The FanGum Photo Contest

What a varied and delightful batch of FanGum photos you folks sent in… I'm glad I got Paul Shaffer to be the judge, because I would have found it awfully difficult to pick.  Yes, all cliches, and all true.

The winner of the FanGum Photo Contest is Mark Gentle, for his photo of a gum-adorned Lockheed A-12 spy plane at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, Huntsville, Alabama.  Mark wins his choice of either posing on 53rd Street for his own featured CelebriGum photo, or sending his gum to join the original gum on the ledge for some CelebriGum shots!  Way to go, Mark!

Paul also gave honorable mention to a pair of multi-gum shots taken by Catherine Huggins in the Governor's Mansion, Des Moines, Iowa.  Note the glass bases that prevent the gum from defacing the historic 1869 home.

  

Here are some other intriguing, surprising, clever, and just plain awesome submitted photos.  I'll be featuring these and others in the new FanGum section of the site, coming soon.

"The Bashful Astronaut," a Lego simulation of a typical CelebriGum shot, by Jack O'Brien

"I Love Lucy" -- Lucy the Elephant in Margate City, New Jersey, with a heart-shaped piece of gum, by Shirlee DiBacco

"VertiGum" by Katie Dolan

By Jim Westfall

The following entry is rated NC-17:

"Hot Gum on Gum Action" by Alan Page

The Ralph Kramden statue at New York City's Port Authority Bus Terminal, by Cheryl Levenbrown

At Seattle's famous Gum Wall, by Joni Layne

By Karen Byers

Monument Circle in Indianapolis, by Amy Holtsclaw

By Francine Hughes, a medical professional who I'm pretty sure snagged a tag from a hospital morgue for this shot of unchewed gum on a slab.

By Lenny Boudreau

"Gumbo(w)," by Liz Scholz 

The Hollywood Walk of Fame, by Philip Vaughn

Special mention goes to a webcam feed from Karl Schoettler.

Nutty and fabulous, as Paul would say.  Thanks to everyone who proved you don't need celebrities to have fun with gum and a camera.  

Johnny Depp

This is Todd Seda, one of the Late Show's cue card guys.  You may have seen his work here before.

Once again, Todd stepped up when I couldn't be at the window, and this time he really outdid himself.

A bleak classic, making masterful if accidental use of the sharp gum/out of focus celebrity effect.

A virtuoso framing of Mr. Depp at the far top left and the gum at the extreme lower right. 

Here Todd impresses with the extremely difficult and rarely seen reverse angle shot, also displaying impressive framing skill. 

And here's where Todd really earns a round of applause: the meta shot.  Late Show costume designer Sue Hum takes a picture of Johnny Depp across the street.  That's her face reflected in the window.  And somehow he still got the gum.  

Well done, my googly-eyed friend.

Oscar Winners

Ladies and gentlemen, winner of Best Actress Oscars for "Norma Rae" and "Places in the Heart," Sally Field! 

Are you kidding me?  

Whoever booked a Cadillac for Sally, rather than a Lincoln, should be fired.


Ladies and gentlemen, winner of a Best Actress Oscar for "As Good as It Gets," Helen Hunt!

Are you kidding me?

Whoever took such a miserable photograph should be fired.

LATE ADDITION BONUS FROM THE CELEBRIGUM ARCHIVES:

Ladies and gentlemen, winner of a Best Actor Oscar for "The Last King of Scotland," Forest Whitaker!

Good luck to all the nominees and their vehicles on Sunday night!

Hugh Jackman

Ladies, you've been very patient as I've posted heaps of photos of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition models and various sexy actresses in skimpy dresses.

This is a thank you for your patience.  

He's not bare-chested or showing leg, but here's Hugh Jackman putting on a suit jacket.  There are also a couple of other guys; maybe some of you will take a fancy to them.

Also very patient are the fans of the photos in which the gum is sharp and the celebrity is out of focus.  Not too many of those make it into CelebriGum, but here's one.

Be out and be proud, sharp gum fans.  There are more of you than you suspect.  You're just as God made you.

Pauley Perrette

It's a special double-shot entry!  TWO versions, TWO topical comedy references!

Let's get underway:

 The "NCIS" star greets the paparazzi.

I admit that I'm still a sucker for these dramatic wintertime paparazzi flash gum pictures.  I never get tired of the -- 

Oh no.

The European contamination crisis is spreading!

That's supposed to be one of Manhattan's famous cow-drawn carriages!

Crazy world.

 

 

Here's your alternate take:

 

Look out, Pauley Perrette, star of "NCIS"!

It's a giant meteor heading right toward you!

It's exploding, creating a destructive shock wave that will knock you down, break windows, and damage that carriage pulled by an unspecified animal!

Crazy world.

 

That was definitely worth a double length entry!

Hey, GumHeads!  Don't forget to enter the FanGum Photo Contest!

A Hit Parade of Musicians

Music acts are under-represented in CelebriGum.  Artists often arrive early for rehearsal, when I'm not at the window yet.  Another problem is that I'm old and unhip and don't always recognize the musical stars of today.

Nevertheless, here are a few luminaries I managed to snag with the gum.

R&B superstar Alicia Keys

British singer-songwriter Rita Ora

Rock guitarist Dave Navarro

Canadian indie rocker Diamond Rings

Country group Little Big Town

Hip-hop artist Marv Albert

Rock on, kids!

Bruce Willis

On the Late Show, looking back at his film career and the changes he's seen through the years, Bruce was philosophical.

He understands that everyone looks different than they did a quarter century ago.

1988

The CelebriGum Sports Illustrated Paparazzi Flash Edition

Each year Sports Illustrated and CelebriGum assemble some of the most beautiful women in the world and fly them to the most exotic, cold, drizzly blocks of midtown Manhattan to be photographed being photographed.  The women are blasted with high power paparazzi flashes, dazzling and often temporarily blinding them, while CelebriGum documents the proceedings with the gum in the foreground.  The dramatic photos are collected in the hotly anticipated CelebriGum Sports Illustrated Paparazzi Flash Edition.

  

   

Both CelebriGum and Sports Illustrated recognize that by restricting the photo essay to gorgeous women, we're leaving out half the potential audience.  Therefore, in order to broaden the Edition's appeal, this year we're pleased to include one of the world's most gorgeous men, Bill O'Reilly, who happened to be on the same show.

You're welcome, ladies.

Hey, have you entered the FanGum Photo Contest yet?  Details are here.