Total Request Live!
By: Paige K. Mitchell Have you ever sat and watched shows on MTV and wandered what it’s like to be in the studio audience, what takes place in preparation for the show, or what goes on backstage...? Well it recently went down on Thursday October 26, 2017 at Total Request Live (TRL) in Times Square, New York! The TRL taping takes place Monday through Friday in the heart of New York City, where tons of celebrities come everyday to have fun with fans and talk about what they’re up to. I had the opportunity to attend a live taping of TRL on October 26th. I got to see what many of us don’t see on our television screens. Backstage was extremely hectic. The three TRL host; Matt Rife, Tamara Dhia, and DC Young Fly were frantically getting ready. Each of them had their own stylist making sure they were ready for the camera. Hundreds of people gathered outside. The line practically wrapped around the building as hundreds awaited the opportunity to get inside. However, the harsh truth is that everyone does not make it in the TRL Studio. Some had to stay outside being denied admittance. Once they reach capacity, that’s it. Majority of the audience were young women. Statistically around the ages of 16-18. The show didn’t start on time. We were about ten minutes behind due the seating and arranging the studio seating and equipment. Lights, camera, action! We finally began! The studio audience cheered with excitement. The celebrities that came through were; ASAP Ferg, Alex Wolff, Tristian Thompson, Iman Shumpert, and The Dolan Twins. DJ Khaled also called in to show TRL love and gave some motivation to the audience and fans. ASAP Ferg was the first interview segment of the show. He talked about his designs, music, and meeting Rihanna. He also showed love to women. “I was raised by my mom and aunts so I love to see females win,” Ferg said. ASAP Ferg later performed at the end of the show. There were other cool segments that took place throughout the show such as; playing Rock Paper Scissors, The Beat Down (Drum Off), and the Dolan Twins challenged each other and wrestled in jello. The Dolan Twins also went outside to greet the fans who didn’t get a chance to come inside to watch the show. Iman Shumpert spoke highly about his wife during his interview, and talked about how happy she was when Janet Jackson FaceTimed her. TRL is also filmed live so if you pay close attention you’ll notice that you’ll catch certain bloopers. And you’ll see how focused the host are while reading the script. And the studio audience is put to the test and have to keep a high energy level. You are constantly moving about the venue cheering and dancing for each scene. If you ever plan to attend, get cute but don’t wear heels (lol). I really had a great time at TRL! Fun Fact: The view from the studio is amazing. New York looks beautiful and you get to wave at all the people.