My brain has been cooking this up for a few days, apologies for length.

[melligator]

Nathanael West, Hedda Gabler, and Richard Dean AndersonI just returned from a glorious week in Vancouver, British Columbia, wherein I sampled the city and the mountains with gusto. The clean air and the good coffee, the questionable Japadog, all excellent parts of an experience overshadowed by the convention that was the weekend filling to my

Comments

[larsfarm77]

I believe I followed this, despite not having more than passing knowledge of the works to which you refer. I know that feeling, of suddenly being in the same space, with the same air, as someone you both admire and are ridiculously sexually attracted to (but who is completely out of reach). I think I always try to focus on trying to show my appreciation for what these people have given me in terms of what is often years of enjoyment -- of the TV show/movie/character(s) (and yeah, personal fantasy that totally doesn't need mentioning). I think of what I'm going to say well before, when I'm calm and hormone levels are relatively balanced. If I think I'm going to have trouble, I write it down

[melligator]

I think I always try to focus on trying to show my appreciation for what these people have given me in terms of what is often years of enjoyment -- of the TV show/movie/character(s)Absolutely the sanest way to go about it. I prepared ahead of time, too. I didn't spit out some awesome prepared speech (well I practiced the Sea Shepherd one a bit more but I had a lot to say and wanted to be as concise as poss), but I just practiced saying "hey how's it going" and "are you having fun?" and shit like that because I knew my normalcy would be nowhere to be seen once I got to the front of the line. And guess what. Being normal turned into half a normal conversation, and I am so stoked

[larsfarm77]

For all the claiming to care about the celeb, some people are really and truly only thinking about themselves.

YES, the experience is about them and their expectations, and it's sometimes even taken as far as comparing experiences and having the need to "one up" another fan. This ridiculous competition is so unhealthy.

I love the point you make here as well about the fans not realizing that it was probably RDA who requested that gifts not be allowed. That makes so much sense, yet even that thought probably isn't enough to stop some people.

And first they idolize them, then they want to destroy them.

THIS. I've seen this particularly in Mary fandom. From what I've heard and experienced personally, Mary is wonderfully generous to her fans. Yet many, probably suffering somewhat from this type of syndrome, feel it necessary to criticize everything from her clothes to her decisions to her family in a really hateful way. I never really understood why until I read Milch's quote.

[melligator]

And to answer the actual question you asked haha... yes, we went to SFU the first day and took a zillion pics. It got a bit meta when I was pointing out, excitedly, to Annika where you had taken your Boomer picture!

We didn't make it to Jericho Beach or the botanical gardens, save those for next time. We did go to Grouse Mountain and all over North Van on a tour one day, which was awesome.

[larsfarm77]

I adored SFU ... Anne and I were there for a long, long time :)

Skyland moutnain!!!! That's awesome. Anne and I saw the gondolas from a distance. That was such a powerful arc in the X-files mythos.

North Van is just so gorgeous -- did you find Kobol and the Lion's Head Mountains??