The Stare

I've noticed something interesting living here in New York City: most celebrities don't like to be recognized.

You'd think that the efforts expended in starting a career and getting public recognition and success would cause you to be grateful when a common, peasant-like non-celebrity recognizes you sauntering along 7th Avenue. However, this is clearly not the case.

I've seen a few minor to minor/slightly-above-minor-celebrities since I've been here. Here is a small list:

Lisa Loeb
Michael Ian Black
John Cho
Jerome Bettis (The Bus)
Isla Fisher (The very small Bus)

Definitely no one on that list is what you would consider A-List. Although, one of them totally has a Super Bowl ring, but I'll let you guess who that is. (Hint: It's Lisa Loeb)

Today I was outside, walking down 7th Avenue, passing by Carnegie Hall, when Steve Young jogs by. As he was jogging closer, I did whatever any non-celebrity does when confronted with someone he has seen multiple times on television - I stared. There's this funny thing that happens when you notice someone like this...you look, your brain processes the information, you know you recognize them, you try to figure out where from and then it hits you. Celebrity!

I should note here that I don't really care about celebrities very much. I've worked with some of them and they're generally not that interesting. I wrote lines for and met Kevin Bacon. I talked about Peter Jackson horror films with Chris Barron of the Spin Doctors. I arm-wrestled Hulk Hogan (ok, I didn't do that. BUT, I did share many Miller Lites with him, shooting the shit in an LA recording studio). They're really not that big of a deal. But it changes slightly when you encounter them in a non-work environment.

Anyway. The best thing that happens about encountering a celebrity on the street is the eye contact and then fear that instantly hits the celeb. This is the unspoken conversation that occurs:

Non-Celebrity: I think I've seen you before.
Celebrity: Fuck, you know who I am.
Non-Celebrity: You're on my TV!
Celebrity: Fuck, you know who I am and you're going to call attention to it.
Non-Celebrity: Do I care enough to say something? Probably not.
Celebrity: I haven't had much press lately, I hope they say something. I mean, no. Please don't. Well...I could use a mention on Gawker.

The end.

So in the past week this has happened to me twice. Once today with Steve Young, once on Tuesday night, while talking to Annie on the phone, waiting to go into the She & Him show at Webster Hall. (She & Him is the supergroup(?) of M. Ward and actress Zooey Deschanel). Zooey Deschanel walked by me. We made eye contact, we had the unspoken conversation and then she passed and went into the venue.

Every single celebrity I've seen on the street, this has happened with.

Lisa Loeb - check.
Michael Ian Black - check.
John Cho - check.
Jerome Bettis - check.
Your Mom - check.

and

Steve Young - CHECK.
Zooey Deschanel - CHECK.

Every. Single. Time.

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