A number of years ago, I was in Miami (don't ever do this) and I happened upon a crush of photographers and reporters loosely swarming on the plebian side of the velvet rope outside some club. It was the weekend of the VMAs, and apparently MTV (or Diddy Vodka, or T-Mobile Sidekick, or Diddy's T-Mobile Sidekick-Infused Vodka) was hosting some party there that night and lots of artists were supposed to attend. Like Jessica Simpson. And maybe even Joe Simpson. I was told this by a tiny, energetic blonde nugget who was waiting outside under an umbrella (it had been raining non-stop all weekend). She was a stringer for People, she said, and she just had to get some quotes tonight because so far she hadn't gotten anything, and oh my God what was she going to do? Just then, a limo pulled up and out stepped Nelly. This was the nugget's chance! She immediately sprung into action, darting through the crowd, squeezing past several other reporters and photographers and hangers-on until she was finally at the front of the pack, right up against the velvet rope. As Nelly approached, she stuck out her little digital recorder. What would she ask? What words would she say to elicit a terrific, quotable response from the guy who wears a band-aid on his face?
"Nelly! Nelly!" she implored, "Nelly, what do you think of this weather?"
"It's crazy," Nelly said. Then he disappeared into the club where he was no doubt showered with bottles of Diddy vodka, T-mobile Sidekicks, and Diddy's T-mobile Sidekick Infused Vodka.