Celebrity encounters.

[sister_luck]

There was a bona fide celebrity in our local health food shop yesterday. I probably wouldn't have noticed if the woman who was queueing with me at the till hadn't alerted me to the fact. Out of nowhere she turned to me, looked into my eyes and mouthed something in my direction. I was utterly confused as to why she was staring at me with that conspiratorial gleam in her eyes (Do I know her? What is she trying to tell me?) and she must have noticed, so she whispered his name.

He's a local guy, born and bred in this city, and Germany's most famous punk rocker. I guess that comava will know who I'm talking about.

No, the point isn't that someone who shows up in the papers showed up where I shop. I was rather embarrassed by that woman's reaction (and no, she didn't look like she was actually one of his fangirls). Actually, all chance celebrity encounters leave me with a sense of embarrassment - totally irrational, but I feel like I'm intruding just by noticing them.

So, what do you think is the best way to react to celebrity encounters?

Ignore them and carry on as normal is what I would suggest - it's the polite thing to do. What if it is your personal hero? I guess that would depend on the circumstances.

At least no one asked for an autograph. The stage door is the place for that kind of thing but someone who is just shopping deserves to be left alone. (Or on a shuttle bus at the airport, but that was someone else.)

Comments

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

Germany's most famous punk rocker? Err... Peter Maffay? But yeah I'm with you on the while "leave them alone" thing. I feel a bit strange for noticing them. I do recall people walking up to a local punk rocker right after a theatre piece he was participating in. (I think he impersonated a punk rocker.) They were all over the poor guy and going on about how wonderful he was etc. I was ashmad in their place. Just let the man drink his beer after his show. For god sake. He wasn't even that important in the play anyway.

Living close to the tv-studios I frequently run into people that appear on television. Sometimes I want to say hi and then realise I don't actualy know them. They're only familiar because I see them on tv.

Usualy I don't notice celebrities. I kinda live in a world of my own. What I do notice is people that seem familiar, and then I realise I saw them on tv or in a play or something.

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

"ashmad" is a beautiful word, don't you think? I'll just leave it there then. *grins*

[sister-luck.livejournal.com]

Err, not Peter Maffay - he's soooo not punk. He doesn't even rock.

Depending on the setting I can understand and accept why people walk up to someone and say something nice but even then it should be a brief compliment and not more. What really got me on Saturday was the staring and whispering - that's so undignified for all parties concerned.

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

I know, but I just wanted to show I know some obscure German singer from way back. I haven't the slightest clue who you're talking about. The only thing German that happened to float our way lately was Tokio Hotel. I liked their single and then had to realise I wasn't the only one. Darn, I thought I found something new. ;-)

[sister-luck.livejournal.com]

I apologize for Tokio Hotel. They are huge over here and all the little girls are in love with them. They're so last year now though. It's all a big marketing thing and though their management keeps telling us that they play the instruments themselves I don't believe a word of it.

If it had been Peter Maffay, I'd probably have ended up giggling like a maniac, because he's just so ridiculous.

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

That was the whole problem. I liked that song when it played on the radio -- even enjoyed the fact the lyrics were this 80s-like German. And then I saw a picture of the singer in the newspaper and went "wha, I totaly fell for some 19yo wankers". One picture and their street credibility went down the drain. Still think it's a nice tune, though. I'm probably longing for my lost childhood.

[sister-luck.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the tunes aren't exactly bad - maybe a bit generic, but it's the hype that makes Tokio Hotel awful.

[comava.livejournal.com]

You must be talking about one of the three Ärzte and though I'm not entirely sure about which city this is, the health food shop makes me think... Farin Urlaub!

I can't help grinning just thinking about it but I agree, carrying on as normally as possible is probably the most polite thing to do. I'm afraid I would behave frightfully if it were my personal hero though.

[sister-luck.livejournal.com]

Well, the Ärzte are the better punkrockers, but I'm actually talking about the frontman of their old rivals.

If it had been one of the Ärzte I'd been in serious danger of fangirling myself....

[comava.livejournal.com]

...Campino??

[sister-luck.livejournal.com]

Yep.

[comava.livejournal.com]

That is quite cool. Not as cool as DÄ would have been but nevertheless!

[sister-luck.livejournal.com]

Well, the relative coolness of it wasn't really the issue (he shops like all of us, there was a girl with him) - I didn't mean to brag that I saw him. I guess that it's not difficult to spot him here, because after all it's where he lives.

To be honest, I probably would have bragged about it a little with a line like "I saw Campino today", but the awed tone of the woman whispering his name was really strange and put me off bragging. I can't really explain it - there was quite a bit of adoration going on that he'd visit us mere mortals and that's not how I see him.