July 18, 2006
View Comments | Post CommentGetting to know celebrities
On the plane ride from San Francisco, the AirTran flight had free XM radio available at all seats. I listened to Larry King interviewing George W. and Laura Bush. Bush was being Bush, and at some point I thought to myself, "Oh, well that's just George being George." I wasn't excusing him in any way, but it was all so familiar to me. It was like he was someone I'd known since kindergarten, and wasn't friends with, but was utterly familiar with his mannerisms and personality.
This got me thinking. A public figure like a President can be so ubiquitous in our media and culture that we actually get to know them better than we know many of our good friends. There are few people whose speech, mannerisms, nervous habits, flaws, and emotions I understand better than those of George W. Bush. I know him, in that sense, better than I know almost any of my friends.
And it isn't just that he's easy to read. It's the same with many celebrities. How strange that we get so close (obviously in a superficial way) to people we'll probably never meet, only to let that closeness languish as they drop out of the news. It parallels the way we let our personal relationships fade with distance and time.
Do you feel close, at least in a superficial way, to any celebrities? Who do you think you understand?
Posted at July 18, 2006 2:41 AM | Comments (4)
Comments
Post a new comment
I feel very close to Nick Lachey. This is, I think, a result of watching three seasons of Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica almost continuously when I had nothing else to do. Also, he's from Cincinnati (I think the west side), which is a city I frequent. In short, in my small imagination, he's my homeboy and we're considering spending Thanksgiving together, playing Cornhole and watching Bengals games. I will supply lots of Miller Light, which I know he loves. Go Team Lachey!
Posted by: meredith at July 18, 2006 12:28 PM
in middle school, I used to think I was close to Isaac Hanson. I mean after all, we were in love and we were going to get married someday, as soon as he came to sweep me off my feet. I knew his sense of humor, the off-kilter squint of his eyes, the tender touch of his narrow lips. Aaaah, sigh. Those were the days. Before such things as REAL boys. :o)
Posted by: Liz at July 18, 2006 5:39 PM
Gallagher and I are like THIS! *crosses fingers*
Posted by: Anthrope at July 18, 2006 7:17 PM
Take a look at this video...
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1342132664644484246
I was shocked by how much Bush's speaking style has declined in the last 12 years.
Posted by: violet_flames at July 20, 2006 9:46 AM
