#WTF: About the last 48 hours ... can I get a rundown? (dance moms, Stan Lee, @morganspurlock, @dougbenson)

Holy freaking mother of a goat in a coat taking toke - what a wild 48 hours this has been. 

Hold on, here's the song that goes with the post ... 

Okey doke ... so earlier in the week on Tuesday, we had trivia night. FRIGGEN LOVE LOVE LOVE trivia night at Goal!!!!! That morning I had just downloaded the ebook for The Four Agreements, and literally couldn't put the thing down. I've been working with a Modern Day Shaman for over 6 months now, and every.single.bit.of.everything. discussed in that book is a lot of what the Shaman and I discuss. It tripped me out actually seeing it so black and white in writing. 

Needless to say, all day, I couldn't put the damn thing down. The problem is with getting that into a book though is the fact that I run a business. I GENUINELY don't have time to spend reading during the day. SOOO, I thought, I'll take my first few hours before trivia tonight, grab some beer and finish reading. 

SUH-WEETNESS!!! 

I then got to goal around 6 and as I was walking in I saw Brandon Davis (aka Paris Hilton's former BFF and the dude who called Lindsay Lohan Fire Crotch. He used to date Mischa Barton and was HUGGEEEE in the Hollywood scene like 6 years ago.). Seeing celebs (a-d list) are never uncommon at Goal though. Leonardo Dicaprio owns the joint, and it's an underground local hot spot. 

Yay! I thought walking in, that was random and I'm sure will lead to some interesting moments in trivia tonight. 

I then checkin on Foursquare exclaiming my excitement to finish reading. 

As I sit down in one of the only available booths it strikes me at just HOW FRIGGEN CROWDED this place is for 6pm. Normally at Goal, at that hour, I am one of the only people there. This ENTTTIIRREEE place was PACKED with people. 

I stopped my favorite waitress Heather, and asked her what was up. 

Oh, she said - it's a private party right now for Dance Moms. 

Do I need to leave? I asked

Oh no no, you're fine. Lemme grab you a beer. LOVE HER!! 

I then looked around at the crowd and noticed ... oh dear god, wait, DANCE MOMS!!!!! These.women.are.fucking.insane. And not like Morgan Spurlock awesome kinda insane (more on that in a bit) these women GENUINELY scare the shit out of me because they're all so unbalanced and FUCKING NUTS!!! 

See, I've discussed this on twitter before, I am ABSOLUTELY PETRIFIED of pageant queens, and their mothers. (The people on Dance Moms fall into that same category, btw.) The mothers are mom-agers that are trying to push their unfulfilled dreams onto their children - and they are all SO FUCKING BAT SHIT!! Dudes, I would never and I mean NNEEVVEERRRR let any of my children EVER get into the entertainment industry. Kids are supposed to be kids, and child performers are too self aware and self absorbed causing them to then miss out on the basic fundamentals socially and emotionally that prepare the rest of us for adulthood.

They are just ... vacant, missing a few chips ... and these mothers are BRUTAL!! Dudes, I was in the Miss CT Teen USA pageant when I was 17 and we had to lock our dresses up so other girls and their moms wouldn't cut them. It's a scene that I never wanted to be a part of in any way, shape, or form again. 

These. 

Women. 

Are. 

Nuts. 

I then started to wonder if I should leave. I just wanted to read my book, not be apart of whatever this was going to lead to. 

I then recognized that that was my fear talking, and that I could spin this ENTIRE experience into something positive if I was just willing to allow it and be still. 

Anytime anything EVER makes me uncomfortable, I have learned to walk towards it. It's the only way you grow as a person and the only was a shift in consciousness can ever occur. 

Be present, be still Friel. You can do this. 

I then hear a PIERCING voice coming from two booths in front of me ... Oh dear god, I thought. It's that WOMAN!! The star of Dance Moms ... 

All 10 screens also carry that same piercing voice as she is on the show yelling at someone, while in real life ALSO yelling at someone ... 

TOO MUCH!! I think ... THIS IS ALL TOO MUCH!!! I CAN'T HANDLE THESE WOMEEENNNNNN!! 

I then see people taking pictures with the loud lady, and think, you can do this Friel. You can sit here, be still, and also document you facing your fear by taking a picture with her. 

Go take a picture with her, I thought. Be strong. 

I then walk over ... literally shaking ... (these women are like the bullies we all grew up with in school. They're SO FREAKING LOUD and so off balanced, you never know what you are going to get ... but FUCKKKK this is scary)

Excuse me, I say not knowing her name. Do you mind if I take a picture with you? 

Sure, she says as I hand my iPhone to the guy across the table from her. 

She then places her arm around me and SQUEEZES really tight. 

OH DEAR GOD I THOUGHT!! SHE'S SQUEEZING ME!! SQUEEZING ME!! I AM BEING SQUEEZED BY THE LADY FROM DANCE MOMS. 

I was so scared at how quickly this all went down, I even forgot to look at the camera. This is that exact moment ... 

Look at that, there I am, facing my fear with a smile on my face. This might have not been the most pleasant moment of my life, but I did it ... and she was actually an incredibly kind person. Loud, and bitchy, but not to me. Thank god. 

Everyone else arrived not too long later, and we played a HORRIBLE game of trivia. UGGHHH!! I was so mad - we normally come in first or second place, and this week we came in FOURTH!!! EPIC EPIC EPIC FAIL!!!! 

So, that happened. 

THENNNNNNN yesterday ... I got hit up by my buddie Zennie asking if I could cover an event for his youtube channel. I took a look at the press release that he forwarded and saw that HOLY SHIT it was for the Morgan Spurlock movie "Comic Con Episode 4: A Fan's Hope" ... here's the trailer ... 

Dudes, I am the BIGGEST Morgan Spurlock fan ever. He was a HUGE HUGE HUGE inspiration for what kicked off one of my first sponsored missions - the #bjdiet. (I ate 30 days worth of Jed's Jerky, and only Jed's Jerky, documenting the flavors and all the awesome in social media with the hashtag #bjdiet. I was happy to have groceries for a month, and they were happy for the publicity. Here's the video ...

FTR, I still eat a shit ton of beef jerky and I'm completely convinced it was because of that diet. Dudes, my body CRAAVVEEESSS beef jerky like no other now. I might have a protein deficiency come to think of it since the cravings get so intense ... but who knows. hehe protein deficiency. I know something else that gives you protein and is BJ oriented. ::ZING::) 

Also too, in another set of crazy amazing circumstances, my old boss Peter Bemis was in his film the Greatest Movie Ever Sold. See, when I first came out to LA I worked in movie marketing for two years at Bemis Balkind and InSync advertising. They were in the same building (both SUPER small companies) and Peter Bemis and Smitty were like dads to me. They were both so warm, and both companies were responsible for me staying out here in LA. When I moved here, I only had $300 to my name and literally didn't know a single soul. I just knew LA was going to be my home, so I found an apartment on craigslist and drove out to LA cross country for three days. It's funny too, my first job out here was working as a temp for Jerry Bruckheimer, and I actually got offered a job but took the one over at Bemis Balkind since working as their receptionist meant I got to listen to the radio all day. It made no sense to my family or friends back home why I was doing what I was doing, but SMARTEST. DECISION. OF. MY. LIFE. At 19 there is NOOO WAYYYYY I would have survived a job with Bruckheimer. 

So yeah, SUPER FREAKING GRATEFUL to Peter Bemis for everything he did for me when I first moved here, so when I found out he was in the movie I just about died. (Another cool fact, Peter Bemis is the dad of Max Bemis from Say Anything. I got to talk to Max on the phone a few times, rad dude!) 

Needless to say, Morgan and I need to become best friends - he just didn't know it yet. 

So, I saw the press release, dug the trailer, and was 100% all in. I then hit up my buddy @Mc_Lars who is a super talented and super big nerdcore rapper to come kick it with me and maybe help with any camera operation. (If you can't tell, I've been bootstrapping everything for 2.5 years. ::every day I'm hustling::) 

He was game and BOOMM before you knew it, the day was upon us and the placement on the red carpet began. 

LOOK LOOK!!! 

Lars and I were kicking it for a few minutes, before this REALLY AWESOME dude dressed as Iron Man walked up and looked down at the place cards to see where he was. 

Wait, he goes - Talk Nerdy To Me, Lover ... YOU'RE JEN FRIEL!! 

Bah, I said. Yes, yes I am. 

I thought you were a bot!! This is GREAT!!! 

He then proceeds to tell his friends that I am one of the most random people to follow on twitter ... "if you're on twitter, you have to follow this chick, she's crazy."

He then turns back to me ... 

How's your head, btw? 

Oh! From the brick, ha! It's great! We still did our first stage show less than 24 hours after the attack, and the staples came out and my concussion cleared up. (read more here, and here's the story on when I had to testify in court)

Thanks for asking dude! =) 

We then started chatting, and I thought how awesome this was that our placecards were LITERALLY right next to each other. Look at how many media outlets were there ... 

LIKE. ENERGY. ATTRACTS.

We were then talking about who we were most excited to see, and I told Paul (aka the Iron Man dude) how STOKKEEDD I was to meet Morgan. 

We'll make sure we get him, he said. 

As I learned with the Pam Anderson press conference, these things are CLUSTERFUCKS!! Photographers are shouting over each other trying to get the shot ... and it's kinda nuts. 

Here's my video with Pam, btw ... 

What was so cool about this, however, was that the event itself was nerdy so almost ALL of the media outlets were nerdy. Nerds not only have personal space issues, but we're all GENUINELY kind to each other. There was no backstabbing, no nothing!! I told my buddy who I was stoked for, he told me who he wanted, and we decided we were instead going to work together to get everyone's attention so we could BOTH get what we wanted!! 

YAY LIFE!! 

People then started to come down the red carpet and LOOK WHO I GOT TO MEET!!! 

Dudes, I love me some Doug Benson. 

THENNNN ... I saw the one, the only MR. STAN FUCKING LEE coming down, and I FREAKED!! I then grabbed Lars (who is very passionate about illustration and graphic design) and say to him dude! Come interview Stan Lee!! 

Really? He said with surprise. 

Of COURSE!! This is YOUR JAM not mine. Ask him something good!!! 

Stan then approaches Lars, and he asks him who is favorite poet is ... I start snapping pictures ... 

YAY LIFE!!!! 

Then, out of the corner of my eye I spotted my new future bestie, Morgan. He spotted me back ... 

MY BEST FRIENDSHIP IS COMING FOR YOU MORGAN SPURLOCK!!!

I then prepare myself going through all of the questions you all posted on my Facebook wall yesterday. Which ones to ask, I thought, these were all SO GOOD!! 

I waited for a few minutes, and then unfortunately Morgan walked RIIGGHHTTT by me. 

NOOOOOOOOOO!!! I thought!! This can't happen!! My future best friend needs to talk to me!! THIS. MUST. HAPPEN. I. NEED. TO. MEET. MORGAN. SPURLOCK. 

Morgan then stops at the very last press outlet at the end of the red carpet, and I DAASHHH over to get something, ANYTHING, from my new future bestie. 

I wait patiently for my turn ... 

But then Morgan pulls back a bit and starts to head inside. 

I then SHOOOOUUUTTTT at the top of my lungs, THANK YOU SO MUCH MORGAN! YOU WERE AN INSPIRATION TO ME WHEN I WENT ON A 30 DAY BEEF JERKY DIET DOCUMENTING ALL OF IT IN SOCIAL MEDIA WITH THE HASHTAG #BJDIET.

Morgan then starts laughing. 

IT WAS VERY PAINFUL, I said back. 

Everyone around me laughs as I then also turn and snap a picture commemorating my success ... 

HELLS. YES. I. DID. IT. 

I didn't get the full interview that I wanted, but again, like the mantra dictates ...

“nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard, and you’re kind, amazing things will happen.”

Luck didn't create this moment, or create any of the opportunities - I CREATED these opportunities through hard work and preparation. 

Well, hardwork, preparation, and a very loud voice. WINNING!! 

So, that was Tuesday and Wednesday. Now if you'll excuse please, but I gotta jet to finish editing the video for everything that happened. 

OH! Btw, the movie was SUPEERRR freaking good. Like CRAZY good. It would have been so easy for them to make caricatures out of the cosplayers, but instead, I literally started crying through two scenes. They capture the love for geek culture FLAWLESSLY and the movie is FREAKING. INCREDIBLE. GO. AND. SEE. IT. I don't consider myself a geek at all (nerds are more academically inclined, geeks are more hobby oriented and collectors. Dudes, I'm a minimalist.), but this movie touched. my. soul. The passion, and love that are nerds and geeks is SO WELL REPRESENTED!! BAHH!! Amazingness! And well done everyone!! 

UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN NEW BEST FRIEND MORGAN SPURLOCK!! 

#kthxbye

Comments

[Morocco Luxury Desert Camps]

Nice weblog! We have our own luxury camps, Whether you like to stay in a private camp or shared camps, you will find your emotions revived as you relax in Sahara oasis and explore the charm and the beauty of the dunes.