35 Before 25: Talk to Someone Famous
I've doubly reinforced the importance of this one after the Lakers game this past Friday night. As came out of the parking structure, we walked through a short row of cars that were being valet parked. I asked aloud to no one in particular "Who actually gets valet parked at the Staples Center?" I'm sidestepping a dark Bentley when I notice Dr. Buss, the owner of the team, steps out with a woman 1/3 his age. They cross a few feet by us and meet with a young group. In a unison monotone, they said "Hello, Doctor Bussssssss," the way you would greet a junior high math teacher if you ran into them at the movies. I noticed that Dr. Buss was wearing a jacket with some Poker website on the back of it, and remembered that he was a fan of high stakes poker, as in a couple hundred thousand won/lost in a night.
The point of this story is not to relate anything interesting at all. That's because I'm a coward. I probably know more about this man's team, his history as the owner, and the city's relationship with the city than anyone in my immediate circle, but I stood there and said nothing. I've always said that I would never be one of "those people" who bother celebrities while they're out and about in their everyday lives, because if I was them, I would hate to be bothered by strangers everywhere I went. That's true, but the more I think about it, the more I realize this is a well-crafted cop out. So in an attempt to face an irrational fear, I'm going to make like Lucille Ball at the Brown Derby and meet and greet someone famous in the wild. Here are the built-in challenges for this goal:
- I'm awful at starting up conversation with a total stranger. I try too hard, fake-laugh too much, and squish pretend bugs with my feet.
- If it's a celebrity I actually like, I'm going to come off like a blubbering crazy person. I must suppress these slack-jawed advances and stick to the script. Sorry to bother you. I appreciate your work. Keep it up, or something. I'm trying to model it after what Paul said to Weird Al the day he ran into him at Toi. Maybe that's a mistake.
- There are enough opportunities in this town, but I'm against hunting for a celebrity. It has to be like Luke Perry in Noah's Bagels in his pajamas or something like that (true story). I trust that the gods will deliver me something along the lines of Kobe Bryant lost in Fry's Electronics, as opposed to Gilbert Gottfried in a Jiffy Lube waiting room.
In all likelihood, this one may take the whole year+ to complete, but it will probably be one of the most memorable, temporary restraining orders be damned.
The point of this story is not to relate anything interesting at all. That's because I'm a coward. I probably know more about this man's team, his history as the owner, and the city's relationship with the city than anyone in my immediate circle, but I stood there and said nothing. I've always said that I would never be one of "those people" who bother celebrities while they're out and about in their everyday lives, because if I was them, I would hate to be bothered by strangers everywhere I went. That's true, but the more I think about it, the more I realize this is a well-crafted cop out. So in an attempt to face an irrational fear, I'm going to make like Lucille Ball at the Brown Derby and meet and greet someone famous in the wild. Here are the built-in challenges for this goal:
- I'm awful at starting up conversation with a total stranger. I try too hard, fake-laugh too much, and squish pretend bugs with my feet.
- If it's a celebrity I actually like, I'm going to come off like a blubbering crazy person. I must suppress these slack-jawed advances and stick to the script. Sorry to bother you. I appreciate your work. Keep it up, or something. I'm trying to model it after what Paul said to Weird Al the day he ran into him at Toi. Maybe that's a mistake.
- There are enough opportunities in this town, but I'm against hunting for a celebrity. It has to be like Luke Perry in Noah's Bagels in his pajamas or something like that (true story). I trust that the gods will deliver me something along the lines of Kobe Bryant lost in Fry's Electronics, as opposed to Gilbert Gottfried in a Jiffy Lube waiting room.
In all likelihood, this one may take the whole year+ to complete, but it will probably be one of the most memorable, temporary restraining orders be damned.
Labels: 35 before 25, lakers
This entry was posted by VJ, on
Monday, December 18, 2006.
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Very interesting blog and I like the title and the photo. Interesting points on the Lakers. This is my first visit.
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