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The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

'Twilight' fans camp out for vampire farewell

Posted: 12 Nov 2012 06:06 PM PST

LOS ANGELES: Thousands of excited "Twilight" fans have been camping out in Los Angeles to await the last episode of the blockbuster saga - and not even chilly temperatures could cool their vampire passions.

The past few nights have been decidedly brisk by California standards, but that has not deterred what has become something of a November tradition: a small tent city sprouting up outside the Nokia Theatre in downtown LA.

"Robeeeert!", "Kristeeeen!" and "Tayloooor!" come the regular cries from teenage fans agog to see their heroes at the red carpet - sorry black carpet - premiere of "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2" Monday evening.

The "Twilight" mini-camp began last Thursday, with some willing to camp out for days for an autograph, a photo or just a smile from the stars of the movie, the fifth and final installment of the saga.

"I've been here since 'New Moon'," 19-year-old Sean Evans told AFP, referring to the second "Twilight" movie in 2009.

"Before, it was on a first-come, first-served basis, but this year, they had a lottery, and I didn't get camp number 1. I'm on 6, in a parking lot," he said, visibly disappointed.

Camp number 1, which is right next to the black carpet, is clearly the best location but only houses a small fraction - in six rows of tents - of the 2,200 places allocated by lottery by Lionsgate-Summit, which produces the saga.

Fans have traveled from around the world to be here: flags from Britain, Venezuela, France, Spain, Australia and Canada hang from tents alongside posters and other knick-knacks.

One tent is draped with white flowers as a make-shift wedding chapel for "Twilight" heroes Bella Swan, played by Kristen Stewart, and Edward Cullen, played by Robert Pattinson.

Thais Santos came from Belem in northern Brazil with her mother Maria, and won a prized place in Camp Number 1. "My mom helped me because she knows it's my dream," she said.

Her excitement knew no bounds when three actors from the movie - not the major stars themselves - turned up to greet fans in the afternoon, provoking near-hysteria.

"It's an amazing experience. I made so many friends here. I just met the actors and that was amazing, I have autographs and everything ... It's a dream come true," said the 19-year-old.

She said her world is divided into Before Twilight and After Twilight.

"I like Harry Potter, I grew up with Harry Potter," she said, referring to J.K. Rowling's boy wizard. "But in the middle of this 'Twilight' showed up and it was amazing, because I was kind of sad at that time," she said.

"I had problems in my family and 'Twilight' made me happy. Since then I'm another person, it changed me.

I'm a more happy person, I made so many friends with 'Twilight'."

Her biggest wish is to meet Stewart, she says.

"I'm crazy about her. I love her more than anything, she's my diva. I want to touch her, just to see if she's real. I hope she will sign on a piece of paper because I want to make a tattoo with it," Santos said.

"I love, love, love her. She's so nice, she's so cool."

Californian Evans says his "hero" is Taylor Lautner, who plays shape-shifting wolf-man Jacob Black. "I've gotten a picture a few time but it's the last premiere, the last time I'm going to camp out for a movie.

"So hopefully I get one last one," said Evans, one of the few boys camping out in a sea of teenage girls.

Well, not only girls: there is also, a little further away, a group of "Twilight Moms."

Jenny Updike left her five children at home in Draper, Utah to come camp out in LA.

"It's such a refreshing love story. I think that Edward, the character, he speaks to every woman's heart. It's the kind of communication and the kind of companionship that every woman wants," she said.

And what is she going to do, once the "Twilight" saga is over? "Just keep my friends, these are my friends and we're going to stick together and have 'Twilight' reunions all the time," she said.

"And have another baby, a sixth one," added the 37-year-old. - AFP

Sesame Street puppeteer denies underage sex claim

Posted: 12 Nov 2012 06:06 PM PST

LOS ANGELES: The puppeteer behind Elmo on "Sesame Street" said Monday he was taking time out from the US children's TV show to fight a "defamatory" claim he had a sexual relationship with an underage boy.

Kevin Clash, the man behind the furry red character's high-pitched voice and frenetic gestures, admitted he had a relationship with his accuser, who claims he was 16 years old when they started dating, according to studio officials.

But Clash said the accuser was not under the age of consent, which is 17 in New York, where the show is made.

"I am a gay man. I have never been ashamed of this or tried to hide it, but felt it was a personal and private matter. I had a relationship with the accuser," said Clash, in a statement forwarded to AFP by publicist Risa Heller.

"It was between two consenting adults and I am deeply saddened that he is trying to characterize it as something other than what it was. I am taking a break from Sesame Workshop to deal with this false and defamatory allegation."

Sesame Workshop, the studio behind the legendary show, said it was contacted by a man who claimed to have had a relationship with Clash seven years ago, when he was 16. Clash was reportedly 45 at the time.

"In June of this year, Sesame Workshop received a communication from a then 23-year-old man who alleged that he had a relationship beginning when he was 16 years old with Kevin Clash," it said.

"We took the allegation very seriously and took immediate action," it added, noting it had interviewed both the accuser and Clash about the claims.

"We also conducted a thorough investigation and found the allegation of underage conduct to be unsubstantiated," it said.

"Although this was a personal relationship unrelated to the workplace, our investigation did reveal that Kevin exercised poor judgment and violated company policy regarding Internet usage and he was disciplined.

"Kevin insists that these allegations are false and defamatory and he has taken actions to protect his reputation. We have granted him a leave of absence to do so."

The studio insisted the claim would not have an impact on the show, or the character, saying: "Elmo is bigger than any one person and will continue to be an integral part of Sesame Street to engage, educate and inspire children around the world."

The story is the second involving "Sesame Street" to make headlines in recent months after fellow character Big Bird became embroiled in the US presidential campaign, when Mitt Romney vowed to end public subsidies for the program.

Republican Romney, who was much lampooned for his Big Bird comment during a debate with Democratic President Barack Obama, lost the election on November 6.

The program, which first appeared on public television in November 1969, teaches children the basics of reading, writing and counting. - AFP

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Isnin, 12 November 2012