Beverly Hills ain’t for everyone

Reflections on fandom

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I have been very blessed to meet, party with, and capture some of the most iconic people in the world. However, one thing that has recently become a fear of mine is something that came at an unexpected time. It’s not financial. It’s not social. It’s life-changing in every way possible. It’s the one thing that everyone is of something or someone– 

It’s being a fan.

I know— it's not the end of the world, but some days it feels like it.

As someone who is around their “idols” across different fields, it's tricky dancing around the fact that I love their work, the life they live and all that they've become. In a time where it's extremely easy to ridicule, threaten, and dehumanize public figures, I'm often wondering when enough will truly be enough. When will people truly have boundaries and understand that just because I'm out with my family, that does not mean I want to give an autograph. Just because I (insert celebrity or influencer) have a show, screening, or talk and you purchase VIP tickets, that does not mean that you get to handle me in any kind of way. I’ve seen fans throw tantrums, wait around for the artist, and lord knows what else to make a moment last a millennium. There's a certain level of entitlement that comes with being a fan and it's this illusion that because someone is a public figure, you have an all-access pass to that person. But the reality is– you don't. You never did and never will. 

I’m sure that if every celebrity moved like Beyoncé, all of the problems on Earth wouldn’t be solved but many would be avoided.

Fans have to grasp the fact that the people we celebrate, praise, and feel connected to are also human. They also have feelings. They also have families. They also have loved ones. They are making every moment count like us (or at least trying to from our perspective). The biggest difference between them and us is that– they have more money, attention, and access than us!  And control. We can't forget about control. As fans, we feel like we have a limited level of access to the people that we look up to. Also, on another end, there is a level of accountability that the people we look up to have to understand – if you play stupid games, you will indeed get stupid prizes. This game of social Pickleball has been occurring since the first people came into being. Sadly, I don’t believe it will stop anytime soon. 

I am still navigating and learning how to honor the space that the people I look up to take up. At the end of the day, I have a job to do– capture the moment. I also have a responsibility and obligation to help people understand that just because you're around someone doesn't mean that you have the same access as the people who gave you said access. Being a fan is cool. But there are many times when it's not the time to be a fan. No matter how much attention, no matter how much influence, no matter how much control they have– they too can walk into a grocery store and check without a paparazzi. Though it’s not ideal for them to be out in certain public spaces, they need to let their hair down too. 

They deserve that.