by Jason Stotts
Not long ago I saw Steve Carell perform live sketch comedy at Denison University, our mutual alma mater. I was excited to see him perform live and was certainly not disappointed by his performance. However, his performance is not the subject of this particular essay.
Rather, as I was thinking about Carell returning to Granville to visit his alma mater after being away for some time, it made me rather sad that he would not have been able to do so well or without much distraction. Everywhere he went in and around Granville, people recognized him and it caused quite a commotion. He wasn’t able to just peacefully walk around and enjoy remembering Denison in his day.
Although I heard that Carell was very friendly and nice to those he saw, it just seems a shame that he was effectively barred from truly being able to enjoy his brief sojourn in Granville.
This makes me think again about how crazy some people get when they see “stars.” I think it is truly sad how people fawn over celebrities as if they were some sort of demi-god. The lives of most people are so frustrated and unrealized that they live vicariously through the celebrities they like and they imagine some sort of real connection between the celebrity and themselves. I can’t imagine how frustrating this would be as a celebrity as even the most trivial task, like going to a store, would be quite impossible for you.
I have a suggestion for those of you who would do this: don’t. Even if you think you wouldn’t, sitting calmly in your chair reading this, imagine yourself faced with actually seeing your favorite celebrity and then imagine how you would react. If you truly value this celebrity, do the right thing: respect their privacy and don’t try to force yourself into their awareness.