Confessions of a Grown Up Fan Girl

January 13, 2009 by Ann Lake
Filed under Ones2Watch4 Blog

I am sure many of you are wondering what exactly the purpose of this website/blog is supposed to be. Who needs yet another entertainment website right? Well, it was conceived quite a few years ago as a playground for a group of friends to share our latest obsessions in actors, movies, television and music. We thought maybe we would get a few interviews with those we like along the way (which we did). That was, almost 8 years ago, and throughout that time, the site went dormant during various periods of real life interference. We were much younger then. Life was bright and we were having fun. What more of an excuse did we need?

Now, life is different. Some of us have faced some real life changes (unemployment, divorce, new babies), but through all of that, our obsessions remained, we just never had the time to share them. The intense attraction to our pop culture world where the “beautiful people” still make us dream, laugh and cry through the characters they create and the talent they possess. Maybe now, more than ever, we need that distraction to forget the struggles we all face and it was time to bring the site back to life. What we watch on TV and in the theaters and what we listen to is an escape and our likes and dislikes can reflect or deflect our current moods and life situations.

As I considered what to write in this week’s blog, I thought back to Comic-Con 2008. I remembered the reaction of fans to movies and television shows I knew nothing about and enjoyed the panels on those and the projects I actually had an interest in. I remembered the giddy excitement of a good friend as she met someone she had admired for a long time and her rush to tell her husband with the biggest of smiles on her face. I realized that we all have a little fan girl in us (even though I really, really wish there was another term we could use other than “fan”) and that’s OK. It is fun and exciting to escape the mundane for even just a few days, along with the chance to down margaritas with some really great people.

So, as I grow older, I have come to realize these things:

That I will always be fascinated by the talent actors, writers, directors and others have in creating the films we get excited about and anticipate to see. That their experience in making the films, for the most part, is as personal as our experience in watching a story that touches us whether it is in sorrow, laughter, awe or reflection.
That every artist can get overwhelmed by fan enthusiasm and I am capable of seeing them as human beings and not just idols in the midst of the chaos. That I will always be interested in hearing what they have to say about their work and can appreciate the impossible situations they sometimes face.
That Gerard Butler will continue to amaze me with his talent, tolerance and ability to rise to meet every challenge with determination and passion. I will always be in his corner.
That, when I am channel surfing the 700 channels on television, I am incapable of surfing past Ocean’s 11, Ocean’s 13 (let’s just forget Ocean’s 12 was ever made shall we?), Transformers, Music & Lyrics, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Love Actually and a variety of other films I somehow can’t scroll through, no matter how mediocre they may be.
That my husband has major crushes on both Will Smith and Megan Fox and I am OK with that. He also really liked Dracula 2000, for which I forgive him.
That Hugh Jackman will always make me jump from my seat and momentarily “lose it” when I’m in his presence, much to my adult embarrassment.
That Luke Goss, despite having already endured one career with an unsettling fanatical following, can embrace another with the message in every note to his fans to “Be Kind” delivered with a smile and a gentle aura of genuine appreciation. I don’t think I have ever met a more gentle soul, apart from Gerry Butler.
That I will forever have a weakness for actor/musicians, no matter their age, probably because they possess twice the talent I wish I had.
That I am doomed to exposure to my teen daughter’s current obsessions, resulting in my actually LIKING some of them for vastly different reasons than she does much to her dismay. Yet, that’s the joy of being a parent right? Torturing those that torture you?
That my taste in music will forever be a reflection of my own personal soundtrack in my mind, depending on my mood, along with my constant desire to drive REALLY fast and the restraint required to not be that stupid. It may not be hip or terribly exciting, but it’s all mine!

So, this site is for anyone who wants to gush, be giddy, get excited and share their current entertainment passions with the world without embarrassment. Send us your recommendations. If you are lucky to attend a premiere, awards shows or fan convention, share your pictures. Post your comments about the music, actors and films we profile. Vote in the polls.

We want everyone to enjoy this blog with just one thing in mind…be kind and have fun.