celeb-reality

anyone that knows me knows how I feel about celebrity..
and anyone that doesn't is about to get an earful.
I have never liked the word "fan" a fan is that swirly thing in the living room that cools you off.. it is derived from a word that has some negative connotations to it.. therefore.. I don't like it. I am many things.. fanatical I am not..
I do, however know some fanatics.. and they scare me..
Just recently we were having a discussion with a person who had ripped on a particular singer, because that person, that night, was too busy to sign an autograph, and made the mistake of telling the autograph seeker so.
You would have though the world had come crashing down around her..
In further discussions it's pretty obvious that the person has some issues.. but that is something else entirely. There are people who travel the country to follow this person, they wait outside after the show, and when that person doesn't meet their expectations, they go into a public forum and bash them.
not cool
so not cool.
See, they have good days and bad days just like us, put their pants on just like we do and dare I say have spent a night or two hurling after a bit too much to drink..
So why do some people put these people up on a pedestal and hold them to some higher regard then say your next door neighbor? It is a need.. some need to feel a part of something, a need to be connected, a need to be validated.. In further discussions, this person made the comment that unless this celebrity really knew her personaly the changes of said celebrity caring about her situation were pretty slim...
then there was some weird analogy about well I have bad days too but that doesn't give me the right to shoot my neighbor.. which I find incredibly insane..
Below is my response in this discussion..

Let me ask you this.. Say ____ does meet you, find out about whatever situation you are talking about and you don't get the response that you expect? what then?
I will say it again.. it's about your expectations How do you expect her to respond?
What is it about _____knowing about your situation would change the outcome of it, or make it better or worse.. She's just a human being.. she can't fix your life..Only you can do that.. and from what I am reading that is what your expectation is.. somehow if you can only meet her and tell her about what is going on with you, she will make it all better..
I'm not out to make light of whatever it is that you are going through, but instead of trying to change everyones mind, perhaps opening yours and realizing that though the power of music is an incredible thing, the people that make it have no super powers.
Hero worship is an empty thing..
I'm not even going to comment on the shooting analogy cause it is just bizarre.. but I would have to agree with ____ and say that maybe you should re-examine the priorities and why this is so important to your life..
It ain't healthy..

Now.. many of you reading this know who I am talking about (and no, it is not rosie o'donnell in case you were wondering.. I did say singer.. even though she can carry a mean show tune..it's not her).

I've had many discussions with many of the same people who just don't get how truly fanatical they are.. One woman drove around a small country town for 5 hours trying to find a person's house.. why? They had no reasonable answer, but scoffed at the idea that it was somehow wrong.. it is STALKING for god sakes.. or borders on it..
to what end was this quest? to be the one to say.. I did this.. I found it.. I have some grand knowledge of this person that you don't have..
I mean I don't know about you.. but I fear a garden gnome would have gone missing.. and photos of it all across the globe would have become a website.. ( though I don't even know if this person has garden gnomes.. so I digress..)
But seriously.. what is it that makes people think that somehow.. if they could only meet the celebrity of their dreams, it would make their lives all better?
No one could EVER live up to that expectation.. ever..
and it is very sad for the person who is doing their job.. when you buy a concert ticket.. you are paying for the concert, and the atmosphere of possibly meeting like minded people, you do not however, have the right to ask said musician to come by your house after the show and paint your living room.. cause after all.. you purchase their CD's and go to see them in concert and without you they are nothing.. blah blah blah... to have to be out there in the public eye.. to have to turn away people for whatever reason.. because people don't respect their boundaries..
I suppose it's one thing to ask for an autograph or a photo, at an appropriate time.. it's quite another to ask them to lay hands on you and heal your every hurt.
Every artist I have ever known, be it actor, musician, writer etc.. have all had their own demons that they have had to work through.. and people forget that..
Now, don't get me wrong.. I'm not saying that there aren't some celebrities out there that I don't think are just absolutely fabulous (queen latifah, if you are ever in the neighborhood :)
It's about respect.. respecting boundaries, knowing when and when not to approach someone.. and just being compassionate.. If you run into angelina jolie buying tampons and chocolate at ralphs, chances are it's just not a good time.. :)
just remember we are all in this together.. and we are all human.. we all stumble we all make big and little mistakes.. and think about how you felt if you ever felt that you would never live up to the expectations your parents had for you.. and multiply that by about a billion and there you have your lindsay lohans, charlie sheens and P. Diddy's of the world..

my favorite analogy in the conversation was about people waiting outside for the artists to come out to the bus.. they would travel around to show after show and wait outside the bus for a chance again.. (we are talking LIFERS here!) to meet these people..someone summed it up quite nicely.. it's like if you went to mcdonalds and bought some fries.. and wanted an autograph or your picture taken with the fry cook.. and you waited around outside the mcdonalds until it closed... dontcha think someone woulda called the cops! you get the idea....

just be respectful people.. that's all I'm saying.. and realize BEFORE you cross that line...