LITTLE ROCK — Are you ready for some slime?
If you have had kids in the house anytime in the past 32 years that Nickelodeon has been around, then you know what I’m talking about.
There will be green slime aplenty as Nickelodeon presents the 25th Annual Kids’ Choice Awards live from the Galen Center at the University of Southern California at Los Angeles at 7 p.m. Saturday.
Will Smith (still popular with the kids even at the creaky age of 43) is our host.
As usual, the frenetic program will honor kids favorites from the worlds of film, music, sports and television. Winners receive the coveted orange Nickelodeon Blimp. Smith has scored 10 of them over the years - the most wins for a non-animated celebrity.
The event should prove to be one of those rare shows the entire family can sit and enjoy together. Last year’s telecast, with Jack Black as host, drew 7.3 million viewers.
Starting March 1, kids got to vote online in 20 categories. The choices included favorite TV show, TV actor and actress, TV sidekick, reality show, cartoon, movie, movie actor and actress, animated movie and voice from an animated movie, butt-kicker (action star), male and female athletes, book, video game, music group, male and female singers and favorite song.
Among those up for blimps this year are Jessica Alba, Antonio Banderas, Justin Bieber, Big Time Rush, Jack Black, Ty Burrell, Jim Carrey, Miranda Cosgrove, Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp, Lady Gaga, Selena Gomez, Victoria Justice, Bruno Mars, Taylor Lautner, Danica Patrick, Katy Perry, Michael Phelps, Daniel Radcliffe, Adam Sandler, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Swift.
Wizards, Smurfs and a kung-fu panda dominated the movie categories, with the Harry Potter franchise tallying top nods with four nominations.
This year’s double nominations include The Muppets for Favorite Movie and Amy Adams for Favorite Movie Actress and the Twilight franchise for Favorite Book and Stewart for Favorite Movie Actress.
In the music categories, LMFAO, Perry and Swift all received two nods each.
In television, the stars of Nickelodeon’s comedy iCarly - Jennette McCurdy, Nathan Kress and Jerry Trainor - duke it out as they dominate the Funniest TV Sidekick category.
I voted for Jennette Mc-Curdy. Her Sam Puckett character steals the show.
What? Yes, of course, I voted.
I’m a big kid at heart.
Additionally, American Idol gets an eighth nomination for Favorite Reality Show. It’s up-against returning contenders, America’s Funniest Home Videos, America’s Got Talent and Wipeout.
If you’re watching the show with your younger kids, here are 10 fun Kids Choice facts with which to amaze them.
The first Nickelodeon awards show in 1987 was called The Big Ballot. It was changed to the Kids’ Choice Awards the following year.
Debbie Gibson was the first musical performer.
The blimp award (which weighs 2.02 pounds) appeared in 1990. Prior to that the award was a telescope/kaleidoscope hybrid.
The 1991 show had no live studio audience and was hosted by Little Rock native Corin (formerly Corky) Nemec, the star of Fox’s Parker Lewis Can’t Lose (1990-1993). Want to feel really old? Nemec is 40 now.
The first live awards show was in 1992 and hosted by Holly Robinson Peete, Tori Spelling
and Brian Austin Green.
- In 2004, Mary-Kate and
Ashley Olsen made history as
the first twin sliming.
- Leonardo DiCaprio won
the first Big Green Help Award
in 2009 for his work to improve
the environment.
- Michelle Obama was the
first-ever first lady to win a
blimp. In 2010, she nabbed the
renamed silver-glittered Big
Help Award for her Let’s Move
initiative.
- According to Nick, slime
was originally made with green
gelatin and cream of wheat or
oatmeal for disgusting thickening. Baby shampoo was later
added to help the slime wash
out. By the late ’90s most of the
slime used was either green applesauce or a liquid that simply
resembled green water.
- Justin Timberlake has
competed in the most burp
offs (five) at the awards, taking
home the title twice.
Finally, this Jack Black quote
from last year’s show: “Dream as
if you’ll live forever, but live as if
you’ll be slimed tomorrow.”
TV Week, Pages 79 on 03/25/2012