Two years ago, a plucky young beta tape that grew up in Eugene, Oregon packed his bags and traveled to Los Angeles with stars in his eyes. Hoping to one day become an A-list Hollywood reporter like famed journalists Mark McGrath and Mario Lopez, young Alfonzo headed to the Nokia Theater to cover the American Idol finale. At the end of the trip, he scored an exclusive interview with runner-up Adam Lambert, and his rise to fame began.
Flash forward two years, and you’ll find a very different beta tape roaming the red carpet. Rather than the shy little outdated format that he was, Alfonzo has become a powerhouse in the entertainment news industry, with stars lining up to get a few words (and a photo) with him. My, how he’s grown!
2011 American Idol Scotty McCreery, that little fella with the big country voice, was the first to sit down with the tape.
The two discussed a range of topics, from winning the Idol crown to Scotty’s hopes of one day growing a mustache as regal as Mr. Beta’s (ranked #2 in the media industry, behind Geraldo but ahead of Ron Burgandy). Nice kid, who is sure to go far after joining the elite Idol Champ Club. Speaking of which…
2010 Idol Lee DeWyze stopped by for a one-on-one with the tape as well. The Fonz missed out on last year’s Idol Adventure, so he was pleased to get caught up with the crooner.
But before they could get too deep into the interview, 2009 winner Kris Allen pushed his way in, insisting it was his turn for a few minutes with Alfonzo. Calm down boys, there’s plenty of ‘stache to go around!
When you throw in Alfonzo’s 2009 interview with David Cook, you’ll see that The Fonz has managed interviews with American Idol’s winners from the past four years. Not bad for a little yellow tape! A few other famed contestants pushed their way in for an interview, including the legendary Sanjaya…
…and Jason Castro, who ambushed Alfonzo in his hotel’s parking garage as he was trying to check in (well… it may have been the other way around, I can’t really remember).
But Idols weren’t the only ones haging around the Nokia Theater this week. Along with some of the big names previously mentioned, famed rapper/shouter Lil’ Jon found himself holding a tape with a mustache… something that he just clearly did not understand.
You’d think that a guy who’s musical career has consisted of shouting “What!” and “Yeah!” would have a sense of humor (have you seen his teeth?!), but no. He seemed confused at the concept of taking a picture with a funny looking tape, making him the only person in Alfonzo’s impressive rolodex that just flat out didn’t get it (although Chuck Liddell seemed a little confused too). He didn’t even give me a solid “WHAT?” when I explained the routine. What a disappointment.
So there you have it, another bigtime event with dominating coverage from the legendary beta tape. I can’t wait to see what kind of wacky hijinks this guy gets himself into next!