This past weekend in South Carolina, a man kept police on edge for several hours with a shotgun and two demands- a pizza delivery and a lifetime of wedded bliss with Paris Hilton. Instead, of course, he got pepper spray and a court-ordered mental evaluation. Standard protocol for anyone making such a request. While this approach to finding a famous partner might be a tad excessive, chasing Hollywood prey has always been an extreme sport.
A few years back Danny Bonaduce of Partridge Family got a phone call from his wedding planner while vacationing in Hawaii. Only problem was, he was unaware that he’d even gotten engaged. After three years of dating, his take-charge girlfriend decided it had been long enough, and started calling caterers. That’s all good and well if you’ve already hooked the guy- but what if you’re starting from scratch. What can a single gal do to catch the star of her romantic comedy?
Collecting a little intel never hurt an operation. One clever and determined woman supposedly sent Tom Selleck of CBS’s Blue Bloods some hard-to-get ballet tickets. Smart cookie. Back then to get next to a rock star, it was pretty cut and dry. If you wanted to introduce yourself to, let’s say Usher – you might simply wear something tight and hang around backstage. That time has passed. For today’s on-the-go celeb, admirers have been forced to up their A-game. Without question, their best friend in this effort has been information technology.
Thanks to Twitter, et al – you can learn a considerable (and sometimes disturbing) amount of detail on a star’s real life activity. If you want to know where Miley Cyrus ate breakfast, it’s likely online somewhere. With constant paparazzi offering real-time info on locations, frequent hang outs, and even names of friends, trailing a famous crush has never been easier.
Back in the day, when a towering Dutch beauty named Brigitte Nielsen wanted to send Sylvester Stallone a nude photo of herself, she couldn’t just attach it to an email. No, The Great Dane, as she was known, had to somehow find his hotel and arrange to get her life-size nude photo into his hot little hands herself. Did it work? Smash cut to a few months later – when she’s co-starring in Rocky 5 and planning their upcoming wedding. You don’t get those kind of results at Glamour Shots.
Sometimes, though, it can work without such dodgy tactics. Kelly Preston supposedly saw the poster for Grease as a teenager and decided on the spot that she was going to marry its star, John Travolta. They’ve been together now for well over twenty years.
So everything is a matter of degree, and any
thing can be taken to extremes. Honestly and innocently pursuing a particular heart throb doesn’t equate to stalking – though the internet can blur the line. But honestly, what’s inherently wrong with trying to position yourself next to a great catch? It’s not all that different from taking your car to a particular auto shop because of a Cuban mechanic named Luther. People do it every day. Perhaps the easiest mistake that could be made chasing a star is to miscast yourself. Trying to redesign yourself for what a guy already likes might not be the best approach. Maybe go looking for a star who is already interested in someone like you.
Will King is a television and media critic who splits his time as a stand up comic. He collects conspiracy theories and claims to have invented Teflon. In his spare time he follows presidential politics and all traffic signs. He lives in Charlotte, NC.
Selma: There is no bigger loss then wasting your time chasing a celebrity. Like I have said before, the chances are slim to none but closer to none. It’s not going to happen, get over it. Put some time into finding a person you can really connect with. If you don’t, you will spend your whole life comparing every partner with the “star that got away” which never really got away, because they didn’t even know the real you. If you are that obsessed then you need some serious mental help, play this DiscoveryGame.
Giulia: Who hasn’t fallen head over heals for the perfect gentleman on the big screen?! For me its Noah from The Notebook. He’s just… perfect! And Ryan Gosling seems to be just as perfect in real life too! Just like the article says – “Honestly and innocently pursuing a particular heart throb doesn’t equate to stalking!” This is great news!!! I recommend this DiscoveryGame to see if your love for celebrities is going a tad bit too far…
