Confessions of a Teen Idol Episode 8: It’s a Wrap

It’s difficult to say goodbye to friends you make at summer camp, even at band camp. So how will these 7 Idols say goodbye and what have they learned? Did their lives really change and just what is the big surprise for each of our Idols?

Just like “The Wizard of Oz” our Idols will receive something they never really lost.

The show opens with our Idols packing their clothes and other things, to move out and back into their homes. Chris is getting all his shirts together and says he will miss the guys. David also mentions missing the guys and they all seem like they are in a good mood.

First up is a meeting with Dr. Cooper. She tells the Idols that this is their last meeting and she has only one question for each of them. Dr. Cooper says they were all at a point where they were at the peak of their careers and they lost it. Now she wants to know “do they want it back?”

Jamie goes first. He says he is not in this for the fame. But he found out that he still likes playing guitar and singing and if fame is a part of that, then yes, he wants it back. The rest of the guys applaud at Jamie’s last comment. This was a big step for Jamie, he was kind of unsure of himself and he ended up realizing that he still wants to perform. Good job Jamie.

Next up is Chris, he admits, yes, he wants his fame back. He uses a good analogy, he says he’s like Bret Favre, he has one more touchdown in him and needs the coach to give him the ball. I thought that was a perfect comparison. Chris says he wants to go for the brass ring.

Next up is David, he doesn’t beat around the bush. He wants his fame back 1000%. David also loves the other Idols and is glad for this experience. I still can’t believe he is 40 years old. He should start a skin care line, it would do well.

Eric goes next and as usual, he changes the question instead of just answering. He says he would like to change the word fame to love. BOOOO, just answer the question. Dr. Cooper is even tired of his wishy washy comments and says “ya,ya,ya, just answer the question.” Eric says he is still trying to figure out what his career is , but begrudgingly says yes, he wants the fame back. Finally an answer.

Billy Hufsey is next and he is right to the point, yes he wants it back. Adrian quotes that famous philosopher Chachi “Fame is good”. Adrian also wants it back.

And last but not least, Jeremy says yes he wants fame and he wants it now. Jeremy is really grateful for the sessions with Dr. Cooper. She tells the Idols thank you and tells them that they are all amazing. The Idols clap and they all hug Dr. Cooper. It turns out she was a pretty good therapist and she helped uncover some issues for all of the guys.

Next each of the Idols meets with Dr. Cooper individually but they only show snippets of each meeting and they are all mixed together. Jeremy read from a letter his Mom wrote to him. She is worried that if he goes back into show business, he will lose sight of his goals again and get in trouble. She was always there for him and he helped her and helped raise his sister. It sounds like Jeremy and his Mom are very close. But Jeremy says he failed and didn’t listen to his Mom and ruined the whole thing.

Dr. Cooper tells Jeremy that he was a kid and made bad decisions. Jeremy says that’s no excuse, but Dr. Cooper corrects him and says he was just a kid. Jeremy is bawling to Dr. Cooper and he says he screwed everything up and forgot where he came from. Dr. Cooper tells him this isn’t his fault. He was just a kid and of course he made bad decisions.

They have Jeremy’s old picture from the wall in the house, Dr. Cooper tells him to take that down and underneath is a recent picture. Jeremy throws the old picture on the floor and takes the new picture and hangs it up in the house/ prison/stage.

They also show short snippets of the others. Adrian looks at his old picture and says it’s not the 80′s or even the 90′s anymore. He wanted to get rid of the old picture because that is not who he is anymore. Then he uncovers his new picture and he likes it and says he feels like a rocket. He is ready to get back to TV and movies.

Chris looks at his old picture and said he sees the tremendous pressure he was under. He says he really didn’t know what to do. But now, Chris says he wants to get back on track. He wants to relive the 80′s but this time he wants to remember them. It was a cute moment. Chris loves his new picture.

David says he also learned a lot through this process. He learned to be more open to the people around you and to take all criticism. David likes his new picture, he says it reflects more of who he is right now.

Billy also likes his new picture better than his old picture. He likes what he sees in the picture. His new picture reflects all he has done in his career and it looks like he has a lot to still offer.

Jamie says his old picture makes him uncomfortable. He says he is a different person now and more open to the idea of returning to show business. I don’t know why he didn’t like the old picture, I don’t think that he looks that much different now.

Next Eric says he’s wiser and that he has been seeking something. He wrote a letter to the industry. Basically he is learning to listen to the small part of himself. He also thanks the industry for the amazing opportunities he has been given.

Back at the launching pad/house the last fax!!!! The brave Idols find out that they are going in a limo to a wrap party. So they all get ready for a night out. They change into nice clothes and Eric puts on a suit and shoes!!! They all look great.

Jason and Scott come to the door and get the Idols out to a very nice limo. Just as they are leaving they realize they forgot Jamie, so Scott goes and gets him. They leave for the party, but Scott and Jason have to make a stop on the way to the party. The limo pulls over on Sunset BLVD and Scott and Jason ask the guys to get out of the car and look up at a jumbotron billboard.

The Idols are all looking at it when the jumbotron changes and shows the opening title for their show “Confessions of a Teen Idol”. The guys start to cheer and then each of their new portraits appears on the jumbotron one by one. The Idols are all excited about having their names in lights on Sunset Boulevard. It’s a big deal to all of them.

Then it’s on to the party. They walk into a club filled with family and friends of the Idols. I see Dr. Cooper there but I don’t see Howard Fine. I wonder why they didn’t invite him???

They are greeting their friends and relatives when Scott and Jason ask them to all come up on stage.

So they go up and Scott gives each time to say something about this experience. First up is Billy. He thanked Jason and Scott and says that now he has six brothers. And that this experience has ignited a creative fire in him.

Next up is Chris. Chris thanked his daughter because she is the one who urged him to do this show. He wanted to go back in the industry but when he looked in the mirror he didn’t know if he could. But when they saw the focus group reaction and they said he should be playing a lead, Chris was convinced. He wants it and he thanks the six guys and is looking forward to fame.

Eric says he has been blessed by the Great Spirit with a light that he has. He said he has climbed mountains and gone through valleys and he wants to use his fame for a positive purpose. He said he learned tho listen and that he has six new friendships. I must have missed the episode with the mountains and valleys, but as long as he is back from his trip, I’m glad he appreciates his new friends.

Next up is David. David says he was against this from the beginning and that he had a lot of questions for Scott before coming on this show. But he found that he had a real opportunity to learn and that he is fired up about getting back to work.

Jamie has also been on an amazing journey. Jamie thanked his wife and kids and said that when he arrived he had walls up and that he was glad that he got to play his guitar and sing and that he realizes he can be both a good family man and an entertainer.

Adrian was next. He said the last time he lived in a house with this many guys he was in 8th grade summer camp. He said it was an amazing journey and that he is now driven to succeed and that most importantly he has made friends for the rest of his life.

Jeremy is last. He thanked all his family and friends. He said he couldn’t go anywhere else in the world to find guys to relate to better than the guys in the house. They all gave him advice and now there is no stopping him. Jeremy’s observation about the guys was very astute. It kind of surprised me that he understood that the Idols are the only ones who would understand his issues. Good job Jeremy.

The guys all hug and are about to leave the stage when Scott and Jason say there is one more thing. The Idols start joking about a call sheet, but that’ would just be mean. So instead, Scott and Jason start handing out the Idols “pay”. This is the big surprise we’ve been taunted with for two weeks.

First up Billy. First he is going to meet with Desmond Child. He is a Grammy winning songwriter and producer and he is going to work with Billy. Also, the song that Billy sang for Jamie and Eric will be played during the show “Confessions of a Teen Idol” and that VH1 will have a video of the song available on VH1.com. Billy is so grateful and happy and can’t wait to get to work. This was a great gift.

Next up is Jeremy. Jeremy is getting some help from Creative PR’s Cheryl McCain. She is a publicist and will work to get Jeremy’s name out so he can get to work. Also, he will be a host of a countdown show on VH1. Jeremy is over the moon and he can’t wait to do the TV show. This is his chance to prove himself.

Eric is next. Eric wrote a book so they have arranged a meeting with MTV Books in NYC. Also, he is getting a production team to help him finish a presentation for a documentary he is shooting. This would help him get some backing to get the documentary finished. The documentary and book are about drug abuse in America.

Next up is Jamie Walters. Jamie has a meeting with the Sr. VP of Music and Marketing for Nickleodean, Doug Cohen. The meeting is set to discuss Jamie writing a song for an upcoming show. Also, Jamie is getting studio time to record his music so he can get it heard and return to hearing Jamie on the radio.

David’s reward is getting one on one help from a hosting coach and just for a second you could see the terror in David’s eyes. Was it Howard Fine? Is that his coach? No, he is going to have Marki, the woman from the gatekeeper meeting that gave him some good advice on auditions. David is also going to attend her Hosting Boot Camp. And he has a meeting with the Sr. Programing Executive at FX to discuss using him in a show on FX.

Adrian is next. They have arranged for Adrian to put on his one man show at the Tribe Theater in Los Angeles. And Adrian has a meeting with the Sr. Vice President of Casting and Talent at Nickelodean to discuss using him in an upcoming series.

Finally it’s Chris’ turn. Chris is having a meeting with Mike Elliot a producer who’s recent movie is “My Best Friend’s Girl”. And as a result of the meeting he attended with the “gatekeeper’, TV Producer Tommy Lynch is offering Chris a role in an upcoming pilot and no audition is necessary he got the part.

Everyone is hugging each other, Chris goes and hugs his daughter who is bawling because Chris got a part in a pilot.

Well that’s it. The show is over and there are no more call sheets, or challenges. I came away feeling a little sad to see these guys go back to their real lives. One thing I realized is that none of the Idols really needed anything substantial. They all have all the talent they need, some just needed their confidence restored and some needed some relationships mended.

Just like the guys in “The Wizard of Oz” everything our Idols needed, they already had. They just needed someone to show them where they left it.

Thank you for reading these first recaps. It’s been a pleasure and join me for the “Little Miss Perfect” show.

Love and luck,

TVannie