Illusions from the Red Carpet

This is a photo of Lisa Vian Hunter – my friend and client – walking the Red Carpet and Macy’s in NYC. Lisa is a contestant on the new NBC show “Fashion Star” and she invited me to join her for the Premier Party. Of course I said yes! We put on our beautiful custom dresses, hired our makeup and hair done to perfection, and fretted over what this experience would bring.

It wasn’t disappointing in its intensity. More cameras than could be counted, reporters screaming for attention, and microphones dangled just about everywhere.

The interesting part is that this event occurred in a very small room on the 11th floor of Macy’s in Harold Square. An old building whose grandeur hasn’t been polished for a good long time.

Yet the photos would lead one to believe that the surroundings were spacious and inviting – maybe down the middle of one of the fabulous main floor aisles – and definitely lined with adoring fans. Or it could be that is just my imaginings of what a red-carpet walk should be like sneaking into my view of reality.

Perhaps I should be more careful when I watch media presentations, knowing that I am only seeing the good stuff. Or perhaps I should just enjoy it for what it is worth – entertainment meant to titillate.  I suppose since there is nothing at risk in the entertainment realm, I can safely keep questions and cynicism out of the experience.

But I definitely feel a bit wiser to the real world, and expect that my questioning may be deeper when evaluating things that actually matter. Like marketing materials or sales pitches.