"Consider the passageway between the backstage area and the set of The Jennifer Hudson Show, which, thanks to a series of short-form videos, has become known as the "spirit tunnel," a dance floor-ish Rubicon that must be crossed by (almost) every guest who appears on the talk show. Last season, it was a nondescript hallway furnished with the same dreary drop ceiling and gray tiled carpeting that you've probably encountered in countless office buildings."
"For each video, members of the show's crew line the hallway on both sides, clapping and singing an original song or chant that incorporates the star's name and, often, something about their career, such as " Somebody's watching me, It's Penn Badgely"-because Badgely played a stalker on his Netflix show You-or, more simply, " We got Shemar Moore coming through the do-or.""
A backstage passage on The Jennifer Hudson Show became a branded "spirit tunnel" after short-form videos turned it into a shareable promotional asset. The once-nondescript hallway received cosmetic upgrades: fuzzier champagne-colored carpet, additional side lighting, and upgraded, gallery-style photos, though the drop ceiling remained. The tunnel functions as a staged entrance where crew members line both sides, clapping and singing original chants that name and reference each guest. The bit started as a way to hype Jennifer Hudson and was expanded in January 2024 so producers create a unique song or chant for visiting guests.
Read at Slate Magazine
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