Tuesday, 13 May 2008

• Celebrity Status and that little bit of "scrawl".

  After having endure my endless commentaries about this year’s latest “Dancing with the Stars” on TVNZ, my friend Anna gave me a special gift this week.

   

  It is Stefan Olivieri’s autograph – Wow!  I’m thrilled, over the moon!!!

   

  But it has led me to question what is it about celebrity autographs that causes us to value ownership of a scrawl on a page?  I mean, what is it – a  bit of ink or what?

   

  I decided it was all about ownership and confirmation that ‘our’ star lived up to the high expectations we attributed to them and, in a strange and probably pathetic way, makes us feel ‘connected’ to them.  It also means that they recognize and acknowledge us as fans.  Payback time for unwavering devotion.

   

  However, it isn’t always so.  Read any magazine and you will find headlines “Star smashes camera, ignores fans - refuses to sign autographs.”

   

  I witnessed an example of this a few years ago.  For some obscure reason, long forgotten, I had attended a Dave Dobbyn concert with my daughter and her friends.  Front row was their priority and we shoved our way to the stage.

   

  As we waited for the show to begin, I chatted with the young guy beside me who was a HUGE Dobbyn fan.  He was clutching the star’s latest CD and a specially purchased gold pen to get Dobbyn’s autograph.  At the first opportunity he held his CD high and asked Dobbyn to sign it.  “Too busy, can’t do it now….  I will sign it at the end of the show.”

   

  He never signed it.

   

  I can appreciate the pressure on stars, especially at these shows, but as I watched the young man leave the venue, head down, gold pen unused and no autograph – Dave Dobbyn not only lost the young guy as a fan but also he lost my respect, and no doubt the respect of all of the people I have repeated this story to.  I don’t know why but I still think about that young fan.

   

  It upset me at the time, and obviously still does because I am still going on about it.  I felt so sorry that the poor guy’s hopes and efforts to get that ‘scrawl’ were of no value to the celebrity.

   

  Celebrity status, so sought after in the early years, does come with a price – fans.  No fans – no sales, no status.

   

  So Stefan – what a star!   You deserve your Celebrity Status, thank you for my little bit of ‘scrawl’ and for that – you have a fan for LIFE. 

  

  Oh, and what was that song that DD used to sing?  The one that the fans loved and became a huge hit because of the fans? Oh, right!  Yeah that’s it…LOYAL!  What a joke!

  PS. Marg just told me that she was at a Bryan Ferry concert and saw Mr Ferry sign an old vinyl album that a fan was waving at him - in the middle of his concert!  Joan Armatrading was supporting act at the same show and she signed autographs in the foyer during intermission! AND John Key was queued up alongside Marg while they were trying to get to the bar!  Oh that would have been LOTS of "scrawl".  No big heads there...

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