Time for cattle call at Daytime Emmys in Las Vegas

That would be us, the media. (Hey, we’ve been called worse).

"Is anyone here interested in interviewing cast from ‘The Bold & The Beautiful’ ” asked the "B&B" publicist, strolling in front of scrunched-in reporters and camera people roped off from the red carpet, lest we soil the Beautiful People Pathway at the Las Vegas Hilton.

Need they ask? This was Sunday’s 38th annual Daytime Emmy Awards. We must ask roughly 50 actors and actresses the same two vital questions: "What are you wearing"? (fill in a designer) and "Are you gambling while you’re here in Las Vegas?" ("Yes," "no" and "a little.")

Setups by gushy entertainment journalists begin with declarations such as "the 38th annual Daytime Emmy Awards — it doesn’t get better than this!" (Someone should notify the Oscar and prime-time Emmy people of this impertinence.)

Interviews are usually brought to a fawning close by the show-biz journos with a hearty (and possibly sincere) observation of, "You look fabulous tonight!" (Wouldn’t it be interesting if someone pointed out someone who … didn’t?)

Oh, by the way: If you’re reading this, you probably watched the show, which means you know this, but what the heck: "The show was hosted by Vegas’ own "Let’s Make a Deal" host Wayne Brady, and featured performances by such Sin City stalwarts as Marie Osmond, Celine Dion, Penn & Teller, and dance troupe Jabbawockeez.

Oh, and also: A bunch of people won. (See the accompanying list.)

Anyway, back to the real show before the show as the stars on the carpet met us schlubs — albeit formally dressed schlubs — behind the ropes:

You dig "Days of Our Lives"? Here’s Eric Martsolf, who plays Brady Black. "I’m like the Darth Vader of ‘Days of Our Lives’ right now. He just beat the crap out of E.J. DiMera (played by James Scott). That’s not something you should do on a daily basis." (You see, E.J. ran this drug ring and, well, just watch the show, OK? It’s on today.)

All these soaps signing off lately? "All My Children" getting orphaned in November. "One Life to Live" losing its life in January? "This year, the competitive element seems to be lacking and it’s more about coming together as a daytime community," Martsolf says. "The hugs were just a little bit tighter and the conversations just a little bit longer."

Ooh! There’s ex-UNLV student and Strip performer Lindsay Hartley (Cara, "All My Children"). Very impressive eye glitter. While in town, she says she’ll pay a visit to Mom and Dad, who run the decorative garden and design store Little Baja here in town.

Moving down the line now is "One Life’s" Kassie DePaiva, who plays Blair Cramer. So, Kassie, which "Todd" character will Blair wind up with at show’s end: Roger Howarth’s Todd or Trevor St. John’s Todd? (How can there be two Todds? Isn’t one a fake Todd? Hey, watch the show, OK? It’s on today too.)

"I think it’s going to be with Roger’s Todd, I think that’s what they should write," DePaiva says, voting down the idea of tying "One Life" up with a neat little bow. "They should leave it open so we can move it from daytime to nighttime. The ratings keep going up; they’re going to have to do something."

Grande dame Jeanne Cooper, who as matriarch Katherine on "The Young and the Restless" has been on-air for 38 years, leans in close and, amid the hustle and bustle and hubbub, gently strokes your arm with a grandmotherly smile as she speaks to you, as if you’re actually not one of the cattle. The lady can melt your heart.

Yo, publicist dude? That "The Bold & The Beautiful" interview? We’ll take it. How about dashing Ronn Moss — you know, the dashingly-named Ridge on the show? The one on a show that’s NOT going off the air? "We have to change the way we watch them," Moss says. "We’re all going to go eventually to the Internet. (Viewers) should be counted in that way. I don’t think we’re counting people correctly. There has to be another medium and we have to come back in another way."

That hunk playing the Australian pimp on "Days" sauntering down the line? Bren Foster. Wasn’t he romancing Chloe (Nadia Bjorlin)? What happened? "People made websites and chat rooms about our chemistry as a couple, then it turns out I’m pimping her out?"

Who’s the cool-looking dude with his hands ever-so-casually stuffed in his pockets? Guy playing perhaps the uncoolest character on daytime TV, Bradford Anderson, aka motormouth computer geek Damien Spinellli on "General Hospital." Hey man, didn’t you just get shot on Friday’s episode? You gonna live?

"My character wakes up, but he’s not in his right state of mind," he says (yes, watch it — it’s on today too). Feel better, man — on-air, at least.

We’re backstage in the press room, now, winners parading before us. Whose turn is it to be cattle now, huh? Winner of best game show host, "Cash Cab’s" Ben Bailey — who ran on stage late to grab his trophy because he was peeing backstage — admits he still hasn’t washed his hands.

Good to know, in case anyone wanted to congratulate him personally.

Contact reporter Steve Bornfeld at sbornfeld @reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0256.