Reality Check

Last weekend, I went to the Sundance Film Festival with my peeps. It was my first time. The whole time we were jokingly acting like we had seen a celebrity. We went through dinner, a viewing of some short films and then hot chocolate and there were no celebrities to be seen. At the very last stop we saw, or rather I saw, Joseph Gordon-Leavitt. Sound familar? Not really. He's the boy off of Ten Things I Hate About You and the 3rd Rock From The Sun series. I recognized him and I actually felt a connection with him, because I had watched 10 things so many times. Heath Ledger, sigh, rest his soul. So after much encouraging from Philip and Briana, I mustered enough courage to go and talk to J G-L(shortened for convienince). I was so nervous. I walked up to him and interupted his conversation with his friends to say the following:

Syd: Hi, can I tell you a story?

J G-L: Sure

Syd: Ever since Heath Ledger died, rest his soul, my roommate and I have decided to quote Ten Things I Hate About You forever. So I just want to say I have been using your phrases for about a year and you are an inspiration.

J G-L: I'm Joe

Syd: I'm Sydney. Remember when you said "i'm back in the game..." yeah I say that one a lot. Can I take a picture with you?

J G-L: Sure

This the picture. The girl on the left is not a celebrity (although you may think so because she is wearing fur) she is my friend Briana
And then I tried to small talk but all I could talk about was movies he was in and it was so lame. He is a real person and so am I. And it's strange that I feel any sort of connection with him when all I know is his face and the persona he depicts on screen and from his jacket I can tell he supports Obama and that his hair is greasy but what does that say about a person? I only felt nervous because I had glorified him as a celebrity. What are celebrities? Why do they have any sort of prestige?