The Invisible Line

Blogspot- we meet again. What brought me back here, you ask? Just something I have been pondering for some time now. And what a better place to get it out than in a blog. Right? Well, then, here it goes.

Tell me, what is the definition of a fan, and what is our function on this planet? Good ol' Webster here tells me that a fan is "someone who admires another; a follower". OK. That is really simple, isn't it? I admire a lot of people, such as my mom and my dad. Does this make me a fan of them? I'd say no. We have a relationship, which takes it to another level, a deeper one. I admire them, they (I hope!) admire me back! And not just admire, but love. Interact. Respect. The list goes on.

So who am I a fan of? Tom Hanks. Morgan Freeman. Leonardo DiCaprio. Jon Foreman. David Cook. Sandra Bullock. Celebrities. People I admire and may follow news on but do not have a relationship with. So great, I am a fan of these people, what do I do about it? What does being a fan of these people mean for me? Does it mean I get to know every single detail of their lives? Does it mean that I must know everything they do, every food they eat, every person they date? Does it mean I can tell them what to do, when to do it, and how to do it? I have personal thoughts on this that some may agree with, some may not.

In my opinion, there is an invisible line that is drawn for the fan. This line is hard to see, hard to feel out. I believe we are here to encourage, lift up, support, cheer on and pray for those we are fans of. No one is perfect... we are all bound to do things and say things that are probably not a good idea. But for the most part, shouldn't we really watch what we say and do in front of these people? The internet has made it so easy to interact with celebs on a rather daily basis, with anything from Facebook to twitter. Our words and actions speak volumes of who we are. And believe it or not, these people we look up to can and just might read what we say to them and about them. Yes, most of the time they will laugh it off, as they see this stuff daily and most likely become immune to it. But if we post enough "off" comments, don't you think it would raise a red flag after awhile? In the day and age of so many stalkers and crazed people out there, regardless if the poster is or not, security can and will be notified of anyone with repeated "off-color" comments. Just for their own protection. Fun is fun, but sometimes, you can easily cross that line and not even realize it.

So, while watching what we say, we go back to our duties as a fan... support, cheer on, blah blah. There are times when we want something from our favorite celeb and tend to get pushy and demanding. We've all done it, at least once, right? Thing is, these celebs are surrounded by people in the business telling them what to do, when to do it. Rules. Restrictions., Deadlines. Schedules. More schedules. More rules. And...you got it, more schedules. I really, honestly, dont think they need their fans telling them what to do and how to do it as well. They want to feel like someone is on their side, rooting for them, not adding to the list of demands and deadlines. You know what I am saying? And not only that, but these celebs have family and friends that are right there, pointing out mistakes, and telling them how to do things better. That is part of their job. I am not so sure that is in the fan's job description. Family and friends know these people, they have the "in" and the right to be point-blank honest with them. Let's face it, even if we know what they eat for breakfast, or who they are dating, or whether we have met the celeb once or twenty times, we don't KNOW them, we are not "friends"; we might be "friendly" if we have seen them enough times, but there is a big difference. Think about it- you know people who you call FRIENDS. And then you have people in your life that you are FRIENDLY with. See the difference?

So what the heck is the point of all this rambling? It's just me...wondering out loud... how can I be a good fan? And where exactly is that invisible line so I don't cross it, get myself on the security blacklist, and make a total fool of myself? What can I do to lift up and encourage these celebs? The business is not easy, life in front of the camera or on the road is not easy. Paparazzi and the public is everywhere, ready to devour these people we look up to. There is a LOT to this business that most people don't even realize. These artists need a support team, and one who does not judge and put down and criticize and pull apart every little detail. They get that from every other angle in their lives. Let's show these talented people that they are loved and appreciated. Let's watch out for that invisible line, shall we?
That is all.