! Yes They're Fake ! In The Media - The Ananda Lewis Show

Air Date: June 11, 2002

We were contacted by the assistant producer for the Ananda Lewis Show (brought to you by KingWorld; now merged with CBS) regarding the Yes They're Fake! website, plastic surgery, beauty, and society's pressure on women regarding such. I was delighted to help out! We started by asking around for volunteers for interviews and possibly for appearing as guests on the show. If chosen the guests would receive a paid trip to New York. We spoke with a lot of people and it turned out to be Jackie from ImplantNetwork.com who was chosen to represent her "age group" and the desire to look her best at all times. You see Jackie doesn't like to go anywhere without make up or her hair fixed so she was representing that aspect. Funny thing is Jackie and I are great friends and talk every day - but had never met! We were delighted that were both given the opportunity to finally meet in person!

The production company was really late getting our travel info and knowing what I know from the media I wasn't going to make plans to just get canceled. SO! we found everything out the night before we were to leave. Then we packed and made plans, etc. Of course we got NO SLEEP the night before we left. Our flight was out of Oakland at 6:30 am Wednesday with a 1 hour layover in Chicago arriving at La Guardia at 4:40 pm - we usually fly on redeyes and sleep on the plane. But, since we had to leave 1 & 1/2 hours before our flight took off, we thought we'd stay up all night. The production company paid for our flights (both marc and I, and Jackie, in her own room of course) and our stay in a hotel plus per diem - aka spending money). It was supposed to be 2 nights paid but turned out to be one night paid, SO - we had to cough up money for the second night. I was NOT leaving the day after the taping, I mean I got there less than 24 hours ago and flying to New York is not like driving through the Holland tunnel at rush hour, we have to fly for many HOURS with layovers to get to NYC.

Arriving In New York
Could it be ANY hotter??? New York is having a heat wave - what are the odds?? It started the day before we got there. Our driver was okay, but he was foreign and I couldn't understand a word he said. But he got us to the Hotel in only a few minutes. Now the Hotel is another story...

Hotel From Hell
Welcome to the Holiday Inn on W. 56th St. I advise you not to stay there unless you just need a place to sleep and it is definitely not during a heat wave. It is a dump and our carpet was wet all in the bathroom area because of a leaky sink, not to mention the air conditioner was barely working, the water took forever to heat up the service was crappy, the internet connection was bad and you got kicked offline a lot. It was dirty and the only friendly people were the doormen. BUT! It was free. Certainly wasn't the Avalon but like I said, it was free. Repeat after me, free is good.

Wait!! What's this?? A bunch of Pink, Purple and White balloons come billowing out of the door - It's a special delivery to ME!!! From Sunny!! THANK YOU SUNNY!!! Sunny brought in a bouquet of balloons to welcome me to NYC - but we missed her by like 30 minutes. She went on vacation after all, *waaaaaahhhh* no Sunny for the get together.

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BIG cheesy grin. Thank You Sunny!

Night At Caffe Cielo's
Time to get ready - we should go out! On to Jackie's room - she "can't go out" she said. She "has an eye infection and needs to wait for her prescription to be delivered". Well, that prescription NEVER came and well, she missed a good time.

We took a cab down to Cielo's, an awesome Italian restaurant at 881 Eighth Avenue, between 51st and 52nd Streets, owned by these two Italian guys (isn't it ironic?) of whom a friend of ours met in Europe many, many years ago. If you ever want gourmet Italian food, in a relaxed yet classy atmosphere where the owners come out to speak with their patrons Cielo's is the place.

We had some major laughs, were introduced to all sorts of people; lots of media people and this great guy named Ron who is just a riot! We exchanged cards, Wait! Ron! You didn't give us a card! Where's our card?! We did receive a great email and phone call from him and we hope to hook back up in Manhattan next time we're in or vice versa wherever we are.

Off To Bother Jackie
Well we sloshed back to the hotel and went back to Jackie's hotel room. She was still hanging out watching TV and we talked for an extremely long time about everything under the sun (yes of course, including gossip!!). This was a PRIME opportunity - think we'd pass that up? puh-lease!

I don't remember if we took pics or not, LOL!! Guess we'll see when I get the photos back. I need a digital camera. Anyone care to donate one? Anyway, I have NO clue what time we left but when we did I was reeeally ready for bed. It had been a long day. We bid everyone farewell and headed back to our room, and Jackie was finally at peace.

The Taping of the Ananda Lewis Show
Okay, we walked to the studio - no biggie, it's just one New York block away - but in heels?? Our belongings were searched and our bodies run over with a metal detector. I never had this happen with ABC - good grief! You'd think harm would be inflicted upon John Stossel (no offense) before Ananda Lewis! I guess they mean business.

Next we were sent to the "Green Room". I like Green Rooms. Free food!

"The Green Room"
We were all expecting a room where we could all cavort together, lounge on comfortable couches, eat, drink and be merry. Well, we were lead to a pale green, windowless room with a waxed cardboard bucket filled with ice, 2 bottled waters and three Pepsis, 3 chairs, a make shift coat rack, a studio monitor and a brightly lit dressing table.

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STILL preening. Give it a rest, girls!!

Jackie and I

I don't EVEN know why I am looking like that at Jackie. We are friends, honest!!

We stayed in there for hours until make up. Went to make up and got powdered and what not. Back to the room, ah the food is here. One sandwich, 1 veggie wrap and 3 petite fours to share between the three of us. Jackie and I shared the one mushroom and the one asparagus spear. It was good though. LOL! I was starved.

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On to the taping - or so we think. We were lead to yet another enclosure with a studio monitor and PEOPLE!! Real live People! We got "miked" )(as in mic, microphone) and back to the holding pen we went until we were called. I had my microphone fixed by two different people. The second person fixed it right - you can see how it is sticking up all obvious here. *tsk tsk*

The first story was about a girl who was a victim of a head-on collision. She had 2 million dollars in surgery - over a 100 surgeries over a few years to get back to "normal". She had her frontal lobe removed and could not see out of one eye, smell, taste, or sense much. But she was beautiful again. She was an actress beforehand and wound up not getting work because of her ordeal - not even horror movies she said. They brought out a lady (Cathy) for a reunion) who had helped her all those years but that she hadn't seen in 3 years. It was a very tearful occasion. Very tragic story - of course we were gonna look like a bunch of vain idiots after that. but I was very touched by her story and she was VERY nice

We went on and met with Ananda - who is an absolute DOLL!! She is the nicest, most down to earth person. She is beautiful as well! We sat down and chatted while she did some breathing exercises into a balloon and sipped warm water because she was losing her voice. We were supposed to introduce ourselves and then go back and fourth about beauty, make up, what we do for a living, etc.

BUT! We only had time to talk for about 10 minutes. UGH! So we talked about my surgeries and someone thought I said it cost $50,000 for it all. YEAH RIGHT!!! Fifty Grand, can you imagine?? Anyway, they wondered how I could afford it - I told them from my motorcycle accident settlement and I don't like jewelry, we don't vacation much, plus I quit smoking, I don't go out, barely ever drink, etc., etc. The settlement and quitting smoking was certainly more than enough to pay for surgery.

Then it was time for the unveiling of the real faces!! Now the entire audience was taken back for make up as well and I truly believe THAT is what took so long for the show to begin. Well we were all instructed to look under our chairs for some make up remover towelettes and remove our "faces"! And then it was the eyebrows - OH WOE IS ME!!! No eyebrows in front of millions of people. ACKKKKK!!!! Jackie did NOT look thrilled at all - her eyes looked good but she was not thrilled about taking her make up off in public much less on TV. There were two other girls up there and they were so young and beautiful. One was like 18 the other like 20.

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Neither one of us had any make up on!! Ananda smiled for the first photo but the camera had problems so we got her when she wasn't smiling, WITH one of Beverly's wigs on - so she does NOT look like this! Heck, I don't look like this, LOL!

After the taping we went to Hooters of Manhattan for our Boobapalooza New York get together.

The Airport - UGH
We get to the airport and there must be about 600 people in the United Airline Lines. Um, Is this normal?? My friend advises we all have electronic tickets so we can go on to the gate. Although there was a sign that said "Only Ticketed Passengers Allowed". Marc asks anyway and we go through the gate and this big lady asks how many people and I say four altogether because there is a guy behind us with an electronic ticket as well that Marc doesn't yet know about. Marc had said "3" before I motioned "4". The lady looks at me and she can't see the little dude - well, I look like an idiot. She LAUGHS at me and says, " hahah She says 4 hahahaha" (with a stupid mocking look on her face). *Yeah I am a dumb blond with big boobs you idiot. That's why YOU are standing here directing me to where I need to go for 6 bucks an hour*. Gosh that irritated me!!! I am going on day 3 with hardly any sleep, I am a little irritated by now. I am missing my kitties and thinking about email and don't want the trip to end because I will miss my friends.

Okay the reason for all the crowds and people lined up on the walls? The ensuing "storm". Which turned out to be a little rain but a LOT of wind above. There were flights backed up forever. What to do?? Well we get our tickets anyway - reserve two seats just in case and reserve two in Denver THE NEXT DAY in case we do miss our connecting flight that night.

Well, this was the beginning of a looooooooooooong night and next day! We picnicked on overpriced airport food - although I LOVE the Corned Beef on Rye sandwich with mustard and French fries (I had Mayo, of course!). My friend said it is a New York thang - Whatever it was, it was GOOD!! If anyone knows please tell me if they have it in Cali.

We at first had pretzels with honey mustard. I could have eaten my TUMI vanity case dipped in that honey mustard I was so hungry!

Well my friend took off to find out about her ticket and Marc took off to do I don't know what - so while I am waiting there, a little mouse comes out of a hole in the corner behind our seats. Marc comes back and wants to feed it one of my fries - he is such a push over for animals! Well, it never came back. I wouldn't either if someone stuck a gigantic French fry through my front door.

Looks like we are getting out of there after all, albeit late, but we are out of here. We have missed our connecting flight and have to sleep over in Denver at the airport. When asked what to do the airline advised, "it's not our fault it's the weather". Yeah, I've heard that one before.

I have never seen so many airplanes lined up to take off in my life!! I sat there staring down the run way thinking, there must be dozens of planes in each concourse just waiting, and more being diverted away from La Guardia or circling the airport. I HATE circling. It makes me feel as if we are flying on fumes.

Well we get to Denver and it is EMPTY. It's just us and a few stark, raving mad people at the United Airline counter. The stark, raving mad people go get hotels - we stay and brave the airport floor. I made a bed between to facing chairs and two stacked suitcases as a mattress while Marc went online at the pay phone to check the message boards. Always at work!

Not much to tell but wandering around this incredibly large airport, WE FOUND BURGER KING!!! We ate and went to "bed" on the floor or suspending ourselves between chairs while using our luggage as a mattress. We are leaving in the morning - or so we thought...

There is an "odd blanket of fog" descending. What are the odds?? We leave very late and all in all we get back 12 noon, a day later than we were supposed to, with long term parking costing us 63 bucks and barely any sleep and a major fiend for seeing our new Bengal kittens!

Well we finally got home and the trip was a lot of fun all in all - it was a good experience and Ananda was SO incredibly nice. So was all the staff. Thank you guys - you're the best!

The Ananda Lewis Show

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