Last year’s Gold Logie winner Kate Ritchie.Photo: Penny Stephens SOME journalists get posted to war zones, others are assigned to the Logies red carpet.
No easy feat – trust me, I’m a journalist who has survived many. The Logies red zone can be just as dangerous when you have TV cameramen, press photographers and reporters thrusting their equipment and jostling for a star’s attention. “Over here, over here!” they shout. The visual landscape can either be stunning or an assault on the senses. Think of it as shock and awe, with the awe meaning awesome or awful. If the Logies had a theme song it would sound something like this: Overture, curtain, lights, this is it, the night of nights! Unfortunately, that tune already belongs to Bugs Bunny for his Looney Tunes cartoons, a form of entertainment not far off from TV’s nights of nights and its entertaining characters. I SALUTE the rock chick attitude of Annie Lennox for dolling up in a black feathered gown and carrying nonchalance as her accessory. When asked the mandatory “What are you wearing”, she said: “A dress.” When asked “Who’s it by”, she said: “I don’t really know.” When asked about her time in Melbourne, she said: “Everybody’s so nice and friendly.” Obviously not friendly enough because Annie was whisked away from the red carpet, with one of her entourage saying “She’s had enough”. But the night hadn’t even begun. Is there such a thing as Logies flu Give her a face mask. TAKING no chances with swine flu in the air, not necessarily Home but Away, was Josh Quong Tart with his face mask (someone had to wear one). Channel Seven colleague Judith McGrath from All Saints gave him the mask and he jazzed it up with purple beads to match his suit. “It’s an opportunity for a man to have a bit of bling,” Josh said. No stockpiled food was detected in Josh’s pockets. HIGH drama erupted when a double-decker bus emblazoned with the Channel Seven logo was refused entry at the limo drop-off and had to park around the corner, forcing the coiffured stars on board to schlep on foot with gritted teeth. Taking in the crisp night air were Shane Bourne, Larry Emdur, Kylie Gillies, news director Steve Carey, journo Rebecca Maddern and the gang from Home and Away. Hmmm. I wonder if the “Stop” sign went up because Channel Nine broadcasts the event or because the bus was too high and wouldn’t fit. It’s one for CSI: Logies. TALKING transport, it was most disappointing that The Chaser dudes didn’t arrive by blimp or in Papal vestments after their escapade over the Vatican. Chas Licciardello bolted down the red carpet at Vespa speed, but I gesticulated Italian-style to Julian Morrow to come over. His Roman ordeal was made even more memorable by his journey with the lead-footed police: “My life flashed before me six times and I got bored of it,” he said. When I inquired if Chas was snubbing the media, Julian said: “He’s snubbing mankind.” May the Pope pardon their trip in the blimp-mobile.
HONORARY Aussie Carson Kressley, wearing black and while Dolce and Gabbana (with Ralph Lauren undies), said what we all think: the Logie statue “looks like an alien”. While the queer guy has cast his eye over Melbourne Cup fashion for years, it was his first Logies and he was most concerned that starlets getting out of cars would have a “Britney situation” and expose their “welcome mat” (none were reported). Carson feigned excitement when the celebs started to arrive. “I don’t know who anyone is,” he lamented. And some of them won’t know who they are in the early hours.