Case of the Annoying Fans

On Friday my friend Bethany and I woke up extra early to catch Daniel Radcliffe on The Morning Show.

Since it was raining heavily, snowing and still relatively dark outside, I figured there wouldn't be as many people outside seeing that he already made a lot of promotional rounds the day before (he was in town promoting his new flick The Women in Black).


But when we arrived, there were three young girls waiting eagerly outside, talking very loudly and just being pretty obnoxious.  


(FYI, this is not a post dedicated on hating the younger generation as I know many teens and pre-teens who are very well-behaved. It was just a matter of how these particular people were behaving)


 I don't mind "fangirling", as I embarrassingly admit that I do some of it myself (see: here and here).  But when you start to disturb the camera people, talk show hosts and journalists inside, then it becomes a problem.  


To be a respectful fan is to watch from outside without disturbing the people working inside.  Taking photos (as long as the flash is not too disruptive is even fine).  But when you start banging and yelling outside for the star to look at you, then that's just asking the person you're there to see not want to go out and meet you. 


And that, is precisely why I feel Daniel Radcliffe's PR made him leave without greeting us properly (He did wave, which I thought was really cute!)


So the *~moral*~ question of this post is, what good is there really to fangirling/fanboying/whatever it's called nowadays?  It's awesome to see your favourite actors/actress, singers, bands, philanthropists, journalists, etc...but I think it is going a bit far when people start scoping out license plate numbers, hotel rooms and follow the celeb's every single step on their schedule.  


Getting a little bit of interaction is great, and I can see how all of the above could be a form of flattery, but celebrities have lives.  


Don't mob them.........


On another note, while Dan wasn't able to interact with the fans, I was still very pleased to have seen him anyways.  Here was the boy who became the face of my favourite series' main character.  And now, he's branching out to new and better roles. I wish Daniel the best of luck!!!!

 His waving was super dorky. Loved it!! 

Why I hate the blogging game.

I've had a long time to ponder over a post like this. And while I have difficulty expressing my thoughts on blogging, this was all I could come up with:

Blogging sucks.

Lately, I have been finding the world of blogging incredibly superficial. Bloggers who I've liked have started to sell out with their corporate sponsorships, giveaways, free gifts and lack of intelligent writing. And I'm not saying this because I'm jealous of all the free swag they get.

I'm saying this because I feel blogging has lost all of its integrity.

Blogging in my eyes should share inspirational stories, quirky tidbits, advice, news and speak out about interesting topics that will draw readers in. As I am sure there are several blogs out there who fit into these  categories, all I am seeing is an overwhelming amount of bloggers doing the exact opposite.

From posts that were once unique, interesting and insightful came mediocre posts that seemed like its writers were blogging for the sake of blogging.  That means, posting for the sake of keeping readers, and updating to maintain the sponsorships and connections they've gained.

I've always been very iffy about the whole "blogging as a career" thing.  Look, there's nothing wrong with gaining money from your blog if you offer interesting content. But when it becomes something shallow like seeking advertisements for the sake of spending five minutes writing a blurb about a whole outfit given to you by a company, what point is there to read or follow your blog?!

As I am sure there are many amazing blogs somewhere in the world, I've found that I have been surrounded by bloggers who just want to get famous. And the ones I've liked, are selling out because they write a post dedicated to advertise a company who's gifted him/her an item.

It's this complete superficiality and shallowness that makes me want to completely stop blogging.

But perhaps I can be a different type of blogger.

From now on, I pledge to myself that I will blog when I want and what I want.  No more blogging for the sake of blogging. No more blogging because "like OMIGOD...I can get famous!!"

Because let's face it. Getting famous takes a lot more work.

Being Jealous Gets You Nowhere. Nor Does Being Pretentious

I'm sorry if I don't make any sense here on this blog post.  But if you enjoy my rants, here goes:  

A couple of nights ago, I went out with some friends and started talking about a few people that grind my gears for the way the act or behave towards others.

Gossip is never a good thing, but at that point in time, I felt like I needed to address it.

And now I regret it.

No one's ever perfect, but the truth came out and will come out again (without specific names).

I cannot stand some of the pretentious d-bags in my program who constantly ask you whether or not you got published in the school paper or WILL get published in the near future.  It's great that you get published, but no need to rub it in my face that you're more successful than me.  

I will admit that I get a tiny bit jealous.  But getting jealous will not get me anywhere. Nor does complaining to your friends.  But that night, I felt like I needed to address it because I cannot stand people who shove their articles in my face.  

I'll admit that I have enthusiastically shown my articles to people only because it was something I was proud of.  But never do I do it for every single article I get a byline on.  There's nothing wrong with having pride in your work, I will say that.  But when you decide to act like you're better than everyone else and decide to communicate with a certain number of people, then there's a problem.  

Being jealous and a pretentious keener can get you places but can also become a hindrance. Being jealous can give you more drive to get published and accomplish other things.  Being a pretentious keener can allow you to stand by your work and get to your goal.  

But being jealous and not doing anything about it will get you nowhere.  And by being a pretentious keener and acting like you're better than everyone else will leave you with little or no friends at all. 

So why people? Why can't we all just be nice and be friends?  Do I really have to tell people they're being annoying and irritating? 

Okay, I for one, will admit that I am annoying.  There's no secret about that.

But I really don't mean to say bad things about people...most of the time.  

But perhaps, that's something I just need to work on.  Some things are just better left unsaid.      

The Piercing Issue.

As seen from my last post, I have mentioned that I got a helix piercing.

To me and everyone else, this is not a big deal at all. In fact, it's nothing at all. In the western world,  a helix piercing is simply just another hole, another piece of jewelery in your ear.

But in the Asian world, it means the following things: low-life, rebel, bad influence, gangster, criminal...I think you get the gist of it.

If that's the case, I really wonder what a tattoo represents.

Anyways, as I wear my hair up to keep it out of the way, I have already gotten two shocked and most likely disapproving reactions from my aunts.

One said that if I was applying for a job, she would not hire me BECAUSE I have a helix piercing. But because she retaliated by saying my parents were more modern than her, I didn't mind her reaction at all. However, the comment still irked me.

But when I mentioned to my other aunt that I had limited cash because I had used it on a piercing, she reacted with such surprise that just irked me even more.

Her reaction was literally a really loud, "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!"

And after having to shush her from yelling so loudly and making her disapproval so obvious, she shook her head and clicked her tongue in disbelief because my mother had left me pierce my own ear even though I am legal enough to sign my own waiver form.

And then, she went on to tell me how piercing it would shatter my cartilage. However, I know that was not her concern.  She was obviously already thinking that I looked like some rude, rebel bitch on my way to a terrible future with no set goals.

Which leads me to why I'm ranting about this on a blog.

First of all, I'm thankful my parents are open and cool about it. Second of all, it's none of your business what I do with my own body. 

How in the hell is piercing a hole in your body and putting jewelery through it such a terrible thing?

Who's stupid idea was it to determine that body jewelry apart from the ear lobes was abnormal?

Who's bright idea was it to decide that anyone with piercings apart from the ear lobes would be a rebel, bad influence, low-life or a rude-ass biatch? 

Did some sort of Asian congregation gather in court and propose to the judge that those with piercings would immediately be looked down upon?! 

"AHEM. I PROPOSE THAT THOSE WITH PIERCINGS APART FROM THE LOBES WILL BE MADE SECOND CHOICE FOR A JOB EVEN THOUGH HE/SHE IS FULLY QUALIFIED."

"I ALSO PROPOSE THAT PEOPLE WITH SUCH PIERCINGS WILL BE FROM NOW ON LOOKED DOWN ON. THEY WILL BE DEEMED BAD INFLUENCES, LOW LIFES, AND TERRIBLE EXAMPLES TO FOLLOW. HIDE YO' KIDS. HIDE YO' WIFE."

Seriously. I have never heard such nonsense. Piercings do not define a person especially in their knowledge, thoughts and  abilities.

Rather, piercings should be seen as a form of self-expression.  My body is my temple. I should do whatever the hell I please with it. And besides, my piercing is absolutely nothing at all.

Hell, I should try coming home with my nose pierced. Or even better, a tattoo.

The only reason I'm telling you what I'm doing is out of respect.  Otherwise, I could just go in and sign my own waiver form since I'm of age.

Seriously.

We're living in the 21st Century. If a simple piercing prevents me from getting somewhere in life, then I believe there are some changes to be made.

Just another Canadian Winter...

I'll probably get a lot of comments for speaking about this matter for the umpteenth time, but I DID NOT feel that today was a snow day.

Perhaps it was a lot worse uptown in Scarborough, but downtown Toronto did not seem to have a lot of snow.  Everywhere I turned, snowplows, salt-throwers and shovelers were at hand to keep the sidewalks and roads clear for drivers and walkers to travel safely and efficiently.

So my question is:  if this was possible for many downtown university students, why couldn't uptown students do the same...considering that there isn't much of a difference distance-wise?    

Yes we were expected to receive around 20 cm of snow, but there were years where many of us have endured worse.  I remember around two to three years ago, my high school was still open despite the super, heavy blizzard taking place outside.  Not to mention, I actually braved that storm to make it to school.  (Well, I actually lived across the street from my high school...so it doesn't give me an excuse...)  But today, both the TCDSB AND the TDSB were closed?  I couldn't believe it.  To me, it didn't SEEM that bad...

But really, I'm only complaining because I wanted a snow day.  I really shouldn't because there are several homeless people outside braving the snow without shelter, food...or even a blanket.  Why can't we just stop complaining...or stop rejoicing about this said "snow storm" and think about all the people outside who are freezing?! 

How's that for ya'?

On another note about snow...I seem to attract a lot of people who want ME to take their photos.  I don't know if it was the snow or Downtown Toronto, but a couple and two friends asked me to take photos of them.  Nevertheless, I helped them.

In return, I asked the couple to take a photo for me!  I'm not sure if I like the photos, but I appreciate the effort!

They had very funny dialogue.

Man:  My picture is better because you can SEE EVERYTHINGG.
Woman: NOO.  Look at my picture! It's better, because you are the center of attention!!

 

 

I don't know... :P

By the way, my winter boots broke, and I'm looking for new ones! Suggestions??