Originally published in The Blade on Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Local teen wins trip to L.A. for a party with Brody Jenner
BY RYAN E. SMITH
BLADE STAFF WRITER
Waterville Township resident Kellie Hanson has a message for Brody Jenner, the reality TV celebrity and son of Olympic decathlete Bruce Jenner.
"Tell him to get ready for a good time."
That's what the 19-year-old told a representative from Usmagazine.com, the Web site for Us Weekly, when she learned she had won its national contest to go on a date with Jenner.
The Anthony Wayne High School graduate has plenty to be excited about — a free trip to L.A. beginning today and a shopping spree, plus a chance to join Jenner for Us Weekly's Hot Hollywood Style Party tomorrow, where celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez, Lindsay Lohan, and Ryan Seacrest are expected to attend.
"I heard there are supposed to be lots of celebrities there," Miss Hanson told The Blade. "I think it's going to be fun to go to that party with [Jenner]."
To Miss Hanson, an occasional model and aspiring actress, this isn't about a chance to put the moves on a young California heartthrob who's been romantically linked to the likes of Nicole Richie and who's appeared on the MTV show, The Hills.
She said she didn't know much about Jenner, 23, before entering the contest, which required applicants to submit a video online explaining why they should win. Miss Hanson said she's just a small-town girl looking for some fun and maybe some exposure.
Her video stressed the difference between her world and the stereotypical California girl.
"We're, like, roughing it out here," Miss Hanson said, referring to her family's brown A-frame house just feet from the Maumee River. Showers have to be short, and floodwaters have forced them to leave for days at a time.
She likes girly things - makeup and clothes - but she also loves fishing, boating, and camping. And don't even think about beating her at poker.
"I win every time."
Miss Hanson found out about the contest when she was on the Internet trolling for casting calls. Then all she had to do was hope enough people voted for her video online.
That's where she got a little help — from her mom, her dad (who said he voted more than 12,000 times), their friends, pretty much everyone.
"I didn't get anything done for about a week," admitted her mom, Cathy Hanson. "I was getting pretty fast [at voting online]."
Until her computer broke.
"It was old, but I was on that a lot," she said.
In the end, Miss Hanson collected about 40,000 votes, more than twice the amount of her nearest rival, according to Ken Baker, editorial director for Usmagazine.com.
He said the site ended up getting video submissions from close to 50 women wanting to date Jenner, whom he described as "a nice guy" and "a staple of the celebrity magazines."
"He's really known as a lady's man and arguably is Hollywood's most eligible bachelor," Mr. Baker said.
As for Miss Hanson, this is not the first big win for the Owens Community College student, who is studying business and who works as a waitress part-time at a Walbridge restaurant that her brother operates. A couple of years ago, she won a Britney Spears look-alike contest sponsored by Bon Ton Stores Inc., which owns Elder-Beerman stores.
That didn't involve meeting a celebrity, though, and the prospect of meeting Jenner has Miss Hanson excited.
"I have heard a lot about him, both good and bad," she said. "I'm figuring that the bad is just because they're jealous."
As for his portrayal as a guy on permanent vacation on the short-lived Fox reality show, The Princes of Malibu, she said: "I heard that was all staged."
She's done some research on Jenner and Miss Hanson said he seems like a really nice, compassionate guy.
"I've grown to like him," she said.
Enough to let him end their evening together with a kiss?
"Maybe on the cheek if he's lucky."
Kellie Hanson won a chance to go on a date with Brody Jenner. (THE BLADE/HERRAL LONG)
Brody Jenner, the son of Olympian Bruce Jenner.
