Episode 62: Celebrities Go Back to Their First Jobs
Brooke takes the Oprah cameras to the dress rehearsal of Dancing with the stars. Kate Gosselin talks about the science of spray tanning. Nicole talks of the costume designers who work magic. They are sewn into their costumes. Tony show how the male abs are accentuated by make up. The dancers wear hair extensions. Pamela Anderson is enjoying it, she is fully clothed. Thanks for letting them back there, says Oprah.
Brooke was rooting for Kate, as a mother Brooke had so much admiration for what she did. To go out and get bashed for what you are doing is hard. It was an emotional night when she went. Oprah says that everyone seems worried about Pamela Anderson’s wardrobe in case of malfunction. Brooke confirms that the stars do get paid, and the longer they are there the more they get. But at the end of it is the confidence of knowing that you became a dancer in three months.
Before she was a dancer, Brooke landed a part-time job at her hometown pretzel shop. She was 15 years old and “did everything. I baked the pretzels. I worked the cash register. I cleaned up the place.” More than 20 years later, Brooke rolls up her sleeves to see if she still has what it takes to make a tasty twist. Brooke reports for duty at an Auntie Anne’s Pretzels shop to train with Farid. After donning a signature blue apron, Brooke learns to make pretzel dough. “When I worked at Mr. Pretzel, they were frozen,” she says. “I just had to thaw the pretzels out and then pop them in the oven and bake them.” Once the dough is ready, Brooke tackles the hard part—the twist! Farid says he can twist 40 pretzels in just three minutes, but it takes Brooke a little longer to perfect her technique. She dips the unbaked pretzels in the “secret solution.” Derek Hough from Dancing With the Stars comes in to learn from her to to twist. The staff rate their technique, they get a 3, 5 and a 4.
“It’s all in your wrists,” she says. “It’s not easy.” Brooke shows Oprah who twists and twists. They have a twist off in the audience, Brooke chooses three people to twist the perfect pretzel in 15 seconds. Brooke demonstrates. The women make their pretzels. Edna won. She is going to go with a guest to the season finale of Dancing with the Stars. Edna screams and hugs Oprah. Oprah announces that there are Auntie Anne’s pretzels for everyone in the audience.
Before she became the queen of Southern cuisine, Food Network superstar Paula Deen was barely making ends meet at her first job as a bank teller. Paula started cashing checks and depositing paychecks at age 18. To relive her humble beginnings, Paula clocks in at a bank in Studio City, California, for an afternoon behind the counter. After taking a tour of the vault, Paula reports for duty armed with supplies. “I brought some of my wonderful oatmeal cookies here,” she says. “I can always bribe my customers if they get aggravated with me or something.” Paula chats with the customers, makes jokes and asks someone to sign the No Phone Zone pledge for Oprah. “The clients loved Paula,” branch manager Anna says. “She was funny; she was friendly. I would hire Paula Deen in a second.” For two and a half hours, Paula counted cash with ease. “It has been 23 years since I’ve been in a bank, and it felt like I was gone 23 minutes,” she says.
Paula did it off and on for twenty years. When Paula was a teller, she made $5 an hour. “I got paid twice a month, and my check was $379.18,” she says. Wow, says Oprah. Oprah says that is less than she was making. Oprah asks how she dreamed bigger for herself. “When I started the business 21 years ago, I just wanted my children and I to be able to pay our bills and buy groceries. While I was raising my boys, I taught them that they could be or do anything they wanted to be,” she says. “While I was selling this to them, I don’t know that I was buying it myself. Because I didn’t know I could dream big. I didn’t know that. I know it now.” Now, Paula has some simple advice for anyone with a dream. “Go for it,” she says. “There’s no sin in failing, but the sin is in never trying.” The crowd applaud.
Coming up the delicious meal that Paula made for her sons when times were tough, says Oprah. And I still make it, laughs Paula. Paula shows Oprah how to make her Hash Brown Casserole that she used to make when on a tight budget. Oprah is excited by the words “hash brown” and “casserole”. Oprah sautés the onions in butter and then they add some frozen hash browns. In the other pan they have sausage cooking. Paula makes an egg custard with 8 eggs, mustard, nutmeg, salt and pepper and milk. Oprah says that she likes to cook. Oprah sprays the casserole dish with oil. She has cheddar, parmesan and bread cubes. Oprah puts the onions and potatoes in the casserole dish. Oprah says that she loves to hear Paula talk with her Southern accent. Paula says that Ryan Seacrest and Paula are from the same state and yet talk so different, because she never had voice lessons. Paula puts in the sausage, bread and custard, tops it with cheese and bakes at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Some of the cheddar is reserved to add 10 minutes from the end. They put it in the oven and take out one that is already done “in Paula world.” Wow, wow, wow, says Oprah as Paula cuts her a hunk. “Y’all can make this tonight for dinner,” shouts Oprah. They give it to Brooke to fatten her up. Oprah mentions Paula’s new book about interior decorating with Southern charm. They tell Brooke to eat all of the casserole.
Before he mentored American Idol contestants on how to carry a tune, Randy Jackson carried, stocked and shelved groceries as a 13-year-old in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He “worked in a little mom-and-pop grocery store,” he says. He goes to the store he will be working in and reads the rules, saying that he can’t wear jewels. “I’m going to teach him how to bag,” his co-worker Matt says. “It’s been awhile since he’s done it, so I’ll make sure he’s not too rusty.” As the line grows longer, Randy takes orders from his cashier, Isabel. “Speed it up a little, dawg,” she says. When he’s not bagging, Randy’s hard at work stocking shelves and helping customers to their cars. “I’m perspiring already, man,” Randy says. “It’s a lot harder than I remember.” Randy’s return to the checkout line taught him an important lesson. “Treat people how you want to be treated. They’re in there grocery shopping. There’s no excuse for any kind of attitude,” he says. “A little bit of kindness goes a long, long way.”
Oprah talks to Randy via Skype. It feels like I never left it,” he says. “But you’re glad you did,” says Oprah. Yes, Randy agrees. Oprah asks if working young gives you a sense of appreciation when you make it big. Randy says working at an early age helped him get where he is now. “I was working in a family grocery store for my uncle and my dad, so there was no free ride given,” he says. “So I think at an early age when you can learn to work hard, I think that work ethic definitely helps you throughout the rest of your life.” Randy is having a blast on Idol this year and he loves Ellen. He’s still close with Paula Abdul who is doing well. Oprah asks if Randy will miss Simon- of course, he is one of Randy’s dearest friends, but they will be friends for life. Oprah asks what the future is for American Idol. Randy says that it has a long future, it can thrive alongside Simon’s other show. He is having a great time, he loves it, he’s having a blast. Thanks says Oprah.
She jumped out of a plane, danced with the Dallas Cowboys’ cheerleaders and got naked on a beach, all for her job. But can Ali Wentworth survive a day with Oprah’s production team? Ali has her ID badge, it is 6am and she has to check in the studio audience. Next she has a pre-show meeting to go over team assignments. Ali preps Jenna from J.Crew. 80lbs of cake have to be cut, plated and ready to go. Ali is in charge of the waiters serving the cake. Next she has to have the flowers come out. Ali has one final job to go into the voiceover booth with Oprah to do the voiceover for the TV stars to go back to their old jobs. Oprah talks to Ali via Skype, asking if she learned a lot. Ali says that she was so stressed out she couldn’t wait to get back to motherhood. She says that the show looks so gorgeous and seamless. She says that now watching Paula Dean she is thinking of the 8 producers running around behind the scenes in high heels. Ali says that all jobs are stressful but as everyone as manically running around, they are vivacious and have smiles on their face. Ali says that she is not licking the hand that feeds her, but it does trickle down from the top. Thanks Ali, says Oprah.
Oprah asked all her guests to take the No Phone Zone pledge, and they all signed it. In the past 3 months, 63 celebrities have signed it along with almost 200,000 viewers. April 30th is National No Phone Zone Day. Oprah thanks everyone, and says bye.
WHAT WE LEARNED TODAY:
Brooke Burke says that making a bucket list and being vulnerable pays off: She wanted to come on the Oprah Show, she put it on her list and now she’s on the Oprah Show.
Paula Dean says There’s no sin in failing, but the sin is in never trying.
Randy from American Idol says treat people how you want to be treated.
Randy thinks that a strong work ethic definitely helps you throughout the rest of your life.
The Oprah Winfrey show may look like a seamless production, but there are many people running around behind the scenes to make it happen.
A VERY QUICK SUMMARY:
Celebrities are just like us! They have first jobs too! They worked in banks and pretzel shops and grocery stores. And now they can laugh at those wages.