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Steve Gadd Interview: Behind the Drums

STEVE_GADD_DRUMS_PHOTO
Photo by: Steve Singer

Steve Gadd’s musical story starts early. Born in Rochester, N.Y., Gadd was given drumsticks by his uncle at age three. By seven, he received a drum set from his grandfather, which led to his first formal lessons. At 11, his parents began bringing him to local jazz clubs to see legendary performers such as trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, who let Gadd sit in during a Sunday matinee. It was during that time that he first met jazz great Chuck Mangione, whose quintet he later joined along with then unknown pianist Chick Corea (Corea would later recruit Gadd for his own band). Mangione recalled his early years with Gadd, saying, “Steve was amazing at the age of eight. He was fundamentally sound in every area of the drums.”

Shortly after college, Gadd enlisted in the U.S. Army and played in their big band for the next three years before finally returning to the New York studio scene, which ultimately landed him two of his most iconic performances in history: Paul Simon’s “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” and Steely Dan’s “Aja.” When Gadd was commissioned for Steely Dan’s title track, it was widely rumored that despite numerous takes from many other drummers, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen still hadn’t found a drummer that fit their vision for the song. Gadd famously performed his part in one take.  According to Becker, “Gadd’s part was not written. [They] discussed the tune a little bit and by virtue of his musicianship he just knew what to do.” Fagen agreed, explaining that Gadd was one of the rare players “who was familiar with R&B’s backbeat and could negotiate jazz harmony with ease.” Paul Simon similarly reflects on his work with Gadd, calling him “the greatest drummer of his generation.” Simon and Gadd’s work together now spans decades, along with James Taylor, Eric Clapton, and many others.

The major takeaway from talking to Steve Gadd isn’t the technical elements of his talent and his impressive resume. It’s his humility. He’s had some of the most high-level gigs in history, and he does not take it for granted. He looks at every performance as an opportunity, and he’s simply grateful for the chance to do what he loves. When I asked Grammy-winning producer Peter Asher about working with Gadd, he eloquently explained the importance of his contribution, saying:

Throughout the history of jazz and rock and roll there have been a few great drummers whose touch, whose ideas, whose groove and whose tone were wholly distinctive and capable of changing the direction of a specific track or even music as a whole.  The influence that the past masters (people like Gene Krupa or Max Roach or Kenny Clarke) had on the music of their time is matched by very few players today – and preeminent among those players is Steve Gadd. He contributes to the very essence of the songs and tracks on which he plays.  Elegant, distinctive, witty, inventive  – and yet somehow irresistibly funky at the same time.  He plays like a gentleman- but a gentleman with a deep and dark soul.”

Read my interview with Steve Gadd below.

I’m always interested in the nature-vs.-nurture side of talent and creativity. I know your uncle bought you drumsticks at the age of three. Had he not provided that encouragement, do you think you would have gone down the same path?

I don’t think so. They saw interest, which guided me. My uncle gave me those drumsticks before we had television, and my grandmother used to take me for lessons. I lived with my parents, my grandparents, and my father’s brother. My grandparents and my uncle had horses, so I’d go to the barn and hang out with the horses. After they were bedded down, my uncle and I would put on records and the whole family would listen. We’d put on John Phillip Sousa marches and play on little round pieces of wood. It was a family affair.

Do you think they knew almost immediately, though, that you had an innate pull toward drumming?

Yeah, my uncle gave me sticks because I was banging with knives and forks. He saw that I had that inclination. He was a drummer in high school and he played in a parade with veterans. He had this red parade drum that I’ll never forget, and that was the first drum I saw. He was playing it in the parade. They just saw that I had an interest, and they nurtured it.

You’re a session drummer and a live, touring musician. Do you have a preference?

No, I like both. If the musicians are good and the music is good, they’re both enjoyable. It can get a little wearying to be away from family on the road, but musically I am inspired by both.

Your intro to “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” is iconic. Are there any drum parts that were equally influential to you?

Not drum parts, per se, but there were drummers – Buddy Rich, the Dorsey band, Gene Krupa with his band, Benny Goodman, and hearing a recording of Louie Bellson doing “Skin Deep” with double bass drums. Those were iconic drummers. I was influenced by them and by what they did. There wasn’t a part that they played, but it was everything they did.

The intro to “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” has a marching style to it. I know you spent about three years in the military. Did that play a role?

Not the military, but I played in drum corps as a kid and we had a great drum line. They were my good friends, and we were pretty serious about writing our own parts and teaching the guys to play the parts. So I’m sure that had some kind of influence.

I’ve read a lot about your performance on Steely Dan’s “Aja.” As I understand it, you weren’t  aware that Steely Dan already had other drummers record drum parts but weren’t happy with their performances.

No, I knew that. I think I’d heard that.  I was doing a lot of recording back then, so I got the call. The band was there, and we did it live. They were well-rehearsed because they’d played it with different drummers. I didn’t hear what they did with other drummers, and I’m sure whatever they did was good. It was just a matter of whatever was done was not exactly what Walter and Donald were looking for, and somehow they were able to communicate it to me and we just went for it. So I was aware that other drummers were called to do it, but you never know which one they’re going to use. I didn’t know at the end of what I did whether they were going to end up using it or using something that someone else did. You never know. You just try to do your best.

Did you have a feeling after, like, “Man, that one worked.” Could you feel the energy when it was complete?

I felt like they liked what happened.  It wasn’t as if I was trying to go in there and do my set. I was going in there to try and understand what it was they were going for and to try to give them that. You could feel the positive energy at the end of that session.

I’m sure you’ve had experiences where you feel like the energy in the room is not conducive to optimizing creativity. How do you handle that?

You just give whatever it is you give to try and make it happen. Whatever knowledge and experience that I have, I would put all my energy into just getting past that. A lot of times there’s just a miscommunication, so if you can help the line of communication or if you can help someone understand, it takes it to another level. Hopefully that would help, but there’s no guarantee. You just do the best you can.

I read an interview with Steely Dan that you’re playing worked so well because of your jazz background. Do you think it’s necessary for up-and-coming drummers to master all genres?

The things that I’ve mastered were things that I’ve loved, so I’ve just followed my heart. I think that if they hear jazz and they like it, then it’s worth pursuing, not for any other reason than to enjoy playing that kind of music with people who play that way. That doesn’t mean you’re going to get called to do that, but there’s a possibility that you’re going to have a good time with good players playing good music, and that’s the inspiration.

Do you think it’s an advantage that you learned jazz first, since it’s a more complex genre?

It was good for me. I don’t think that there’s any one way that works for anyone. I think it can work different ways for different people. There’s a lot of jazz drummers back in the day that weren’t inspired by groove or pop kind of music. At a certain point, I went to New York and I heard some guys play very simply and the groove was deep. You’d think it’s a simple, less technical approach, but it’s not. It’s not an easy thing to do. It’s just as challenging as playing very busy, but in another way. The drummer I heard do it the first time was Rick Marotta, and that’s what inspired me. To play less notes and make it feel the best it could feel, and to record where you start with the minimal amount to make it feel musical and then add as you go, it gives you somewhere to go. If you start at technical level 1 and volume level 10. you’ve got nowhere to go.

You’ve talked a lot about your desire to challenge yourself.

If I’m sitting down practicing, I’m always trying to look for new things. Yeah, I do that. When I was in the studios a lot, whatever calls came in I would take, no matter what they were. I’d just go in and do my best. Now, the studio scene isn’t the same anymore. It’s a lot different. If I was in New York and I was in a position to be in the studio, I would take whatever came in and try to do the best I could. If it was something I couldn’t do or I didn’t do as well as I wanted, I’d probably just go home and try and do it better.

When you say the studio scene is different, do you mean because of how the music industry has changed, or are you just referring to the fact that you’re no longer in New York?

Both. First of all, there’s not as much recording as there used to be when I was living in New York. Back in those days, there were advertisements, record gigs, and it was from morning until night. Since then, a lot of the studios have closed down, and there’s MIDI instruments where one guy can program everything. It’s a whole different ballgame. It’s not better or worse now, it’s just different. I still get some recording and I do my own stuff, but it’s not like when I was living in New York getting calls tonight to show up tomorrow at 10:00. It’s not that way now.
It sounds like you’re not necessarily upset about it, you’re just saying it’s different.

I’m not upset, I’m very grateful for the music that I’ve had the opportunity to play. I feel really lucky.  I play with great musicians either in my own band or if I’m out with James Taylor, Eric Clapton, David Sanborn with Bob James, or Will Lee. I play with some great players, and I love their music, so I feel pretty cool. I like spending time with my wife and seeing the kids when I can. It’s good.

You’ve talked a lot about self-evaluating, and I know you’ve said that when you’ve listened to your playback in the studio, it’s eye opening. When you’re playing live, can you get that same feeling in the moment of what works?

It’s a different thing. It’s not necessarily based on what you’re gonna hear back but on how much higher the person you’re working with is playing and how the audience is responding. There’s different ways to gauge it. And hopefully if you get a chance to hear it back, it will be something that you’ll like.

When you work with people like Eric Clapton or James Taylor, do you feel more creative freedom because you have worked with them in the past?

You sort of know what the music needs and you just try to get it to a certain level every night. The person you’re working with should get what they need. The bottom line is when you’re working with Eric Clapton, the arena’s going to be full. It’s about doing what you have to do for the music of the artist that hired you. You creatively figure that out in rehearsals. Then it’s just a matter of trying to get yourself ready to do it every night as if you were doing it for the first time.

Is it difficult to sustain that energy level when you’re performing songs that you‘re so familiar with?

Not if you’re clear about the job. It’s difficult if you’re thinking that you’re not doing as much as you can do creatively. You’ve got to just get your head around what you’re supposed to do. The performance takes a lot of energy. You’ve got to deal with monitors, different kind of halls every night, etc. There are hurdles to jump over when you’re on the road, even if you’re playing the same stuff every night.

You’ve discussed how you loved working with Chick Corea because the drum parts were not written. Is that something you prefer?

What I meant was the music was all written out, but I was reading off the piano score, so it was open for interpretation. I had music in front of me that was guiding me and his writing is beautiful, so it was just clear to me what I thought it needed. It was challenging because the writing was very high-level, and we recorded it live. It encompassed a lot of different areas of music that you work your whole lifetime to be able to achieve. You don’t always get in those situations where you’re able to apply everything, but that was one where I could pretty much apply it all – I could apply jazz, funk, reading music, playing in an orchestra – all of those things played a part in how I interpreted what I did for that music.

I would also imagine when you record live it creates a different energy in the room.

Yeah, all those situations are different when you record live. It’s another kind of pressure that you have to deal with. You have to work your mind to stay relaxed and remember that all it’s got to do is really feel good and everything else will fall into place. I don’t get too personal and try to get too slick with what I’m doing. I try to just be part of the process and do things for everyone else.

Tell me about your upcoming album.

I just finished our second album with the Steve Gadd Band, and we’re still mixing it. We haven’t decided on the title yet. Our first LP is called Gadditude, and it’s with the guys that I play with in James Taylor’s band: Larry Goldings (keys), Michael Landau (guitar), Jimmy Johnson (bass), Walt Fowler (trumpet). I like the music, and  there’s a lot of original stuff. These guys are great players and they’re great friends and we love hanging together. It’s a lot of fun. I’ve also been doing some projects with Edie Brickell.

I love Edie!

Edie writes all the songs and I produce them. She came up with the name of the band, The Gaddabouts, because she doesn’t like to put herself in front, but it’s all her music that we played and worked out in the studio. There are two albums out, and we’re just about ready to release the third. I’m really proud of that music and being involved with producing with people that I really love.

Is it more enjoyable to lead your own project?

Whatever music I play is special to me, regardless of whether it’s my thing. I wouldn’t approach working for someone else any less diligently than I would approach doing my own thing. The thing that’s nice about doing my band is that I can make more decisions musically. It’s a growing situation for me. I’m learning something that I never did before and getting to spend more time in the studio, so I like that.

Prince Harry Loses Legal Battle, Continues War

Prince Harry has officially lost his appeal to reinstate his publicly funded security detail during visits to the UK. He has been fighting this battle since 2020, when the government withdraw his regular police protection after he stepped back from his royal duties and relocated to the United States. According to Harry, he cannot safely return to his home country without protection. He argues that he has been unfairly singled out in what seems like a personal vendetta from the Royal family, as others in the same position as him have continued to be afforded this protection.

At the time Harry and his wife Meghan Markle chose to step down, Harry claimed “he would step [his] family back from all [he has] ever known to take a step forward into what [he] hope[s] can be a more peaceful life.” Judging from the interview below with the BBC, Harry’s decision has been nothing but peaceful. He is estranged from both his dying father and his only sibling, and instead of making a public plea to restore the bonds he has broken, he is using this as a platform to continue to poke the bear.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have trashed the Royal family at every turn, yet they continue to cash in on their titles, or what is left of them. If I were Harry, I’d focus more on repairing the bonds with his family than whining in every interview about what he is NOT getting. The decision has been made by the courts, a post-mortem conversation does nothing but cause further damage.

Allison Holker Tells All About Stephen tWitch Boss — backlash ensues

Stephen “tWitch” Boss took his own life, and it left many questioning what private demons the lovable public figure was battling. Wonder no more — because his widowed wife, Allison Holker, has exposed deep, dark secrets she claims to have discovered after her husband’s passing via his personal journal.

The backlash was rightfully swift and harsh. Stephen’s mother, for example, dismissed the revelations as “untruths” and asserted that Holker’s upcoming book has tarnished her son’s name and legacy. Courtney Platt, a dancer who starred on SYTYCD alongside Stephen and Allison, blasted the book, calling it the “most tacky, classless, opportunistic act [she has] ever seen in [her] entire life.” It doesn’t stop there. Andy Lassner, an executive producer on The Ellen DeGeneres Show during Stephen’s time on the show, questioned the veracity of Holker’s claims about Stephen. As an addict himself, Lassner said, “Every day his energy wasn’t the chaos of addiction — it was the calm that so many of us fight for.” He went on to call Stephen an “absolute king” who “deserves to be remembered that way.”

Though social media is unifying against Holker, a small few have pointed out the possibility that this book is in fact for a greater good, and it could save lives if other wives miss the same signs of their husband’s distress as she did. It’s a cute PR narrative that might have worked when society was far less jaded by intentional money grabs, but we’ve seen the wizard — and Holker is not getting her wish granted.

As a writer, I have many personal journals. When I leave them behind, I hope whoever finds them burns them. They are for me and me alone. If I wanted my friends, family, or significant others to read them, I’d have written them a letter. Shame on Holker for not understanding or respecting that.

When I think about Holker’s intentions, I am reminded that she spent the entirety of her relationship with Stephen choreographing ridiculous dances for Instagram clicks. She did interview after interview by his side, screaming about their love from the rooftops. Now that Stephen is no longer with us, she has found one last way to trade on his name for fame, and it’s appalling. Protecting his name and respecting his family’s wishes should be the first, not the last, consideration. His death alone is enough to inspire people to get help if they are struggling. No one needed this book. It’s a cash grab. Anyone arguing otherwise is part of a dishonest PR machine.

Luckily, Stephen tWitch Boss built an untouchable legacy that no one can tear down. And if any lesson comes out of this it’s to think how to respect your loved ones after they pass. How to carry on their legacy for generations to come. So much of who we are today is built on the backs for those who came before us. Those everlasting imprints should be respected and nurtured. Lastly, while you might think something is your story to tell, remember it’s never just your story.

It’s Taylor Swift v. Kim Kardashian on “thanK you aIMee”

Taylor Swift released the song “thanK you aIMee” off her new album, ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ and the strategic capitalization indicates it’s a direct hit at Kim Kardashian. Swift is wildly known for holding an eternal grudge, and since Hell hath no fury like Taylor Swift scorned, Swift has once again come for Kim in the form of a song. If only Kim Kardashian had taken her mother’s advice years ago…

In the video below you will see momager Kris Jenner advising her daughter, Kim Kardashian, to call Taylor Swift to make amends.

Kim did not take her mother/manager’s advice and instead went nuclear — by releasing what Kim considered to be cold hard “evidence” of Swift being caught red handed giving Kanye West permission to mention her in his song with the lyric, “I made that bit#h famous.” According to Kim, she was righting a wrong on behalf of her then husband. Kim claimed Swift gave Kanye permission for the lyric, later denied having done so, and then bashed Kanye at every turn. The only problem? Kim’s cold, hard evidence was only a snippet of a much larger, rambling conversation with Kanye in which he exhausted Swift into placating him so she could get off the phone. Swift asked for a preview of the Kanye song through a clear sigh, and when she finally hung up even I was confused at what just occurred.

According to Swift via her interview with Time for Person of the Year, “You have a fully manufactured frame job, in an illegally recorded phone call, which Kim Kardashian edited and then put out to say to everyone that I was a liar. That took me down psychologically to a place I’ve never been before. I moved to a foreign country. I didn’t leave a rental house for a year. I was afraid to get on phone calls. I pushed away most people in my life because I didn’t trust anyone anymore. I went down really, really hard.”

Kim came very close to ruining Swift’s overall reputation as a result, and she never apologized. Pure talent is only reason Swift came back from the dead. As adept as Swift’s PR team is — even a magician can’t resurrect a dead body. Talent will always rise to the top. But Swift cannot and will not ever let this go, and as a grudge holder myself, I’m here for it. If there’s a lesson to be learned here, it is ALWAYS LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER.

Enjoy the song below.

Noah Kahan Performs “Stick Season” on SNL

Photo by: Will Heath/NBC

I knew Noah Kahan would skyrocket to fame the second I heard him open for George Ezra on tour. It gives me a bit of a chuckle now thinking back to the Ezra audience’s short attention span. For those who see live music in Los Angeles, you know that the opening acts get very little respect. Noah killed it that night, and has continued to kill it.

If only I’d asked for an interview on his rise. See below for his performance of “Stick Season” on Saturday Night Live. And the next time you see your favorite artist perform — pay attention to his/her opening act.

People Magazine Skips De Niro’s Age But Happily Reveals His Girlfriend’s

It does not bother me that Robert De Niro chose to bring new life into the world at the age of 80. It also doesn’t bother me that his girlfriend’s age is nearly half of that. It’s a free country, and folks can do whatever they please with their reproductive powers. I am; however, filled with blind rage about the media’s hypocritical treatment of late-in-life fathers versus mothers in the same position. People Magazine is no exception.

In a new article to promote De Niro’s latest film, Killers of the Flower Moon, People Magazine did a cover story on the two-time Oscar winner, and they listed every person’s age except De Niro’s. That includes his girlfriend and all of his children.

People Magazine is a symptom of a larger, sexist problem among the general population and the media at large. When Hilary Swank gave birth in her forties, she was forced to defend her choice after a plethora of online attacks. She’s one of many women in the spotlight who have chosen to have children in their forties, and People Magazine is free to feature them in a cover story about motherhood as a means of reducing the stigma — and they have chosen not to do so. I’ve had enough.

I am guessing there was a negotiation between De Niro’s team and People Magazine to exclude his age from the piece. I’m fine with that. But then don’t include anyone else’s either, especially his girlfriend’s.

Interview with Drummer David Ely

I was first introduced to David Ely’s drumming at an underground speakeasy where, as usual, I paid more attention to the drummer than the singer. I pride myself on having a “musical ear” and was determined to confirm that Mr. Ely was in fact highly trained (because I know a trained musician when I hear it).

Ely is in fact trained — and at an excellent school no less. I then found myself asking many follow-up questions about where to hear him play in Los Angeles, his very impressive musical journey, and his plans for the future. We both quickly decided our conversation be better served in a longform interview for my listeners.

Listen below to learn a thing or two about the very talented man behind the drums, the state of the making a living in music today, and much more. Also, visit thisisdapoolparty.com to see David Ely’s incredible artwork.

The Downfall of The Smiths — Will the Real Will and Jada Please Stand Up?

When Will Smith slapped Chris Rock over Rock’s tepid joke at the 2022 Oscars, people immediately blamed Jada Pinkett Smith. In a recent interview with Hoda Kotb for TODAY, Jada herself described the backlash, saying that the public thought of her as “the adultress wife” who “made Will Smith go to ‘Red Table Talk‘ to discuss her extra-marital affair with August Alsina and “now look at what she’s done. She has the power with an eyeroll to make him go up and slap somebody on stage.” Funny enough, as a blogger with an upper-level legal education who is by no means a troll — Jada’s characterization is EXACTLY what I thought. Though we are all responsible for our own acts, especially when they involve physical violence, Will Smith looked completely unhinged on Oscar night, and I could not help but wonder if his tumultuous personal life was to blame. Call me traditional, but a husband sitting beside his wife as she publicly discusses her “entanglement” with a much younger man who made her happy in a way her husband could not, could take a mental and emotional toll on said husband.

For those who do not know, ‘Red Table Talk’ was a talk show on on Facebook Watch hosted by Jada Pinkett Smith, her daughter Willow Smith, and her mother Adrienne Banfield-Norris. The series featured candid conversations about relationships, family dynamics, mental health, addiction and other personal and social issues. Most importantly, the show was marketed as the mecca of truth talking. Jada often discussed how she made her marriage to Will Smith work, implying that the couple had risen above many of their past challenges and they were proud to say that “divorce is not an option.” For years there were rumors that the twosome had an open marriage and they vehemently denied it. It was not until August Alsina exposed his years long relationship with Jada, that the façade began to crack. The Smiths were now forced to address the state of their union, and they did it at the Red Table. Only they didn’t really do it. They simply revealed that they had briefly separated, NOT that they weren’t together at all. Though “divorce” might not be an option, a long-term separation certainly was. We now know that the power couple have been living separately for SEVEN years. For all intents and purposes — they are divorced.

Hollywood is a funny place. When you live here, you’ll often hear tales of A-lister adultery, drug use, and open relationships, and it’s always met with my personal eyeroll. “Why would anyone fake their relationship for YEARS,” I’d ask in the most agitated of tones, often chalking these rumors up to conspiracy theories. Then I’d think of Rock Hudson and remind myself that all things are possible. BUT there hasn’t been a Rock Hudson-style fake marriage in decades…until now.

Jada and Will faked it. And they REALLY faked it. They walked red carpets, they joked about keeping their relationship hot, they hosted people at their home for ‘Red Table Talk,’ and so on. And why would anyone put so much effort into faking a relationship? Because Jada and Will were a brand, and it served their brand to stay together. Now that Will’s reputation is irreparably tarnished, it no longer serves a purpose to pretend. Jada’s press tour to promote her new book, ‘Worthy,’ is simply another attempt to preserve a public image that was erroneously predicated on authenticity and honesty. Good luck. We’ve seen the wizard, and we’re not going back.

Rachel Leviss Finally Speaks — to Bethenny Frankel

Rachel Leviss has finally spoken out post Scandoval, and she chose reality television’s queen of revisionist history — Bethenny Frankel — as her “safe space.” Here is a rundown of Rachel’s very underwhelming revelations:

  • She never really loved Tom Sandoval. She just “got caught up.”
  • Rachel is “remorseful,” though she has yet to expand on that with any depth beyond just using the word remorseful.
  • She was never “best friends” with Ariana. In fact, she only hung out with Ariana to be closer to Tom, and the two ladies never had any one-on-one interactions.
  • She isn’t surprised Ariana and Tom still share the same abode, given that even at the height of Tom and Ariana’s romantic relationship, they were always just roommates who ignored one another.
  • She would never have become romantically involved with Tom had she believed that Tom and Ariana would go the distance.
  • Tom insists that he and Ariana were simply “a brand” not a relationship.
  • The Vanderpump Rules producers attempted to secure Rachel’s return to the show by luring her with the idea that she should return to “tell her own story” rather than “letting someone tell her story for her.” Rachel instead chose to tell her story to Bethenny because Bethenny “is a force.”
  • She never properly healed from her breakup with James Kennedy.
  • She entered treatment to learn why she has always been attracted to unavailable men.

There’s one concerning demon in this interview, and it’s not Raquel/Rachel Leviss. Rachel is not the first, nor will she be the last mistress, and she’s also not the first 28-year-old to make a terrible mistake. As for Bethenny, she’s a middle-aged hypocrite who spent an entire reunion on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills eviscerating her co-star Carole Radziwill to only now proclaim that Rachel Leviss’ castmates “went too far” at their own reunion. Perhaps it takes one to know one? Bethenny has also drastically changed her tune about her reality television reign after years of singing its praises. If it suits Bethenny, she’ll sing for her supper.

As for Rachel, I found her post-mental-health-camp personality to be disappointing. I hoped she’d have found her voice, but that voice is just as shaky (literally) as it was prior to her personal work. She still seems extremely fragile, and I’d tell her to leave this business and never look back. The last thing Rachel wants is to be a faux-influencer recording poor-quality videos about dollar-store blush on her YouTube channel.

Chloe Fineman Tanks Her Met Gala Hosting Duties

There’s an unacceptable Hollywood trend afloat, and it involves giving hosting gigs to famous folks with zero hosting experience. SNL cast member Chloe Fineman was sadly behind the microphone at the Met Gala, which I painfully streamed on Vogue.com during the ceremony. One of her worst moments has since gone viral, and it involves an awkward exchange with designer Stella McCartney and Aubrey Plaza, the latter of which Fineman didn’t seem to recognize at all.

Though there’s a debate as to whether the ladies were putting Fineman at ease with humor or simply takings digs, the fact remains the same — Fineman wasn’t up to the task. To make matters worse, Fineman also swapped her heels for hotel slippers halfway through the night, which would be cute if it wasn’t the biggest fashion event of the year.

Hosting an event is difficult. It involves vamping, thinking on the fly, knowing the names of just about everyone, asking last-minute questions, being funny, etc. The idea that it’s anyone’s game is offensive, and Fineman’s co-host Derek Blasberg, was equally inexperienced. I blame Vogue for this, along with Fineman and Blasberg’s agents and managers for allowing it.

Watch the exchange below and decide for yourself whether these lovely ladies were joking.