The Scotiabank Arena hosts the biggest stars who come to Toronto. I’ve seen many concerts there over the years, including the Arkells last month. On Sunday, Ellen DeGeneres delighted her Canadian fans with a special visit and shared her story with two nearly sold out crowds. I attended the afternoon event, surrounded by thousands of women who adore Ellen.
Every year has a combination of exciting events and uneventful days, but 2018 was filled with many memorable highlights. Since I didn’t document them all in detail on the blog yet, here is a summary of the most unforgettable moments of the year.
When I bought tickets to see Taylor Swift’s concert last December, I had no idea if she would have any surprise guests like she did on the 1989 World Tour. In August, I went to her second show in Toronto and I couldn’t believe I had a chance to see two of my favourite artists perform Summer of ’69 together. In those 5 minutes or so, I was convinced that every penny I spent on those tickets was worth it. It was unreal to see Bryan Adams and Taylor Swift onstage at the same time!
After building a presence in the Kim Kardashian game’s online communities with a digital alias, I earned a cameo in the actual game itself with my own video game character. I was able to design her physical appearance and outfit using the game’s customization options, which meant I could put her in red jeans. I’ve called myself “the girl in the red jeans” for over 5 years and this year, I was able to extend my personal brand into a popular mobile game. As Kim would say, I was so excited!
Before I turned 21, I shared a list of five women who I admire: Elizabeth Bromstein, Hilary Duff, Kelly Cutrone, Lauren O’Neil and Shania Twain. I enjoyed writing it and I certainly appreciated when Kelly replied to my tweet linking to the blog post.
I’ve always liked Hilary Duff, but when she released a single from her upcoming comeback album that was sub-par, I realized I’m more interested in seeing what she wears than hearing what she sings or watching her movies.
Looking back at the list now, I still admire those women for the same reasons; however, if I were to make another listicle with my top five role models now, Hilary would not make the cut. She wouldn’t even make the top ten.
In every Behind The Brand interview, I enquire about professional role models. At the moment, I’d say mine is Elaine Lui AKA Lainey. Every profile of her that I read reiterates that she’s a hardworking media personality who successfully juggles several jobs in the entertainment industry.
After meeting Lainey at a taping of The Social, I was excited to see her again at Indigo. Lainey’s new book Listen To The Squawking Chicken: When Mother Knows Best, What’s A Daughter To Do? A Memoir (Sort Of) is a tribute to her mother, who raised her around a Mah Jong table and inspired her to become a professional gossiper.
I’ve been eager to attend a live taping of CTV’s The Social since it premiered in September. The Social is like a younger version of The View with a stronger interactive component, as viewers’ social media engagement is integral to the series.
The Social takes the second screen experience to a new level because it’s filmed live and selected Twitter and Facebook posts are displayed onscreen. Offering opinionated viewers an opportunity to gain exposure on national television is definitely a better incentive to follow the show’s social media accounts than simply for the sake of entering contests or seeing behind the scenes photos.
Interestingly, the invitation to live tweet the show is extended to audience members as well, so I think Bell Media should install a mobile charging station in the audience waiting area. That would be a cost-effective way to ensure more fans can post on social media with the show’s hashtag. If iPhone chargers were available, then I would’ve taken more pictures and tweeted more commentary. Nevertheless, I preserved my battery as much as possible and was able to take photos with the hosts after the cameras stopped rolling.
I was so excited to see Wednesday’s special guest Jessica Alba that I didn’t care what brought her to Toronto. The fact that Jessica booked interviews with Canadian media outlets to promote her new line of eco-friendly baby products rather than a new movie didn’t matter. Plus, I’m certainly not complaining about getting a free copy of Jessica’s book, The Honest Life.