Random

[feuervogel]

So, I'm reading other people's posts about Dragon*Con, and there's a thread in the LJ community about celebrity sightings.

I ... don't care all that much. At least not about the actors or whatever. Sure, I'll go to panels with the Weasley Twins or Neville Longbottom (who is actually rather hot and a raging nerd), because I like Harry Potter. Because they're books. That happened to get turned into movies. Now, I did say to Ben, "Did you realize you were standing next to Q in the elevator just now?" one morning. At least, I'm pretty sure it was him; he looked tired and held on to his coffee rather firmly.

I'm not a media fan. I don't watch TV. In fact, I detest TV. I rarely go to movies. I don't give a crap about actors or directors. (Though if they got Mike & Bryan to come next year to talk about the Legend of Korra, I'd be all over that. One series I care about out of the hundreds that exist does not refute my previous statement.)

Ask me about sitting a couple rows over from Lois McMaster Bujold during the Tom Smith concert last year, though. Or about sitting on the floor in the basement of the Hyatt, chatting with some women ... and Lois McMaster Bujold. (Not that she likely remembers it in the slightest, of course. Though we'd tried subtly to rescue her from this fanboy who was Telling Her About His Novel, but she didn't catch the hint ("Don't you have something to do right now?"), so eventually she fled to the one place he couldn't follow her.)

So, for the most part, the media fandom aspect of Con (which, admittedly, is the biggest part) is entirely wasted on me. I just plain don't care. The parts about book nerding and writing and costume-watching (and, when I'm not sick as shit, drinking) are the ones I go for.

It's easy for me not to get star-struck, because so few people I give a crap about are actually ever there.

Comments

[smarriveurr]

I'm in a similar boat - not that I'm not a media fan, but rather, I don't feel the connection to celebrities that allows fansquee in person. I've seen Patrick Rothfuss at a book signing, and given him one of my little crocheted Cthulhus, and he liked it, and that made me all kinds of happy, but even as a regular reader of his blog, I barely felt competent to chat for a minute or two while he signed the book.

Just this past weekend, I went with a friend to a horror con, which had some middling celebrities. We mainly went to see Bruce Campbell in person (which we sorta did, even though we missed the event he was hosting, but that's another story). Meanwhile, these people were wandering around, and even the ones I'd seen in film... I had nothing to talk about with them. I enjoyed some of their work, but... no connection. Nothing around which to strike up a conversation, and saying "Hey, I saw Kristy Swanson while she was walking the floor instead of signing stills from her Playboy shoot" doesn't stoke me up. Maybe if I were a bigger fan, or more meta about my media, I would care, but... for the most part, I like the film, I like the roles and the portrayal, but the actor doesn't connect with me that much.

Except Bruce Campbell. He's awesome, and the few seconds I saw him before con staff managed to escort him away from the fans he was as funny as expected.

[feuervogel]

I've heard Bruce Campbell gives good show. He came to UNC a few years back, but tickets sold out way too fast.

I don't even know what I'd talk with celebrities about. Get a picture, get an autograph, yay?

[smarriveurr]

That was my problem - he was hosting the costume contest at the con. Apparently, the line STARTED forming three hours before the contest, and by the time we showed up for it (just 45 minutes early), the line was out of the theatre and a block long - even though staff were constantly reminding people that no one outside the building was likely to even get in to see the event.

Yeah, exactly - and I don't even feel like, with most celebrities, I'd value the photos and autographs enough to invest the time and whatever they might be charging to sign. *shrug*

[feuervogel]

The only person I ever felt compelled to buy an autograph from (authors don't count; they sign things you already own, like books, for free) was George Takei. Because he gave a really cool panel, he's funny, and he seems like a really nifty person. (Sure, I like Star Trek and Heroes, but, whatever, George Takei rocks.)

[smarriveurr]

George Takei is definitely interesting in his own right, and I imagine if I had more experience of him as a person, I'd probably agree. Almost certainly, if I'd heard him talk about something interesting face to face.

On the other hand, one of these days I will buy If Chins Could Kill, and then I may well have to seek out a Bruce Campbell signing.

[anthimeria]

Seriously, this is a reason why you have to make it to WisCon next year. I love me my media (I watch a lot of tv, read a lot of comics, and see a lot of movies) in addition to all the books I read (also a lot), but there's not much conning out there for my inner bibliophile. When I say "con" I usually mean "comic book convention."

BUT WISCON IS FOR PEOPLE WHO LOVE BOOKS. There's a lot of media tie-in stuff, but it's a spec-fic LIT con. The focus is on books.

[feuervogel]

I went to ReaderCon last year, and while it was fun, I felt somewhat out of place among people who are way smarter and more well-read than I. Also, NO COSTUMES ALLOWED WTF.

I'm planning to go to Wiscon next year, assuming I can get roommates, because I can't afford a grand to go to a con (airfare, hotel, badge, food). I hope I don't feel as out of place there.