On Fame
I thought I'd try the Friday Five meme from the RevGalsBlogPals for the first time.
1. Tell us about a time you met someone famous.
Have I EVER met anyone famous? I've met a lot of people who are well-known, like the guys from Delirious, or other musicians, but I'm not sure that they're qualified as "famous". One day when I lived on Haight Street I saw Winona Ryder (and no, she was not shoplifting, everyone asks that) in an upscale vintage store. I lived on that street for a long time, and never, ever went into that store because they sold things like old 20's flapper dresses for $500 and stuff. Not my specialization. But someone told me that they thought they saw Winona there, so I stalked my way down there and then skulked around the store, pretending that I was shopping for a costume party. She looked at me once as she walked past, and all I could think was that there was a kind of desperation in her face that said, "Please do not recognize me, I'm just trying to flippin' shop." So, I didn't say anything. Just skulked some more and then left. I don't think that stalking movie stars counts. Maybe when Chinua and I talk later, he'll say, "Well, yeah, Rae, remember when we met so-and-so?" If so, I'll make a note. It obviously didn't make much of an impression, though.
2. Tell us about a celebrity you'd like to meet.
I would love to meet Lauryn Hill. I love her spiritual journey, love a lot of the conclusions she's come to in her walk with God, and it seems like she's troubled these days, so I'd love to sit down and talk with her, find out what's going on. Why are you getting a little batty, Lauryn? Why are you wearing so many layers and not interacting with your audience? Anything I can do to help? Cup of tea? Can I babysit?
I also really wish that I could have met my late mother-in-law before she passed away. She wasn't a celebrity, but she was a respected journalist who won a couple of Pulitzer prizes with her news teams and won the Journalist of the Year award from the National Association of Black Journalists. She was known for the beauty of her journalism, and I regret not knowing her.
3. Tell us about someone great who's *not* famous that you think everyone oughta have a chance to meet.
Well, I always talk about my superstar husband, which is partly a ploy of mine to not ever gripe about my marriage on this site. But in reality, my husband really is an amazingly talented person, a musician and an artist. I think that more people need to hear his music, and I hope that in the future that will be possible.
One thing that I really like about the web these days is that people are able to choose who they want to see, or what they want to listen to. I've seen a few arty or funny films on Youtube, and thought, it would have been completely impossible for me to know about this a few years ago. Like those two silly Chinese boys. Those guys deserve to be famous.
4. Do you have any autographs of famous people?
No. Like I said, I really prefer stalking.
5. If you were to become famous, what would you want to become famous for?
This one is the easiest, it's one of my big drives in life. I want to be a well-known writer. I long to write great books, which would be a comfortable sort of fame because most people don't even know what their favorite author looks like. I wouldn't be comfortable being recognized, I like to be invisible too much.
Bonus: Whose 15 minutes of fame was up long, long ago?
Oh, I don't know. Pick any of the tired celebrities who are in the media mainly because of their sensationalized relationships or their ridiculous party girl or boy attitudes. How about some depth, media?
1. Tell us about a time you met someone famous.
Have I EVER met anyone famous? I've met a lot of people who are well-known, like the guys from Delirious, or other musicians, but I'm not sure that they're qualified as "famous". One day when I lived on Haight Street I saw Winona Ryder (and no, she was not shoplifting, everyone asks that) in an upscale vintage store. I lived on that street for a long time, and never, ever went into that store because they sold things like old 20's flapper dresses for $500 and stuff. Not my specialization. But someone told me that they thought they saw Winona there, so I stalked my way down there and then skulked around the store, pretending that I was shopping for a costume party. She looked at me once as she walked past, and all I could think was that there was a kind of desperation in her face that said, "Please do not recognize me, I'm just trying to flippin' shop." So, I didn't say anything. Just skulked some more and then left. I don't think that stalking movie stars counts. Maybe when Chinua and I talk later, he'll say, "Well, yeah, Rae, remember when we met so-and-so?" If so, I'll make a note. It obviously didn't make much of an impression, though.
2. Tell us about a celebrity you'd like to meet.
I would love to meet Lauryn Hill. I love her spiritual journey, love a lot of the conclusions she's come to in her walk with God, and it seems like she's troubled these days, so I'd love to sit down and talk with her, find out what's going on. Why are you getting a little batty, Lauryn? Why are you wearing so many layers and not interacting with your audience? Anything I can do to help? Cup of tea? Can I babysit?
I also really wish that I could have met my late mother-in-law before she passed away. She wasn't a celebrity, but she was a respected journalist who won a couple of Pulitzer prizes with her news teams and won the Journalist of the Year award from the National Association of Black Journalists. She was known for the beauty of her journalism, and I regret not knowing her.
3. Tell us about someone great who's *not* famous that you think everyone oughta have a chance to meet.
Well, I always talk about my superstar husband, which is partly a ploy of mine to not ever gripe about my marriage on this site. But in reality, my husband really is an amazingly talented person, a musician and an artist. I think that more people need to hear his music, and I hope that in the future that will be possible.
One thing that I really like about the web these days is that people are able to choose who they want to see, or what they want to listen to. I've seen a few arty or funny films on Youtube, and thought, it would have been completely impossible for me to know about this a few years ago. Like those two silly Chinese boys. Those guys deserve to be famous.
4. Do you have any autographs of famous people?
No. Like I said, I really prefer stalking.
5. If you were to become famous, what would you want to become famous for?
This one is the easiest, it's one of my big drives in life. I want to be a well-known writer. I long to write great books, which would be a comfortable sort of fame because most people don't even know what their favorite author looks like. I wouldn't be comfortable being recognized, I like to be invisible too much.
Bonus: Whose 15 minutes of fame was up long, long ago?
Oh, I don't know. Pick any of the tired celebrities who are in the media mainly because of their sensationalized relationships or their ridiculous party girl or boy attitudes. How about some depth, media?