi to my friend, FI (his name is actually Rajiv Satyal. But his website is http://www.funnyindian.com. I like to abbreviate. He is now ‘FI.’)

Lesson 1: being a good friend is a rewarding. What I mean, do you ask? Well…had I not stopped in to say hi, this interaction would have never happened, and thus, I would have nothing to blog about.

Anyway. Eva Longoria is just like…there. Hanging out. Just another Tuesday? Maybe. Or maybe she wanted to support her comedian friend Eric Rivera. (Whatever. I like to believe that me and Eva hang out at the same places. It’s why I frequented her restaurant Beso once.)

Next, she tells a group of friends, “I have to go get my husband” and she walks inside.

Wait, did she say husband?! OK for those of you lacking both pop culture or sports knowledge, Eva Longoria is married to NBA player Tony Parker. He plays for the Spurs.

Note: I love this game. As Kanye says, its “Amazing.” (Yes, I’m talking about basketball.) Anyway, I’m legitimately  a Spurs fan (I’m sure some Laker fan is gonna tell me they’re boring and I need to find another team to support) and I wanted to tell Tony this. So, I do.

(Note: I’m a Spurs fan because Bruce Bowen played for that team, and he went to my high school, Edison High – Fresno, CA. My friend Mo also works for them in the video department.)

I tell Tony that I’m a fan and that I’d like a picture. He says thanks or something like that, and we pose for the iPhoto.  Eva is watching, and tells me and FI that the iPhone sucks because it has no flash for photos (Blackberry users, please don’t start.) Not gonna lie, the photo turned out crappy. Luckily…I carry two digital cameras at all times (blame the blogger in me.)

Me and TP

After the photo, Eva turns to FI, who had just done a set. She tells him he’s SO funny, that she wants a picture together, and yes… they pose. Then….FI takes it further. He tells Eva that he’s always wanted to take a photo with a hot chick who’s trying to talk to him as he’s busy on the phone… Eva complies. (If only all his interactions with women were that easy.)

Funny Texan. Funny Indian.

“Can’t you see I’m busy, Eva?”

Fun fact: I used to stuff Eva Longoria’s press kits in 2004 when I was intern for entertainment PR firm Warren Cowan and Associates, under publicist Liza Anderson. Obviously, I tell her this. She makes some jokes about how there must have been hardly any clippings etc (yes, she’s super personable. Super humble. Super fun. All the while, Tony is kinda laying low.)

Conclusion? Eva desperately likes to talk. Tony…probably does, but it’s more of a spur of the moment thing.

Parks, Recreation, and…Mustaches?

OK so I have a confession…

Everytime I see a mustache, I can’t help but laugh. OK maybe not laugh, but smile. Smirk. LOL in my head.

And well, this past November was no exception… that’s when, thanks to a few dear friends (yes Waldo and Waseem, I’m talkin about you guys,) I learned about the Movember movement.

Little did I know that this knowledge would inspire a conversation, and perhaps a storyline, with “Parks and Recreation” star Nick Offerman (aka: Ron Swanson.)

My favorite mustache...on TV

After listening to him speak on a P&R panel, I walked up to him because well…I was dying to know.

SK: What are your thoughts on the Movember movement?

NO: Movember? I don’t know what that is…

SK: !!!!

(OK. So. He doesn’t know what I’m talking about. Awkward? Not quite. I just keep talking.)

SK: Oh, well in November, in order to raise awareness for prostate cancer, guys grow their mustaches.

NO: I’ve never heard of it!

SK: It suddently became all the buzz this last November; it started in Australia.

(And now, the inspiration hits…)

NO: I’d love to get in on that. I love ya know, anytime, a jackass like me is lucky enough to get a job like this, anytime we can use that to help awareness or research of any type of cancer or sickness, I think that’s great. So hopefully, next Novmeber, Ron Swanson can become a flagship for the Movember Movement.

(Wait a sec…did I just inspire a storyline? Like, does that count as being a contributing writer? This could totally up my IMDB game…)

NO: I’m gonna tell the [writers]. We love incorporating real-life sort of public issues like that, i think that’d be real fun.

SK: Are you lying to me?

NO: I’m not

SK: So if I see an episode that features Movember, I’ll know I contributed somehow.

NO: When youre on a show with 7 regulars, you’re always looking like “Hey, here’s a good story that has me in it.”  Haha, so thank you for the tip.

I ended up seeing Nick later that night at the NBC party, and he told me he had already told the writers about Movember and they were fans.

So there you have it. My first potential writing credit. November 2010. Parks and Recreation. NBC. (Does this mean I get a 10-percent cut?)

Jerry Seinfeld: My Relationship Ref

Growing up, I wasn’t allowed to watch Seinfeld. In fact, you’d typically hear my mom saying, “Samia, go to your room!” whenever my older brother was watching this (or Friends. I was also sent to my room when my dad watched “90210” and “Melrose Place.” Don’t ask me why my dad chose the programming he did.)

Well well well, mom… looks like I’ve one upped you! Not that I was holding a 15-plus-year-grudge or anything…but. I’ve met Jerry Seinfeld. Well, more like interviewed him. OK well, not even that, really. I actually got relationship advice from him.

Confused? Well…Seinfeld is the executive producer of the new reality show, “The Marriage Ref,” a show that features couples who are fighting. Comedian-host Tom Papa and a panel of celebs give their take on the fight.

Obviously I had to ask them (Seinfeld and Papa) about their take on my “issue.” I won’t give it all away (you’ll have to click on the one-minute clip below to find out) but let’s just say… these guys think I’m funny.

Rosie Reunion

OK so I just sat in on a TCA panel featuring Rosie O’Donnell and Parker O’Donnell, who were here in LA promoting her new HBO doc “A Family Is A Family Is A Family” (Parker and Rosie? They’re…family.)

Now this post isn’t to talk about the film, but rather, my reunion with Rosie. Wait…reunion?! I thought you might be confused. See clip below from February 2009 for a refresher…

OK so as you can see, Rosie and I? Like BFFs… or so I thought! This time around, it was a sorta media frenzy, so I didn’t get my one-on-one time with her, and instead had to share her with a bevy of other print reporters (this is the first time I’ve ever used the word “bevy.”)

Media frenzy because? Well, two issues. Gay marriage/families, and the obvious talk-of-the-town, Conan versus Leno. I’ll cover the first issue in my “Rosie Reunion, part 2” post where I feature an interview with her son. For now, I’ll focus on issue two… the late-night controversy.

Rosie’s thoughts?

“Shame on Jay Leno. I think he’s forgotten his roots and who he is and what stand-up comedy is about. Graciousness has never been his number one quality.”

Eeeeks! Drama. And yes, I’m contributing by spreading it. (Sorry. Shame on me, too?)

Late-Night Letdown? Jay Leno vs. Conan

OK so this isn’t exactly a “Khanversation,” but I’m here in Pasadena covering NBC’s press day (and yes, as a result, I’ll have a ton of my typical, SK-style posts in the future) and I wanted to share this “breaking news” article that I wrote regarding the Leno/Conan situation for HollywoodNews.com — enjoy!

It’s Official: Leno leaving Prime Time

BY SAMIA KHAN
It was the announcement that we all had been waiting for. In a room filled with television critics and reporters from all over the country, Chairman of NBC Entertainment Jeff Gaspin announced that starting February 12, The Jay Leno Show will no longer air at 10pm.

Gaspin says the goal for the network is to keep Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien, and Jimmy Fallon as part of their late-night lineup. Gaspin has confirmed that a proposal has been made to move the Jay Leno Show to 11:35pm, The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien to 12:05am, and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to 1:05am.

NBC will not confirm whether any of the hosts have agreed to this proposal, but Gaspin did say they plan on having everything sorted out before the Winter Olympics begin.

Highlights of the 40-minute Q&A panel with Gaspin and NBC President of Prime Time Entertainment Angela Bromstad:

– Gaspin on how the late-night hosts reacted to the news: “Jay and Conan and Jimmy were both gracious and professional. they both understood the delicate situation that I was in. Beyond that is a private situation. When all this settles, you can ask them.”

– Why move Leno: Gaspin says this is not an NBC issue, but rather an issue for the affiliates. “It didn’t meet affiliate needs.” In some markets, it has affected their local newscasts ratings drastically.

– Gaspin on Leno’s poor ratings: “I don’t think that people didn’t watch the Jay Leno Show at 10 o’clock because of the show. People have a lot of choices at 10pm. There’s so many other choices that people thought were better. So many dramas on network and cable. I watch my DVR at 10pm. There is so much intense competition at 10 o clock.”

– Gaspin on the future of Conan: “My goal and my hope is that he will stay with the network.”

– How willl Leno and Conan overcome the perception that they’re damaged goods: Gaspin says, “Time, frankly just time. i think when they tell jokes about whats going on, it helps… they’re not doing this in the dark. Time is the best answer to the question.”

– What about Carson Daly: He can’t start at 2:05am, right? Gaspin says that Carson Daly will remain with the NBC network in some capacity, however the 2am time slot belongs to the affiliates.

Regarding other NBC shows:

– Will Heroes return next season? Bromstad says they’re sitting down with one of the creators, Tim Kring, and he’ll be pitching his views for the next season. “[Heroes has] been performing very well in it’s 8pm time slot so there’s a good chance it’ll be coming back.”

– The future of America’s Got Talent: David Hasselhoff will be leaving the show, and Howie Mandel will be replacing him.

– When asked about the option to put Friday Night Lights on the NBC schedule: Gaspin says the Friday night Lights is available as soon as March 1st

– Given the current state of the network, does NBC wish they hadn’t cancelled Southland: Bromstad says
“It was a very tough decision I personally love the show… it’s not easy to come across those auspices and that cast. However we did launch the show at 10 pm, it did fall off in terms of ratings, because of its serialized nature… it probably found a better home in cable.