Chaz Bono and Kristin Chenowith were the top draws on the red carpet on the plaza leading in to the Creative Arts Emmys on Saturday afternoon. “Mr. Bono, Mr. Bono!” the photographers yelled as he arrived with date Jennifer Elia.
Publicist Howard Bragman was far from surprised from the response since Bono was announced for “Dancing with the Stars”.
“Nobody’s said word one about (fellow contestant) Carson Kressley, so I think the Christian Right has given up on the gay rights battle, and now they’re moving their battle lines to the transgendered issue,” he told TheWRAP before the three-plus hour show. “The biggest fear the Christian Right has is that Chaz Bono will go on TV and be a nice sweet guy that America likes."
A tired Chenowith said, “I’m here, but I’m not really here,” after wrapping a night shoot of ABC’s upcoming “GCB” ("Good Christian Belles") only hours earlier.
Nominee Julia Stiles was also walking off a set, having just started an end-of-the-world comedy “It’s a Disaster!” with America Ferrara and David Cross this week.
“I was totally spoiled working on ‘Dexter,'" she said. "I loved what they wrote for me, I loved going to work every day.”
For the record, Stiles was also upbeat about the new project, her third with this team of producers.
Most of the fans gathered around the perimeter at L.A. Live were young, yelling for “Degrassi” and the Nickelodeon cast of “iCarly”.
Chuck Lorre and Jon Cryer are still avoiding the press, sneaking in through a side door, as did Seth Meyers and Cloris Leachman. 
Mieke Velghi from vote counter Ernst & Young (which also does the Golden Globes) had her handcuffs “blinged” out.
The TV Academy confiscated all cameras on the way in, something they will be doing again for the primetime telecast next Sunday.
Among other reasons, this may be because of a few overzealous guests last year who hounded talent like Stephen Colbert for photos in the lobby.
As the show kicked off, the team from “Undercover Boss” was polishing off some wraps in the lobby as "So You Think You Can Dance" host Cat Deeley kicked back in an empty back row.
Moments later, Deeley was laughing out loud at “Friday Night Lights" star Connie Britton’s teleprompter banter with showrunner Jason Katims.
Kathy Griffin famously slugged the afternoon-to-night show “the Shemmemys,” earning her some potential special treatment. “I’m in row M,” she told TheWrap.
When Chris Colfer announced that “Saturday Night Live” won for Original Music and Lyrics, there was some confusion in the audience as "SNL" had four nominees in the category with various staff contributing to each entry.
When the graphic flashed on one of the screens showing that it was for Justin Timberlake’s monologue song, "SNL" star Seth Meyers bounded up on stage a few beats later.
