Erin BroadleySteel Panther destroying the red carpet. All photos by Shannon Cottrell.
I usually resist working red carpets but on November 13th I braved the corridor of flashing bulbs, pancake makeup and pouty lips for a great cause — the VH1 Classic Rock Autism Celebrity Bowl-Off, hosted by actress Holly Robinson Peete and her husband, football legend Rodney Peete, and rocker Dave Navarro. After the media storm, the celebs in attendance at Lucky Strike Lanes in Hollywood competed in a bowl-off and silent auction of rock memorabilia to raise awareness and money for medical advancements towards autism.
I wish I could tell you what it was like to watch Anthrax's Scott Ian bowl against the lead singer of the Goo Goo Dolls but, alas, media was not actually allowed inside the event. What I can tell you is that after the standard set of charity event press questions asked on the red carpet, I had only one more that desperately needed answering: When it comes to bowling movies, which is better and why: The Big Lebowski or Kingpin?
Here are some of my favorite answers…
Dave Navarro (of Camp Freddy, Jane's Addiction, ex-Red Hot Chili Peppers): “I would have to say, hands down, Big Lebowski. It's just smarter.”
Scott Ian (of Anthrax, Pearl) and Pearl Aday (of Pearl): “Big Lebowski. Love Kingpin too, but Lebowski. On every level it's smarter, it's funnier, better directed… and it's The Big Lebowski.”
Chris Hardwick (of nerdist.com and ultimate nerd-rock band Hard 'N Phirm): “Well, Kingpin is more of a bowling movie. The Big Lebowski just had bowling in it. My dad's a professional bowler so if you ask him about Kingpin he's like, 'Eh, that's really not how it happened.' And I'm like, 'I know dad. And the Amish don't bowl so let's just get past that.'”
Steel Panther (of Sunset Strip tribute band Steel Panther): “Kingpin. It's darker, creepier and bitchin'. And Bill Murray. Dude, the rose in the [bowling] ball…”
Corey Feldman (of The Truth Movement): “Kingpin. There's no question. Kingpin is one of the genius movies of all time. Hand down, the greatest bowling movie in history. And let's not even talk about [Bill Murray's] hair piece, let's talk about the rubber hand. The Amish thing…. it's all there.”
For more information on how to get involved in VH1's Classic Rock Autism, go to www.rockautism.vh1classic.com.
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