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Colorado Family Travel / Humor / Mama's Product Picks

Snooked Again: How a Reality TV Star Stole My Moment in the National Spotlight

By Amber Johnson on 27 Comments

I was in New York City this weekend presenting these family travel products on the Fox Network’s morning show, Fox and Friends.

I know. I’m still shocked they would even allow The Amber Show to be broadcast nationally.

Grant, a publicist in Arizona, arranged the gig after I appeared for his clients on the Tom Martino Show. He claimed my fun interaction with the hosts and thorough presentation of the products far surpassed anyone he has ever seen. He promised that when he booked a national segment, I would be his top choice.

I didn’t have the heart to tell him that my smooth performance on the Martino Show was the exception, not the rule.

This is me we’re talking about.

Grant was true to his word and he flew me to New York City on Friday. I had just one day to prep and did not even see most of the products until I arrived at the hotel the night before I was supposed to be on-air.

I was just a wee bit stressed out.

I stayed up late that night assembling everything in a cram session that would have impressed any college student. After just a few hours of sleep, I groggily arose at 5:30 a.m. (3:30 a.m. Denver time) and hauled my lot to the FOX studios by 6:30 a.m. Laura, the segment producer, and her intern helped me setup.

From there, it was onto hair and make-up where the artist professed I just needed a touch-up on the latter but the former looked absolutely perfect.

I must admit I was having an embarrassingly good hair day.

I waited in the green room until it was my call time, uncharacteristically calm. The production staff put me at ease and Clayton (one of the co-hosts) had just had a baby so the ambiance was celebratory. What could go wrong?

An inebriated New Jersey woman, that’s what.

Throughout the show, they heavily teased a story about a floozy from MTV’s Jersey Shores named Snooki who had been arrested for disorderly conduct. Evidently, Snooki’s drunken escapades were big news.

By the time co-hosts Dave and Clayton got around to my segment, time was short. I had humorous anecdotes and compelling entrepreneurial stories that would have moved anyone (even Snooki) to tears. But it didn’t happen because my 5-minute segment was slashed in half. This happens regularly in TV but I was frustrated that the producers had not told me. Otherwise, I would have ensured that all the products were quickly highlighted instead of getting abruptly cutoff after only presenting three.

When it was over, I stood there in disbelief. My feelings were reminiscent of when I scored the most prominent spot in the TODAY show crowd at the 2010 Vancouver Games. I was ready for my moment in the national spotlight…until Matt Lauer stood smack in front of me.

Though trust me: it’s much worse to get hijacked by someone named Snooki.

Have you ever been on TV, whether in the crowd or interviewed?

Amber Johnson
Author: Amber Johnson

Amber is the founder and editor of Mile High Mamas, travel writer and former columnist for The Denver Post. She is a passionate community builder and loves the outdoors. She has two awesome teens and is happily married to a man obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin.

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Amber is the founder and editor of Mile High Mamas, travel writer and former columnist for The Denver Post. She is a passionate community builder and loves the outdoors. She has two awesome teens and is happily married to a man obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin.

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27 Comments

  1. LMAO. That is freaking hilarious! I didn’t even know who Snooki was until this weekend.

    I’ve never been on TV (that I’m aware of) but I’m a regular caller-inner on the radio!

  3. I was wondering how the segment went! I totally slept in Saturday and spaced it. If you have a link to the segment online, put it out there on Twitter. (Or maybe you have… I’ll look.)

  4. That is just so sad! It drives me crazy that a reality person gets publicity for doing bad things! There are so many of us good people out here like yourself trying to make a difference in this world and someone like that steals your Thunder! I was just flipping through my People Mag and guess who has a full page ad…oh and has a cocktail in hand none other than Snooki!

    There are however some amazing people in Reality TV that are great people and do good deeds. A couple of our locals Ryan and Trista Sutter. They give back to their community, to charities and set good examples!

    Hopefully you will get invited back to do your full segemnt! Best of Luck!

  5. Oh no! I’ve done those segments, too, and it can be nerve-wracking! I was never pre-empted, though. One of them I did, I was told I’d have 5 minutes (so that’s how I practiced and practiced and practiced, and then 15 seconds before going live was told I’d have 3 mintes. We rushed, but got through them. (That was also the one that I went on right after two DOGS who were up for adoption but kept FIGHTING WITH EACH OTHER during the commercial breaks! I thought for SURE there’d be a good blog story come from that, but there wasn’t…thankfully.) 😉

    Then, when I did it again for a different show (good ol’ Tom!), I was told to take all the time in the world, and that one was much more relaxed.

    Well, as relaxed as live TV is.

    I’ve been asked to do it a handful of times more, and it’s actually exciting to tell them no. It’s nice to be wanted, but it’s even nicer not to have to get up before the crack of dawn.

    Now, when it’s my book tour? The answer will be different. 😉

    Great job, Amber!

  6. The most interesting things happen to you!

    Silly Snooki. You’re MUCH more fascinating.

  7. OK, maybe I’ll change the preempted. I didn’t totally get knocked off the slate but I was supposed to present a lot longer and they had to cut me off partway through.

  8. Snooki? Who the heck is that? You were ROBBED!!

  9. I had never heard of Snooki either. Until she robbed me. 🙂

  10. That’s awful! I can’t believe F&F was so wrapped up in a trainwreck like Snooki. Boo!!!

  11. Bimbos always get the attention.

  12. Someday, you’ll OWN your TV moment. I’m sure of it.

  13. I am sure that you still rocked even with 2.5 minutes. This will lead to more segments that last longer & longer. Next, you’ll be hosting with Kathy Lee. 🙂

  14. Kathy Lee drives me NUTS. How is it she still has a career?

    Thanks, everyone. 🙂

  15. What drives me crazy when “real news” stations cut away for reality star antics. If only they knew how many people don’t care who Snooki is, or what she’s doing, and that they could stand out as the people with genuinely entertaining people like AMBER! Their ratings would skyrocket!
    Grin.

  16. Kate–I’m officially hiring you as my publicist. 🙂

  17. ha ha – we should ALL have such problems! 😛 But seriously it sounds like you had fun! Such is the life of TV, eh?

  18. It’s all in the name Amber. Maybe if you changed your name to Snooki, Paris or Kardashian they would give you more time 🙂

  19. Aw, man. That Snooki!

    You should totally have your own show.

  20. Don’t they know who you are? Next time don’t skip the tequila shots at breakfast, it’s really all about the booze, I’m sure of it.

  21. There’s no hope for me because I don’t drink alcohol. I’ll never be a Snooki. 🙂

  22. I had never heard of Snooki either when you posted you had been pre-empted by her. Just a few hours later she was all over the news for dissing Obama about his tanning tax. LOL! Who seriously cares that Snooki can’t afford to tan anymore?!

    I’m sure you rocked it even in just 2.5 minutes! Bigger and better things are for sure headed your way. Your life never ceases to amaze me!

  23. That darn Snooki!!!

  24. I can’t believe that. Can’t reality stars from New Jersey get smashed on a different day. The nerve.

    I really liked the travel products!!

    So, how did your front tooth fall out?

  25. LOL–I think Snooki took my tooth out. :O)

  26. Thanks everyone. 🙂

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