Do you get starstruck?

Leighton Meester & Ed Westwick in Gossip Girl.


Celebrities. Famous people. Icons you see and hear on TV. 
Finally meeting them in person and then getting starstruck, dumbstruck. 

I was listening to Fly FM this morning and the Pagi Rock Crew deejays were discussing the subject. Nadia had spotted Shebby Singh at a porridge shop over the weekend, but just watched him from a distance when she really wanted to go up and say hi.

This happens to practically everyone. Happens to me, happens to you. We see our favorite stars in movies, we watch reruns of their music videos, we stalk every single article they write, we yearn and dream of the day when and whether we'd ever meet them in the flesh.

And when we finally do meet them, after all the pressure-building-heart-pounding moments, we falter and freeze. We don't know what to say. We just stare at them like they're some fantastically rare and oddly designed reptile in a zoo. We cannot believe they are right before us, at touching distance.

After the magical moment passes, reality slaps us in the face. Falling out of shy, giggly, fangirl/fanboy mode, surrounding sounds are louder, sights are clearer. 


"Why didn't I go up and say hi? Or ask for a picture? Dammit."

WHY DO WE EVEN REACT THIS WAY?

I mean, they're people too, aren't they? There was a point when they weren't famous; when they weren't in a state that you would ogle and swoon over.

But then, knowing us humans (and also psychologically speaking), we're rather religious subscribers to this cult called Fame.

We get dumbstruck/starstruck because:

1. We're restrained by our own disbelief. The fact that the opportunity - the person - is present is too much to handle.

2. We're too caught up with the Perfect Notion. We don't know what to say or how to act. It would be lame, unworthy of notice, irrelevant, uncool, etc, etc.

3. We perceive them as having god-status. We daren't approach them. We just don't.

Sorta dramatic points, but you get the gist. We basically freak ourselves out most of the time. Doubting and second-guessing, we miss out on stuff because we deny ourselves of 'em.

So the next time you see someone you really wanna say hi to, go right up to him/her and just do it. Don't be hatin on yourself later! :)