I have a confession to make, and I’d like to take this time and space to discuss my somewhat abnormal obsession that leans more toward a hobby because an obsession is kind of a creepy word to throw around. Anyway, it is an obsession that affects many every day, some have even reached the brink of insanity. I am not afraid to admit it, but yes, I am a stargazer. No I don’t sit on a hill with a telescope and try to see Orion’s belt; I go to different places and try to meet some of my favorite Hollywood stars.
Some people may think that it is weird but those are the people who generally do not have a love for Hollywood movie making. But I do. I have always loved watching and hearing about movie stars. As I grew older, I began to accumulate a knowledge of films, actors and television shows. I have this little database in my brain that contains tons of random information on the stars I love and hate.
I will say to an extent that I am obsessed with the mystique of Hollywood and all that goes into movie and TV making. So, I feel it is OK to have a healthy obsession/hobby and be a regular stargazer. But when it crosses the line of being “stalkerish” a la Brad Pitt’s stalker, where you are breaking into someone’s house to try on their clothes or overtly fanatical like the NSYNC fan who bought Justin Timberlake’s half eaten piece of french toast for like a thousand dollars- can anyone say, “freak” or “yuck?”
In the past year or so I have had several wonderful stargazing experience. This summer, my best friend Ruby and I were able to sit in the bleachers at the MTV Movie Awards Pre-Show. Of course we saw a bunch of people, but we really went to see Sarah Michelle Gellar (otherwise know as Buffy from my favorite show in the world “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) and Seth Green also in”Buffy.”
The other was last Sunday when I saw a play starring my two favorite actors from the soap opera “Passions.” After the play, I was able to talk to them and get an autograph.
My favorite meeting of all time was when I got to interview John Cusack in a round table discussion. After the interview he signed my press kit. Now even though I had loved Cusack since I was 5, I was able to be calm and collective like a true stargazer should, yet there was this guy there who totally bordered on being fanatical. He got up and yelled “I loved you man in ‘Better of Dead,’ that movie is like totally the movie of our generation. Man you rock! I can’t believe it’s you man, you’re John Cusack, can you sign my video tape of ‘Bullets over Broadway’?” Now believe me, Cusack seemed to be a little annoyed if not disturbed at this guy as was I because he was giving normal stargazers a bad name.
The following is what not to do when meeting or trying to see your favorite celebrity. Don’t jump up and yell incoherently about how much that person rocks; believe me it gets old pretty fast. Don’t cry uncontrollably like you saw the Second Coming. That is just down right creepy. At all accounts don’t bother a celebrity when they are eating or in the bathroom, that is just scary.
The key to being a good stargazer is trying to meet or talk with someone you really like or admire. You wouldn’t see me running crazy to get the autograph of “Screech” from “Saved from the Bell” because who in the hell would be crazy enough to want that? I am not ashamed and I love my healthy obsession/hobby. I will even admit that today my friends Ruby and Fermin and I are on a quest to see “Buffy” filmed and hopefully we will finally get to meet our favorite stars.
Jazmine Ponce, a junior journalism major, is managing editor of the Campus Times. She can be reached by e-mail at jponce@ulv.edu.
