Follow up, video & final blog on the UT Entertainment & Choice Awards

Another very smart, well written and thought out account from a fellow nominee/attendee and his experience with the awards and the night:

http://bydirector.tumblr.com/post/5774245568/i-watched-incest-on-stage

*5/27 Looking at my stats to see where all these hits have come from since I've had over 2 k page views in the last few days. Quite a bit of traffic has come from Idol Forums, I'd never seen this site before but I clicked and read the two pages of what people said about the awards. You'll definitely want to read their comments!

http://idolforums.com/index.php?showtopic=668815&st=20

Here is the video as promised. Petty things that weren't what I (and others) expected aside, there were definitely big time flaws and scary issues with all of this. Let me explain "in person". Please take this 6 minutes to watch. Especially if you voted, attended, nominated or won. This is important for all of us.

It's not even about winning or an award at this point. It's way beyond that.
There are a lot of things being privately discussed and hopefully it will all be brought to light.

We must support each other, our community & industry here. Both "winners", "losers", and other attendees are in contact at the moment comparing notes. What we're learning is very shocking. Some of us have been sold the same lines, the line you'll see in my video below, "you've got 46% of the vote"! Others were flat out promised things that not only did NOT happen but led to public humiliation.

Paying guests who spoke to Danny Thompson via phone were told a VIP ticket ($90 vs a non VIP $48 ticket) would include access to the VIP lounge where there would be free drinks. While they did get access to the "lounge", or partitioned off corner of the ballroom, they found a CASH bar inside.

The messages of support I've received far, far outweigh the few who actually supported this. I'm so glad I made this video, because I was told by friends who thought all along the awards were phony (due to a website that was not professional and no way to organize the votes) that they thought I was involved in it! Oh god no. No, no, no, no. I did not know any of these people until the "awards" happened and I'll admit, I fell for it! It's easy to get excited about something that I was told was going to be so great, by a master of this kind of manipulation. There were also legitimate names attached, so you don't question. They really new how to fool us.

Watch my video, then take a look here and you'll see what I mean:

PSA called "The Aging Game", Danny stars in this they say as "repentance" and demonstrates just how GOOD he is at fooling you: http://www.securities.utah.gov/investors/alerts_psa-vid8.html flash video

Article: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/01/25/national/main3753682.shtml

If you visit http://www.utahsright.com go to charges and type in a name...you'll see for yourself. There is a LOT to learn there.

And do you think I could get straight answers from an executive producer? NOPE.

I had a facebook comment from someone by the name of Tyson Frost whom I've never met but had requested me when the voting period was going on. It said he worked at Power & Industry as an intern. When I posted publicly what I've found out, his comment was how he'd lost all respect for me for "destroying" what he and others worked so hard for. I replied very nicely, in length asked him to teach me rather than defend, please explain. Mike Baird and Doug Clark were the two executive producers. I had met Mike when I picked up my tickets. I wrote to him telling him I'd let it all out in my blogs, asked him my questions regarding how voting was tallied, if he knew Danny's history and why Danny would TELL me how I was doing in the polls. I also asked why Tyson Frost, intern was writing me (wouldn't an intern of a legit business leave discussing something with me to the "higher ups"?) He wrote back but did not address a single one of my questions, other than he had NO idea who Tyson Frost was. I asked my questions again. Nothing. I want my questions answered, prove me wrong and I'll eat my words! Why won't the producers talk to me about the polls, what I was told and how it all worked? Tell me, please, how it's possible x96 and City Weekly lost what with their fans and demographics? Nothing bad about anyone else nominated, I just don't understand it when looking at it mathematically.

I'm gathering quite a collection of screenshots. So are others.

Here was my blog the morning after, before finding out all that I know now.
http://beanerlarue.blogspot.com/2011/05/utah-entertainment-choice-awards-recap.html



Did I want to become the unofficial spokesperson for this? No. But at the same time I don't care about "burning bridges" with these people. It's put me in contact with people I VERY much respect and who've not only supported, shared personal experiences, but made me feel very justified with what my gut told me. Many people choose to remain nameless, I get that and respect that. But I hope in exposing what I've learned (the producers thought we WOULD'NT talk? Perhaps if they'd had an honest competition nobody would have started to question it & they would have pulled it off. It is not right to tell someone how they're doing in the polls, to tell multiple nominees that they have 46% of the vote, and to not monitor the voting and only allow for daily votes) & experienced others will think twice before getting involved with this team again. Promoting for them, paying them, wasting their time and getting their hopes up.

You are who you associate with.

Part I : http://beanerlarue.blogspot.com/2011/05/utah-entertainment-choice-awards-recap.html

* 5/26/2011

A picture of the check for the portion that went to charity is online on facebook today. I heard that roughly 1,200 - 1,500 people were in attendance. In that mix were comped guests and guests who paid either $48 or $90 a ticket. You do the math. Quite a success.

Here is a picture of the check that went to Neuroworks. For 3k.



5/27 There has still been no response from the producer I wrote to. And I have to point out that the attempted hateful comments here are not only unintelligent and humorous, but also under an anonymous crass profile name. If you defend these people so much you're taking the time to write here, why not let everyone know who you are? Show you have no problem attaching your name to what you say and who you defend. Same goes for my YouTube video. It was uploaded to a channel of mine with very little subscribers and traffic. I don't have any haters there. I have supporters there. Isn't it funny then, that only with a few hundred views again, were the unintelligent and humorous attempted hateful comments? Under anonymous profiles? (I'd also like to talk about the facebook profile of Tyson Frost and the only other hate message I got via facebook, from facebook profile Robert Jardin. Neither profile to me looks like it has any identifiable pictures or proof that it is a real profile. I'm not accusing, I am asking.) Step forward, all of you hiding behind the internet, as I did. Who are you? Make a case for your argument. Show me facts, prove me wrong. I've said all along, don't get defensive, teach me. But instead, I get name calling and no true rebuttal. And I refuse to play dirty. I'm only sharing what happened to me, my personal experience, and links anybody can find very easily online. It is important to note again, the links at the top of this blog. As well as the podcast of x96 the monday after the awards and the fact that cityweekly has been reposting what I write. I'm not the only one who found this to be a less than stellar experience (various facebook pages say the same, if you know where to look). Fool me once, shame on you. But fool me twice...you know the rest. I don't regret speaking up for a second.